Christie's Auction of 100-Plus-Carat, D-Flawless Diamond Promises to Be a 'Spectacle'

On May 12, Christie's Geneva will place on the auction block a 100.94-carat, D-flawless diamond that's expected to yield between $12 million and $18 million.

Aptly named "The Spectacle," the featured lot of Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction was cut from a 207.29-carat rough stone that measured 38.0 х 37.0 х 18.0 mm and displayed a slightly grooved surface.

The stone was sourced in 2016 at the Zarnitsa kimberlite pipe in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in the northeast of Russia. Zarnitsa is Russia's first-ever diamond deposit. The find was made in 1954, but not actively mined until 1999.

The “Diamonds of Alrosa” cutting factory in Moscow transformed the rough diamond into its current shape during an arduous, high-stakes process that took 20 months to complete. The emerald cut is incompatible with any imperfections, as its broad, stepped facets allow the observer to gaze endlessly into the clear, unobstructed depths of the gem. In jewelry circles, the emerald cut is also know as "the most unforgiving cut." The end result has to be perfect.

The 100.94-carat Spectacle is the largest diamond ever to have been cut in Russia and compares favorably with similar high-profile diamonds that have gone under the hammer at Christie's Geneva. The first is the 101.73-carat, D-flawless Winston Legacy, which sold for $26.7 million in 2013, and the second is the 163-carat, D-flawless Creation I, which sold for $33.7 million in 2017.

“We are fascinated to present this long-awaited gem," said Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa. "…this exceptional 100.94-carat, colorless, emerald-cut diamond displays a breathtaking performance, which is a natural wonder revealed by human hand."

The Alrosa CEO called The Spectacle a unique occurrence due to its astonishing size, flawless provenance and impeccable color.

The Spectacle will be available for public viewing from May 1-2 in Taipei and from May 8-12 in Geneva. The sale will take place at Geneva's Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

Credits: The Spectacle image courtesy of Christie's. Rough diamond image courtesy of Alrosa.

Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 Stanley Cup Ring Sets a Jostens Record for Gem Weight

Set with 557 diamonds and 81 custom-cut blue sapphires, the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2020 Stanley Cup Championship ring boasts a gem total weight of 25 carats, the most in Jostens' history. Players and coaches finally received their highly anticipated 2020 rings on Friday night — 47 games into the 2021 season.

Normally, the team would have raised its championship banner and distributed the rings at the 2021 home opener, but the Lightning decided to hold off on the presentations until fans could participate at Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena.

Certainly, the 2020 season was like no other in NHL history. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team played the entirety of the playoffs in the isolation of hub-cities for 65 days. Despite being separated from family, friends and fans by thousands of miles, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevered and overcame the most difficult of circumstances to be crowned the NHL’s 2020 Stanley Cup Champions.

On Friday night, the players and coaches got their first glimpse of the blingiest ring ever designed by Jostens. The 25 carats of gemstones is the highest total weight of any championship ring, in any sport, in Jostens' 124-year history.

Crafted in 14-karat white gold, the ring top features the iconic Lightning logo rendered in blue sapphires. The bolt of the logo features 12 custom-cut sapphires, which are intricately hand-set with an additional 18 custom-cut sapphires completing the logo. There are 24 diamonds brilliantly encircling the edge of the team's logo.

The Cup itself is crafted with 79 diamonds. In an interesting twist, Jostens engineered the Stanley Cup and Lightning logo to lift up from the face to reveal the word "STOCKHOLM," a nod to the city in Sweden where the Lightning participated in the NHL's Global Series. During the trip, the team won both games versus the Buffalo Sabres and also found their team identity. The inside of the Stanley Cup also features two crossed hockey sticks with a hockey puck — rendered as a singular black diamond — between them.

Encircling the logo and Cup are an additional 27 custom-cut blue sapphires, symbolic of the 27 seasons the Lightning organization has been a part of the NHL leading up to their 2020 Stanley Cup victory.

An additional 146 pavé-set diamonds adorn the ring top and flow down the edges. Along both the top and bottom edges of the ring are 12 custom-cut sapphires set in a detailed wave pattern. These waves pay tribute to Tampa Bay, which is known for its proximity to the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The left side of the ring features the words STANLEY CUP and the right side displays CHAMPIONS, set in raised white gold against a contrasting background of Lightning blue.

The left side of the ring also features the recipient's name created from white gold and accented with the same Lightning blue in the background. Below the name is the player's number set in diamonds within a circle that has the details of a hockey net in the background.

The right side of the ring displays the championship year date of 2020, which is separated by a banner featuring the motto "DISTANT THUNDER," which was adopted by the team to recognize their fans during their 2020 playoff run. The right side also includes the team name and Lightning logo.

The sides of the ring are adorned with diamonds that cascade down from the top of the ring and wrap around the palm side which displays the words "GRAVY TRAIN," the title of the team's locker room victory song for the season. In total, there are 308 diamonds hand-set on the sides of the rings alone. This first-of-its-kind presentation for Jostens results in a ring that shines with brilliance from every angle.

The interior of the ring contains the Lightning logo in custom blue ceramic with the results of each of the team's 2020 playoff round victories to the right side. To the left of the logo is 216:14, the total number of overtime minutes endured by the Lightning during the playoffs and the most of any NHL team in a single post-season. The overtime minutes were equivalent to playing nearly four extra regulation games. The Lightning was also the first team in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final after clinching their other three series via overtime wins.

As an added detail of personalization, Jostens included each player's signature on the interior palm side.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jostens.

Music Friday: Supergroup CSNY Has ‘Fiery Gems for You’ in 1970's 'Our House'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic hits with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we take a deep dive into the origin story behind “Our House,” a song written by Graham Nash and inspired by his then-girlfriend, singer Joni Mitchell, as they shared a home (with two cats) in Laurel Canyon, CA, in 1970.

Featuring the intricate vocal harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the song recounts a simple day in the life of two rock and roll icons. After having breakfast at a deli in LA, Nash and Mitchell stopped at an antique store where they purchased a beautiful vase that had been displayed in the window. Then they headed back home on a cool, drizzly L.A. morning.

As they entered the front door, Nash told Mitchell, “You know what? I’ll light a fire. Why don’t you put some flowers in that vase that you just bought?"

Nash continued the story of this aha moment for Howard Stern's listeners in 2016: "Well, she was in the garden getting flowers. That meant she was not at her piano, but I was. ‘Our House’ was born about an hour and a half later.”

"I defy any musician out there to tell me when the muse of music is going to come visit. I don't think any of us know," Nash continued. "And songs come from the strangest places."

Lead vocalist Nash compares the rays of light streaming through the windows to brilliant gemstones. He sings, “Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the evening sunshine through them, fiery gems for you, only for you.”

One of three Top-40 songs from the group’s 1970 Déjà Vu album, “Our House” reached #30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and has since stood the test of time.”Our House” has been covered by numerous artists and continues to be a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fan favorite 51 years later.

In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Déjà Vu #147 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In addition to “Our House,” the album also charted two other iconic songs of the era, “Woodstock” and “Teach Your Children.”

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was one of the greatest supergroups of all time. David Crosby had been with The Byrds. Nash was with The Hollies. Steven Stills and Neil Young were members of Buffalo Springfield. By virtue of their stellar collaborations and solo careers, the members of CSNY have each earned two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

We hope you enjoy the video of CSNY’s performance of “Our House.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Our House”
Written by Graham Nash. Performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

I’ll light the fire, you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.
Staring at the fire for hours and hours while I listen to you
play your love songs all night long for me, only for me.

Come to me now and rest your head for just five minutes, everything is good.
Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the evening
sunshine through them, fiery gems for you, only for you.

Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard,
now everything is easy cause of you and our la, la, la…

Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard,
now everything is easy cause of you and our

I’ll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.

Credit: Image by CMA-Creative Management Associates/Atlantic Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

‘SNL’ Star Pete Davidson and ‘Bridgerton’ Actress Phoebe Dynevor Linked by ‘PD’ Pendants

Celebrity and style publications, from Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan to Teen Vogue, are convinced that the matching initial pendants worn by Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson and breakout Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor provide solid evidence that the couple is dating.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the "PD" initial pendant Davidson wore during his appearance April 6 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was exactly the same as the one worn by Dynevor during her March 8 International Women’s Day cameo on Brie Larson's YouTube channel.

Rumors had been circulating for months that Davidson and Dynevor were managing a long-distance relationship while he's in New York shooting SNL and she's in London filming the second season of the wildly popular Bridgerton series for Netflix. They had been spotted holding hands in England during recent weeks.

Certainly Davidson, 27, and Dynevor, 25, have the exact same initials, but what are the odds that they would have randomly purchased the same type of jewelry?

It's more likely that they bought matching necklaces and wear them as a sweet and symbolic connection while they apart. Buzzfeed speculated that there is a single "PD" necklace that Davidson borrowed from Dynevor for his Tonight Show appearance.

Nevertheless, the publications are in agreement the couple intentionally used the "PD" necklace to drop a subtle hint to their fans about their romance.

On April 11, during a Zoom session with Marquette University students, Davidson was asked about his celebrity crush. He answered, "I'm with my celebrity crush."

“Pete and Phoebe are still going strong despite not being able to physically spend time together,” a source told US Weekly. "They keep in touch over text and FaceTime. Right now, they’re just focused on work… They’re not looking to rush things.”

Credits: Screen captures via YouTube.com/The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, YouTube.com/Brie Larson.

High on an Irish Cliffside, This Couple Experiences a Proposal Like No Other

Buffeted by menacing winds high upon a cliffside in West Cork, Ireland, Blue Cassidy and his girlfriend, Maria Gilvanda, calmly played their roles as sweethearts enjoying a Champagne picnic at one of the most picturesque places on the planet.

Gilvanda had been convinced by her boyfriend that they were participating in a tourism video. What she didn't know is that the drone filming their perilous rendezvous just steps from a sheer vertical drop into the Atlantic Ocean was actually documenting a stunning, one-of-a-kind marriage proposal.

Photographer and expert drone operator Niall Duffy nearly pulled the plug on the ruse because the drone was having trouble navigating in high winds. At the last moment, he decided to go forward with the plan because Cassidy had already delayed the proposal more than six months due to COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland.

"I was right on the edge with it, to be honest," Duffy told CorkBeo. "I didn't think it would work and I said maybe we could call it off until we got better weather. But, he had already waited six months so we went ahead with it."

In the viral video, the viewer assumes the vantage point of the drone as it soars high above the couple, revealing the awesome, jagged vistas that make County Cork such a unique destination.

After circling the couple, the drone hovers directly above. Dangling from the drone is a cord with a very special package tied to the end. Cassidy stretches to reach the package, which contains a ring box. The drone's camera stays focused on the couple as Cassidy goes down on one knee and proposes to his startled, yet delighted, girlfriend, with a ring given to him by his mother.

Said Duffy, "The drone got there, the ring arrived, she said 'Yes,' and everybody's happy."

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In the final seconds of the video, the drone zooms away from the precipice until the couple seems to vanish into the landscape. The couple is circled in the screen capture, below.

The couple has been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic comments and well wishes generated by the viral video.

Gilvanda told the Irish Examiner that part of the beauty of the responses has been the sense of hope the proposal has brought to many people.

"We were saying that we would like to make it a tradition every 10 years that we would go there and do a different video each year until our legs can't walk to the cliff," she said.

See the impressive video here…

Credits: Screen captures via www.irishmirror.ie.

Actress Bella Thorne Surprises Fiancé Benjamin Mascolo With an Engagement Ring

Barely four weeks after accepting a 4-carat, pear-shaped diamond engagement ring from Italian singer Benjamin Mascolo, former Disney star Bella Thorne returned the sentiment by giving her new fiancé a diamond engagement ring of his own.

Mascolo, 27, took to Instagram over the weekend to show off the diamond-studded, openwork gold ring, which he proudly wore on the ring finger of his left hand. While couples regularly exchange wedding bands while taking their vows, the concept of engagement rings for men is a novel one.

From the series of photos posted to his Instagram, we can see that Thorne delivered the ring while sharing a romantic meal at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills.

Mascolo wrote, "She got me an engagement ring" and punctuated the statement with a white heart emoji.

Thorne, 23, shared Mascolo's post to her Instagram Stories and captioned the post, "My love @b3nm."

Four weeks ago, Thorne and Mascolo thrilled their fans with Instagram posts announcing their engagement and showing off Thorne's new ring. The proposal took place after the couple shot the final scene of their movie, Time Is Up.

"She said YES," commented Mascolo, while adding two emojis: a diamond ring and a black heart.

“He knows exactly my style @b3nm,” Thorne wrote on Instagram.

Jewelry-industry experts estimated that Thorne's pear-shaped center stone weighs close to 4 carats and, depending on the gem's quality, could be worth up to $150,000. The large center stone is surrounded by a halo of smaller white diamonds on a white gold or platinum diamond-accented band.

Thorne and Mascolo officially announced they were a couple in June of 2019. Their wedding will include celebrations in both the US and Italy.

Credits: Images via Instagram.com/b3nm.

Pink Diamond Horse Rears Up in Latest Release From The Perth Mint's 3D 'Jewelled' Series

An 18-karat rose gold horse pavé-set with 169 pink and purplish-pink Argyle diamonds seems to rise from the face of The Perth Mint’s latest 3D "Jewelled" coin.

Priced at $215,605 (AUD $279,000), The Jewelled Horse of 2021 represents the fourth in a series of highly collectible coins showcasing Asia’s revered mythical and mortal creatures. Across many cultures, the horse represents vitality, power and nobility.

The 2018 Jewelled Phoenix, 2019 Jewelled Dragon and 2020 Jewelled Tiger coins sold out within weeks of their release dates.

The rare gems that make up the body of the rearing horse include a mix of pink and purplish-pink diamonds from the now-depleted Argyle mine in Western Australia. Each of these diamonds has a color rating of fancy intense to fancy vivid.

The mine had been the world's main source of gem-quality pink diamonds, but was shuttered in November of 2020. Two golden-colored Argyle diamonds are used to represent the horse's eyes. The diamond total weight is 2.76 carats.

Measuring 61 mm (2.4 inches) across and struck from 10 ounces of 99.99% pure gold in proof quality, the coin’s reverse artistry portrays a branch of jasmine flowers and undulating countryside with nearby hills topped by pagodas. It includes the Chinese character for horse, which is derived from a pictogram of a standing horse with a flowing mane. The coin's reverse also incorporates the inscription JEWELLED HORSE and The Perth Mint’s traditional "P" mintmark.

The obverse features the Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the weight and fineness, the “2000 DOLLARS” monetary denomination, “AUSTRALIA,” the Queen’s name and the year 2021.

Recognizing the significance of the number eight in Asian cultures and its association with luck and prosperity, the limited quantity of eight Jewelled Horse coins were issued by The Perth Mint. Each is presented in a luxury, cabinet-style case with double-doors embellished with pink gold motifs and two additional Argyle pink diamonds. Inside, the illuminated coin continuously rotates 360 degrees.

Credits: Images courtesy of The Perth Mint.

Music Friday: ‘Judy’s Wearin’ His Ring’ in Lesley Gore’s 1963 Classic, ‘It’s My Party’

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics or title. Today we shine our spotlight on Lesley Gore, who, as a 17-year-old in 1963, exploded onto the music scene with her #1 pop hit, “It’s My Party.”

A heartbreaking account of a teenage girl being humiliated at her own birthday party, “It’s My Party” grew to be much more than a song. The catchphrase “It’s my party. I’ll cry if I want to” became part of the pop culture lexicon to describe a happy event that takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

In the song, Gore's boyfriend, Johnny, leaves the party for a while with her rival, Judy. When they return later, Judy is showing off a new piece of jewelry.

Gore sings, “Oh, Judy and Johnny just walked through that door / Like a queen with her king / Oh what a birthday surprise / Judy’s wearin’ his ring.”

The line “It’s my party. I’ll cry if I want to” was originally credited to the Brill Building writing team of John Gluck, Wally Gold and Herb Weiner. But, later, it was rightfully attributed to part-time songwriter Seymour Gottlieb, and specifically, his daughter, Judy.

Judy Solash told the New York Daily News in 2015 that she was a teenager living in Brooklyn when a disagreement over her Sweet 16 guest list sparked an emotional exchange with her dad. Seymour thought it was proper to invite Judy’s grandparents and the birthday girl had other ideas.

Here’s how the song was born, according to Solash: “I, of course, being a bratty teenager, said I didn’t want them there. I burst into tears, and my father said, ‘Don’t cry.'”

Judy, famously answered, “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to.”

Gottlieb, a restaurant owner and lyricist, passed the catchy phrase to his songwriter friend Weiner, who later composed the song with Gluck and Gold. When the song became a chart-topping hit, Weiner agreed to share his portion of the song’s royalties with Gottlieb.

Gore, who was born Lesley Sue Goldstein, was a junior in high school when she recorded “It’s My Party” for producer Quincy Jones. The song zoomed to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while also charting in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.

She followed this chart-topper with other memorable songs, such as “Judy’s Turn to Cry” and “You Don’t Own Me.” Gore lost her battle with lung cancer in 2015. She was 68.

Please check out the video of Gore’s live performance of “It’s My Party” on the Ed Sullivan Show in October 1963. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“It’s My Party”
Written by John Gluck, Wally Gold, Herb Weiner and Seymour Gottlieb. Performed by Lesley Gore.

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone
Judy left the same time
Why was he holding her hand
When he’s supposed to be mine?

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

Play all my records, keep dancing all night
But leave me alone for a while
‘Til Johnny’s dancing with me
I’ve got no reason to smile

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

Oh, Judy and Johnny just walked through that door
Like a queen with her King
Oh what a birthday surprise
Judy’s wearin’ his ring

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

Oh it’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to
Cry if I want to, cry if I want to
You would cry too if it happened to you

Credit: Screen capture via Youtube.com/The Ed Sullivan Show.

With Demand on the Rise, Russia Looks to Boost Alexandrite Production Fourfold

Alexandrite is one of the rarest and most expensive gemstones on the planet. During an average year, worldwide production is barely 40 kilograms (88 lbs) and 93% of that production can be traced to Brazil.

Russia ranks a distant second in alexandrite production, but is looking to quadruple the output of the unique color-change gem at its Mariinsky mine in the Ural Mountains. The announcement was made by officials at the state-controlled corporation Rostec, which operates the country’s only emerald placer mine.

(Placer mining is when minerals, such as alexandrite or emerald, are separated from sand or gravel using running water.)

The acceleration of alexandrite production in Russia is particularly significant because the gem — which is often called “emerald by day and ruby by night” — was originally discovered in the Ural Mountains in 1830.

Gem legend states that Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld (1792-1865) received a mineral sample from Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii (1792-1856) that seemed very much like an emerald. But when the mineralogist inspected the gem under candlelight, the green gem had turned raspberry red.

According to the Smithsonian, Nordenskiöld had intended to name the new variety of chrysoberyl “diaphanite,” but the Count insisted that it be called “alexandrite” to curry favor with the Russian royal family and Czar Alexander II. (The gem was said to be discovered on the Czar’s birthday.)

Emphasizing that 2020 was a particularly difficult year at the Mariinsky mine due to COVID-19-related issues, Rostec chief executive Kirill Fedorov told the TASS news agency that his company mined just a single kilogram of alexandrite in 2020. That number should reach 4 kilograms in 2021 as production gears up to address a resurgence in demand.

Russia currently accounts for 4% of the world's alexandrite production. Fedorov called alexandrite "the world's rarest precious stone" and added that prices for both alexandrite and emeralds have increased in the range of 30% since 2018.

The color-changing property of alexandrite has been attributed to the presence of chromium in the gem’s chemical makeup. In normal daylight, a fine alexandrite will appear bluish-green, but under lamplight or candle flame, the gem transitions to a vibrant raspberry red. The chromium allows the gem to absorb light in the yellow and blue parts of the spectrum.

Credit: Image by Александр Рудный, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Atlanta Man Pops the Question With Five Different Engagement Rings

In a marriage proposal that caught the attention of CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King and was picked up by People, Newsweek, Essence and iHeart Radio, groom-to-be William Hunn got down on one knee atop an Atlanta skyscraper to pop the question to Brittney Miller with not one, but five diamond engagement rings.

As Miller explained in an Instagram post, the special day started with a helicopter ride that was intended to zoom the couple to a wine tasting. Instead, the helicopter circled the city and then landed on the helipad of the Park Pavilion building. There, a few friends were already on hand to witness Hunn present the love of his life with five diamond rings on a multi-finger velvet display.

“I thought I knew what love was until you came back into my life,” Hunn said. “Not only did you help me realize that I don’t want to live without you, but I realized that I can’t live without you. I have to have you. And I have to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Miller answered "Absolutely" when he asked for her hand in marriage.

Then he gave her the following choice: “You can try all five or pick one.”

Each ring was beautiful in its own way, with many different diamonds sizes, shapes and setting options.

Miller entertained the notion of trying on all the rings at the same time, but she did have a favorite in mind. The ring she pulled from the third finger of the display appears to feature a radiant-cut diamond center stone on a delicate diamond-adorned band.

"I SAID YES!!!!," Miller wrote on her Instagram page. "He proposed with not just one…. but FIVE rings. I had options. @ichillwillfixit went above and beyond to make this day one that we'll never forget. William, you are truly a blessing. You're my best friend, fiancé, soon to be husband and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Later in the day, the couple attended a surprise engagement party where both sides of the family gathered to celebrate the big day.

CBS This Morning anchor King was impressed by the Hunn's extraordinary efforts to make the proposal extra special.

"It was very creative," King said of the five-ring proposal. "And the fact that he cared that much. To me, it sounds like that marriage is off to a very good start."

Miller posted the CBS clip along with this caption: "I can't believe The CBS Morning show covered my and @ichillwillfixit proposal!!! The amount of support we've received over the last week has been astronomical. This is truly amazing to have our story shared with so many people. And by GAYLE KING!?!? I'm speechless. Definitely a humbling experience @gayleking."

Credits: Images courtesy of James D. Love (www.jamesdlove.com).