The 2011 Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra

Remember how yesterday I claimed that everything was better if it was encrusted with diamonds? Well it would appear that I was wrong again, but this time its diamond covered lingerie. That’s right; the famed Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is tonight and with every VS show, comes the Fantasy Bra. (I feel that there should be appropriately dramatic music here, but since these blogs don’t come with a soundtrack feature we shall press on.)

Since its inception in 1996, the Fantasy Bra has been making headlines. Worn by names such as Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, and Claudia Schiffer, the Fantasy Bra is every Angel’s dream; a dream that came true this year for model Miranda Kerr. “I have always wanted to wear the Fantasy Bra”. “It’s really special”, gushed Kerr. It’s true; there is something very special about these bras, very special, meaning very costly. With the first installment, the Million Dollar Miracle bra, which retailed for, you guessed it, $1 million, the sparkly undergarments were poised to make history. And four years later, Gisele Bundchen strutted down the catwalk wearing a record breaking Fantasy Bra and panties worth a staggering $15 million.

This year’s $2.5 million piece, dubbed the Fantasy Treasure Bra is encrusted with a mind-blowing 3,400 stones including 142 carats of white and yellow diamonds hand set amongst pearls, citrines, and aquamarines. As for how it feels to actually wear this eye-popping creation? “It was magical. Felt like a million dollars. Or $2.5 million", laughed Kerr shown below with the Fantasy Treasure Bra.  

Photo : Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

But the main question is, will it sell? Contrary to popular belief, the Fantasy Bra is not created as a showpiece. It is created to sell, and for quite a lot of money. However, only one has ever sold, and it was the very first, and very cheapest at a budget friendly $1 million. I think the reason is that there are so many things to spend millions of dollars on, and diamond studded bras just don’t rank that high up on the list. On my list they would fall miles behind things like mansions, yachts, and the Elizabeth Taylor diamond ring.

However, with all of that being said, the bra itself is quite pretty and I’m sure it would make a nice addition to anyone’s home décor. Because let’s face it, you can’t wear the thing. Besides it being ostentatious as all get out, it was made to fit Kerr, a teeny, tiny supermodel. Although even if it did fit, I wouldn’t wear it as a bra. I personally think that it has gone beyond underwear and has become embellished enough to be worn as a top. I say throw that baby on and hit the clubs, with a couple of body guards of course!

Now I want to hear what you think! Is this year’s Fantasy Bra jaw-droppingly gorgeous, or a jaw-dropping waste of money? Would you buy it, and if so would you wear it?

"For the Love of God" and diamonds

For a long time now, my personal jewelry motto has been that encrusting something with diamonds immediately makes it better. Well I have recently found an example that blows my hypothesis out of the water. It is a work of art (term used loosely here) by acclaimed British artist Damien Hirst entitled “For the Love of God”; which is ironically what popped out of my mouth upon first seeing it.

Photo : Reuters/Prudence Cuming Associates/Handout/Files

For the love of God indeed, one of Hirst’s more controversial pieces, this objet d’art is a life-size casting of an 18^th century human skull done in platinum. The cast was then covered with 8,601 flawless diamonds including a 52.4 carat pink diamond valued alone at $6.3 million. The piece was sold in 2007 for a remarkable $100 million to a consortium of investors which included the artist himself.

The work is supposed to convey feelings about mortality and death as well as be a commentary on market forces. However, all I can think of is that over 8 thousand perfect diamonds, diamonds that could have been lovingly enjoyed by many, or just me, are currently affixed to a platinum skull, complete with teeth. I’m actually kind of surprised that they didn’t add a diamond encrusted grill to the smile. And what a smile, at least the skull looks happy to be here!

Alright, all jesting aside, when I was in Amsterdam last year I was fortunate enough to be able to visit their diamond museum which houses a replica made by Coster diamonds. Essentially, it is the gorilla version of this masterpiece. And it was, I hesitate to say, spectacular. Very few people are ever priveledged to see thousands of diamonds in one place, separate from the crown jewels of course. And these were beautiful diamonds, under perfect sparkle-inducing lights. My only problem was that, as gorgeous and technically astounding as it was, I kept having this niggling sense of reality. The reality that I was, in truth, looking at a very sparkly gorilla.

So what do you think? Is “For the Love of God” just plain wrong, or so wrong it’s right? If you need to see it in person to make the call, the piece will be on display in London from April 4 through September 9 of 2012.

There's an app for that...

Have you ever been kept up at night wondering exactly how the GIA comes up with the grade given to each diamond? No? Just me then, ok. Well if any of you out there are as diamond crazed as I am, or hey, even if you don’t really care all that much about diamonds but want to know what the heck a VVS1 clarity grade means, this new app is for you.

Launched for the iPad this free app, downloadable on iTunes, is designed to “provide the public with the knowledge they need to make informed buying decisions”, teach consumers about the GIA grading scales for clarity, cut, and color, and how all of that affects the value of a diamond. Important stuff when you’re talking about a commodity that can jump thousands of dollars in price for a change that is invisible to the naked eye.

There is also information on the origins of the carat system, fluorescence, synthetic diamonds, and diamond treatments as well as a guided tour through the GIA Grading Report itself. You can even create a diamond wish list including details like the diamond’s 4C’s, price, and retailer information. Also if the diamond has a report number, the data will be automatically populated to your wish list. How cool is that?

Now, if you don’t have an iPad, don’t despair, an iPhone app is launching soon. All I know is that I have an iPad and will be spending many a merry hour this holiday season populating my wish list using this app!

It's Quiz Time!

What's your diamond shape?

1. What's your weekend style?

Comfy jeans and a t-shirt.
My favorite vintage dress and cute heels.
That bold color block dress that I just saw in Vogue.
Skinny jeans with a belted cardigan and ballet flats.


2. You're going on a road trip. What's playing on the radio?

A cool jazz mix.
The newest hits from the Billboard charts.
This great indie band that I just saw last weekend.
The Beatle's greatest hits!


3. What's your idea of a good time?

Checking out that hot new club downtown.
Snagging amazing deals at Bloomingdales!
The weekly get-together with your best friends.
Strolling through the new Picasso exhibit at the museum.


4. It's movie night! Which movie do you always reach for first?

Love Actually - Love those accents!
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Pretty in Pink
Twilight. It's my guilty pleasure.


5. Which celebrity are you?

Audrey Hepburn - They epitome of classic style.
Sarah Jessica Parker - Love those Manolos!
Lady Gaga - She's fierce and my style icon!
Marilyn Monroe - A true vintage beauty.

How'd you do?

Mostly 1's - You're a classic girl! Try a round brilliant engagement ring to fit your style.
Mostly 2's - You love all things vintage. The dreamy cushion cut is perfect for you!
Mostly 3's - The totally trendy princess cut was made for you!
Mostly 4's - You're modern and full of style so try out the crisp and clean faceting of the Asscher cut!

Magic Johnson gets the assist with surprise proposal!

By Megan Reynolds, AJP (GIA)

President Barack Obama and the First Lady were enough to create a spectacle at the Carrier Classic basketball game held on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson. The audience was busy watching the top ranked Tar Heels play against the Spartans, but many of them missed the best part of the game.  Turns out, it was the action happening off the court that became truly newsworthy when former Spartans player Magic Johnson had the assist of the game.  

In attendance due to his being named honorary captain for the day, Magic Johnson was able to make one officer’s proposal truly memorable. As the officer got down on one knee to present the ring, Johnson got down one his knee right along with him, staring expectantly at the fiancée-to-be. How could a girl say no to that? Well you can’t, so of course she said yes, and immediately enveloped the basketball great in a hug.

The Spartans may have lost the game, but I’m pretty sure Johnson and the happy couple didn’t care.  It was truly the proposal of a lifetime.

Would your husband do this?

By Megan Reynolds, AJP (GIA)

It’s happened to all of us; you look down at your finger and realize with a sinking sensation that you have no idea where your ring is. Most often, it’s been placed on a nightstand or vanity and is easily recovered. But what if your ring, ended up in a garbage truck?

A Bedford, Massachusetts woman knows just how that feels. “I was in a total panic”, recalls Anna when she realized that husband Brian had accidentally thrown out her engagement ring. The 1.5 carat diamond ring was worth far more in sentimental value than its $10,000 price tag. It was “the worst move of my life, horrible” recalls Brian, thinking of the moment that he realized exactly what he had thrown in the trash.

A quick call to the waste management company found that the trash had already been picked up in their area. But that didn’t faze Brian. He was going to get that ring back, even if it meant sifting through a ton of garbage. Well as it turns out, eight tons of garbage, piled ten feet high was waiting for him at the local dump. But Brian was undeterred, diving in immediately, determined to find the ring. And find it he did! He remembers the moment vividly. “Once I found it, I actually let out a manly scream”, claiming that the moment felt like winning the lottery. A very smelly, dirty lottery. He raced home to tell Anna the good news. “It was covered in muck. He just slipped it right on my finger and promised never to touch it again.” A very good promise to make, but I have to ask; couldn’t he have at least wiped the ring off first?!

At this point, I have to wonder at the kind of love that would have a husband ripping through old food, sludge, and God knows what else to find a ring. It must be true love, and a whole lot of guilt. Brian says that he would dig through garbage again in a heartbeat. “She’s the love of my life. That ring was meant for her and no one else. She’s everything to me.”

So, do you think your significant other would dig through tons of filth for you? I hope that you never have to find out; almost as much as I hope that ring got a thorough cleaning!

Michael Laughlin  /  Sun-Sentinel via Zuma

The 'Sun Drop' diamond

How about a little sunshine for your Wednesday afternoon? We’ve got a whole lot of it as history was made yesterday when the world’s largest yellow diamond was sold at auction.  Nicknamed the ‘Sun Drop’, this 110.3 carat diamond is graded fancy, vivid yellow, the highest and most coveted color grading possible. The dazzling yellow color is caused by nitrogen atoms being trapped within the carbon molecules and hardening over the course of millions of years. A diamond like this is truly one of a kind and was estimated to sell for anywhere between 11 and 15 million dollars. Purchased by an anonymous phone bidder, the diamond sold for an astonishing $10.9 million or 12.4 once you add in the auctioneer’s commission. That’s quite a commission. Perhaps I have missed my calling as an auctioneer? That purchase price lands the pear-shaped stone at number eight in the list of most expensive diamonds sold at auction.

Photo: Tom Tragale for M Patricof, Creative Group

The Hope Diamond

By Megan Reynolds, AJP (GIA)

Most likely mined in the Kollur mine in Golconda, India, the Hope diamond’s history begins when it was purchased by French merchant traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier around 1668. The large blue diamond, weighing in at 112 carats was crudely cut and somewhat triangular in shape. Tavernier quickly sold the large diamond to King Louis XIV of France along with 14 other large diamonds. King Louis did not like the look of the diamond however, and had it re-cut by court jeweler Sieur Pitau in 1673. The resulting stone was slightly heart shaped and weighed just over 67 carats and a color described by royal inventory keepers as an intense steely-blue.  The diamond was then set in gold and suspended from a neck ribbon to be worn by the King at ceremonial functions. It was at this point that the diamond became known by its first name, the ‘French Blue’.

The great diamond was passed from father to son, being reset along the way into an elaborate piece of ceremonial jewelry for the Order of the Golden Fleece.  This brooch must have truly been a wonder to behold as it nearly dwarfs the gorgeous French Blue. To be honest, this piece brings to mind the saying about trying to cram 80 pounds of stuff into a 10 pound bag. But maybe I’m just biased as I’ve never been able to understand an organization that takes as its symbol what looks to be a dead sheep.  A golden and bedazzled sheep, but still, all that aside it’s a really impressive piece of jewelry. 

Photo: Francois Farges

The French Blue remained in its ornate setting until 1792 when it, along with other crown jewels were stolen in a week long looting of the treasury during the French Revolution. The diamond did not resurface until 1812 when a deep blue diamond weighing around 45 carats was documented in the possession of London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason. It is assumed that this stone was the lost French Blue diamond and that it had been re-cut to hide its origin.

Several sources then point to the diamond being sold to King George IV of England. Indeed the King can be seen in a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence wearing a large blue diamond with a striking resemblance to the Hope diamond that we know today. When George IV died, he had amassed an amazing amount of debt, and many of his possessions were sold. The diamond, it would appear, was one of those lots and then came into the possession of Henry Philip Hope who gave the stone its current name.  The diamond stayed in the hope family for just over 60 years until Lord Francis Hope sold the gem in 1901 to help pay off his debts. The diamond then changed hands several times over the next 8 years until it was purchased by Pierre Cartier.

It was at this time that the Hope diamond began to take on a life of its own. Many of you might have heard about a curse attached to the hope diamond. Legend states that horrible things will happen to anyone who possesses the famous diamond. It would appear that the story of the curse leads back to one woman, Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean. Now McLean did love a juicy story, and had always held the belief that an object that brought bad luck to others would bring only good luck to her. This was a belief that Monsieur Cartier probably used to his advantage when giving his sales pitch. It took two attempts and one reset, but in 1911 Cartier sold the Hope to Mrs. McLean. Evalyn Walsh McLean was the most flamboyant owner in the diamond’s long history. It was not uncommon for her to be seen wearing the diamond while gardening, or even undergoing major surgery. She would lend it to anyone with a special occasion, and at times she let her Great Dane wear it around his neck!



Photo: Chip Clark



But back to the curse, is it real? Most would say no as there is no printed reference until the 20^th century. It is true that many owners of the diamond seemed to have bad luck. Many of them were forced to sell the diamond due to bankruptcy, and we all know what happened to poor King Louis XVI. And it is true that even Evalyn Walsh McLean had more than her fair share of heartache. Her eldest son Vinson died in an automobile accident at the age of nine, her daughter overdosed on sleeping pills at 25 and her and her husband divorced after 20 years of marriage. However, Evalyn never let hardships mar her love of the great blue diamond.  After her death in 1947, the Hope diamond was sold to Harry Winston Inc.  who sent it on a 10 year tour or the world before donating it on November 10, 1958 to the Smithsonian Institution where it has been a star attraction ever since.

In 1974 the stone was removed from its setting to be graded. It was found to weigh 45.52 carats, was described as fancy dark grayish-blue, and was classified as a type IIb diamond. It also possesses a rare feature in that when exposed to short wave UV light, it glows bright red!



Photo: John Nels Hatelberg



Most recently, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Hope diamond being on display at the Smithsonian, the stone was removed from its historic setting to be showcased for a short time in a more modern design. The American people were allowed a rare opportunity, to choose the setting to commemorate the anniversary. Over 100,000 people voted, and chose the setting named “Embracing Hope”.  It remained in that setting for a year before being returned to the historic platinum and diamond setting that we know and love. 

Photo: Ann Heisenfelt