Just in case I win the lottery...

Alright, hands up everyone that has bought a lottery ticket for tonight! I’m thinking that pretty much everyone has their hands up, because who wouldn’t pay a couple of bucks to have a chance at winning 500 million dollars. I mean, think of what you could do with that money, or more specifically, what you could buy with that money. This morning all of us at the office were tossing out ideas for what we would do if we won the lottery and the answers ranged from sleeping for a month, to buying an island, to buying out a jewelry store. I’ll just let you guess which one was mine. 

Ok, so it’s obvious, if I had millions and millions of dollars, one of my first purchases would be jewelry. And I thought it would be fun to show you which pieces, specifically I would buy if I won the lottery today. So here we go.

Just kidding! Although if I won 500 million dollars I might just buy out the whole showroom. You might think that it would be a bit redundant after a while; I mean who needs 25 wedding bands? I do. I could wear them on a bi-monthly rotation. Life would certainly never get old! Ok, ok, in an effort to keep this post under 85 pages in length, I’ve narrowed down the entire showroom to my favorite three pieces. However, be sure to keep in mind that this favorites list changes daily, heck even hourly, but these are my favorites as of today, right now. 

So let’s kick off the show with one of my favorite parts of the showroom, the engagement rings. There are so many styles, from diamond, to solitaire, to engraving; it’s so hard to choose. But, as usual, I found myself gravitating towards the diamonds, and this little beauty in particular. And when I took it out of the case, and slid it onto my finger, I was hooked. The first thing I noticed was how comfortable it was. This particular engagement ring is made with a metal called Palladium. A sister metal to platinum, palladium shares all of platinum’s strength and durability, but with half of the weight. This ring is effortless to wear, and yes, I’m still wearing it. It helps with the creative process you know. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Anyhow, I’m getting distracted, but with a ring like this it’s hard not to. I just love an engagement ring with a diamond band, and this one is really unique. The diamonds go all the way around the band which is edged on both sides with delicate milgraining. I seriously have a thing for milgraining. It gives pieces such a vintage feel and it really shows that special attention to detail that I love. So basically I’m completely in love with this ring, and then I check out the side profile, which is a huge thing for me, as I think a ring should be gorgeous from every angle. And boy does this ring now disappoint. Nestled under the center stone are two of the cutest little surprise diamonds, one for each side. They’re like the cherry on top of a delicious sundae, just the right touch to finish the look. So, before we move on, let’s just take a moment to enjoy the beauty that is this ring. 

Ahh, wasn’t that nice? I thought so too. But now it’s time to move on, and I’m so excited about this next piece. And yes, the tag goes around all three so I get to count it as one piece, yay! I have a bit of a thing for tri-color jewelry. If that tri-color jewelry also has diamonds and milgraining I might just die of happiness. Well, this piece only has two of the three so you get to keep me around a little while longer. I know you’re thrilled. Three diamond eternity bands, one white gold, one rose gold, and one yellow gold. This combination might not seem too interesting by itself, but these rings have a funky, modern twist that makes them really special. Take a closer look at the yellow and rose gold bands, notice anything unusual about them? No, they’re not misshapen; they’re square, which is just the coolest thing ever. And they look amazing on your finger with the round white gold band in the middle creating a really playful and unique look. And I know you all are wondering if they’re comfortable. But don’t worry, I’ve tried them on, (Are any of you out there noticing a trend here?) and they’re surprisingly, super comfortable. The square, outer rings have softened corners which make them completely friendly to your fingers. I could wear this set all day, but we’ve got one more ring to cover so I have to take them off. 

I had to take the other rings off, so that I could make room for this! Isn’t it magnificent? Photos never do any of these pieces true justice. It’s impossible to capture the sparkle of the diamonds and the true depth of color in the colored stones. For example, the color in the photo below is an excellent representation of what I see, but it fails to show how much life this stone has. It is the most stunning royal blue with its facets twinkling in the light from the windows. And that’s just the stone. I haven’t even gotten to the part where this setting completely swept me off my feet. There is of course the incredible face up view with its halo and split shank complete with my favorite, delicate milgrain detailing. But then you turn this ring on its side and you’re immediately struck by the sheer amount of craftsmanship. There is no surface that has been overlooked, from the lovely pierced design on the basket, the leaf engraving around the sides, to the beautiful flowers engraved down the shank. This ring could be pictured next to the definition of ‘attention to detail’, and it is truly a work of art. 

So you can see now, why I really need to win the lottery. However, I think I read somewhere that you were 50 times more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery. Hrm, well in light of that, I think we should make our own lottery luck. I’m not sure if any of you are keeping track, but this is our 100^th blog post. So, to mark that milestone, we’re bringing some of that lottery luck to all of you by offering all three of the pieces from today’s blog at 50% off! Since its Friday afternoon, this deal will be valid for the rest of the day today, and during business hours tomorrow. So who needs the lottery anyways, we’ve got gorgeous jewelry instead! So come on down and take a look for yourself. Try the rings on and be ready to fall in love. Happy 100^th post everyone, and here’s to 100 more!

Color is more than just a label

Since it’s Thursday and everyone is counting the hours until Friday, I thought that we could liven things up a bit with a game. Because everyone loves a good game right? Ok, so here’s the deal. I’m going to show you a picture, and I want you to guess what the color is on the scale from D to Z. You can guess out loud, as I obviously can’t hear you, but if you and a friend are in the same room you may want to write your guess down on a slip of paper. Then, whoever is the closest gets bragging rights, or a cookie; however it is you like to do things wherever you are. Ok, so here’s the picture. The diamond is 1.24 carats, VS1 in clarity and GIA graded Triple Excellent. 

Do you all have your guesses? Here’s the link to a video that I took of the stone earlier today if you need more help making your guess. Ok, now that you have your idea of what color this diamond is, sit tight a moment while we delve into diamond color a little bit. 

The vast majority of diamonds fit into what we call the Normal Color Range. This is the range of color from D – colorless to Z – Light Yellow. Each color grade from D-to-Z represents a range of body color or tint. To determine where on the scale a stone falls it is compared to special diamonds called masterstones. Each masterstone represents the absolute least amount of body color allowable in each color range. So, when a diamond comes in to the lab to be graded for color, the diamond grader will first determine the approximate category of color such as colorless, near-colorless, etc. Once he has narrowed that down, say for this example he has determined that the stone is in the colorless range. He will then retrieve and place the masterstones that correspond to that category, in this case D, E, and F in a specially designed box called a DiamondDock. This creates a consistent neutral background and lighting situation that ensures that each diamond is graded with the same conditions. He then places all three masterstones face down in a tray so that their pavilions are visible. All color grading in the normal color range is done from the bottom of the stone as cut quality can mask body color. Body color is also most visible from the side. The grader then takes the diamond to be graded and places it next to each master stone one by one until he thinks he has determined the stone’s color. If a stone has less color than the D masterstone, but more color than the E masterstone, the stone will be graded as a D color diamond. This is a highly specialized process and it is not uncommon for a stone to be graded by more than one person to ensure accuracy. 

So, now that we know the process, let’s get down to the more specific colors themselves. As I said before, it’s not based so much on what color a diamond is. Each letter actually is based on a combination of tone and saturation called depth of color. It is a measure of how noticeable this modifying color is. And within the normal color range from D-to-Z there are smaller subcategories. D-F represents the colorless range, G-J represents the near colorless range, K-M represents faint color. N-R is fairly light, and S-Z is light. 

Now, with that being said, it is important for me to reiterate that not all diamonds within the same color range will look the same. Some G color stones will look more tinted than others, etc. and this is due to a range of factors. Fluorescence, for example, can make a stone appear whiter. An excellent cut can also disguise body color. Things can also make a stone’s tint more obvious such as large, dark inclusions. Also, tint in a diamond doesn’t have to be evil or ugly, and whoever told you that a K color diamond was bright yellow was not exactly truthful as you can see from the photo below. Look how white that L color looks, even from the side. I have personally seen low color diamonds, even lower than L, which took my breath away. For example, think of your wedding gown. While a pure white dress may be lovely, ivory or champagne tones may suite your skin tone better and you wouldn’t think that either the ivory or the champagne dress was ugly just because it wasn’t white. Each dress is beautiful in its own way and none is worse than the others, they’re just different. It is important to choose a dress, and a diamond, not based on what you think they should look like, but by how much you love what they do look like. 

So how are you supposed to choose? Well, it’s simple, find a diamond vendor that you trust. We see hundreds of stones a month, which adds up to thousands a year. If you tell us what you you’re your stone to look like, we can find it. Just remember that sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in stats and color grades, but as we’ve just seen, it’s not that cut and dry. Even within the colorless range of D-F there is a perceived hierarchy, when in reality it’s an illusion. It’s just like the generic prescriptions that you buy at the drug store. They work just as well, but they have a different name. Would you pay three times as much for a product just because it had a name that you liked better? Of course not, nobody will know that you’re using CVS brand instead of name brand Zyrtec and it keeps you from sneezing, it’s a win-win. Well, the same technique applies to diamonds. If you can’t sleep at night without knowing that your diamond is D in color, then by all means, get a D color diamond. But if all you care about is that it’s white and sparkly, how about giving G or H a try. It will look every bit as white, and you will have saved a ton of money that can then go towards that amazing Diamond Halo Engagement Ring you’ve had your eye on! 

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. What color is that diamond at the top of this post. Is it a G color? H, or maybe even I? Would you believe that it is an N color? It's true! 

So, were you close, way off, super surprised? It's a gorgeous stone isn't it?

Everyone wants to own a little piece of the Beatles, just not this little piece.

Here on this blog we’ve had a bit of a running series showcasing the stories of people who put diamonds in places that they just don’t belong. Today is one of those days, with a bit of a twist. This isn’t about putting diamonds or jewelry in places they don’t belong; it’s about putting things that don’t belong in our jewelry. Confused yet? I am. So let’s start at the very beginning, with a dentist, and a very famous tooth. 

Because all great blogs begin with teeth, didn’t you know? Anyways, up North in Canada, lives a dentist with two great passions in life, teeth, and the Beatles. It would seem that these passions would not mix well, that is unless he harbored secret dreams to clean Ringo’s teeth. But that all changed late last year, when he had an opportunity to become closer to a Beatle’s chomper than he had ever dreamed possible. In one of the strangest auctions since that grilled cheese sandwich with the picture of the Virgin Mary on it sold on eBay, a tooth was up for sale. And not just any tooth, the tooth of a legend, John Lennon’s tooth. And let us all say, ewwwwwwwwwwwwww! 

Photo : Omega Auction House

The tooth fairy himself would be loath to touch this molar. So how did this miraculous dental sale come about? Lennon, in a fit of obviously insane generosity, gave the tooth to his housekeeper Dorothy Jarlett as a “gift”. I put gift in quotes because I’m not exactly sure what was going on here. Did Lennon give her the tooth so that she could dispose of it properly? I’m pretty sure that he could have tossed the tooth in the trash himself without much effort which leaves the only other option, that he would give it as a gift. Which is really strange, and gross, and just plain wrong. I mean, what do you put on the thank you card? Although I could just be bitter as I never thought to save my own teeth to use as gifts for when I become famous. Think of the money I could have saved on those Christmas presents! But Dorothy had the last laugh, for as unique as this gift was, it was going under the hammer, the last word in re-gifting. 

This is where our friend the dentist comes in. When the auction was underway he bid, and bid, and bid, and finally won the privilege of taking the tooth home. And what did he pay for such a privilege? $31,200. $31,200?! It’s a tooth from crying out loud, not a relic of the Redeemer! But I guess, maybe, I could see it being a nice talking point in his office. Hey, kids, this is what can happen to you if you forget to floss! But it seems a nice display in the office wasn’t what our friendly dentist had in mind, which brings me to the main point of this piece. 

Photo : Ari Soffer

He plans to take a drill and remove small amounts of ‘tooth dust’. The dust will then be carefully harvested and placed in small capsules. The small capsules will then be placed into sterling silver pendants and sold as “John Lennon DNA Limited Edition” jewelry. I’m sorry, but, gross. However, if you are the type that is jumping for joy over the thought of wearing a piece of a musical legend, then you’re in luck! Each piece will retail for $1200 and some of the proceeds will go to a charity that helps treat children with cleft lips and palates, which is a really nice thing to do if you ask me.  But if you want one of these pendants you’ll have to act fast as there are only 25 being produced at the present time. 

So what do you all think? Is this DNA jewelry creepy or are you secretly harboring fantasies of using the DNA to clone Lennon and his mates to stage an epic return of the Beatles? How awesome would that be?!

Lily Safra's famous collection of jewels up for auction!

It’s always a sad day when a generous billionaire philanthropist dies. With such power to do good, they leave a sizeable hole with their passing. However, some choose to do good, even in death. Such is the case with one of the richest women in the world Lily Safra whose jewels are set to go under the hammer in May.

Now I can hear you all wondering, "Lily who"? Yeah, she falls pretty squarely into the pool of "insanely rich people that I have never heard of", which after researching her seems to be a bit of a shame. Here she is.

Photo : Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation

Born in Brazil, Lily amassed her fabulous amounts of wealth through marriage. If I'm being honest, this seems to be a trend amongst the fabulously rich. And not just one marriage, four marriages to be exact, and at the end of her life she was worth a staggering 1 billion dollars. Examples of her vast wealth included an estate on the French Riviera which was a former royal residence and has an estimated value of $506 million. What?! Let’s rewind here a sec. Where in this estate’s description did it mention that the whole house was made of solid gold and built by God himself? I simply cannot imagine how a home could be worth that much. But at least she can live in it. She and I’m sure en entourage of hundreds. But that’s nothing compared to what she spend on art. That is, if you want to call this, art. 

Photo : Artist, Alberto Giacometti

Yep, that’s a life-size bronze sculpture of a very hungry looking man who is, I’m sure, just looking for a cheeseburger. It’s called “L’homme qui marche I” or Walking man and Lily Safra bought him for the paltry sum of $104.3 million dollars which at the time was the highest price ever paid for a sculpture. I can hear the man now, “Madame, Pouvez-vous m’acheter un hamburger?” Translation, Madam, for the love of God, please buy me a burger. Ok, so L’homme is quite a bit more polite than I’m translating, but that’s what he should have said in my opinion. 

Anyways, I seem to have strayed quite a bit from anything relevant so to get back on track, Madame Safra was actually quite generous with her money donating to a multitude of charities as well as setting up many various charities herself for everything from brain studies, to housing families of hospital patients, and helping victims of hurricane Katrina. She was quite the humanitarian as well as an avid art lover. L’homme aside, she seemed to have impeccable taste, especially when it came to her jewelry. And what a collection it is. Spanning over five decades, the rich and varied collection reflects her style evolution from the 1970’s to the present day. Included in the collection are many important diamonds, rubies and sapphires in addition to antique and period pieces. 

Photo : Christie's

The buzz around this auction is tremendous, and rightly so. According to the international head of Christie’s Jewelry department, “Only a connoisseur with an eye as refined as that of Mrs. Lily Safra could have collected such an ensemble of jewels, and only someone with her philanthropic conviction could have expressed such powerful support to worthwhile causes in all charitable fields”. It is in this last show of good will that we see truly what kind of person Lily Safra was. Looking not to pad her sizeable estate, she has made it so that the proceeds from every lot will go to charitable institutions. 

So, now I’m not too familiar with tax law, but I’m thinking that purchasing some of these stunning pieces could be considered tax deductible? So hey, get a fabulous piece of jewelry, help the homeless, and get a tax break. It doesn’t get any better than that! So tell me, which piece are you going to buy and when will you bring it over so that we can all oooh and ahhh over it? Inquiring minds want to know!

East meets West : A modern interpretation of a classic style.

Does anybody ever get that slightly wacky, urge to be spontaneous feeling on Monday? I sure do. It’s most likely due to Monday being a fresh start, full of promise, and you want to make this week a bit more interesting than last week. So I thought we’d kick off the last week in March with a bit of a nod to a classically funky ring. 

If you’re an avid reader of this blog, and if you aren’t you should be, you will remember that I briefly touched on the East-West style on our Halo blog a week or so ago. Now, I tend to be a big fan of the design so I thought it deserved its own post where we can take the time to really showcase how special and unique it is.  

So, if you’re one of those people who are just now stumbling upon this blog, first welcome, and second you’re probably wondering what on earth I’m talking about. A ring just kind of sits on the north side of your finger and having it sit on the side is just weird right? Or perhaps you think you’ve stumbled on a food blog where we’ll be talking about an East meets West dish. However I’m not going to be discussing a Tex-Mex variation on the Spring Roll, although that would be pretty tasty. I’m actually referring to a style of engagement ring. And don’t worry if you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about. Unless you’re an avid fan of Catherine Zeta Jones, The Bachelor, or the movie The Time Traveler’s Wife, there is a good chance that you have never seen this type of ring before. And if that’s the case, you’re in for a treat. 

Even if you have seen East-West settings before, you might be interested to know that the design is not a modern one. In fact it found its first heyday all the way back in the Art Deco period during the roaring 20’s. During that era, women threw off the bonds of previous generation’s choices in fashion which included jewelry designs. Instead of fussy and delicate, they started gravitating towards pieces with clean lines and geometric patterns. One of these new designs was the East-West or horizontal design.  I thought I’d include a few photos for the more visual among us. 

If you look at the photo above you will see an Oval stone set into a diamond halo. The being an oval, the stone is not perfectly symmetrical being that it is longer on one axis than another. For example, a round brilliant stone will look the same no matter how many directions you twist it on your finger. This oval shape allows the wearer to make a choice as to how the stone will be set. Now, most people would assume that the longer axis of the stone should follow the shape of the finger and point towards the nail, and there is nothing wrong with this assumption as it is a very pretty and finger flattering choice. However, there is another option. 

The photo above shows that second option, which is to set the same stone, in a halo, with one small variation. The longer axis is set perpendicular to the direction of your fingers, or pointing East to West. It’s uncanny how modern and fresh this look is nearly 100 years after its initial rise to popularity. And I think it’s a style that is primed for a comeback in a major way. Indeed there have been rumblings in recent years starting with one of the style’s most famous wearers, Catherine Zeta Jones. When Michael Douglas proposed, he did so in style with this massive 10 carat Marquise Cut Diamond set East-West. Isn’t it swoon-worthy? Seriously Catherine, if you’re reading this, it would be the highlight of my life to try on that bad boy.  

Photo : Sheknows.com

Sadly, not everyone out there has the budget of Hollywood royalty, and even The Bachelor has to settle for something a bit more normal sized. When Jason Mesnick was tasked with selecting the ring for his fiancé-to-be Melissa Rycroft, he also chose a 3ct East-West setting featuring a stunning Marquise Cut Diamond. And even though it turns out Jason was a bit of a jerk, the ring he chose was really beautiful and I would be proud to wear it. 

Photo : Ringspotters.com

So now that I’ve gotten you hooked on the idea, you’re probably all saying, ‘Now, Megan, those shapes were stunning, but what about other shapes’? I’m so glad you asked.  East-West settings are by no means limited to brilliant cut stones. Really, any stone with a length to width ratio larger than 1:1 could be set this way. Although the more symmetrical the stone, the less you will notice its unique orientation. However, if a symmetrical stone like a princess cut or Asscher cut really floats your boat there is a modern day variation of the East-West is called the kite set which may strike your fancy. While most square shaped stones are set so that when you look down on the finger the stones appear square. But if you turn the stone slightly, the appearance will change to that of a kite with the corners facing like the points on a compass. 

Truly, the only limits to what your ring can look like are the limits of your own imagination. Well, that and probably the laws of physics, but I’m sure there are people working on that. So what does your dream East-West design look like? Give us a call and let us help you make that dream a reality!

I just love a diamond ring.

It’s Friday! And what better way to celebrate the beginning of a wonderful weekend than with diamonds? And I’m not just talking about your ordinary diamonds, I’m talking about the world’s first diamond ring. I’ll pause here for a second to let that sink in. Yes, I did in fact say that the subject of this post would be, the world’s first, diamond ring. No, I haven’t gone crazy, and no I’m not making this up. You see it’s simple. There are many rings in the world that feature diamonds, some have more diamonds and larger diamonds than others, but there is a universal theme amongst all rings no matter their design or gemstone of choice. And that universal variable is metal. Ok, now let’s not go splitting hairs about the fact that rings can be made of stone and wood and string and whatnot. That’s beside the point. My point is, and yes I do have one, is that when you want to wear a gemstone on your finger, you set it in metal.

However, for some people, honking 18 carat diamonds like that of singer Beyoncé just aren’t enough. Crazy as that sounds, some people just need more. Well lucky for them, a Switzerland-based jeweler has come up with a mind-bending solution. A 150 carat diamond ring. And when I say diamond ring, I mean no metal, no wood, no string, no nothing. Just 150 carats of sparkling carbon surrounding your finger.

Photo : Shawish

It’s something to behold isn’t it? However I have two questions. I know, only two, but they’re the main ones that came to my mind. One, ummmm, what did you do with the giant chunk that you cut out of the middle? Can I have it? Please? Even if they made the ring a standard size 6, that’s about a 16 or 17mm chunk that has just hit the cutting room floor. I would be more than willing to sacrifice by taking your leftovers. It’s just the kind of generous person I am. ; ) Anyways, question two, ummm what happens if you put it on, and then can’t get it off? Come on, we’ve all heard the stories of aunt edna breaking a finger and then having to have her rings sawed off. The only problem is, you can’t really saw off a ring made entirely by diamond. You’d have to use a laser or I shudder to think, a hammer.

However, possible design flaws and etc. aside, the ring is stunning. It took the creators over a year to carve and it is one of a kind. Obviously, to get a 150 carat ring can you imagine the size and rarity of rough that it came from? And don’t even think about trying to replicate it yourself as the design has been copyrighted. Although the copyright seems like a bit of a waste of time to me. I distinctly remember having a gumball machine plastic ring that looked just like this one. You know the ones I’m talking about right ladies? They were big and brightly colored and molded out of a single piece of translucent plastic. If I’m not mistaken they had a very similar facet pattern and design as well. Anyways, I know that you’re all on the edge of your seat waiting to see how much this one-of-a-kind masterpiece is going to cost you. And oh boy is this going to cost someone. This ring, in all of its wonderfulness can be yours to the tune of 70 million dollars. No, that was not a typo. 70 million dollars. I don’t care how much money you have, it has to hurt a tiny bit to write out a check for that amount. But readers, don’t let that stop you. Go out and purchase this once in a lifetime ring. And when you do, will you pretty please bring it here to me so that I can try it on? Thanks, I knew you would!

... in a galaxy far, far away.

Have you ever heard the song, Lucy in the sky with diamonds? Well, it plays a fair amount on our office radio station and it was playing this morning when I stumbled upon an interesting article. Apparently, not only is the sky full of diamonds, some of them are emerald cut. If you’re now envisioning a zillion ton emerald cut diamond floating by the moon, you’re a bit off, but it’s ok, because that was the first thing I thought of too. It seems that this emerald shaped phenomenon is a small dwarf galaxy, named LEDA 074886 about 70 million light-years away. I’m not exactly sure how far away that is but it’s a lot more than the star ship Voyager had to contend with and it was going to take them a lifetime to get home. So, pretty far I would say.

Photo : Alister Graham

So what’s so exciting about a rectangular galaxy anyways? Well it seems that most galaxies come in one of three shapes : a disk with spiral arms like our own humble galaxy, a football shaped ellipse, or a regular old irregular lumpy blob. Well that’s just super romantic. Can you imagine telling interstellar space travelers, “Oh, I’m in that last lumpy blob on the left, can’t miss it”. Doesn’t sound like a desirable zip code to me. But blob shaped galaxies aside, this new galaxy has astronomers really excited. Alister Graham, remembers his excitement well. He stumbled upon the new galaxy in an image taken for a completely unrelated project. “I thought it was a mistake”, he said. “And then I couldn’t stop smiling.”

It seems hard to believe that an entire galaxy, located in a viewable part of space would stay invisible for so long. But all of that can be explained by its size, or lack thereof. LEDA contains 50% fewer stars than the Milky Way which is pretty tiny in the grand scheme of things. And as far as that unusual emerald cut shape? Well, we may not be able to see the whole picture. Scientists speculate that what we are actually seeing is the side profile of a cylindrical galaxy. Kind of like looking at the side profile of a case of CDs. No offense to the scientists, but for today, I’m going to assume that this galaxy is shaped precisely like an emerald cut diamond so that I can spend the rest of this blog focusing on emerald cut goodness. Because who doesn’t like an emerald cut?

Photo : Sotheby's

And I would be remiss if I didn’t pay a small amount of homage to one of the most famous emerald cut diamonds of all time, the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, previously the Krupp Diamond. Weighing in at a staggering 33.19 carats, D in color, and Internally Flawless, it’s hard to find a diamond that is more perfect, or more awe inspiring. It was given to Elizabeth Taylor by her then husband Richard Burton and she wore it nearly every day. She was even quoted as saying, “My ring gives me the strangest feeling for beauty”. “With its sparks of red and white and blue and purple, and on and on, really, it sort of burns with its own beatific life.” And burn it did, when it was sold at auction late last year it blew away its estimated sale amount of 2.5 to 3.5 million dollars and sold for a jaw dropping 8.8 million, more than doubling its estimate.

It’s hard to wear a 33 carat diamond without looking a bit gaudy, but Elizabeth Taylor could have pulled of a rock twice that size. The cut though, no matter how large an emerald cut is, they always seem to exude a sense of class and sophistication. Even Kim Kardashian’s monster emerald was beautiful, although she looked more than a little silly wearing it. Emerald cuts also translate extremely well to smaller stones.

We have this ring in our showroom right now and it has just under 2ctw spread across three stones. Isn’t it gorgeous? Each one of the stones is beautiful and captivating, throwing big, bold flashes of light to the eye. And yes, I know, because I tried it on, market research you know. I tell you, I could get lost in those steps. The diamonds in this ring have the presence of stones far larger than their size, but yet they radiate a demure sense of class. And emerald cuts of any size are so versatile as well. This ring would feel just as at home at the Opera as it would at a family cookout complete with BBQ ribs. Although, if you do wear this ring to a cookout, I would suggest taking it off before you eat. Somehow, imagining this gorgeous piece of jewelry coated in BBQ sauce seems like some kind of sacrilege. Or it could just be me, if slathering your rings with sauce makes your heart sing, then go right ahead! That’s what steam cleaners are for!

So now we’d like to know what you think. Is the emerald cut your favorite? What is it about them that you like best? Can’t decide? Well, while you’re mulling it over, drop by our showroom and take a look at this gorgeous ring. It’s sure to jog your memory!