diamondsbydesign-blog

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Karen Lindley, Sydney jewellery designer

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/sydney-jewellery-designer-master-jeweller/

Karen Lindley, Sydney jewellery designer

Master Jeweller Sydney

Karen Lindley is one of the most reputable jewellery designers and gemmologists in Sydney. Call (612) 9232 1611 and experience the pleasure of working with her!

Think “Jewellery��, think Karen Lindley! With almost 40 years of experience in the field, Karen is one of the most highly respected jewellers in Sydney – particularly where diamonds, opals and coloured gemstones are concerned.

Enjoy choosing the next piece of jewellery from beginning to end

And it doesn’t stop there. Karen provides a service from A to Z: whether you are looking to design your own engagement or wedding ring, to buy a precious or semi-precious stone, to repair a piece of jewellery or to revamp an existing piece that no longer suits your needs, Karen is the person to see.

All experience is education for the soul

Karen is a character. And she’s a top gemmologist and the doyenne of Sydney jewellers — she has been running Diamonds by Design since 1982 ¬— which means she has made engagement rings for two, and occasionally three, generations of the same families.

Seek and you shall find

When you explain what you are looking for to her and listen to her suggestions, you immediately sense her real love of jewellery and her sincere desire to match the valued customer to the ideal stone. With her high principles and moral principles, Karen ensures that all the stones she deals in are ethically sourced and of the highest quality — and there is nothing that gives her greater pleasure than to know that her client has walked away 100 per cent satisfied with the finished product. It may not be what he or she initially thought they wanted and came in for, but it will certainly be a piece that will bring joy for many years to come.

Karen’s comprehensive knowledge of jewellery and her warm personality are palpable

She enjoys discussing the selection of the stone, the design to be made up, and the process of manufacture with her clients, keeping them fully informed of every step to be taken so that they can enjoy the experience and participate in every step. It is an exciting and happy journey for everyone, and it is the reason why Karen has been so successful for so many years.

Don’t hesitate

Call Diamonds by Design on (612) 9232 1611 or e-mail us and experience the pleasure of working with a professional who will respect and develop your ideas into the piece of jewellery that you envisaged and hoped for.

Karen Lindley – Sydney Jewellery Designer – Master Jeweller

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Rings with fancy-shaped diamonds

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/shapes-cuts-diamond-engagement-rings-sydney/

Rings with fancy-shaped diamonds

Diamond Engagement Rings Sydney

Explore the various shapes and cuts for our diamond engagement rings in Sydney. Emerald, pear, princess, oval and cushion cuts! Select your style!

Fancy-shaped diamonds are really fun. Even Meghan Markle thinks so! The centre stone of the Duchess of Sussex’s engagement ring is a simple, elegant cushion-cut diamond, Angelia Jolie, Kate Hudson, Beyoncé, Kate Beckinsale, Mariah Carey and Kristin Bell all have emerald-cut diamonds and Avril Lavigne has a 14-carat pear-shape engagement ring.

Hollywood celebrities have been saying yes to fancy shape diamond engagement rings in emerald, pear, princess, oval and cushion cuts

Actually, pear-shaped diamonds appear to top the list of the new look, with emerald cuts following close behind. Or what about the oval cut, does that hold greater appeal for you? Whatever your preference, the choice is out there and you can find your ideal cut with the help of a reputable, experienced jeweller should you decide to abandon the old for the new diamond shapes awaiting your selection.

They say that every fancy shape diamond ring reflects the individuality of the woman who wears it

Fashions change, and so do diamond shapes when it comes to an engagement ring. Gone is the time-honoured tradition of a round solitaire diamond set in a plain white gold band: now brides are offered diamonds in all shapes and sizes, so there is a whole new world out there waiting to be explored!

Your setting should be romantic, vibrant and sophisticated

Settings have also changed with the times and the new shapes stimulate a number of innovations. For example, a pear-shaped diamond sits well in a chevron-shaped band and has a modern, fresh look. Or a twisted vine setting, a strand of pave diamonds with a ribbon of gold? An emerald-cut diamond is always elegant when traditionally set with baguettes. Split-shank settings are gaining in popularity, particularly when accenting a marquise diamond.

Have you ever wished for a personal jewellery concierge?

Whether you add stones to highlight the centre stone or keep it stark, simple and minimalist — the choice is yours, but it is best to consult a specialist, someone like Karen Lindley, who has been in the jewellery trade for more than 30 years and has helped a great number of people design their rings. Karen’s love and knowledge of diamonds are reflected in the name of her business: Diamonds By Design: and she is always happy to assist you to choose or design your ideal ring. Call Karen on (612) 9232 1611 or contact her here. Enjoy the experience!

Diamond Engagement Rings Sydney – Cuts & Shapes – Emerald, Pear, Oval, Princess Cushion

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Some of the main reasons to choose a custom-made engagement ring

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/best-custom-made-engagement-rings-sydney/

Some of the main reasons to choose a custom-made engagement ring

Custom Made Engagement Rings Sydney

Karen has spent more than 30 years creating custom made engagement & wedding rings in Sydney. Discuss your ideas with her and let her make them into a reality!

Your treasured engagement ring is going to be the single most important piece of jewellery you will ever have, and the one that you will wear for the rest of your life. What could be better than to design this to your own specific taste, incorporating everything that symbolises your love in this one beloved piece of jewellery?

Custom-made engagement rings have always been very popular, and for good reason. Think about the following:

The personal choice when it comes to a unique design, giving you exactly what you want without having to settle for somebody else’s concept, taste or creation.

Expert advice because you will be working directly with a jeweller to create a symbol of beauty that is tailored for you and you alone. An experienced, reputable jeweller will be eager to help you to choose and design the ring of your dreams, and that will definitely help to make the experience very personal and memorable.

Savings, believe it or not! By dealing with a reputable, reliable, established jeweller direct, you can cut out the middle-man and should therefore obtain considerably better prices for the stone or stones and the workmanship. And remember, this is a ring for life.

It will be far more meaningful, because your ring will represent something which you and your fiancé have worked together to design and create. You can add any personal messages that have special meaning, such as engraved initials or a date or message, a special stone or even gold from another item of significance to one or both of you. Perhaps you would like to incorporate coloured stones in your ring, spelling out a message of love just as the Victorians used to?

The great artistic creativity and intense pleasure you will derive from achieving exactly what you want in this very special ring will make it even more an important part of your life as a couple.

Contact Karen Lindley of Diamonds by Design today. Karen has spent more than 30 years’ creating very special engagement and wedding rings. You can discuss your ideas with Karen and let her make them into a reality. It’s a joyful once-in-a-lifetime experience and you will be safe in the hands of an expert!

Custom Made Engagement Rings Sydney – Personalized Jewellery Design

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Ideas for unique engagement rings

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/unique-engagement-ring-ideas-settings-styles-sydney/

Ideas for unique engagement rings

Engagement Ring Ideas, Styles & Settings in Sydney

The TOP engagement ring ideas, settings and styles for 2020! Contact Karen – jewellery designer in Sydney, for unique pieces of jewellery for the bride-to-be!

Emma Stone has just set a new trend with her Pearl Snowflake Ring, described as “a wearable work of art, worthy of any collection.” That seems to have opened the floodgates to a wave of unique rings. No longer does the solitaire diamond reign among brides-to-be — now colour is acceptable and designs can be ultra-modern and tailored to the individual.

How about a luxuriously romantic, unique statement ring?

From emeralds in sleek, modern settings to antique rings featuring several coloured stones that spell out a personal message, fiancées are opting for distinctive, personalised rings set with moonstones, pearls, morganite or whatever happens to appeal to them. No diamonds only rings for these ladies! Old rules no longer apply — an engagement ring is an accessory that will be treasured for life, but it is also a reflection of one’s personal taste. And nowadays brides are leaning away from the traditional towards the individual.

An entirely different look: fresh, unique, and very personal

For example, a diamond ring can be transformed by the addition of geometric-cut coloured stones — or changing it from a north-south to an east-west orientation.

Art Deco is one of the most popular antique engagement ring styles. Their bold, geometric designs and high-quality workmanship make them a great vintage choice

Antique rings can also do the trick. While diamonds and sapphires dominate as stones, it is the settings that set vintage and antique apart: exquisite workmanship, complex designs and a splash of colour. For example, black onyx combined with rubies and diamonds is just one of the combinations beloved of that era which can give a distinctive, personal twist to the standard engagement ring.

Go for it, luv

At last women are daring to follow their own personal tastes and no longer submit to the standard choices that are available. But, to achieve their realistic goals and key objectives, they need the help of an expert – a jeweller with many years of experience in helping to turn vision into reality. Karen Lindley is such a person and her warm personality makes it a pleasure to work with her. Coupled with her sterling reputation and her commitment to dealing only in stones that have been mined in ethical conditions, Karen is the perfect person to create unique pieces of jewellery for the bride-to-be. Contact Karen today!

Custom Engagement Ring Ideas, Styles & Settings – Sydney Jewellery Designer

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Why jewellery valuations are worthwhile

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/jewellery-valuation-sydney-appraisals-repairs/

Why jewellery valuations are worthwhile

Jewellery valuation in Sydney

Call Karen at (612) 9232 1611 and receive expert advice from one of the most experienced Jewellery Valuers in Sydney!

Did you know that in Australia insurance companies do not accept any valuations that are over two years old? And most valuations are prepared for insurance companies and estates.

Have you switched to JewelCover yet?

If you buy your jewellery from a member of the JAA — the Jewellers Association of Australia — then JewelCover, underwritten by Chubb Insurance, is their comprehensive standalone jewellery insurance policy. JewelCover is 24/7, worldwide and covers accident, loss and damage.

Do not be blinded by sentimentality: jewellery increases or decreases in value like any other asset and valuations should be realistic and cover the replacement cost of each item

Pieces of jewellery are not only beloved items of beauty, they are also important assets – and assets have a true value beyond sentimentality. Jewellery forms a part of the security you are building for your future, and as such you need to have it appraised regularly in order to reflect its value in your portfolio. The last thing you want is to lose a piece and then find that it is insured for considerably less than its current value – and for this you need to seek the advice of an expert in the field.

Insist on detailed descriptions

Estimates are the preserve of the experts, jewellers with many years of experience in the sale and purchase of gems, and these are the people to whom you should turn in order to obtain honest updates on the current value of your pieces.

It is your responsibility to prove worth and ownership

Few jewellers in Australia are more highly respected than Karen Lindley, who has been in the trade for almost 40 years now and specialises in diamonds, opals and wonderful settings. With an office located in the heart of Sydney, at 428 George Street, Karen is available to provide clients with fair valuations for insurance and estate purposes and also to advise on how best to care for those treasured pieces that mean so much to you.

Remember, don’t keep your jewellery, proof of purchase and valuation documents in the same place

Contact Karen or give her a call on (612) 9232 1611 to make an appointment. With her comprehensive knowledge of gemstones and her helpful and positive personality, you won’t regret it! Put your mind at rest in the knowledge that you are receiving expert attention and valuations.

And remember, all valuations should be done by a member of the National Council of Jewellery Valuers, highly skilled experts trained in providing accurate assessments of all types of jewellery.

Jewellery Valuations Sydney – Appraisals & Repair Services

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Christmas gift ideas for the women in your life

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/christmas-gift-ideas-for-women-sydney/

Christmas gift ideas for the women in your life

Gift Ideas for Christmas in Sydney!

Even if diamonds really are a girl’s best friend, whether you are buying a Christmas gift for your wife, your mother, your daughter or your girlfriend, you can never go wrong with a handsome piece of jewellery. Try and see her reaction!

Christmas is upon us — it’s time to go out and buy presents

There are so many items to choose from, big and small, and a range of prices to suit every pocket. A locket or a slim bracelet might suit a teenager, a Mickey Mouse pendant for a youngster, a brooch or a necklace — you cannot go wrong with pearls — trendy stackable rings or drop earrings for any age and many tastes — make your own personal statement and give a very personal present this year.

And it helps to have someone to hold your hand throughout the decision-making process

Look into shop windows and read magazines, and then visit a professional jeweller once you think you know what you are focusing on, to view a wide array of items and select what you believe will suit your loved ones and make them proud and happy. Why not get a woman’s point of view, and go through your Christmas list with Karen Lindley, a mother and grandmother who can guide you in choosing the ideal gift for each of the women in your life?

Why not call Karen Lindley at Diamonds by Design?

Karen has 40 years of experience in the jewellery trade and has spent countless hours advising husbands, sons and boyfriends on what will most appeal to their loved ones. She brings a highly respected woman’s perspective to the task and, with some background information from you, she will be able to narrow down a selection of beautiful pieces for you to choose from. The people you love will know that you have taken the time and trouble to choose their Christmas gift and that will make them feel even more special.

You can rely on Karen for a gift that will make everyone glow with pleasure

Karen deals only in gems from ethical sources and she is delighted to share her passion for jewellery. Make an appointment with her today and let Karen help with you be this Christmas’s gift hero and delight your family and friends.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Women – Diamonds by Design Sydney

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Some famous stones in the Smithsonian

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/contemporary-modern-jewellery-designers-sydney/

Some famous stones in the Smithsonian

Modern Jewellery Designers Sydney

There are magical gems and jewels in the Smithsonian collection — a joy to behold and an inspiration to modern jewellery designers in Sydney and around the world.

The Dom Pedro aquamarine

The Dom Pedro aquamarine was cut from a rough beryl crystal that weighed about 45 kg and was almost a metre long. It was mined in Pedra Azul in Brazil in the 1980s, named after Brazilian emperors Pedro I and II and, at over 10,000 carats is still the largest cut aquamarine in the world. (36 cm) tall by 4 inches (10 cm) wide. The jewel was donated to the Smithsonian in 2012 by Jane Mitchell and Jeffery Bland, whose careers were in the surgical tools and medical devices industry and who have retired to Florida.

The Gachalá Emerald

The 858-carat Gachalá Emerald was mined in 1967, in the Vega de San Juan mine in Gachalá, in Colombia and donated to the Smithsonian by jeweller Harry Winston in 1969.

The Logan Sapphire

The flawless Logan Sapphire is a deep blue Sri Lankan cushion-cut stone, which weighs 423 carats and is about the size of a hen’s egg. It is named after Mrs. Polly Logan, the philanthropist and influential Washington hostess, artist and patron of the arts, who donated the stone, set in a stunning brooch with 16 carats of diamonds, to the Smithsonian in 1960 after the death of her second husband, Army Colonel M. Robert Guggenheim, the heir to a family fortune in copper and US ambassador to Portugal in the 1950s.

The Napoleon Diamond Necklace

In 1811 Napoleon gave his second wife, Marie-Louise, this elegant silver and gold diamond necklace, designed by Etienne Nitôt and Sons of Paris, for the birth of their son. There are 234 diamonds from India or Brazil which are estimated to weigh about 263 carats. The necklace remained in the Hapsburg family until 1948, when Prince Franz Joseph of Liechtenstein, sold it to a French collector who sold it to Harry Winston, who sold it to Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1960. She donated it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1962.

Diamonds by Design, Sydney

If you are looking for a piece of jewellery to treasure, a design to be proud of, perhaps an engagement ring or a gem to mark a very special occasion, call Karen Lindley at award-winning Diamonds by Design for the custom-made piece of your dreams.

Image Source: BBC

Modern Jewellery Designer Sydney – Diamond Wedding & Engagement Ring Designer – Jeweller

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

The Extraordinary Laurence Graff

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/diamond-jewellery-design-sydney/

The Extraordinary Laurence Graff

Diamond Jewellery Design Sydney

Become inspired by Laurence Graff! If you’re looking for custom diamond rings, call Karen Lindley for antique & contemporary diamond jewellery design in Sydney.

From the most humble of beginnings in the East End of London, Laurence Graff now heads an empire with shops from London to Monte Carlo and the Far East.

An example to the jewellery trade

Renowned not only for his business acumen but also for his exemplary fair trade practices, Graff first introduced innovations to the trade that are now almost taken for granted. For instance, his “mine-to-market” model guarantees that every Graff purchase can be traced back to its source — and the cutting and polishing of gemstones are carried out in Graff ‘s own facilities located throughout the world. Work conditions are considerably above average and a tight control of quality is ensured.

The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

Above all though, Graff is famed for his remarkable acquisitions over the years. Perhaps the most legendary is the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, which he purchased in 2008 for GBP16.84 million. This fabulous deep-blue diamond dates back to 1664, when it was given by Philip IV of Spain to his daughter as an engagement present when she married into the Austrian royal house. Graff had it recut from 35.56 carats down to its current 31.06 carats, and it now has the very rare top certification of internally flawless type IIb deep blue from the Gemmological Institute of America. The stone is said to have been resold in 2011 for over US$80 million to the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa.

Some of the most famous and sought after diamonds in the world

The list of Graff’s major acquisitions is endless: the Windsor Yellows (Geneva, 1987); the Lesotho Promise, a rough 603 carat stone acquired in 2006 and cut into 26 D-flawless diamonds totalling 224 carats, recorded as the highest yield ever from a single stone; the Graff Sweethearts, two rough diamonds of 196 and 184 carats mined in Lesotho, which were cut into a 51.53 carat D colour Flawless type IIa and a 50.76 carat D colour Flawless type IIa, both heart-shaped. Graff has a remarkable instinct for gems in the rough.

Are you looking for a diamond ring? Or an engagement ring? Or a piece of jewellery for someone you love?

In Sydney, the person to call is Karen Lindley at award-winning Diamonds by Design. Karen has been designing and custom-making jewellery for long enough now to provide engagement and wedding rings for two and even three generations of the same family. Contact Diamonds by Design and go to see them — give a gem to the most precious person in your life.

Image Source: How To Spend It

Diamond Jewellery Design Sydney – Custom Engagement & Wedding Rings – Personalized Jewellery

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Great jewellery collectors — Marjorie Merriweather Post

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/collectors-jewellery-valuation-sydney/

Great jewellery collectors — Marjorie Merriweather Post

Jewellery Valuation Sydney

Are you a jewellery collector? Learn from the famous Marjorie Merriweather Post! Contact us for custom designs, jewellery valuation or appraisals in Sydney!

Many of the most famous pieces from Mrs. Post’s collection can be found at the Hillwood Museum that was her estate in Washington, D.C., and at the Smithsonian. Mrs. Post inherited a vast fortune from her father enabling her to indulge her love of gemstones. An independent woman, she was in the right place at the right time to collect jewels of first-class provenance.

“Mrs. Post became the owner of the Postum Cereal Company after her father’s death in 1914 and, through a series of mergers, built the company into the General Foods Corporation”

There were historic pieces from collections such as the Yusupovs’, which included Marie Antoinette’s diamond earrings and the large emerald carved with a 17th century Mughal motif of a flower that formed the centre of her emerald sautoir and bore a Persian engraving reading “The Servant of Shah Abbas”. Among her most prized possessions were two diamond rings from Harry Winston: the Blue Heart, a fancy deep blue diamond of 30.62 carats, and the Merriweather Post diamond, a 31.20-carat cushion-shaped stone.

“Among the jewels she frequently wore before giving them to the Smithsonian were the pear‐shaped diamond earrings that were found sewed into Marie Antoinette’s pocket when she was arrested at. Varennes”

Until her death in 1973, Mrs. Post continued to acquire the finest gems available. These included the Marie Louise diadem, which was part of a set given by Napoleon to his empress when they married in 1810. The diadem was originally set in emeralds and diamonds but Van Cleef & Arpels reset it in turquoise before selling it to Mrs. Post. Harry Winston then designed a magnificent turquoise and diamond necklace with matching pendant earrings, bracelet, brooch and ring to match, which Mrs. Post wore to many formal events.

“Weekly dances, especially square dances, were part of the schedule at all of Mrs. Post’s homes. Dancing was her favourite exercise. At her own houses, she supplied rubber caps for shoes so high heels would not scratch her floors.”

Perhaps as famous as her jewels is the home Mrs. Post built in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, which she bequeathed to the U.S. government for use as a presidential summer retreat. The government later sold Mar-a-Lago to Donald Trump.

Do you collect jewellery?

Come to Sydney. Visit Diamonds by Design and see what Karen Lindley can show you. Whether you are looking for jewellery designs or jewellery valuations, modern pieces or traditional, a diamond or a coloured stone, an engagement ring or a wedding ring, Diamonds by Design will create something you will love forever.

Image Source: The Jewellery Editor

Jewellery Valuation Sydney – Jewellery Appraisals – Custom Designed jewellery for Collectors

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Georg Jensen — the ultimate in Scandinavian jewellery design

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/georg-jensen-scandinavian-jewellery-australia/

Georg Jensen — the ultimate in Scandinavian jewellery design

Scandinavian Jewellery Design by Georg Jensen

Georg Jensen was the son of a knife grinder in Copenhagen, who began his training as a goldsmith aged 14 in 1880. After a four-year apprenticeship, he returned to his first love, sculpture, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. But since he could not make a living modelling and potting and producing ceramics, he went back to silversmithing and combined the two talents. In 1904 he opened his own shop.

For more than 100 years Georg Jensen has been at the forefront of Scandinavian design by tirelessly challenging the established conventions of the design category itself.

By the end of the 1920s he had shops in Berlin, London and New York. Most of his work was hallmarked with the year and GJ, but his designers also had their own brand signs.

The ultimate in Scandinavian design, Georg Jensen’s beautifully crafted fine jewellery is both timeless and contemporary.

In Jensen’s earliest work, the silver, ranged from 826 to 830 to 925 (sterling), but after1933 he only used sterling, so this is one way to date early pieces.

The company embraces a design ethos similar to the Bauhaus — devoting attention equally to functionality and beauty.

Jensen’s work tended to be naturalistic and Art Deco in style, but his designer Sigvard Bernadotte was more geometric and abstract, and another, Johan Rhode, was more mathematical and rigorous. More recently the company teamed up with Mark Newson and Zaha Hadid to produce limited edition collections.

The Jensen silversmith shop also made cutlery and hollowware

During the silver shortages of the Second World War, Jensen designers created a line called jernsølv in ‘iron silver’, using patinated iron for the central part of a piece and silver or gold as an inlay.

Hammer marks are a unique part of what the house does. A lot of people at the time were polishing out the hammer marks to make the surface completely smooth, but in Jensen’s world, the hammer marks are almost a reference to the hand of ceramics, and to Scandinavian light.

If you are looking for an original piece, or even a unique one, something for yourself or for someone you love, call Diamonds by Design. For a bespoke design or a classic, we’ll create or find you a treasure — a future heirloom — to use with joy and price.

Diamonds by Design are forever. Contact Karen Lindley today — bespoke gems and jewellery for the discerning buyer

Scandinavian Jewellery by Georg Jensen in Australia

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

The Timeless Jewels of Jean Schlumberger

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/jean-schlumberger-jewellery-rings-necklaces-australia/

The Timeless Jewels of Jean Schlumberger

Jean Schlumberger Jewellery Australia

Jean Schlumberger was born in 1907 in Mulhouse in Alsace, near the Swiss border. He loved sketching, but was discouraged by his parents, who wanted him to be a banker. However by the 1930s he was in New York creating buttons and costume jewellery for Elsa Schiaparelli.

In the Second World War Schlumberger joined the French Army, and was evacuated from Dunkirk. He served under General de Gaulle in England and with the Free French in the Middle East

After the War he went to New York, and opened a jewellery salon with Nicolas Bongard. Ten years later Thomas Hoving, who was Chairman of Tiffany’s for 25 years, asked him to design for them and gave him his own workshop, salon and private lift.

Schlumberger’s clients included the Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley, Greta Garbo, Mona von Bismarck, C.Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, the Duchess of Kent, Gloria Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy.

One of Schlumberger’s best known pieces is Bird on the Rock, the setting he created for the 128.54 yellow Tiffany diamond, typical of the bejewelled glory of flowers, exotic birds and mythical creatures statements he is famous for. “It’s very complicated,” he once told a reporter, ‘I make jewels, but I hate modern jewellery — and I can’t tell people I make antique jewels!”

Jackie Kennedy wore her Schlumberger enamel bracelets so often that the media called them Jackie bracelets.

“I try to make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion,” Schlumberger said. His original sketches are now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the largest collection of Schlumberger objects was given by Paul Mellon to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. “I try to make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion.”

The only four jewellers whom Tiffany has allowed to sign their work have been Jean Schlumberger, Paloma Picasso, Elsa Peretti and Frank Gehry.

Jean Schlumberger is a name that every jewellery collector should have in their collection. If you are looking for a Schlumberger piece — or a bespoke piece of jewellery or an engagement ring — call Karen Lindley at Diamonds by Design. Diamonds by Design has specialized in bespoke jewellery design and the creation and sale of fine jewellery for nearly 40 years, and we’ll find or make something gorgeous for you.

Jean Schlumberger Jewellery Australia: Rings, Necklaces, Earrings

Image Source: Christies

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

The Al-Thani Collection

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/mughal-jewellery-rings-necklaces-australia/

The Al-Thani Collection

Mughal Jewellery Australia

The most outstanding collection, ranging from 17th-century Mughal Empire pieces to 21st-century Cartier, of royal Indian jewellery in the world belongs to Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani.

The Mughals, descendents of Genghis Khan in Central Asia, arrived in India in 1526. By 1600 the Mughal Empire was the largest in the world. European visitors were astonished by the richness of the treasury of the Mughal rulers.

When Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani was 27 years old, Dr. Amin Jaffer, then a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, invited him to an exhibition called Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts. The Sheikh, who had never been to India, was enraptured, and immediately started to learn about and collect treasures from India passionately. He became a leading connoisseur of gems.

What distinguishes Indian jewels from other ancient collections is that most of them were worn by men and not women.

In the 17th century, an exquisite jade dagger inlaid with gold was created for Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal. Two hundred years later, the dagger belonged to Samuel Morse, the inventor of Morse code, and now it is one of most spectacular pieces in the Al-Thani Collection.

Among Sheikh Hamad’s best known pieces is The Tiger Eye, a cognac-coloured diamond turban ornament which Cartier set in platinum for the Maharaja of Nawagar in 1937.

In 2013, the Sheikh purchased a dazzling collection of 18th century gold, silver and enamel betel boxes made in Hyderabad and encrusted with diamonds, and in 2014 he acquired an imperial necklace with seven carved Mughal spinels. He also bought unique contemporary pieces, notably from JAR and Viren Baghat.

“Not since the luxe Cartier and Bulgari shows has there been this much bling in one place — the bling’s the thing!”

And now 400 pieces from the collection are to be auctioned by Christie’s on June 19 2019. The announcement made on April 24 2019 was a surprise to the whole jewellery world. Some gem dealers wondered if the sale had been planned for some time, and whether the recent museum exhibits were a long-term strategy.

Diamonds by Design can bid for you. Or we can find you a beautiful piece of Mughal jewellery. Or we can simply make you a piece of your own jewellery, to love and treasure forever.

Mughal Jewellery Australia: Rings, Necklaces & Earrings

Image Source: The Adventurine

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Unforgettable pearls

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/jewellery-pearls-sydney/

Unforgettable pearls

Pearls Sydney

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but pearls are her first choice! Natural or cultured, round or baroque, large or small, freshwater or seed, pearls come in every colour from white to gold, black to silver, and pink, grey and green too, and they are the easiest of accessories. Think Coco Chanel, think pearls!

Given by Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor for Valentine’s Day

The most unforgettable pearl must be La Peregrina, if only for its association with those two icons of the silver screen, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It was given by King Philip of Spain to his wife, Mary Tudor, who passed it on to Elizabeth I who wore it among her many other necklaces in the famous portrait in the National Gallery.

When Philip IV of Spain asked the merchant Gogibus “How have you ventured to put all your fortune into such a small object?” he replied “Because I knew there was a king of Spain to buy it of me.”

The pear-shaped Gogibus Pearl was brought to Spain in 1620 from the West Indies. As no match could be found, it was mounted as a button in the royal cap. After the king’s death the pearl disappeared, but was offered for sale in 2010 on a website based in Bristol.

The Hope Pearl

The baroque pear-shaped Hope Pearl is an exceptionally large saltwater natural pearl which ranges in colour from pure white at the top to blue-green at the bottom. It belonged to nineteenth-century gem collector and Anglo-Dutch banker Henry Philip Hope, who also owned the Hope Diamond, and is now in a private collection.

Seven strands of perfectly matched natural pearls

And then there is the Baroda Pearl Necklace, owned for generations by the royal house of Baroda, India, but after Indian independence, the necklace disappeared. In 2007, Christie’s auctioned a two-strand necklace of 68 graduated natural pearls, approximately 9.47 to 16.04mm, which realised US7,096,000. The whereabouts of the remaining strands remains a mystery.

Do you like pearls?

“Why wear one string when you can wear two?” Coco Chanel asked. If you are looking for pearls then visit Karen Lindley at Diamonds by Design and look at her fine array of pearl necklaces, pendants and earrings in every size, shape and colour. Think Sydney for custom-designed and made modern pearl jewellery. And contact Karen to see the best.

Image Source: Christie’s

Pearls Sydney – Pearl Jewellery – Diamonds by Design

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Three magnificent sapphires auctioned at Christie’s

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/sapphire-jewellery-sydney/

Three magnificent sapphires auctioned at Christie’s

Sapphire Jewellery Sydney

The Rockefeller Sapphire

In 2001 Christie’s sold the 62.02 carat Burmese cornflower blue rectangular Rockefeller Sapphire. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. had bought it in 1934 from the Nizam of Hyderabad through the New York jeweller Raymond Yard. In the 1940s Rockefeller asked Pierre Cartier to recut the stone into this unique shape and mount it as a brooch for his wife, Abby, and in the 1950s Raymond Yard reset it in a ring for Rockefeller’s second wife, Martha. The jewellery from John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s estate was sold in Zurich after his death, and then resold, repolished and remounted several times,. Christie’s sold it in New York as a ring set in platinum with cut-cornered triangular-cut diamonds.

The Queen of Romania Sapphire

This giant rectangular cushion-shaped Sri Lankan sapphire weighing 478.68 carats was set by Cartier in a sautoir in 1913 and then reset by them as a drop hanging from a diamond necklace in 1919, the showstopper piece in their Autumn Show in San Sebastian, Spain. Two years later King Ferdinand of Romania bought it for his consort Queen Marie, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Alexander II. Queen Marie wore the necklace the following year for King Ferdinand’s coronation and also for her portrait by Philip de Laszlo in 1924. The sapphire was sold, probably in 1947, to New York jeweller Harry Winston by the Queen’s grandson King Michael when he abdicated and left Romania. Winston then sold the sapphire pendant to a rich Greek, who presented it to the Greek queen consort, Friederike, wife of King Paul and mother of King Constantine. It is one of the largest historic sapphires in the world.

Elizabeth Taylor’s sapphire and diamond sautoir

“Bulgari is the only word Elizabeth knows in Italian,” actor Richard Burton once said. Created by Bulgari, Burton gave this magnificent necklace with the 52.72 sugarloaf cabochon sapphire pendant that can be worn as a brooch to Taylor in 1969. In 2011 Christie’s auctioned the necklace, which went for way over the estimate , back to Bulgari, where it is now part of the Bulgari Heritage Collection.

Are you looking for a wonderful sapphire gift for the person you love?

Or a diamond or any other gemstone or piece of jewellery? When you are in Sydney try calling Karen Lindley and Diamonds by Design. Diamonds by Design specialises in custom-made engagement rings, but is always ready to help, whether it is creating a modern jewellery design or preparing an independent jewellery valuation for probate or insurance purposes.

Image Source: GIA

Sapphire Jewellery Sydney – Sapphire Rings, Necklaces & Earrings

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

Three magnificent sapphires auctioned at Christie’s

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/sapphire-jewellery-sydney/

Three magnificent sapphires auctioned at Christie’s

Sapphire Jewellery Sydney

The Rockefeller Sapphire

In 2001 Christie’s sold the 62.02 carat Burmese cornflower blue rectangular Rockefeller Sapphire. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. had bought it in 1934 from the Nizam of Hyderabad through the New York jeweller Raymond Yard. In the 1940s Rockefeller asked Pierre Cartier to recut the stone into this unique shape and mount it as a brooch for his wife, Abby, and in the 1950s Raymond Yard reset it in a ring for Rockefeller’s second wife, Martha. The jewellery from John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s estate was sold in Zurich after his death, and then resold, repolished and remounted several times,. Christie’s sold it in New York as a ring set in platinum with cut-cornered triangular-cut diamonds.

The Queen of Romania Sapphire

This giant rectangular cushion-shaped Sri Lankan sapphire weighing 478.68 carats was set by Cartier in a sautoir in 1913 and then reset by them as a drop hanging from a diamond necklace in 1919, the showstopper piece in their Autumn Show in San Sebastian, Spain. Two years later King Ferdinand of Romania bought it for his consort Queen Marie, granddaughter of Queen Victoria and of Tsar Alexander II. Queen Marie wore the necklace the following year for King Ferdinand’s coronation and also for her portrait by Philip de Laszlo in 1924. The sapphire was sold, probably in 1947, to New York jeweller Harry Winston by the Queen’s grandson King Michael when he abdicated and left Romania. Winston then sold the sapphire pendant to a rich Greek, who presented it to the Greek queen consort, Friederike, wife of King Paul and mother of King Constantine. It is one of the largest historic sapphires in the world.

Elizabeth Taylor’s sapphire and diamond sautoir

“Bulgari is the only word Elizabeth knows in Italian,” actor Richard Burton once said. Created by Bulgari, Burton gave this magnificent necklace with the 52.72 sugarloaf cabochon sapphire pendant that can be worn as a brooch to Taylor in 1969. In 2011 Christie’s auctioned the necklace, which went for way over the estimate , back to Bulgari, where it is now part of the Bulgari Heritage Collection.

Are you looking for a wonderful sapphire gift for the person you love?

Or a diamond or any other gemstone or piece of jewellery? When you are in Sydney try calling Karen Lindley and Diamonds by Design. Diamonds by Design specialises in custom-made engagement rings, but is always ready to help, whether it is creating a modern jewellery design or preparing an independent jewellery valuation for probate or insurance purposes.

Image Source: GIA

Sapphire Jewellery Sydney – Sapphire Rings, Necklaces & Earrings

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

The diamond paperweight of the Nizam of Hyderabad

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/diamond-jewellery-sydney-loose-diamonds/

The diamond paperweight of the Nizam of Hyderabad

Diamond Jewellery Sydney

In 1884 a rough diamond of over 400 carats was found in the Kimberley mines in South Africa and smuggled to London to avoid duty. A syndicate of dealers at Hutton Gardens bought it and sent it to Amsterdam to be cut and polished. The finished gem was a spectacular rectangular cushion cut with 58 facets. It weighed 184.75 carats and was said to be the fifth largest diamond in the world.

“It is generally supposed that in the month of June or July 1884, the stone had been found by one of the surveillance officers of the Central Mining Company in the Kimberly mines. It being his duty to search others, he had the privilege of not being searched himself, and so the stone was passed through the searching-house, and he was afterwards supposed to have found means of communicating with four illicit diamond-buyers.”

It was called the Victoria diamond, or the Imperial or Great White diamond until Alexander Jacob, a diamond and antique dealer in Simla, had a glass replica made and talked Mahboob Ali Khan, the Nizam, into buying it as a paperweight for his official papers. Since then it has been called the Jacob Diamond.

The Nizam believed the stone would bring him luck

Mir Mahboob Ali Khan was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad and he loved everything Western — dress, cars, manners, habits and especially diamonds. He already owned a necklace which had belonged to Marie Antoinette.

The diamond caused considerable sensation in Hatton Garden, the great diamond market

When Jacob brought the Nizam the diamond, it was considerably smaller than the replica, but Jacob refused to give back the 50 per cent deposit. The Nizam filed a case against Jacob, but since he did not want to appear in Court he eventually wrapped the stone in a penwiper and hid it in a shoe, where his son and successor, Mir Osman Ali Khan, found it in 1911— and he used it as a paperweight.

Alexander Jacob has survived as the model for Rudyard Kipling’s Lurgan in Kim. The diamond now belongs to the Indian Government.

If you are looking for a diamond, big or small, famous, infamous or a simple gem to treasure, Diamonds by Design has specialized in bespoke jewellery for over 40 years. Call us for the perfect engagement ring or the one-of-a-kind gift for someone you love.

Loose Diamonds Sydney – Blue Diamonds –  Diamond Jewellery Sydney

Image Source: The New Indian Express

[diamondsbydesign-blog]

The A, B, C of the Smithsonian Collection in Washington DC

New Post has been published on https://www.diamondsbydesign.com.au/jewellery-appraisal-sydney-valuations/

The A, B, C of the Smithsonian Collection in Washington DC

Jewellery Appraisal Sydney

Jewellery Valuation at Diamonds by Design

A is the American Golden Topaz from Minas Gerais in Brazil, which has 172 facets and weighs almost 23,000 carats — that’s 4½ kilos, ¬ which makes it one of the biggest gemstones in the world. The almost 12-kilo piece of rough belonged to Dr Edgar F. Borgatta, University of Washington Sociology Professor, and took three years for Leon Agee from Spokane to cut. He called it The Beast. No jeweller’s scale could weigh the gem, so Agee used the neighbourhood grocer’s electronic meat scales until a scientist at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation weighed it on a laboratory scale. The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies raised US$40,000 to cover some of Borgatta’s costs, and together they presented the stone to the Smithsonian’s National Gem and Mineral Collection in May 1988.

B is Cartier’s 1935 Bismarck Sapphire Necklace, donated to the Smithsonian in 1967 by five–times-married Countess Mona von Bismarck, the most celebrated American socialite of her day and the first American to be named best dressed woman in the world by a panel of couturiers that included Chanel, Molyneux, Lelong, Vionnet and Lanvin. The only other Americans awarded that title have been the Duchess of Windsor and Elsie de Wolfe. Husband no. 3, Harrison Williams, one of the richest men in America, bought her the 98.56 carat, table-cut Burmese sapphire in Ceylon on their round-the-world honeymoon on his yacht Warrior, then the largest and most expensive in the world. The sapphire pendant surrounded by baguette diamonds and square-cut sapphires hangs from a platinum link and diamond chain.

C is the 37.82 carat Chalk Emerald from Muzo, Colombia, originally the centrepiece of an emerald and diamond necklace owned by the royal rulers of Baroda and worn by the Maharani Saheba, who passed it down to her son, the Maharajah of Cooch Behar. Recut and set by Harry Winston into a ring with 60 pear-shaped diamonds weighing about 15 carats, entrepreneur O. Roy Chalk donated it to the Smithsonian.

Of course D is for Diamonds by Design, which will find or make whatever you are looking for, or appraise what you already have. Value, integrity and sustainability — you can rely on Karen Lindley and Diamonds by Design. Karen is as happy to restore or update an heirloom or old piece for you as to create a new one.

Photo by ZakVTA via Flickr

Jewellery Appraisal Sydney