Established by the visionary entrepreneurs, Chirag and Chinar Shah, in 2011. With headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, Anita Diamonds has rapidly gained recognition for its unwavering commitment to quality and as of today Anita Diamonds has over 150 employees worldwide. Currently, Chinar is growing Anita Diamonds in the Middle East from their office in Dubai and Chirag’s daughter, Yashvi, has joined the company as the next generation.

Click to view slideshow.For the past decade, Anita Diamonds has been a symbol of Antwerp’s illustrious diamond legacy. Chirag started working in diamond industry at a young age in 1993. He and his brother lost their parents early in life and had a difficult upbringing. While under guardianship of their grandparents, Chirag decided to join the family business (diamond merchants) to provide for their family. After working for 2 years in Tel Aviv, he moved to Antwerp where he was working with one his uncles in polished diamonds business. 20 years into business, he and his brother decided to start their own company, Anita Diamonds, honoring their mother’s name. Since they had established an excellent reputation in the industry due to their hard work and unwavering commitment to their clients, they managed to start Anita Diamonds on their own which led to be a successful company.

The city itself boasts a rich heritage in the diamond trade, with a history dating back over five centuries. Antwerp’s diamond district is renowned worldwide, and Anita Diamonds plays a pivotal role in preserving and perpetuating this heritage. Their commitment to ethical sourcing and adherence to the Kimberley Process has not only contributed to the industry’s integrity but also upheld Antwerp’s reputation as a responsible and reliable source of diamonds.

Click to view slideshow.Furthermore, Anita Diamonds takes pride in empowering its workforce. Their commitment to education and training ensures that their employees are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their craft. This investment in human capital not only reflects their commitment to quality but also supports the local community. Social responsibility is another aspect to Anita Diamonds, providing best facilities for their employees to thrive, as well as work life balance, Anita Diamonds sponsor many sport events to project the positive image for diamond industry.

Click to view slideshow.In an ever-evolving industry, Anita Diamonds remains dedicated to innovation. They continuously explore cutting-edge technologies to enhance the diamond-cutting process, ensuring that their diamond continue to shine brighter than ever. This forward-looking approach positions the company as a leader in the diamond sector, ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. While visiting Anita Diamonds, I had the opportunity to visit their diamond manufacturing facility. Here is a video:

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One of the core elements that sets Anita Diamonds apart is their firm stand to the use of natural diamonds, a choice that embodies their dedication to authenticity, quality, and the preservation of Earth’s natural wonders. Their dedication to the authenticity of natural diamonds ensures that customers can be confident in the origin and quality of their precious gems. Every diamond in their collection is a natural masterpiece, unaltered by human hands beyond expert cutting and polishing.

Anita Diamonds; The most incredible team in Antwerp!

Anita Diamonds understands the immense responsibility that comes with being a player in the diamond industry. The company is committed to ensuring that every step of their supply chain adheres to ethical practices. From sourcing to cutting and polishing, Anita Diamonds prioritizes transparency and accountability. They actively engage with their suppliers to ensure that their diamonds are conflict-free and responsibly sourced, upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility.

Click to view slideshow.Anita Diamonds represents the epitome of Antwerp’s diamond heritage. Their unwavering commitment to ethics, excellence, and sustainability, coupled with a forward-looking vision, ensures that this iconic company will continue to shine brightly on the global stage.

Hans D. Krieger legacy goes back to the18^th century; the family goldsmiths and agate cutters are registered in the city’s history as early as 1720.  In 1935, Hans D Krieger started his career in diamond cutting and made his first jewellery piece following a customer’s order in 1964. This was the beginning of his journey in manufacturing exquisite high jewellery which made the name became synonymous with high quality. The company has exponentially grown over the decades and today under the management of Andreas Krieger, Hans’ son; it has become one of the most significant manufacturers of diamond and gemstone jewellery in the world.

Last month, Tracey and I had the opportunity of visiting Hans D. Krieger in the heart of Idar-Oberstein. Our journey started from Frankfurt airport, and after 90 minutes of scenic drive, we arrived at Marienhoeh Hideaway & Spa  in Langweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate. Our journey followed by a superb meal at one of the most exquisite restaurants in Kirschweiler, Veeks restaurant. Veeks owner’s passion for food and gemstones has led him in developing gemstone/diamond gins and liquors. Checkout instagram highlights for more videos of our trip.

Entering Hans D. Krieger headquarters in Idar-Oberstein the next morning, we were immensely impressed by the facility. First stop was the beautiful private showroom with an open deck, minimalist decoration with breathtaking art pieces.

The facility tour continued with visiting every single department and the most impressive aspect was that everything is done in house, under one roof.

Diamond and Gem Cutting:

Hans D. Krieger takes pride in cutting and polishing their diamonds and gemstones on site. Using Sarin mapping device gives them the best outcome and yield of the rough, following by their experienced diamond cutters on site to cut and polish the rough diamond. There is a gem cutter on site as well, shown here cutting an aquamarine.

CAD process:

For every piece, diamond and gemstone is first sent to CAD department. First step is measuring the stones and their proportions to make sure they are the right fit for the design. Afterwards the design is also imported into CAD for maximum precision before the casting is done.

Casting:

From melting gold/platinum to casting trees, every single step of the way is done in house. First the cast or mold is made in silver by the jewellery artisans, from there it get duplicated in rubber and wax . After few time consuming steps, the casting tree is ready. Usually the process takes about 24-48 hours depending on the metal.

Diamond/Gemstone setters and jewellery artisans:

Every single piece is set in house at Hans D. Krieger facility, from pave setting to large diamond/gemstone there are different experienced setters that set jewellery here by hand with utmost precision.

Polishing, Plating and Engraving:

After the setting, jewels are sent to polishers to polish them to perfection, also checking the setting for any issues. For white gold, there is an extra step of rhodium plating, which by adding the alloy of rhodium, the white gold turns from gray (its natural color) to white. Engraving is done on every single piece, both HDK logo as well as the metal mark.

Hans D. Krieger currently has 55 employees. The diamond and jewellery manufacturing team in collaboration with teams of skilled designers, experienced sales/export/import, marketing and admins, are running a smooth and ultimately efficient operation. Due to the strong sales and positive outlook of future growth, company management has decided to further expand the operation by building additional manufacturing facility in the same location to support the growth and to consolidate the manufacturing process.

At the end of the extensive tour, we were given access to the inventory room, where we had the chance to select trays of jewellery, try them on and share the joy with our audience.

After touring Hans D. Krieger, I personally have a deeper understanding of craftsmanship and tremendous appreciation and respect for the quality of the pieces that I had the opportunity to hold and try on. I hope this article also gives you a better perspective on what goes into creating one small piece of jewellery; vision, expertise, time and material.

Both Tracey and I are grateful to Andreas and the team at Hans D. Krieger for their warm welcome and the time and effort they put into showing us around the facility. Their outstanding hospitality during our stay in Idar-Oberstein along with the best of German culinary is a memory that we will cherish forever. Our last night in Idar Oberstein was well spent at Weinkonzept Sebastian Stueber restaurant, a hidden gem in the city of gems where we enjoyed a private dinner with a curated menu.

We look forward to seeing Andreas Krieger and Hans D. Krieger team in Geneva for Haute Jewels Geneva; March 26-April 2 2023, Fairmont Grand Hotel.

FORMATION:

Pearl is a hard, glistening object that forms when an irritating microscopic object such as sand is trapped within mantle folds of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. As a defence mechanism, the mollusk secretes a fluid called nacre, layer upon layer of this coating is deposited on the irritant until a lustrous pearl is formed. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has deposited in concentric layers. Natural pearls, formed without human intervention, are very rare. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or mussels must be gathered, opened, and thus killed, to find even one natural pearl; for many centuries, this was the only way pearls were obtained, and hence the extraordinary fetched prices for pearls in the past. Natural pearls historically where found across the world with main oyster bed being found in Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mannar and Red Sea.  In present day, natural pearling is confined mostly to seas off Bahrain, and Australia. Australia has one of the world’s last remaining fleets of pearl diving ships. Australian pearl divers dive for south sea pearl oysters to be used in the cultured south sea pearl industry. Cultured pearls are assisted by man in their creation but still the process of pearl formation is completely natural. The pearls grow naturally inside the organism following the biological processes of the oyster. In 1893, kichi Mikimoto successfully created the world’s first cultured pearls.

5 VIRTUES OF PEARL:

• Lustre: the lustre of pearl depends upon the reflection, refraction, and diffraction of light from the translucent layers. The thicker the nacre, the more lustrous the pearl is as well is more durable over time.
• Surface: there are two factors affecting the surface of a pearl, blemishes and grains. Blemishes cause slight imperfections and these naturally bestowed ‘beauty marks’ characterise each pearl as an individual creation. Grain refers to the composition of the pearl’s surface and its structure. The tighter the structure of the pearl, the less evident is its grain. The grain will appear as slight ripples on the pearl’s surface. The quality of surface is influenced by number and size of imperfections and their  degree of visibility.
• Shape: pearls come in different shapes, the most coveted shape is the perfectly round pearl, other shapes of a pearl are; near round, drop, button, baroque and oval. In addition to these shapes there are two more shapes: Circle and Keshi; Circle features one or more grooved rings around the pearl and keshi is a cultured pearl without a solid nucleus. Keshi is a Japanese word that literally means “poppy seed” and is used to describe small pearls. These rare pearls are highly sought-after due to their beautiful, intense lustre and unique freeform shapes.
• Color: pearls are found in different shades which can vary depending on the origin, in general pearls are white, pink, silver, cream, brown, green, blue, black, yellow, orange, red, gold, purple or iridescent.
• Size: The size of the pearl is directly related to how long the pearl grew or developed within the oyster/mollusk.

– 4-6 years will produce a pearl on average between 7.5mm to 14mm.

– 7-10 years will produce a pearl on average between 14-18mm.

– 20-30 years will produce quite large and unusual pearls of extraordinary beauty and luminosity.

PEARL TYPES:

• South Sea Pearls: cultured in Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Burma. Can be found in different colors depending on the origin.

– White South Sea pearls are cultured along the northwest coast of Australia. Silver-lipped South Sea oysters generally produce pearls in the white, silver, aqua and blue family of overtones. The gold-lipped variety produces the cream, champagne, and deeper golden variety. Since the natural colors of South Sea pearls are so rich and beautiful, after harvesting they are merely washed and buffed to remove any residue and bring out their natural glow.

– Gold South Sea pearls are now primarily grown in the Philippines and Indonesia, with Australia making up only a small percentage. Color of pearls produced by the gold-lipped South Sea oyster range from a creamy white to a deep gold. The varying hues in between are often referred to as yellow and champagne. Each of the colors may be beautiful in their own right, but the most valuable is gold.

• Akoya Pearls: Specialty of Japan’s pearl farms. Pearls from Akoya oysters are admired for their elegance and lustre. Akoya pearls are currently farmed in Japan, China and to a lesser extent, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia. The vast majority of the world’s akoya pearls are produced in Japan, which is the undisputed akoya pearl producing center of the world. While the akoya pearl is considered to be (overall) more rare and valuable than the freshwater pearl, it is only the third most valuable commercially produced pearl, falling behind South Sea and Tahitians. Akoya pearls, unless color-treated, have neutral colors and overtones. Most pearls are white to grey, with pink, green, or silver overtones. Occasionally, akoya pearls are blue with silver and pink overtones, but these colors are extremely rare. Akoya pearls are never naturally black – black akoya pearls have undergone either Cobalt-60 radiation treatment or treatment with an organic dye.

• Tahitian Pearls: Black-lipped oysters are farmed in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, the Micronesian Islands, and even to some extent, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, but only those grown in French Polynesia may be called Tahitian pearls. Tahitian pearls are the only pearls that have a full color spectrum. Black-lipped oysters have a rainbow-like mantle which exhibits all natural colors. These colors are expressed in Tahitian pearls exhibit a broad spectrum of colors, ranging from black, green, blue, gray to red and yellow. The rarest color is peacock with an intense iridescent tone and highest lustre.

• Freshwater Pearls: Freshwater pearls are produced by Hyriopsis cumingi (triangle shell) and Hyriopsis schlegeli (Biwa shell) commercially in China, and other bivalve mussels that live in lakes, riverbeds and creek bottoms in Japan (Biwa pearls and Lake Kasumigaura pearls), as well the United States (Mississippi River Basin). Although most freshwater pearl information lists several areas of the world as home to pearl-producing mussels, the global freshwater market is overwhelmingly dominated by Chinese pearl farms, which account for nearly all freshwater pearls sold today. Best known for their whimsical shapes and wide variety of sizes and colors, the character of a freshwater pearl is found in its distinctive surface texture and the warmth of its luster. The nacre of a high-quality freshwater pearl does not typically have the glossy, metallic finish found in akoya pearls, and they are evaluated on separate quality scales.

FAMOUS PEARL JEWELRY

QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE’S PEARLS ($40 million)

Queen Marie Antoinette’s 18th century pearl and diamond pendant sold for $40 million (CHF 36 millon) during Sotheby’s Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family in November 2018. Set with an oval diamond supporting a diamond bow motif and a slightly baroque drop shaped natural pearl measuring approximately 15.90 x 18.35 x 25.85mm, hook and hinged back fitting, the pearl and diamond bow motif were suspended from Marie Antoinette’s three strand pearl necklace; the single stone oval diamond surmount formed the clasp of that same necklace.

LA PELEGRINA ($11 million)

La Peregrina was found off the coast of Panama in 1576, is a perfectly pear-shaped pearl weighing 202.24 grains. First bought by Philip II of Spain in 1582 and soon became one of the country’s most important crown jewels. It passed through the hands of eight kings of Spain over a 200-year period before falling into the hands of Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte, the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who became King of Naples and Sicily. In 1969, Richard Burton paid $37,000 for La Peregrina at auction in New York, before presenting it to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, on her 37th birthday. It was remounted on a necklace designed by Elizabeth Taylor and Al Durante of Cartier. La Peregrina came up for auction in December 2011 at Christie’s New York as part of the collection of Elizabeth Taylor. It sold for $11,842,500, more than five times its low estimate, making it at the time the most expensive natural pearl jewel ever sold at auction.

THE 7-STRAND NATURAL PEARL NECKLACE ($9 million)

The strands composed of seventy-five, seventy-six, eighty-one, eighty-seven, ninety-one, one hundred, and one hundred and four graduated round to button-shaped natural pearls, measuring approximately 17.05 to 5.1 mm, to the old-mine diamond-set bar clasp, shortest row 53.5 cm. Sold at  Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels 2013 for $9,081,000.

THE BARODA PEARLS ($7.1 million)

This extraordinary two strand natural pearl necklace is strung with sixty-eight of the largest pearls from the famed seven-strand natural pearl necklace that formed the cornerstone of the Royal Treasury of the Maharaja of Baroda. The Baroda Pearls realized $7.1 million during Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels 2007.

THE COWDRAY PEARLS ($5.3 million)

Formerly from the collection of Viscountess Cowdray, Lady Pearson (1860 – 1932), the Cowdray Pearl necklace comprising 42 pearls had been re-strung to 38 pearls. Two pearls from this strand after 1937 were mounted into a pair of earrings by Cartier, which remained with the Cowdray family. These and two other pearls originating from another antique jewel was recently re-strung back to its original number of 42 pearls – ‘to make it a superb layout of historic pearls’ (SSEF, 2013). The Cowdray Pearls first appeared at auction at Sotheby’s London in 1937, with a catalogue note stating that ‘there is probably no finer collection of such pearls in existence’. In 2013 they appeared at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2015 Magnificent Jewels and Jadeit and sold for $5.3 million.

References & Credit
Information gathered collectively from Mikimoto, Paspaley, Pearl Paradise, Yoko London, Autore Pearls, Kailis, Assael, Wikipedia and Danat.

Images:
Queen Marie Antoinette Pearls courtesy of Sotheby’s
La Peregrina courtesy of Christie’s
Seven Strands Pearl Necklace courtesy of Christie’s
Baroda Pearls courtesy of Christie’s
The Cowdray Pearls courtesy of Sotheby’s

The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond is a symbol of a long lasting family business established in 1892 by B.C. Clark. Still family owned with Jim, Coleman and Mitchell Clark at the helm of the brand, B.C. Clark is a prominent jewelry house in Oklahoma. After nearly seven years of searching the globe, finally B.C. Clark family found the one diamond that would honor their family legacy!

A 38.05ct rough diamond was discovered from the ocean floor just off the coast of Namibia, Africa at the depth of 140 meters via De Beers Debmarine Namibia Vessel. The stone was laser-sawn to two parts, yielding a magnificent 18.92ct not only to fit BC Clark’s desire carat size (company’s founding year) but to create the most brilliant diamond with fancy intense yellow color that is as radiant as Oklahoma sunset! There is a SOL to the Heart of Oklahoma, a beautiful 5.01ct fancy yellow radiant-cut diamond yield from the same rough. The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond is a fascinating 18.92ct fancy intense yellow, internally flawless radiant cut diamond.

THE GENESIS EXHIBITION

After perfecting the diamond, B.C. Clark partnered with Harry Kotlar to use their old world technique of hand making jewelry. Harry Kotlar studied the family business, origin, B.C. Clark Sr. adventures back in the 1800’s in Indian & Oklahoma territories, the age of industrialism and steam locomotives to finally design a masterpiece that reminiscent all of the characteristics and legacy of B.C. Clark. The result is a sensational handmade masterpiece cradling The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond flanked with six perfectly custom cut tapered baguette diamonds. There is a surprise disc underneath the stone, a rose-gold disc representing the railway turntable in Purcell that is a significant part in B.C. Clark, Sr.’s voyage to find success in Indian Territory back in 1892.

It all started with a geometric design, a rough sketch and David Wiener, Harry Kotlar‘s grand son and head designer, discussing intricacies of the piece with the design team. After that the illustration is passed to the gouache artist to render the painting. From gouache painting to hand forging the metal, hand setting the diamonds and hand polishing the ring, everything is done by a small team of master artisans who have dedicated their lives to a specific element of jewelry-making to create the masterpiece that cradles the Heart of Oklahoma Diamond.

Harry Kotlar team went above and beyond to create an event that was exploring facets of art and style to showcase this masterpiece in an unprecedented way, beyond jewelry as we know it! Czarah Cabrera Creative Director and Director of Brand Management for Harry Kotlar had a vision in mind and that was Van Gogh’s Starry Night! Over the term of six month planning under her creative direction, the atrium in 101 Park Avenue is re imagined into a film and visual exhibit space using elements if scenes painted by Vincent Van Gogh. Yellow tones, twinkling colors of the night sky, blue waters and velvety blue sky applied to the space as tribute to The Heart of Oklahoma Diamond and homage to the jewelry design house’s long legacy of commitment to its pursuit of perfection and preserving the lost art of hand making the best jewels by its Italian master artisans.

Both Tracey and I had the pleasure of being invited to attend this spectacular event as guests of Harry Kotlar and B.C. Clark family, an unforgettable memory that we will cherish forever.

Here you can watch a 3 minute film revealing the art of hand making the masterpiece by Harry Kotlar master artisans, co directed by Czarah Cabrera & Ace Salvador:

The diamond mining industry has been long regarded as one of the most prestigious resource mining operations, and for good reason. Such precious stones have been created by Mother Nature, over the course of millions of years, in a few locations worldwide. Much like other mining and precious resources industries, the diamond mining industry has evolved through time from the first discovery of diamonds in some of the more remote places on the planet, to the current massive and sophisticated operations that now produce most of the world’s diamonds.

‘Blood Diamonds’ – Challenging a Long-Held Misconception of the Diamond Industry

Edward Zwick’s 2007 movie ‘Blood Diamond’ has cemented itself in the minds of many, and highlighted the need for greater and stricter regulation of diamond mines internationally. However, such tighter regulation was in fact already put in place and developing just a few years prior to the movie’s release. This regulation is known as the ‘Kimberley Process’ which prevents the proceeds of diamond sales from funding conflicts, terrorism or unlawful trading in the international diamond market and calls for the ethical treatment of workers, and the responsible use of funds and exports to conduct the mining of this precious resource. Many diamond mines globally now adhere to and follow the Kimberley Process. Unfortunately, despite the significant progress made by the industry over the past decade, there is still a lingering and widespread misconception about mining operations in the diamond industry.  Recently, I have had the opportunity to visit the world’s largest diamond mining company, De Beers, in South Africa, which enabled me to experience firsthand an in-depth, behind-the-scenes insight into the mining process, operation and challenges faced by the industry.

A Rare Glimpse into Diamond Mining

 In September 2019, De Beers opened its doors for the first time to the Venetia Diamond Mine to welcome 25 members of the Young Diamantaires* group; from over 10 countries. This was a group designed to represent the next generation of diamond industry members, founded by Mr. Rami Baron, Chairman of the Promotional Committee of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). The trip was also organized with great thanks to Mr. Ernest Blom, World President of the WFDB, Mr. Molefi Leftivski, Mr. Kealeboga Pule and Mr. Frank Auger. I was fortunate enough to be invited on this trip, and to learn first-hand, not only as a jeweller, but as an Exploration Geologist, about the mining operation and processing of rough diamonds at the mine site, and to experience conditions at the Venetia Mine. The colossal mine spans approximately 17.7 hectares, and contains two sections, an open-pit mine to a depth of 450 m, and an underground mine that spans nearly 1,000 m depth. The Venetia open pit mine opened in 1992, and provides the region with 4,365 jobs. It is South Africa’s largest diamond producer which produced 4.2 million carats in 2018. The underground portion of the mine has been deepened to a depth of 1,080 meters, extending the life of the mine until 2046, and producing a further 2,000 jobs in the process. This is no small operation, but what is not often discussed is the benefit that this scale of mining brings not only to local communities, but to the environment that it operates in and the development of the region. In light of the current trend towards synthetic stones and lab-created ‘diamonds’, there has never been a better time to discuss the key benefits of natural diamond mining.

The Unspoken Benefits of Natural Diamond Mining in South Africa

Perhaps not widely recognised is the major contribution large companies such as De Beers play in the role of education, healthcare, environment and employment in the communities and areas they are working in. While De Beers makes significant profits from diamond mining, major re-investment of capital back into local communities, the level of safety maintained at their mine sites and taking good environmental stewardship of the regions in which they operate is of paramount importance. De Beers promotes a strict policy of ‘Zero Harm’ with significant priority given to reducing Lost Time Injuries (LTI) at the Venetia mine site. De Beers were very forthcoming in sharing statistics and discussing incidents that have happened at the mine with full transparency. It was very apparent that employee safety is the company’s primary concern and taken extremely seriously. The mine site itself was clean and well-organized, with many safety measures in place to ensure safe and comfortable working conditions. One such example, was the installation of underground ‘rescue bays’, designed to rescue workers in the event of mine collapse or other major accidents where workers congregate in a secure area if trapped underground. We had the chance to speak openly with workers around the mine site who were on shift that day, and they were all too happy, allowing us to take photos and answer any questions that we had. Both women and men were working their shifts at the mine site wearing the appropriate safety gear and following procedure. The entire operation appeared well organised and managed with a strong emphasis on teamwork, following strict safety procedures while applying the ‘Zero Harm’ mindset to all tasks. Another key area that the company focusses on is the environment. One major example of this is when De Beers purchased 36,000 hectares surrounding the 17.7 hectares used for the Venetia Mine in order to create the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (VLNR), which conserves and protects many native species, such as elephants, from harm and in particular poaching. Without the mine, this area would have been left as farming land excluding the protection and free range of many native species. De Beers is committed to preserving the natural landscape of South Africa, in that for every Baobab tree uprooted in the development of the Venetia Mine, the Baobab and its roots were preserved, and re-planted at the VLNR, in order to preserve the life of these iconic and important species. It is also important to note that one third of water used at the mine site is recycled for later use.

Investing In Their Future – Community Initiatives

In addition to providing thousands of jobs for local workers, the company has provided a multitude of benefits in terms of environmental and social benefits in the region. One such example is that De Beers has built 19 schools in the region to support the local community. The Limpopo region, where the mine is located, suffers from heavily over-enrolled schools, hence De Beers’ efforts in this area have been extremely important for young people. The company has also implemented the ‘De Beers Teacher Subvention Programme’ that provides the enhanced capacity for mathematics and science educators to work at schools. Such programs have been implemented at the Renaissance High School, Messina Primary, Eric Louw High School and Musina School. We were fortunate to visit the local Renaissance High School which revealed the extent of over-enrolment and an acknowledgement that there is still so much more to be done as the region expands. An important discussion was initiated by Mr. Baron, in which the participating Young Diamantaires members devised a plan to raise $140,000 USD to extend and upgrade the Renaissance Secondary School in the regional town of Musina in order to build a library and a commercial-grade cafeteria for the students studying at the school.  As an Exploration Geologist, I believe emphasis should be placed on working with secondary teachers to help develop a program for secondary students to learn about the Geosciences in order to provide them with a working background of how to responsibly explore for, mine and develop such precious resources.  These students are living in such a resource-rich country and such education would not only place them in a stronger position to understand the resources industry, but also enhance long-term job prospects. I will be exploring opportunities to volunteer at the end of my PhD studies to introduce more Geoscience education to secondary schools in this resource-rich region. Another very important area where De Beers makes an important contribution is its long-standing history of providing its employees with critical healthcare assistance. One such example is that as of 2019, nearly all of the company’s employees are aware of their HIV status and are fully medicated. In the last 10 years, there has been no HIV transmission between any mother employed by De Beers to her child which is a significant measure that demonstrates the company’s dedication to the healthcare of its employees.

The visit to the region also provided an opportunity to discuss initiatives to assist the growth and development of the Johannesburg-based diamond cutters. One initiative involves a pilot program of purchasing diamonds directly from the cutting and polishing manufacturers themselves in Johannesburg, as opposed to international intermediaries, in order to assist local business and to assist sales in the target countries. One final, but important fact is that De Beers has long-supported local women, with the Accelerating Women Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME) program. This program is designed to provide local women with micro-financed loans to start their own businesses and to create more jobs and administer business training in order to reduce the rate of unemployment, to reduce financial dependence and to build skills. Some such examples of these projects can be found at De Beers Group “Building Forever” initiative. These are just some of the benefits that have come from natural diamond mining. As discussed, the impact of the Venetia Mine has had far-reaching benefits across the communities in the region. While I have not had the experience of visiting many different diamond mines internationally, the experience to me as a diamond dealer, geologist and jeweller was invaluable. The transparency of De Beers in allowing us to view their operations at the Venetia Mine and speak to their people was greatly appreciated and underscores the confidence they have in their operations. It is my hope that every company follows this example, and employs similar practices and transparencies in mining their own diamonds.

The Synthetic ‘Diamond’ Trade – Marketing and Myths

The natural diamond mining industry is currently facing challenges from the synthetic diamond industry, which produces laboratory-manufactured diamonds. The story told by many synthetic or lab-grown diamond traders is that their stones are ‘conflict-free’, and ‘eco-friendly’. Firstly, it is simply incorrect to assume and market that all natural Earth-mined diamonds are derived from conflict areas, and mined in unethical, un-regulated mines used to fund terrorism and conflict. Secondly, in order to create a synthetic, or lab-made diamond, extreme temperature and pressure and the use of petroleum-based chemicals is applied to a ‘seed’ crystal to produce a fully man-manufactured stone. This process consumes a large amount of energy and chemicals, which produces a large quantity of emissions, heat and waste, per stone in large factories. This can hardly be argued as totally ‘eco-friendly’ when we consider the scale of production, the size of the factories and the methods for production that creates a synthetic stone.

The problem for synthetic diamond manufacturers is that while synthetic stones are still priced at ~20-30% less than natural Earth-mined diamonds, they actually cannot hold their value on the international market, which is a problem for the consumer. Why? Because anything that can be created en-masse in a laboratory with lack of scarcity value implies that the product’s supply is virtually endless, hence no appreciation or retention of value can be maintained. Consumers need to be made aware of the facts that divide lab-made and natural stones, and need to make the choice to purchase something beautiful and unique created by over millions of years that appreciates in value, or to compromise with an inferior product that cannot foreseeably hold its value, and has no limit to its supply. It is, however, important and reasonable to ask your jeweller or wholesaler where their diamonds are sourced to ensure that their diamonds are derived from conflict-free regions and regulated mines.

Our Diamonds and Process

At Saphira Diamonds, 100% of our diamonds are natural and Earth-mined, sourced from regulated mines in conflict-free regions.  We work only with manufacturers who purchase rough diamonds from mines that are regulated, and many who are part of the Responsible Jewellery Council and from countries and mines that follow the Kimberley Process. We recognise that purchasing diamonds is a significant investment and seek to provide our clients with the confidence, education and all of the facts required to make the right decision for them. We are proud to be part of the #realisrare movement, to support natural diamond mining and local communities and hope that this article has demonstrated another side to the diamond mining industry that you may not have previously been aware. Diamonds are a gift from Mother Nature that are to be enjoyed, admired and passed onto future generations. How lucky are we to have these beautiful resources on our planet? Let’s pledge to protect, honour and respect the process for enjoying these precious gems and to remember their true value in all that we do.

Adriana Lauren Traviati BSc (Hons)

Director, Saphira Diamonds

PhD Candidate, Exploration Geophysics, Monash University, Australia

* Mr. Rami Baron created the Young Diamantaires group in 2016, when he saw the need to help, introduce and inspire the next generation of Diamantaires through challenging times, and gave young people a voice by which to express their views on the ever-changing industry and to learn from other members, worldwide. His organization in the heavily over-subscribed Venetia Mine trip has set the scene for many wonderful events at natural diamond mines in future for so many other young industry professionals.

Diamond in normal range are colorless through light yellow. Fancy color diamonds are yellow and brown diamonds that show color beyond Z color or exhibiting any other color face-up. Such rare stones come in almost every color of spectrum but most importantly in blue, pink, green and red. As discussed in diamond grading article, diamonds in range of D-Z showing decrease in value by exhibiting color and the exact opposite happens for fancy color diamonds, their value increase by the strength and purity of color.

Graff Lesotho Pink Diamond, 13.33ct rough diamond

Pink Diamond: appearance of pink color in diamonds is a result of enormous pressure that leads to structural damage to the crystal lattice of the diamond after it has begun to grow. This distortion in the crystal structure cause internal graining which results in pink color zones to appear.

In fancy color diamonds, Color outweighs all other Cs (clarity, cut and carat) in determining the value. Color has three attributes that help grading it properly: hue (the appearance of red, blue, green, or anything in between), tone (the relative lightness or darkness of a color), and saturation (the relative strength or weakness of a color). The color
appearance of a diamond is the result of a combination of these three attributes.

The Okavango Blue; 20.46ct Type IIb ‘Fancy Deep Blue’ yielded from 41.11 rough diamond

Blue Diamond: Color of blue in diamonds is result of presence of Boron during formation. Boron is mostly available in larger quantities closer to the earth surface, therefore its presence in earth mantle where diamonds are formed is extremely rare, and that is why blue diamonds are so scarce.

The GIA color grading system uses nine grades to distinguish color ranges. These are: Fancy Vivid, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep, Fancy Dark, Fancy, Fancy Light, Light, Very Light and Faint. For fancy colored diamonds, the general rule of thumb is that the stronger the hue, the more valuable the stone becomes.

Mouawad Dragon Diamond 54.21 fancy vivid yellow diamond yielded from 105ct rough diamond.

Yellow Diamond: Yellow in diamonds is caused by presence of nitrogen within the stone that filters blue/violet range of visible light spectrum and reflects yellow. Nitrogen is abundant in earth crust, it can often find a way into diamond during formation process.

Diamond types: pure carbon is the essential composition of diamonds. Many diamonds certain trace elements such as nitrogen or boron, acquired naturally during the formation. Availability of such trace elements and other imperfections are important because they cause the color and ultraviolet fluorescence reactions in diamond. The presence or absence of these lattice defects can affect a diamond’s appearance. Initially diamonds were divided in two types: Type I diamonds contain nitrogen and Type II diamonds show pure absence of nitrogen.

GIA Diamond Type Classification

Type Ia:
These diamonds contain nitrogen atoms in clusters. Approximately 95% of natural diamonds are type Ia. They normally vary from near-colorless to light yellow.  These so-called “cape” diamonds derived their name from diamonds that were initially mined in or near Cape Province, South Africa.

Type Ib:
These diamonds also contain nitrogen, but as isolated atoms instead of clusters. They are often bright yellow in color, and are extremely rare. The trade sometimes refers to these colors as “canary.”

Type IIa:
These diamonds have no measurable nitrogen or boron impurities; they are usually colorless but they can also be gray, light brown, light yellow or light pink.  Among all diamonds, those that are type IIa are chemically the most pure.

Type IIb:
These diamonds are known to conduct electricity. The trace element boron is responsible for most diamonds that are blue or grayish blue in color.

GIA Continuous Hue Circle

GIA Ligher Tone Hue Circle

GIA Darker Tone Hue Circle

Some of the 27 hue names include modifiers such as purplish or yellowish. A modifier in a hue name does not denote a lack of potential strength, or purity, to the color. Light or dark colors at low levels of saturation are challenging to discern. Thus, fewer terms are used in these areas (as evident in the hue circles for lighter and darker tone). These terms may be modified in one of two ways. The first is the use of the word pink as a substitute for red in the medium to light tones and moderate to weakly saturated versions of reddish purple, red-purple, purple-red, purplish red, red, orangy red, and reddish orange. The other is the addition of brown/brownish or gray/grayish to the description. As colors transition darker or weaker, they appear more brown or gray. Warm hues (such as yellow, orange, or red) appear browner as they darken or weaken; cool colors (such as blue or green) appear grayer. In each instance, the fancy grades and color descriptions represent a range of color sensations, not a “single” color sensation.

Aurora Green; 5.03ct fancy vivid green diamond sold at Christies for $16.8m

Green Diamond:Green color is caused by exposure to radiation, this natural phenomenon occurs when diamonds come in close contact with radioactive uranium from rocks near earth surface. In rare cases radiation can be found in groundwater sources. Research shows green diamonds are more common in alluvial deposits because diamonds transported to sources of radiation which is more likely than for radiation to exist near a kimberlite source of diamond.

In fancy color diamonds, clarity is not a determining  factor in value. Even diamonds with many inclusions that result in a low clarity grade are sought after by collectors as long as they display an attractive color face-up. Inclusions that can threaten the durability of diamond would lower the value significantly.

Size and shape are two aspects that can influence the color, larger diamonds usually have deeper pavilion that facilitates the farther light can travel in it. This can often lead to a richer, more intense color. The style of cut can also play a key factor in color. Usually mixed cuts like the radiant cut can intensify the color in diamonds and radiant  cut provides (including majority of fancy cuts) provides higher yield from the rough than a standard round brilliant.

For more information on fancy color diamonds, download GIA Colored Diamonds Color Reference chart booklet.

Now lets get into diamond grading, there are many laboratories who offer diamond grading worldwide, here are to name a few of the ones that are most heard of:

GIA (Gemological Institute of America)

HRD Antwerp

AGS (American Gem Society)

EGL (European Gemological Laboratory)

IGI (International Gemological Institute)

I am not going to get into details of how these labs work in grading stones but GIA has the highest consistency and standard in grading, therefore is the most reputable and trusted laboratory following by HRD Antwerp.

Now back to grading itself, after diamonds are mined and sort through the sorting system, they are offered in tenders by mining companies for buyers to offer the best price in acquiring a rough diamond. After acquiring the rough, it goes to different manufacturing facilities from Israel to India, Russia, UAE and many more countries. After planning, cut and polish the polished diamond is send off to a diamond grading laboratory to receive its certificate, having the certificate number is laser inscribed on the girdle of diamond for future tracking. All certificate numbers can be looked up on laboratories websites.

4Cs: the 4Cs of diamond quality is the universal method for assessing the quality of any diamonds, created by GIA

4Cs of Diamond Quality by GIA

Color: in diamonds, diamond color means lack of color; absence of color in a diamond makes it a gem quality diamond. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue. GIA D-Z color grading system measures the degree colorlessness by comparing the diamond under controlled lighting and precise viewing condition to master stones of established color value. Many of the color distinctions are so subtle that are invisible to naked (untrained) eye but those distinctions can have a very large impact on the quality and therefor the price.

GIA D-Z Color Scale

Colorless D-E-F

Near Colorless G-H-I-J

Faint K-L-M

Very Light N-O-P-Q-R

Light S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Clarity: Diamond clarity refers to absence of inclusions and blemishes. during formation of diamond a variety of internal characteristics called ‘inclusions’ and external characteristics called ‘blemishes’ occur in a diamond.

To evaluate diamond clarity, first we need to determine the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. The closer a diamond comes to perfectly pure (absolute absence of inclusions and blemishes), the higher its value.

GIA Clarity Scale

GIA Clarity Scale has 6 categories, with some divided in total there are 11 specific grades:

• Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification
• Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions visible under 10x magnification
• Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂) Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification
• Very Slightly Included (VS₁ and VS₂) Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification, but can be characterized as minor
• Slightly Included (SI₁ and SI₂) Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification
• Included (I₁, I₂, and I₃) Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance

Flawless & Internally Flawless

VVS 1,2 / VS 1,2

SI 1,2 / I 1,2,3

Cut: Diamonds are known for transmitting light and sparkle intensely therefore a diamond’s cut is crucial to the interaction of diamond’s facets and light. Diamond’s cut is the most complex and technically difficult to analyze.  It is pure artistry and workmanship to cut a diamond that its proportions, symmetry and polish deliver the maximum return of light and create desirable visual effects such as:

• Brightness: Internal and external white light reflected from a diamond
• Fire: The scattering of white light into all the colors of the rainbow
• Scintillation: The amount of sparkle a diamond produces, and the pattern of light and dark areas caused by reflections within the diamond

Often a diamond’s cut is mistaken with diamond’s shape but diamond’s cut grade is about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. 

Diamond CutThe distance from the bottom of the girdle to the culet is the pavilion depth. A pavilion depth that’s too shallow or too deep will allow light to escape from the side of the stone or leak out of the bottom. A well-cut diamond will direct more light through the crown.

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Fair

Poor

Diamond’s cut grade only applies to round brilliant diamond, for the rest if fancy shapes (any shape beside round brilliant is considered a fancy shape) due to their complexity in facets and steps only grading for polish and symmetry is available.

Carat:Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place.

Diamond Carat Weight

“ALL IMAGES ARE COURTESY OF GIA.edu“

This once-in-a-lifetime creation features a historic, 26ct diamond from the fabled Golconda Mines. The story behind this majestic diamond is so extraordinary, that it inspired us to name the necklace after the goddess of good fortune… “Fortuna”.

Musson Jewellers was founded 46 years ago by Robert and Kerry Musson in Sydney, Australia. Musson is one of the enduring jewellery design houses that manufacture their exclusive creations in their state of the art North Shore studio. As a family business, with sons Olivar as creative director and Damien as managing director, the house is moving from strength to strength providing finest and the most exquisite jewels to Australian as well as International clientele. Being one of the most awarded jewellery houses in Australia, Musson Jewellers is also an Argyle Pink Diamonds Select Atelier, having access to beyond rare pink diamonds mined in Argyle mine, Western Australia.

Damien and Olivar Musson

Last year the house acquired a very rare and extraordinary diamond; the famous 26ct old mine diamond that was purchased three decades ago at a car boot sale by a woman residing in West London for as small as 10 pounds as a costume jewellery. The owner only realised the value of the ring she was wearing everyday for the past 30 years when someone pointed out that such a large size stone needs to be appraised. The rest is history, over night she was the fortunate owner of a rare Golconda mine cushion-cut diamond weighing 26.29ct I colour VVS2 GIA grade with special classification of Type IIa.

Now owned by Musson Jewellers, after months of designing and sketching, finally a once in a life time creation was born. A stellar necklace accompanied by beyond rare, 0.75ct intense, purplish pink diamond from the Argyle Signature Tender 2009 and over five carats of smaller argyle pink diamonds in a unique design, handcrafted in gold and platinum.

The Fortuna Necklace by Musson Jewellers 26.29ct I colour VVS2 with special classification of Type IIa

The Fortuna Necklace by Musson Jewellers

 

Musson Jewellers unveiled $3.3 million The Fortuna Necklace- A Legacy of Good Fortune, during a private and exclusive event at Musson Jewellers QVB boutique on September 26th 2018.