Eternal Gemstone – Star Ruby
Star ruby are a rare variety of gemstone Ruby. The magnificent Star Ruby displays a sharp six-rayed star which appears to shimmer & glide magically across gem’s surface when it is moved. This is caused due to an optical phenomenon called “Asterism”. This six-rayed star is best visible when the ruby is seen in a single light source like a spotlight or sunlight.
This optical phenomenon known as “asterism” is caused due to dense inclusions of tiny fibers of rutile (also called – silk). These stars are formed by light reflection from needle like inclusions of rutile aligned perpendicular to the rays of the star. As rutile is almost always present in star rubies, they are never fully transparent.
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Floor It With Diamonds
Diamonds, pearls and gemstones are familiar faces in your jewelry box, but what if you found them in the floor? Nope, not on the floor, IN the floor. Luxury tile and flooring company, Pietra Firma, is satisfying the opulent tastes of home design hounds by putting the bling in an exclusive line of glittering tiles.
This limited edition of LuxTouch jeweled tiles can be used on your walls, ceilings and, yes, floors if you so desire. And at a mere $1,000,000 per square meter, we’re sure you’ll want a football-field sized swatch of ‘em. Encrusted with more than 1,000 diamonds, 2400 pieces of mother of pearl, 400 pieces of abolone shell and 500 pieces of black onyx, one square meter of the material is sure to outshine that Mop ‘N Glo-ed hardwood you’re so fond of.
According to Pietra Firma’s website, “When inlaid, the diamonds sit slightly raised above the tile, which results in the maximum tactile and visual effect. Walking barefoot on a LuxTouch floor can only be described as a truly sensual experience.”
Or a good heel buffer. For the well-heeled among us, LuxTouch is one dazzling way to take that golden parachute for a walk on the wild side.
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Mega Diamonds and a Media Mogul
Hip hop’s top dog, Russell Simmons, and Ugandan model, Kiara Kabukuru, showed off two gigantic diamonds to the press this week. The two radiant rocks were cut from the famous 316-carat Ponahalo diamond and will be the centerpiece at Christie’s Auction House for their highly anticipated event, “Jewels: The New York Sale”.
The Steinmetz Diamond Group cut the Ponahalo when it was unearthed in 2005 into four polished stones, and it took them almost 18 months to create the gems featured in the sale.
The two mega-diamonds weigh in at 102 and 70 carats, respectively, and are expected to draw high bids, with the larger jewel predicted to sell for $4 million and the smaller gem a mere $2.2 million.
“I hope someone wears it,” said Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie’s. “It’s something that should be seen.”
Let’s hope the price includes a pair of burly bodyguards and a lifetime supply of pepper spray.
A portion of the Ponahalo proceeds will be donated to Russell Simmons’ Diamond Empowerment Fund, which funds projects in Africa.
Other high profile items up for grabs are leftovers from model Giselle Bundchen’s jewelry box and a dolphin brooch given to Liz Taylor by former husband, Richard Burton.
If your savings can take the hit, this is clearly the event of the year for jewelry collectors everywhere (and the moguls who love them).
Shine on, you crazy diamond lovers! Shine on!
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New York Is MAD About Jewelry
Jewelry lovers, we have good news. A new, state-of-the art jewelry resource center at New York’s Museum of Arts And Design (MAD) opened last week with its inaugural show, Elegant Armor: The Art of Jewelry. The exhibition explores the inspirations for contemporary jewelry, including the fine arts, the human form and the natural world. Featuring over 130 works from 1948 to the present, pieces are drawn from the museum’s collection of approximately 450 modern and contemporary selections and will be on display until March 2009.
The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Jewelry Gallery, which will house the entire collection in accessible study drawers, is a unique study center dedicated exclusively to contemporary jewelry. Located on the second floor of the new MAD building, the center also presents a rotating series of jewelry exhibitions and provides additional resources on the history of jewelry design through MAD’s online database. Ursula Ilse-Neuman, who was recently appointed curator for contemporary jewelry, will be in charge of the new space.
“No one is better suited to leading the Tiffany gallery’s programming than Ursula … she’s been instrumental in shaping our collection,” Museum Director, Holly Hotchner, explained. “Our new jewelry center will be an important destination for New York’s culture and fashion communities.”
Construction of MAD’s Columbus Circle location was a controversial topic for New Yorkers over the past few years, but it’s clear the City is now excited to add yet another artistic destination for both New York natives and out of town visitors. Mayor Bloomberg was at the ribbon cutting ceremony and voiced his full support.
“The Museum’s new home at Two Columbus Circle will be a destination for audiences from around the corner and around the world. Congratulations to Holly Hotchner and the Museum’s board, who have helped build a public-private partnership that will generate new audiences for the Museum and maintain the City’s reputation as a cultural capital.”
For more information about the Jewelry Gallery and the other exhibits at the Museum, visit their official website at www.madmuseum.org.
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