Monthly Archives: October 2013

Here at NYC Wholesale Diamonds we are thrilled to help our happily engaged couples with our magnificent selection of quality wedding bands. The debate between platinum and white gold is complex, and really depends on many variables. The following is the case for why men should choose Platinum Wedding Bands.

Congratulations to all you soon-to-be grooms. Now that your wedding is only months away, your jewelry collection – just a watch, huh? – is about to increase by as much as 50 percent.

Meaning, it’s time to start thinking about what kind of wedding band you want for yourself.

Wedding bands have become the norm for men in recent years

– 97 percent of grooms in The Knot Market Intelligence’s “2011 Engagement & Jewelry Study” opted for one – so even if you have any doubts, your bride will probably set you straight. That means your only real decision is what kind of band best suits you.

To hear CNNMoney.com tell it, there are basically two camps: those who “don’t want to compromise” when it comes to quality (platinum bands), and those who feel they cannot afford the best and therefore need to settle (bands made from alternative metals). But, as jewelry expert Michael O’Connor points out, that doesn’t really give the whole picture.

“It’s true that platinum is so rare – 30 times more so than gold – that if all the world’s supply were melted and poured into an Olympic-size pool, it would barely reach your ankles,” O’Connor says. “But men’s platinum bands start at $500.”

That turns out to be pretty comparable to the cost of the two most popular alternative metals: titanium and tungsten carbide. Both are perhaps best known for being used to make fighter jets. Cool, right? Well, yes, but that also means they’re intrinsically lightweight and lack the heft of platinum.

“Most men prefer something that feels masculine on their finger,” says O’Connor.

There are other facts to consider, too. Tungsten and titanium jewelry will need special reconditioning if scratched, and cannot be resized. Even the more popular white gold will require rhodium replating to restore its white color due to wear over time. And while platinum – as all precious metals – can scratch, the metal is simply displaced on the surface of the ring, meaning very little metal is lost in wear. That makes it the most durable family heirloom that will last generations.

Still confused? Then ask yourself this question: How committed are you to your future wife?

If the answer’s what we think, then know that platinum has traditionally symbolized a relationship that will endure since it doesn’t fade or change color. “That’s the kicker for a lot of couples,” says O’Connor.

Here is the kind note Pamela and Stephane sent with this romantic photo:

If you have a flair for the glamour of old Hollywood and over-the-top jewelry, you’re in luck.

A new exhibit opened Friday at the Gemological Institute of America campus in Carlsbad, California titled “More is More.”

The show features pieces put together by famed Hollywood set and costume designer Tony Duquette and his partner Hutton Wilkinson.

To give you an idea of what you can expect at the show, Wilkinson was once quoted as saying, “If it’s not fabulous, it’s meaningless.”

“This is bling before bling with a capital B. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not gaudy, unless you don’t own it,” GIA instructor Larry Larson said.

The exhibit runs through March 2014.

Keith J.Saxe, President of NYC Wholesale Diamonds earned his GIA Diamond Grading Certification in September, 1994 at GIA’s New York City location. There are only two GIA offices in the United States, in Carlsbad, Ca. and The New York Diamond District. GIA’s New York office will be moving from 580 Fifth Ave to 50 West 47th street directly across the street from NYC Wholesale Diamonds HQ in January 2014

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The name opal derives from the Greek Opallos, meaning “to see a change (of color).”  Opals range in color from milky white to black with flashes of yellow, orange, green, red, and blue. An opal’s beauty is the product of contrast between its color play and its background.  Opal is a formation of non-crystalline silica gel that seeped into crevices in the sedimentary strata. Through time and nature’s heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into the form of opals. The opal is composed of particles closely packed in spherical arrangements. When packed together in a regular pattern, a three-dimensional array of spaces are created that give opal its radiance. No stone has varied more in popularity and acceptance due to superstitions dating back over a century. NYC Wholesale Diamonds has a line of Fine Opal and Diamond Jewelry, and custom designes rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets for our clients. Call (212) 719-2214 for an appointment or a quote.

Tourmaline has become a favorite gemstone among jewelry designer, and gem collectors the world over. Since it is available in a wide variety of colors, it is ideally suited to almost anyone’s taste. Tourmaline also is known for displaying several colors in the same gemstone.  These bi-color or tri-color gems are formed in many combinations; gemstones with clear color distinctions are highly prized.  One multi-color variety is known as watermelon tourmaline, and features green, pink, and white colors bands; to resemble its namesake, the gemstone is cut into thin slices having a pink center, white ring, and green edge.  Tourmaline is found in many localities including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and the USA. NYCWD has a line of Fine Tourmaline and Diamond Jewelry, and custom designes Tourmaline rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets for our clients.

A 118.28 carat white diamond broke a world record Monday when it fetched more than $30 million at a Hong Kong auction.

The sparkling Oval Cut translucent stone was sold to an unnamed phone bidder at the Sotheby’s auction for HK$238.68 million ($30.6 million) following bidding that lasted for more than six minutes, leaving auctioneers thrilled.

“We are extremely thrilled,” Quek Chin Yeow, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, told reporters following the sale, describing the buyer only as a “private collector”.

He said the sale signalled a “moving trend” for the southern Chinese city to host major global auctions.

Hong Kong has become a centre for jewellery auctions thanks to growing wealth in China and other parts of the region.

“The sale alone proves that we can actually sell major diamonds here in Hong Kong. It’s a moving trend,” he said.

“The downturn everybody thinks is happening in Asia, or the slowdown… a lot of the collectors are still extremely wealthy individuals,” he said.

The oval shaped stone sold Monday has been described as the finest of its kind ever to appear at auction. Earlier estimates valued it at $28-$35 million.

The stone, dubbed the “Magnificent Oval Diamond”, was discovered in a deep mine in an undisclosed southern African country in 2011.

As a rough stone before being cut, it weighed 299 carats.

The stone, described by Sotheby’s as “the largest D colour flawless diamond” sold at auction, has been given the highest quality rating awarded by the Gemological Institute of America.

“D colour” diamonds are rare and colourless and fetch premium prices.

The sale beat the record set at a diamond auction last year, when a 101.73-carat diamond was sold for $26.7 million.