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Music Friday: Wedding Ring Tops Andy Williams’ 1965 ‘Christmas Holiday’ Gift List

on Dec 06 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, we kick off the season of giving with this little ditty by Andy Williams called “Christmas Holiday.” In the song, Williams describes a picturesque Yuletide scene: A turkey cooking in the oven,... The post Music Friday: Wedding Ring Tops Andy Williams’ 1965 ‘Christmas Holiday’ Gift List appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘The Du Pont Ruby’ and ‘The Du Pont Emerald’ to Headline Christie’s NY Sale

on Dec 05 2019
An extraordinary ruby and emerald once owned by philanthropist Jessie Ball du Pont, the wife of American industrialist Alfred Irénée du Pont, highlight two high-profile lots at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York on December 11. "The Du Pont Ruby" is set in an elaborate platinum and 18-karat gold brooch that's expected to sell in... The post ‘The Du Pont Ruby’ and ‘The Du Pont Emerald’ to Headline Christie’s NY Sale appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Tree Topper’s Three Million Swarovski Crystals Come to Life at Rockefeller Center

on Dec 04 2019
Adorned with three million Swarovski crystals, the 900-pound star atop the 77-foot-tall Norway spruce at New York's Rockefeller Center will come to life tonight during the tree-lighting ceremony that will be broadcast on NBC. The mammoth star, which has a diameter of 9 feet 4 inches, was lifted to the top of the tree by... The post Tree Topper’s Three Million Swarovski Crystals Come to Life at Rockefeller Center appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘The Indian Blue’ Diamond Earns Top Billing at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Sale

on Dec 03 2019
“The Indian Blue,” a 7.55-carat fancy deep grayish-blue diamond, will be the top lot at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York City on December 10. Described as the “property of a distinguished lady,” the cushion-cut center stone has a SI2 clarity and is flanked by two shield-shaped diamonds in a ring that carries a... The post ‘The Indian Blue’ Diamond Earns Top Billing at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Sale appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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1960s Flashback: Newly Discovered ‘Blue Zoisite’ Gets Rebranded as ‘Tanzanite’

on Dec 02 2019
It was in the late 1960s when the marketing team at Tiffany & Co. got its first peek at a stunning new gemstone. The intense blue-violet gem had been discovered in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania by a Maasai tribesman named Jumanne Ngoma. At first glance, the specimens appeared to be sapphires, but... The post 1960s Flashback: Newly Discovered ‘Blue Zoisite’ Gets Rebranded as ‘Tanzanite’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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NRF Buying Survey: 23% of All Consumers Have Jewelry on Their Holiday Wish Lists

on Nov 27 2019
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., the start of a five-day retail feeding frenzy that will see 165.3 million shoppers doing their very best to score great deals and check off as many items as possible on their holiday lists. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the jewelry category is a top-six pick... The post NRF Buying Survey: 23% of All Consumers Have Jewelry on Their Holiday Wish Lists appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Advanced Mapping Technology Helps Rough-Diamond Buyers to Make Informed Decisions

on Nov 26 2019
Alrosa is using advanced mapping technology to take the guesswork out of the risky, high-stakes business of rough-diamond buying. During its October 2019 trading period, the Russian diamond mining company tested Digital Tenders, a program that provided buyers with a three-dimensional scan and detailed analysis of each rough diamond. The technology behind Digital Tenders is... The post Advanced Mapping Technology Helps Rough-Diamond Buyers to Make Informed Decisions appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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‘Diamond in a Diamond’ Joins Alrosa’s Collection of Rare Finds… and Is Not for Sale

on Nov 25 2019
Russia’s Alrosa diamond mining company announced Thursday that the curious "diamond in a diamond" revealed on social media in early September has been added to its collection of rare finds — and is not for sale. In early September, Alrosa surprised its Instagram followers with a video that seemed to show a tiny rough diamond... The post ‘Diamond in a Diamond’ Joins Alrosa’s Collection of Rare Finds… and Is Not for Sale appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Meat Loaf Says His Ex-Girlfriend Was ‘Looking for a Ruby in a Mountain of Rocks’

on Nov 22 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Meat Loaf’s 1978 rock classic happens to qualify in two categories, and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” In his signature song, Meat Loaf has been jettisoned by a girlfriend who demanded — but... The post Music Friday: Meat Loaf Says His Ex-Girlfriend Was ‘Looking for a Ruby in a Mountain of Rocks’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Could Fetch More Than $1 Million at Online Auction

on Nov 21 2019
One of four gold medals won by American Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympic Games in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany is up for grabs at an online auction taking place now through December 7. The opening bid at GoldinAuctions.com is $250,000, but recent history tells us this very special piece of sports memorabilia could sell... The post Jesse Owens’ 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Could Fetch More Than $1 Million at Online Auction appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Metal Detectorist Combs Cocoa Beach for 4 Hours to Recover Lost Wedding Ring

on Nov 20 2019
Coloradan Claire Land and her step-daughter were on a Make-a-Wish vacation to Disney World and Central Florida when the unthinkable happened. As they prepared to bask in the sun at beautiful Cocoa Beach, Land took off her wedding ring to apply some sunscreen. Moments later, the ring was gone. “I felt like crying, and I... The post Metal Detectorist Combs Cocoa Beach for 4 Hours to Recover Lost Wedding Ring appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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20.08-Carat Blue Diamond From Celebrated Cullinan Mine Sells for $14.9 Million

on Nov 19 2019
The exceptional 20.08-carat blue diamond recovered in September from the celebrated Cullinan Mine in South Africa was sold last week for $14.9 million, or $742,000 per carat. Mine owner Petra Diamonds Ltd. described the buyer as "a leading diamond company that wishes to remain anonymous," but that cloak of secrecy certainly will be lifted once... The post 20.08-Carat Blue Diamond From Celebrated Cullinan Mine Sells for $14.9 Million appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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7-Carat Fancy Deep Blue Diamond Ring Earns Top-Lot Status at Christie’s Geneva

on Nov 18 2019
With a hammer price of $11.6 million, a spectacular 7.03-carat fancy deep blue diamond ring earned top-lot status at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva last week. Designed by London-based luxury jeweler Moussaieff, the platinum ring features a rectangular-cut center stone flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds. Christie's had estimated the ring would sell in the... The post 7-Carat Fancy Deep Blue Diamond Ring Earns Top-Lot Status at Christie’s Geneva appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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About Emeralds

on Nov 17 2019
What are Emeralds? Where do they come from? Emeralds, like all colored gemstones, are graded using four basic parameters–the four Cs of connoisseurship: color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Normally, in the grading of colored gemstones, color is by far the most important criterion. However, in the grading of emeralds, clarity is considered a close... The post About Emeralds appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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What are Synthetic Diamonds?

on Nov 16 2019
Synthetic diamonds are made in a lab. We do not sell them. From  GIA: How Are Synthetic Diamonds Made? While natural diamonds may take billions of years to form, synthetic diamonds can be grown in a matter of weeks, using one of two processes: 1. High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT): With this method, synthetic diamond... The post What are Synthetic Diamonds? appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Eric Clapton Sings of Lessons Learned in ‘Diamonds Made From Rain’

on Nov 15 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, rock legend Eric Clapton sings of lessons learned in his 2010 release, “Diamonds Made From Rain.” in this bluesy track from his self-titled studio album, Clapton uses both diamond and pearl metaphors to... The post Music Friday: Eric Clapton Sings of Lessons Learned in ‘Diamonds Made From Rain’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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This Gigantic, New Confection Features 3,500 Carats of Faceted Bling

on Nov 12 2019
Perfectly timed to coincide with the start of the "engagement season," the Bazooka candy company has introduced a gigantic version of its popular Ring Pop, the colorful confection that looks like a faceted gemstone. While the conventional Ring Pop weighs 40 grams and is equivalent to a 200-carat gemstone, the new Giant Ring Pop weighs... The post This Gigantic, New Confection Features 3,500 Carats of Faceted Bling appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Birthstone Feature: At 19,747 Carats, This Gem Is the Smithsonian’s Largest Faceted Citrine

on Nov 11 2019
As one of the two official birthstones for the month of November, citrine is the sun-kissed member of the quartz family of gemstones, with colors ranging from the warm hues of golden champagne to the deep orange-browns of Madeira wine. The stone perfectly embodies the color palette of the fall season. The gem you see... The post Birthstone Feature: At 19,747 Carats, This Gem Is the Smithsonian’s Largest Faceted Citrine appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Music Friday: Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard Can’t Commit in ‘A Diamond and a Tether’

on Nov 08 2019
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you great songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Death Cab for Cutie’s lead vocalist Ben Gibbard confesses to having commitment issues in the group’s 2009 release, “A Diamond and a Tether.” In the song, Gibbard asks the listener to take pity... The post Music Friday: Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard Can’t Commit in ‘A Diamond and a Tether’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.

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Despite Losing Nearly Everything in a Wildfire, This Californian Still Feels ‘So Blessed’

on Nov 07 2019
Patty Shales lost her home and nearly all her possessions in a brutal wildfire that swept through her Brentwood, Calif., neighborhood last week. Yet, despite the tragedy, Shales told reporters Tuesday that she still feels blessed, and the reason focuses squarely on a cherished piece of diamond jewelry that somehow survived the devastation. Shales and... The post Despite Losing Nearly Everything in a Wildfire, This Californian Still Feels ‘So Blessed’ appeared first on Diamond Designs | Orange, CT Jewelry Store.