Tag Archives: diamond

Gem facets

The beauty of gemstones hold certain fascinations for man, whether in raw form or faceted. In order to improve and reveal the best of a gemstone, man has gone a step further by cutting or faceting it. Although there is no actual record on who first started gem-cutting, it certainly took many years to perfect… Read More »

Precious jewels

Primitive man who wore the tooth of a slain beast around his neck and his woman who adorned her being with shells and coloured stones were simply adding to the protective mantle necessary for survival in their raw lifestyles. From the early beginnings of civilisation, jewellery in its most basic form had a direct relationship… Read More »

Diamond are forever

Rare, treasured, inaccessible and the result of the most protracted efforts, the diamond is at the heart of a most precarious industry which has been stabilised worldwide by the Central Selling Organisation (CSO). It was created in 1930 by the late Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, chairman of the DeBeers Consolidated Mines which today remains the leader… Read More »

Tiffany & Company

The name comes with it a cachet that is hard to define after its early start selling stationery, umbrellas, Chinese bric-a-brac and pottery. ln 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany borrowed $1000 and with his friend John P. Young opened a general store in New York City. Within 12 years, Tiffany’s inventory grew to include watches, clocks,… Read More »

Lalique – The Belle Epoque

Picture the imperious vision of a film star, a femme fatale with mesmerising kohl-rimmed eyes in a richly-sensuous velvet cloak sweeping down the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House. Other lesser-known opera buffs and assorted stargazers are trans-fixed not so much by the haughty mien of the lady but by the magnificent clasp of… Read More »