News – Page 98 – The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

LUCAPA TO SELL LARGE AND EXCEPTIONAL DIAMONDS IN “HISTORIC” AUCTION

Lucapa Diamond Company, owner and operator of the Lulo mine in Angola, will sell seven large and exceptional Lulo diamonds an “historic inaugural international tender under Angola’s new diamond marketing laws” in January.

The auction, which will be held at the offices of Sodiam Angolan state diamond marketing company in Luanda, will feature “major international diamantaires and large stone manufacturers”. The seven Lulo diamonds to be offered at tender include Type IIa D colour white gems of up to 114 carats and a 46 carat pink diamond.

In its latest diamond sale, held in late November, Lucapa raked in $4.2 million from the sale of 3,411 carats. The sale achieved an average price per carat of $1,220. The sale has brought the total year-to-date sales of Lulo diamonds to $24.5 million at an average price of $1,353 per carat.

Source: israelidiamond

18ct. Diamond Smashes Estimate at Bonhams

An 18.04 carat diamond fetched $828,500 at Bonhams on Monday, exceeding its presale estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, Bonhams said Tuesday.

The emerald cut, G color, VS2 clarity ring flanked by trillion cut diamonds led the company’s New York Fine Jewelry sale. It was the first time the stone which was from a private collection had appeared at auction.

“We saw some fierce bidding for this magnificent diamond and are delighted with how well it performed,” said Caroline Morrissey, head of sales for Bonhams Jewelr, US.

At the same sale, a solitaire ring by Royal de Versailles featuring a round brilliant cut, 7.01 carat diamond garnered $275,000, beating its estimate of $180,000 to $250,000.

Other notable items from the auction included a pear-shaped brilliant cut, 5.03 carat, D color, internally flawless diamond solitaire ring. The piece went for $250,000, within its original valuation of $200,000 to $300,000. A cushion shaped modified brilliant cut, 18.76 carat, fancy light yellow diamond ring flanked by white, trillion shaped diamonds fetched $231,250, smashing its estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.

A rectangular shaped emerald cut, 33.03 carat, deep intense blue Sri Lankan sapphire ring failed to find a buyer, Bonhams said. That piece carried a presale estimate of $250,000 to $350,000.

The auction brought in a total of $4 million, according to Rapaport calculations, which Bonhams declined to confirm. The auction house will hold its Fine Jewelry sale in London on Wednesday, featuring a 24.31 carat diamond estimated at $1.7 million to $2.3 million.

Source: Diamonds.net

Graff Hong Kong to Display Lesedi Polished

Graff will present a selection of flawless polished stones from the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona at its new Hong Kong boutique.

"Lesedi la Rona" Diamond To Be Auctioned At Sotheby's London — “Lesedi la Rona” Diamond To Be Auctioned At Sotheby’s London

Graff purchased the D-color diamond — the second-largest rough in history — from Lucara Diamond Corp. for $53 million in September 2017. The luxury jeweler has since cut about 30 polished diamonds from the original stone, and will display them in Asia for the first time, it said last week.

Graff recently opened its new flagship store in the St. George’s Building on Chater Road, close to the luxury jeweler’s previous location. The 2,800-square-foot boutique, which Graff created together with luxury architect Peter Marino, will also have a dedicated watch area, bridal-hall houses featuring wedding jewelry, and three VIP rooms containing high jewelry.

The luxuriously designed space will include a private event hall for special celebrations and memorable moments, Graff added.

Image: The new Graff boutique, Hong Kong. (Graff Diamonds)

Sapphire Necklace Sells for $15M at Christie’s

A rare sapphire necklace was the top seller at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong, which garnered about $60 million in total on Tuesday.

The Peacock Necklace, which had a presale estimate of $12 million to $15 million, became the most expensive Kashmir sapphire necklace per carat in auction history, Christie’s said. The piece contains 21 cushion-cut Kashmir sapphires weighing a total of 109.08 carats. It fetched $15 million at the sale, achieving a price of $137,146 per carat.

Christie’s also garnered $1.3 million from the sale of the 24.04-carat, fancy-yellow Moon of Baroda pendant, which Marilyn Monroe wore to the premiere of her 1953 movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The piece smashed its estimate of $500,000 to $750,000. An autographed photo of the actress wearing the necklace fetched $35,302, compared with its original estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.

An oval-shaped, 10.04-carat, Burmese pigeon’s blood ruby and diamond ring brought in $7.2 million in line with an expected $6.9 million to $8.7 million. A set of pear brilliant-cut, fancy-pink earrings weighing 5.21 carats and 5.01 carats sold for $4.3 million, within its presale valuation range of $3.8 million to $4.5 million .

Christie’s sold 70% of lots on offer at the auction.

Image: The Peacock Necklace. (Christie’s)

Source: Diamonds.net

DCLA has opened a second diamond laboratory

Australia’s International listed and recognised diamond grading laboratory DCLA, has opened a second office under the directorship of Mr Matthew Zamel.

The new office Address 319/38 Gawler Place Adelaide SA 5000. This is the second Laboratory to be opened after 17 years as Australia’s trusted name in diamond analysis certification.

DCLA employs the most qualified, knowledgeable people using the most technologically advanced gemmological equipment and references available worldwide.

DCLA remains the only laboratory who can guarantee all diamonds ever graded are untreated and natural mined origin.

DCLA founded in 2001 is an Australian based company and proudly the only Diamond grading laboratory recognised by international bodies from its founding.

About US

The DCLA is an Australian owned company.

The DCLA shareholders and directors have a heritage of over 3 generations in the industry.

The DCLA directors come from a long line of professional diamond cutters and markers.

Our involvement in the diamond trade has been from Diamond mining and in Africa, to our Cutting works in South Africa and most recently the formation in 2001 of the DCLA laboratory in Australia.

Lucapa Diamonds highest dollar per carat miner dazzles the market

Lucapa Diamond Company is well advanced with a strategic plan to unlock greater wealth from its asset portfolio by expanding production of large, premium value diamonds and continuing exploration programmes to make new discoveries.

Its operations include an extensive exploration programme at its 40% owned Lulo alluvial mine to locate the hardrock source or sources of the exceptional alluvial diamonds and the development of a second high value diamond mine at Mothae in Lesotho.

De Beers Sales Slip to $440M

De Beers recorded its lowest-value sales cycle this year as weak Indian demand prompted it to drop prices of cheaper goods.

Proceeds fell to $440 million in November as the miner reduced prices by high-single-digit percentages for rough diamonds costing $100 per carat or less, sightholders said last week. The Indian manufacturing sector has struggled with thinning profit margins due to relatively high rough prices and the weak rupee, while tighter bank lending has further contributed to a decline in demand. November is also seasonally slow as factories close for the Diwali festival.

Proceeds from the ninth sales cycle fell 6% compared with the equivalent period a year ago, and were down 9% versus the $482 million it garnered in October, De Beers reported Tuesday.

“As the industry’s focus turns towards the key end-of-year retail selling season, rough-diamond sales continued to be in line with expectation during the ninth cycle of the year,” said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver. “While demand for smaller, lower-quality rough diamonds continues to see some challenges, the latest cycle saw some signs of improvement in this area as factories in India begin to reopen after Diwali.”

Rough-diamond sales came to $4.85 billion for the first nine cycles of the year, in line with a year ago, according to Rapaport calculations. The company offers its rough goods at 10 sales cycles across the year, mainly at sights in Gaborone, Botswana. Its sales figures also include auction proceeds.

Image: A De Beers sightholder examines a parcel of rough diamonds. (Kieran Doherty/De Beers)

Source: Diamonds.net

Mumbai Exchange Mulls Lifting Synthetics Ban

Mumbai’s Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) is considering allowing synthetic-diamond trading on the exchange premises, its president told Rapaport News.

Some members have asked management to reconsider its 2015 ban on selling lab-grown diamonds anywhere in the BDB’s vast office complex, Anoop Mehta said this week. The bourse will consult with members after the Diwali vacation season, and could call a vote in the first quarter of next year, he added.

“One of the prime reasons [for outlawing lab-grown diamonds] was that detection was a major problem at that time,” Mehta explained. “Detection has come a long way, so we will relook at it.”

Most diamantaires are unlikely to back the change as it would damage their business, according to a trader at a member company, who was not aware that the matter was on the table.

The bourse expects to brief members in informal meetings in December once traders have returned from Diwali, Mehta said. It will also use those events to discuss the issues and ensure voters make an informed decision, he added.

The BDB declared the bourse a “natural-diamond zone” in October 2015, claiming it was the first exchange to do so.

Which exchanges allow trading in laboratory-grown diamonds?

Belgium: Antwerp’s bourses admit companies that trade synthetics, provided that they give full product disclosure.

Dubai: The Dubai Diamond Exchange doesn’t track whether traders are dealing in natural or lab-grown diamonds, but members must comply with its bylaws and make appropriate disclosures.

Hong Kong: The Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China, does not currently admit lab-grown-diamond companies to its membership.

India: The Bharat Diamond Bourse banned synthetics from the entire complex in 2015, and is now considering requests to change that.

Israel: Members can’t deal in synthetics on the Israel Diamond Exchange trading floor, but the rule doesn’t apply to offices in the bourse building.

US: The Diamond Dealers Club of New York had not confirmed its policy to Rapaport News at press time.

Sources: Bourse and organization spokespeople

Marie Antoinette Pendant Sells for $36M

A natural pearl and diamond pendant belonging to Marie Antoinette smashed its price estimate and capped off a record-breaking sale at Sotheby’s Geneva auction.

The jewel went for $36.2 million, beating its presale valuation of $1 million to $2 million, and setting a new auction record for a natural pearl, Sotheby’s said Wednesday. All jewels on offer at the auction found a buyer, including 10 belonging to the French queen. The entire collection sold for $53.1 million, more than seven times the total presale high estimate of $7 million.

“Tonight we saw the Marie Antoinette factor work its magic,” said Daniela Mascetti, Sotheby’s jewelry chairman for Europe. “No other queen is more famous for her love of jewels, and her personal treasures, pearls and diamonds that survived intact the tumults of history captivated the interest of collectors around the world.”

A monogrammed diamond ring with the initials MA, containing a lock of Marie Antoinette’s hair, garnered $443,786, 50 times its presale estimate of $8,000 to $10,000, while a three-strand pearl necklace went for $2.3 million against its original valuation of $200,000 to $300,000. The French queen’s white and yellow diamond brooch also well exceeded its estimate of $50,000 to $80,000, selling for $2.1 million.

The auction was also the highest-value sale of royal jewels in history, Sotheby’s said. The previous record was set in 1987, when the jewels of the duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, sold for $50.3 million at Sotheby’s.

“More than 30 years ago, I was part of the specialist team entrusted with the landmark sale of the jewels of the duchess of Windsor — a sale that has held a legendary status ever since,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s international jewelry division. “Tonight a new benchmark was established in the sale of royal and noble jewels.”

The sale also included jewels belonging to the Royal Bourbon Parma family, to whom Marie Antoinette sent her jewels for safekeeping before being taken into captivity. Some 90% of those lots sold above their high estimate.

Image: Marie Antoinette’s record-setting natural pearl and diamond pendant. (Sotheby’s)

Source: Diamonds.net

19 carat Pink Legacy sets a world record at a Christie’s auction

Renowned jeweller Harry Winston purchased the exceptional pink diamond for more than $50 million USD.

The rectangular cut, 18.96 carat, fancy vivid pink diamond sold for $50.4 million at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva.

The diamond previously owned by the Oppenheimer family of South Africa had a presale estimate of $30 million to $50 million. The new owners have renamed the stone the Winston Pink Legacy.

“This exceptional diamond captured the imagination of international collectors across the globe, with over 30,000 people visiting Christie’s sale previews to see this remarkable stone,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewelry. “It has taken its rightful place among the world’s greatest diamonds.”

Magnificent Jewels auction sold 86% of lots grossing a total of $110.2 million USD.