Spotlight: The Beautiful Couple

We love to share in the special moments of our clients. Today, we want to share with you a collage of one of our many happy couples who worked with us to bring to life the most perfect symbol of their shared love.

 

At Diamond Wholesale Exchange, our top priority is providing our clients with the very best in Diamond Jewelry, whether its an Engagement ring, Wedding Ring, Bracelet, Earrings, and more! Every Diamond we offer is Conflict Free, to ensure that the symbol of Love is not diminished.

Call us today to learn how we can work with you to create a special moment, just like Jay and Estela! 

The History of Weddings

Its the time of year where a lot of people decide to get married. If you are one of these people deciding to tie the knot, then perhaps you would be interested to know a bit about the history of weddings!

Here is an info graphic shared by Anni Murray over at visual.ly that shares some interesting facts about the history of weddings that may blow your mind!

Enjoy!

A Brief History of Weddings

 

SpotLight: George Clooney drops $750,000 for Canary Enagement Ring

The recent proposal from George Clooney to Amal Alamuddin was accompanied with a high priced, Canary Engagement Ring. Beyond the shock of Clooney choosing to tie the knot again, after reportedly being “bad” at the marriage scene, the choice of ring is also quite astounding. With a price tag of $750,000 – this relationship has become quite the investment. The ring itself is beautiful, with an Emerald Cut and clear yellow colored diamond and set in a platinum band. It is also flanked by two smaller, tapered baguette Diamonds. The overall design of the ring was closely overlooked by Clooney himself, who wanted to have a direct hand in how the diamond would look.

Sources say that the Diamond was also “Ethically” mined, meaning it was Conflict Free. With all of these combined factors, topped off with the fact that it was designed by the famous Jacob Arabo, its no wonder that the price of the ring was so steep.

Lets all hope that this time, Mr Clooney can do the marriage thing “Good”! 

Here’s a video George Clooney being interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel about his newest movie, “The Monument Men”.

In the News: Diamond News

There can be a great deal of things that go on in the Diamond Industry, and we think its important for you to stay up to date with this information. So here are the top 5 bits of Newsworthy information regarding the Diamond Industry.

1. Phyllis Bergman Releases “Guide to a Platinum Relationship”

2. Global Silver Jewelry Manufacturing Reaches High

3. U.N. set to lift Ivory Coast diamond ban, tweak arms embargo

4.De Beers myth: Do people spend a month’s salary on a diamond engagement ring?

5. Amal Alamuddin’s Engagement Ring from George Clooney

 

What are Synthetic Diamonds?

As we all know, Diamonds take a very long time to make. For the most part, we have to dig deep into the earth to find them and that’s only after millions of years for them to form. We also know that most people can be quite impatient, and its because of this that Synthetic Diamonds (or Laboratory Grown Diamonds) were created.

Synthetic Diamonds were first successfully created in a lab in 1953, due to the concerted efforts of the United States, Russia, and Sweden. Now a days, these types of diamonds are grown via two different methods. The first is known as CVD or Chemical Vapor Deposition and the second is known as HPHT or High Pressure High Temperature, which most closely resembles the natural process in which a Diamond is formed.

For the most part, Synthetic Diamonds are being used commercially due to the extra properties they possess above a regular diamond. For instance, a Synthetic Diamond can possess thermal conductivity, increased hardness, and electron mobility. These traits allow for varied applications of the diamonds beyond just being jewelry including being used as abrasives, electronic switches, light emitting diodes, and more.

When it comes to purchasing a synthetic diamond over a natural diamond, it all depends on a persons preference. Synthetic diamonds are a lot less expensive and are guaranteed to be conflict free.

When it comes to appearance, both are practically identical to the naked eye. Both will have inclusions though the synthetic diamond will have lab created inclusions as a means of adding a more “natural” look to the lab grown gem.

The major difference between a natural and synethic diamond is the resell value. As of late, the market for Synthetic Diamonds has narrowed a great deal which means that the opportunity to sell off a synthetic diamond has deteriorated. If purchasing a synthetic diamond that you may consider selling in the future, be sure to do your home work.

Overall, Natural Diamonds at the heart of the Diamond Jewelry Industry. There is something about a natural diamond that just can’t be grown in a lab, and that is what draws people to buying gorgeous, natural diamonds from Diamond Wholesale Exchange.

 

Did you Know? – Origin of Eternity Rings

Eternity Rings have been a favorite anniversary gift for more then 20 years, symbolizing eternal love and featuring smaller, identical cut diamonds lined around a metal band. Not many people, however, are aware of where the idea for this gorgeous ring concept originate, and today we are going to shed some light on the Eternity Ring’s origin.

In the 1960’s, De Beers had an agreement with the Russian government to create a single pipeline for the worlds supply of Diamonds straight from Russian Mines. The issue at hand was that a majority of Russian rough diamonds were smaller (less than.25 carats), which limited the style and assortment of rings which could be made.

In response to this challenge, De Beers developed the idea of the “Eternity Ring” which would be designed with several smaller diamonds around a metal band, resembling a circle which is a common symbol for eternity.

The Eternity Ring is a wonderful way to show your wife that your love is as everlasting as a Diamond, and at Diamond Wholesale Exchange, we have a brilliant selection of rings with different carat weights, diamond cuts, and metal types that will meet any taste!

Record Breaker: Blue Diamond could fetch ‘£10 Million’

Back in January, the famous Cullinan mine was the location of an incredible find. A rare blue Diamond was unearthed that has the potential to break some records for weight and clarity. The parent company, Petra Diamonds, admits that further forensic evidence needs to be collected but they are confident that they have discovered a one of a kind stone. 

Right off the bat, Blue Diamonds are one of the rarest type of Diamonds in the world, and this stone is no exception. Blue Diamonds of this size and clarity are almost never seen which is why this find is so news worthy.

Once the stone is purchased, it is expected to lose about 1/3 of its overall mass during the process of being cut into a Diamond of incredible color and saturation. Details will develop once a buyer is found, but there is great confidence that this is going to be a very gorgeous finished stone.

 

The Cullinan mine has a history of being the source of some amazing diamond finds. Back in 1905, the worlds largest rough diamond was unearthed which was an incredible 3,106 carats. It was fashioned into the ‘Sceptor of the Cross‘ which is a part of the famous Queens Jewels. 

Any thoughts into what Cut you’d like to see this gorgeous diamond be made into?

5 Tools Everyone In The Diamond Industry Should Be Using

 

The process from rough diamond to the sparkling gem found in Diamond Rings requires the use of very specific tools in concert with precision skills and creativity. Its with the aid of these tools that Diamond Wholesale Exchange can consistently provide you with gorgeous Diamond Jewelry time and again. Today we are going to share with you the 5 Tools of the Diamond Industry every Diamond-Crafter should be using.

Diamond Planning Tools

The journey from rough diamond to multi faceted gem begins with a planning stage where the Master Jeweler creates a 3D Model of the rough stone to determine the best cut to get the most value from the diamond. The tool used is a 3D imaging program like AutoCAD or GemCAD.

This tool is also utilized when designed a custom Diamond Ring to assist the Master Jeweler in ensuring that the finished product is exactly what you want.

 

 

 

Diamond Cleaving/Sawing

Once the cut of the stone has been decided via the 3D model process, the Jeweler must begin cutting the rough stone in to smaller pieces. To do this, the Jeweler must use a very special type of Saw or a Laser to cut the diamond due to the fact that Diamonds are such a durable element. This will create smaller pieces of the Rough Diamond which will be used to for the final product.

 

 

 

 

 

Bruting Process

The bruting process involves the use of two diamonds brought together on a spinning axle which spins in different directions. This is done to give both stones the shape that has been decided upon in the planning stage.  The tool to accomplish this is called a Bruting Machine, of  which there are various makes and models, however a top tier machine usually encompasses seamless finishes on the diamonds, low maintenance, and high quality components.

 

 

 

 

Polishing Process 

Once the final shape and cut of the Diamond is complete, the next stage is the Polishing process which entails blocking and faceting the diamond. A multi-purpose tool is used called a Faceting Machine. 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Inspection

During the final stage of the process, the Diamond is placed in acids and cleaned to ensure that no damage has been caused during the previous stages of design. The Jeweler inspects the stone to ensure that it meets all of the requirements and design specifications determined in the first step. To do so the Jeweler must use very helpful tools that magnify the Diamond so that any imperfections can be spotted.

 

 

The Future of Jewelry: What will it be like in a hundred years?

 

 

With the daily explosion of new technology, its only a matter of time before almost every facet of our lives will become embedded with some kind of gadget. And with the advent of “wearable” technology like Google Glass or Wristband Phones, it won’t be long before the stream of jewelry fashion and tech merge, creating quite the interesting love child.

In today’s post, we are going to take a look at some of the most interesting off-springs born from the copulation between Fashion and Technology.

 

Bluetooth-enabled Dress

The first example is one of the most interesting examples of this merge. In the photo above is Maria Sharapova who is the official spokesperson of Sony Ericsson, and next to her is a blue tooth enabled dress which lights up to let the woman wearing it know if she is receiving a phone call while in a noisy club.  The dress is still only in prototype phase, but it just a blink of an eye it won’t just be Diamonds lighting up a person’s attire.

Necklace Projectors

 

Photo Source: dvice.com

When shopping for a necklace your typically in search for something that’s both elegant and in step with the times fashion trends. Well in the near future that trend is going to shift, and your going to be looking for something that not just shines… but Projects! Above is a picture of a prototype Necklace Projector, which is capable of projecting images and information on to anything its pointing at. Want to check your email? Get Google Directions? You can have all that and more shown to you right from this necklace!

The Ring Clock

 

Rings are one of the most popular forms of jewelry on the planet, worn by men and woman alike, as a means of adding a little shine to attires, to symbolize love and commitment, or as a memento or family heirloom. In our tech-heavy world, however, rings are receiving a futuristic upgrade. Meet the RingClock, a stainless steel ring that tells the time. It comes with 3 rotating bands which when spun, light up to reveal the current time. Now if you could throw in some diamonds, it’d be the time to shine! 

The Ripple Headset

One of the reasons that jewelry fashion and technology will merge is because there is a growing demand for multipurpose tools. We want what we already use to do multiple things, and the Ripple Headset is a perfect example of what we want. Part stylish earring, part headphone, the Ripple Headset is actually a fashion friendly way of listening to your favorite music without the need of large and bulky headphones.

These are just some examples of what we can expect to see in the near future. And if Moore’s Law maintains its accuracy, 100 years from now the merge of technology and jewelry fashion could be complete, causing both to be inseparable from the other.

The 5th C: Diamond Certification

 

Most people have heard of the 4C’s of Diamonds; Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat. However, there is another C that tends to get ‘overlooked’ but is incredibly important when it comes to Diamonds, and that’s Certification. 

Diamond Certification is so important because it carries with it the proof that a Diamond is authentic, that it is conflict free, and that the diamonds grading is accurate. Without this certificate, the overall value of the diamond is put into question due to the fact that its origin and specs have not been confirmed.

Most Diamonds are certified by either the GIA ( Gemological Institute of America) or the EGL. Recent measures of authentication include Laser Inscribed Validation, which is an inscription on the girdle of the Diamond which offers proof that the Diamond has been certified by a recognized organization and that its accompanying certificate is accurate.

Photo Source: 77diamonds.com

 

When purchasing diamonds, be sure that it is accompanied with Certification to prove its authenticity. This way you can be sure that the specs of the Diamond and its origin have been determined as accurate.