Saturday, April 6, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Most expensive car with diamond
Bugatti Veyron Diamond
Bugatti Veyron Diamond Limited, the most expensive model car at $3 million, whereas the real super car costs around $1.5 million.
This is the world's most expensive model car. The Bugatti Veyron Diamond Ltd is on sale for two million pounds - twice as much as the real thing. Liverpool-based designer Stuart Hughes took two months to create the intricate 1:18 scale model in partnership with Swiss luxury model car maker Robert Gulpen. Weighing in at 7kg, it has been created with platinum, solid 24ct gold, and a 7.2ct single cut flawless diamond on its front grill. The 10 inch car also boats functional steering and a highly detailed engine. In a limited edition of three, owners also get a certification of authenticity, an aluminium case and photo documentation of the manufacturing process
$1.5M Russian SUV Features Diamonds, Whale Penis Leather
The already bulletproof and wildly over-the-top 8.1 liter GM V8-powered Dartz Kombat T98 is getting a name change to Prombron and along with it will come a complete and brain-maimingly bourgeoisie upgrade with the Monaco Red Diamond Edition. The world's most expensive ultra-luxury SUV will debut at the 2010 Top Marques Monaco show with luxe features crazy enough to make a Maybach blush. For your $1.5 million you get the following features:
1. Ruby Red matte paintWe have a lot of questions about this car, most of them whale penis leather-related, but in the bigger picture, this brazen finger-in-the-eye raises a good point, so to speak. What makes a luxury vehicle? Things we used to think of as luxury - bovine leather, wood trim, high-end audio, etc., have become mainstream. Does it take exceptionally ridiculous material selection and bold ostentatious flair to define new luxury? Is it encapsulating yourself in a vehicle capable of taking a direct hit from a rocket propelled grenade? Does it mean emulating the wild excess of past luxury much like the Red Diamond is doing? Who knows. But we're betting the tzars would roll in one of these babies.
2. Gold-plated bulletproof windows
3. 22" Kremlin Red Star bulletproof wheels
4. Whale Penis Leather interior
5. Tungsten exhaust
6. Tungsten and white gold gauges with diamonds and rubies
7. White gold diamond and ruby encrusted badges - grill, side and dashboard
8. Special edition Vertu mobile phone with "alert" button
9. Additional outside kevlar coating
10. Rogue Acoustic Audio System.
And, of course, of course -
THREE BOTTLES OF World Most Expensive Vodka - RussoBaltique Vodka, drink edition, same as in the RussoBaltique car when it visited Monaco at 1912.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Celebrity Engagement Rings
Prince William
proposed to his longtime girlfriend in 2010 with the same 18-carat
sapphire and diamond ring that his father, Prince Charles, gave to his
mother, Princess Diana. Nick Cannon
proposed to pop diva Mariah Carey with a stunning 17-carat emerald-cut
pink diamond ring surrounded by 58 pink diamonds. The couple married in
2008. Billion-dollar real-estate mogul Donald Trump proposed to Melania Knauss with a stunning 12-carat ring in 2004. Justin Theroux
proposed to actress Jennifer Aniston in August 2012 with an oval diamond
estimated to be between 12 and 18 carats. Prince Rainier III
of Monaco proposed to legendary Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly with a
10.5-carat square-cut diamond ring in 1955. Brad Pitt proposed
to longtime partner Angelina Jolie in April 2012 with a rectangular
diamond ring estimated to be more than 10 carats. Actor Adam Shulman
popped the question to Anne Hathaway in 2011 with a 6-carat emerald-cut
diamond ring by New York jewelry company Kwiat. Justin Timberlake
proposed to wife Jessica Biel in December 2011 while vacationing in
Montana with an 18-carat white gold and black rhodium plated ring. The
setting featured two aquamarines on either side, Biel's birthstone. Jay-Z proposed to Beyonce with an 18-carat diamond ring; the couple married in 2008.
The most expensive engagement rings
Paris Hilton's engagement ring
Paris Hilton
is more famous for her off screen media engulfing attributes than on
screen excellence. Her engagement ring was also popular in the media.
Paris Latsis gifted his lady love a big fat engagement ring, studded
with 24 carat diamonds. With a price tag of $4.7 million, Hilton babe
found it too bulky initially and later got a simplified version from
Cartier. Price US$. 4.7 Million
 |
| Beyonce Diamond Ring: US$/ 5 Million |
Saturday, January 26, 2013
The Biggest Diamond In The World
The Golden Jubilee, at 545.67 carats (109.13 g), is currently the largest faceted diamond in the world. Since 1908, Cullinan I,
also known as the Great Star of Africa, had held the title. But this
changed following the 1985 discovery of a large brown diamond of 755.5
carats (151 g) in the prolific blue ground of the Premier mine in South Africa; it would later be cut into the Golden Jubilee.
The Premier mine was also the origin of the Cullinan diamonds in 1905, as well as other notables such as the Taylor-Burton in 1966 and the Centenary in 1986. The "Unnamed Brown", as the Golden Jubilee was first known, was
considered something of an ugly duckling by most. It was given to Gabriel Tolkowsky by De Beers
for the purpose of testing special tools and cutting methods which had
been developed for intended use on the flawless D-colour ("colourless") Centenary.
These tools and methods had never been tested before, and the "Unnamed
Brown" seemed the perfect guinea pig; it would be of no great loss
should something go amiss. Cutting and polishing the diamond was challenging because of its
large surfaces, deep cracks from inside, and several inclusions. The
diamond was cut in a specially designed underground room that was free
from vibrations. It took two years to bring it to its current state.To the surprise of all concerned, what resulted was a yellow-brown
diamond in a fire rose cushion cut, outweighing Cullinan I by 15.37
carats (3.07 g). The stone remained largely unknown to the outside
world, as the Golden Jubilee's sister, the Centenary, had already been
selected and promoted to herald De Beer's centennial celebrations in
1988.
The unnamed diamond had earlier been brought to Thailand by the Thai
Diamond Manufacturers Association to be exhibited in the Thai Board of
Investment Exhibition in Laem Chabang. There was a mile-long queue to
see the diamond, which outshone all other exhibits.
While the current whereabouts of the Centenary are unknown, the
Golden Jubilee is known to have been purchased from De Beers by a group
led by Henry Ho of Thailand in 1995. The diamond was brought to Pope John Paul II
in the Vatican to receive the papal blessing. It was also blessed by
the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch and the Supreme Imam in Thailand. The
Golden Jubilee Diamond (Thai: เพชรกาญจนาภิเษก) was named by King Bhumibol Adulyadej
and given to him in honour of his 50th coronation anniversary. It was
initially planned to mount the Golden Jubilee in the royal scepter. A
subsequent plan was to have it mounted in a royal seal.
The Golden Jubilee Diamond has been exhibited at Henry Ho's 59-storey
Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok, the Central Department Store in Lad
Prao (Bangkok) Thailand, and internationally in Basel (Switzerland),
Borsheims in Omaha, NE, USA (owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), and Gleims Jewelers in Palo Alto, CA, USA. It is now located in the Royal Thai Palace as part of the crown jewels.
The Cullinan diamond is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.4 carats (106.1 g)[2] was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond, 545.67 carats (109.13 g), also from the Premier Mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Sceptre with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.4 carats (63.5 g), is the fourth largest polished diamond in the world. Both gems are in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
History
The Cullinan diamond was found by Thomas Evan Powell, a miner who brought it to the surface and gave it to Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, South Africa on January 26, 1905. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.
Sir William Crookes performed an analysis of the Cullinan diamond before it was cut and mentioned its remarkable clarity, but also a black spot in the middle. The colours around the black spot were very vivid and changed as the analyzer was turned. According to Crookes, this pointed to internal strain. Such strain is not uncommon in diamonds.
The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII on his birthday.It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into 9 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow, an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then, a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot, which was shared in both halves of the diamond
The Cullinan diamond was found by Thomas Evan Powell, a miner who brought it to the surface and gave it to Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, South Africa on January 26, 1905. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.
Sir William Crookes performed an analysis of the Cullinan diamond before it was cut and mentioned its remarkable clarity, but also a black spot in the middle. The colours around the black spot were very vivid and changed as the analyzer was turned. According to Crookes, this pointed to internal strain. Such strain is not uncommon in diamonds.
The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII on his birthday.It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into 9 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow, an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then, a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot, which was shared in both halves of the diamond
The Spirit of de Grisogono is the world's largest cut black diamond
and the world's fifth largest diamond overall. Starting at an uncut
weight of 587 carats (117 g), it was taken from its origin in west
central Africa and cut by Swiss jeweler De Grisogono.
The resulting mogul-cut diamond weighs 312.24 carats (62.45 g) and is
set in a white gold ring with 702 smaller white diamonds totaling 36.69
carats (7.34 g). The ring is said to have been sold.
The particularly unique feature of this diamond is that it’s the world’s
largest black diamond ever found. Black diamonds are extremely rare,
the rarest form of diamonds existing on earth. This particular black
beauty was found in central Africa and cut by Swiss jeweler De
Grisogono. It was cut using the Mogul diamond cutting technique. This
historic cutting method was developed centuries ago in India and can be
seen in a number of historic diamonds. The mogul-cut diamond is set in a
white gold ring with 702 smaller white diamonds totaling 36.69 carats
(7.34 g). I would love to have this one my finger! Thursday, January 24, 2013
Ten Rarest Gemstone In The World
Sérandite, also serandite,[3] is a mineral with formula Na(Mn2+,Ca)2Si3O8(OH). The mineral was discovered in Guinea in 1931 and named for J. M. Sérand. Sérandite is generally red, brown, black or colorless.
Sérandite was discovered on Rouma Island, part of the Los Islands in Guinea.[2] The mineral was described by À. Lacroix in the journal Comptes Rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des Sciences.He named it sérandite in honor of J.M. Sérand, a mineral collector who helped in the collection of the mineral
Crystals of the mineral can be prismatic to acicular and elongated along [010], bladed, blocky, or tabular and flattened on {100}, occur as a radiating aggregate, or have massive habit.[1] Sérandite is a member of the wollastonite group and is the manganese analogue of pectolite
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Greenstone: The more valuable stone
Greenstone is a common generic term for valuable, green-hued minerals and metamorphosed igneous rocks and stones, that were used in the fashioning of hardstone carvings such as jewelry, statuettes, ritual tools, and various other artefacts in early cultures. Greenstone artefacts may be made of greenschist, chlorastrolite, serpentine, omphacite, chrysoprase, olivine, nephrite, chloromelanite among other green-hued minerals. The term also includes jade and jadeite, although these are perhaps more frequently identified by these latter terms.The greenish hue of these rocks generally derives from the presence of minerals such as chlorite, hornblende, or epidote.
Greenstone minerals were presumably selected for their color rather than their chemical composition. In archaeology
therefore, having a loosely applied general term is at least partially
influenced by the observation that ancient cultures often used and
considered these various green-hued materials as interchangeable.Greenstone objects are often found very considerable distances from the
source of the rock, indicating early travel or trading networks. A
polished jadeite axe head in the British Museum (4000-2000 BCE) was found in Canterbury, Kent
but uses stone from the Alps of Northern Italy, and objects from other
parts of the world had travelled comparable distances to their
findspots.
Ancient China and Mesoamerica
are particularly noted for the prevalence and significance of
greenstone (particularly jade) usage. Greenstones also figure
prominently in the indigenous cultures of southeastern Australia, and among the Māori of New Zealand (known as Pounamu).
Neolithic Europe also used greenstone, especially for prestige versions
of axe tools, not made for use; comparable jade versions of tools and
weapons are also found in the Olmec and other Pre-Columbian cultures and early Chinese civilization.
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness.[2] Most emeralds are highly included, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor.
Emeralds, like all colored gemstones, are graded using four basic parameters–the four Cs of Connoisseurship: Color, Cut, Clarity and Crystal. The last C, crystal, is simply a synonym for transparency, or what gemologists call diaphaneity. Before the 20th century, jewelers used the term water, as in "a gem of the finest water,"
to express the combination of two qualities: color and crystal.
Normally, in the grading of colored gemstones, color is by far the most
important criterion. However, in the grading of emeralds, crystal is
considered a close second. Both are necessary conditions. A fine emerald
must possess not only a pure verdant green hue as described below, but also a high degree of transparency to be considered a top gem.
In the 1960s, the American jewelry industry changed the definition of
'emerald' to include the green vanadium-bearing beryl as emerald. As a
result, vanadium emeralds purchased as emeralds in the United
States are not recognized as such in the UK and Europe. In America, the
distinction between traditional emeralds and the new vanadium kind is
often reflected in the use of terms such as 'Colombian Emerald
Color
Scientifically speaking, color is divided into three components: hue, saturation and tone. Emeralds occur in hues ranging from yellow-green to blue-green, with the primary hue necessarily being green. Yellow and blue are the normal secondary hues found in emeralds. Only gems that are medium to dark in tone are considered emerald; light-toned gems are known instead by the species name green beryl. The finest emerald are approximately 75% tone on a scale where 0% tone would be colorless and 100% would be opaque black. In addition, a fine stone should be well saturated, the hue of an emerald should be bright (vivid). Gray is the normal saturation modifier or mask found in emerald; a grayish-green hue is a dull green hue.Emeralds are green by definition (the name is derived from the Greek word 'smaragdus', meaning green).Emeralds are the green variety of beryl, a mineral which comes in many other colors that are sometimes also used as gems, such as blue aquamarine, yellow heliodor, pink morganite and colorless goshenite
Treatments
Most emeralds are oiled as part of the post lapidary process, in order to improve their clarity. Cedar oil, having a similar refractive index,
is often used in this generally accepted practice. Other liquids,
including synthetic oils and polymers with refractive indexes close to
that of emerald such as Opticon are also used. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission requires the disclosure of this treatment when a treated emerald is sold.[10]
The use of oil is traditional and largely accepted by the gem trade.
Other treatments, for example the use of green-tinted oil, are not
acceptable in the trade. The laboratory community has recently
standardized the language for grading the clarity of emeralds. Gems are
graded on a four step scale; none, minor, moderate and highly enhanced. Note that these categories reflect levels of enhancement not clarity. A gem graded none
on the enhancement scale may still exhibit visible inclusions.
Laboratories tend to apply these criteria differently. Some gem labs
consider the mere presence of oil or polymers to constitute enhancement.
Others may ignore traces of oil if the presence of the material does
not materially improve the look of the gemstone.
Given that the vast majority of all emeralds are treated as described
above, and the fact that two stones that appear visually similar may
actually be quite far apart in treatment level and therefore in value, a
consumer considering a purchase of an expensive emerald is well advised
to insist upon a treatment report from a reputable gemological
laboratory. All other factors being equal, a high quality emerald with
an enhancement level of moderate should cost half an identical stone
graded none.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Opal:
Opal is an amorphous form of silica , a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water,
but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a
relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any
kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces 97% of the world's supply.[4] This includes the production of the state of South Australia, which amounts to around 80% of the world's supply.
Opal's internal structure makes it diffract
light; depending on the conditions in which it formed it can take on
many colors. Opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and
black. Of these hues, the reds against black are the most rare, whereas
white and greens are the most common. It varies in optical density from
opaque to semi-transparent. For gemstone use, its natural color is often enhanced by placing thin layers of opal on a darker underlying stone, like basalt.
Precious opal shows a variable interplay of internal colors and even
though it is a mineraloid, it has an internal structure. At micro scales
precious opal is composed of silica spheres some 150 to 300 nm in diameter in a hexagonal or cubic close-packed lattice. These ordered silica spheres produce the internal colors by causing the interference and diffraction of light passing through the microstructure of the opal.[6]
It is the regularity of the sizes and the packing of these spheres that
determines the quality of precious opal. Where the distance between the
regularly packed planes of spheres is approximately half the wavelength
of a component of visible light, the light of that wavelength may be subject to diffraction from the grating
created by the stacked planes. The spacing between the planes and the
orientation of planes with respect to the incident light determines the
colors observed. The process can be described by Bragg's Law of diffraction.
Visible light of diffracted wavelengths cannot pass through large thicknesses of the opal. This is the basis of the optical band gap in a photonic crystal,
of which opal is the best known natural example. In addition,
microfractures may be filled with secondary silica and form thin
lamellae inside the opal during solidification. The term opalescence is commonly and erroneously used to describe this unique and beautiful phenomenon, which is correctly termed play of color. Contrarily, opalescence is correctly applied to the milky, turbid appearance of common or potch opal. Potch does not show a play of color.
The veins of opal displaying the play of color are often quite thin,
and this has given rise to unusual methods of preparing the stone as a
gem. An opal doublet is a thin layer of opal, backed by a swart mineral such as ironstone, basalt, or obsidian. The darker backing emphasizes the play of color, and results in a more attractive display than a lighter potch.
Combined with modern techniques of polishing, doublet opal produces
similar effect of black or boulder opals at a mere fraction of the
price. Doublet opal also has the added benefit of having genuine opal as
the top visible and touchable layer, unlike triplet opals.
The triplet-cut opal backs the colored material with a dark backing, and then has a domed cap of clear quartz
or plastic on top, which takes a high polish and acts as a protective
layer for the opal. The top layer also acts as a magnifier, to emphasize
the play of color of the opal beneath, which is often of lower quality.
Triplet opals therefore have a more artificial appearance, and are not
classed as precious opal.
Superstitions of Opal
In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide
great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each
gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal.It was also said to confer the power of invisibility if wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and held in the hand.Following the publication of Sir Walter Scott's Anne of Geierstein in 1829, however, opal acquired a less auspicious reputation. In Scott's novel, the Baroness of Arnheim wears an opal talisman with supernatural powers. When a drop of holy water
falls on the talisman, the opal turns into a colorless stone and the
Baroness dies soon thereafter. Due to the popularity of Scott's novel,
people began to associate opals with bad luck and death.]
Within a year of the publishing of Scott's novel in April 1829, the
sale of opals in Europe dropped by 50%, and remained low for the next
twenty years or so.
Even as recently as the beginning of the 20th century, it was
believed that when a Russian saw an opal among other goods offered for
sale, he or she should not buy anything more since the opal was believed
to embody the evil eye.
Opal is considered the birthstone for people born in October or under the sign of Scorpio and Libra.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a period of European history that lasted from the 5th until the 15th centuries. It began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and was followed by the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.
The Middle Ages is the middle period of the traditional division of
Western history into Classical, Medieval, and Modern periods. The period
is subdivided into the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages.
In the Early Middle Ages, depopulation, deurbanization, and barbarian invasions, which began in Late Antiquity, continued. The barbarian invaders formed new kingdoms in the remains of the Western Roman Empire. In the 7th century North Africa and the Middle East, once part of the Eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire), became an Islamic Empire after conquest by Muhammad's successors. Although there were substantial changes in society and political structures, the break with Antiquity was not complete. The still sizeable Byzantine Empire survived and remained a major power. The empire's law code, the Code of Justinian,
was widely admired. In the West, most kingdoms incorporated extant
Roman institutions, while monasteries were founded as Christianity
expanded in western Europe. The Franks, under the Carolingian dynasty, established an empire covering much of western Europe; the Carolingian Empire endured until the 9th century, when it succumbed to the pressures of invasion — the Vikings from the north; the Magyars from the east, and the Saracens from the south.
During the High Middle Ages, which began after AD 1000, the
population of Europe increased greatly as technological and agricultural
innovations allowed trade to flourish and crop yields to increase. Manorialism — the organization of peasants into villages that owed rent and labor services to the nobles; and feudalism — the political structure whereby knights and lower-status nobles owed military service to their overlords, in return for the right to rent from lands and manors - were two of the ways society was organized in the High Middle Ages. The Crusades, first preached in 1095, were military attempts, by western European Christians, to regain control of the Middle Eastern Holy Land from the Muslims. Kings became the heads of centralized nation states, reducing crime and violence but making the ideal of a unified Christendom more distant. Intellectual life was marked by scholasticism, a philosophy which emphasized joining faith to reason, and by the founding of universities. The mathematics of Fibonacci and Oresme, the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, the paintings of Giotto, the poetry of Dante and Chaucer, the travels of Marco Polo, and the architecture of Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres are among the outstanding achievements of this period.
The Late Middle Ages were marked by difficulties and calamities, such
as famine, plague, and war, which much diminished the population of
western Europe; in the four years from 1347 through 1350, the Black Death killed approximately a third of the European population. Controversy, heresy, and schism
within the Church paralleled the warfare between states, the civil war,
and peasant revolts occurring in the kingdoms. Cultural and
technological developments transformed European society, concluding the
Late Middle Ages and beginning the Early Modern period.
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