Diamond News Articles

	North Carolina emerald: Big, green and very rare
	By Phil Gast, CNN (CNN) -- Generations of rock hounds and miners have turned the earth in western North Carolina, looking to bring a special ruby, sapphire or emerald -- the "big three" of the gem world -- to the light. The passion started early for Terry Ledford, 53, who operated a gem stand on weekends when he was a kid. "I always loved rocks," said the Spruce Pine resident. For W. Renn Adams, 90, the world of spodumenes, hiddenite and beryl runs even deeper in his blood. His Alexander County family has been digging for them since the 1880s. The men's interests became intertwined early this decade when they became partners on the Adams family farm, which grows corn along with its treasures below. They unearthed hiddenite, a rare pale-to-green mineral in the spodumene family, and other specimens. "We never found any good emeralds," said Adams. Until that day in August 2009. "It was just a normal digging day," said Adams, who used to grade roads before he retired. Using a track hoe and other equipment, Ledford worked his way down a hole in the earth and through a quartz vein, 14 feet below the surface. That's when he found it. Reaching below a crystal, he saw what looked to be part of a 7UP bottle. It was an emerald crystal. A very big emerald crystal. Some 310 carats of it. "Terry really had a time when he found that one," recalled Adams, without a hint of understatement. Dubbed the "Carolina Emperor," the gem has been trimmed to 64.83 carats and is called the largest cut emerald ever found in North America. It is being compared to an emerald that once belonged to Catherine the Great of Russia. And it could be yours. The co-owners are selling it, perhaps by the end of the year. While rubies and sapphires are found near Franklin, about 75 miles southwest of Asheville, different gems lure residents and visitors to Alexander County, about 30 miles northeast of Hickory. The small town of Hiddenite is named for William Earl Hidden, who mined North America's first emerald and hiddenite on the Adams property in the 1880s, said geologist Ed Speer. "Emeralds are very rare in the world and only a few countries host emerald deposits," Speer said. "North Carolina is lucky to have three known emerald districts, including the Hiddenite district." Michael Wise, a geologist with the National Museum of Natural History, said emeralds are more likely to be found outside North America. Most are from Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Afghanistan. According to Speer, emeralds (a beryl colored by chrome and vanadium) and the rarer hiddenite (spodumene) are together only in this part of North Carolina. Gems have created a cottage industry around Hiddenite, with amateurs and mining operations working the soil. At Emerald Hollow Mine, options for the energetic are "digging," "creeking" and "sluicing." "We have people from everywhere," said employee Whitney Day, who said the region offers 63 types of minerals. Mining has a significant impact on the state's economy, with gem mining a small part of that, said Speer, who has 40 years' experience in mineral exploration around the world. The presence of pegmatites, a form of igneous rock, is largely responsible for the number and quality of gemstones, he said. Although the public's imagination often revolves around precious gems and stones used in jewelry, including diamonds, collectors often come at gems from a different perspective. They may prefer a certain locality or type of gem, Wise said. "A serious collector may prefer an uncut crystal to a cut gem," he added. Adams said his family used to open the farm to the public in the 1970s and into the 1980s. People paid $3 to dig by hand and foot; no machinery was allowed. Since then, the small mining operation has been private. Failing eyesight has somewhat sidelined Adams, but he still has a penchant for the craft. "I like moving the dirt." Ledford, who also sells gems and operates an amethyst mine in Georgia, and Adams have had the six-sided "Carolina Emperor" crystal cut twice. It is now slightly wider than a quarter. They received a comprehensive analysis in early August, and are now marketing the stone. The emerald compares in size and quality to one surrounded by diamonds in a brooch once owned by Catherine the Great, who was empress in the 18th century, said C.R. "Cap" Beesley, a New York gemologist who examined the stone. Beesley told The Associated Press that Christie's auction house in New York sold that gem in April for $1.65 million. Chips or cuttings that resulted from the faceting of "Carolina Emperor" sold for between $10,000 (1.89 carats) and $15,000 (2.36 carats), said Ledford. Ledford, the son of a mica miner, said he would rate the quality of the gem an 8 on a 10-point scale. Its uniqueness and size, with color and clarity following, may put it in the area of the selling price for the Catherine the Great emerald, he said. Generally, larger gems are more likely to have internal flaws and inclusions, said Wise. But Douglas Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, who like Wise said he has not seen the stone, said those factors are not as critical as size and color. The Hiddenite emerald's biggest asset is that it is from an area not known for large emeralds, said Hucker. "If it wasn't from North Carolina it wouldn't be creating the buzz it is now," he said. Standards for colored gems are not as exacting as for diamonds, he added. Still, Hucker said, it is a large stone with desirable color and a potential buyer may be drawn to it. "When you combine all those things it increases the rarity." Hucker said that comparing the emerald to the Catherine the Great gem is a stretch because the empress, who he described as a "jewelry hog," was a person of special historic significance. Beesley's report, which calls the "Carolina Emperor" one of "the most important gemstones in American history," mentions an 18.88-carat pear-shape emerald, which until now was considered the continent's most valuable cut emerald. "This is a monster by comparison," said Wise. "Several people are interested in it," said Ledford, adding an unnamed museum has expressed interest. Meanwhile, Ledford and an assistant continue to operate at the Adams family farm. "Terry's emerald find is very exciting as it confirms that more large emeralds are still out there," said Speer. At 90, Adams can savor the moment. "This is what I always dreamed to find," he said.
	‘Bachelorette’ DeAnna Pappas Debuts Her Engagement Ring!
		Looks like Stephen Stagliano’s ring-shopping trip was successful! After Stagliano, 26, told PEOPLE last month of his plans for a big jewelry-store excursion with then-girlfriend DeAnna Pappas, 28, now comes word that he is indeed engaged to the former Bachelorette star. DeAnna was snapped in Los Angeles yesterday showing off the stunning sparkler that Stephen purchased from Boston-area jeweler Kings Jewelers. And that’s not the only big wedding announcement in the Stagliano family: Stephen’s twin brother Michael, who was on Jillian Harris’s season of The Bachelorette (and who introduced Stephen and DeAnna), is also newly engaged — to Holly Durst, 27, who was on Matt Grant’s season of The Bachelor! Got that straight? “[Stephen and I] are honestly so in love and so happy,” Michael told PEOPLE of the brothers’ mutual bliss in July. “Rings are coming!” There’s no word yet on a date for either marriage, though the couples have broached the subject of having a double wedding. “We’ve already talked about it, all four of us,” Durst earlier told PEOPLE. “If we were to do it, we’d have two different ceremonies and one huge reception.” –Tim Nudd
	THE BIGGEST DIAMONDS IN THE WORLD

	The Cullinan or The Great Star of Africa:             This stone was the largest uncut diamond discovered in 1905 in the Premier mine South Africa and weighing 3106.75 carats and was later cut into nine parts. They are all currently owned by Queen Elizabeth and are a part of the British Crown Jewels.             The Cullinan I   : Pear shaped, 530.2 carats             The Cullinan II  : Cushion shaped, 317.4 carats             The Cullinan III : Pear shaped, 94.4 carats             The Cullinan IV : Cushion shaped, 63.3 carats             The Cullinan V  : Heart shaped, 18.8 carats             The Cullinan VI : Marquise shaped, 11.5 carats             The Cullinan VII: Marquise shaped, 8.8 carats             The Cullinan VIII:Oblong Brilliant shaped, 6.8 carats             The Cullinan IX  :  Pear shaped, 4.39 carats The Golden Jubilee:             It is rose cushion shaped and weighed roughly about 755 carats and 545.67 after being cut. It is the largest faceted diamond in the world and was previously named “Unnamed Brown” was considered the most unattractive diamond ever. It was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 and is still in the possession of the Thailand government. The Nameless:             It is a rectangular shaped stone which weighed roughly about 1000 carats and 489.07 after cutting. It is said to have been probably discovered in Brazil or Central Africa. The story of emergence of this black diamond and who owns it at the moment is still a mystery. The Excelsior I:             Its rough weight was 995.20 and later 69.68. The original stone was cut into 21 gems. This pear shaped stone was found in the Jagersfontein mine and is currently owned by Robert Mouawad. The Excelsior I is known not only for its size but its quality as well. The Star of Sierra Leone:             It is the largest alluvial diamond ever found. Its rough weight was 969 carats and after the original stone was cut into 17 gems it weighed 53.96 carats. It was found in Diminco Mine in Sierra Leone in 1972. It is purely transparent and colorless and is presently in the hands of Harry Winston who purchased it for $2.5 million. The President Vargas:             It was found in Brazil near San Antonio river in1938 by two garimpeiros when it weighed 726.60 carats and 48.26 when divided into 29 gems. They are D-color diamonds are emerald shaped and are said to be chemically pure which are perfect in structure. Before being bought by an unknown buyer, it was owned by Harry Winston. The Jonker:             This is the fourth largest gem-quality diamond which was found in Elandsfontein near the Premier mine, South Africa. This 726 carat, emerald shaped stone was then cut into 13 gems and now has a weight of 125.35 carat. It gained its name from its discoverer Johannes Jacob Jonker. The parts of this diamond were owned by various famous people till an anonymous buyer bought it for $2,259,000 in 1977. The Jubilee:             Robert Mouawad owning the Jubilee at present, originally called The Reitz, weighed 650.80 carats and 245.35 carats after being cut. This is cushion shaped and was found in the Jagersfontein mine, South Africa. It has been graded an E-color diamond which means it is a grade away from the colorless diamonds. The Sefadu:             This is one of the largest diamonds which remains uncut at a weight of 620 carats. It was discovered in the Diminco mine in Sierra Leone and is owned by an American diamond company called Lazare Kaplan. It is after the discovery of the Sefadu that the major mining companies have started explorations in the Diminco mine. The Kimberly Octahedron:             It maintains a weight of 616 carats ever since it was found at the Dutiotspan Mine in South Africa in 1964 as it still is uncut. This is the largest natural octahedral diamond found. It is categorized under Type Ib owing to its intense shade of yellow and is owned by De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. link
	Diamond star thrills astronomers A diamond that is almost forever Twinkling in the sky is a diamond star of 10 billion trillion trillion carats, astronomers have discovered. The cosmic diamond is a chunk of crystallised carbon, 4,000 km across, some 50 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It's the compressed heart of an old star that was once bright like our Sun but has since faded and shrunk. Astronomers have decided to call the star "Lucy" after the Beatles song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Twinkle twinkle "You would need a jeweller's loupe the size of the Sun to grade this diamond," says astronomer Travis Metcalfe, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who led the team of researchers that discovered it. The diamond star completely outclasses the largest diamond on Earth, the 546-carat Golden Jubilee which was cut from a stone brought out of the Premier mine in South Africa. The huge cosmic diamond - technically known as BPM 37093 - is actually a crystallised white dwarf. A white dwarf is the hot core of a star, left over after the star uses up its nuclear fuel and dies. It is made mostly of carbon. For more than four decades, astronomers have thought that the interiors of white dwarfs crystallised, but obtaining direct evidence became possible only recently. The white dwarf is not only radiant but also rings like a gigantic gong, undergoing constant pulsations. "By measuring those pulsations, we were able to study the hidden interior of the white dwarf, just like seismograph measurements of earthquakes allow geologists to study the interior of the Earth. "We figured out that the carbon interior of this white dwarf has solidified to form the galaxy's largest diamond," says Metcalfe. Astronomers expect our Sun will become a white dwarf when it dies 5 billion years from now. Some two billion years after that, the Sun's ember core will crystallise as well, leaving a giant diamond in the centre of the solar system. "Our Sun will become a diamond that truly is forever," says Metcalfe.

Now she finds herself caught up in yet another controversy.

Prosecutors at an international tribunal in the Netherlands have summoned her to testify later this month in the war crimes trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. Among the many charges against him is involvement in the trade for so-called blood diamonds — gems used to finance a civil war in the neighboring West African nation of Sierra Leone.

Taylor's Diamond Gift To Campbell?

The prosecution alleges that Taylor, while president of Liberia, teamed up with rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone to rob that country of its natural resources, including diamonds. Tens of thousands of people were killed or maimed during the 11-year civil war that officially ended in 2002.

"In Sierra Leone you had crimes of mutilation, serial rapes, enslaving people," says Brenda Hollis, prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. Hollis alleges Taylor took diamonds from rebels in Sierra Leone and gave them weapons and ammunition in return.

Taylor has denied all of the charges against him, which include murder, recruiting child soldiers and terrorizing civilians. "Most definitely I am not guilty," Taylor told the court.

Dinner Party In South Africa

The prosecution recently got the court's permission to reopen its case after hearing of possible new evidence dating back to 1997.

"In South Africa, after a dinner party, attended by Mr. Taylor, Naomi Campbell, Mia Farrow and others, individuals came to where Naomi Campbell was lodging and gave her a diamond, indicating that the diamond came from Mr. Charles Taylor. The next morning she related that story to Mia Farrow and perhaps others at breakfast," Hollis alleges.

But Campbell recently told a producer for ABC News that never happened. "I didn't receive a diamond and I'm not going to speak about that. Thank you very much," Campbell said.

Taylor's defense attorney Courtenay Griffiths says prosecutors are desperate.

"The prosecution have obtained a subpoena for a witness whom they know in advance is not going to support their case. The bottom line is the prosecution are calling this evidence and have made a big deal out of it in order to get some cheap publicity," Griffiths says.

Documents show that the story around Campbell was corroborated by the model's former agent and actress Mia Farrow, both of whom have agreed to testify.

The story is significant because prosecutors want to show that Taylor had diamonds on him just weeks before a crucial deal. At that time, arms and ammunition were shipped to rebels in Sierra Leone, and the allegation is they were bought with diamonds.

Diamonds In A Mayonnaise Jar

One witness, Varmuyan Sherif, told the court he saw a rebel leader with a mayonnaise jar full of diamonds, in his jacket, just prior to a meeting with Taylor.

"He took a jacket off, to hang it. While in the process of taking his jacket off, I saw the bottle, the mayonnaise bottle ... with diamond in it in his pocket," Sherif testified.

Taylor scoffed at the idea.

"I am supposed to be such a scumbag that people bring me diamonds in nothing but mayonnaise jars? How much more can you demonize me?" Taylor said.

Prosecutors say Taylor's links to rebel leaders went far beyond diamonds. They've presented evidence of satellite phone conversations between Taylor and the rebels. And one witness testified that he overheard a rebel refer to Taylor as his boss.

Griffiths says his client is not guilty of the charges against him. Griffiths acknowledges, however, that Taylor knows some bad people.

"I'm not suggesting Charles Taylor is a saint," he says.

But what Naomi Campbell thinks of him remains to seen. She is scheduled to testify at the end of this month.

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Is Dereck Jeter Getting Married to Minka Kelly?

9/1/2009 by the New York Post

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Bond Girl Gemma Arterton can't stop flashing her engagement ring

8/27/2009 by dailymail.co.uk

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Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper are officially engaged. Is Jennifer Aniston upset?

8/25/09 By: Examiner.com

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Team in Angola to check against 'blood diamonds'

8/24/09 By: AFP (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gxKlPfkaUIqC0iN1Kl_IuWX0P_ag)

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Hot rocks: Heist nets $65 million in jewelry

Putin promises to buy up diamonds

Friday, 21 August 2009 - BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8213980.stm)

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has promised to buy up diamonds, as part of a $1bn (£605m) support package for diamond miner Alrosa.

The state-controlled miner has $3.6bn in outstanding debt and state support will help service it, during what Mr Putin called a "difficult period". Diamond sales have lost their sparkle during the global recession. Alrosa produces 25% of the world's rough diamonds and is the main rival to De Beers, the South African company. "We understand that this sector, which gives serious revenues to the federal budget and regional budget, is in a difficult situation and needs support due to the global market situation," the Russian prime minister said. "To support the sector, the state has agreed to significantly increase state purchases of diamonds," he added. Diamonds are one of the biggest sources of income in Russia's Yakutia region, with gem sales making up 30% of local government income. Alrosa's importance to Russia and Yakutia makes it a prime candidate for government help as Russia endures its worst recession since the 1990s, analysts said. Dull demand Alrosa, which sells more than half its polished diamonds in the US market, is not the only diamond company to have been knocked by the recession. Profits at De Beers, the world's biggest diamond producer, have slumped in the "most difficult" economic environment in decades. In the first six months of 2009, it made a profit of $3m , down from $316m a year earlier. While demand is weak in the US, De Beers said that many in China and India are still buying gems.

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Vote on the best setting for Hope -- the Hope Diamond that is

8/20/09 By: Adam Tschorn (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/)

You will never own it or touch it and there's a chance you may never even be in the same room with it, but until early September you can have a say in what happens to the 45.52-carat blue diamond -- famously known as the Hope Diamond.

You will never own it or touch it and there's a chance you may never even be in the same room with it, but until early September you can have a say in what happens to the 45.52-carat blue diamond -- famously known as the Hope Diamond. Purchased by jeweler Harry Winston from the estate of Evalyn Walsh McLean, the diamond is being reset to mark the 50th anniversary of its donation to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History by jeweler Harry Winston (who, according to lore, literally "mailed it in" at the time -- via the U.S. Postal Service). The House of Harry Winston has created three possible new settings, and, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Channel, is asking the American people to cast their vote for their favorite here. The voting runs through Sept. 7, and the result will be announced sometime this fall. The newly set diamond will be revealed in conjunction with the world premiere of the Smithsonian Channel's documentary "Mystery of the Hope Diamond" in March 2010. But if your design doesn't win, don't despair since this Hope is fleeting too -- by the time 2010 ends, the diamond will be back in its original setting (below).

Photos: At top, the three proposed temporary settings for the Hope Diamond and, at bottom, as it looks today. Credit: Smithsonian Institution

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Rockwell Diamonds Generates $4M in July Sales

Posted: 08/18/09 By Avi Krawitz (http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=27676)

RAPAPORT... Rockwell Diamonds generated sales of about $4 million in July reporting that prices for rough diamonds mined at its South Africa-based operations continued to rise, particularly for smaller stones. The junior diamond mining company conducted two sales in July, at the beginning and end of the month.

photo: USA Today

The first tender generated sales of $1.8 million, from a parcel of 2,485.78 carats, achieving an average price of $722.18 per carat. The second sale garnered $2.2 million from 1,809.38 carats, at $1,224.58 per carat. Rockwell explained that sales prices in late July showed an increase of approximately 10 percent for small rough stones below 0.75 carats, and about 5 percent for diamonds of 0.75 to 2.49 carats. The category of diamonds between 2.50 and 4.79 carats achieved similar prices to the previous sale, the company said.
The average price achieved at Rockwell tenders has been on the rise. Rockwell noted prices at $531 per carat in March, $585 a carat in May, $700 a carat in June and $1,225 per carat in late July. These increases follow a 50 percent decline in prices towards the end of 2008 as demand shrank with the onslaught of the economic downturn. In response, Rockwell suspended diamond sales between December and February and scaled back operations. The company reported that there has been stronger interest and attendance at its diamond tenders since June with numbers in July “approaching the levels apparent in 2008.”

Rockwell noted good demand in the 2 to 10 carat rough diamond range, with the strongest buying focused on 2 to 5 carat stones. It added that demand and prices for 3 carat rough has been extremely strong since March while 10 carat stones and larger have remained subdued.

Company chief executive officer (CEO) John Bristow said he foresees a steady overall improvement in prices for Rockwell’s production during the remainder of 2009, “albeit staying well below the highs of 2008.” Rockwell’s production across its three operating alluvial mines in South Africa – Holpan, Klipdam and Saxendrift - totaled 8,747.93 carats. Bristow said the company is considering resuming operations at the Wouterspan mine as the market strengthens.

Bristow recently overcame an attempt to oust him and two other senior managers by major shareholder Pala Investment Holdings due to weak performance of the company’s share. The stock closed Monday trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange at 5 cents a share, down 76 percent from a year ago. After failing in its takeover attempt, Pala reduced its stake in Rockwell from about 20 percent to 8.7 percent.

Bristow stressed that with monthly production of 2,400 carats, continued average prices above $1,000 a carat and given that the company is cash flow positive, “as prices improve further, Rockwell will return to profitability.

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Bentley Reveals Its Latest & Greatest Flagship, The 2010 Mulsanne

8/17/09 By: AutoSpies (http://www.autospies.com/)

Move over, Arnage. The new kid is in town. Today, Bentley unveiled the latest and greatest from the luxury icon: the 2010 Bentley Mulsanne. And, its looks were not exactly a secret as spy shots got a dead-on look at this auto before it's debut.

According to Bentley, the Mulsanne is designed to replace the aging, decade-old Arnage. Bearing an entirely new platform, that will be produced starting next year, the new Bentley will be constructed within the Crewe, England factory. Although details remain vague on the latest B-car, if history serves as a guiding principle, the flagship will likely use a large displacement V8 capable of 425 - 550 horsepower and an unwieldy amount of torque. Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors , spoke about the all-new Mulsanne, saying: “The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience . They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.“

Look for the 2010 Mulsanne to go on sale in mid-2010. More information about this new model will be coming forward this September at the IAA in Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Hot rocks: Heist nets $65 million in jewelry

London jeweler is robbed for third time in six years

8/12/09 By: Associated Press (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32374044/ns/world_news-europe/)

This jeweler on London's New Bond Street was robbed last Thursday by two well-dressed men.

LONDON - Two well-dressed thieves walked into a London Bond Street jewelry store last week and, after brandishing handguns at shop workers, made off with $65 million worth of gems in one of Britain’s biggest jewelry heists, police said Tuesday.

Security camera footage released by police shows two men in crisp suits entering Graff Diamonds’ flagship store Thursday afternoon. It was the third time a Graff store in London had been targeted in a high-profile raid in the past six years.

video: abc news

The men stole dozens of high-end rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches worth 40 million pounds, or $65 million, and fired two gunshots into the ground as they escaped in a series of getaway cars, police said. No one was hurt.

It was among the biggest heists in British history — far outstripping the 1963 Great Train Robbery in which 2 million pounds were lost.

Last week’s theft, however, was topped by the 2006 robbery of 53 million pounds in cash from a security company depot in southern England, and was rivaled by the 1987 theft of an estimated 40 million pounds from the Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Center in London.

Police declined to rank Thursday’s robbery, saying only that it was one of the country’s biggest. Items stolen included a pair of white diamond double hoop earrings, a flowing flower necklace with yellow diamond petals, a platinum white Marquise diamond ring and a Chronograff watch, police said.

Graff’s store, a classical stucco and stone town house in London’s jewelry district, has been targeted by thieves in the past.

The same store lost jewelry worth 23 million pounds in 2003 when it was robbed by jewel thief Nebojsa Denic, a Kosovan Serb and a member of the notorious gang of Balkan robbers known as “the Pink Panthers.” Denic was caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

In 2007, another smartly dressed pair was chauffeured to the store’s Sloane Street branch in a Bentley Continental Flying Spur. They whipped out handguns and made off with 10 million pounds worth of gems.

Graff Diamonds declined to give details beyond the police statement.

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Lawsuits Forced Heidi Klum to Discontinue Her Jewelry Line

8/10/09 By: Amy Odell (http://nymag.com/)

Heidi Klum is in search of new licensing deals after her jewelry line folded. Sure, she's being turned into a Barbie and started hit fashion-reality-TV show Project Runway, which paved the way for Top Chef and its model host, Padma Lakshmi. She tells the Los Angeles Times:

Unfortunately, I did have a partner who ... maybe wasn't as knowledgeable in terms of setting up a business. I worked five years very hard on that. But we stopped because we had a lawsuit with Van Cleef & Arpels — they wanted to have the clover, even though our designs had never matched, I don't know how may designs I had done in five years, maybe 800 different designs — but they just wanted to own the clover motif. So they went after everyone who does that — Louis Vuitton! — they said, "We own the clover." And I was like, "Then who's the person with the clover and the person with the heart?" I think when you're a small company, which we are, we're not a Van Cleef — they have a thousand lawyers. I'm a small fry next to that.

The appeal of designing a jewelry line is understandable, and it can't be easy for Klum to see Padma prancing around naked in hers, but maybe she should stick to reality TV, which is what she does best. Take Models of the Runway, a spinoff about the Project Runway models, which looks amazing. "They do cry a lot!" Klum assures. So she can either create drama among models or caterpillar earrings. Hmmm.

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New GIA Sealing Service for Diamonds

August 06, 2009 By Press Release (http://www.diamonds.net/)

RAPAPORT... Press Release - CARLSBAD, Calif. – Aug. 6, 2009: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) today announced a new Diamond Sealing Service that is now available to customers. The service is offered for D-to-Z diamonds that carry a GIA Diamond Grading Report or a GIA Diamond Dossier®, and colored diamonds holding a GIA Colored Diamond Grading Report.

Donna Baker, GIA president and CEO, made the announcement with Nirupa Bhatt, GIA managing director for India and the Middle East, at the IIJS Show in Mumbai.

The new service seals the diamond with its key grading information in a credit card-sized, tamper-resistant package. The sealed package keeps the stone, its report number and its primary gemological details such as report date, shape and the Four Cs, together in a secure, easy-to-display packet.

The sealed package contains multiple security features, including the GIA hologram. The packet shows that the diamond has been graded by GIA and the information in it matches the stone, which will help prevent attempts to misrepresent the item and its report.

The Sealing Service can be ordered at the time of grading for a fee of $9 per stone. A diamond can also be resubmitted for the Sealing Service for the $9 charge, with an additional grading fee applied.

Baker said, “GIA has been vigorously offering a wider array of services to accommodate the needs of its many different customers throughout the industry and the general public.”

“As we continue to expand globally, we’re providing additional options and finding more opportunities to help solve customer problems in that market,” she added. “In particular, we are interested in offering services that promote worldwide industry standards and reinforce consumer confidence.”

Bhatt said, “As the world’s largest diamond cutting and manufacturing center, India is also a clearing house for many diamond markets, some of which increasingly request this type of benefit. We are pleased to offer it to all our clients in this region and around the world.”

The Sealing Service can be requested at all GIA Laboratory or take-in locations worldwide, as well as online through GIA’s client portal, “My Laboratory.”

For more information, please visit the GIA Web site at www.gia.edu.

An independent nonprofit organization, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is recognized as the world's foremost authority in gemology. Established in 1931, GIA has translated its expert knowledge into the most respected gemological education available. Early in the 1950s, GIA invented the famous Four Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight. In 1953, the Institute created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. GIA can be found on the web at www.gia.edu. Media queries contact: Laura Simanton 760-603-4112 or Jessica Sachariason, 760-603-4197.

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New York tops mag's list of best places in U.S. for women to have a career - and child

August 05, 2009 By Stephanie Gaskell (http://www.nydailynews.com/)

Working moms can have it all - especially if they live in New York.

A new study by ForbesWoman magazine found the city is the best place for a woman to have kids and a career.

New York ranked highest among 50 cities based on earnings, unemployment rates, cost of living, crime, access to health and day care, per pupil spending and number of parks.

"It just seems so counterintuitive - everybody thinks New York is a playground for adults," admitted ForbesWoman senior reporter Heidi Brown.

"I know a lot of people who wouldn't want to raise their kids anywhere else."

Brown also said city moms are less likely to feel isolated.

"It's easy to get together with other children," she said. "And commute times are very manageable."

The Daily News got some busy working moms to stop and talk about the challenges of juggling a career and children in the city.

Mya Baker, 35, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, is raising her 11-year-old son while working as an art and film teacher.

"I grew up in Chicago, and we had a yard," she said. "Here, we're restricted. My son doesn't have access to a backyard."

Allison Navas, 45, of Whitestone, Queens, is raising two teenage girls while working in the textile industry. She said many employers in the city are willing to accommodate working moms.

"Morning is the hustle and bustle for me," she said. "I kept coming in late and finally my boss said just come in at 9:30 a.m. It's a big help."

And even though her girls are a handful, she said she's glad they're growing up in New York.

"They're street smart," she said proudly.

Janelle Coleman, 22, of the Bronx, balances a job as a production assistant and a 20-month-old son.

"Day care is convenient, and I got it through the city, so it's affordable," she said. "There are lots of places in the city that are kid-friendly."

Coleman said the city has its ups (the school system is good) and its downs (the subway is hard to navigate with a stroller). Still, she said it's all worth it.

"I was raised in New York City and I think I turned out just great," she laughed.

Austin was ranked the second-best place for working moms, followed by Minneapolis/St. Paul, Milwaukee and Portland, Ore.

Buffalo and Niagara Falls were the only other New York cities to make the list, tying Columbus, Ohio, for 13th place.

For the full list, visit www.forbes.com/forbeswoman.

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