Diamond Engagement Rings

Ever since KimCor acquired the South African Nooitgedacht alluvial diamond mine, there’s been a buzz in the diamond industry. The news is that from .55 carats for every hundred tonnes, the recoverable diamond grade has gone up to 1.40 carats. Now this is the average sales value for the company and that’s a great way to go.

If you were to take the sales price for a carat at budget levels as around £250, KimCor diamonds, according to the company, sell at an average rate of £650 a carat. So when a 31.4 carat diamond that was discovered in their diamond mine gets sold for £3600 a carat, which is record-breaking. The diamond was sold at approximately £113000 and that is a cool £3350 more for every carat than a regular selling diamond and £2950 per carat more than KimCor’s average price.

Diamonds might have their highs and their flat periods when it comes to price per carat but there’s no holding a good diamond down. Come what may, it soars in price way above the estimated value. That really is the wonder of a rare gem and diamonds really top that list. It never fails to amaze just how high prices can go when it’s a diamond that stands out from the rest. Snob value, investment – whatever the reason, a great diamond will always find a buyer. Now we wonder just how much the asking price is going to be for the 18.5 carat stone that was mined recently at Nooitgedacht. We hear that it comes into the market sometime this month and will probably be sold by tender.

The Rolls-Royce has always had its unmistakable mascot riding proudly on the bonnet of every one of its luxury cars. It was designed way back in 1911 and was dubbed the Spirit of Ecstasy and to this day is the hallmark of the best car in the world – the car that everyone dreams about but is only for the lucky few to own. It had this lady in flowing robes fashioned after a Charles Robinson Sykes sculpture and was supposed to stand for the Greek symbol of victory. Well this symbol has just gone diamond. The New York International Auto Show this year has unveiled a Rolls-Royce with a diamond studded Flying Lady mascot.

The designer is a New York based jeweller, Jean Kemanjian and he did it for a luxury car dealer in Manhattan – Manhattan Motorcars. Fashioned out of platinum and encrusted with diamonds in a pavé setting, this 4” by 2” 150 carat diamond mascot costs an incredible $200,000. Not counting the design fee of course! It is made up entirely of white diamonds with yellow ones for the wings and is totally done by hand. The whole surface is covered with diamonds that sparkle and gleam through every curve and fold of the famous mascot lady.

Could anything else have suited the Rolls-Royce better? This diamond mascot car is going to be creating waves on the roads. However, the fact that here is something that would scratch, won’t rust, won’t discolour makes it a fitting tribute to this great car. There’s never been a diamond angle to a car before and the fact that the Rolls-Royce was the first to get into that zone is fitting. What else but diamonds for a car that is head and shoulders above the rest? Together, they are a perfect complement for each other.

Diamonds, according to a well-known manufacturer, have been increasing 15% as far as their price is concerned every year since 1949. This in itself makes it an asset worth having. With increased demand coming from an affluent middle class that is making its presence felt in emerging economies, diamonds just seem to be in demand all over the world.

This is specially the case when it comes to very rare diamonds. Take the case of rare coloured diamonds for instance. Their values have shot up in the recent past. When you have such intrinsic worth in the palm of your hand, does any economic downturn or recession really have to bother you? This is probably the safest bet you have against any kind of eventuality, more so because you can carry it around with you if you want to.

Granted that the availability of the regular diamond to the rare coloured diamond is 1:10,000 – however, if you can afford one, you know you’ve got a winner when it comes to investment. Take into account that the mines where the coloured diamonds are mined, especially the pink ones, are producing less and less each year and you’ll figure just how demand and supply are going to push the prices even further up.

Does all this take away from the romance of the diamond considering that what it signifies on an engagement ring is a declaration of love? Well, more and more couples, even the young ones, are tempering romance with a strain of practical thinking and coming out in droves and buying. So you might never think of selling your precious diamond but it’s great to know just how much it is worth. A diamond really is forever – especially when its worth only keeps going up.