British jeweller sets 1ct diamond inside a bottle of gin

Independent jewellery retailer Nicholas Wylde has teamed up with Bath Distillery to offer customers the chance to win an exclusive bottle of gin.

Following a meeting between the founders of Wylde Jewellers and the Bath Distillery, the two independent businesses decided to mount a 1 carat Wylde Flower Diamond – an exclusive diamond cut by Nicholas Wylde with petal-like facets – in a singular edition 1 litre bottle of Bath Distillery Classic Gin to highlight the beauty of the diamond and the crystal clear purity of the gin.

Nicholas Wylde tells Professional Jeweller that it was “incredibly hard” to set the diamond inside the bottle.

The companies are valuing the diamond-adorned bottle of gin at £10K.

In a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style competition, those wishing to get their hands on this unique gift will need to buy a 70cl bottle of any Bath Gin and open the cap to see if a ticket is inside.

The contest will take place between September 16 – January 31, with the winner announced at a reception in the New Year.

Each month will also provide opportunities for other gifts to be won

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Jeffrey Bilgore’s Responsibly Sourced Sapphire Gems and One-of-a-Kind Fine Jewelry Define Bespoke Luxury

Burmese and Sri Lankan sapphires are the cornerstone of Jeffrey Bilgore’s new sapphire collection.

A rare natural treasure, sapphire is praised as the hardest gemstone, after diamond. Admired for its durability, surface luster, and range of color, it has been highlighted in lore throughout history. A symbol of truth, faithfulness, and sincerity, the gemstone is synonymous with royalty and romance. Internationally renowned gem merchant and custom jewelry designer, Jeffrey Bilgore is a known for traveling around the world to the source, hand-selecting the “best of the best.” Rare, exotic gemstones are Bilgore’s specialty, and his new sapphire collection features stones from two of the most desirable sapphire sources, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.  

Rich in color saturation, Burmese (Myanmar) sapphires are mined in Mogok, where, albeit rare, some large material has been found, perfect for cutting into statement pieces. There, the gem occurs in a variety of colors, including yellow, violet/purple, and green. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) sapphire at times has banding, and is famous for its often vibrant, medium blue hues. Known for consistently producing high quality stones, Sri Lanka has a high density of gemstone deposits, and is home to the three largest blue sapphires ever found. Each of Bilgore’s sapphires is unheated; such large, high quality sapphires scarcely come to market. 

Jeffrey Bilgore says, “Fine sapphires from Burma and Sri Lanka are exceedingly rare. Their beauty is extraordinary. From the deepest blue to cornflower colors and then the entire spectrum of the rainbow, sapphires glow and the color palette is mesmerizing.”

Jeffrey’s sapphire collection has luxurious sapphire selects, as well as loose gemstones, for those looking to create a bespoke piece for a gift, or to treat themselves. His unique jewelry includes a 9.30 Burmese sugarloaf sapphire ring, set with diamonds in platinum, the epitome of a statement cocktail ring. For every day, Bilgore’s orange and purple sapphire earrings add a pop of color blocking to any work outfit. His Y necklaces are available in both cornflower blue and pink sapphire, universally flattering, for a sweep of elegance across the collarbone. Red carpet-worthy, his 12 ct. cushion sapphire necklace is set on a sparkling diamond chain, which interchanges diamond sizes.

For those seeking inspiration, Jeffrey Bilgore offers varied size and color ranges for the highest quality sapphires. From a bright, 30 ct. unheated yellow Sri Lankan beauty, to a royal pair of blues, to anything that falls within the multi-color rainbow. Select a stone, and work with Bilgore to transform it into something designed with heart. 

“Creating personal treasures and heirlooms with these gems is a gift. It is hard to call it work!” says Jeffrey Bilgore.

To learn more about Jeffrey Bilgore, and request pricing, visit www.jeffreybilgore.com, or inquire with the designer directly through his contact page. For inquiries regarding this release, contact Olga Gonzalez at info@pietrapr.com or call 212-913-9761.

About Jeffrey Bilgore 

Jeffrey Bilgore is an acclaimed gemologist, professional gem buyer, gemstone cutter and jewelry designer. He has spent over twenty years buying for the world’s leading gem houses and retailers, specializing in procurement of the rare and exotic. His jewelry and cut stones have won or placed Honorable Mentions in 8 Spectrum Awards and 11 Cutting Edge Awards, considered amongst the most prestigious accolades in the industry.

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GJSCI Focuses on Traditional Jewellery Making Crafts at IIJS, Aims to Promote their Revival

The Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) has chosen to focus part of its activity at the ongoing India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) on promotion of some traditional jewellery making crafts from across the country that are in danger of dying out. A section of its booth at the show, demarcated as the Crafts Pavilion, projects three such localised skills, Bidri, Thewa and Gajra, which are still practiced by a few families that have handed down this knowledge over many generations.

All three crafts are on view at the stall with teams of artisans who discuss the intricacies of the art and the manufacturing processes. While Bidri and Thewa are better known, knowledge of the fascinating ornaments that are part of the Gajra tradition in Bhuj in Gujarat were relatively speaking more confined within the region.

The artisans from Bhuj, who are displaying their creations at the stall say that the jewellery, which is large and chunky, is completely handmade from a single wire, with multiple turns, twists and bends. It was popular among the nomadic tribes in Bhuj and surrounding areas, but today there are only a few families who still possess this knowledge and create Gajra jewellery.

The Gajra artisans explain that the jewellery was usually gifted as wedding ornaments and adorned different parts of the body, which they have subsequently realised coincide with different acupressure points! “Nowadays, no one wears such heavy jewellery regularly, so we have begun trying to make smaller pieces which are fashion accessories also,” they add.

Sanjay Kothari, Chairman, GJSCI, said that the organisation is trying to help resurrect these skills and draw up plans so that each art gains wider recognition, and brings commercial returns as well.

Last year, a Skill Cum Common Facility Centre was opened in Cuttack to help the artisans with production and marketing of the jewellery for national and international markets. It will impart skills with the aim of making them self-sustainable.

The GJSCI also conducted the Anant jewellery design competition, where students from across the country were invited to present sketches of designs based on three such traditional manufacturing crafts: Hupari Payal from Kolhapur, Maharashtra; Tarakasi from Cuttack, Odisha; Thewa from Pratapgarh, Rajasthan; and Gajra from Bhuj, Gujarat. The response was overwhelming.

It has already created Qualification Packs (QP) for ‘Payal Maker’ (Hupari) and ‘Tarakasi Jeweller’ (Cuttack), and offered RPL certification for the same.

Kothari said that the Skill Council is now looking at taking this to the next level, “We are exploring the possibility of inviting the most experienced practitioners of these crafts to conduct demonstrations and courses in jewellery training institutes across the country.”

However, his vision is far wider, “With some sustained support the jewellery manufactured through these traditional processes can also add to India’s export basket over the next few years,” he says, adding, “Perhaps we may try to organise a Crafts Pavilion at the Vicenza show next year to give these unique ornaments some international exposure.”

Pic caption: An artisan from Bhuj explaining the art of Gajra at IIJS seen with (from l) Pankaj Parekh, former Vice-Chairman GJEPC, Shishir Nevatia, a leading jeweller who is associated with GJSCI and Sanjay Kothari, Chairman GJSCI.

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Celebrities are falling victim to jewellers mis-selling lab-grown diamonds

A celebrity jeweller has revealed stars are getting duped by their diamonds, with many believing they have purchased natural stones that are in actual fact lab-grown.

While there has been an increase in celebrities opting for lab-grown diamonds, with the likes of Penelope Cruz proudly wearing them on the red carpet, many are falling victim to jewellers selling synthetics as natural.

According to Page Six Style, Jason Arasheben of Jason of Beverly Hills has see many A-listers come into store with diamonds worth far less than what they originally paid for them because they are man-made.

“It is more common than you think. I’m starting to see it on a daily basis,” Arasheben, tells Page Six Style. “Celebrities are unknowingly purchasing extravagant diamond pieces filled with nothing but synthetic stones.”

When asked why he thinks this might be happening, Arasheben says some jewellers will do whatever it takes to add celebrities to their client list, including selling ‘diamonds’ at competitive prices.

He says: “Often times they have to offer ridiculously low prices to get their attention, and in doing so are cutting their cost by setting synthetic diamonds on the pieces instead of natural diamonds. I’ve confronted a few jewellers, and almost always the answer is, ‘Well for the price they paid, they should’ve known I had to use synthetic diamonds’.”

While jewellers are meant to clearly communicate whether a diamond is natural or lab-grown, many, particularly in the US, are not.

In April, the Federal Trade Commission warned eight firms against misleading consumers with the language used to advertise their lab-grown products online.

This is also a hot topic in the UK jewellery industry right now, with jewellers having to increasingly check whether the stones they have purchased from suppliers are natural, rather than man-made.

As the production of lab-grown diamonds ramp up, both jewellers and consumers will have to be more vigilant when purchasing stones.

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