After Sunday night’s Oscars, the world has been talking about the winners and their outfits with great enthusiasm. At Seventy Seven Diamonds, we do appreciate the couture and the hair and the makeup… But what we really have our eye on is the bling, the sparkle, the DIAMONDS!

Home-grown talent, Adele is a favourite of ours in the Seventy Seven Diamonds office and we were all behind her Oscar nomination for her song Skyfall from the James Bond film of the same name, imagine our surprise when the lovely lady takes the stage to perform her song wearing a diamond ring to make us all jealous!

Picture from AP

Surrounded by a 77 piece orchestra, the singer from London belted out her Oscar nominated track to over 1 billion people worldwide. The orchestra number was perfectly apt for us in the office as big Adele fans and with her sparkle Burberry dressed and ring bling we were delighted when our lady of the year took to the stage a second time when she won the Oscar for which she was nominated. Sharing the bill with her friend and co-writer Paul Epworth, the track became the first Oscar for Original Song for a James Bond track in 47 years.

Picture from AP

Adele informed the world afterwards that for now her job is as a mother so it may be a while before we get a new album out of her, but at least she has a story to tell her newborn son, Angelo about the night mummy went to the Oscars and won!

The cut is perhaps the most fundamental attribute to consider when it comes to judging a diamond. However, it is also often one of the most complex and confusing terms. We have used cut in its most common form, which describes how well a diamond has been made from its rough form, rather than what shape it has been fashioned into, or the type of cut process applied by the diamond polisher (i.e. brilliant cut versus step cut).

How a diamond is cut and polished from its rough form is what determines its brilliance, fire and scintillation, or overall sparkle. For this reason, cut also plays a large part in determining the price of a stone and it is therefore important to be acquainted with all the factors that affect the quality of a cut before purchasing.

The cut is mainly influenced by the harmony between the table and depth percentages and crown and pavilion angels, either causing the diamond to dissipate light (poor cut) or optimally refract and reflect light (excellent cut). The table and depth percentages are calculated as follows:

Depth Percentage: The higher the number, the deeper the stone. The lower the number the shallower the stone.

Table Percentage: The higher the number, the bigger the table looks. The lower the number, the smaller the table looks.

Table and depth percentages affect how light travels within the diamond and impacts a stone’s brilliance. If a cut is too shallow, light escapes out from the sides and the diamond loses brilliance. If the cut is too deep, light is lost from the bottom and the diamond appears dull or dark.

GIA have developed a grading system, which take these and other important factors into account to provide a scientific assessment of a diamond’s sparkle. Seventy Seven Diamonds uses the GIA classification of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor (not displayed on the website) grades to help customers assess diamond quality. The table below displays the GIA grading classifications relating to cut.

Excellent (or Ideal)	Very Good	Good
Diamonds classified as Excellent or Ideal cut offer the most sparkle, dispersion and fire and are considered to be of the highest quality. Light moving through an ideal cut diamond bounces almost fully back out the top of the stone and brings its brilliance into view.	Diamonds classified as Very Good offer slightly less brilliance and scintillation than the excellent cut. However, as the difference between the two is almost indistinguishable to the unaided eye, very good cuts offer better value for money than excellent cut diamonds.	Diamonds classified as “Good” usually allow some light to escape during the reflective process, although once again, the difference between this and the very good cut diamonds is small therefore good cuts offer great value for money and make for a more affordable option.

Fair/Poor

Light moving through a shallow cut diamond is lost out of the bottom of the stone and the lack of light play makes shallow cut diamonds appear lifeless. Light moving through a deep cut diamond escapes out from the sides, darkening all or most portions of the stone.The poor sparkle performance of Diamonds classified as Fair or Poor cut may be noticeable to the untrained eye, and are for this reason also less costly.

In order to understand diamond cut, it is necessary to know the anatomy of a diamond as well as how different proportions and percentages affect the movement of light through a stone. Based on these considerations, diamond cut is graded by a certification body; the GIA employs a five-point scale ranging from excellent and very good to good, fair and poor, while other laboratories such as the AGS may use alternate scales and terminology replacing “excellent” for “ideal,” for example. Excellent or Ideal cut grades are awarded to diamonds with the highest level of sparkle intensity, while Fair and Poor grades imply poorer light reflection and therefore less sparkle. Most laboratories and certifying bodies only provide cut grade for round diamonds although a few have extended grading to other diamond shapes.

For more information regarding diamond cut contact us at Seventy Seven Diamonds at sales@77diamonds.com

Diamonds that are said to be fluorescent contain particles that emit a visible (usually blue) glow when exposed to UV lighting. In rare cases, high levels of fluorescence can make stones appear milky or hazy, although for the most part fluorescence does not generally impact beauty or sparkle and can even make some lower colours (I, J, K, L, etc.) appear more colourless or white. Nonetheless, fluorescent diamonds are usually cheaper and provided the effect is not readily visible may offer good value for money.

INTRODUCTION

The subject of diamond fluorescence has been hotly debated in recent years, with trade opinion divided regarding its effect on the appearance and value of diamonds.

Fluorescence occurs in some diamonds when they are exposed to the concentrated radiation of a UV lamp. Submicroscopic structures in the diamonds cause them to emit a visible light, a fluorescence, which is commonly blue in colour. Despite the fact that fluorescence is used as an identifying characteristic rather than a grading factor in most laboratory quality reports, its presence in such reports is being used with increasing frequency to determine the pricing of a diamond. In most cases, prices are lowered when a colourless or near-colourless diamond fluoresces under UV light, due to a common perception that fluorescence has a negative effect on the appearance of diamonds. However, there are many who believe that fluorescence has no adverse effect; some even contend that it enhances colour appearance.

The negative image of fluorescing diamonds can be attributed to the following theories and factors:

• Non-fluorescent diamonds are regarded as ‘purer’;
• Strongly fluorescent diamonds can emit an opaque ‘cloud’ which affects the clarity and brilliance of the diamond;
• GIA lab grading lights emit a small amount of UV radiation, therefore fluorescent diamonds might be assigned a better colour grade than they deserve.

Those who refute the notion that fluorescent diamonds are less desirable argue that:

• UV light is present in many viewing environments, so it makes sense to grade colour in realistic lighting;
• The haziness found in highly fluorescent diamonds is extremely rare;
• In some cases, fluorescence can lift colour to the naked eye, enhancing the beauty of the diamond.

A 1997 study conducted by the GIA concluded that, in most cases, fluorescence does not impact the face up appearance of a diamond. In fact, they found that “strongly blue fluorescent diamonds were perceived to have a better colour appearance when viewed table-up” compared to non-fluorescent diamonds. (Source: A Contribution To Understanding The Effect Of Blue Fluorescence On The Appearance Of Diamonds, by Thomas M. Moses, Ilene M. Reinitz, Mary L. Johnson, John M. King, and James E. Shigley)

Historical Background

In Europe, before the age of diamond certification, the most highly regarded diamond colour was ‘blue white’. This term describes near-colourless to light yellow diamonds with a strong blue fluorescence, stones that were actively sought by merchants thanks to their appealing ‘ice’ effect.

It was later observed that strong blue fluorescence was a quality sometimes found in hazy stones, a fact that that led dealers in the 1970s to offer what they termed ‘milky Ds’ (diamonds with a colour grade of D, very strong blue fluorescence, low transparency) at significantly reduced prices. This had a knock-on effect during the years that followed: eventually even F grade diamonds and those with a weaker fluorescence were being marked down in price.

WHY DO DIAMONDS FLUORESCE?

Diamond is crystallized carbon. This process occurs about 75-125 miles below the surface of the earth, usually where volcanic or ancient volcanic sites exist. A diamond will become fluorescent if there are traces of the mineral boron present in the earth during the crystallization process.

Diamonds can fluoresce in a variety of colours – blue, yellow, green, orange and white – but blue is the most common. It is estimated that around 50% of all diamonds have fluorescence that can be seen in special conditions e.g. under a short wave UV lamp, while around 10% fluoresce strongly enough to make a noticeable difference to the colour of the diamond when viewed in sunlight or incandescent (low UV) light.

There are five levels of diamond fluorescence described by the GIA: None (i.e. no fluorescence), faint, medium, strong, very strong. According to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, strength of fluorescence does not directly correlate to either colour or clarity. In other words, it is possible for two diamonds with completely different clarity and colour grades to exhibit exactly the same strength of fluorescence.

Figure A & Figure B show the varying levels of fluorescence on diamonds viewed table-down and table-up. The levels are as follows: 1. Very strong, 2. Strong, 3. Medium, 4. Faint, 5. None.

Figure C shows the relationship between absorption and luminescence (the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed UV radiation.) The figure shows an electron moving from the ground state to an excited state (north arrow) when UV radiation is absorbed at a luminescence center. When the electron moves to a slightly lower state it loses some of its energy (wavy arrow) and no light is emitted. Subsequently, it returns to the groundstate (straight down arrow), releasing energy, or light, as fluorescence.

HOW DOES FLUORESCENCE IMPACT DIAMOND PRICING?

Historically, strongly fluorescent diamonds have been marked down in price next to their non-fluorescent counterparts. Typically, higher colour (D-H) non-fluorescent diamonds will sell for 10-30% more than similar stones that exhibited very strong blue fluorescence. However, lower colour (I–N) diamonds with very strong fluorescence were priced up to 5% higher than similar non-fluorescing stones. This is likely due to the perception that blue fluorescence can mask the undesirable yellow tones found in some stones.

THE GIA STUDY

Despite a long history of debate on the issue of fluorescence and pricing, there had been no studies that examined the influence of blue fluorescence on the appearance of a diamond under normal viewing conditions until the GIA undertook their 1997 experiment.

Colour assessment in grading laboratories takes place under carefully controlled lighting and viewing conditions and mainly with the diamond positioned table-down. However, in a jewellery store or showroom a diamond will normally be examined table-up and in a variety of lighting conditions, as it almost certainly would be when the item is worn. With this in mind, the GIA set up their experiment to study the influence of fluorescence in a range of lighting conditions and by observers from both within and outside the diamond industry.

In the experiment, a range of diamonds with very similar proportions, clarity and symmetry, but differing ranges of blue fluorescence, were assembled. Diamonds of similar colour grades were grouped into sets to represent important commercial breakpoints. These sets were then examined in a wide variety of viewing environments, from the controlled conditions found in laboratories to rooms with only natural sunlight. A total of 46 observers were assembled to represent both the diamond industry and the diamond-buying public.

For the non-industry observers, considered to represent the diamond consumer, fluorescence had no effect on colour and appearance. For the experienced industry observers, the GIA found that the strength of fluorescence had no widely perceptible effect on the colour appearance of diamonds when viewed table-down. What’s more, when the diamonds were viewed table-up, as they would be in a jewellery store or showroom, the experienced observers actually reported strongly and very fluorescent diamonds as having a better colour appearance than the less fluorescent stones.

The GIA discovered that while the effect of fluorescence on colour was most noticeable in stones within lower colour grades (I and K), in the marketplace the influence on price is greater in stones with higher colour grades (D through H). This challenges the trade perception that fluorescence usually has a negative effect on better-colour diamonds. They also found that, contrary to popular belief, fluorescent diamonds aren’t as common as non-fluorescent diamonds.

The GIA report concluded that “the diamond industry would be better served by considering each individual diamond on its own visual merits.”

SHOULD I BUY A FLUORESCENT DIAMOND?

It’s important for you to be happy with the diamond you purchase. As shown, fluorescence can greatly enhance the colour and appearance of a diamond and shouldn’t be looked upon unfavourably; only in exceptionally rare cases will fluorescence cause the diamond to look milky, oily or hazy. It always comes down to a subjective decision, but best practice would be to consult a diamond specialist before purchasing to ensure you make the right choice.

On Thursday 7th March 2012, Seventy Seven Diamonds were invited along to the Helping Hands Dinner for the charity Wellchild at the Savoy in London.

WellChild is the national charity for sick children. They provide essential practical and emotional support for seriously ill children, young people and those who care for them across the UK to ensure they receive the best possible quality of care.

Hosted by Caroline Flack with music and entertainment provided by the Noisettes, there was a charity auction in order to raise awareness and money for such a worthy charity, followed by a dinner for those in attendance.

Seventy Seven Diamonds contributed a diamond to a competition taking place during the night of the dinner. Guests were invited to purchase a glass of champagne in order to be in the chance of winning a diamond. With each glass, the guest would receive a small pouch in which was a sparkling stone… The catch was, only one was a diamond and the rest were cubic zirconias.

During the night the latest designs from our new collection were on display for guests to sample and learn more about whilst talking to members of our sales team for information about the competition and the items on display.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Wellchild for asking to take part in such a wonderful evening and we wish them all success in all their future fundraising campaigns.

For more information about the work Wellchild do, and to find out how to get involved, please click HERE

A diamond certificate is issued following an unbiased and professional examination to authenticate a diamond’s attributes. The carat weight, colour and clarity are all validated, together with the diamond’s exact measurements. Cut grades are also included for Round Brilliant cuts. Certificates are essential in determining or testifying a diamond’s value. Diamonds sold through Seventy Seven Diamonds have been graded by GIA, AGS, HRD, IGI, EGL (Internationl or USA). It is generally accepted by diamond industry professionals that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) sets the standard when it comes to diamond grading. At least three-quarters of the 200,000 diamonds listed on Seventy Seven Diamonds have been graded by the GIA.

BEWARE: Always buy a certificated diamond – Unless you are purchasing jewellery set with smaller diamonds, with a centre stone 0.30ct or above, to be certain of the quality insist on a certificate – If your diamond is not graded by one of the 5 internationally recognised certificates listed above, chances are the grading stated is misleading and that you are purchasing something of lesser quality than indicated. Unfortunately some retail shops and online stores self certify, for the sole purpose of increasing their margin on the product sold.

INDIVIDUAL GRADING LABORATORIES & CERTIFICATES

There are many diamond grading laboratories around the world all of which produce their own grading reports according to their own standards, and in some cases employ their own terminology. As certificates play a large part in determining the value of diamonds, it is important to understand the different grading systems and how they compare with each other.

Found in 1934 by GIA founder Robert M. Shipley, the AGS is a trade association of retail jewellers, independent appraisers, suppliers, and selective industry members. Members are held to a high code of ethics with emphasis on consumer protection and education.The Society is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with the affiliated American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL) (founded in 1996) and the American Gem Society Advanced Instruments Division (founded in 2004).The Society trains and certifies jewellers, gemmologists, and jewellery appraisers. Diamond grading is the specialty of the American Gem Society Laboratories and the Society has developed its own cut, colour, and clarity standards.

Founded in 1976 to meet the growing demand for reliable diamond certificates, the HRD is a non-profit organisation at the service of the Belgian diamond trade and industry. Since its foundation in 1976, the HRD Certificates Laboratory has expanded into one of the largest diamond certification labs in the world and maintains an excellent reputation for quality and objectivity.Each diamond is examined independently by several experts with very sophisticated machinery, such as spectophotometres, Dia-Mention systems, and cathode luminescence apparatus to ensure a high level of reliability.Click to visit the HRD website

EGL USA is owned and governed by a different entity to other EGLs and is one of the world’s premier independent gemological labs. It has been offering services to the fine jewellery trade and consumers for over 25 years. The EGL USA group is comprised of four North American labs based in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.

Founded over thirty years ago in Belgium, the EGL is committed to protecting the integrity of the jewellery trade and fuelling public interest through applied science, education, innovation, and exceptional services. The EGL has an international presence with laboratories based in Antwerp (1973), Johannesburg (1980), London (1981), Paris (1981), Tel Aviv (1982), Istanbul (1990), Seoul (1990), Mumbai (2003) and Cape Town (2007). It is sometimes referred to therefore as ‘EGL Worldwide’ or ‘EGL International’: The same standards apply to all these labs, but differ from EGL USA.

The EGL is accredited with introducing new approaches to diamond grading, the practice of certifying diamonds measuring less than one carat in weight, and establishing the ‘SI3′ diamond clarity designation. The organisation is also recognised for conducting advanced research with renowned physicists, geologists, and mineralogists.

Click to visit the EGL International website

Differences in Diamond Certificate

In general, EGL is not as strict as GIA and can be two or three grades lower in both colour and clarity, and you may find a colour and /or clarity grade difference if the same diamond was sent off to GIA. Due to this, diamonds graded by EGL can be found at lower prices, as a colour and clarity grade difference can make up to 15-25% difference in price. In general, a diamond is sent off to EGL when a manufacture believe they have a borderline diamond and want to achieve the higher grading. However, EGL diamonds can offer tremendous value and the quality will be beyond question as long as the clarity is VS1 or above and the colour is F and above (the diamond will be colourless and have no visible impurities).

CERTIFICATE COMPARISONS FOR COLOUR

Overall, the GIA tends to be the strictest on colour grades, and out of the other laboratories, HRD and AGS are the two that most closely adhere to the standards set out by the GIA. IGI and EGL USA tend to give one colour grade higher than GIA, and EGL up to 2 colour grades higher. So an F colour stone on a GIA certificate would most likely be the same on HRD and AGS, an E on IGI or EGL USA, and a D on EGL. Please refer to the table below for a more detailed comparison* (note: table is based on Seventy Seven Diamonds’ experience:

*Note: Although not published anywhere, these differences are generally accepted within the diamond trade as correct and are also based on Seventy Seven Diamond’s experience.

CERTIFICATE COMPARISONS FOR CLARITY

Again, with clarity the GIA is said to be the strictest, giving at least one grade lower than all other laboratories. The HRD adds its own clarity grade to the traditional scale, terming all stones with impurities invisible with a 10x loupe as “Loupe Clean.” Because of this extra category, stones grades as IF or FL by the HRD would only receive a VVS1 from the GIA. The same applies for IGI, EGL and EGL USA, which would all grade between one and two clarity grades higher than the GIA, meaning that a VVS2 on a GIA certificate while the majority of AGS colour grades are equal to the GIA. Please refer to the table below for more detailed comparisons*.

*Note: Although not published anywhere, these differences are generally accepted within the diamond trade as correct and are also based on Seventy Seven Diamond’s experience.

The world’s diamond auctions provide us with news of diamonds we didn’t even know existed! So it made us very happy in the Seventy Seven Diamonds office to discover that a 101.73ct flawless pear shape diamond is about to be auctioned by Christie’s on May 15th as part of the Magnificent Jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva.

Certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America), this stone has been graded both highest in colour and clarity grading – D colour and Flawless. The diamond was cut from a 236 carat rough diamond that was discovered at the Jwaneng Mine in Botswana. Because of the sheer size of the rough diamond and the intricacy of cutting this 101ct beauty, the stone took almost 2 years to polish!

As well as owning this stone the lucky bidder on this stone will be able to name it also. The diamond world has a history of large pear shape diamonds with the 530 carat Cullinan diamond taking centre stage in the British Crown Jewellers.

Pictures from National Pictures

While all of the Netherlands watched eagerly last week at their new King and Queen, we, at Seventy Seven Diamonds were watching closely at one particular aspect of the special day… The diamonds! The new Queen was bound to wear some, surely?! And the guests! Needless to say the girls didn’t disappoint!

After Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced earlier this year, after 33 years as sovereign, she would step down to allow her sound Willem-Alexander bring a “new generation” to the monarchy of the Netherlands. So, as newly crowned King Willem and his wife, Queen Maxima, the city of Amsterdam was filled with well wishers but also, monarchy from all over the world!

Picture: Reuters

Wearing a diamond and sapphire tiara to match her earrings and dress, her first day as Queen was definitely an impressionable one. Followed swiftly by their daughter, the former Queen, now known as Princess Beatrix and royal family representatives from all over the world, this red carpet was quite a sparkly one!

Picture: Reuters

Our very own Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall dazzled us with two outfits with matching accessories for the occassion. A diamond and pearl necklace with matching brooch for the day ceremony and a dazzling tiara with sequined dress for the evening’s state dinner.

Picture: Reuters

Photo: AFP

At Seventy Seven Diamonds we are always happy to share our diamonds. So this month our competition offers our Pinterest followers a £400 towards our jewellery!

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!!!

1.       Once following 77 Diamonds, you need to create a board called “Dream Bling” and pin the above image to it.

 2.       Pin 10 or more jewellery-related pictured to your board with at least 3 that need to be repined from our 77 Diamonds product boards (don’t forget to include a #77Diamonds)

 3.       Once completeled, go to 77diamonds.com/pinterest and submit your board and contact details and you are in the draw!

Terms and Conditions:
•             This competition is open to all 77 Diamonds Pinterest Followers, excluding people who are professionally related to this competition. Basic information like name and E-mail address are required to be eligible for entry. This is required to notify winners.
•             No Purchase required.
•             All Entry steps must be followed in order for 77 Diamonds to record an Entry.
•             Only genuine participants will be qualified to win the prize. Entries from agents, organized groups, third parties or computer generated applications will not be qualified to win the prize. 77 Diamonds reserves the right to verify any entrant and declare any fraudulent entries.
•             The Prize draw will be held on 31/05/2013. The winner will be selected at random and contacted by email within 7 days of the prize draw closing date. The winner will be announced on the 77 Diamonds Pinterest page as well.
•             In the event that 77 Diamonds cannot contact the winner within 30 days of the first notification, we reserve the right to award the prize to the reserved winner selected at the same time as the original.
•             Personal details of the participants will not be retained or used for any other purpose unless specifically stated as a method to contact the participants.
•             Entering this competition will acknowledge an existence of 77 Diamonds on your page. If you win a prize, you may be approached by 77 Diamonds to take part in reasonable publicity. Winners reserve the right to withdraw participation.
•             All prizes are non transferable and there are no cash alternatives to the stated prizes except in the event of circumstances outside its control.
•             77 Diamonds reserves the right to substitute similar alternatives.
•             77 Diamonds reserves the right to vary, amend or cancel this competition if unforeseen circumstances require it.
•             This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Pinterest. You are providing your information to 77 Diamonds, not Pinterest. Your information will only be used for the competition. By entering the promotion all participants agree to a complete liability release for Pinterest.

At Seventy Seven Diamonds were are always looking to get our hands on the latest diamond beauty creams, we’ve had exfoliators and fake tans and now Beauty Lab have created an anti wrinkle cream made from BLACK DIAMONDS!

 Diamonds are able to aid the produce of collagen – which is what causes the sagging and wrinkling of the skin, but black diamonds help to even out skin tone.

Ground black diamonds are inserted in the cream which then in turn helps to combat signs of ageing such as sagging of the skin or uneven complexions. On top of this there are blue sapphire particles which is meant to hydrate and moisturise the skin.

The cream is available from BeautyLab.co.uk and is priced at £90 for a 30ml bottle… A small price to pay given that in clinical trials on around 1,000 women, the black diamond cream was said to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by up to 65 per cent in just 28 days. 

Think of a diamond… You picture a white, clear stone that sparkles. Think of a diamond… It’s a clear stone that sparkles… But it’s PINK!

At 77 Diamonds, we are not purely limited to the white diamonds that have become the norm, we have access to diamonds in many different colours to suit the individual that wears them.

What makes diamonds such amazing colours?!

The answer to that is simple… During a diamonds formation underground, depending on what elements were present, a diamond would form in a particular colour with influence from the element. For example, a diamond that is formed where nitrogen is found would become YELLOW. If boron is present the diamond would become BLUE and if radium was present; GREEN.

What is intensity?!

Fancy colour diamonds are graded with “Intensity” this refers to how deep the colour is within the stone. Each colour ranges as follows:

Fancy LightFancy
Intense
Vivid
Deep
The deeper the colour, the more rare… And the more expensive!

Red and Purple diamonds are the most rare of the fancy colours and when found can be sold at auction for millions of pounds. Fancy Coloured Diamonds don’t need to be restricted to a particular budget, they can be sourced at any size and we can accommodate most price ranges depending on shape, carat and intensity.

For more information about coloured diamonds, contact our sales team at : sales@77diamonds.com

Fancy winning our beautiful STAR Bracelet?!

All you have to do it is click HERE and answer our mini questionnaire!

Terms and conditions
• This competition opens to all 77 Diamonds Facebook Fans, excluding people who are professionally related to this competition. Basic information like name and E-mail address are required to be eligible for entry. This is required to notify winners.
• No Purchase required.
• Only genuine participants will be qualified to win the prize. Entries from agents, organized groups, third parties or computer generated applications will not be qualified to win the prize. 77 Diamonds reserves the right to verify any entrant and declare any fraudulent entries.
• The Prize draw will be held on 19 July 2013. The winner will be selected at random and contacted by email within 7 days of the prize draw closing date. The winner will be announced on the 77 Diamonds Facebook fan page as well.
• In the event that 77 Diamonds cannot contact the winner within 30 days of the first notification, we reserve the right to award the prize to the reserved winner selected at the same time as the original.
• Personal details of the participants will not be retained or used for any other purpose unless specifically stated as a method to contact the participants.
• Entering this competition will acknowledge an existence of 77 Diamonds on your page. If you win a prize, you may be approached by 77 Diamonds to take part in reasonable publicity. Winners reserve the right to withdraw participation.
• All prizes are non transferable and there are no cash alternatives to the stated prizes except in the event of circumstances outside its control.
•77 Diamonds reserves the right to substitute similar alternatives.
• 77 Diamonds reserves the right to vary, amend or cancel this competition if unforeseen circumstances require it.
• This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to 77 Diamonds, not Facebook. Your information will only be used for the competition. By entering the promotion all participants agree to a complete liability release for Facebook.

As Barry Manilow once told us, her name was Lola and she was a showgirl… Our Lola engagement ring is definitely a show piece!

At 77 Diamonds, we know that diamonds are a girls best friend… We also know the pink is usually a girls favourite colour – so we decided to bring the two together by having a ring that is covered in diamonds – 0.34ct of sidestones to be exact, and if that wasn’t enough, we’ve thrown in two light pink diamonds set in rose gold claws to complement your chosen centre stone!

With prices starting at just £900, go get yourself something sparkling, something pink and something special… Lola. Like the girl from the Copacabana, fall in love.

At 77 Diamonds, we appreciate and understand the importance of surprise when it comes to a proposal. It is for this reason we offer a standard size when men or women come to us for the engagement ring for their loved one. When placing an order on our website, the ring size “I Don’t Know” seems to be the most popular option! When an order is placed without a specific size, we will then produce a ring to the size of approximately L-M (slightly larger than the average female size) so that for the purpose of the the proposal the ring fits… Then we invite you back for a free resize once the deed is done.

How is a ring then resized? Will I see a joining line? Will it compromise the structure of the ring setting? Will the diamond be safe?!

Below is the process undertaken in order to answer all of the above questions and more!

Step 1: Gently bring heat to the ring to slightly soften the metal.

Step 2: Cut the ring at the base to either cut out metal (to make it smaller) or to permit the opening up of the ring (to make it bigger).

Step 3: Size it up (or down) to get the right size!

Step 4: Whereas in the past, simple soldering would have joined the ring back together, we take it one step further with the aid of Lucy our handy laser machine. This lasers the ring together to such intensity that no joining marks are shown as well as guaranteeing the structure and stability of the ring.

Step 5: The ring is assessed under magnification to ensure the ring is complete. For security and safety from the laser, it is encased so that only hand can get in – lasers and eyes don’t mix!

In some cases a ring will then have a little polish or replating work done to ensure the ring is shiny and set to be worn… In the right size!

And there you have it – how a ring is sized!

For any further information regarding the production process, do get in touch at: sales@77diamonds.com

Many people don’t know that when metal is cast, it isn’t the pretty shiny surface that we know on our rings; it is usually rough and with quite a matte finish. In today’s blog, we’ll be telling you how 77 Diamonds gets the finished product of our polished rings!

BEFORE:

What you need:

Polishing Machine:

Rouge: This is needed to coat the polishing brush to protect the metal during the polish – a different colour is used depending on the metal.

Polishing Heads: Picture your make up brushes – a different size and texture depending on what needs doing… It’s the same case with polishing a ring, depending on what shape and size and the intensity of the polish.

File Paper: Like the sanding down of a table, different filing papers are needed to smooth out claws and edges with a different colour to denote each courser or finer grain.

HOW TO: The ring is buffed with the appropriate polishing heads and buffers until the ring had reached its ideal shine and finish – which is decided by our polisher.

AFTER:

There you have it the finished shiny ring! For further information, please contact us at: sales@77diamonds.com

International Jewellery London (IJL) is the UK’s most established, premier jewellery trade event that takes place in London each year and is now in its 57th year. This week 77 Diamonds took a trip over to the event that takes place at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in West London.

Unveiling the latest inspiring collections, contemporary and classic, IJL is a unique environment for jewellery retailers to come and look for new ideas, inspiration, buy and build business relationships.

The fair is full of different jewellery retailers from gemstones, to metals to DIAMONDS!

We were able to even catch the runway show presenting some of the finest jewellery from the exhibition from some of the worlds leading jewellery experts.

While there we looked at different stones that are out there to make beautiful pieces of jewellery and even some personal purchases were made – I bought a lovely piece of Jasper that I’m planning on making into a ring.

For more information about our jewellery collections and how we can make the perfect item for you, please contact us at sales@77diamonds.com

Scarlett Johansson has become engaged to her boyfriend of 10 months, Romain Dauriac. The pair were seen at the Venice Film Festival where 28 year old Scarlett was spotted with her new Art Deco engagement ring.

Picture: E Online

Journalist and Creative Agency Executive, Romain, was sporting black tie alongside his Hollywood leading lady as they walked the red carpet for her new film. His chosen ring features one large round diamond with a smaller round diamond either side in an Art Deco design reminiscent of the roaring 1920s.

Picture: Wire Image

This will be the second marriage for the Iron Man actress following her divorce from Ryan Reynolds in 2011. Judging by the smile on her face with Romain, 77 Diamonds expect her to be very happy this time around.

Photo: Wire Image

Last week, 77 Diamonds reported on the Premier Blue diamond set to go to auction next month at Sotheby’s. Also due to go to auction is a 118ct flawless diamond that is the largest diamond to ever go on general sale.

Photo: EPA

Sotheby’s have said that the person that purchases the stone will get the honour of naming it – so you know where to go if you would like to see a diamond with your name on it!

The diamond which is oval shaped is the size of an egg – definitely one you won’t be having a breakfast!

Photo: EPA

Last year, 77 Diamonds reported on the engagement of actress Kate Bosworth to her long term boyfriend, director Michael Polish. This month the lovely couple married and both decided on matching diamond set wedding bands to seal the deal!

Photo: Martha Stewart Weddings

Kate’s princess cut engagement ring is quite a stunner so we were excited to discover she had chosen a baguette set wedding band to complete the art deco feel of her engagement ring. The couple had the rings designed by jewellery design Ocappi and is set with 12 diamonds – to represent each month of the year.

Picture: Ocappi

Coincidentally we have something similar in our eternity ring collection, so if you would like to complete your engagement ring with a ring suitable for Hollywood A-Listers then do contact us at: sales@77diamonds.com for more information about our Phoenix ring.

Picture: 77 Diamonds