I had the opportunity to visit the Queen Elizabeth’s personal jewelry collection which was on display this year as part of her Jubilee celebration.   It is the first time that seven of the nine Cullinan diamonds have been on display together.  The other two Cullinan diamonds are part of the Crown jewels collection and are on display at the Tower of London (they are owned by the United Kingdom, and not part of the Queen’s personal collection).  Displayed in a dimly lit room within the palace, the perfectly placed pin lights allowed the diamonds to sparkle magnificently.  As I slowly wandered from display case to display case I was constantly impressed with not only the variety of colors of diamonds used, (from M-P yellows, to light greys and light browns, as well as some pinks and blues) but how well the diamonds were blended together.  It took me pressing my nose against the glass to be able to distinguish the different colors set within the crowns. Of course the show stoppers were the Cullinan’s themselves.  As large as life, they were each set into jewelry that complemented their size, color and clarity. Ah, to be the Queen!

Well, the Swiss have done it again… not only are they known for their fabulous chocolates and premiere watches but now they have made their mark on the diamond world.  Shawish Jewelry, in an unprecedented marketing endeavor, has created the world’s first complete diamond ring.  That’s right, no metal what-so-ever.  Which means you must have the correct finger size if you wish to own this one-of-a-kind diamond creation.  At 150 carats this ring cannot be missed!  It will be interesting to see who decides to pay the 70 million in order to be the proud owner.  As a self professed diamond gem geek, who constantly advises clients on the importance of cut, I wonder what the dispersion is like? In other words – does it sparkle like 70 million?