Diamond Prices Index Update - 141.1 UP 1.1

On Friday, June 2, the diamond prices index rose 1.1 points to 141.1, representing an average increase in retail diamond prices of 1.1%.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 140.0 UP 1.1

The diamond prices index rose 1.1 points this week to 140.0, representing an average increase in retail diamond prices of just over 1%.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 138.9 UP 1.1

The diamond prices index rose 1.1 points this week representing an average increase in retail diamond prices of just over 1%.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 137.8 UP 2.2

The diamond prices index rose 2.2 points this week representing an average increase in retail diamond prices of a little over 2%.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 135.6 UP 0.9

The diamond prices index rose 0.9 points this week representing an average increase in retail diamond prices of just under 1%.

Nicollette Sheridan's (Desperate Housewives) Tiffany Engagement Ring Auctioned on eBay

If you're in the market for a unique engagement ring with a bit of history behind it, this may be of interest. You can own the Tiffany diamond engagement ring offerred to Desperate Houseviwes star Nicollette Sheridan (Edie Britt) by former beau Nick Soderblom.

The ring has a Platinum setting with a 1.15 carat Round Brilliant GIA certified center stone, H color and VS1 clarity. The ring is surrounded by 14 Square Modified Brilliant diamonds totaling .44 carats, G-H color and VVS-VS clarity, plus 30 Round Brilliant diamonds weighing .17 carats, also G-H color and VVS-VS clarity bringing the total carat weight of the ring to 1.76 ct.

The ring is being offerred for auction on eBay and ends on April 21. Starting bid is $20,000 with no Buy It Now currently shown.

View the auction

**UPDATE 4/14/2006: The starting bid has now been lowered to $17,999 - I guess Mr. Soderblom needs some "desperate" cash!

**UPDATE 4/21/2006: The auction ended today without any bidders and as of now has not been relisted.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 134.7 UP 0.7

Our round brilliant loose diamond prices index rose 0.7 points this week to 134.7. This rise represents a 0.7% increase in the average online retail price of loose diamonds.

Find diamonds from jewelers around the web with our loose diamonds search engine.

Wholesale Diamonds for Consumers? There Is No Such Thing.

If you've been shopping for a diamond online, you may have seen lots of ads and sites with a title of Wholesale Diamonds or something similar. Sounds great, diamonds are expensive so wholesale diamonds must be a great deal, right? THERE IS NO SUCH THING! At least not available to retail buyers like you and me. Take a look at some prices from these supposed wholesale diamond sellers and then compare them to retailers like Blue Nile, Ashford or Mondera - not much difference and sometimes the "wholesale" sites ARE MORE EXPENSIVE!

Unless you know someone who is in "the business" and has contacts with ACTUAL diamond wholesale companies, you're not going to find a diamond at true wholesale prices online or in any store, period.

I don't mean to sound angry, but this whole "advertising as wholesale" business is just plain misleading. If you want to find the best price on diamonds, use the Loose Diamonds Search Engine. You'll see inventories and prices from multiple RETAIL jewelers (because consumers can't buy from a wholesaler) and you can compare what each has and the available price differences between each.

So the next time you see an ad for "wholesale diamonds", don't believe the hype.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 134.0 UP 4.1

Our round brilliant loose diamond prices index rose 4.1 points this week to 134.0. This rise represents a 4.1% increase in the average online retail price of loose diamonds.

Diamond Prices Index Update - 129.9 Down 3.1

Our round brilliant loose diamond prices index dropped 3.1 points this week to 129.9. This drop represents a 3.1% decline in the average online retail price of loose diamonds, presenting a good buying opportunity for those planning a Valentine's Day engagement.

2005 Holiday Sales Figures From Publicly Traded Online Jewelers

Blue Nile, Inc. (Nasdaq: NILE) announced that it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2005 financial results on Tuesday, February 7, 2006. The Company will hold a conference call to discuss these results on Tuesday, February 7, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET. The call will be broadcast live via webcast.

Abazias (OTCBB: ABZS) announced that based upon the significant holiday sales figures, it is pleased to announce preliminary fourth quarter sales for 2005 of $1.369 million, over $300,000 ahead of their projected sales. This figure is 161% over the same quarter last year which amounted to $524,407. Please note, these figures are not final and may be subject to adjustment.

GIA Makes Sweeping Changes After Scandal

Ralph Destino, former president of Cartier, Inc. was named as GIA Chairman, a newly created position. Current GIA president William Boyajian will keep his title but will now report to Destino.

Among other notable changes is the discontinuation of the GIA's "membership" structure where different clients were charged different prices based on their volume of grading submissions. There will now be a single pricing structure for all clients.

The GIA will also no longer accept or ask for donations from diamantaires whose diamonds are submitted for grading in the lab.

Linda Scholl, recently appointed to the post of Chief Compliance Officer will oversee the enforcement of compliance policies for the GIA lab. Some of the steps taken include the clear message that no employee may solicit or receive compensation in any form from lab clients. Violators will be fired. The retention of EthicsPoint, a leading provider of services to support compliance, workplace ethics and corporate governance to encourage open, anonymous and safe communication between GIA staff, clients, students and vendors.

GIA has also taken steps to strengthen its Professional Ethics and Conduct compliance statement and added a whistleblower policy whereby employees will lose their jobs if they fail to inform GIA management of any code of conduct violations that they may witness or become aware of.

GIA Manhattan Diamond Grading Lab Faces Bribery Inquiry

Federal prosecutors are gathering information about a bribery scandal at a diamond-grading laboratory in Manhattan that is known as the nation's most trusted evaluator of the quality of precious gems, sources close to the inquiry said.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) said it reported to federal law enforcement officials that "a small community" of diamond dealers had been trying to improperly influence employees of its Midtown laboratory, which assigns grades to diamonds for their clarity and color. The institute replaced the executive who oversaw the lab and fired four employees who worked there, but has declined to say how many dealers were offering bribes or how many diamonds may have been fraudulently rated.

Ralph Destino, chairman of the institute, confirmed last night that the institute's lawyers had turned over information to prosecutors about violations of its code of conduct by the four unidentified employees who were dismissed and a "handful" of the lab's customers. He said the employees had "improper contact" with dealers who had submitted diamonds for grading. The violations involved only a "handful of stones" he said, though he declined to provide a specific number.

Jewelry dealers in the diamond district have been buzzing about the matter for weeks. The Diamond Dealers Club, a group of prominent brokers, has called on the institute to define the scope of the problems it uncovered and release the names of those it suspects of offering bribes, but Mr. Destino declined.

"I'm sure diamond dealers are curious, but the G.I.A. is not a law enforcement agency," Mr. Destino said. "We don't accuse, we don't indict, we don't subpoena."

Mr. Destino said members of the diamond-trading industry had "grossly exaggerated" the size of the problems at the lab. "I can assure people that there is no reason to question the integrity of any G.I.A. report that's out there."

The internal investigation was spurred by a rare lawsuit against the institute brought by an iconoclastic gem broker who once managed the diamond room at the Harry Winston jewelry store on Fifth Avenue. The broker, Max Pincione, alleged in the suit that two large diamonds he sold to members of the Saudi royal family in 2001 had been given inflated grades in certificates issued by the Midtown lab.

Diamond Prices Update - December 9, 2005

With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, loose diamond prices continue to remain steady with no apparent increases in sight. With only 2 weeks left in the season we do not expect any price spikes at this point.

Diamond Exhibition Closes Early Because of Robbery Threats

A major diamond exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London was closed early after the organizers were warned of a potential robbery plot. Scotland Yard reported public safety was at risk if the exhibition stayed open for another three months as planned.

One of the major attractions at the event was the De Beers Millennium Star - a stunning 203 carat Pear Shape diamond. The Millenium Star was once the target of thieves during the famous Millennium Dome heist in 2000.

Scotland Yard sources said the most substantial difference between the two robbery plans was that in 2000, detectives were following the gang and were able to isolate the area of the Dome when they struck. The robbers were caught red-handed. This time the police did not know the time or details of the planned robbery.

"At the Dome we were always in control," a Yard source said. "But if we don't know the time or method, we can't take the gang out at our agreed and controlled location. There is therefore an unacceptable risk. We would be very strongly criticised if we had let it happen and, say, a child died in the cross-fire. We can watch everyone entering but we don't know whether the next one will be a robber. We could have had a hostage situation."

Cheap Diamonds – How To Find the Best Deal On A Diamond Online

Don’t be embarrassed by the word “cheap”, especially when it comes to diamonds. Finding a low price for a diamond is now easier than ever with the Loose Diamonds Search Engine. This fantastic tool brings loose diamond inventories together from jewelers around the web and gives consumers an easy way to search and compare without the need to hop around from one diamond site to another.

You will be amazed at the range of prices you can find for similar or identical diamonds. If your budget is $1,000 or $10,000 this tool can help you save. Give it a try and search the database for a cheap diamond.

Diamond Prices Update - 11/04/2005

Diamond prices moved slightly lower this week, 9 price points in our index fell representing just under a 1% drop.

We still believe prices will rise as we move closer to the holidays, but this small drop is encouraging and will reward those who start shopping early.

Our loose diamonds search engine has now reached a new inventory milestone. We have over 200,000 diamonds available to search in our comparison database. As this number continues to grow, this tool will become invaluable to consumers interested in buying a diamond or engagement ring online.

Breathtaking Diamonds Auctioned at Christie's

Christie's recent "Magnificent Jewels" auction net approximately $36 million in sales. Among the most notable transactions, the "Rose of Dubai", a Pear shape 25.02 carat Fancy Pink diamond which sold for more than $6 million. With fierce competition among 4 bidders, the diamond realized a staggering $240,000 per carat price. The winner of this bidding competition was Amer Radwan of Dubai.

Among other top items was a Pear shape 33.11 carat D Flawless diamond which sold to diamond jeweler Laurence Graff for $2.48 million, and an Oval 4.24-carat Fancy Vivid Blue, Internally Flawless diamond ring by Harry Winston, which went for $1.8 million to an anonymous buyer.

Loose Diamonds Search Engine Launches for 2005 Holiday Shopping Season

(PRWEB) November 1, 2005 -- As more people embrace shopping online, especially for higher priced luxury goods such as diamonds and jewelry, a need has been filled to provide consumers with an easy to use tool to compare diamond inventories from jewelers around the web. Until now, large shopping aggregation sites have been the only option when comparison shopping online. While these sites prove a useful resource for some products, for diamonds they lack the detailed information needed to form an accurate comparison.

The loose diamonds search engine was designed to give consumers an easy way to compare available diamonds with similar, and in many cases, identical specifications. Providing details such as carat weight, cut grade, color, clarity, dimensions and of course prices, gives the searcher a side by side comparison of diamonds available from around the web. No longer does one need to hop from site to site, search each one and try to remember what they found.

A prime example of the diversity in pricing for very similar diamonds can be seen in a sample search. Looking for a Round Brilliant, 1.00 carat, Ideal Cut, G color and SI1 clarity diamond returns 21 results from 4 different jewelers. All of the diamonds returned are nearly identical in their characteristics, yet the retail prices range from $3,900 up to $5,700. Armed with this information, visitors may decide which factors are most important to them, whether it be price or perhaps the jewelers return or upgrade policy.

The loose diamonds search engine gives consumers control over the factors that are important to them and to compare over 150,000 diamonds from around the web.Research has shown that most purchases made from online jewelers are from repeat visitors. Consumers are not likely to part ways with several thousand dollars the first time around. To facilitate those return visits, the loose diamonds search engine provides a personal comparison list feature which can be saved to visitors computers or sent via email to themselves or friends. The comparison list is created without asking for any personal information such as names, locations or email addresses thereby assuring a private and peaceful experience.

Estimates show that nearly 30% of engagements in the U.S. take place during the months of November and December. As more and more couples see the value and potential savings in purchasing diamonds online this holiday season, the loose diamonds search engine will become an essential tool in the research and buying process.

Diamond prices update 10/28/05

Nothing much to update again this week - all quiet in the diamond pricing world. It has now been 2 1/2 months since any measureable price changes have occurred.