Raymond Lee Jewelers Archives | Designers and Diamonds

Proposal Story of the Year?

June 19, 2013 6:27 pm , Leave a Comment , Raymond Lee Jewelers

Yes, we know. Quite a statement there – but ladies and gents, it’s half way through 2013! We’ll pause while you count/marvel/let your mind be blown by that (we’ve already gone through each stage as we type). It’s high time for a standout proposal story, non? Last year, Isaac made us cry every time we watched that video. Where are all of the Isaacs?! Is it because Bruno Mars hasn’t released a proposal single this year? We’ll just blame Bruno. Anyways, there are few things we love more than a surprise proposal. And even fewer once you throw elements like “Central Park” and “British Accents” and “Tiffany rings” into the mix. Thanks to How He Asked, we’re able to check out the best proposal stories of 2013 at a glance.

proposal ideas, perfect proposal, nyc proposal ideas, new york proposal

Surprise #1 – via Howheasked.com

So imagine you’re “Kel”, the gorgeous bride to be in the red peacoat. You’ve traveled to NYC from England with your cousins, aunts, Mom and Grandma. A girls’ weekend filled with Bloomie’s shopping, central park touring, and some weather-inappropriate ice cream when you turn around and BAM! There’s your adorable boyfriend, on a bridge with you in America, when this morning you called him and he was “in England.”

central park bridge proposal, nyc surprise proposal, proposal ideas New York

via How He Asked

Nope, he was in New York, along with Kelly and her family, sneakily planning the best proposal ever. Step 1: hire a photographer to capture the moment (in this case it was the obviously talented Sarah Tew). Really, he could have stopped here and everyone (present company included) would have been elated. But oh no, we’re not done. Typically, proposing with an empty ring box would not earn you any gold stars – but this guy had a plan, and his little black box held an invitation to 727 5th Avenue.

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via How He Asked

Ensconced in a private room at Tiffany’s flagship, Kelly got to choose from a selection of rings that David had chosen earlier that morning, fueled only by champagne, petit fours and true love (breakfast of champs). A girl after our own hearts, she chose the largest diamond. A stunning, 6 prong solitaire in the classic but hotly contested Tiffany setting. And no, he still isn’t finished.

Arrowsmith_Haswell_Sarah_Tew_Photography_237DavidProposedToKellyNYCSarahTew_low

After Tiffany, David brought Kelly and all the ladies in her family to champagne tea at Gordon Ramsey’s (this is where we get really sad. We’d love to drink champagne at afternoon tea while mentally giggling at Ramsey’s salacious insults!) He then informed her that sadly, she had underpacked because they’d be staying in NYC, overlooking Central Park, for another 3 days. If there’s ever a place to be unprepared for a longer stay, it’s Manhattan. So the happy couple got a few more days in the big apple, complete with fancy dinners and business class-lounge massages on the way home. David, do you have any brothers?

Posted in: Designer Jewelery, engagement ring Boca Raton, Engagement Ring Eye Candy, engagement rings, Raymond Lee Jewelers, Tiffany & Co., Wedding Wednesday, Weddings , Tagged: Bruno Mars, Central Park, engagement in NYC, England, Gordon Ramsey, New York City, NYC proposal, proposal ideas, proposal ideas NYC, proposal story, tiffany, Tiffany & Co

What Makes A Fancy Yellow Diamond So Fancy?

June 18, 2013 5:31 pm , Leave a Comment , Lizrlj

Only one diamond of every 10,000 is not colorless. If additional trace elements and distortions were introduced to interact with the carbon atoms during the diamond’s formation, some lovely shades of color occur. They are called fancy color diamonds.

A fancy yellow diamond, sometimes called a canary diamond is one such gemstone. A yellow diamond occurs in nature when nitrogen molecules combine with carbon atoms and absorb blue light. They have been unearthed in the rough mainly in Australia and South Africa. Some have been found in Russia. The largest and most famous ones were discovered in South Africa.

Tiffany diamond in Schlumberger Bird on a Rock setting

The Tiffany Diamond in its ‘Bird on a Rock’ setting. The 128.54 carat diamond is now set in a necklace.

The most well-known yellow diamond is the Tiffany Diamond, mined in 1877 and famously set in Schlumberger’s ribbon necklace for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, his “Bird on a Rock” brooch, and now a diamond necklace to commemorate Tiffany’s 175th anniversary.

The Four “Cs” and Shape

fancy yellow diamonds, canary diamond engagement ring, yellow diamonds

A diamond is graded by using the four “Cs” known as cut, color, clarity and carat and then by shape. The depth and intensity of color is what matters most in a yellow diamond. They are ranked in an order of intensity that ranges from fancy light yellow to fancy vivid yellow.

Carat weight is the next most important factor that impacts the price of a yellow diamond. It is rarer to find larger yellow diamonds than smaller ones; therefore the larger the more valuable. Clarity is not as important as it is in colorless ones. That’s because the diamond’s color distracts from its inclusions. Yellow diamonds are cut to emphasize color while colorless ones are cut to bring out their brilliant sparkle.

Different from cut, shape refers to the outline of the diamond while looking down at it. Fancy yellow diamonds are often cut in less traditional shapes to emphasize their color.

Yellow Diamonds and Celebrities

Carrie Underwood engagement ring with a fancy yellow diamond center

Yellow diamonds seem to be highly preferred among celebs. Former American Idol stars Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood both have gorgeous yellow diamond engagement rings.

Rebecca Romin has a fancy yellow diamond engagement ring

Heidi Klum wore a 10-carat one during her marriage to Seal. Actress and model Rebecca Romijn sports a 6 carat yellow diamond engagement ring on her left ring finger.

Posted in: buy diamonds, Celebrities, Celebrity Fashion, Diamond Tuesday, Diamonds, engagement ring Boca Raton, engagement rings, Hollywood Stars, jewelry boca raton, Raymond Lee Jewelers , Tagged: canary diamond, Carrie Underwood, diamond, EngagementRing, fancy yellow diamond, Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romijn, yellow diamond, yellow diamond engagement ring

Snake Charmers: Boucheron Serpent Boheme

June 18, 2013 10:01 am , Leave a Comment , Raymond Lee Jewelers

All that slithers is not gold. It is also, occasionally, diamonds, as it turns out–at least in the (jewelry) case of Boucheron’s latest collection, the fabulously named Serpent Boheme. The luxe line–launched last month to a spellbound crowd of admirers in the Far East–features a sophisticated, glittering assortment of necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and earrings. The stunning collection is unexpectedly charming, as serpents go: an enchanting celebration of the brand’s reptilian roots.

Serpent Boheme Ring in yellow gold, Boucheron jewelry Boca Raton

The iconic Boucheron serpent dates back to 1888 when Frederic Boucheron created the brand’s inaugural serpentine masterpiece in honor of his beloved wife. In the 125 year since, the snake has appeared in several different Boucheron incarnations, always as a symbol of protection and eternity consistent with the designer’s long-ago intentions. The new Serpent Boheme collection takes its inspiration from pieces throughout the line’s history–such as the “scaly” diamond-studded rings popularized in 1968–but with a modern spin. At once delicate and sculptural, Serpent Boheme bangles and baubles show off the glamorous contrast between yellow gold and white diamonds.

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Serpent Boheme white gold bangle bracelet

The Serpent Boheme collection made its dramatic debut in mid-May at a festive luncheon in Singapore. The famed Au Petit Salut restaurant dressed for the occasion, resplendently bedecked in accordance with the jewelry’s high-drama gold and white theme. Samples from the line were elegantly displayed alongside museum pieces from the original collection, while Boho-chic models circulated among the wearable wares. A veritable “who’s who” of Singapore society, the delighted attendees were given the unique opportunity to try on the dazzling pieces at the end of the evening.

Small yellow gold ear clips

From red carpets to the runway, fierce and fanged snakes have been turning up almost everywhere except on a plane. With the Serpent Boheme collection, Boucheron proffers an entirely original departure from convention; anything but menacing, these sweet pieces offer a tempting twist on a familiar fiend.

Posted in: Designer Jewelery, Jewelry Business, Jewelry Trends, pre-owned jewelry, Raymond Lee Jewelers , Tagged: Boucheron, diamond, Jewellery, Jewelry, secondhand Boucheron, Serpent Boheme, serpent jewelry, snake jewelry, year of the snake

Watch of the Week: Tiffany Moonphase Watch

June 17, 2013 5:50 pm , 3 Comments , Raymond Lee Jewelers

When you think of a luxury watch, the name Tiffany doesn’t immediately come to mind. Luxury jewelry? Well it’s typically one of the first. But Tiffany’s impressive watch collection is a quiet juggernaut of luxury timepieces. The same attention to detail that Tiffany’s fine jewelry creations have built into their DNA carried over to Tiffany watchmaking. Devastatingly gorgeous cases, dials and bracelets are a prerequisite, along with quietly powerful movements. For your consideration – the watch of the week, a Tiffany moonphase watch – a triple date in 18kt yellow gold with skeleton case back.

This moonphase draws you in with its elegant, long portrait style case in beveled 18kt yellow gold. The pristine dial shows off gold numerals so tall and narrow they could walk the runways at fashion week. All of this centered around a complicated but still somehow sparse inner dial with dates and moonphase.

Check out those elegant alpha hands – impossibly stunning.

A nicely burnished brown leather strap picks up the warm tone of the 18kt yellow gold case and keeps this watch subtle (a bracelet would be gorgeous, but we favor the juxtaposition) Tiffany branding on the buckle keeps things classy.

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Even the skeleton case back remains characteristically buttoned up. From this angle, you won’t see any of the movement’s family jewels, just a sleek, gold, Tiffany stamp staring back at you.

Posted in: luxury timepiece, mens jewelry, pre-owned watches, Raymond Lee Jewelers, Tiffany & Co., Watch Education, Watches , Tagged: second hand luxury watches, skeleton back moonphase, tiffany, Tiffany & Co, Tiffany moonphase watch, Tiffany watches

Spotlight on: JAR Jewelry

June 17, 2013 10:27 am , 2 Comments , Raymond Lee Jewelers

Joel Arthur Rosenthal may be the master jewelry artisan of our era, and yet you have probably never heard of him. Before you start feeling bad to have overlooked him, don’t bother: his mass obscurity is entirely by his own design. Which is not to say he’s wallowing in ignominy. Rather, Rosenthal’s name is perhaps the best kept secret of the world’s very rich and very famous.

A Contemporary Fabergé

blackened gold and sapphire earrings, JAR jewelry

Blackened silver, 18k gold, sapphire, and diamond earrings by JAR, Paris via Diamonds in the Library

Working under the moniker JAR, this mysterious Bronx-born recluse has been described as the modern-day Peter Fabergé by Diane Von Furstenberg. A Harvard grad, he got his start as an aspiring screenwriter, then dabbled in a number of other career options before landing–serendipitously–in the jewelry business.

JAR diamond ring, oval diamond engagement rings

Diamond ‘String’ Ring

Over the past 30 years, JAR’s renown artistry has given him unparalleled status among the celebrity set and industry elite. He keeps shop in Paris with no signage, display or operating hours, and the doors are open only to the upper echelons of high society: Elizabeth Taylor, Ann Getty, and Jo Carole Lauder are among the fashionable few who have been granted rare access. With workshops in Switzerland and France, JAR produces less than 80 one-of-a-kind pieces a year, most of which are custom designed with a particular person in mind, often according to his whim. And potential buyers beware: if JAR doesn’t think a piece suits you, he reserves the right not to sell it to you.

JAR jewelry, Ellen Barkin's JAR earrings auctioned at Christies

Ellen Barkin’s JAR earrings, via Christie’s

JAR is most lauded for his extraordinary work with pavé; he typically sets vibrant gemstones against his own custom dark metal alloy for striking contrast. And while fine jewelry often loses value when it changes hands, JAR’s museum-worthy work is so coveted that it can double in value when resold. Not that it happens very often, as a JAR piece of wearable art is generally considered one of its owner’s most prized possessions.