A few years back I had purchased these beads and although I’m pretty good at identifying beads, for some reason, these are challenging me. So, I thought I’d ask you.

Now I have a few thoughts on what they are but what do you think? Are they all the same? Help me out and leave a comment with your best guess on what these beads are.

The only info I have on them is that they are semi-precious.

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters Life!) – A rare, 5-carat pink diamond was auctioned off for a record $10.8 million in Hong Kong on Tuesday, putting some shine back into the world’s rare and large stones market which was badly hit by the financial crisis.

The stone, of a “vivid pink” hue and considered near perfect, but not quite flawless, triggered brisk bidding in Christie’s autumn sales of Asian and Chinese art in Hong Kong.

The price smashed the previous record, set 15 years ago in Geneva for a 19.66-carat stone that sold for $7.4 million. The pink gem’s per-carat price of $2.2 million was also the highest ever paid for any diamond at auction, Christie’s said.

“No stone has ever been sold for $2 million a carat, we were used to … a million dollars a carat for colored diamonds but never 2 million,” said Francois Curiel, Christie’s Europe chairman. “This is an absolute record that is not going to be broken for a while I believe.”

The stone, set in a so-called “cushion-cut” ring by famed jewelers Graff Diamonds, was just a quarter the size of the Geneva stone and not quite flawless but the stone’s “vivid pink” is considered near perfect. Curiel described it as a “fabulous pink diamond, probably one of the rarest stones I’ve ever seen.”

While the South African-mined diamond isn’t quite rated flawless given minor blemishes, Christie’s said that these could be removed by minor repolishing.

Christie’s has a track-record of putting rare polished stones up for sale in Asia, given its confidence in the depth of the Asian market for the world’s top gemstones and artwork.

Last May, before the financial crisis began to hurt the global auction market, Christie’s sold a squash-ball-sized, 101.27-carat diamond in Hong Kong for $6.2 million.

Despite this, some major gems have disappointed in Asia, including a 72.22-carat “D” flawless white diamond that failed to hit its reserve price in a Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale last April, falling short of its $10-12 million pre-sale estimate.

While the world’s most expensive jewel ever sold at auction is the “Wittelsbach” blue diamond, a 17th-century deep grayish-blue stone that fetched $24 million last year, top red and pink gemstones are also known for stratospheric valuations.

The city of Rome was agog when Sotirios Voulgaris invented the Bvlgari watch brand. Many Roman people of the time were very pleased with the awesome models of the brand and the manner they respond to the task of accurate time keeping. Sotirios established his watch firm in Rome which later gave birth to other branches in the US, France and more importantly Switzerland.
Currently the replica Bvlgari are available in their wonderful models. The major ones include: the Assioma models, the Rettangolo collections, the Ergon versions, the Diagono models and some others. These models are known for their semblance with the original versions.
General Attributes
The Bvlgari replica watches are known for their similar features. They all have wonderful facial glasses marked with the symbol of the Bvlgari Company. They also have unique facial glasses made of the sapphire crystal element which abhors scratches.
The replica models are known for their awesome nomenclatures which are sometimes very difficult to pronounce in the English language. Their names go a long way to show the originality of the watches from the Latin speaking nation of the world. However, the replica models still bear these names wherever they are seen.
The replica models are replete online where their cheapness is well profound. Currently you are likely to see them at the cheaper price rates of $270 and below. Many online shops that deal with them do give the customers some discount especially when the person is purchasing enough for his or her loved ones.
The replica models are known for their efficiency in the timing process. They have wonderful dials and other additional sub dials that help them in that regard.
In all, the replica models are known to be very durable.

It seems almost impossible to combine the words, “bridal” with “memorial” -right? I would have thought the same thing but found recently that’s not quite true. A very dear customer of mine approached me about designing a custom bracelet for a bride whose father had already passed away but asked her cousin (my customers’ husband) to walk her down the isle. Here’s the story.

Mary Kay’s husband was asked by his cousin to walk her down the isle on her special day (her father had passed before her wedding day). She came to me to design a unique and special bracelet that he could present to her in honor of being asked to walk her down the isle.

At first, it was difficult to come up with a design because I wanted to include both the honor of his being asked but also honor the memory of her father and still keep the design beautiful enough that she could wear it on her wedding day. It all came together when I found the sterling bali prayer box charm with the word “Dad” on the side. It was absolutely perfect!

The bali prayer box charm holds a single Swarovski crystal in the birthstone of her father and the initials each represent the first initial of the bride, her father and Mary Kay’s husband (with the bride’s initial in the middle). To make the bracelet even more meaningful, I included a little card that read:

I am honored to have been chosen to walk such a special person down the isle on her wedding day. This bracelet symbolizes how I feel and although I am physically here for this honor, your father is here in memory. On this bracelet, handmade just for you, is a prayer box containing an emerald Swarovski Crystal in your fathers’ birthstone. It also has three initials to symbolize that although I will walk beside you, your father will also in heart and spirit. We will both be “walking” you down the isle on this very special day.

Both Mary Kay and her husband were absolutely thrilled with the design and special meanings behind the charm used and letter beads. And I am always thrilled and exceptionally happy to create a special jewelry piece that has meaning and will be cherished for a lifetime.

I know the stores have seemed to have skipped over Thanksgiving and are now pushing Christmas already. But for me -it’s still autumn! What better way to enjoy the season than with a little Autumn Honey?!

Autumn Honey by crystalallure featuring Franco Sarto shoes

Okay, the black cat…yeah, nothing to do with the inspiration but I love my black cat (Cookie Toe, a.k.a. Tookie-Tookie) and Halloween is right around the corner. Besides the kitty coordinates with the boots! Right?!

You can get both the Topaz Crystal Earrings and Carnelian Pendant Crystal Necklace at CrystalAllure.com.

My favorite customer, Mary Kay, came to me with three different pieces of vintage jewelry that she had obtained through a family inheritance and an estate sale. She asked me to redesign the pieces to create a 3pc jewelry set. Her only requests were to update the style of the jewelry, have the necklace be adjustable, have a removable pendant and the earwires be leverbacks. Everything else she left up to me.

I quickly discovered that two of the Swarovski crystals in the design were no longer available but that did not hinder my design process. Since the original bracelet was a two-strand, it provided more than enough crystals to work with. I added more sterling silver, a few soft blue Swarovski crystals and the removable trigger clasp for the pendant on the necklace.

This custom project did pose a few challenges but after thinking about it long enough and then just sitting down at the studio table, it all came together in literally one night. I may have restrung the necklace three or more times, but the end result is a stunning 3pc Swarovski Crystal jewelry set -vintage redux!!

The original pieces -DRAB!!!
The redux with style for today’s woman -FAB!!!!
With only having seen a picture so far of the set, Mary Kay’s response was this:
“OMG, the set is absolutely gorgeous!!!”

What do you think? Leave a comment.