Oh! my diamond facets
26
23
DAMIEN HIRST_FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
An absolute classic, this piece of art, was made by enfant-terrible Damien Hirst using 8,601 flawless diamonds including a pear-shaped pink diamond known as the Skull Star Diamond. It costed £14 million to produce. The work of art was originally piched at £50 million and said to have been successfully sold to an anonymous buyer. Up until today though, there has been no real proof.
This arcane object is a fantastic and excessive masse of intense light, whereas death, in art, is usually bleak and surrounded by dying light and shadow. Yet there it is, in a careful installation, revealed more then just shown. We see it shine, intrigued by its eerie magnificence.
For The Love Of God, by artist Damien Hirst
Personal notes from the artist taken from the publication ‘The Making of The Diamond Skull’ _ Published by Other Criteria/White Cube.
20
Mi piace amore mio
♦Rings: 18 karat gold with white round brilliant diamonds, blue sapphire and ruby
18
the cullinan diamond
Imagine 3,106 carats all in one diamond.
During an ordinary working day, on the 26th of January 1905, inside one of South Africa’s most productive mines, the Premier Mine near Pretoria, supervisor Captain Wells saw a flash of light reflected by the sun. Exposing from a rock, was what looked like a huge piece of glass. Wells took out his pocket knife and retrieved what is yet to be known as the largest diamond in the world. The Cullinan.
Left: Joseph Asscher makes the first cut into the Cullinan. Right: a replica.
It was named after the owner of the mine, sir Thomas Cullinan. After debating and voting as to whether it should be presented to King Edward VII of England as a gift, the gem was finally received and owned by his majesty. “For myself and my successors, this great and unique diamond will be kept and preserved among the historic jewels which form the heirlooms of the crown”.
Due to its immense value, transporting the diamond to England was a major issue. Faking a trip, detectives from London were placed into a boat that was supposedly caring the gem, while the real Cullinan finally got sent in an ordinary box through the post office!
At approximately 600 grams, 10cm wide and 7cm high the white diamond was twice the size of any other diamond previously discovered. This famous stone would later be cut by the I J Asscher brothers into 9 major pieces.
Left: The Cullinan V into a brooch. Right: Cullinan III and IV into a brooch
At the time, cutting technology had not yet evolved as much. Nothing could guarantee that this most valuable diamond would be processed correctly. Joseph Asscher was the most renowned cleaverer of the time. A special knife was made for him in order to divide the gem. Legend says, he fainted while performing a one-off move that broke the Cullinan in one blow, also.. breaking the knife. Another story goes that The first blow broke the knife and the diamond remained intact. A second attempt split it in two.
The 530,4 carat Cullinan I,also called The Great Star of Africa, and the 317,4 carat Cullinan II, the Second Star of Africa will be set in the Royal Scepter and the Imperial state Crown. Both gems are in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The other seven were all mounted in brooches, a ring and a necklace and have been worn by members of the royal family on state occasions.
Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth wearing a Cullinan brooch.
As the largest rough diamond the Cullinan’s value should really remain priceless,
some specialists give the gem a value of over 2$ billion…
14
11
what’s in a box? At Kalfayan Gallery
A jewelry box can have as much history as the jewel itself,
Carved from ancient wood, adorned with oysters and shells, jewelry boxes have been a well thought of design item through history. Very often, buried next to their kings and Egyptian Pharaos!
During our visit at Dimitris Tataris’ exhibition at Kalfayan Gallery Athens_’A Day In Hell’_ we picked up a rather controversially designed jewel box. The Cretan artist, a student of great painter Dimitris Mytaras, knows how to pay attention to detail. He mixes different elements of his multi-faceted talent, presenting complex and technically perfect works, bizarre collages overlaid on old engravings and then some..
Dimitris Tataris, Art Box, 2014 (detail)
mixed media_dimensions variable
Courtesy Kalfayan Galleries, Athens – Thessaloniki. www.kalfayangalleries.com
Sent to us by our friend and art consultant Beatrice Spengou
07
the wave beneath me
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
_Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
♦Ring: 18 karat gold with brilliant white diamonds
03
best friends for ever!
The 3rd of August is International Friendship day.
We celebrate this with our funky playful Smiley pendant! Keep smiling together.
♦ Pendants: 18 Carat gold with white brilliant diamonds
31
Dimitris and nikoletta
We thought of sharing with you the cutest wedding proposal of the month!
After carefully choosing with Dimitri a magnificent gem, we customized
it with a simple setting that enhanced its beautiful simplicity.
The diamond ring was ready.
This time, the question was ‘popped’ on the wall. In a multiple choice style! A white crayon was their for Nikoletta. She had to tick off her choice, while Dimitri kneeled in front of her (yes he did), holding the ring and smiling.
And of course she said yes.
♦ Ring: 18 Carat white gold with round brilliant diamond