Silver Sale

Following from the huge success of our recent half price sale in gold and fine jewellery, we have decided to let our silver wares have a turn.

Pop in to take advantage of our fantastic reductions of 30% and 50% on a massive range of plain and stone set silver jewellery.  But you must hurry - the sale won't last forever!

A diamond from the rough

The process of turning a rough diamond from the ground into a stunning stone to be set into something really special is a fascinating one!

Beginning with the piece of rough, the manufacturer will often use laser mapping to plot out the optimum return on the stone once certain shapes and sizes have been cut, bearing in mind the weight loss incurred whilst cutting, and also ensuring to avoid any areas of poor colour or larger inclusions.

Following the designer marking out where to cut, the stone can either be cleaved (broken apart by inserting a steel blade into a small notch or 'kerf' and tapping it with an iron bar), or sawn using a phosphor-bronze saw coated in diamond dust or a laser saw.

The basic shape of the diamond will then be achieved by taking two diamonds, and rotating them against each other before the 'blocking faceting' is undertaken by a cross-worker to give the diamond its first 18 or so facets.  A 'brillianteer' will then work to precisely polish the remaining facets.

For the buyer, it is the faceting that is the key point since this will bring out the diamond's ability to reflect light. The basic symmetry of the diamond does of course have a role to play, but even the slightest error by the brillianteer, and the light can be lost out of the bottom of the stone, leaving a very dull diamond.  How much light is reflected back to the viewer is known as the brilliance. 

More facets can mean better brilliance.  For example, radiant cut diamonds (which usually have 70 facets) do offer better brilliance than a round brilliant cut diamonds (which usually have 58 facets).  However, this isn't always so, such as in the case of the princess 144, created in the 1960s.  As the name suggests, this cut has 144 facets, but experts agree that there was no real visible improvement.

But we are not just concerned with light reflection, but also refraction - that is to say how the diamond splits the light to reflect back the 7 colours of the rainbow.  This is known as the diamond's fire.

Finally, how much intense sparkle the diamond has is its scintialltion.  The ideal stone will have many of these pleasing flashes, spread evenly across the diamond's surface.

Ultimately, for the consumer, it all comes down to personal taste - the longer, narrower Emerald cut diamond offers masses in terms of elegance (and often fire), but isn't as reflective and 'sparkly' as the more popular round brilliant, princess and radiant cut.  Fortunately, improvements in laser technology mean that new cuts are being created all the time, such as the the stunning Asscher cut which offers a square cut but with more brilliance, and the lovely Phoenix cut, which offers a rounded shape with extra bling!

Platinum ring set with a Phoenix cut diamond weighing 0.91 carat - £11,500.00

Platinum ring set with an Asscher cut diamond weighing 1.02 carat, and baguette diamond shoulders - £7,950.00

Another satisfied customer - a bespoke commission

We received an enquiry recently from a client who was looking for some inspiration with regards to making her 10 year old engagement ring more wearable with her newer jewellery.

With white gold and platinum jewellery being more in vogue, it was decided that madam’s stunning 0.70 carat solitaire diamond could be taken from its white gold setting on a yellow gold band, and re-set into platinum, surrounded by a further 0.5 carat of round brilliant cut diamonds to form a lovely modern cluster ring.

And so the result? One thrilled customer who has brought the design of her engagement ring up to date, without losing the sentimentality and emotional importance of the original ring. 

Kate Middleton’s Jewellery – get her look!

Yes, we here at deMarsac have have fallen completely in love with Ms Middleton too – or the Duchess of Cambridge as we should call her.   This is a Royal who knows how to accessorise!  Her earring collection alone speaks volumes about her personal style – the perfect mix of fine jewellery and more affordable pieces:

Silver twisted drop earrings - £22.50

 Freshwater pearl drop earrings set in 18 carat white gold with diamonds - £575.00

Silver and cubic zirconia drop earrings - £115.00

And it seems that our newest princess is quite keen on hearts – always a classic:

Silver and cubic zirconia crossover heart necklace - £110.00

Floating diamond ring in 18 carat white gold - £925.00

18 carat yellow plain polished and satin gold heart bracelet - £2,475.00

Citrine and diamond heart necklace set in 18 carat yellow gold - £6,395.00

Silver and murano glass heart necklace - £34.00

We unfortunately don’t have any vintage Cartier tiaras, once worn by the Queen in stock – but we can do you a stunning line in sparkle to dangle from your lobes!

Pave diamond triple teardrop earrings - £4,250.00

Diamond cluster drop earrings - £2,695.00

Pave diamond twisted drop earrings - £1,650.00

Saving the best for last, we can’t for a moment forget that stunning engagement ring, once worn by another supremely stylish royal, Princess Diana:

Diamond and iolite cluster ring - £2,500.00 

Classic beauty, elegance and grace - it's a great look to aspire to!

Image credits:

Earrings:  http://www.celebrityclothingline.com,  http://www.handbag.com, http://whatcatherinewore.com

Hearts:  www.stylebistro.com, http://jewellerybook.blogspot.com

Wedding and engagement: http://thejewellerychannel.blogspot.com, http://www.brides.com  

Last week of the sale!

Our fantastic 50% sale must end this week!

This is your last chance to purchase a range of yellow, white gold and stone set pieces including collars and necklets, earrings, bracelets and bangles.

Pearl earrings in particular have been flying out of the door, but we still have an excellent selection available so make sure you pop in so as not to miss the opportunity to bag a real bargain!

de Marsac welcomes Bulova

We are really really excited to introduce a new generation of timepiece here at de Marsac.

The Bulova brand originated in America, but J. Bulova being a European immigrant, has always kept close ties with ‘us over here’. 

Aside from being a superbrand (taking the first EVER advertising slots on both the radio, and on the television in the US, and now endorsed by Sir Richard Branson), the watches themselves are renowned for always keeping excellent time, and were the first timepiece sanctioned for use across the US railway system due to their accuracy.

More than this though, they look GORGEOUS!  Much of the design is reflective of the spirit of adventure the company encapsulates – Charles Lindberg, the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic had a Bulova! 

The ladies range offer a little less in adventure, and a little more in the simple, classic elegance line.

But our personal favourite has to be this super skeleton watch. With our Bulova range starting from £490.00, the skeleton is the most expensive, coming in at £1,100.00, but it really is a stunning piece of arm candy!

Are your jewellery valuations up to date?

It is entirely possible that you are a very lucky lady, and have been bought a wealth of lovely gifts over the years (as well as treating yourself to a few along the way)!  Not to overlook the gents; watches, cufflinks and even those christening gifts from long ago are all kicking about the house somewhere.

But when was the last time that you had them valued and updated your insurance company? 

Small diamonds (up to 0.20 carat) have increased by 46% to buy this year alone.  Combine this with a rise in gold to an all time high in April at $1505.00 per ounce, and you will undoubtedly find that your ten year old valuation leaves you making up a very big shortfall should you need to replace an item due to loss or theft.

With prices increasing this fast, we would recommend that you get all your valuables assessed RIGHT NOW, and try to get the figures updated annually.