Nanotechnology Adds Sparkle, Fire and Brilliance to Diamonds

A before and after shot using Fire Polish.

Thanks to nanotechnology, consumers shopping for diamonds may soon have the ability to add a rainbow of color to their precious gems.

Glenn Markman and Robert Goldstein were at the recently held Centurion 2011 luxury jewelry show in Tucson promoting a service and company called Fire Polish to jewelry retailers. They explained that a branded nanotechnology process is used to direct atomic-sized plasma etchings to specific areas of the diamond pavilion. This process creates facets so small they can only be seen clearly in an electron microscope. The result of this technique is to enhance the reflection, refraction and dispersion of light, which adds scintillation (“sparkle”), fire and brilliance to the diamond, which Markman and Goldstein say can be seen by the naked eye under sunlight and proper indoor lighting.

“It changes the wavelength of light going through the diamond,” Markman said. “It creates a rainbow.”

The process, which was created by California Institute of Technology, has been in beta testing for the past year and will soon be rolled out to retailers nationwide. The two company founders say the process can be used for all sized diamonds and diamond cuts but for now, they are using it for 58-facet round brilliant diamonds, which represents roughly 80 percent of the diamond jewelry market. It works for new diamonds and old, so that family heirloom that’s looking a bit drab can get that added sparkle without major work. The cost of the service for retailers is about $300 per diamond up to one carat in weight. They say the service can be used for smaller diamonds but it becomes cost prohibited.

The Techique and Beauty of Garavelli Jewelry

Elisabetta Molina Valerani is obviously proud of the heritage of Garavelli, the Valenza, Italy-based jewelry company. Started in 1920, the family-owned firm is now managed by the fourth generation and has well-known reputation of creating beautiful, quality products.

But Valerani, speaking with JNN at Centurion 2011 luxury jewelry show, said she is most proud of the company’s new products, which combine classic designs with modern techniques.

For example, the rings, necklaces and bracelets of Garavelli’s Coil collection (above), use triangular-shaped settings to house rows of colored diamonds (including natural blue diamonds). The result is that the 18k gold rings are flexible. 

Meanwhile, the earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces of the company’s Eternity Collection (left), features diamond pave that covers 18k white, yellow and rose gold shaped in circle and heart-shaped patterns.

The multicolored palette includes diamonds, sapphires and other precious stones, thus creating limitless variations.

Frederique Constant New Watches for Men and Women

From left: Slim Line, Amour, Maxime

Swiss luxury watch brand Frederique Constant introduced three new timepieces for women and men to the U.S. market at the recently concluded Centurion 2011 luxury jewelry show in Tucson, Ariz.

Recognizing the newfound financial power of women in China, the Geneva-based company introduced the Amour by Shu Qi. The watch is designed by Shu Qi, an extremely popular Chinese actress. “She’s considered the Angelina Jolie of Asia,” said Ralph Simons, company president.

The watch comes in two models: white gold with white leather strap and the one Simons showed me, with a rose gold finished with brown satin strap. The mother-of-pearl dial and embossed heart center is accented with spot diamond hour markers except the Roman Numeral at the 6 o’clock position. The word Armour across the top of the dial is paved with round-cut diamonds with the letter “O” replaced by the heart-shaped skeleton tourbillon window. The rose gold around the dial is also covered in round-cut diamonds.

Obviously, the watch is made for the Chinese market, but Simons explained that it will be available at all Frederique Constant outlets throughout the world for the Chinese tourist trade. It will retail for $4,250.

The company’s popular Maxime watch has been updated with a silicon escape wheel. “It’s expensive but easy to produce,” Simons explained. “It has very low tolerance. It’s very light and very smooth. It doesn’t need lubrication and requires less energy to move.”

The technology isn’t new, Simons said, but is has been used primarily for more expensive watches than the this one, which retails for $2,850.

One of the trends coming out of the recent watch shows in Geneva is slimmer timepieces and Frederique Constant’s new Slim Line certainly rides this wave. However, Simons notes that the company has been producing slim watches for the past 20 years. Its new Slim Line watch is comes in gold for $5,995, but the company is also making a Slim Line combining gold and titanium that retails for $2,995.

“It looks very much like a gold piece but saves gold weight and money,” Simons said. “It’s a very classical watch with an unexpected combination.”