Is Hublot’s New Red Gold Watch Actually Red Gold?

Hublot's Big Bang Caviar Red Gold Diamonds ladies watch

For Hublot’s Baselworld preview, the Swiss luxury watch brand released images of its “5N red gold” Big Bang Caviar ladies watch, featuring a bezel set with 36 diamonds. As you can see in the picture it is quite a beauty. However, I have a bit of a dilemma that I will get to the bottom of eventually.

From my understanding of the different colors of gold, 5N refers to rose-colored gold, while 6N refers to red gold. Pink gold is usually 3N and 4N gold. The colors are based on the types of metals that are mixed with pure gold. Usually 18k gold, which I am assuming this watch contains although the materials don’t clearly state this, is mixed with cooper to make it red. Red gold can be made with 75 percent yellow gold and 25 percent cooper. However, I believe this is usually labeled as 5N gold, which refers to rose gold.

Anyone who has an answer is welcome to respond. I will ask Hublot when I get the chance. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.

Now for the rest of story behind this watch. It’s based on the design of Hublot’s famous One Million $ Black Caviar, and directly inspired by the black ceramic Big Bang Black Caviar, which has been one of the brand's bestsellers since 2011. The 41mm watch has a sleek, graphic look with sharp angles and reliefs designed, cut, beveled and polished to look like the black baguette diamonds on the Caviar watch.

It's fitted with the HUB1112 self-winding mechanical movement. The 5N gold dial has a date window at 3 o'clock. It has a power reserve of 42 hours. The strap is made of either shiny silver or 5N gold colored calfskin sewn onto black rubber.

The timepiece also is available in a steel version, with 36 diamonds on the bezel and the same size, movement, look and workmanship as the “red” model. 

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Christie's Geneva to Sell 101-Carat Flawless Diamond

Christie’s Geneva is offering what it says is the world’s largest flawless diamond to ever be offered at auction. The auction house calls the 101.73-carat, pear-shaped D color, type IIA flawless gem “absolute perfection.” It will be the highlight of the May 15 Magnificent Jewels auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. The estimate is available upon request.

“A perfect diamond is the result of the skill and vision of a master cutter who is able to uncover beauty from a rough gem,” said Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewellery, Christie’s Switzerland and Americas. “This diamond is in its scale, quality and rarity one of the most beautiful ‘white’ diamonds Christie’s has ever had the honor of offering for sale.”

The diamond meets every criteria of perfection, according to the auction house. The Gemological Institute of America graded it with the best color, D, and the best clarity. In addition, fewer than 2 percent of the world’s diamond meets the type IIA criteria for transparency and brilliance.

The diamond was carved from a 236-carat rough diamond that was found at the Jwaneng Mine in Botswana, according to the auction house. It took 21 months to polish.

Out of a total annual worldwide diamond production in excess of 100 million carats, the Gemological Institute of America estimates there are no more than 600 diamond crystals that finish as polished stones between one and two carats and that are D color, flawless clarity, the auction house says. Above ten carats this figure decreases dramatically. For a diamond of more than 100 carats …

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Mouawad Unveils Necklace Worthy of the 407-Carat ‘Incomparable’ Diamond

L'Incomparable Diamond Necklace

Luxury jewelry and timepiece company, Mouawad, recently unveiled the L’Incomparable 18k rose gold necklace with 91 diamonds weighing 635.40-cts. Suspended on the end of the necklace is the 407.48-ct. “Incomparable” diamond. The colored shield step‐cut gem is the largest IF diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America, according to the company.

In its rough state, the diamond weighed 890 carats. As the story goes, the diamond was accidentally discovered by a little girl in 1980 in a discarded pile of kimberlite that was sorted out because it was considered to be too bulky to possess any diamonds.

It was first made public in its polished state in 1984. It was then put on display in several museums, with the first being the Smithsonian Institute.

Mouawad unveiled the diamond necklace at the Doha Jewellery and Watch Exhibition, which was held February 25 – March 3.

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Dear Spammers

This is just to let you that each day I remove all spam from the comments section of this blog. This includes any kind of spam advertising (disguised as social marketing) with links to anyone's business. If you wish to advertise on Jewelry News Network, my rates are very reasonable.

Your Pal,
Tony

Jaeger-LeCoultre Declares that Thin is In With New Perpetual Watch

Master Ultra Thin Perpetual watch

Swiss luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre has released an ultra-thin automatic perpetual calendar timepiece. The 39mm watch has a thickness of 9.2 mm. It houses the Caliber 868 movement, the manufacture’s ultra-thin automatic perpetual calendar movement that’s a mere 4.72 mm thick.

In addition to the hour, minute and central seconds hands, the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual watch comprises three counters dedicated to the perpetual calendar displays: the first at 9 o’clock for the day of the week; the second at 3 o’clock for the date; and the third at 6 o’clock for the month. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s distinctive signature appears below the moon phase. A full four-digit display appears through a small aperture at 7 o’clock.

A single crown changes all the indications in a simple procedure: one press moves the perpetual calendar one day forward, while any additional changes required to keep step with the vagaries of the Gregorian calendar take place automatically. The watch mechanism takes account of the unequal length of months with 28, 30 or 31 days. Every four years, it will naturally display the 29th of February associated with leap years. It requires no manual adjustment before March 1, 2100, since century years are an exception to the four-year cycle governing leap years. Meanwhile, the moon-phase display will portray the various states of the Earth’s satellite over the next 122 years. Just above the dial center is a small rectangular window, about the same shade as the background, which turns gradually red as evening falls.

The new model comes in an 18k pink gold case with a white dial, an 18k white gold version comes with a grained silver-toned dial, and a steel model available exclusively at Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques with a sunburst silver-toned dial.

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Georg Jensen Names David Chu as CEO

David Chu

Danish luxury silver brand and global retailer, Georg Jensen, said Friday it has appointed fashion designer and entrepreneur, David Chu, as its chief executive officer. Chu is well-known in the world of fashion for founding Nautica, the global lifestyle and clothing brand, in 1983 and turning it into a company with $1 billion in sales by the time he sold it in 2003 to Vanity Fair Corp.

Chu has been with Georg Jensen since November 2012, when the company was acquired by Investcorp. Chu was brought on as co-chair of Georg Jensen’s board of directors and chief creative officer. He will continue to serve as a board member as well as CCO to oversee the design direction and strategy for all products.

“My goal is to bring Georg Jensen to the design conscious community all over the world,” Chu said in a statement.

Among his many positions since selling Nautica, Chu served as chief creative officer of Tumi, the global luggage, travel and accessory brand.

Founded in 1904, Georg Jensen is known for its collaborations with leading artists and designers of the 20th century, including Henning Koppel, Johan Rohde and Arne Jacobsen, who are among the masters of 20th century modernism and Scandinavian design.

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JNA Awards Ceremony to be held in September

The second annual JNA Awards Ceremony and Dinner will be held September 12 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

The JNA Awards honors and recognizes excellence and achievements in the jewelry trade with a focus on contribution and advancement in the Asian region. The awards honors individuals and companies in several categories. This year’s categories have yet to be announced.

The first JNA Awards ceremony and dinner was held on September 20, 2012, at the Hong Kong Ritz Carlton. It attracted more than 450 jewelry industry leaders from around the world. The Lifetime Achievement Award awarded to the former De Beers chairman Nicholas "Nicky" Oppenheimer.

For more information on the JNA Awards, visit www.jnaawards.com.

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