David Yurman

Magnificent Jewelry and Jadeite Jewelry Auction They say that jadeite represents love and peace and can bestow courage and intelligence upon the wearer. This jadeite caboch...

Kaufmann de Suisse Flowing Lines Yellow Diamond Ring Ever since, Jennifer Lopez's infamous pink diamond engagement ring, there has been renewed interest in colored diamonds. The Triple...

A few weeks ago I mentioned the concerns over rubies from Myanmar (Burma) but there is another stone exported from Burma to be aware of, jadeite. While the country is famed for its beautiful red rubies, Businessweek reports that the export of jadeite from Burma to Hong Kong and China is worth about $433.2 million a year, which is around 10% of the country’s total exports. And that’s just the official figure, it doesn’t factor in the sales of smuggled goods which runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Myammar currently runs six auctions a year to sell rough stones and polished pieces of the stone which is extremely popular in China. Myanmar Gems Enterprise (MGE), a unit of the Ministry of Mines, has thus far postponed the latest auction, which was set to take place in October, possibly because the regime is nervous about having foreigners enter the country at this time. Recently a fax sent by the Burmese Consulate to a Hong Kong jadeite trade association said that the auction would take place at the end of November but that has not been confirmed yet.Cartier, Bulgari and other jewelers have pledged not to do business in Burma, but Chinese and Hong Kong traders have said that they plan to go right doing business in the area. The Businessweek article quotes Kim Wing Yau of Kam Wing Cheong Jewelry as saying that business and politics should be separate. For these businessmen seeking to keep customers happy they don’t have much of a choice. While rubies have a worldwide appeal, the jadeite markets are mainly located in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Burma has some of the best deposits of gem-quality jadeite in the world. With China’s increased purchasing power, the demand for jadeite is steadily on the rise. The Burmese government is aware of the lure of the stones and has increased the amount of jadeite auctions.

Growing Concerns Over Myanmar Rubies The rubies that are mined in the Mogok Valley in Myanmar are some of the most beautiful and prized stones in the word. The rich red color an...

Would You Wear Donald Trump Jewelry? Oh no, Trump is at it again. He already has a watch line, now he is in the jewelry business. This may just be the first time he has followed...

S. J. Phillips Antiques Didn't get the princess treatment this Christmas? You can make up for it with this diamond tiara. Bond Street antiques dealers S.J. Phillip...

Banning Myanmar Rubies We've been doing a little research into the politics of precious gems recently. Conflict-free diamonds are just part of a complex ...

Harvard’s Luxury Goods Conference If you've got a little money in your pocket and you are heading down to Target or Costco, you just might be a luxury shopper. T...

James Kaya Designs Impressions Magazine has a piece on the beautiful work of James Kaya. Kaya, who is based in Boston, describes his style as architectural a...

Gold Prices Prompt Jewelry Sell-Offs

Lev Leviev Plans New York Store