VALENTINE’S DAY The first official St Valentine’s Day was declared by Pope Galasius in the year 496 to honour a martyred priest, Bishop Valentine, who lived under the reign of Emperor Claudius in the second century AD. Emperor Claudius had declared that married men did not make good soldiers and thus forbade weddings for young […]
Something is expensive when it is rare, beautiful and in demand. Others are expensive because of the criminal risk in selling and buying them. Here are some interesting comparisons. Saffron = $11/gram Beluga caviar = $30/gram Gold = $48/gram Rhino horn = $100/gram Cocaine = $140/gram LSD = $2500/gram Plutonium = $3,900/gram GEMSTONES […]
Modern jewellery is often set with extremely small diamonds held by minute little claws. Of these, some may fall out due to normal wear and tear, or when the item suffers a hard knock. If jewellery is worn during gardening, mountaineering, sporting activities, even washing of steel cutlery, it will scratch over time, wear away […]
Dr Petre Prins is a gem, if you will please excuse the pun. For all staff at Prins and Prins, it is a delight and honour to work for one of the greatest gentlemen in the South African gems and jewellery world. His knowledge of gems, geochemistry and jewellery is unmatched. What also makes this […]
Fine jewellery is a gift of nature and the jeweller’s art. Regular care and cleaning thereof will ensure a lifetime of pleasurable wear. STORAGE Diamonds may be the hardest natural substance, but can still be scratched by another diamond or chipped and abraded if subjected to blows. Thus, do not jumble jewellery together. Separate them […]
Are you a lover of all things sophisticated, elegant and rare? How about the finest cognac or champagne? One of the most famous champagne diamonds is the Golden Pelican. It is a 69.93-carat, Fancy Champagne colored, Rectangular Emerald-cut diamond originally mined in South Africa. The stone was auctioned at Christie’s in the 1970s. Its estimated […]