AGTA GTC May Laboratory Update
from AGTA
One would have thought that the second Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT) Conference in Bangkok, March 9-12, set out under a bad star. After it was postponed in December 2008 due to the unstable political environment, the new dates fell right in the middle of the current economic downturn. Despite these circumstances, the conference turned out to be a great success. More

Rio Tinto's Blue Diamond Tender Ends, Exceeds Expectations
from IDEX
Rio Tinto's tender of rare blue and violet diamonds ended recently, realizing record prices according to the company, which did not disclose any specific figures. The diamonds, dubbed the 'Once in a Blue Moon' collection, included a range of diamonds, divided into16 lots weighing 287 carats in total. Sourced from several years of production at the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, the company said the tender prices "far exceeded the company’s expectations." More

Tiffany Buys Bankrupt Lambertson Truex Handbag Company
from Reuters
Tiffany & Co said it is buying bankrupt U.S. handbag maker Lambertson Truex as the high-end jeweler seeks to expand its array of leather goods. Handbag designers Richard Lambertson and John Truex have already joined Tiffany, where they will "explore the development of a collection of handbags and leather accessories to complement the current assortment available at Tiffany," said Tiffany spokesman Mark Aaron. More

Padma Lakshmi’s Jewelry Line Debuts
from YumSugar
Model. Top Chef hostess. Cookbook author. Now Indian beauty and culinary world darling Padma Lakshmi can add jewelry designer to her résumé. Her high-end (prices range from $300-6,000) namesake collection of gold jewels at Bergdorf Goodman combines Padma's love for food and fashion. More

Jolie, Other Celebs Design Jewelry to Benefit Prince’s Trust
from Celebrity News Service via All Headline News
Angelina Jolie is set to design jewelries for charity. The "Salt" star is joining other celebrities, including Victoria Beckham and Anne Hathaway, to create trinkets to benefit the United Kingdom’s Prince's Trust and other charities. Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron, Sir Ben Kingsley and Disney star Miley Cyrus are some of the stars who designed for the collection. More

2008 Costume Institute Gala Benefit
from Women’s Wear Daily
From Twiggy and Beverly Johnson to Agyness Deyn and Sasha Pivovarova, models strutted their stuff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute gala on Monday for “The Model As Muse” exhibit. Even the fashion folk - more than familiar with statuesque women in designer gowns - were enjoying the eye candy. More

Bonhams' June Sale Features Tourmaline
from Rapaport
Bonhams in New York will hold an auction on June 1, 2009, featuring 525 lots of high-quality and distinctive mineral specimens, gold nuggets, lapidary works of art, gemstones and jewelry. Tourmaline is featured in more than 50 of the lots; many shades of the gemstone will be on offer in both polished and unpolished form, as unmounted stones and in jewelry. Claudia Florian, co-consulting director of this auction, said, "Interest in tourmaline among collectors has grown exponentially in the past several years." More

Charity Mini Cabrio Pops in Pink
from Luxist
Mini creates a special edition of its retro hatchback every year to raise money for HIV/AIDS research. Following previous editions outfitted by Versace, Diesel and Agent Provocateur, this year's Mini Life Ball special was designed by The Blonds, known in Hollywood for clothing pop stars. Pink leopard spots, anyone? More