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For discerning clients wanting their belly piercing to complement the quality of their engagement ring and other diamond jewellery, Pobjoy collection and bespoke diamond belly ring designs are really the only option.  

Tastes and trends in engagement ring styles tend to evolve gradually over time. Nevertheless, certain designs do ebb and flow in popularity, often as a function of the latest rings adorning high profile celebrities and influencers. Also playing a role in determining consumer choice are the predictions published each January by numerous glossy magazines.    Take for example this article from Glamour magazine, published in January, highlighting several design styles expected to lead the way in 2023. From our experience so far, some of these predictions have indeed been born out by our customers' preferences.       Art Deco themed designs, emerald and radiant cut stones and especially diamond trilogy rings have all seen a rise in popularity. Engagement rings featuring diamonds combined with richly coloured gemstones have also blossomed.         This has been particularly true of fancy shaped coloured gemstones such as emerald, marquise, oval and pear cuts. While the choice of gemstone is often determined by the appropriate birthstone of the recipient, rubies and blue sapphires remain favourites.        Yet the classic solitaire diamond ring remains marginally the most popular of styles, albeit that cushion, pear, radiant and marquise shapes have become increasingly sort after. And for those wishing to add some extra touches, subtle accents - such as "surprise diamonds" set inside the shank of the ring or a hidden halo of diamonds just below the solitaire - are the order of the day.         Regardless of the specific design and preferred gemstone, yellow gold continues it's resurgence as the preferred setting, after several years of playing second fiddle to platinum and white gold.   EXPLORE ENGAGEMENT RING STYLES EXPLORE BESPOKE RINGS  REQUEST YOUR FREE BESPOKE DESIGN QUOTE SEE THE POBJOY STANDARD  ARRANGE A VISIT TO POBJOY DIAMONDS GET INSPIRATION FROM A-LISTERS 

Are natural mined diamonds going up in value? After all, the prices of most other commodities, food, energy, travel and products and services in general seem to be rising relentlessly. And of course, the recent embargo on Russian-sourced natural diamonds should if anything dent supply, thereby putting upward pressure on market values of diamonds to some degree. However, prices have not been rising. In fact, since November 2022, the average price of diamonds has fallen by around 15%. Why? Graph courtesy of Diamondse.info The truth is that no one knows why precisely, but there are several factors likely to have been weighing on prices, to one extent or another. And while it is always unwise to deduce too much from averages, it is clear from the more detailed graphs below that the fall has also been largely consistent across the various carat weights, from 0.25 to over 5.00.    Graphs courtesy of Pricescope.com So here are a few of the variables to consider with regards to the movement in prices; The boycotting of Russian-sourced diamonds is essentially of little significance. For one thing, this was only introduced in the past few weeks. And because the majority of rough, uncut diamonds find their way to the Indian continent for precision cutting before being sold on through diamond dealer networks in other parts of the world, the sometimes opaque traceability means this is likely to have only a moderate impact overall upon average global prices in the months ahead either. The rampant cost-of-living inflation has not been confined to the UK, even though it is a fact that post-Brexit, the rate and strength of price increases has been materially higher here than in any EU country or the USA. With cost of living inflation (rather than asset price inflation) ranging between 5% (USA), 7% (EU) and 11% (UK) and overtaking wage growth, it is easy to understand that purchases of luxury, non-essential items such as diamonds  are bound to have dipped.     Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana. Image courtesy of SGL Labs    Interest rate increases have inevitably played their part too; not by reducing reckless discretionary spending (there wasn't much of that in the first place) but because they have most probably actually contributed to inflation and, importantly, to a decline in consumer and business confidence. When people are feeling the squeeze on their financial resources and only see things getting tighter still, they are inevitably averse to making relatively big ticket, luxury purchases or will have a reduced budget at their disposal to do so. Historically, during periods of uncertainty and as protection from rising inflation, there has been a propensity to buy precious gems and gold. Those higher interest rates now available on cash deposits represent an attractive alternative. After a mark down in prices by Rapaport in March/April 2020 at the start of COVID, compounded by a fall in demand related to the pandemic, the subsequent lifting of lockdown restrictions by late 2021 saw diamond prices recover sharply, likely due to pent up demand and increased personal savings. Ergo, this more recent retracement in prices was inevitable.  Lab grown diamonds, the scourge of the traditional mined diamond industry (including Rapaport, the long standing diamond-trade dealing platform and influencer of pricing) have gained significantly in popularity. And their affordability appeals beyond "Generation Z". In fact, although the data needs to be qualified and contextualised, sales by volume of jewellery-standard lab grown diamonds have practically doubled year on year since 2020. Whether you are a fan or not, the irrefutable rise in demand for lab grown stones will clearly have detracted from sales of natural mined diamonds. The relatively much lower retail price of lab grown diamonds (which have also fallen in recent months) is not the only factor driving their popularity. Younger couples (and older ones increasingly) are just as motivated by their ethical credentials, which is another detractor away from mined diamonds. Specialised diamond growing laboratory   While these variables are not exhaustive, it is clear that the world in general is more confusing and challenging for the vast majority of people than it has been in many years. This does not create the most conducive environment for consumer spending, at least in the short term. It also means that it is extremely difficult to pinpoint any specific causal factor - let alone identify how and when things are likely to improve. What we did note with some interest was the recently aired Netflix documentary "Nothing Lasts Forever" regarding the true value of natural diamonds, and concerns over the future of the mined diamond industry in the face of, what the production referred to as, (sic) a synthetic diamond proliferation. (A synthetic diamond is a term more accurately used to describe a moissanite or cubic zirconia. A lab grown diamond is in fact a diamond, evolved under laboratory conditions. It is neither a synthetic nor a fake diamond). By way of some editorial balance, enthusiastic advocates of lab diamonds were juxtaposed against their critics. Most vociferous of these critics was one of the key contributors, Rapaport himself. His eponymous diamond trading and pricing organisation has been extremely reluctant to embrace the growth in lab diamond popularity in any way whatsoever This will not come as a shock to anyone. To illustrate the point, if the buying public were, for some reason, to fall out of love with natural mined diamonds or - at the very least - deem prices too high relative to the lab grown variety, it would spell the end to an enviably profitable, long standing business empire. But the extent of the vitriol expressed by Rapaport was rather revealing.  Or to put it another way, the man doth protest too much. Of course the price of diamonds, as with the price of any "commodity", has always fluctuated over time. You only need to look at the graphs above. And over the longer term, market prices have generally held on to an uptrend, albeit with plenty of volatility along the way. It is also true that the relative scarcity of investment grade diamonds and inherent costs involved in finding and mining the rough stones makes them intrinsically more expensive to produce. Nevertheless it is pertinent to note that the acute recovery in diamond prices, after the sharp downturn of the 2008/2009 financial crisis, played out in a world practically oblivious to lab created diamonds.  This is no longer the case. So may be this time it will be different. Only time will tell. The good news is that if you are planning on buying a natural mined diamond in the near future, it will cost you a little less than it would have done just a few months ago. And if you are in the market for a lab grown diamond, the choice of grade, shape and carat weight is greater than ever.   PRICE CHART UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024   Read more about natural mined and lab diamond comparisons Expert diamond advice The diamond 4C's  Published June 2023 by Pobjoy Diamonds Lab grown diamond trends courtesy of Edahn Golan, Diamond Research & Data  

This post includes excerpts from an article originally published online by JCK in 2021. We are increasingly asked how a natural diamond can be distinguished from a lab created stone. It is both a very good and extremely important question. After all, with the difference in value between a large high grade natural diamond and an equivalent grade lab grown diamond being tens of thousands of pounds, there is a lot riding on it. And the reality is that it is an increasingly challenging task, and of which the diamond grading institutes are acutely aware. Unsurprisingly, they often are called upon to verify whether a particular diamond is naturally formed or lab created, with fraudsters endeavouring to match lab grown diamonds with the precise grading specifications of existing natural diamonds' GIA and IGI certificates. To quote Tom Moses, the executive vice president of the GIA, one of the world's most respected grading institutes “What seems to be occurring with more frequency is people are being very careful in making the copy as close to the original as possible. So if you take a look at the report data and you take a look at the stone, look at the colour, look at the proportions, the girdle thickness, and put it on the scale, you’ll find they are virtually the same. [The cheaters] are being extremely careful at finding matches for material that mimics the natural diamond.” However, the GIA and the IGI say they can identify all lab grown diamonds using highly specialised scientific equipment. And in some cases, certain lab-grown diamonds have bluish, greenish or brownish tinges—due to treatments or boron doping—which could be a possible clue, although Moses notes some natural diamonds have these tinges too. (read more about BGM here). “It isn’t always such a red flag that most people would notice it,” he says. The GIA also now offers a low-cost update and verification service to both the trade and the public. Moses says that they are also working on an “imaging system where a dealer could take the captured image of the diamond and send it to the cloud and, using artificial intelligence and algorithms, we would be able to say, ‘Yes, that is the diamond that we graded,’ or ‘No, that is not the diamond we graded.’ I believe that will essentially make this issue go away.” This pragmatic and proactive approach adopted by the grading institutes is certainly reassuring.  Nevertheless, it demonstrates that even the most respected grading labs in the world are only able to tell the two types of diamond apart by remaining at the very top of their game.   Read more about lab grown diamonds Read more about diamond grading and certification  

Oscar Winning Jewellery 2023 While not without it's critics, the Oscars remain the ultimate annual celebration of Hollywood glamour. But it's not just fantastic couture dresses on show. Fabulous jewellery also grabs the limelight.      Of course not all the jewellery on display would be suitable for anything other than the most glamorous of occasions. Nor is most if actually owned by the fortunate celebrities who get to wear it, even though many could afford to. In fact it is customary for some of the world's most iconic jewellery houses to lend selected, rarely seen creations to the biggest stars exclusively for this very high profile event... To see some highlights of this year's jewellery and our chosen winner click here    

Pink diamonds continue to be the world’s most highly sought "fancy" diamond colour. So you can imagine the excitement when Western Australian-based Lucapa Diamond Company unearthed this huge 170 carat pink diamond from the Lulo mine in Angola.     The type IIa rough has been dubbed the Lulo Rose and is believed to be the largest pink diamond discovered in the past three centuries. The largest pink diamond, Darya-i-Noor, polished at 186 carats originates from the Kollur Mine in India. The diamond is currently part of the Iranian crown jewels in Tehran. The Pink Star (59.6 carats)  shattered auction records when it was sold for $71.2 million at Sotheby’s in 2017. Many other pink diamonds have produced staggering results at auction. The 34.65-carat Princie Diamond fetched $39.3 million while 24.78-carat Graff Pink was sold for $46.2 million. Lucapa has revealed plans to sell the diamond through an international tender conducted by Angola’s state-run diamond marketing company, Sodiam. Explore pink ethical diamonds Explore fancy coloured diamonds   This blog includes excerpts from an original article by Samuel Ord in Jeweller magazine, published July 28, 2022 .  

15.1carat Cullinan Blue diamond expected to break record-sale history Extracts from the full article published in Jeweller magazine February 21st 2022 by Richard Chiu. The beauty and rarity of blue diamonds make them one of the most sought-after gemstones in the world and another mark in their colourful history may be made when the 15.1-carat De Beers Cullinan Blue goes to auction on 27 April 2022.     The Cullinan Blue, which is expected to sell for at least £33 million, is believed to be the largest and one of the only five blue diamonds in excess of 10 carats to be auctioned. Discovered in April 2021 at the Cullinan Mines in South Africa by UK-based Petra Diamonds, the diamond was part of the special tender purchased by De Beers and diamond manufacturing firm Diacore for $40.2 million. The step-cut stone was taken from a 39.35-carat rough blue diamond sold by Petra to DeBeers and Diacore three months after it was unearthed, then cut and polished into the Cullinan Blue. Industry expectations are high for the auction, with some predictions that the rare blue may actually fetch over £40 million!     GIA certified fancy coloured diamonds IGI certified fancy coloured lab grown diamonds Coloured lab diamond blog post  

When it comes to looking for just the right diamond, it seems that the more you learn the more you feel you might still need to know! On the one hand are the gemologists who have built up considerable knowledge of all things pertaining to precious gemstones. On the other is the customer who, quite understandibly, has limited experience and understanding of what they should be looking for. This presents a challenge for reputable jewellers: provide customers with as much information as possible to help them  make an informed decision- but avoid making the process confusing and laborious. To draw a parallel with buying a new car, few of us are experts and it is not something we do on a regular basis. Nevertheless, it represents a substantial  financial commitment and we need to live with our decision for some time to come. Most importantly too, we tend to buy something that appeals to us. Something that talks to our hearts, not just our heads. By taking a top down approach, this whole process becomes less daunting. Sure, it does require a little focus and attention but it is well worth it. When you appreciate that an almost flawless one carat diamond can be worth three times or more than a much lower grade stone of similar weight, some rudamentary knowledge can really help you in making the right call. And help you avoid paying too much for something you don't really want. Most of us will have heard of the "4 C's". You can see more about the "4 C's" here, but let's highlight a few key points in summary: Cut  This is not to be confused with the shape. The cut refers to the myriad of intricate angles and shapes cut in to the diamond. This directly informs the general level of sparkle and liveliness of the stone, whatever the colour and clarity. We advise opting for Excellent or Very Good. Colour  More important than clarity, colour is graded in order of merit from D (the "whitest") through to Z (the most "yellow"). D,E and F are considered the top colour group. G and H are near colourless. Colour F is extremely difficult to distinguish from D or E and typically priced a tad lower. As a rule of thumb we suggest going for a colour grade of H or higher  On the subject of colour it is also important to consider fluorescence, milkiness and shading. These factors will also have an impact on how clean and white the diamond looks. Clarity The clearer the diamond the better. Flawless diamonds ("FL") are rare and therefore more valuable. In the case of larger carat weight stones, clarity has a significant influence on price. But tiny inclusions and fissures can be extremely difficult to see with the naked eye. In fact, a  diamond which is considered "eyeclean" (meaning that any such marks cannot be seen without magnification) is going to represent much better value for money. It is possible to find a seemingly clear diamond with a grade of "Si1" (Slightly Included). Just reach out to us if you would like further guidance.   Carat Weight  Essentially, the correct term for the size of any given                diamond. This is the easiest of the 4 C's to establish and unsurprisingly has a direct influence on value, albeit in the context of the other "C's" considered above. It is worth noting that the surface (or "face up") area does not increase by anywhere near the same proportion as a corresponding increase in it's weight. See recent blog    LAUNCH DIAMOND SEARCH    Select Natural Diamonds (default) or  Lab Grown Diamonds by selecting tab in header. For coloured diamonds such as pinks and blues, select the tab marked fancy, which you will find to the centre right of the screen. Select desired diamond shape from the icons Use the slider or - if easier - key in the minimum and maximum carat weight  Select the colour range, with D being the whitest Select cut - we recommend Very Good or Excellent Stipulate a price range or leave blank (default) More Filters. We suggest selecting Good polish or above For Table please refer to our guide on diamond anatomy Fluorescence - we suggest opting for None to Medium For most diamond shapes Good symmetry and above is advisable. In the case of oval, pear and marquise cut the symmetry is more crucial and should ideally be Very Good or Excellent For Depth please refer to diamond anatomy Lab refers to the gemological institute which has graded and certified the specific diamond See certification   Once you click on a specific diamond a more detaild product page will open. You are then able to add to cart and proceed to checkout or continue shopping. If there is more information you require about any individual diamond please reach out to us. If the specific diamond you select does not include a video or image we can usually send these to you. +44 (0) 20 3998 3075 More Ways To Contact Us