Price: How expensive is jade? Gram, carat and kilo

Jade is the name given to a group of different gemstones. How expensive a jade stone is depends on the color intensity and whether it is jadeite or nephrite. Nephrite has been losing its place on the market for a few years because there are many imitations and is accordingly no longer as price-intensive. Jadeite with a pure, strong color is the most valuable and smooth, evenly colored stones are the most expensive. Especially the coveted emperor jade acts as a store of value for investors.

In fact, each stone is valued individually. The price is set by dealers, jewelers and auction houses. But if we consider the example from above, then you would have the following selling prices.

Example calculation (Jade Fund in Myanmar)

210 tonnes > 210 000 kg

170,000,000 / 210,000 kg

809,52 USD / Kilogram

4,05 USD / carat

0,81 / gram

Price comparison gold / jade

Tip, read more about buying gold here.

• Gold per gram: 61 USD
• Jade per gram: 0.81 USD

Jade production in the year

Here are official figures from Myanmar (Government):

Average price: export to China

Increase in value after export to China

Mexican name origin

The term jade is derived from piedra de ijada = loin stone. This comes from the fact that it used to be regarded by the indigenous people of South America as a healing stone for loins and kidneys. However, it received its name only in the 16th century, during the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. Jade, or yu, the term commonly used in China, is actually a generic term for two different gemstones: Nephrite and Jadeite.

Exceptional composition

Originally, it was assumed that all jade objects were made from the same material. However, in 1863, a Frenchman, Alexis Damour, discovered that the material known as “jade” could be divided into two distinct minerals: Jadeite and Nephrite. Because these two materials are difficult to distinguish, and because the word “jade” is so ingrained in the common language, the name jade is still commonly used in many societies, industries, and academic disciplines.

Designations of the materials

In this article, the word “jade” is used for undifferentiated materials. “Jadeite” or “nephrite” is used when the identity of the material is known. The word “nephrite” is also an imprecise term. It is used for materials composed of the minerals actinolite and tremolite.

Jadeite, Nephrite and Science

Jadeite and nephrite have distinctly different mineral compositions. Jadeite is an aluminum-rich pyroxene, while nephrite is a magnesium-rich amphibole. However, the two minerals have very similar physical properties to the eye of the average person. Only trained observers with considerable experience are able to reliably distinguish between them without mineral testing equipment. For this reason, jadeite and nephrite were not properly distinguished by scientists until 1863.

Origin of the distinction

Unknowingly, Chinese artisans had distinguished jadeite from nephrite and valued it enough to pay a high price for jadeite. However, they did not have the knowledge and equipment in chemistry and crystallography to formally distinguish them.

Rarely did Chinese artisans encounter fine-grained jadeite with a bright translucency and a rich, uniform green color. This beautiful material was given the name “Imperial Jade” and was considered the stone of the highest quality. At that time in China, the possession of imperial jade was reserved only for the emperor. Now, anyone who can afford it can own Imperial Jade. The best specimens can cost more per carat than high quality diamonds.

• Chinese craftsmen first found out the difference
• However, did not have tools and knowledge to further investigate him
• Imperial jade was only allowed to be owned by the emperor in China

Still in great demand: Jade in China

The Chinese value jade much more than any other people. For thousands of years, jade has been the most popular gemstone in China. Chinese emperors desired excellent specimens of jade, and they traded or waged war with distant nations to acquire them. In China, gifts of jade are given at almost every important station in life, such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other celebrations. It is also a commonly used material for making religious art. China is the country where the importance of jade is the highest.

History of the green gems

Jade has been known since the Stone Age and was a highly sought-after mineral, especially in ancient China, where at times it was valued almost as highly as gold, but also worldwide. Since as early as 3,000 B.C. it has been regarded in China as a yu, a “royal gemstone”. It had always had a very special significance in the long history of art and culture. It was used for the finest objects and cult figures as well as for grave goods for high-ranking members of the imperial family. Even today, this gemstone is considered a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious.

Early use of jade in tools

People have been using jade for at least 100,000 years

The earliest items made from jade were tools. Jade is a very hard material and is used as a tool because it is extremely tough and breaks to form sharp edges. Most jade does not have the color and translucency that one would expect from a gemstone. However, when early humans found these special pieces of jade, they were often inspired to make them into a special object.

Toughness is the ability of a material to resist fracture when subjected to loads. Hardness is the ability of a material to resist abrasion. Early toolmakers took advantage of these properties of jade and shaped it into cutting tools and weapons. It was used to make axes, projectile points, knives, scrapers, and other sharp cutting objects.

• Used for 100,000 years
• Earliest items: Tools
• Very tough and hard

Tough, in the context of gemstones, means: Ability of a material to resist breakage. Hardness means: ability of a material to resist abrasion.

Today’s use of jade as a gemstone

Jade is a durable, colorful material that can be worked into shapes and polished to a high shine. These properties make it a highly desirable gemstone. Jade has been used to make a variety of jewelry items such as pendants, necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, beads, cabochons, tumbled stones and other items.

These jewels are often made of solid jade, combined with other gemstones or set in settings of gold, silver or other precious metals. In addition to jewellery, jade is also used to make small sculptures, ornaments, religious art and small functional objects.

Jade trade: Video

Danger of confusion!

Maw sit sit

Maw Sit Sit is a rock composed of jadeite, albite and kosmochlor (a mineral related to jadeite). It has a bright chrome-green color and can be polished to a bright finish. For these reasons, it is used as a gemstone. Maw Sit Sit was first correctly identified in 1963 near the village of Maw Sit Sit in northwestern Burma in the foothills of the Himalayas. This is the only place where it has been discovered so far. It is used for cutting cabochons and making small sculptures. Because of its scarcity and low production, it is rarely used in jewelry.

• Rock consisting of jadeite, albite and cosmochlore
• First identified in 1963 in the Himalayas, near the village of Maw Sit Sit.
• So far the only find
• Only rarely in jewellery

Similar materials

A number of other minerals and materials that are commonly cut and polished are easily mistaken for jade. All of these materials can have a color, luster, and translucency very similar to jade – so similar that the average person cannot recognize them. These materials are often used to make cabochons, beads, and other items in the same style as jade. They sometimes come on the market with and without disclosure. They are often labeled “jade” or one of many misnomers.

Chalcedony

Chalcedony is a translucent variety of microcrystalline quartz that comes in a range of colors similar to jade. Chrysoprase is a light green, chrome colored chalcedony that when cut into cabochons, beads and small sculptures looks very similar to jade. Chalcedony comes in a variety of other translucent colors such as black, lavender, yellow, and orange that can look like the color variations of jade. Chalcedony can look very similar to jade as a gemstone. It can be distinguished from jade by its lower specific gravity and by a variety of instrumental methods.

Serpentine

Serpentine occurs in a variety of wonderful translucent to almost transparent green and yellowish-green colors that look very similar to jade. It is a metamorphic mineral that often occurs in the same geographic areas and the same rock types as jade. Serpentine is much softer than jade and also has a much lower specific gravity.

Vesuvianite, also known as idocrase, is another jade-like mineral that is very difficult to distinguish from jade without laboratory testing. It has a similar hardness, specific gravity, and physical appearance. It is not nearly as tough as jade and breaks more easily – but that requires destruction of the sample.

Jade types, treatments and tips for purchase

For thousands of years, the people who make and sell jade objects have found many ways to improve their appearance. Heat, wax, dye, bleach, acid, polymer injection, and other treatments have all been used to improve the color, luster, and stability of jadeite and nephrite. Although many of these treatments are part of the traditional jade manufacturing process, today’s serious jade buyers want to know about all the treatments that have been used in the manufacturing process.

Classification into type A, B and C

Commercial jadeite objects are classified into three “types” depending on the treatments used during the manufacturing process. They are referred to as Type A, Type B and Type C jadeite.

A jade locket: the deep green color jumps right out at you:

Jadeite type A: Treatment with wax layer

Type A jadeite objects have been treated with a wax coating. This is the most traditional jadeite treatment. It is expected and accepted by serious buyers and generally does not affect the value of a jadeite object. In this treatment, manufacturers boil finished jadeite objects in water to clean and prepare them for wax application. The objects are then dried and dipped in melted wax. The wax fills all pores and fractures near the surface. When the objects have cooled, excess wax is removed and the objects are polished to a high gloss. The wax fills in surface imperfections and gives the surface of the object a smooth, glossy finish.

Jadeite type B: bleaching by hydrochloric or sulphuric acid

Type B jadeite objects were bleached by soaking in hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. The acid removes oxidation stains and leaches sodium. This lightens the color of many materials. The jadeite is then impregnated under pressure with wax or a clear polymer resin. The impregnation fills all pores and fractures near the surface and gives the object improved smoothness, luster and color.

Unfortunately, the appearance of type B jadeite objects can deteriorate after only a few years. Acid treatment causes some jadeite to become brittle, and polymer resins can discolor over time or with exposure to heat and sunlight. Because of these problems, the treatment of Type B Jadeite should always be disclosed when an item is sold, but many items are sold without disclosure. This lack of disclosure is due to the fact that Type B Jadeite objects usually sell for a small fraction of the price paid for a similar Type A object. Sellers often get away with non-disclosure because Type B treatments are difficult to detect. Testing in a gemological laboratory is often required to detect Type B treatments.

• Bleached by soaking in hydrochloric or sulphuric acid
• Impregnated with wax or polymer resin under pressure
• Appearance may deteriorate after a few years
• Treatment should

Jadeite type C: Individual colouring

Type C jadeite usually has all the treatments of type B jadeite, but the object has also been dyed a more desirable color. The dyes may fade over time or with exposure to heat and light. For these reasons, Type C treatments should always be disclosed.

Color treatment can often be determined by examination with a microscope, spectroscope or gemological filters, but this examination should not be required – the seller should disclose the full extent of treatment for each object sold. Disclosure is not always made, as Type C jadeite sells for a small fraction of similar objects with Type B treatment.

Type C objects should be purchased at a price that assumes temporary use for a few years. Anyone spending the considerable money on jade should know the difference between jadeite and nephrite, have a good knowledge of jadeite treatments and how they affect value and future durability and appearance.

• More desirable colour than type b
• Type C treatments should always be disclosed
• Price that assumes temporary use of a few years

Topaz Quality Features: The famous 4 C

Topaz can be confused with a plethora of other gemstones, probably most easily with aquamarine, citrine, beryl, chrysoberyl and tourmaline. Identification by physical and optical properties such as refractive index or specific gravity should not normally be a major problem for gemologists.

A grading system introduced by the GIA was established to grade topaz, just like diamonds or other gemstones, based on four aspects. These 4 grading systems are known as “the four Cs”. Topazes, especially the more valuable ones, are graded using the following criteria:

1. Colour
2. Cut
3. Clarity
4. Carat weight(Carat weight)

Colour of the topaz (Colour #1)

Topaz occurs in a wide range of natural colors; however, most natural topaz is colorless. The most prized colors are the reds and pinks, which get their color from traces of chromium. Chromium is also responsible for the color in purple and violet topaz. One variety known as “imperial topaz” is especially prized because people enjoy its reddish-orange to orange-red colors, both of which are often found in the same crystal. Most of the world’s imperial topaz is found in Brazil. Topaz with a natural blue color is very rare and valuable.

Blue was the most popular color for topaz on the market for a while. However, almost all blue gemstones started out as colorless or pale blue topaz. A safe and very common heat and radiation treatment gives them striking, darker colors. Before this development, natural pale blue topaz was rare and valuable, while colorless topaz had always been widely available and could be bought cheaply by the ton. The consequences of modern treatment processes: The market value for blue topaz dropped rapidly. Today they are among the cheapest gemstones on the market.

Beware of color falsification

Another method of distorting the color of topaz is a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in which an ultra-thin layer of metal is deposited on the surface of the stone, usually titanium or gold. The colors produced are pink and red, green and petrol blue/green. One type of CVD-treated topaz exhibits iridescence in all the colors of the rainbow and is marketed as “Mystic Topaz.” Experience shows that the colored layer can be removed very easily with a fingernail scratch.

Yellow, brown and colorless topaz also have lower values. These colors are often heated, irradiated, coated and otherwise treated to change their color.

Facts about the color at a glance

Naturally blue topaz is quite rare and shows a fine aquamarine color only in the best cases. It never exhibits the striking and unnatural “Swiss blue” hue caused by irradiation. The only irradiation-induced color that could be mistaken for a natural color is a light blue marketed as “sky blue”.Occasionally, one encounters intensely green topaz in the markets. These stones owe their color to a diffusion treatment. The layer of color produced by this treatment is usually so thin that it can be removed by simple repolishing. The result is a colourless topaz…

Today, most topaz offered in department stores and mall jewelry stores at low to moderate prices has been treated in a laboratory. Colorless topaz can be heated, irradiated, and coated with thin layers of metal oxides to change its color.

Natural blue topaz is extremely rare and is usually light blue. Almost all blue topaz sold in stores today is colorless topaz that has been irradiated and then heated to produce a blue color. “Swiss Blue” and “London Blue” are trade names for two of the most common varieties of treated blue topaz found on the market today.

Natural pink to purple topaz is also extremely rare, but these colors can also be produced in the laboratory. The starting point is a stone cut from colourless topaz. It is first heated and then coated with a layer of metal oxide to create the pink color. When coated stones are worn in jewelry, the coating can thin or wear through over time in areas of the stone where abrasion occurs.

Some topazes are coated with a metallic oxide that gives the stone a multicolored iridescent glow. These stones, known as “mystic topazes,” appear to change color when the viewer moves the stone under light or changes the angle of observation. These coatings are also thin and can with normal wear.

Term topaz (fluorosilicate)

In 1734, the German mineralogist and metallurgist Johann Friedrich Henckel diagnosed that topaz differs from quartz due to its different cleavage. Thus, Henckel was the first to apply the term topaz to the fluorosilicate, which today bears the name and did not include other minerals.scoured.

Cut of the topaz (Cut #2)

Due to its high cleavage, topaz is a particularly difficult gemstone to work with. Even rapid temperature changes or careless setting work can lead to cracks and fissures in the stone.

Another method of distorting the color of topaz is a process called chemical vapor deposition (CVD), in which an ultra-thin layer of metal is deposited on the surface of the stone, usually titanium or gold. The colors produced are pink and red, green and petrol blue/green. One type of CVD-treated topaz exhibits iridescence in all the colors of the rainbow and is marketed as “Mystic Topaz.” Experience shows that the colored layer can be removed very easily with a fingernail scratch.

Topaz shows perfect basal cleavage, which must be taken into account when cutting and setting. It is not particularly sensitive to acids, except concentrated sulphuric acid. Galvanic baths are not problematic.
However, topaz is very sensitive to heat and should be removed from the setting before any repair work is carried out.

Many brown and orange-brown topaz fade when exposed to light. We once had a beautiful, intensely brandy-colored specimen that faded to complete colorlessness within a year!

Purity of the Topaz (Clarity #3)

Gemstone clarity refers to the presence or absence of inclusions in the stone. Inclusions are any materials such as minerals, gases, liquids, or even other crystals that were trapped inside during its formation. Of the top four gemstones, the others being diamond, sapphire and ruby, emeralds are unique in the number of high quality specimens that contain inclusions, a flawless emerald is almost impossible to find. In fact, the flaws are what often give emeralds their charm, and the absence of any inclusions is often a sign of a fraudulent stone.

Facts about purity at a glance:

• Presence or absence of inclusions
• Emeralds usually contain inclusions
• Flawless emerald almost impossible to find
• Absence of any inclusions is often a sign of a forgery

Important: clarity and transparency

With emeralds, as with other colored stones, clarity and transparency are closely related. It is generally accepted that emeralds have inclusions visible to the naked eye, but only if they affect the transparency, the price is lowered.

Valuable emeralds with inclusions are so standard that there is even a name for them, Jardin-Smaragde (Jardin is French for garden and is so named because of its mossy or grassy appearance). When choosing an emerald, beware of inclusions that come to the surface of the gemstone, as they may indicate future cracks or fractures.

Carat / Weight of the topaz (Carat #4)

The final indicator of price is, of course, the size of the emerald. Large carat sizes are particularly rare, so a three carat emerald gemstone is not only three times as expensive as a one carat stone, but probably six times as expensive. The size of an emerald is measured in carats (abbreviated as ct). One carat is equal to 0.2 grams (about 0.007 ounces).

Topaz crystals can weigh hundreds of pounds and are often quite gemmy at this size. Gemstones of up to 20,000 carats have been cut from different colored material. Museums seem to be happy to receive monster sized topaz gemstones for display. Pink gemstones over 5 carats (Pakistan) are rare, however, and a Brazilian deep orange gemstone over 20 carats is considered large.

Heat treatments are also used to turn some yellow, orange and brown topaz into pink or red. This process is common, stable and undetectable.

“Mystic Topaz”

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process is used to create a mystic topaz, a stone with a multi-colored coating on its surface. This is a common process. The surface coating can be easily scratched. This treatment can be detected by dipping.

Occurrence and mining areas of the gemstone

There are localities all over the world: Widespread throughout the world. Topaz is found on every continent. Mindat.org lists 1186 localities. The most important sources are Brazil, Sri Lanka, Russia and Nigeria.

Topaz occurs in many places around the world where rocks such as pegmatite and rhyolite are formed. Here, topaz is usually a minor mineral in terms of quantity and a secondary mineral in terms of its time of formation.

Brazil has been the world’s most important source of topaz for decades. Almost all of the world’s high-quality imperial topaz is produced in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. The mines of Ouro Preto and Capao are the most important sources of yellow, orange, pink, red and purple topaz crystals for the gem and mineral specimen market. Brazil is also the leading producer of colorless topaz, much of which is heat treated and irradiated to produce the colors Swiss blue and London blue.

Pakistan is a smaller but notable source of pink, red and purple topaz. Sri Lanka is a very important source of colorless topaz. Other sources of topaz are: Australia, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Russia and Zimbabwe. In the United States, some topaz is produced in Utah, where it was designated a state gemstone in 1969.

1. Australia
2. Mexico
3. Pakistan
4. United States
5. Other sources

Australia

Queensland and Tasmania yield blue, colorless and brownish gem crystals. Tingha, New South Wales produces green gem-like material.

Mexico

San Luis Potosí produces fine brownish to sherry-colored crystals, as well as colorless and some yellowish, in many excellent, cuttable forms. Some of this material can be darkened by irradiation, but the color fades in sunlight.

Pakistan

Mardan produces fine pink crystals, terminated and cuttable, in limestone matrix, at Ghundao Hill, near Katlang.

United States

New Hampshire crystals are found, in Texas stones that are colorless and blue, some faceted to large. Likewise, there are areas in Pike’s Peak, Colorado. Here you will find fine blue crystals in granite rock; also colorless, reddish, yellow, some faceted.

Other sources: Germany to Sri Lanka

Other notable sources of gem quality include the following:

• Schneckenstein, Germany: faint yellow, gemmy.
• Madagascar: various colors in crystals and pebbles, often grindable.
• Myanmar: colorless, blue, brown, pink and yellow gemstone masses from gemstone grains.
• Klein Spitzkopje, Namibia: colorless and blue crystals from pegmatites, gemmy.
• Jos, Nigeria: fine blue crystals, also white, many grindable.
• Sri Lanka: colourless, yellow and blue gemstone masses from gemstone grains.
• Afghanistan; India; Japan; Vietnam; Norway; United Kingdom (Cornwall, England, Scotland); Zimbabwe.

Largest known finds

The largest known pink topaz is an oval of over 79 carats from Russia. The largest Brazilian topaz crystal of orange color ever found is said to measure 5 x 27 cm and weigh nearly 2 kg. A very fine lot (9 cutable crystals) found in the 1960s weighed over 900 grams and produced several outstanding gems, one weighing over 100 carats and several over 50 carats. Giant topazes exist in blue, colorless, and pale yellow colors. Red topaz from the tops of some Brazilian crystals is extremely rare, the largest about 70 carats.

Origin of the name

The Greek term “Topazos” is possibly derived from the name of an island in the Red Sea called Topazios. Most likely this was the island of Zebirget (Sebirget, Zabargad et al.). The island name Topazios is in turn derived from the word Topazin or Topazein, which means “to seek” or “to suppose”, since the island was usually obscured by fog and therefore difficult to find. The Greek historian Cornelius Alexander Polyhistor (Polyhistor was born a Roman citizen in 82 BC, hence the Latinized name) wrote that stones the color of fresh (olive) oil were found on the island. In volume 37 of his monumental work Naturalis Historia, Pliny writes about Topazos from the island in the Red Sea. In fact, Zebirget is the main source of peridot for a very long time.

This claim is all the more plausible because until the tenth century A.D. the word “topaz” was commonly used to describe green gemstones.

In the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, Pitdah, the Hebrew name of the second stone in the high priest’s breastplate, is given as topaz. The American mineralogist and gem collector George Frederick Kunz (in whose honor the mineral was christened kunzite) assumed that the root of pitdah was in the Sanskrit word pita, meaning yellow, and concluded that it may actually have meant the mineral now known as topaz.

The counterargument, of course, is that topaz in ancient times denoted green gemstones.

Trade names (excerpt)

There are so many Handesl names, here is just a small sample:

• Sky blue, aqua blue (reinforced)
• Swiss blue, medium blue (reinforced)
• London Blue, dark blue (reinforced)
• Mystic surface treated topaz with multiple colors
• Hyacinth or hyacinth, dark orange to orange-red
• Emperor topaz, highly saturated medium, reddish-orange
• Sherry, brownish yellow to orange or yellowish brown

302.37 carat – How a diamond is created

How is a finished diamond created? The question is simple, the process is all the more complicated. It takes a lot of time to cut a diamond. Diamonds cut by real masters of their trade.

In the following video you can see the transformation of the 302.37 carat “Graff Lesedi La Rona”. This diamond is the largest square emerald cut diamond in the world. Not only that, it is also the largest, clearest and most colorful square emerald cut diamond ever certified by the GIA. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) developed a system of diamond certification and is used worldwide.

Graff have taken the Lesedia La Rona rough diamond with 1,109 carats on an incredible journey.

Purchase, Planning, Cutting and Sale

The process – The rough diamond has an incredible 1,109 carats and is the second largest ever found on our planet. It was discovered over 100 years ago. Immediately after the purchase, Graff began with the design of the cut and planning. Graff first cut and polished 66 individual, exquisite satellite diamonds. In the second step, the main diamond, of unprecedented size, is cut and polished.

Graff’s world-leading team of gemstone developers and master polishers spent a full year and a half, or 18 months, expertly planning, cutting and polishing the rough diamond using groundbreaking technology.

• Rough diamond: 1,109 carats
• Diamond (after cut): 302.37 carat
• 66 satellite diamonds
• Processing time: 18 months

The result is a masterpiece, a truly historic moment, the Graff Lesedi La Rona with 302.37 carats. Take a look at the creation process here!

Graff Jewelry: History and manufacture

Graff is known for the quality of its fine and filigree jewellery. As described above, it takes up to 18 months to process a unique diamond.

Especially for diamond jewelry Graff is state-of-the-art, also for emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls. The worldwide network helps them to make spectacular purchases.

The Graff company was founded in the 1960s by Laurence Graff and is characterized by the production of magnificent diamonds. They obtain their rodiamonds from mines all over the world.

Experienced master jewellers, gemstone developers and master polishers cut and polish each stone to achieve its full beauty with a special sensitivity for yellow diamonds.

Laurence Graff has worked on some of the most important diamonds of our time. These include the seven-sided 187.82 carat Paragon and the 603 carat uncut Lesotho Promise. The jewels themselves also adorn Graff’s exquisite selection of luxury watches.

Tip! The most coveted and largest gemstones in the world in one list: Here are the most expensive diamonds

Graff diamonds

Windsor Yellows

The Windsor Yellows were acquired by Laurence Graff in Geneva in 1987 at the auction of the jewels of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.

The Duchess was often photographed with the Windsor Yellows, a pair of clips with chic yellow pear-shaped diamonds of 51.01 and 40.22 carats respectively.

• Purchase: 1987 in Geneva (auction)
• Carat: 51.01 and 40.22
• New grinding after acquisition

Paragon Diamond – 137.82 carat

The Paragon diamond was acquired by Graff in 1989. The Paragon is a 7-sided diamond of 137.82 carat (27.564 g), cut. In 1999, the diamond was worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell as a big highlight of the “Millenium” chain.

• Purchase: 1989
• Carat: 137.82

Lesotho Promise

The Lesotho Promise was acquired in 2006 as a rough stone with 603 carats (120.6 g) for 12.4 million dollars.

Such a giant is no longer processed by one person today. The Lesotho Promise was cut by a team of 35 people, with computerized lasers (as seen in the video above), into 26 flawless diamonds totaling 223.35 carats (44.670 g), the highest yield from a single diamond.

The finished stones were unveiled in July 2007.

• Purchase: 2006
• Purchase price: $12.4 million
• rough diamond: 603
• Carat (after cut) of all 26 stones: 223,35
• Carat, largest single diamond: 75

Letseng Legacy Diamond – 231.67 carat

The Letseng Legacy Diamond was found and excavated from the same mine as the Lesotho Promise in 2008. In its raw state the stone was 493 carats. The Letseng Legacy Diamond was purchased by Graff for $10.4 million. The rough stone was cut into 20 diamonds totalling 231.67 carats.

• Excavation: 2008
• Purchase price: 10.4 million
• rough diamond: 493 carat
• Carat (after cut) of all 20 stones: 231,67

Wittelsbach-Graff diamond – 31.06 carat

The Wittelsbach Graff diamond is a 31.06 carat diamond. Its exclusive properties make it one of the most sought-after jewels in the world. The Wittelsbach-Graff-Diamond is an extravagant, deep blue diamond with flawless purity inside the stone. Laurence Graff bought the diamond in 20018 for an incredible 16.4 million pounds, or 20.96 million dollars.

• Purchase: 2008
• Purchase price: $22 million
• Sold: $80 million (Royal Family of Qatar)
• Carat: 31.06
• Special features: Deep blue, flawless purity

Delaire Sunrise

The Delaire Sunrise is the largest square emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond in the world at 118.08 carats. The rough diamond from which the Delaire Sunrise was made weighed as much as 221.81 carats and was discovered in 2008 in an alluvial mine in South Africa. When Laurence Graff unveiled the finished diamond, he called it “Delaire Sunrise” [10].

• Carat: 118.08
• Carat of rough diamond: 221,81
• Characteristic: Largest square, emerald-cut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond
• Origin: Africa

Constellation

At 102.79 carats, the Constellation is the largest round, D-shaped, internally flawless diamond ever evaluated by the Gemmological Institute of America.

• Carat: 102.79
• Special feature: Its size and its perfect flawlessness from the inside

Graff Pink

The Graff Pink is an absolute highlight from Graff. The Type IIa classification with modified emerald cut is estimated at $30-50 million. In 2010 the stone was bought by Graff, in November. For over 60 years, Graff Pink was in a private collection, now it is owned by one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world. Through the new cut, the re-cut 23.88 carat diamond shows new color, clarity and inner flawlessness. “The Pink Legacy”, as the gemstone is also called, was auctioned in Geneva in 2010, at Christie’s auction house.

• Carat: 23.88
• Purchase price: $46.2 million
• Purchase Date: 2010

Graff Sweethearts

The Graff Sweethearts were originally two rough diamonds of 196 carats and 184 carats, which were discovered in the Letseng Mine in Lesotho. After cutting, they produced a 51.53 carat D colour and a Type IIa and a 50.76 carat D colour, both heart-shaped.

• Carats of rough diamonds: 196 and 184
• Diamond (1, after cut): 51,53
• Diamond (2, after cut): 50,76

Sultan Abdul Hamid II

The Sultan Abdul Hamid II is a light yellow 70.54 carat, which was purchased by Graff in 1981. It is believed that this stone was cut from the “Ottoman I”, which originally belonged to Süleyman the Magnificent of Turkey.

• Carat: 70.54
• Date of purchase: 1981

Graff Lesedi La Rona

The Graff Lesedi La Rona, a high clarity emerald cut diamond with 302.37 carat D-colour. It is the main cut of the Lesedi La Rona, which was bought by Graff in 2017 and cut in 2019. The cut of the rough stone also produced 66 smaller stones.

• Sales price: $53 million
• Carat of the rough diamond: $302.37
• Cut in 66 smaller stones

Back to the Capital Investment editorial.

Share risk assessment: advantages and disadvantages

Access to shares is easy for everyone, online or in the bank branch. Every bank offers such securities accounts, some also charge securities account management fees.

For laymen, there is always a risk, because trading is confusing. Stock tickers, news, tweets, many things have an influence on prices and developments. The (daily) trading with shares requires competence and experience. When speculating, high losses are immediately possible. Thus, the risk but also the loss in case of doubt is medium to high. Who wants to start safer in the trade, which should fall back to ETFs. Where there is shadow, there is also sun. Thus, the returns of shares are just as medium to high compared to traditional investments such as savings account, time deposit or overnight money. You can read more about this in our article on index funds (ETF).

Facts about shares as an investment

The most important 3 facts about shares as an investment:

• Know how required
• High risk (complete failure also possible)
• Purchase fees must be taken into account in the volume

Stocks offers great returns, as we also show in the dividend payout example on our article. It is only important that you study the subject of shares in detail before you make your first purchase. We tell you what you need to consider in the first steps.

Advantages

• Easy access via banks or direct banks (online)
• High yields are possible
• Tax advantages

Disadvantages

• Many banks charge custodian fees (tip: direct banks, you often save a lot of money here, even when buying. Read more: Buy shares direct bank)
• Unclear trade, especially for laymen
• Price fluctuations in real time

Buying shares? Definitions and tips

Before buying your first securities, you should check which type of investment you are. Basically, you have two options.

1. Passive investor (ETF, index fund)
2. Active investor (share)

Passive (ETF) or active investor (stock)?

Both forms offer advantages. Trading individual stocks provides for higher price breakouts, thus potentially more profit (and loss). The risk increases. If you want to trade more cautiously, you can buy index funds (ETFs).

Passive investor

The word ETF portfolio stands for “Exchange Traded Fund” and is an exchange-traded index fund. This index fund tracks the performance of an index, such as the DAX in Germany or the NASDAQ in the USA. But these are only the best known representatives. As you will see in the list of the best, biggest and cheapest funds.

New York Stock Exchange

At their core, ETFs combine the advantages of stocks and funds into one product, so you can invest money directly in entire markets through ETFs. A real advantage.

Active investor

In contrast to funds with manageable risk, you can also act as an active investor in trading. As an active investor, you invest in individual stocks. This costs time, because it is about analyzing individual companies to determine which paper you want to buy.

As an active investor, you will be affected more quickly by price fluctuations. Even one piece of bad news in the morning about a single company can greatly minimize your capital if you don’t diversify.

Source: IhrHausverkauf.de(Buy Stock)

Difference between house bank and direct bank

With the bank you have two options, either you go through the classic house bank, such as Volksbank and Sparkasse. Here you can make the purchase directly through the banker or your second option, the buy your shares or funds online, at a direct bank. Direct banks are better known providers such as comdirekt or degiro but also others.

What is the advantage of a direct bank? As a rule, they are significantly cheaper than in a traditional branch bank. Direct banks save on the branch network and employees. The difference between a traditional branch bank and a direct bank is clear: In the branch bank you have a direct contact person and you get advice if you want. You don’t have this direct contact person at a direct bank.

If you prefer to go to a local bank, then you should make sure that it has a well-developed network. Especially if you sometimes travel or have business appointments in other cities. Which banks have the most branches?

1. Deutsche Bank AG (2,984 branches)
2. Commerzbank AG (1,530 branches)
3. Postbank AG (1,092 branches)
4. Unicredit Bank AG (933 branches)
5. Wüstenrot Bausparkasse AG (500 branches)
6. Targobank AG (351 branches)
7. Santander Consumer Bank AG (324 branches)

Source: IhrHausverkauf.de(buy stock, as of Jun 30, 2019)

Shareholders in Germany

How many shareholders are there in Germany? In 2018, Germany recorded an average of around 4.55 million direct shareholders. The current figures for direct shareholders in Germany from 1996 to 2018 (in millions):

Source: Statista

Most expensive shares in the world

1. Berkshire Hathaway
   US Holding with €242,784.90 and a market capitalization of €399.02 billion.
2. Lindt & Sprüngli AG
   Swiss Chocolate with €58,375.96 and a market capitalization of €12.9 billion.
3. Sika AG
   Swiss specialty chemicals with €6,363.68 and a market capitalization of €6 billion.
4. Zoological Garden Berlin
   Zoo with 5,703.01 and a market capitalization of €62.73 million.
5. Saxon Milk Inc.
   belongs to the Theo Müller Group with € 5,025.01 and a market capitalization of € 50.25 million.
6. Cantonal Bank of Zug
   Swiss bank with €4,592.51 and a market capitalization of €62.73 million.
7. Mortgage Bank Lenzburg
   Swiss bank with €3,852.89 and a market capitalization of €277.3m.
8. Metal Zug AG
   Swiss Household Appliances, Infection Control, Wire Processing and Real Estate with €3,171.31 and a market capitalization of €1.1 billion.
9. SGS SA
   Swiss testing, inspection, certification and verification company with €2,121.68 and a market capitalization of €16.2 billion.
10. A.P. Moeller Maersk B
    Danish shipping company, gas & oil production with €1,633. Market capitalization33 billion €.

Source: Finanzen.net

Is it worth buying shares?

If you hold shares for a long time, you will receive dividends at the end of the financial year if you are successful.

271.1 % Increase in dividends in 15 years

In this chart you can see very impressively how dividends increase year after year, billion after billion. This is the development of the dividend payments of the DAX companies in the years from 2003 to 2019 (in billions of euros). Just the jump from 2004 to 2019, which is 15 years, added 27.8 billion euros in annual payouts. An increase of 271.15 % compared to the same year.

• 2003: 10.3 billion
• 2005: 15.2 billion
• 2007: 23.5 billion
• 2009: 22.1 billion
• 2011: 26.0 billion
• 2013: 28.0 billion
• 2015: 30.1 billion
• 2017: 32.1 billion
• 2019: 38.6 billion

Source: Statista

How much does it cost to buy shares?

If you are interested in buying shares, you will find many different pricing models online, each broker has its own. Here, the individual prices per package purchase depend on your online broker.

The standard fees for the purchase of shares are usually five to eight, maximum ten euros. In addition, there is a fee of 0.25% depending on the trading amount. The fee per purchase is usually limited to an upper maximum amount.

If you are online a lot, you will quickly find alternatives via search engines and comparison portals. Flat-fee offers from various established discount brokers such as onvista are attractive, for example.

Equally interesting are promotional offers, where at certain times the volume-dependent fee or the entire fee is waived completely.

Fees and costs for the purchase of shares summarized:

• Purchase fee of 5 – 8 Euro, maximum 10 Euro
• Trading amount mostly 0.25 % of purchase
• Tip. Flat-free offer like at onvista

First stock purchase? Should you invest a lot or a little? Read more on the topic here with a stock purchase example calculation.