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Christie’s auction may have sold numerous “Magnificent Jewels” but they also broke a magnificent number of world records in the process.  The Geneva based auction which was held this week broke a large amount of world records, four to be in fact, and made history as the largest selling jewelry auction. 

The Switzerland based auction sold over $78 million dollars in their latest auction, setting the first and high ranking world record this past week.  Over the course of the last week, many gorgeous, and stunning jewels have topped the auction charts selling not only for their beauty, but for quite an incredible price as well.  

One of these absolutely magnificent jewels was an incredible heart shaped diamond.  This heart bauble is approximately 56.15 carats total weight and sold at the Christie’s auction for $ 10.9 million dollars.  This was the first world record of the week for the famed auction house and the trend towards big jewels at even bigger prices did not end there!  The previous world record for a heart shaped diamond at the Christie’s auction was sold in 1994 for less than half of what the current reigning world record holder was sold at this week.  The buyer for this incredible gem?  None other than the famed London based diamond experts of Graff Diamonds.  

With four world records for high prices and even more amazing gems, the next stunner was in no way a disappointment.  Sell for approximately 7.1 million dollars was a gorgeous, deep blue sapphire.  Creating another world record, for the highest price ever paid at an auction for a sapphire, this stunner is a cushion cut Burmese sapphire consisting of approximately 130.50 carat total weight.  The buyer for this beautiful bauble was identified as Ben Mellen and Son. 

Magnificent jewels and even more magnificent records, Christie’s auction this past week did not fail to disappoint!  These gorgeous, one of a kind gems are now off to great homes with individuals who paid a great price, literally, to keep them in great care!  Cannot wait to see what their next auction will have in store!

Catherine Middleton may be the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge, along with her Prince, the Duke of Cambridge, but her quintessential style and love of classic yet modern has had the whole world watching.  On her big day, Catherine donned a pair of gorgeous pave diamond earrings, a wedding day gift designed by her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and yet again, another trend has ensued.

What is the newest trend that Middleton has inspired, well a globe?  Her simple drop earrings for her big day!  They are stunning, and were designed by her parents to match her borrowed tiara from the Queen.  The stunning pair incorporates Middleton’s new life as a Royal, as well as her “old” life as a commoner.  The main design of the earrings is an acorn shape, which is predominate in the Middleton’s coat of arms.   

What exactly makes this a new and hot trend for wedding jewelry?  Incorporating your personal style and taste, as Middleton loves classic, clean, designs is a huge factor in her personal life.  By adding the earrings to her wedding garb, Middleton has added one of the biggest personal touches to her big day beside the wedding ring of Princess Diana of becoming the newest Royal.  So, be ready to add your personal flair, style and class to the biggest day of your life!  Whether it be classic, lovely drop earrings like Catherine’s, or your wedding band jewelry, be sure to make a bold, yet very personal statement!

With the whole world watching the beautiful and beaming couple gave the adoring crowds, not one, but two kisses to seal their fate on the big Royal wedding day.  The dapper William, dressed in traditional garb and his bride Catherine, dressed beautifully in Alexander McQueen were recently pronounced man and wife at traditional Westminster Abbey, not long before their balcony kiss.

With great pomp and circumstance the couple has steeped their nuptials in great tradition and grandeur.  With all the littlest details

Courtesy of People

 taken care of with the slightest of care, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known to the world as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, went off without a noticeable hitch.  So, with a ceremony filled with immense tradition, luster and grandeur, who would expect that one of the longest standing traditions, would be slipped upon Ms. Middleton’s finger?

That’s right, one of the oldest and longest standing traditions within the Royal family is the gold wedding band in which Prince William slipped upon his gorgeous bride Catherine.  The band itself may seem plain and ordinary.  However, the tradition of its creation, and where exactly the gold is from, has a history of almost a hundred years. 

The wedding band itself is made with Welsh gold.  With William and Catherine’s new home being in Wales, this band also holds quite a bit of significance to the couple as well.  The wedding band was made by a family owned and operated business, in Wales, who has a long standing tradition of making the wedding band for the Royal family.  Wartski Company is the jeweler who crafted the band, and was founded in 1865.  Prince Harry has had the simple, yet stunning, gold band since its completion, sometime on Thursday until its big moment on the day of the Royal wedding. 

It has been a long standing tradition with Royal brides to receive a gold band made of   Welsh gold on the day of their wedding.  The importance and value of this particular gold is due to its rarity and overall quality.  Welsh gold has been in use for Royal brides and Royal weddings since 1923 and has adorned such fingers as the Queen herself and William’s late mother, Princess Diana. 

Traditionally, a simple gold nugget has been used from the Clogau Gold Mine for crafting the bands, or in this case band, as William has chosen not to wear one for giving on the wedding day.  However, due to its scarcity, the mine has since closed, and only silver mining remains.  The Queen was gifted with a small portion of the gold from the Welsh mine for particular use in Royal weddings.  Queen Elizabeth was bestowed with this gift by the British Royal Legion, prior to the mine closing.  Since William and Catherine’s engagement announcement in November 2010, Queen Elizabeth gifted her grandson with a Welsh gold nugget in order to craft Catherine’s wedding band. 

And the rest, well now, is history!  Prince William slipped the beautifully crafted gold band on Catherine Middleton’s finger earlier today, as the celebrations continue through out the night at Buckingham Palace.  Congrats to William and Catherine, the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!