The Diamond Studio Daily 13/01/2014

This is one massive year for Scotland, The Commonwealth Games, EMA's and The Ryder Cup to name just a few are landing on our doorstep. So today just in time to kick off an amazing year we launch our Scotland Collection featuring its first five pieces inspired by Scotland, its wealth of heritage and the great Robert Burns. Everyday for the next two weeks we are going to bring you the best parts of Scotland finishing on the big day its self  The Burns Supper. So lets kick off with some best bits (in no particular order) of the brawest place on earth.

1. Robert Burns.
2. Tunnock’s Teacakes.
3. The fact that after surveying people from all over the UK, the Scottish accent was regarded as by far the most trusted.
4. Grand Theft Auto. We made that, we did. Ditto: Lemmings.
5. Having the Gay Gordons hardwired into your physical subconscious as part of your education..
6. Kelvingrove Museum.
7. The ‘will I make the last train back to Edinburgh or not?’ Russian Roulette sensation of queuing for Pizza Crolla at 11.28pm.
8. The Barrowland sign.
9. That we come from a country that produced James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Irvine Welsh and Ali Smith, all world renowned, all completely different writers, in a relatively small period of time.
10. Eating deep fried whitebait and chips on the harbour wall at Anstruther.
11. Partick Thistle.
12. The huge arch that carries Waterloo Place over Calton Road in Edinburgh.
13. The pronunciation, versatility and myriad usage of ‘gallus’, ‘mince’ and ‘magic’ 
14. The series of step locks at Fort Augustus: a feat of engineering with a view stretching across Loch Ness.
15. Arthur’s Seat. An extinct volcano in the middle of a city. 
16. Nardini's ice cream sundaes.
17. Chips and cheese from the King’s Café after a loooong night in Sleazy’s. 
18. The way old sandstone buildings look cut out against the sky on clear, sunny winter days..
19. The classic Scottish/Indian curry. Especially from Mr Singhs in Glasgow.
20. The beauty and engineering skill of the Forth Bridge. And that the paint job will never be finished.
21. The fact that optimistic and cold-resistant children still swim in the sea at Portobello beach in February.
22. That touring bands still love a Scottish audience better than any other. And we know they don’t just say that to all the girls.
23. The sea. Always different, always the same.
24. The first few days of the Edinburgh Festival. Before you remember that you hate flyer's and too-wacky street performers, it all seems kind of magical.
25. That Scots having great sporting success in any field is still greeted with shock, then delight, then everyone claims to have known the sports person’s father. And they probably did.
26. Salt’n’sauce/ salt’n’vinegar. Choose wisely.
27. Hot toddies.
28. Irn Bru and Tennent’s Lager adverts. Wee bits of genius.
29. The Falkirk Wheel.
30. Being welcomed abroad by all nations.
31. ‘500 miles’ by The Proclaimers. 
32. Glasgow School of Art hipster kids in Deirdre Barlow spectacles, rocking the skinny jeans way before Kate Moss.
33. The BIG glitterball in the ABC. It’s the biggest in Europe apparently. Although we’re not exactly sure who measures these things mind you,
34. Pringle knitwear (off the golf course only, mind).
35. ‘Roamin’ in the Gloamin’’.
36. The Fratellis
37. Castle's 
38. Being far away from home and suddenly becoming the ultimate Scottish ambassador as soon as anyone takes an interest in your accent.
39. The Northern Lights 
40. Never feeling lonely, even if you wanted to be.
    

The Diamond Studio Daily 03/12/2013

Buying jewellery as a gift - The Guide

So you want to give someone special the gift of jewellery but where do you start ? What will they like ? Don't get overwhelmed and hand over money for something you aren't sure of. Use our useful guide to picking jewellery as a gift to avoid what starts out as a thoughtful gesture turning in to a costly nightmare. 

Who is it for ?

This sounds like a simple question but always think about the individual person your buying for and never buy the same piece in mass for example all the lucky ladies in your life wearing the same earrings in different shades most definitely wont make them feel special.

Look for clues.

Once you've decided who you have to buy for look for clues to make your life easier.  

What jewellery do they wear just now ? 

What colours are their favourite ? 

What is their birthstone ? (Again don't panic just ask Uncle Google)

Don't forget to borrow a current ring for sizing.

Mystery Shop.

If your able to its always a great idea to try and take them in to the store your thinking of buying from or any jewellery shop for that matter just to get a further idea of what they like and don't like. If you cant do this bring along a picture of the person you would be surprised how much it helps us to pick out something that suits once we can put a face to the product. 

Time is of the essence.

If your choosing a ready to wear piece it's not really an issue unless its got to be re-sized to suit or engraved with a personal message which can be done within the week or if its really important on the day. However if you choose to make up a bespoke piece for them it can take between 2-3 weeks from design to finished product. So always think ahead on timescales.

Last step.

You made it ! see it wasn't to bad was it?Now all you have to do is watch them open and enjoy a piece they can keep and cherish forever no more dusty cookbooks and bundles of socks.

Today's Diamond of the Day is the Graff Pink Diamond a rare 24.78 carat pink diamond, once owned by American celebrity jeweler Harry Winston, has been described as "one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered". The diamond, mounted in a ring, was sold by Sotheby's auctioneers. Before its sale, the stone was expected to enter the list of the top ten most expensive diamonds in the world on selling for £29 million.

In at number 38 of our Celebrity Engagement Countdown is Zara Phillips.

The Queen’s oldest grand-daughter, was given a bespoke ring by rugby-playing hubby-to-be Mike Tindall. The sparkling circle solitaire is set in a beautiful band of pavé diamonds, but the value and carat count of the engagement ring has so far been kept schtum. 

The Diamond Studio Daily 02/12/2013

Today at The Diamond Studio we would like to remind our customers about how important it is to Buy Direct from their football clubs officially licensed companies. Not only do we use authorized logo's to exact specifications but all designs are approved by the clubs. Further to this your club receives a percentage of all sales giving profit back to the team. Getting other jewelers to make something up for you means the club receive nothing in return for their long established branding being used on anything and everything. We can create anything you want with the benefit of the club not having to use valuable hours shutting down unlicensed traders. Thank you for your continued support it is very much appreciated see you all next match day in the studio or at the parks ! Accept no imitations.

We pleased to announce that you can now buy gift vouchers online via our website this makes it so much easier if you can't decide what to get or perhaps live far away from your loved ones. The power to pick out something perfect can be given to that someone special this Christmas.







Today's Diamond of the Day is the
Excelsior Diamond. A large diamond weighing 995 carats was found in 1893 by an African mine worker. The name Excelsior, meaning higher, came from the stone's original shape - flat on one side and rising to a peak on the other. It was cut into 21 diamonds, the largest being 69 carats the Excelsior 1 (Pictured here in a bracelet setting). The diamonds were sold to undisclosed parties. The Excelsior 1 was purchased in 1996 by Robert Mouawad.

In at number 39 in our Celebrity Engagement Ring countdown is Megan Fox. Megan's engagement to Brian Austin Green was marked by this three carat ring, set in a platinum diamond collar, and worth and estimated $80,000.

The Diamond Studio Daily 28/11/2013

Here at The Diamond Studio we have some wonderful american friends and it all started with DaMarcus Beasley who went from wonderful friend to collaborating on a jewellery range with us! We have watched his career go from strength to strength and we couldn't be more proud as he and his teammates heads off to the World Cup in Rio next year. So on this day of Thanksgiving we would like to give thanks for friendships that span continents and don't change a bit ! To truly get in to the spirit of the day we researched a history of Thanksgiving. The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, to commemorate the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony after a harsh winter. In that year Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving. The colonists celebrated it as a traditional English harvest feast, to which they invited the local Wampanoag Indians. By the mid–1800s, many states observed a Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor Sarah J. Hale had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation, declaring the last Thursday in November a day of thanksgiving.

Today's Diamond of the Day is the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond a 31.06 carat (6.21 g) fancy deep-blue diamond with internally flawless clarity. Laurence Graff purchased theWittelsbach Diamond in 2008 for £16.4 million. In 2010, Graff revealed he had had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws. 

In at number 41 of our celebrity engagement countdown is Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon’s wife has a whopper of a ring to match her larger-than-life personality. Not only is it a $2.5 million 17-carat sparkler, but it also exudes girliness with an emerald-cut pink center diamond surrounded by 58 (yes, 58!) intense pink diamonds and two half-moon rocks on either side. We wonder if she had to chip in?

The Diamond Studio Daily 26/11/2013

At The Diamond Studio we are so honoured to work so close with Scottish football and when we got the chance to create a line with Celtic we couldn't wait to getting sketching and so The Bhoys Collection was born. Our fabulous models Adam Mathews and Jo Ledley have helped see that its popularity grows ! We can create bespoke pieces as well with loose emeralds waiting to be set in to something spectacular. So with tonight's game approaching we wish The Bhoys the best of luck and look back over some key moments in Europe.

1967 - Celtic complete their most glorious season by winning every competition entered: Scottish League, Scottish Cup, League Cup, Glasgow Cup and the European Cup. The climax of the season is the 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the European Cup final played at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon on May 25, 1967. Celtic thus become the first British (and non-Latin) club to win Europe's most coveted trophy.

1970 - Celtic reach the final of the European Cup again, but lose 2-1 to Feyenoord after extra time in Milan. In the semi-final Celtic defeated Leeds United in both legs. The second leg at Hampden Park was watched by 133,961, the largest crowd ever to watch a match in European club competition.

1974 - Celtic win the league championship for the ninth season in a row - at the time, a joint world record for success in domestic titles. The team reaches the semi-final of the European Cup for the fourth time.

2003- Celtic reach the UEFA Cup final – their first European final in 33 years. Over 80,000 fans flock to Seville, but see the Hoops lose 3-2 in extra-time to FC Porto of Portugal. 


2012 - Celtic beat out fierce competition and gave the fight of the season sealing impressive wins over the some of Europe's greatest the most memorable was the unforgettable win over Barcelona which showed the world what they are made of.

Today's Diamond of the Day is The Florentine Diamond. The Florentine Diamond is a lost diamond of Indian origin. It is light yellow in colour with very slight green overtones. It is cut in the form of an irregular (although very intricate) nine-sided 126-facet double rose cut, with a weight of 137.27 carats (27.454 g).

In at number 42 in our celebrity engagement ring countdown is Olivia Wilde After dating for more than a year, funnyman Jason Sudeikis has proposed to actress Olivia Wilde with a round brilliant diamond in a emerald halo setting on a delicate band the emeralds chosen to match her eyes (awww).

The Diamond Studio Daily 4/11/2013

                                                                                                                                                                                                  We where so pleased to go to Belfast on Saturday to show off some of our different collections, We where overwhelmed by how warm and inviting the city and it's people are. Its truly a magical place and we hope so very much that we can return to work their on a regular basis! So much to see and do in this vibrant city, not to mention the amazing breakfast we got from Failte's restaurant.

Today's Diamond of the Day is the Archduke Joseph a colorless, antique cushion-shaped brilliant, originally weighing 78.54 carat. It originated in India's Golconda mines, where the colorless Koh-i-Noor, the Blue Hope Diamond and other famous diamonds also originated. It was named after Archduke Joseph August of Austria, its first recorded owner who had it deposited in the vault of the Hungarian General Credit Bank on 1st June 1933. This was the first record of the existence of the Archduke Joseph diamond. In 1936 it was sold to an anonymous buyer who is believed to have been a European banker and kept in France, locked away in a safe deposit box, where it remained undiscovered from the German occupation powers during World War II. It surfaced at auction (but not sold) in 1961 in London and again at Christie's in Geneva in November 1993. On November 13, 2012 the Archduke Joseph (76.02 carat) was sold for more than 20m Swiss frank.

Today's celebrity engagment ring comes from Colleen Rooney in at number 48 on our top 50 countdown. Wayne Rooney might have proposed to a 17-year-old Coleen McLoughlin in a petrol station in 2003, but he more than made up for that with the four-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring he gave her. Estimated Value: $46,000

Create your own wedding ring with our bespoke personalised service.

The Diamond Studio specialise in creating bespoke personalised wedding jewellery to suit any budget and taste.

We work with all clients through all aspects of the design and creation process and we most importantly listen to your needs, wants and desires.

Getting engaged or married is one of the most important decisions that you will make in your life and we want to make the selection process as easy as possible when it comes to your jewellery.

A diamond lasts an eternity, and we want your chosen piece to reflect your own personal tastes.

So if you would like to arrange a personal appointment to discuss your requirements, please call us on 0141 248 2389 or email: summera@thediamondstudio.co.uk

Wedding Season

As May draws to a close, it is inevitable, Wedding Season has begun! Summer is very popular for weddings, and if you're wedding is soon it's not too late to consider the latest fashions or to chose your wedding band.

At the Diamond Studio we realise that fashion is unique to individuals, however a few styles have been extra popular in store recently. For women, the trend has been for extra sparkly wedding bands with round or princess cut diamonds mounted around the band. The effect is stunning and the perfect way to lift your mood! Further, the impact of many smaller diamonds can also showcase the solitaire in the engagement ring. Definitely a special look for a special lady. We have many exquisite wedding bands in store which are all that little bit different. They are well worth a try on to decide what your taste is. If you know exactly what you are looking for then our bespoke service may be what you are looking for. Your ideas, your design, suited to your budget and ready in 4-6 weeks, so there is still time for those summer weddings.

The other popular sales in the past few weeks have been wedding gifts from groom to bride and from bride to groom. Thoughtful brides have been purchasing keepsake cuff links with engraved initials, or football cuff links from our Spirit of '72 and Bhoys Collection. We are told they all went down a treat with the groom, and can be worn again and again once the wedding day is over. Grooms have followed a similar theme with gifts to be worn on the wedding day, from simple elegant pendants to glorious Jersey Pearl bracelets and necklaces. Nothing sets a wedding dress off like the perfect jewellery so it's worth coming in store and viewing our collections.Bridal jewellery has been following in the footsteps of the Royal Wedding where Kate Middleton showcased gorgeous drop diamond earrings. They were simple, elegant but created an amazing effect with the complicated lace work. And the Diamond Studio noticed that they were very similar to a pair we have in store! So if you fancy becoming a Princess for your big day, we have just the jewellery to make your day special.

A wedding would not be the same without the help and assistance of the wedding party, including bridesmaids, flower girls, best men and ushers. It's only right that they get the thank you they deserve and often this is best achieved through a thoughtful gift. We can offer affordable gifts with personal engraving and beautiful gift wrapping. We have a large selection of potential gifts which are well worth investigating.

So, if you are getting married in the near future, first of all, congratulations, and secondly come for a relaxing pressure free visit to see how we can help.

Store: Suite 2/2, Argyll Arcade, Buchanan Street, Glasgow
Visit: http://www.thediamondstudio.co.uk/
Like: www.facebook.com/thediamondstudio
Tweet: @DiamondStudio
Phone: 0141 248 2389

Congratulations!

We are very pleased to hear of a successful engagement this month!

The ring was made by us bespoke, in The Diamond Studio. The gentleman fell in love with one of our diamonds from our collection, and it was set in a beautiful diamond studded band.


The surprise engagement was very successful, and the bride to be was very pleased with her ring! Check it out in the lovely picture they sent us!





We wish the happy couple all the best in the future and hope they have a long and happy relationship.

Why not come in and see us? Enjoy personal service while you look for the perfect engagement ring in our comfortable surroundings, with a private view of Buchanan Street.

Store: Suite 2/2, Argyll Arcade, Buchanan Street, Glasgow
Visit: http://www.thediamondstudio.co.uk/
Like: www.facebook.com/thediamondstudio
Tweet: @DiamondStudio
Phone: 0141 248 2389