It’s All In The Name
“Tiffany’s!… Cartier!… Black Starr!… Frost Gorham!… Talk to me Harry Winston! Tell me about it!…” These immortal words, uttered by Marilyn Monroe, are as true today as they were in 1953. Signed jewels by the leading jewellery houses have always been in great demand, with their combination of style, quality and workmanship.
Such is the power of a name that a vintage piece by Cartier can be worth between three and five times as much as a comparable piece by an unknown maker. Known as “jeweller to kings, king of jewellers”, the house of Cartier has held warrants from the Royal courts of the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Greece, Serbia, Belgium, Romania, Egypt, and Albania.
Founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, and inherited by his son Alfred in 1874, it was to be Alfred’s three sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques who would establish the name of Cartier on the world stage, each taking control of the branches in Paris, New York and London respectively.
Yet it is not just the name of Cartier that can command a premium. Van Cleef & Arpels, the French makers of “haute” jewellery for the rich and famous, (and who, incidentally, patented the technique of the invisible setting whereby stones are cut to fit the mount and held in place from the reverse), are also a highly sought-after brand name.
Founded in 1896 by Salomon Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef, they opened their first shop in 1906, in Paris, at 22 Place Vendome. Since their inception they have supplied jewellery to the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Barbara Hutton, the Duchess of Windsor and King Farouk of Egypt.
Tiffany & Co was initially founded in New York in 1837 as a stationery and fancy goods emporium. The company was originally run by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young, but the name was shortened to Tiffany & Co in 1853, when Charles Tiffany took control, and the firm began to put more emphasis on jewellery. Tiffany jewels have been worn by the Astors, Vanderbilts, Huttons and Morgans as well as many Hollywood stars and members of European royal families.
In the current economic climate, jewellery by leading brands, such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels or Tiffany - to name a few - are going to hold their value more than unsigned pieces. So, if you are looking for a short term loan, and you have brand name jewellery to pledge as security, you will get a better loan offer than you would for a comparable, unsigned piece.
If you are interested in a loan, visit Borro.com today, or call us, free, on 0800 756 9877.
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The Cut of a Diamond
The history of diamond cuts can be traced back to the middle Ages, before which diamonds were left in their natural octahedral state.
The first developments were the polishing of the diamond octahedral crystal faces, which was known as the point-cut which could be found in rings from the mid 14th Century. By the mid 15th Century a little less than one half of the top half of the point cut was sawn off to create the table-cut, while the addition of four corner facets created the old single cut.
The principal problem with these early cuts was that they did not reveal the stone’s strong dispersion of fire (the prism effect, splitting white light into its constituent colours), instead, they accentuated the diamond adamantine lustre (the super transparent or translucent surface). As such diamonds of the period would appear black to the eye, and are frequently depicted as black in paintings of the period.
By around 1476 Lodewyk van Berquem, a Flemish polisher in Bruges cut stones in the shape known as pendeloque or briolette, which were essentially pear-shaped stones with triangular facets on both sides. Later, during the middle of the 16th Century, the rose or rosette was introduced in Antwerp, consisting of a dome covered in radiating triangular facets with the bottom of the stone left flat.
The first brilliant-cut stones where introduced in the middle of the 17th Century and known as Mazarins, which were more square than round in shape. Today, we refer to these stones as cushion-shaped or old-mine cuts. Vincent Peruzzi, a Venetian polisher was to later increase the number of crown facets from 17 to 33 which significantly increased the fire and brilliance of the Mazarins. The cushion was to later develop into the old European cut which had a more rounded shape and a different arrangement of facets which was the forerunner of the modern brilliant.
With the development of diamond saws and better jewellery lathes, the 1900s was to see the development of the round brilliant-cut as we know it today. This cut consists of 58 facets - 33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. Developed by the Belgian diamond cutter Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, this cut is also known as the Tolkowsky cut. However, even with modern techniques, the cutting and polishing of the rough still resulted in the loss of as much as 50% of the stone’s weight.
These days, the choice of diamond cut is dictated by the shape of the rough, the location of internal flaws and the commercial need to preserve maximum weight. The most popular cut is still the brilliant, as the natural diamond octahedral crystal can yield two brilliant-cut stones. There are innumerable other cuts that are also used, such as the step-cut, which was especially popular during the 1930s, however in the immortal words of Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 classic ‘Gentlemen prefer Blondes’, “…square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don’t lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”.
Diamonds are a safe bet to invest in, and the highly qualified Borro valuation team will provide top dollar loan estimates, online, against your diamond jewellery - whatever the cut. Borro frequently advances asset loans within 48 hours of application. So, if you need cash fast, it’s easy at Borro.com.
DID YOU KNOW…?
The ‘4 C’s’ which most diamonds are graded by today was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A), who provide certificates of authenticity for all their diamonds…
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Real Rolex Heroes
The Military version of the Rolex Submariner was adapted following specifications requested by the British Ministry of Defence during the 1970s for use by their specialist personnel.
The specifications which distinguish these rare watches from the civilian Rolex Submariners were that they had to be fitted with fixed bar lugs with a diameter of at least 2 mm. The dials also had to be easily readable and were subsequently fitted with the larger “sword” hands instead of the regular “Mercedes” hands. This modification provided clearer visibility under poor light conditions. An encircled “T” was added at the bottom of the dial, to show that the radioactive element Tritium was used to make the watch luminous, and these models also had a unique bezel with sixty minute marks, rather than only the first fifteen minutes.
The outside of the case backs were marked with the military broad arrow sign, 0552 for British Ministry of Defence, 923-7697 for the NATO code, as well as the issue number and issue year. The inside of the case backs repeated the serial number which, in other models, is commonly only found between the lugs.
These subtle differences make these watches highly desirable amongst watch collectors, easily pushing auction prices up to between £30,000 and £35,000 for a military issue Rolex Submariner as opposed to £3,500 to £4,000 for the standard version.
Bonham’s auctioneers recently achieved £36,000 and £34,000 for two military issue Rolex Submariners, one of which was used during the Falklands war. There are three series of the Rolex Royal Navy Military Submariner: 5513 standard ref, 5513 on case and back, 5517 on a lug double Ref, and 5517 unique ref.
Do your family members own a military issue watch of this kind? Perhaps you are unsure of its value? Our expert valuation team can give you reliable and speedy advice, and if you have something rare, you may be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Assets like these can be used to secure loans from £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months. You don’t need to sell your assets to raise the cash you need. When you have paid back your asset secured loan, and redeemed your goods, they will still be a good investment - and they will still be yours!
Borro.com, the world’s first online pawnbroker, is available from the comfort of your home, via your pc, 24/7. For the most discreet, convenient and rapid personal loan service, check out Borro.com today!
DID YOU KNOW…?
A genuine Rolex Submariner can be identified by the bright white text, delicate hands and 2.5x magnification of the date on the dial. Counterfeits have much smaller magnification…
The Space Sale - Memorabilia That Is Out of This World!
On July the 16th, Bonhams New York celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing with a sale of Space Memorabilia in New York.
Items to be auctioned were either acquired directly from the astronauts themselves, or were once part of their collections, and include artifacts that were carried inside the spacecraft or taken out onto the moon’s surface.
A large format colour photograph of the first 7 astronauts, signed by three of them is projected to raise $ 600 - 800 at the auction, while bids for a model of Saturn V, from the Dr. Maxime Faget Collection, are expected to be in the region of $10,000 -15,000.
If you have deeper pockets, then you might be interested in an Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Star Chart, used by Armstrong and Aldrin to accurately determine Eagle’s position after the lunar landing. This document is signed and inscribed on the reverse by Buzz Aldrin, and is expected to fetch between $ 70,000 - 90,000, while an Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Sequence document, also inscribed and certified as flown by Buzz Aldrin is estimated to raise a heady $ 125,000 - $ 175,000.
If you have unusual memorabilia with a unique link to a famous person or event, you can always raise a loan, using your assets as security.
Borro.com offers £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months (extendable by mutual agreement) against personal assets of all kinds, including memorabilia, art and antiques, as well as gold, diamonds, jewellery and luxury watches.
Dealing with Borro.com is totally discreet, convenient, and fast! Loans are frequently transferred, electronically, within 48 hours of application, directly into any UK bank account you wish to nominate. And it’s secure, too! Borro.com is UK Government regulated, and all Borro contracts are approved by the Office of Fair Trading, so borrowers enjoy every possible legal protection.
Everything is done online, at home, on your pc, and all goods are shipped by pre-paid, fully insured courier.
For more information, or a confidential valuation, visit Borro.com, or phone us, free, on 0800 756 9877.
DID YOU KNOW…?
NASA accidently taped over video footage of the first man on the moon, which had to be restored in a Hollywood studio!
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All About Tanzanite
Tanzanite, part of the Zoisite group is a rare and much desired gemstone. It is an intriguing and dramatic stone that is considered alongside Sapphire to be the finest blue stone in existence - despite its scarcity, and only recent and fast rise in public awareness.
Beautifully transparent, the gemstone is of an indigo-violet hue and the only place in the world in which it is found is in a particular area of Tanzania. First recorded as recently as 1967, it was launched into the jewellery industry by New York’s Tiffany & Co. in the late 1960’s.
The value and pricing of Tanzanite is based on the intensity of the colour; a dramatic blue stone will be worth more than a purple or violet toned stone. However, so long as only one source exists in the whole world this gemstone will remain highly valuable and in popular demand.
A relatively soft stone, it can be brittle and chip in certain conditions, and it is not as well suited to everyday wear as other gemstones. If you own Tanzanite-set jewellery that you would like to keep protected from the general wear and tear of everyday life, and you are looking for a form of short-term lending, then Borro could offer you the perfect option.
We store all assets in the historically renowned London Silver Vaults in Chancery Lane, in climate controlled and timelocked storage facilities with 24 hour security surveillance.
Visit our website at Borro.com, or phone us free on 0800 756 9877.
DID YOU KNOW…?
As beautiful as the stone is, Tanzanite has been outlawed in certain countries resulting in a large mark up on it’s price at point of purchase…
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Pop Goes the Weasel!
What on earth does that mean?
Well, “pop” is Cockney slang for “pawn”, but would you really get much of a loan secured against a weasel?
Let’s go back to the beginning. A Cockney is someone of working class origin, who was born within earshot of the church bells of St Mary le Bow (Bow Bells). Apart from using “pop” to mean “pawn”, Cockneys also use rhyming slang. For example, “apples” = stairs.
Now if you’ve noticed that “apples” doesn’t rhyme with “stairs”, you’re not wrong! The thing is, Cockneys choose phrases that rhyme with the substituted word, and then omit the part of the phrase that rhymes. Confused? You soon will be! Here are a few examples:
“apples and pears” = stairs (Cockneys say “apples” instead of “stairs”)
“dog and bone” = phone (Cockneys say “dog” instead of “phone”)
“weasel and stoat” = coat (Cockneys say “weasel” instead of “coat”
Now we’re getting somewhere! If you’ve understood all of the above, then it is eminently clear that Pop Goes the Weasel means that someone has pawned their coat. (NB – there are other conflicting theories about the meaning of the word “weasel” in this rhyme, but I like this one, and I can’t be bothered to explain the derivation of the others, which include “weasel” = “iron”, “spool” or “bobbin”).
Anyway - I digress… The original words of the rhyme are:
Half a pound of tuppenny rice
Half a pound of treacle
That’s the way the money goes
Pop goes the weasel
Up and down the City Road
In and out the Eagle
That’s the way the money goes
Pop goes the weasel
It’s basically all about cash flow. If you were a 19th Century Cockney, you might spend your money on necessities (rice & treacle), and then you might go out on the town (City Road) to spend some time at the Eagle (pub & music hall). But then, if you overspent, you might pawn your coat (pop your weasel) until the next pay day.
So, back to the beginning. Would you get much for popping your weasel? (Pawning your coat?) Probably not a lot - unless it was diamond encrusted, or it belonged to the Duke of Wellington or Marie Antoinette.
However, Borro.com offers asset backed loans against personal valuables of all kinds, such as gold, jewellery, art or antiques. A Borro loan ranges from £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months (extendable by mutual agreement) at 4% - 6% interest per month.
Borro.com frequently transfers loans within 48 hours of application. Everything can be done online, at home, on your pc, so it’s all discreet, convenient - and fast!
If you need a loan, our team of experts will quickly advise you on the loan value of any personal assets you might wish to pledge.
Just get online to Borro.com or phone us today on 0800 756 9877.
WOULD YOU ADAM AND EVE IT…?
Borro.com will give you bread and honey for your Tom Foolery and more. Spread the dicky bird!
[Translation: Would you beleive it, Borro.com will give you money for your jewellery and more. Spread the word!]
Diamonds Are Forever?
The allure of diamonds has existed almost since the dawn of civilisation. The earliest references can be found in the Bible and the Book of Exodus dating from 1200BC. The first deposits were to be found in the ancient mines of India, where manuscripts dating to the 1st century BC have been discovered laying claim that diamonds were known during the Buddhist period of around 400BC, and it is these ancient mines from which the diamonds mentioned in the Bible may have originated.
Although Arab traders were instrumental in developing trade between Europe and India, as well as being the first to use the carat as a unit of measurement, the earliest recorded documentation of the Indian diamond fields in modern times was by J.B.Tavernier, the famed French jeweller and traveller, who visited the East between 1630 and 1668. Although not the first European to visit the ancient Indian mines, he was the first to chronicle them. They stretch from the Godvari river in Hyderabad in the North, to the Pennar river in Madras in the south, and the name of the now ruined ancient fortress of ‘Golconda’, which originally served as a commercial trading centre for the region, has now survived to describe the historic diamonds peculiar to India.
At the close of the of 16th Century the output of the ancient Indian mines began to decline. However around the same time, prospectors searching for gold in the Tejuco region of Minas Gerais in Brazil discovered diamond deposits. The region was renamed Diamantina as the region became the scene of feverish diamond mining activity. The first and most important event was the opening of the diamond mines at Minas Gerais in Brazil in 1723 - just as the Indian mines of Golconda were being exhausted. This led to an increased availability of rough diamonds on the market,which were facetted using recently improved cutting techniques. Such was the quantity of the diamonds produced that the prices in European markets dropped sharply, leading to false rumours spread by merchants importing Indian stones that the Brazilian diamonds were inferior quality diamonds mined in India which had been shipped via Brazil. In retaliation the Brazilian exporters shipped their diamonds to Goa before selling them in Europe as fine quality Indian stones.
As the 18th century progressed, Brazil was to become the foremost source of diamonds until the deposits became exhausted in the 19th century. This co-incided with the discovery of new diamond deposits in South Africa, providing a supply of diamonds which took over the market previously provided by the now exhausted Brazilian mines. As in the 18th century, diamond prices fell due to a new oversupply, and it was not until the1880s that diamond prices finally stabilised when de Beers achieved a dominant market position by aggressively acquiring its competitors.
Today we are constantly searching for new deposits of diamonds to replace those that are running out. In recent times, modern technology has made it possible to mine stone in the inhospitable frozen waste lands of Russia and Canada.
Will the supply of diamonds one day run out? Who knows, one day we may be mining stones in deep space!!
Diamonds are always a safe investment. If you are looking for a loan against diamonds, the Borro valuation team are second to none, and will be happy to provide you with top dollar loan estimates online. Borro frequently advances asset loans within 48 hours of application. So, if you need cash fast, it’s easy at Borro.com.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Scientists beleive that one day diamonds may be found on the moon…
Garnet
Derived from the Latin word ‘granum’ meaning ‘grain’, this exciting and versatile stone goes beyond the insignificant dark red gem conjured up in most people’s minds by the word ‘garnet’. Recent discoveries of numerous types mean that garnet is available in almost every colour and can be nearly as costly as sapphire.
At the Sotheby’s auction of the Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis in 1996, a nineteenth century garnet flower brooch sold for $145,000. 1996 was also the year in which a university student found in central Australia what is believed to be the biggest garnet in the world. This giant stone measures nearly a hundred feet across!
Garnets have been widely known for thousands of years. Even Noah, it is reported, used a lantern from garnet in order to safely steer his Ark through the darkness of the night. Garnets are found in jewellery from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras. Many courageous discoverers and travellers wore Garnets for protection, as they were considered popular talismans and protective stones, because it was believed in those days that Garnets illuminate the night and prevent their wearer from any sort of evil.
Borro.com, the world’s first online pawnbroker, is UK government regulated, and all Borro contracts are approved by the Office of Fair Trading. Everything can be arranged online, from home - discreetly, conveniently and without intrusive questions, credit checks or lengthy bureaucratic processes.
If you are seeking a loan against garnets, or personal valuables of any kind, get online to Borro.com.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Garnet comes in every colour apart from Blue…
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Blunder Lets ‘destitute’ Imelda Marcos Keep Her Jewels
When she emerged in public last week, Imelda Marcos wept and declared herself destitute. Luckily for the former First Lady of the Philippines, the Government in Manila said yesterday that she could have back a $310 million (£190 million) cache of jewellery confiscated from her 23 years ago.
The order, which provoked fury among ordinary Filipinos but may help Mrs Marcos to rebuild her notoriously excessive shoe collection, was issued because the Government forgot to lay claim officially to the jewels.
At the peak of her husband’s power, Mrs Marcos was numbered among the richest women in the world, but has since complained of her poverty. She has also made much of her need to dip into her late husband’s military pension to make ends meet.
However, now she has her jewellery back, she will always be able to raise cash - either by selling it, or using it as security for a loan.
If you need cash, you can always raise a fast loan from Borro.com by pledging personal valuables, such as gold, jewellery, watches, art or antiques, for an asset backed loan.
Borro.com, the world’s first online pawnbroker, offers loans of £100 - £100,000 for 1 - 6 months (extendable by mutual agreement) at very affordable, low interest rates.
Everything is arranged online, at home, on your pc. With Borro there are never any intrusive questions, credit checks or bureaucratic delays. A Borro loan is always totally discreet, convenient - and fast! Borro loans are often transferred within 48 hours of application.
Borro.com is UK government regulated, and all Borro contracts are approved by the Office of Fair Trading.
Check out Borro.com online today!
DID YOU KNOW…?
‘Crown Jewels’ not only refer to HRH Queen Elizabeth’s jewels but any artifact belonging to the reigning royal family of any country. Most ’Crown Jewels’ are kept in Museums…
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Book Dealer Re-Joyces in Ulysses
Last week a first edition of Ulysses, by James Joyce was sold for £275,000 to an undisclosed buyer by an antiquarian book dealer at the Olympia art fair, making it the highest price ever paid for a Twentieth Century first edition.
Regarded by some as the greatest novel of the Twentieth Century, and by others as unreadable, Ulysses has always been something of an enigma. Taking its title from the Latin name for Odysseus, the work strongly alludes to Homer’s Odyssey, detailing the travel of the central character, Leopold Bloom, through Dublin on single day.
The reasons behind the extremely high price paid for this work reveal much about the novel’s chequered past. Prior to its publication as a single work in France in 1922, the work was serialised on both sides of the Atlantic. A section towards the end of the book which was deemed obscene, led to it being banned in the United Kingdom and America until the 1930s. This meant that many of the original copies of the work were either lost, or destroyed.
The recently sold copy was purchased under the counter from a bookshop in New York, shortly after its publication. It is number 45 of the original edition of 100, and only one of four copies from this edition known to be still in existence, and also signed by Joyce himself. The work is also in exceptional condition, because the owner, Mrs Hewitt Morgan, left the book unopened - apart from the famous section which led to the book being banned. It was undoubtedly the illicit nature of the book that led to its owner keeping it hidden away, out of daylight, and also, crucially, in its original box.
Though there are many odd factors about Ulysses that contribute to making early copies arguably among the most collectible works of the modern age, it was the exceptional condition and rarity of this particular first edition that made it so valuable. Antiquarian book dealers and collectors pay the highest prices for works that are both rare, and as close as possible to the condition in which they were published. Books published far more recently, such as the Harry Potter series, can also be extremely valuable. A signed first edition of the first Harry Potter book, The Philosopher’s Stone, which was initially published in a small edition before it became a phenomenon, sold for £27,370 at auction in 2007.
With hundreds of books being published every week, it is only first editions of rare or significant works - in good condition - that are of proven value. So if you have a collectible first edition, or rare volume, Borro is happy to lend between £100 and £100,000 secured against it. There is no need to sell your first editions in order to raise cash, and when you have paid off your loan, you get your asset back, to appreciate even more!
DID YOU KNOW…?
A rare first edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ was sold for £7,000 at auction…
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