With the mere mention of Iran bearing antagonistic associations, it is easy to overlook the fact that the modern-age nation is descendent from the great, ancient Kingdoms of Persia, which dates back some 25 centuries.

The original conquering kingdom eventually fell prey to regional and political upheaval, but the royal line forged on, building, among other things, one of the most prestigious collections of royal treasures.

Unfortunately – but as royal treasures often go – many of the pieces were lost over time. Nevertheless, for the past 200 years, the collection of royal jewels and ornaments has been carefully guarded, and though its exact value remains unknown, it is known to contains some of the rarest jewels around. 

When the contents of the treasury of the Imperial Jewels of Iran was first made public, displayed at the Museum of The Treasury of National Iranian Jewels in the 1960s, it was found to contain  three legendary Indian diamonds: Darya-i-Nur ("Sea of Light"), Nur-ul-Ain ("Light of the Eye") and the Taj-i-Mah ("Crown of the Moon").

The Darya-i-Nur diamond is one of the largest pale-pink diamonds in the world, weighing an estimated 182 carats. The Nur-ul-Ain Diamond, also one of the largest pink diamonds in the world, weighs about 60 carats. Both are believed to have been cut from the same stone – the Great Table Diamond – a legendary pink diamond first reported in 1604, which experts believe weighed 350-450 carats.

The Taj-i-Mah diamond is the largest un-mounted Indian diamond in the collection. It is colorless and weighs 115.06 carats. Darya-i-Nur and Taj-i-Mah are set in a pair of armbands,  a somewhat puzzling choice for gems of this caliber.

Both the Darya-i-Nur and the Koh-i-Noor diamonds are said to have been in the possession of the first Mogul emperor of India, from whom they descended to Mohammed Shah. The latter is believed to have been worn by Fat'h Ali Shah Qajar.

The Koh-i-Noor ("Mountain of Light")  diamond is legendary in its own right: believed to have predated the time of Christ, at 186 carats it was once the largest diamond in the world. Several theories suggest that it is the Koh-i-Noor diamond, rather than the Darya-i-Nur diamond, which was the companion diamond to the Taj-i-Mah in collection's armbands.

It has always been conjectured that the Darya-i-Nur and the Taj-i-Mah diamonds were sister stones, but it may not be true form a gemological standpoint,  since the Darya-i-Nur is light pink while the Taj-i-Mah is colorless – like the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

Gemological genealogy aside, we now have three spectacular diamonds. One can only wonder what other prize possessions are waiting to be discovered among the Imperial Jewels of Iran.

We’ve all heard that diamonds are forever and that the little sparklers are a girl's best friend, but did you know that diamonds are worth only a fraction of what consumers are asked to pay for them?

How is it that one company manages to keep convincing us that diamonds are so valuable? The world's diamond trade is essentially dominated by one formidable power – De Beers – which controls the lion's share of worldwide diamond trade.

The notion that diamonds are extremely rare and valuable is based on decades of marketing. But why would a company pay people not to sell their product?

De Beers, of course, wants to perpetuate the notion that diamonds are rare and therefore expensive. And it seems to be working – diamonds are still regarded as being a great investment that keeps its value “forever.”

So just what can bloggers learn from the diamond empire?

• Perception is everything: Diamonds are coveted because their marketing has branded them so.

If you want to increase the perceived value of your blog, try working towards increasing the number of comments your postings get – comments and feed subscriptions are the only barometer you have for your blog's success.

• Know your market: Don't spread yourself thin by wasting time, energy and money on advertising and social activity. Focus on your desired readership.

• Be there or be square: brand your blog as the "It" thing to read. Here too, the more subscribers you get through social media, the better. Make sure to make your readers feel engaged.

• Maintain professional ethics: Don't market something you don't believe in. People will realize that you're dishonest and then your reputation will be ruined. 

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European jewelry show Inhorgenta, held in Munich in February, attracted more than just watch and jewelry giants – it devoted one of its showrooms for boutique and young designers who wanted to break into the European and world jewelry market.

Inhorgenta is a marketing platform that focuses mainly on the robust diamond market found in central and south Europe, in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland – some of the world's richest and most-toured countries.

The human imagination knows no boundaries and boutique jewelry are the perfect example of that. Boutique jewelry designers rarely adhere to trendy, contemporary designs, utilizing their individual creativeness instead.

The trick – especially in a market geared for high-end jewelry – is to find a way to combine local elements and known tastes with innovative, and sometimes revolutionary, designs.

Jewelry designer Heiko Schrem, who owns an Elchingen-based jewelry store, is a wonderful example for creative and wild thinking that comes together perfectly with elegance.

"We're a small company that has been around for 15 years. The team is made up of me and two other employees and all of us design the jewelry," he told me.
What is the company's designing vision?

"I'm the one who comes up with the designs we use. We use mainly rounded and curved shapes set it diamonds, gems and pearls. We try to stretch our clients' imagination," he said.

Like many other small design firms, Schrem's designs are independent of seasonal trends. Instead, he follows his own designing vision, which is constantly evolving.
Do you set the diamonds yourselves? 

We don't set the diamonds ourselves, we use local experts who do it with the utmost precision. I'm a designer. I design the jewelry," he added, smiling. "I leave the setting to the experts."

Are you regular participants in Inhorgenta?

"We've been coming to the exhibition every year, except for last year. You can definitely see more people here this year, than what my colleagues told me they had last year, or even two years ago. I have a colleague – an Israeli designer – who used to exhibit here every year for a decade, but I haven’t seen him in the show in the past two years."

Israel Diamond Institute Information Officer Iris Hortman later told me that in this specific market, buyers are looking for precision and consistency. If a jeweler decides to participate in the show, he must become a regular – he can't just try it for one year. Buyers' see that kind of behavior as disregardful.

Have you finalized any deals during the show?

"We conduct business in the show, but with retailers and stores rather than with end-consumers."

Despite the large number of visitors in the exhibition, Schrem said his sales were lower than in previous years. Perhaps it was because retailers and stores are still reeling from the effects of the global financial crisis on the jewelry industry, and perhaps because they are eyeing the next hot-zone – the Asian market.