A sepcial post written by Iris Hortman, IDI's information officer. 

Art and precious stones come together in this 15.90 kg prayer rug woven from 18k yellow gold and set with 27,104 gemstones.

Owned by Kathryn Bonnano, the rug was created in France over the course of a decade, from 1980-1990 and boasts dimensions of slightly more than a meter by 60 cm. The rug includes 1,242 diamonds, 4,580 emeralds, 1,888 rubies, 8,428 blue sapphires, 12,988 pink sapphires, and 9,668 yellow sapphires. All told, the rug contains a total of 14,000 carats of precious stones.

For five years, gemstones from all over the world were gathered, polished, and cut to fit the rug's design. It took another five years to complete the complicated setting process, which required the highest expertise to place the gemstones in their exact places in the design. In addition, the rug's surface had to be smooth and the stones were accordingly adjusted to give the rug a coherent look and pleasant feel.

All the gemstones set in the rug are oval-shaped and measure 6 X 4 cm. The brilliant cut diamonds were set using prongs, a method common in bracelets. Tassels of gold chain were also created for the rug.

After its completion, the prayer rug was sent to the Gubelin Gem Lab in Switzerland to be inspected and certified, where a random one percent of the stones in the rug were analyzed. The gemological analysis required special preparation and the microscope that was used was assembled on a metal rod that could move over the various parts of the rug, while another rod held the rug up from below.

Prayer rugs are widely used in Muslim Asia and the Middle East. While decorative traditions vary from place to place, prayer rugs usually feature a central decorative motif surrounded by a smaller, repeating decorative theme. This bejeweled prayer rug features a diamond shape with a large flower depicted in the middle. At each corner sits a smaller diamond and flower.

The central diamond is bordered by inverted red triangles on a green border and a pattern of sideways S's.

Photo credit: Gubelin Gem Lab

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Maybe it's time to keep our diamonds under the floorboards – an Indian diamond merchant and his family, who were staying in Belgium, were held hostage by robbers for 18 hours and freed them only after taking millions of dollars worth of gemstones. 

The heist took place Saturday in Antwerp, the world's biggest diamond center, which is considered a crime-free zone. Just two weeks ago I listed the top five most notorious diamond robberies in the world. Luckily, I don't have to change it due to this robbery.

According to the Antwerp police, five or six armed men walked into the villa of Pankaj Maldar, who head Carp Impex NV diamond firm and took his wife and two children hostage.

The gang, who apparently knew the exact nature of the diamond stocked by Maldar's firm, called up Maldar at his office and demanded the diamonds in return for his family's safe release. Maldar, left with no choice, did as he was ordered. 

Vasant Mehta, chairman of the Gems and Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said the industry would take up the issue with Belgian Crown Prince Philippe during his visit to India beginning March 25.

"Antwerp is perhaps the safest place in the world. This robbery has come as a very big surprise," he added.

A spokesman for Ludo Van Campenhout, who is in charge of Antwerp's diamond quarter, criticized the attack but said security measures in the area were adequate: "attacks on diamond merchants are virtually non-existent in Antwerp. If attacks happen, they are at people's homes," he said.

Antwerp robbery aside, European swindlers seem to have had a lucrative weekend: some €800,000 was stolen from a poker tournament held in Berlin's Grand Hyatt Hotel, at the Potsdamerplatz business square.

The heist, which Der Tagesspiegel magazine already dubbed one of the most spectacular robberies of the last few years, was perpetrated by several masked men during a 10-mimute interval between the hotel security guards' shifts. They fled the scene using a black Mercedes which was waiting for them outside.

The robbers probably had their eye of the $1 million dollar prize waiting for the winner of the poker tournament, but that was kept in the hotel safe, leaving them only the "small change" of the floor. 

Thousands of people attended the opening of Inhorgenta Europe 2010 in Munich’s trade fair center, Messe Munich. The innovative jewelry and watches designs were available not only in the dozens of booths, but also on the exhibitors and the elegantly adorned women presenters.

A friend visiting the show, who owns an independent jewelry export business, told me she had never seen so many fur coats and large, bejeweled accessories before. 
Inhorgenta Europe 2010‘s main sponsor was Danish jeweler Pandora, which sported mass attendance throughout the six-room exhibition. The room that appealed to me the most was the design hall, which included the Innovation Forum, Concepts Forum, Forum Silversmiths, “Brand New – New Brand,” booth  and the Silver Summer Gallery themed restaurant.

Among the luxury diamond, gems and crystal studded jewelry, one could also see the latest in jewelry design and setting equipment innovations, as well as the latest in packaging and raw materials. 

The design hall featured small, veteran companies alongside young designers showcasing unique jewels, each expressing their own style. It was a good look at the future generation’s take on the jewelry industry and on how it affects the new spring lines. Smaller labels, on the other hand, tend to be more conservative in their designs, evolving at their own pace, which is sometimes removed from the definition of “seasons.”

The luxury jewelry halls proved a favorite among visitors. Here too, Pandora, whose booths included traditional Bavarian musicians and an open bar, reigned supreme.
Sections of the hall were set aside for sales meetings between retailers and wholesalers.  Swarovski also had a prominent presence, dazzling visitors with its new collection.

Smaller jewelers, who focus on the European market – mainly in Germany, Switzerland, France and Scandinavia – also commanded attention. Many of the presenters said that they were happy with the figures noted during the last holiday season, adding they were optimistic as to this year’s potential performance.

Alongside the exhibition, Inhorgenta Europe 2010 also hosted several important panels. One of the meetings, held by the Diamond Commission of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), used the scene to vote on amendments pertaining to the descriptive terms of industrial diamonds.

The Diamond Commission decided to accept definitions other than "synthetic" for diamonds grown in a non-natural setting. Diamond Commission President Udi Sheintal said that the decision was the result of long and continuous discussion with all stakeholders.

Over the next two week I’ll be bringing you interviews with boutique, local and international jewelry designers I met during the show.

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