With so many hot new trends and jewelry styles to keep up with today, an interesting niche market has arrived using diamonds in everyday items other than those that we typically like to wear.One of the hottest trends among those who have plenty of cash burning a hole in their pockets is diamond-encrusted earphone covers for portable mp3 players. White diamond designs cost approximately $60,000. A less expensive option is the black and white diamond version available for only $4,500. These prices are bound to increase with future color and design options.
These earphone covers can easily turn a quick jog or shopping trip into a red carpet event, and make everyday activities seem like an indulgent occurrence. Player covers are soon to come, and will surely use the modern trend of varying colored diamonds set in platinum or white gold.
Some of the rich and famous are also enjoying diamond designs for home improvements as well. Flooring companies are touting new tile designs that feature jeweled surfaces for a texturized walk across the room. Used as a traditional flooring material or simply a centerpiece to a room, these tiles cost a mere $1,000,000 per meter. Over 1,000 diamonds and 3400 pieces of black onyx, abalone shell and mother of pearl create a dazzling experience in any home.
Rock stars and other entertainers are quite fond of jeweled jeans and wallet chains. One designer, Jason Dussault, has designed a pair of jewel-clad denim jeans for a charity auction. Two pair of jeans were designed with 18k gold, colored diamonds, and a ruby wallet chain, making each pair worth a whopping $250,000. 1080 grams of the gold was set with sixteen 1 carat rubies and eight .05 carat colored diamonds. Twenty-six .05 carat rubies adorn the skull and cross design imbedded in the jeans. A prototype is also being fashioned for public viewing in New York, but it is only worth a mere $10,000.
Liquor distilleries are also finding ways to use diamonds in marketing and packaging of products, as well as the process itself. One such version uses diamonds to distill fruit liquor and boasts a bottle covered in diamond-like crystals.
Celebrity weddings are also using diamonds throughout the entire ceremony today. From cake decoration to table settings, diamonds create a formal and rich feel in many arenas.
A recent use of diamonds to style a non-jewelry item was displayed at the 60th anniversary celebration of the Emmy Awards. The greenroom, which provided a gathering place for celebrities backstage, was decorated with an entire theme in mind.
60th anniversaries are commonly called “diamond” celebrations, and the Emmys were no exception. The greenroom was constructed in the shape of a four-sided diamond, with diamond-themed floor tiles throughout the hall. Every wall became a mirror that reflected the theme, and the centerpiece of the room was a gigantic diamond chandelier.
The chandelier required a crew of 20 men to build in five months’ time. Three tiers of diamonds totaled 3,300 cut diamonds to reflect the light from the surrounding antique mirrors. 2,300 strands of fiber optic lights were installed in the chandelier to disperse light throughout the impressive piece. The light fixture was priced at $10 million for sale after the big event.
The same designer that led the project at the Emmys designed the diamond-encrusted bra in 2006 for Victoria’s Secret. The bra boasted over 2,000 diamonds, and was sold for a total of $2.6 million.
Diamonds have long been a symbol of status and wealth, and hip-hop celebrities are no exception. In past years, rap and hip-hop celebrities have been notorious for sporting ridiculously large jewels and styles, largely due to the history of their business and genre.
Many black musicians were believed to be taken advantage of by the music industry, so within the past few decades, many of the younger artists began buying the large dazzlers. It is believed to be a right of passage for an artist to afford a purchase so large, and once he or she has the ability to do so they see it as a rite of passage in the industry. In order to truly believe they’ve “made it” in the music business, they display custom-made luxuries as the hallmark to their genre.
Several of these artists recently donated these “bling” specimens to an auction that will take place in New York in 2009. Among the donations from Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, MC Lyte and P.Diddy, perhaps the most talked about is from Tupac Shakur’s collection.
The 25 year-old rapper, killed in 1996 in Las Vegas, was wearing a ring at the time, and this piece is going to the auction block. The 10 carats of rubies and pavé diamonds is expected to bring nearly $20,000 next March.
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