Louis Vuitton have launched two new patented diamond cuts based on their iconic monogram flowers - a rounded-cut flower diamond, and a pointed-cut flower diamond.

The cuts which are patented took over three years to develop. The LV diamonds have between 61 and 77 facets, and are set into various pieces of jewelry, including a necklace with 108 carats of diamonds retailing at $4 million.

Brooches, rings and necklaces featuring the monogram cut diamonds will also be available. The collection has been named “Les Ardentes”, which translate as “the blazing.”

Third-largest cut diamond goes on display

The world’s third largest cut diamond, otherwise known as the “Incomparable Diamond,” went on display this weekend at the Royal Ontario Museum. It weighs in at 407.08 carats, has been graded ‘flawless’ by the Gemological Institute of America, is kite shaped and has a beautiful golden yellow color, all of which combine to create its very unique and individual beauty.

It was found as an 890-carat rough diamond by a young girl in the Mbuji-Maya district of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 1980s as she played in a pile of rubble from a nearby diamond mine.

The diamond was bought and sold numerous times prior to being acquired by Mr. Samuels and Mr. Glick. Mr. Samuels, a master cutter charged with cutting the diamond, initially hoped to break the record for the largest cut diamond in the world. It was determined, however, that size would be sacrificed for perfect clarity. Following four years of study and cutting, the 407- carat Incomparable Diamond emerged along with fourteen other “satellite” diamonds cut from the one 890-carat rough diamond. Five of these “satellites” are to be exhibited alongside the Incomparable Diamond.

The diamond will be on display until March 22nd of next year as part of the museum’s The Nature of Diamonds engagement. “The Nature of Diamonds,” running from Oct. 25 to March 22, is billed as “the most wide-ranging exhibition ever developed on the allure of diamonds.” It looks at the geologic origins of diamonds, how they are mined, their cultural significance and uses in science and technology.

New Audemars Piguet Haute Joaillerie Pieces

tra-luxury Swiss watchmaking house Audemars Piguet has launched two new stunning watch and necklace sets.

There are two sets of matching 18K white gold and diamond watches and necklaces for women, the Coup de Theatre and Carnet de Bal. Both watches use the AP calibre 2046 movement with manual winding (18 jewels) that beats at a frequency of 21 600 vph and provides 42 hours power reserve.

The “Carnet de Bal” series (above) was inspired by flower arrangements, creating a glittering floral spray of diamonds along the wrist and around the neck. The 18-carat white gold timepiece includes 481 gems of varying cuts totaling 59.53 carats. The matching necklace has 1,039 round, brilliant, marquise, pear, and baguette-cut diamonds.

“Coup de Theatre” is a more modern design with 853 brilliant cut diamonds for an astounding 123 carats in the watch. The gorgeous choker is dripping with 1,673 gems weighing in at 204 carats.

£1m timepiece with no hands or numbers

£1m ($1.83 million) clock called the “time eater” has been unveiled at Cambridge University by Professor Stephen Hawking. Unlike conventional clocks, the Corpus Clock does not use hands or digital numbers.

This gold-encrusted timepiece took seven years to completely construct, and the initiative was led by inventor John Taylor who designed it in tribute to English clockmaker John Harrison who solved the problem of longitude in the 18th century.

The grasshopper or “chronophage”, meaning “time eater”, advances around the 4ft-wide face, each step marking a second. Its movement triggers blue flashing lights which travel across the face eventually stopping at the correct hour and minute. But the clock is only accurate once every five minutes - the rest of the time the lights are simply for decoration.

Oh, and every hour, on the hour, the sound of a “chain dropping into a wooden coffin” is played to really pound home the “time is a destroyer” concept.

The world’s largest diamond

Another large diamond has been found at the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a small kingdom in South Africa.

The stone weighs 478 carats and is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found and it may become the largest ever polished round diamond.

Another similar sized rough stone from the same mine was recently valued at $12million. But the clarity and round shape of the new gem mean it could be worth considerably more and in its polished state could sell for tens of millions of dollars.

A spokesman for Gem Diamonds, who own the mine, added that initial examination suggested that the white diamond, which has yet to be named and valued, has a completely flawless centre.

It is estimated to be capable of producing a 150 carat polished gem stone, dwarfing the Koh-i-Noor diamond which is part of the Crown Jewels.

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