Photos

Comments

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  Chantal May 20, 2012 at 12:45am

  Quite spectacular.Where would the Ottomans have got that style from?
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  Eva Baby May 20, 2012 at 12:49am

  Yes, here the stones look different, never seen black diamonds before, although I have a number of books on precious stones. What a splendour! 
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  Edith D May 20, 2012 at 9:30pm

  Hi Eva:  Although I do not doubt the merchant, that the stones are real, I wonder if these are actually carbon diamonds.  Perhaps they are a silicate stone such as quartz?  It seems to me that real diamonds would cost more than 5500TD (I think about 3000 USD).  I plan to ask a few more merchants to see if I get a different description of these stones.  In any case, this gem color is very popular.  Perhaps it is because the color black here is considered to have value as a talisman.  In Berber culture it symbolizes purity.
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  Eva Baby May 20, 2012 at 9:46pm

  @Thank you Edith.  For your own, it would be good to find out about the stones. For us, it does not matter ......... they do look awfully nice!!!!
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  Chantal May 20, 2012 at 9:57pm

  Edith, didnt even know that black diamonds existed..........Where would they be quarried, do you know?Are they cheaper than other diamonds?
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  Edith D May 20, 2012 at 10:10pm

  According to Wilkipedia, "Diamonds occur in a variety of colors — steel gray, white, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink to purple, brown, and black, virtually in every color of the rainbow."  According to some other websites I found, true black diamonds are very rare, expensive and come from Brazil.  That is why I suspect that these stones may actually be some kind of quartz...a natural mineral, but perhaps a silicate rather than a carbon based mineral.  Of course, at this point I am just speculating.  The necklace is nevertheless very attractive!
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  Chantal May 20, 2012 at 11:06pm

  Thanks Edith for your research. I wonder why we seem to only see the white ones (sometimes the yellow) in our jewellers shops......
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  Edith D May 21, 2012 at 2:17pm

  The colorless diamonds are the most common and I think less expensive.  The colored diamonds are often referred to as "fancies" and I have only seen these in high end shops.  They are rarer and thus more expensive.  These days, however, some of the diamonds are being altered in laboratories by exposure to x-rays.  I think this makes the stone less expensive, but my understanding is that the color may not be as stable as naturally occurring fancies. 
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  Alaa eddine SAGID May 21, 2012 at 9:33pm

  Very nice pieces. This style was very popular in north african cities in the turn of the 20th century.

  Edith is right in mentionning that it is an ottoman heritage, but we should deinetely look at it as a "depreciated" ottoman work since it was made in the last days of the empire where the turks lost nearly all their oriental soul in favour of european taste and trend.

  If these are diamond studded, the necklace is a steal and you should buy it, not expensive at all for what it is, .

  Here in morocco any tiny old gold jewelry studded with rose cut diamonds is sold for thousands of euros
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  Edith D May 21, 2012 at 10:16pm

  Hi Ayis:  The price is why I think these may actually be a silicate stone.  I think one diamond could cost as much as they are asking for this entire set.  What do you think?  Maybe Topaz rather than diamond?  Anyway, I should like to go to Centre Ville and take photos of some of the antique pieces for sale, which are even more fabulous (and more expensive).