The World of Sparkling & Brilliant Color
Diamonds have a magical way of making us women feel like princesses, just downright special. This year the trend for colored jewels has hit an all-time high and Social Life sought to learn more about the world of colored diamonds.
We selected Leibish & Co., an international specialist and online dealer of natural fancy colored diamond jewelry and fine gemstone jewelry. The company offers one of the largest online selections of colored diamonds and gemstones with both fancy and ideal cuts in various hues, clarities, sizes, and colors set for any budget, with a focus on Argyle pink and canary yellow diamonds. The majority of their stones are mined in Australia, Africa, India, and Russia and all come from legitimate, conflict-free sources complying with UN resolutions.
Social Life sat down with the authority on colored diamonds, Leibish Polnauer, the founder of Leibish & Co., to gain more clarity into what makes him sparkle.
How did you land in the diamond industry?
In 1977 my wife, Rosi, and I immigrated to Israel to a small town called Kfar Habad. I was looking for trade opportunities and decided to learn diamond polishing. In 1979, the factory I was working at closed down and my wife and I decided to visit family in England. While sitting on a train to London, I read a small ad for diamonds in the Guardian newspaper by the Royal Crown Jeweler, Garrard. I called him and to my surprise he agreed to meet with me. He needed 80 brown pear-shaped diamonds of the same color and size for three tiaras they were making. Although I had never seen a brown diamond at that point, I told him they were my area of expertise. Having no idea where I would find the stones, I began my search and managed to acquire some of the diamonds in Israel, and then I traveled to New York to find the rest. To get the diamonds, I borrowed 120,000 pounds sterling (about $1 million in today’s US dollars) — on credit without investing a single dime. I returned to London with all of the stones and within minutes the deal was done. It was from that point forward that I knew my future was in diamond sales.
What are the most interesting, exciting, or most beautiful colored diamonds you’ve ever seen?
Having been in this field for so long, I have seen some of the most remarkable stones pass through my hands. Among many, a 3.22 carat, pear-shaped, vivid blue, internally flawless stone simply moved me. Its beauty, its shape, and its color blew me away.
How do you feel about modified or blended colors in relation to so-called pure colors?
One of the best things about natural colors is the wide spread of options available. Everyone connects to specific colors in different ways. For some, a color incites feelings or memories, and for others it inspires them to be unique. My favorites are purplish pink over a straight pink and a straight deep violet over a violet-ish blue. A dream is always in color, and your jewelry shouldn’t be any different. Fashion is beauty, beauty is color, and color is life.
