Look for special savings for Colombian Emeralds in Activity Guide when you arrive!
Offering an unparalleled selection at significant savings over world market prices, their thirty-year reputation for quality, integrity and value has attracted the most discriminating clients from around the world. To find a setting worthy of housing the world’s finest emeralds and jewelry they looked to the natural beauty of the islands. Beginning with two small stores in the Bahamas they have seen tremendous growth over the last 30 years to 35 stores locations throughout the Caribbean, Nassau in the Bahamas and aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line. You shop with complete confidence as every jewelry purchase is accompanied with a Certified Appraisal; each diamond solitaire ring of a half-carat or larger comes with a Diamond Consultation or a Certified Appraisal from the International Gemological Institute, one of the world’s most trusted source for independent, objective documentation for the quality of diamonds. Traveling to the far reaches of the world, they search for the very best of the best, to please their customers who share a passion for the unusual. Obtaining only the finest gemstones directly from the source, each stone is carefully selected for its color, clarity, cut and rarity. Many items represent designs that are signature pieces exclusive to Colombian Emeralds International. By taking advantage of taxfree and duty-free prices, you can find great deals on quality jewelry in the Cayman Islands; usually at prices well below what you would expect to pay at home. Always buy from a specialist dealer and look for additional discounts throughout this magazine. Diamonds are one of the many precious gems that can be purchased in Cayman at low dutyfree prices. The exact origin of diamonds is still a mystery to scientists and geologists — even though it is the simplest in compositions. Diamond is the same material you find in your pencil, carbon. The difference is some carbon deposits have undergone extreme pressure and heat to be transformed into a diamond crystal. Volcanic activity then trust these crystals up towards the earth’s surface where they cool in kimberlite pipes before being mined billions of years later. When buying a diamond it is best to go to a specialist dealer where trained staff will be able to assist you in selecting the diamond best suited to you. There are four ‘C’s’ which affect your ultimate decision: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. The larger the diamond, the rarer it is; the purer the diamond, the more valuable it is; the less color in a diamond, the more beautiful it is; and the more precise the cut of the diamond, the more brilliant it is. It is the combination of these individual factors that makes up the diamond’s overall quality and determines its beauty. Emerald has a network of inclusions which are like a fingerprint, giving each emerald a distinct personality. The extreme rarity of transparent emerald is why emeralds can be more valuable than diamonds. The four ‘C’s’ apply to emeralds as well as diamonds. Sapphire is a variety of corundum and its companion is ruby. If corundum is pink, the United States FTC requires that the stone be sold as a sapphire. In the United States “pink rubies” are eliminated from the gem trade by legal definition. In the simplest terms, corundum that is any color other than red is a sapphire. Except for color, all of the other physical and optical properties of sapphire are identical to those of ruby. Supply and demand has dictated that cornflower blue sapphires are the most expensive. These stones are rare and the finest examples come from Kashmir, a mountainous area in northern India on the Pakistan border. Like Emeralds, the 4 C’s are the most important factors in selecting your stone. Look for a jeweler who has a good selection, can tell you about it and is willing to show you a range of qualities side by side. Does the store have a wide selection of loose and mounted gemstones? If so, chances are the owner has enthusiasm and knowledge of the stones.