Friday, December 13, 2013

Phoenix Design Jewellery

DON'T BE FOOLED - it's NOT US.
Unfortunately this 'Phoenix' is yet another 'Phoenix' plagiarizing our 'Name within the 'Memorial Diamond' small world.  YES - bizarrely SIMON KEMP is an AGENT for 'Semper Fides Diamonds' - part of the Algordanza group in Switzerland and YES he may offer diamonds made form horses hair or carbon within 'Cremains' of animals - BUT HE and ALGORDANZA are NOTHING to do with us.

If you are in the slightest doubt, our logo's are simple and recognizable (and © copyright) 

Thursday, May 09, 2013

If the world doesn't pay attention to BEE DECLINE - disaster looms



US honey bees have been dying by the tens of millions, with annual death rates of about 30 percent. With fewer bees to pollinate fruits and vegetables each year, 'beemageddon' may soon cause the collapse of the agriculture industry.
Honey bees pollinate more than 100 US crops, including apples, zucchinis, avocados and plums, that are worth more than $200 billion a year. Since 2006, about 10 million bee hives at an average value of $200 each have been lost in what scientists call the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), according to a new report by the US Department of Agriculture.
There are currently about 2.5 million honey bee colonies in the US, which is a drastic decrease from the 6 million that existed in 1947 and the 3 million that existed in 1990. Last winter alone, the honey bee population declined by 31.1 percent, with some beekeepers reporting losses of 90 to 100 percent. In the previous two winters, beekeepers lost about 22 percent of their populations.
“Currently, the survivorship of honey bee colonies is too low for us to be confident in our ability to meet the pollination demands of US agricultural crops,” the USDA report states.
California’s almond crop, which blooms toward the end of winter, would suffer the most. About 80 percent of the global almond supply comes from the Golden State’s orchards, and 70 percent of the state’s crop is marketed overseas.
US beekeepers truck about 1.5 million out-of-state colonies to the almond orchards each year, which depend on the insect’s pollination. The colonies are tasked with pollinating about 760,000 acres of almond trees at the end of each winter. It takes 60 percent of all US bee colonies to pollinate the $4 billion crop.
Zac Browning, a beekeeper, told NPR that the almond orchards have become “ground zero in commercial beekeeping” and that many beekeepers drive over from their home base in the Midwest.
But with a bee shortage that gets worse every year, many of the almond orchards will never be pollinated, which could eventually cause a global almond shortage and economic consequences for the US.
The USDA knows how the agriculture industry will be affected by the large-scale bee die-offs, but does not know why exactly they are dying in such numbers. The report cites “multiple factors… including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure”, while also citing last summer’s drought as a contributing factor.
“Undernourished or malnourished bees appear to be more susceptible to pathogens, parasites, and other stressors, including toxins,” the USDA report states.
During CCDs, surviving adult bees abandon their hives, leaving behind the queen bee, brood and food stores.
“Bees across the country are not in as good a shape as last year,” Eric Mussen, a University of California bee specialist, told the Christian Science Monitor. “When you stress them far enough, the bees just give in.”
After large-scale honey bee die-offs each winter, beekeepers try to restore their populations in the summer. But with the populations dropping so low, the economic ramifications are almost unavoidable.
The European Commission suspects that neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides chemically related to nicotine, might be responsible – at least partially – for the die-offs and the CCDs. Honey bees have also died off in unusually large numbers in Europe, prompting the commission to impose a two-year ban on neonicotinoids last month to give scientists time to review the chemicals’ impact on bee health.
But US officials have stated that they don’t have enough evidence to ban neonicotinoids. And with a drastically decreasing honey bee population, ‘beemageddon’ might be just around the corner.
“We are one poor weather event or high winter bee loss away from a pollination disaster,” Jeff Pettis, the USDA’s bee research leader, said in the report.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

We would like to help a very nice person........

Engaged?? To be Married???

FOR PRIVATE SALE beautiful real diamond ring - REDUCED to just £2950

Although we do not deal in natural diamonds, we would like to help a dear friend, by offering for sale - a fabulous 1 carat natural white 'Asher'  cut diamond set in a 9.7 gram plain platinum ring [10.65mm finger hole]

The ring has a certificate and receipt of purchase for £5400 in Dec 2000.

We have more details and pictures.


Natural (mined) diamonds and 'Memorial Diamonds'?

a Memorial DiamondImage of Honey Bee Diamond


Can anyone tell the difference between 'natural' (mined) diamonds and man-made laboratory grown 'Memorial Diamonds'? We are asked this all the time. The simple answer is NOT EASILY.
Our Canary yellow diamonds test as 'Diamonds' (as real diamonds do). But both our free-range Blue diamonds and Natural diamonds conduct electrcity due to boron, so will give 'false-positives' on many cheap diamond testers where results may be interpreted as 'Moissanite' (a simulant). Only very expensive equipment used by 'AnchorCert' and developed by 'De Beers' can truly identify our genuine memorial diamonds.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

We wish funeral directors would promote UK 'Memorial Diamonds' - so why don't they?

Considering we (Phoenix-Diamonds.com) are the only UK based 'Memorial Diamond' maker in the world, you would expect British funeral directors to learn more about Who, What, Why, When, Where and How....... Our competition is Russian, American and European - and that's it!!! Why? Because the equipment runs into ££Millions and the expertise spans many many years (of both failure and successes) so we are not likely to suffer anyone setting up next week.  But there is a difficulty facing all the bereaved left behind who wish to memorialise their loved one - with such huge sums involved (£3250 to £12,500) the industry is bound to have the con's and 'suspect' products..... Already we have had 'Tomorrows Traditions' allegedly conning customers who (in the words of an ex partner...) have supplied diamonds NOT made from the ashes of the loved-one.  It would be simple to buy a man-made diamond of almost flawless quality, throw the ashes away and hand over the cheaper diamond at the more profitable price of a real 'Memorial Diamond'.  Also, colours are suspect and we will tackle this in our next posting........ hold your breath

Friday, January 11, 2013

Can you put a price on a 'Memorial Diamond'?

We know (as manufacturers) making diamonds at all is a modern miracle. To make them from 'Cremains' (cremation ashes) or hair is yet another aspect that I think is absolutely taken for granted. 
When deciding what type of 'Memorial' (to a deceased loved-one) will be best, consideration should be given to - is the memorium for others to view or is the memento a personal issue.
Over the years we have had headstones with which to make a mark of respect, but surely the MOST enduring, MOST valuable memorial would be a DIAMOND?
They say 'Diamonds are Forever'.... If we are taking just 100 grams of ashes or about 15grams of hair to make THE most everlasting and valuable memento, all the rest of the ashes can still be scattered or the body simply buried - but it is the diamond that will be lasting the longest. It will be passed down through the family, generation to generation.
The costs of making our 'Memorial Diamonds' is creeping up and up, £6500 per carat is not only a worthy purchase but also a worthy everlasting and unique memento - to keep close to the survivors and loved-ones.
You can put ashes into glass (is not a paperweight a bit tacky?) You can put hair and ashes into jewellery but without the very special ability and production facilities costing 'millions' you cannot make a diamond like we can. Can you put a price on that??