Tag Archives: diamond

Galaxy S24 Ultra by Caviar is a luxurious way to mark the Year of the Dragon

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Smartphones are quite expensive these days, especially the fully-featured, high-end premium models, but that might still be enough for a few “well-funded” people. Limited Editions are not uncommon in this industry, but nothing says “limited edition” more than an extremely limited number of devices being made with extremely extravagant materials and designs. Luxury brand Caviar has for years been making these kinds of exquisite variations of already pricey smartphones, and Samsung’s latest flagship is unsurprisingly getting the same treatment. With the launch of the Galaxy S24 series so close to the Chinese New Year, the marque took the opportunity to welcome the Year of the Dragon with a special edition that’s laden not just with gold and jewels but with references to the union of East and West that Samsung’s smartphones embody.

Designer: Samsung x Caviar

Just one look at this Caviar interpretation of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and you can already tell it’s far from being ordinary. That golden Korean dragon is no mere painting or sticker but is a highly-detailed bas-relief covered with 24-karat gold. That dragon is seen descending from the top of the phone, in other words, the heavens, and wraps around the analog watch that is at the center of this design.

Yes, there is an honest-to-goodness mechanical watch on this phone’s back, one that boasts a CVR ELT3350A Tourbillon with a manual winding mechanism and 19 stones. This element does add quite a bit of thickness to the phone’s otherwise slim profile, but its novelty and beauty could very well be worth that price. Curiously, the watch is encircled by the 12 signs of the “Western” Zodiac, not the Chinese roster you would expect from a phone that commemorates the Chinese New Year. These symbols, made of enamel on PVD-coated titanium, represent that mix of European and Eastern culture that is representative of Samsung’s own business.

Every inch of this rather elaborate design was made with meticulous attention to detail and symbolism. The three diamonds in the corner not only mimic a constellation but is actually a homage to Samsung’s original logo, the “three stars” from which the company takes its name. The green color of the watch dial might seem like an odd mix to the prevalent gold and black motif, but it symbolizes rebirth and prosperity, which also happens to be the color and theme of the Year of the Wood Dragon.

If the $15,070 price tag isn’t enough to mark this design as something only the elite can afford, the fact that there will only be 24 such devices made will definitely cement that image. The chances of meeting another VIP holding the same phone would be as low as meeting a mythical Korean dragon, but the prestige of owning a rare and enchanting piece of craftsmanship is all that matters to those who will be scrambling to fall in that very short queue.

The post Galaxy S24 Ultra by Caviar is a luxurious way to mark the Year of the Dragon first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Diamond ADU Is A Cedar-Clad Home Inspired By Farm Buildings

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Designed by American studio Schwartz and Architecture, this appealing cedar-clad ADU is part of a family estate in Sonoma, which is a historic town nestled in Northern California’s winemaking region. The home is intended to function as “a jumping-off point for a modern wine country design”. The entire property includes a main house, as well as multiple other buildings, each of them pulling in the attention of the onlookers. The ADU is designed to be demure from certain angles, and extremely lively from others.

Designer: Schwartz and Architecture

While designing the ADU, the architects were inspired by the farm structures found in Sonoma Valley, quite a few of which have a dilapidated appearance. “Their original, steeply sloped roofs are now drooping into low-slung structures, peeling apart, allowing in unexpected puddles of natural light, and revealing fragments of their interior framing to the outside elements,” said the team.

The inspiration from the farm structure led the architectural team to build a 1200-square-foot dwelling that includes two volumes consisting of a foyer and a sheltered patio. One of the volumes is shaped like a square, and it includes an open-plan communal space. While the other volume accommodates a bed and a bathroom. The exterior walls have been clad in an Alaskan yellow cedar with a unique weathered finish. The entire structure is built using mostly wood, with a couple of steel beams.

As you enter the ADU, you are welcomed by bright rooms, a neutral color palette, and warm earthly materials that make you feel at home. The flooring and kitchen cabinetry are built using European white oak, while the kitchen countertops are quartzite. The island is clad in the same cedar used in the exterior facades. A section of the roof has been sliced apart to create a linear skylight that spans the area between the public space to the bathroom.

“Neither an unconsidered ‘modern farmhouse’ nor the literal ruins of a de-constructing rural barn, we hope this modern country home feels alive – complete but always in process,” said the team.

The post The Diamond ADU Is A Cedar-Clad Home Inspired By Farm Buildings first appeared on Yanko Design.

Aether Diamonds and Fine Jewellery are sustainable and magically made out of air

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Aether Diamonds Made Out of Air

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend—that’s something many people believe, but others think it’s no longer valid for most ladies these days. That’s because as the earth ages, we are learning to become more responsible in caring for the environment. There is a call to become more sustainable for a better future, and so everything should be green, eco-efficient, and environment-friendly as much as possible.

Sustainable fashion is advancing, including most handcrafted products manufactured using fair and ethical processes. It also includes items made with eco-friendly production and packaging and made from organic materials. In addition, sustainable footwear and apparel have entered the sphere of eco-warriors, and soon, we’ll get to know more about sustainable jewelry.

Designer: Aether

Aether Diamonds

Technically, real jewels come from nature, but there is a move to develop sustainable jewelry. This means they should be made from sustainable materials or be made using sustainable processes. For those who love luxurious items yet are trying to be more conscious of the environment, there is the ironic question of how to keep buying diamonds when mining for the precious element brings environmental devastation and can severely damage the land.

People have been wondering if there is a sustainable alternative when it comes to diamonds. We have the answer: Aether—a company committed to creating carbon-negative diamonds from the air in the world. Green diamond lovers will probably approve of this because it gives them two things: eco-efficiency and diamonds.

Aether Diamond Jewelry

Can one be environment-friendly and love luxury at the same time? Thanks to lab-grown diamonds that are already an excellent alternative to naturally-mined diamonds, we think it’s possible. Aether’s diamonds are made out of the air, believe it or not–and the company has proven that there is plenty of room to improve when it comes to science and technology.

Aether is bringing together science, craftsmanship, and design. No need to spend much on diamonds gained from unethical mining. This business has undoubtedly moved further in the last few decades, making Earth healthier for the next generation. The air used isn’t just the regular air we breathe—it’s the polluted air that abounds that are being transformed into gems.  And so they’re not exactly the kind of expensive diamonds that may cost millions but they are just as beautiful– something that can be the perfect alternative.

Aether Diamond Jewellery

Aether has begun shipping the first batch of orders of diamonds since 2021 after raising about $18 million in funding. By 2022, production is expected to ramp up and perhaps exceed the previous sales. Diamonds made from the air make for a sustainable fine jewelry collection. There is no more guilt when buying from Aether because it’s a synthetic diamond.

How is an Aether diamond made? It goes through four simple steps starting with CO2 capture through a unique technology then moving to hydrocarbon synthesis. Diamond is then “grown” in specialized chemical vapor deposition reactors. Once diamonds are developed, jewelry experts then do things like cut, polish, and set into beautiful jewelry pieces.

The startup is committing to continue to mix sustainability with design and aesthetics. Knowing how the company makes these diamonds, sans mining, child labor, and poor labor conditions make Aether an attractive company. We know it respects not only the environment but also humans. This is something we need this century during all the global challenges, climate change, and humanitarian efforts.

Aether CEO Ryan Shearman said: “Amid global climate change and all of the other challenges 2020 has brought with it, we believe there is currently a great opportunity for high-minded doers to step in and help shape the future. Now more than ever, forces for true and lasting change are coalescing to transform our world into one where massive positive advancements for humanity and the planet are truly possible.” Aether aims to bring change and commits to serve as a “beacon for integrity and transparency in the diamond industry, where so many others have fallen short on that promise to consumers.”

What Aether brings to the table are aplenty—no water is wasted, there is no dirty energy, and no part of earth is uprooted. Another benefit is cleaner air as the diamonds remove the carbon dioxide and clean up the atmosphere. The people behind Aether are said to “make decisions with the wellbeing of life on earth in mind.” The company does not support any depletion of the natural resources, displacement of indigenous people, unfair working conditions, or child labor.

Aether Diamond Jewellery Set

Aether Diamond Ring Set

The post Aether Diamonds and Fine Jewellery are sustainable and magically made out of air first appeared on Yanko Design.

This geometric wooden cabin is perfect for a socially distant getaway!

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Log cabins are to Norway like fjords are to its mountains. You expect to see it: the stacks of brown timber that build up age-old cabins, dotting the valleys below monolithic mountain ranges. They’re the kind of homes that work in tandem with their environment, almost appearing synergistically with the mountain that encompasses them. The Diamanten Cabin, or, “The Diamond,” designed and constructed by A38 Arkitekter, doesn’t disrupt that synergy, but seamlessly cycles itself into it, like a cogwheel clicking into the grooves of another and rotating.

The Diamanten Cabin, which is positioned atop a cylindrical support pillar in Oppdal, Norway, was constructed within its mountainous, pre-existing framework. The architects with A38 Arkitekter centralized environmental harmony in designing their winter annex; adjacent log cabins punctuate corners of the valley where the diamond-shaped cabin perks. The final structure is visually enigmatic, but chameleon-like in its commitment to reinvigorating, yet respecting the community to which it belongs. Nestled nearby traditionally vibrant timber cabins, the Diamanten Cabin is unassuming in size, with a total of only a single, open room.

However, The Diamanten’s artistry is found not in its size, but in the way it appeals to the landscape and vernacular structures that cradle it. The frame of the cabin is structured so that the roof cascades gracefully in the direction of the massive mountain that frames its larger community. The cabin’s transparent pitched roof provides a vista point for the expansive valley’s horizon that rests just ahead of it. The minimal, yet sturdy cylindrical foundation emphasizes the designer’s devotion to environmental harmony as the single-room home borrows minimal physical space in its conception, maintaining the natural state of the surrounding land.

Reimagining something as iconic as the log cabin is no easy feat. One might describe The Diamanten as a modern, minimalist take on the original, simpler cabin, but it remains and thrives as something completely on its own. The Diamond might not assume singularity the same way classic log cabins have for centuries, but it reignites the possibilities of what it could look like. Just ahead and to the right of time-honored log cabins of yesterday, rests the Diamanten, offering innovation in structure and design from an exciting, fresh vantage point. Off lofty, full-length windows reflects an enlivened and crystal clear vision of Oppdal, Norway’s limitless horizons and it gleams, making it a perfect getaway for a socially distant getaway!

Designers: A38 Arkitekter

AI-guided material changes could lead to diamond CPUs

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Scientists know that you can dramatically alter a crystalline material's properties by applying a bit of strain to it, but finding the right strain is another matter when there are virtually limitless possibilities. There may a straightforward solut...

FBI reportedly carried out a sting operation on Huawei at a burger joint

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The makers of a super-hard smartphone glass made partially of synthetic diamonds took part in an FBI sting on Huawei, according to a new Bloomberg report. The operation apparently took place at a Prime Burger joint in Vegas during CES last month, whi...

‘Pokemon Go’ gets a little bigger with ‘Diamond’ and ‘Pearl’ monsters

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The Pokémon company has announced that monsters from the Sinnoh region -- the Diamond and Pearl games -- are now available in Pokémon Go. Players will now be able to capture favorites like Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup as they make thei...

Diamond ‘guitar’ strings could lead to quantum computer memory

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Quantum computers need memory to perform tasks like their conventional counterparts, but it's hard to create that memory when it only takes nearby vibrating atoms to lose all their data. Scientists may have a clever solution, though: tune diamond li...