Diamonds Pay Dividends (at Forbes.com)

Nina P. West, Artfact.com 10.10.08, 11:35 AM ET As the economic picture continues to worsen, the results of a late-September auction of fine jewelry in Chicago begs the casual observer to conclude that collectors are turning to tangible goods as a store of wealth in these uncertain times. The sale at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, which attracted buyers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Hungary and Australia, saw multiple pieces of jewelry selling around the $100,000 mark. This yellow diamond ring and a blue sapphire ring were two of the glittering stars of the show. The yellow diamond ring was bought by a jewelry dealer from New York who had flown in especially for this auction and paid $144,400, four... [read full story]