DIAMONDS can be a man's best friend, especially if they come in the shape of a football laden with 656.08 gm of white gold, 2,175 pieces or 165.68 carats of black diamonds, and 5,420 pieces or 370.75 carats of white diamonds.
Australian designer John Glajz, who is based in Singapore, was inspired by the hype that surrounds football, especially the glittery-rich stars such as David Beckham, their celebrity wives and the cash-rich football industry.
The result was the white gold and diamonds football, made and targeted at the important and wealthy enthusiasts. "Gold and diamonds are a substantial store of value, which are used in the football. This piece is obviously targeted at those who have all the jewellery they need but would like a nice object to adorn the office or an artistic item to put on a gentleman's desk," Mr Glajz says.
Mr Glajz is managing director of Glajz-THG, a joint venture between him and The Hour Glass, specialising in the wholesale of exceptional pieces of jewellery and global distribution of Argyle Pink diamonds internationally to places such as Switzerland and Hong Kong.
Mr Glajz is also the former owner of the Mondial jewellery brand.
The football was completed a year ago and Mr Glajz was approached by the Diamond Exchange of Singapore to showcase the football at SIJS this year. Prior to this, it was exhibited in various jewellery stores in Europe.
It took Mr Glajz seven months to complete the football, which was an "enormous labour of exercise".
"We had to re-do it several times due to the circular design of the football, and diamond by diamond, we had to ensure it fitted the circular design. We even made a presentation stand to hold the football," he adds.
