Diamonds may be a woman’s best friend, but treat them as lucrative investments and they can become your best friend as well –no matter what gender you are. Specifically, we are talking about colored diamonds. While colorless diamonds are rare gemstones, only 1 in 10,000 diamonds are colored and come in different shades like yellow, pink, blue or red.

The international colored diamond market may not be well understood or appreciated by the average investor. So much so, that Diamond Circle Capital Plc of the UK delayed its plans to raise about $400m for the world’s first publicly traded diamond fund last summer. They saw a potential there, however, may have postponed amidst a poor investor reception or lack of interest.

Alternative investors can look at this as an opportunity to be one step ahead of the mainstream crowd and build their own colored diamond portfolio. There are plenty of reasons why these diamonds make a good investment.

The global diamond retail market was estimated at $61 billion in 2005, up from $50 billion in 2002, and is expected to reach $90 billion in 2015. Fueled by the spending power of the new middle class in China, Russia, India and Latin America, demand is outstripping the limited supply. Natural colored diamonds are extremely rare and this demand has caused the premium colored diamond prices to increase every year for the past 30 years.

Long-Term Growth
It has been shown that quality colored diamonds doubled in value in a 3 to 5 year period. Colored diamond prices are expected to rise significantly over the next decade as sophisticated collectors and jewelry buyers increase their holdings and major sources of supply declines.

Free Market System – Hedge Factor
The colored diamond market is governed by the laws of supply and demand. It is basically free of any external influence and no cartel, individual group or company controls the colored diamond market. These diamonds are considered one of the best global tangible asset hedges against currency devaluation, inflation and equity market exposure.

Unregistered Hard Asset – Transportable
If privacy is a concern, there are no requirements to register your diamond portfolio with any governmental authority. Considered the most concentrated form of wealth, millions of dollars worth of colored diamonds can be discreetly carried in your pockets. Try transporting a million dollars worth of gold around.

Affordable Safety and Protection
You can start building a portfolio with a moderate sum that suits your financial situation. Colored diamonds are one of the safest havens for your money given its stability and status for the past 30 years.

Investors interested in learning more about colored diamonds as an investment should take a look at Pastor-Geneve as a good starting point. Pastor-Geneve has built a solid reputation by advising investors on dealings in the diamond market for the past four decades and has offices located in Antwerp and Geneva.

Pastor-Genève B.V.B.A.
Brusselstraat 51, B-2018 Antwerpen, Belgium
Tel: + (0) 32 3 244 1871 Fax: + (0) 32 3 244 1873
info@pastor-geneve.com

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Happy Holidays! And no, I’m not talking about TREX the stock ticker, but T-Rex of the Jurassic kind. If you are having a hard time finding that perfect gift for the paleontologist or fossil collector that is on your Christmas list, you should swing by Paleodirect.com and browse around. You will receive many thanks and accolades for years to come from your fortunate gift recipient.

As an investment, high quality rare fossils do not depreciate –unless you break it. Fossil collecting is one of the most undervalued markets in the field of rare collectibles. With international demand growing, deposits being depleted and new laws imposed on the trade of rare fossils; the price of the finest and rarest specimens will appreciate year after year.

High quality animal and plant fossils and pre-historic artifacts are much sought after by collectors from around the world. They have good reasons. Rare fossils are a finite commodity. While Mother Nature can still churn out other collectibles like precious stones, there are no more dinosaurs or pre-historic fauna to fossilize.

Many beautiful fossils are used by discerning collectors as functional art and display them as a conversational centerpiece to be enjoyed by all. Others prefer collecting the artifacts of pre historic man as a connection to our past. Imagine holding and feeling the same stone tool created and used by a living person thousands of years ago.

Buying a piece of history as a gift or investment is a good choice; however, it can be costly on the pocketbook. Depending on the size, quality, type and rarity of the fossils or artifacts; you can expect a wide price range from $50 to almost priceless. If you are purely in it for the investment, understand that a lower price usually means the object is not of high quality or pretty common.

Be aware that there are fakes floating around in the market. You should purchase from an experienced and respected seller that can provide a certificate of authenticity. Membership with the Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences (AAPS) is a good gauge of an ethical dealer. Like in most markets of rare collectibles, when there is a high demand and low supply, there exist a black market and illegal trade. Know your local and international laws to stay out of trouble.

Here some other places to find fossils… you don’t even need a pick and shovel.

http://www.blackhawkfossils.com

http://www.fossilmall.com

http://www.langsfossils.com/home.htm

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Rare stamp investing is one of those rare gems in the alternative investment arena that have not quite hit the mainstream. Savvy investors who have uncovered this little secret have been quietly making great returns on their investments. With an average annual return of 10% for the past 50 years, they have good reasons to keep it under the radar and why Salomon Brothers rate rare stamps among the top four investments of the Twentieth Century.

There are many reasons why rare stamps make such a good investment. Among the reasons, there is a high demand from a huge emerging market and coupled with a diminishing supply of investment quality stamps, prices will continue to rise. Rare stamps are a tangible asset that is worth more in weight than any other commodity.

Potential investors interested in philatelic investing should take a look at Stanley Gibbons. They are the biggest name in stamp collecting and their parent company is listed on the London stock exchange. SG has been around for over 150 years, well respected the world over and an authority when it comes to rare stamps.

Stanley Gibbons offers a range of investments:

• Investment Portfolios – Direct investment in stamps and autographs of a chosen area or country, providing the flexibility to buy and sell individual items from your portfolio at any time.
• Guaranteed Minimum Return Contracts – Investment contracts offering guaranteed minimum annual returns of between 4% and 6% on completion, for contract periods from 4 to 20 years, subject to terms.

For more information on rare stamp investing with Stanley Gibbons visit their investment link here: http://www.stanleygibbons.com/investments/

Contact Info:

Stanley Gibbons, 399 Strand, London WC2R 0LX, ENGLAND
Telephone: 020 7836 8444
Fax: 020 7836 7342

Stanley Gibbons, 7 Parkside, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3SH, ENGLAND
Telephone: 01425 47 23 63
Fax: 01425 47 02 47

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