The deBoulle Diamond & Jewelry June Gemstone of the Month is Pearl

Nick Boulle is ready to return to the track for the 2025 MOTUL Petit Le Mans in Atlanta on Saturday, October 11th, marking the final endurance race of the season. The United Autosports Competition trio of Juan Manuel Correa, Ben Hanley and Boulle are coming to Georgia after a 6th place finish in the six-hour Battle On The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Reflecting on the Indy round, Boulle said, “The race feels like another missed opportunity. The team gave us a great car, and we had a commanding lead despite being in fuel save mode from the start. I really thought this race was when it was going to turn around, but it looks like we’re going to have to keep digging.”  Boulle and his teammates will now turn their attention to the 2025 MOTUL Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The race, known for its grueling 10-hour format, will feature a packed field of competitors, making the fight for the title even more intense.  "There were certainly some things to learn from and take forward. Juan and Ben did a stellar job during their stints so my hope is that I can hand them the car in the lead at Petit and we can finally get the result we have all been working toward this year.,” said Boulle. The 2025 MOTUL Petit Le Mans 10 hour endurance race will take place on Saturday, October 11th. The team will practice on Thursday and then qualify for their starting position on Friday evening. The highlight of the event, the IMSA WeatherTech Championship finale race, will be held from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM CT on Saturday, October 11th, with live coverage on NBC, Peacock, IMSA TV and YouTube starting at 11:00 AM CT.  Petit Le Mans is a legendary and challenging 10-hour endurance race held at one of North America’s most exciting, technical and unforgiving racetracks– Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. To make the event even more exciting, the 2.54-mile racecourse will see a full grid of 54 cars across 3 classes battling for not only the prestigious race win, but also the IMSA Overall and Michelin Endurance Cup championships. 

Nick Boulle of deBoulle returns to the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks in the six-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event on the weekend of September 19-21, 2025. The United Autosports team features Boulle, Ben Hanley and Juan Manuel Correa. Four separate classes of cars will race simultaneously when the featured WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race starts at 10:40 am CT Sunday on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. And the race is not measured by laps; it’s measured by time – a six-hour endurance race for the second consecutive year. Drivers from all over the world compete for overall victory but also for first place within their respective class. That unique format always keeps the racing interesting, and the varying speeds of the four classes of machines create intense racing within classes and plenty of traffic for the fastest classes to navigate for most of the race. The four classes of cars in the series are comprised of two styles of cars – prototype, which showcases the latest automotive technology and are designed uniquely for the racetrack; and GT, based on road-going production models. Teams also perform driver changes during selected pit stops, as drivers rotate in and out of the cars over the six-hour endurance race. So, let’s take a look at Boulle’s class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) is a closed-cockpit car developed by four approved constructors. In addition to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, LMP2 cars are eligible to compete in other global series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. The three-day festival showcasing the pinnacle of sports car racing kicks off on Friday, September 19. Race fans in the IMSA infield can get up close and personal with their favorite sports cars, drivers and teams. 10:15 AM CT - 11:45 AM IMSA WeatherTech Championship - Practice #1 Qualifications for the IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks weekend will occur on Saturday. Plus, a support series race that runs late into the evening. 2:05 PM CT - 2:20 PM  IMSA WeatherTech Championship – Qualifying LMP2 The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks showcasing the pinnacle of sports car racing, which gets underway Sunday at 10:40 AM CT. With 18 different manufacturers currently competing in IMSA and unparalleled fan access to the garage area throughout the weekend, race fans in the IMS infield can get up close and personal with their favorite sports cars, drivers and teams. 10:40 AM CT - 4:40 PM  IMSA TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks

A Love Letter to the Old Mine Cut Diamond When Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce proposed to Taylor Swift in August 2025, the world’s eyes weren’t just on the couple, they were on her ring. Set in warm yellow gold, Swift’s engagement ring features a breathtaking old mine cut diamond, an antique style rarely seen in contemporary proposals. Almost instantly, jewelers across the globe reported a surge in interest for this storied cut. Vogue called it “a major resurgence,” while collectors and romantics alike began seeking out diamonds that offered not just sparkle, but soul. Born in an age lit only by flickering candlelight, the old mine cut was shaped by hand to glimmer with a warmth that seemed almost alive. Once the jewel of candlelit parlors and royal courts, the old mine cut has returned to the spotlight. And no moment better encapsulates this resurgence than the recent engagement of Taylor Swift, whose ring has already inspired a global revival of antique diamond styles. No Two Were Exactly Alike The old mine cut emerged in the early 18th century, during a period when diamonds were admired for their fire rather than their brilliance, and since electricity had yet to be discovered, lapidaries (diamond cutters) worked under the glow of candles and oil lamps. Unlike modern diamonds, which are created by computer-guided lasers and precision machinery, lapidaries of the 18th century carved and shaped diamonds by hand, which resulted in softer finishes, warmer colors, and unique, asymmetrical facets that captured light with an almost painterly softness. With their high crowns, deep pavilions, and visible culets, old mine-cut diamonds carried an imperfect, soulful sparkle created through the feel and intuition that can be captured only by human hands. The Stone of Royals and Diplomats It is no coincidence that many of history’s most storied diamonds were cut in this style. Yet it was during the reign of Queen Victoria that the old mine cut truly flourished. The 19th century, marked by sentimentality, saw jewelry become a language of love and memory: lockets held miniature portraits, mourning jewels preserved strands of hair, and engagement rings carried the weight of eternal matrimony. Queen Victoria’s deep affection for diamonds helped elevate them as symbols of devotion throughout Europe and America. Old mine-cut diamonds adorned rings, brooches, pendants, and tiaras. Cardinal Jules Mazarin, France’s Chief Minister in the 17th century, collected diamonds with the dual perspective of a statesman and a romantic. Among his treasures was the Grand Mazarin, a pink-hued stone later fashioned into an old, brilliant mine cut. For centuries, it graced the French Crown Jewels, enduring revolutions and restorations, until its sale at auction in 2017. Then there is the Beau Sancy, a nearly 35-carat diamond worn by Marie de’ Medici at her coronation in 1610, which also holds a significant place in history. While it predates the old mine cut, its influence is clear. The Beau Sancy reflects a lineage of diamond cutting that would eventually lead to the romantic squareness of the old mine. The Modern Muse Though the old mine cut eventually gave way to the old European cut in the late 19th century, its spirit never faded. Instead, it lingered in antique collections, passed down through families, waiting for a generation ready to fall in love with vintage-inspired craftsmanship once more. That moment arrived not only in jewelry houses and auction rooms, but also in the hands of Hollywood’s icons. Natalie Portman’s glamorous engagement ring featured an estimated 4-carat old-mine cut diamond surrounded by a double halo of pavé diamonds in a sustainable, recycled platinum, epitomized modern elegance anchored in heritage. Designed by Jamie Wolf, it married ethical sourcing with antique craftsmanship. And now, with pop sensation Taylor Swift’s romantic mine-cut diamond engagement ring, the antique-inspired old mine cut has captured a new generation’s imagination. Swift, known for her storytelling and love of symbolism and all things based in Literature and English, could not have chosen a more fitting stone. In fact, many experts are now weighing in and believe that Swift’s one-of-a-kind ring was crafted entirely by hand. Her choice has already ignited what Vogue has called a “major resurgence” in antique diamond styles. Jewelers are reporting increased interest in old mine and old European cuts, with collectors and couples alike seeking stones that feel personal, storied, and soulful. An Everlasting Diamond The imperfections of the old mine cut are precisely what make it extraordinary. Each asymmetrical facet, each softened edge, glimmers with a warmth more romantic than any calculated brilliance. Where modern cuts dazzle with precision, the old mine cut whispers with soul. Its large culet — that small window at the diamond’s heart — is not a flaw but an invitation to look deeper, a reminder that true beauty lies not only on the surface, but in depth and character. In an age where perfection is often manufactured, the old mine cut stands as a quiet rebellion: a jewel that embraces individuality and celebrates the hand of the artisan. It is a cut that asks us to slow down, to savor history, to feel the fire of candlelight in its glow. Taylor Swift’s ring may have brought this antique style back into the headlines, but its allure has never been dependent on trend. From the treasures of monarchs to the keepsakes of lovers, from the salons of Paris to the stages of Hollywood, the old mine cut endures because it carries within it something more than sparkle. It carries memory. It carries devotion. It carries the poetry of time itself.