Jewelry Education

First Lady Nancy Regan’s Statement Jewelry Collection

(photo from GIA ) GIA wrote about First Lady Nancy Regan’s Statement Jewelry Collection in their recent blog post.  Her collection includes stunning pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvgari and more, often pieces given to her by her loving husband as they often showered each other in lavish gifts. She often wore pieces as statements and there … Read more

How to Spot a Fake Cartier Love Bracelet

As jewelry buyers, every now and then a piece crosses our desk that really makes us take a closer look, sometimes it’s a rare and unique piece and occasionally it’s a counterfeit. The client never is aware of course, and it is our unfortunate job to let them know the item they purchased or was … Read more

Happy Birthday July! Your birthstone is the Ruby!

With summer in full swing, it’s time for beaches, barbecues, and rubies! The hardest gemstone after diamond, rubies in their purest form are actually colorless. Trace amounts of the element chromium in the crystal structure of the ruby give it the distinctive red color. The more chromium present in the ruby the stronger the red color. Rubies are one of … Read more

Happy June Birthday! Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone, Oh My!

If your birthday happens to be in June count yourself lucky because you have not one, not two, but three birthstones to choose from! You summer babies get to choose from the sophisticated and timeless Pearl, the rare and magical Alexandrite, or the phenomenal and far out Moonstone.   Pearl For centuries pearls have been a … Read more

Happy May Birthday – Emerald

If you are born in May, your birthstone is the Emerald which is known to represent spring! A popular and beautiful green stone, emerald is also the traditional twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversary gift. Emeralds are part of the Beryl family of stones Cleopatra was infamous for favoring Emeralds and the first known emerald mines were … Read more

Happy April Birthday! – Diamond

If you are born in April, your birthstone is the diamond! Lucky you! Diamonds are the most commonly known and sought after of all stones. Commonly used in wedding rings, the most common diamond desired is colorless, however fancy color diamonds are extraordinarily valuable in colors such as yellow, blue and pink. Diamonds are the … Read more

Happy March Birthday! – Aquamarine

The birthstone for March babies is Aquamarine. Aquamarine is beautiful clear blue stone. Named so because of it’s beautiful water color (Aqua meaning “water” and Marina meaning “sea), Aquamarine is a symbol of tranquility, hope, and youth. Aquamarine is part of the Beryl family of mineral Aquamarine is the traditional 19th wedding anniversary gem The … Read more

Happy February Birthday! – Amethyst

Amethyst is a well known beautiful purple gemstone. Believed to to promote clarity, amethysts means “not drunk” in ancient Greek ( GIA ). Leonardo Da Vinci also wore amethyst for tinelligence and to ward off evil thoughts.  Popular with the Catholic Clergy, it can be found in crosses and “the Papal Ring”. Amethyst is a quartz … Read more

Happy January Birthday! – Garnet

Garnets are most often known for their red color variations although they can be found in a variety of hues (all except blue). Various gemstones belong to the Garnet family: Green garnets are known as Tsavorite. Garnet is the traditional gem for a second anniversary Garnets were believed to protect travelers and prevent nightmares Garnets … Read more

Happy November Birthday! – Topaz & Citrine

Topaz Topaz and Citrine are often confused for each other although they are unrelated. The most prized Topaz is Imperial Topaz and is orangey red with pink undertones. Topaz also comes in blue, yellow, pink and purple although the orange/yellow color is the most well known and the blue is the most available. – Topaz … Read more