Recent Posts

Tempting Topaz

Topaz, in its myriad colors, has been in and out of fashion since the days of the ancient Egyptians, who believed that it got its yellow color from the sun God Ra.

Eras

Victorian Jewelry: The Aesthetic Years

Electricity, Arts & Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau, Suffragette Movement, Gibson Girls, Art Workers Guild, Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society, Sarah Bernhardt all defined the Aesthetic Years.

Victorian Jewelry: The Grand Years

Prince Albert dies, diamonds are discovered in South Africa, silver discovered in Nevada, archeological excavations, women enter the workforce in droves, suffragette movement begins, Suez Canal opens, opal discovered in Australia and Japonism were some of the events that defined the Grand Years.

Victorian Jewelry: The Romantic Years

Queen Victoria Ascends the Throne, Queen Victoria Marries Prince Albert, Industrial Revolution Grows, Rising Middle Class, Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens defined the Romantic Years.

Four Georges and a William: Georgian Jewelry

Culture, Art, Literature, Mozart, Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, John Keats, Baroque, Rococo, French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon Bonaparte, American Revolution, Regency England, Pompeii Excavation and Oversized Powdered Wigs all defined the Georgian era.

The Boom Years: 1950s Jewelry

The Boom Years, Atomic Age, Cold War, The Red Scare, Suburbia, Consumerism, Uniformity, Cultural Conformity, Civil Rights Movement Was Born, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, Television, Abstract Expressionism all defined the 19

The Retro Years: Jewelry of the 1940s

WWII, Pearl Harbor, Rosie the Riveter, USO, Rationing, Women’s Army Corps, Great Depression Ends, Housing Boom, Baby Boom, Jackie Robinson, Color Television, Big Band Music, Swing Era, Zoot Suits, Bikinis all defined the 1940

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Designers, Makers & Retailers

David Webb: A Bejeweled Menagerie

Inspired by weekly trips to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the streets of Manhattan, architecture and the jewels of ancient civilizations, designer David Webb was greatly influenced by history, his deep curiosity and a desire for knowledg

Sterlé: The Couturier of Jewelry

A brilliant designer, jeweler Pierre Sterlé was the darling of the in-the-know fashionista set during the 1940s, 1950s and into the early 1960s

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Diamonds

The Allure of Asscher Cut Diamonds

There are a number of very enchanting antique and vintage cut diamonds that we all know and love – old miners, old Europeans, rose cuts and cushion cuts to name a few.

Emperor Maximillian’s Diamond Buttons

Have you ever wondered about a rare and exquisite antique piece of jewelry and how it came to be for sale today? All pieces of antique and vintage jewelry have a story to tell, but some stories stand the test of time better, either because the jewel is a family heirloom and the story is […]

The Magic is in the Cut

When it comes to the 4C’s – carat weight, color, clarity and cut — cut is perhaps the most importan

Colored Diamonds: Rarity and Value

Colored diamonds, also known as fancy colors, are among the rarest and most valuable of all gemstones and they come in an endless kaleidoscope of divine colors.

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Pearls & Colored Gemstones

Tempting Topaz

Topaz, in its myriad colors, has been in and out of fashion since the days of the ancient Egyptians, who believed that it got its yellow color from the sun God Ra.

Himalayan Magic: Kashmir Sapphires

Deep within the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir, in a valley in the Zanskar range was a hidden treasure that was only discovered after a landslide revealed an area of pegmatitic rock dotted with blue crystals.

7 Tips for Buying Pearls

Whether you’re buying pearls for yourself, or someone else, it helps to know what to look for in a pearl before you make a purchas

Demantoid Garnets: Green Fire

With a green color evocative of emerald and the fire of a diamond, demantoid garnets are a very rare gemstone that is sometimes found in antique and vintage jewelry made during the Belle Epoque,  (late 1800’s and early 1900s, approximately 1890 -1910

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Bridal

Engaged With Color

Everyone has a favorite color and most likely that color is favored because it either makes you feel good, or it’s a color that looks good on you when you wear i

What’s Your Diamond Shape?

Choosing an engagement ring celebrates a milestone in your relationship and from a sentimental point of view, it is perhaps the most important piece of jewelry you will ever own in your lifetime.

The Engaging History of the Engagement Ring

Rose Cut diamond, 14-karat gold and silver, circa 1900, courtesy of French Collection One of the most highly anticipated rituals around marriage is getting engaged and with that announcement comes a little something sparkly…usually a diamond rin

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Behind the Scenes

Coronation Jewels

We’re just a few days away from King Charles III official coronation, so we want to give you a quick primer on some of the jewelry and precious objects, known as Coronation Regalia, that you will be seein

100 Women of Jewelry

When Linda M Kozloff-Turner started to write the book 100 Women of Jewelry, it wasn’t so much that she had decided to write a book, it was more like the book had asked to be writte

What Makes Great Design?

We’re all on the search for beautiful jewelry and precious objects, items that we define as well designe

Fashion Month Stars:
Brooches, Pearls, Gold & Sparkle

It was a season of juxtaposition at the fall/winter 2023/2024 runway shows in New York and across the pond in London, Milan and Paris, where jewelry had a starring role on the catwalk and sparkle was in the spotlight.

The Language of Lockets

One of the most romantic, sentimental and intriguing pieces of jewelry, the locket also had utilitarian purposes.

Cartier: Beautés du Monde: High Jewelry and Precious Objects

In celebration of Cartier’s newest collection, Flammarion has released a new coffee table book  Entitled “Cartier: Beautés du Monde: High Jewelry and Precious Objects”, this latest book authored by François Chaille with contributor Alberto Cavalli, is a visual feast as it chronicles the inspiration and creation of the Maison’s newest collection of h

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IAJA Expertise

Meet the Expert: Angela Hedges

From a small town to the bright lights of the Big City, a passion for theater and a college job in Indiana launched a career in jewelry that led Angela Hedges to New York City and  her dream job: Director of Archives & Estate Jewelry for Harry Winston.

Meet The Expert: Olivier Bachet

A creative spirit and an interest in exceptional art, antiques and jewelry propelled Olivier Bachet along his career path as a jewelry, art and antique expert.

July Birthstone: Ruby

Celebrated present-day as the July birthstone, rubies have unceasingly enchanted and entranced humankind.

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