Recent Posts

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

READ MORE FROM ERAS

Designers, Makers & Retailers

Garden of Green: Exquisite Jewelry from the Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels

As the end of summer approaches and we start turning our thoughts to autumn and indoor activities, what could be more enticing than visiting the Garden of Green: Exquisite Jewelry from the Collection of Van Cleef & Arpels at new York City’s American Museum of Natural History? The soothing green of emeralds, the energetic green […]

Mellerio: Jewelry’s Best Kept Secret

Considered to be one of the oldest jewelry makers in the world and the last independent jewelry house in France, Mellerio Dits Meller, better known as Mellerio, has been in business for over 400 years.

READ MORE FROM DESIGNERS, MAKERS & RETAILERS

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.

READ MORE FROM DIAMONDS

Pearls & Colored Gemstones

Peridot: The Other Green Stone

What gemstone is buried deep in the earth’s mantle, falls to earth from meteorites and flows from lava in volcanoes? The answer is peridot, the luscious bright green gem that has a history dating back to the ancient Egyptians and was a favored gemstone for jewelry during the Victorian and Edwardian era

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

READ MORE FROM PEARLS & COLORED GEMSTONES

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

READ MORE FROM BRIDAL

Behind the Scenes

Vintage Jewelry Inspired by Love

From the engagement ring to jewels with secret romantic messages, you’ll find lots of ways to say love and romance with vintage jewelr

Barbiecore & Mermaidcore Meet Vintage Jewelry

It’s the summer of fantasy fun, sequins, glitter and sparkle as Barbiecore and mermaidcore become the fashion microtrends of the moment, both of which seem to have some lasting powe

READ MORE FROM BEHIND THE SCENES

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.

READ MORE FROM IAJA EXPERTISE