Recent Posts

Cartier: Le Voyage Recommencé

Throughout its history Cartier has been a leader in jewelry fabrication, creating a design vocabulary that sets it apart from all other jewelers.

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

Cartier: Le Voyage Recommencé

Throughout its history Cartier has been a leader in jewelry fabrication, creating a design vocabulary that sets it apart from all other jewelers.

The Iconic Van Cleef & Arpels Ballerinas

Ballet was both a passion and an inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels and the Maison created a collection of Ballerina brooches that celebrate both dance and jewels.

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Diamonds

Hope Diamond: Is It Really Cursed?

The Hope Diamond is recognized for its fancy color, exceptional size and the legendary tales associated with it, most of which tell the misfortunes of those who owned the gem.

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Pearls & Colored Gemstones

Phenomenal Gemstones: A Precious Light Show

Looking at a gemstone and its inner life is always intriguing, but some gems have distinctive optical effects that are particularly fascinating such as stars or color changes.

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.

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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

The Timeless Appeal of Bow Jewelry

Bows and more bows are everywhere with designers from Chanel to Miu Miu adorning their creations with bows on everything from blouses and gowns to handbags and shoes adding an extra touch of luxe where ever they are used.

Symbolism in Victorian Jewelry

The Victorians were known as a staid bunch, living by a strict set of social rules they were not particularly prone to expressing their feelings.

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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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