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Category Archives: Jewelry Industry Information

A Lady Diana Ring

Friday, April 1, 2011

We’ve just completed this gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring, inspired by the engagement ring of Lady Diana and soon-to-be Lady Kate. This basic design, where a colored gemstone is surrounded by a circlet of diamonds, has been a favorite for centuries. Since everybody and their uncle has been doing versions of the ring, we decided […]

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What is a Built-up Diamond?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

These days, we buy a lot of jewelry, used as well as new. Last week, I worked with a young lady, a bit down on her luck and on the rebound from a relationship that didn’t work out. She was looking to sell her white gold solitaire ring that was set with the one carat […]

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A Special Gift for a Veteran

Thursday, December 30, 2010

We recently completed this great looking setting for a dog-tag. Our client’s husband rarely wears jewelry, but she heard him remark about a dog-tag he saw David Hasselhoff wearing on TV. She brought us his original dog-tag from his military service days and asked us to make a nice piece of jewelry that he would […]

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Fancy Pink Diamonds for the Holidays

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The gem auction world is all a-twitter over this outstanding emerald cut diamond offered at the Sotheby’s Auction, November 16 in Geneva, Switzerland. Graded Fancy Intense Pink, the diamond is also unusually high in clarity, pronounced VVS2 by GIA. Described as pure pink with no secondary hues, the pre-auction estimate for this ultra-rare gem is […]

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A Sweet Piece of L’ Art Nouveau

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Every now and then, we see vintage jewelry that really excites us. Recently, while working with a client on her new custom ring, we were discussing what to do with some pieces of jewelry that she doesn’t use anymore. We buy cast off and damaged jewelry to recycle, as well as consigning resalable pieces. As […]

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Sapphires Illustrate the Limits of Perception

Friday, July 23, 2010

These two  sapphires are both from the island of Sri Lanka, both are heat enhanced, both are from the same vendor, both weigh about the same. Here’s another photograph, same stones, same photographer (myself), same camera, same photo stage, similar macro lens, slightly different lighting. Can you guess which one costs more?

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A One-of-a-Kind Filigree Engagement Ring

Friday, July 16, 2010

We completed a most beautiful engagement ring a while back but weren’t able to post this blog till now. It was one of the most challenging projects we’ve ever done! Our clients Megan and Mike, big fans of antique and period jewelry, fell in love with a 1920’s Art Deco platinum ring in our estate […]

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Long Distance Custom Designed Engagement Ring

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Last Fall, we were contacted by a long time customer whose daughter had a real problem. Her daughter, Kirstyn, was engaged to be married September 2010. Kirstyn and fiance Alastair, a British citizen, were working in the Cayman Islands where they had a local jeweler make a custom engagement ring using her one carat family […]

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The Brotherhood of the Stone

Saturday, May 22, 2010

28.79 ct. Deer Creek Fire Agate in 18K Gold My mission this year at Tucson included re-establishing some of my connections to the fire agate community– last year I finished this fire agate ring which has been drawing major compliments, so I figured it’s time to try a few new pieces in our market. Over […]

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Tucson Time!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

It’s that wonderful week when the gem trade focuses on Tucson, the little desert city that could.  For over 50 years now, our friends and colleagues in the colored stone business have been getting down to business in convention centers, under tents, in parking lots, and of course, hotel rooms. Merchants present everything from the […]

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