Happy Stories From our customers

During another tumultuous week in the U.S. Congress, we decided to take a breather from the tensions and reflect on something more positive: a medal that honors those Americans who perform exceptionally valorous military duties.

First, let’s set the record straight on its name. The official title is simply the Medal of Honor, not the Congressional Medal of Honor. (The confusion regarding the name may come from the fact that the president presents the award “in the name of Congress.”)

There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Air Force. Each one is created differently. The components are made from gilding metals and red brass alloys with some gold plating, enamel and bronze pieces.

There was an attempt in 2004 to upgrade the materials (to be 90% gold, which is the same composition as the lesser-known Congressional Gold Medal), but unfortunately, the measure was dropped. Regardless of its simple components, we honor its powerful beauty and more importantly, what it represents.

Guess what? Your own personal style changes. And for obvious reasons: so do you!

But what if you’re just not sure about your style? What if you feel like your style is all over the place and not really…defined. That’s okay too. Again, style changes as you do. Relax into it. Dare to have fun with it. And (according the video below) do a little homework. Clip or pin images of fashion that appeals to you, regardless of whether you can afford it or not.

And remember: it’s alright to “borrow” style from others. Ultimately, you’ll undoubtedly find a path of your own.

Hey Joe,

Thanks! Yeah, the Fedex location is perfect for pickup.

I got a chance to look at the ring more closely this morning and I could not be happier with this project! The ring is beautiful and the diamond is absolutely breathtaking. This turned out even better than I had expected – I can’t wait to give this to Hannah.

Thanks again for all your work!
A

In honor of last night’s Tonys, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of Broadways’s jewelry trends. Where else do you get the showiest, most fun and flamboyant looks after all?

This headpiece certainly caught our eye. Not simply because of its historic beauty, but the ingenuity behind creating it. From the musical Anastasia (about the youngest Romanov princess) costume designer Linda Cho created this headpiece based on the look of the Russian kokoshnik (a traditional folk headdress). But even though the look is luxe, the price was just right:

According to News Observer:

“There’s a place called Earrings Plaza, a wholesaler near Koreatown,” said Cho, who is nominated for a Tony for her costumes. “All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

Now that’s creative and economical…something we certainly encourage when it comes to jewelry!

“All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

“Anastasia”

For the musical about the youngest Romanov princess, Linda Cho created this onion-domed piece based on the Russian kokoshnik, a traditional folk headdress. Pearls drape over the face like a curtain, and a veil cascades behind. Embedded in the piece are decorative fabrics and jewels, jewels and more jewels.

“There’s a place called Earrings Plaza, a wholesaler near Koreatown,” said Cho, who is nominated for a Tony for her costumes. “All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

We talk a lot here about “fire” and “brilliance” and “scintillation.” But it doesn’t mean much if the lighting isn’t complimenting your diamond. Consider it like a dance, where two partners (the light and the gem) work together to create the best performance possible.

A GIA researcher has this to say:

If you think of a diamond like “a series of mirrors reflecting its environment,” it can help you understand how light and location can change the way your diamond appears. When you look at your diamond, you are also seeing a reflection of the surrounding environment, including yourself.

You can test this theory yourself:

Hold the diamond at arm’s length and look at how bright it is and how the pattern of dark and light appears. Now, gradually bring it closer to your eye. By the time it gets very close, the area of dark pattern in the diamond has grown and is much more prominent.

So when purchasing a diamond, what’s the best way to test its overall appearance? We believe its best to look at it in the type of lighting where you’ll most typically wear it. Ultimately your choice of a diamond is a highly personal choice so there’s no definitive right or wrong. Check out the example below.

These diamonds display high, moderate and low brightness under fluorescent light. Photos by Eric Welch/GIA