Jewelry Education and Advice

Brooches…not just your mother’s jewelry anymore. Check out some of these whimsical and eye-catching brooches we found at Vogue:

Chanel Jewelry Contrasting Cammelia Brooch Contraste de Camélia white gold brooch, set with 95 brilliant cut diamonds with a combined 2.1 carats, 108 brilliant cut grey sapphires with a combined 4 carats, coral and onyx.

Cartier panther brooch Platinum panther brooch, set with 535 diamonds, emerald eyes and 82 cabochon sapphires.

Tiffany & Co. dragonfly brooch Gold Dragonfly brooch, set with diamonds and pink sapphires.

Cindy Chao brooch Florale The Art Jewel 2015 Blacklabel Masterpiece n°5 white gold brooch, with two pearls, white diamonds (pear cut, oval cut, rose cut and brillant cut), yellow diamonds, brown diamonds, rhodolites and a 17.25 carat heart cut yellow diamond.

We often hear the term “personalized jewelry” in place of custom design. And while they fall loosely in the same category, there remains a difference. Custom design encompasses the whole process of creating a unique piece of jewelry, based on the customer’s needs. Personalized jewelry (at least in our eyes) is a design aspect of a piece of jewelry, like inscribing a ring with a message.

Here’s more on personalized jewelry:

Personalized jewelry can be a gift, but it also can be a statement that is timeless. Pieces can be customized with names, anniversary messages, dates, and phrases; all able to immortalize a moment or a lifetime bond between the receiver and the giver.

Read more: http://www.fashion.maga-zine.com/15641/personalized-jewelry-trends/#ixzz3Q8AuI4T3

Here’s an example of personalized jewelry:

In an ongoing efforts to educate (and inspire) our customers, we wanted to share this on-point description of the differences between a princess cut diamond versus a round brilliant cut. Read on, young whipper snapper!

Round diamonds have fewer facets and have circular symmetry. This makes round brilliants easier to design, cut and buy. Because of this, it has been possible to identify a range of angles for all the facets that optimise the light performance in a round.

Princess cuts have more facets, complicated angles, and less symmetry so what you’ll find is that even in the best princess cut, the light return at its edges and corners will be from the periphery and indicated as green on an ASET image.

What this means is that those areas will not be as bright as in a round where we have come to expect excellent edge-to-edge light performance. To compare a round to a princess is therefore comparing apples to oranges. Most official cut grading systems recognise this so princess cut diamonds are not graded on the same light performance scale as round diamonds.

Source: Prosumer Diamonds

Style 10001-5.5mm Princess Cut Engagement Ring With Channel Set Side Stones Engagement ring with 1/2ct t.w. channel set princess cut side stones. Fits a 5.5mm (1.05ct) princess cut center stone. (setting only, does not include center stone).

We’ve stressed here many times how easy it is to clean your own jewelry using a variety of household products…but we have overlooked denture tablets apparently.

If your diamonds are starting to lose a little luster, you can toss them in a denture tablet bath to get them sparkling again.

Denture tablets have a lot of great uses when it comes to cleaning things, and diamond jewelry is no exception. Ashley Poskin at Apartment Therapy explains how to get your rings and bracelets looking like new, and all you need is a glass, a denture tablet, and some warm water. After your bling sits in there for about a half an hour, you can rinse and get to trouble spots with a toothbrush. Be sure to only do this with diamonds, though, and not emeralds, turquoise, lapis, or pearls. Check out the full tutorial at the link below.

Source: Lifehacker

The best part about jewelry is that it livens up just about any outfit. So the next time you’re in a pinch for time, watch this short video and revisit that jewelry box of yours. A simple and easy transformation awaits!

Happy birthday, Scorpios! And congratulations on an amazing and mysterious gemstone: topaz.

Pure topaz is colorless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities; typical topaz is wine, yellow, pale gray, reddish-orange, or blue brown. It can also be made white, pale green, blue, gold, pink (rare), reddish-yellow or opaque to transparent/translucent.

Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone, the symbol of friendship, and the state gemstone of the US state of Utah.^[5]

The name topaz comes from the Sanskrit and means fire.

Red and pink topaz gems were used in the jewelry of the 18th and 19th Century Russian Czarinas and is why topaz is sometimes called “Imperial Topaz”.

The most famous topaz is actually a colorless topaz that was originally thought to be a diamond. It is a 1680 carat stone known as the “Braganza Diamond” set in the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Another beautiful topaz is in the Green Vault in Dresden which has one of the world’s most important gem collections.

 

Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:

During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death.

The Greeks believed it had power to increase strength and to make its wearer invisible while the Romans believed it had power to improve eyesight. The Egyptians wore it as an amulet to protect them from injury.

Source: Bernadine.com

 

 

Statement necklaces have been trending for…well, for years now. They don’t seem to dip in popularity.

It’s a practical fashion choice if you think about it. One piece of jewelry is enough to capture a room’s worth of attention.

These amazing shots from Gotham tell the story.

Anthracite duchess dress, Zac Posen ($2,590). Bergdorf Goodman, 754 Fifth Ave., 212-753-7300. 18k white-gold, diamond, spinel, moonstone, and akoya pearls Perle de Rosee necklace ($696,000) and 18k white-gold, onyx, and diamond Camélia Sculpte ring ($170,000), Chanel. 15 E. 57th St., 212-355-5050. ON TRAY: Wide diamond bracelet set in platinum, Tiffany & Co. ($140,000). 727 Fifth Ave., 212-755-8000. 18k white-gold Limelight Garden Party cupcake inspiration ring ($59,000) and 18k white-gold with brilliant-cut diamonds Rose ring ($48,200), Piaget. 730 Fifth Ave., 212-246-5555. 18k white-gold and diamond Dentelle de Monogram necklace, Louis Vuitton (price on request). 611 Fifth Ave., 212-940-4635 Read more at http://gotham-magazine.com/style/articles/whats-trending-for-luxury-statement-jewelry#kzLHhj7m2k8G5RkM.99

Dress, Emporio Armani ($1,265). 601 Madison Ave., 212-317-0800. Platinum 55.9-carat Qipao diamond choker (price on request); platinum, diamond, aquamarine, and sapphire Secret Wonder bracelet (price on request); and 18k yellow-gold and platinum, tsavorite, and diamond cluster earrings (price on request), Harry Winston. 718 Fifth Ave., 212-399-1000 Read more at http://gotham-magazine.com/style/articles/whats-trending-for-luxury-statement-jewelry#kzLHhj7m2k8G5RkM.99

See more at Gotham!

Admit it. You have one, maybe two, hanging out in your jewelry box. That necklace with the broken clasp, lonely and unworn. This simple video shows you how to fix it yourself. (Yes, you.)

Even though October is nearing an end, we wanted to take a moment to focus on one the most magical gems: opals.

The name opal is derived from the Sanskrit word “upala,” as well as the Latin “opalus,” meaning “precious stone.” Opal is a gemstone of much variety; the ancient Roman natural historian Pliny once described it in the following way:

“… it is made up of the glories of the most precious stones. To describe it is a matter of inexpressive difficulty: There is in it the gentler fire of the ruby, the brilliant purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all shining together in an incredible union.”

Source: EarthSky

 

 

 

 

According to the spiritually-inclined, precious stones hold power. Some are meant to heal, others to protect, etc. Even if you’re not that “New Agey” it doesn’t seem that far-fetched, does it? We wear certain pieces of jewelry because we feel it not only looks good, but offers up a certain feeling…and maybe that feeling is coming from the stone or the metals.

Here’s what GemsandMineralsDiva have to say:

Diamonds amplify energy and never need recharging. They are like apartments with free electricity, but prettier. Diamonds increase the energy of whatever it comes into contact with and when paired with other crystals, the healing is amped up.

Diamonds are like Malachite, however and need to be cleansed often. Both Diamond and Malachite enhance all energy including negative energy. Smudging a Diamond with white sage or even washing your hands often (for those who wear diamond rings) will help fix that.

Diamonds will plug all holes in your aura, cleanse your aura of anything blocking your inner light and help your true divine soul’s light sparkle. It’s a gem for the Crown Chakra and links it to divine light and love.

Worn as earrings, Diamonds protect against cell phone vibes.  Diamonds also clear emotional and mental pain while stimulating your creativity.

Being a symbol of wealth, Diamonds attract abundance and like Citrine, help you to adapt to thinking on the level of abundance.