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The color of jewelry is a major component of its attraction (of course) but the American Gem Trade Association took it a step further and voted for the most amazing colorful jewelry in the world. Simply amazing pieces.

The AGTA Spectrum Awards is considered by many to be the most respected and prestigious creative awards for the jewelry design industry. Launched in 1984 by the American Gem Trade Association, it honors, recognizes and promotes designers whose work uses natural colored gemstones and cultured pearls in fine jewelry design. The international competition serves as the benchmark for jewelry designers striving to gain recognition for their work. In addition, it is one of things the jewelry industry uses to establish trends through the use of color and materials.

The AGTA recently announced the 2014 winners of the competition, held in New York, and according to Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the AGTA, the 500 or designers who participated stretched the boundaries in what can be achieved in jewelry design with colored gems and pearls.

Source: Forbes

Best of Show Leon Mege, Platinum ring with a 4.71 ct. Paraiba tourmaline accented with French-cut diamonds (1.31 ctw.).

Check out more amazing pieces here.

Here’s a video of three stunning GIA graded natural color fancy yellow diamonds. Which one is your favorite?

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!

Julien’s Auctions said Saturday that bidders worldwide sought items from Madonna’s professional and personal life during the two-day Icons & Idols: Rock n’ Roll auction in Beverly Hills that started Friday.

The auction house says the gown and stole from her “Material Girl” video sold for $73,125, while the wedding dress the pop icon wore when she married Sean Penn in 1985 brought in $81,250.

Her jacket from “Desperately Seeking Susan” sold for a record $252,000 and one earring worn in the film fetched $34,375.

Other highlights include the gown from the film “Evita” — which sold for $15,000 — and her “A League of Their Own” uniform — which sold for $31,250.

Source: AP Press

Forever Brilliant Moissanite is #1

Futuristic jewelry makes us rethink our idea of fashion. Suddenly accessories serve a purpose other than to make us look good. Or in this case, uses light in place of jewels. Wow.

When is jewellery not jewellery? Why, when it’s made of light instead of jewels. However, just as jewels catch the eye by sparkling, Neclumi by Jakub Koźniewski and Piotr Barszczewski at Poland-based new media art and design collective PanGenerator catches attention by interacting with the wearer.

The wearable adornment in its current stage consists of a pico projector, attached to the wearer’s chest via their clothing, and a smartphone app, which connects to the projector via HDMI cable.

Source: CNET

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