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While fancy colored diamonds are all the rage, most don’t know much about them. Take blue diamonds, for instance. While they continue to garner top dollar at high-end auctions around the world (they are extremely rare), most don’t know how they got that way. Are they actually treated diamonds (no, not true GIA certified blue diamonds) or did Mother Nature use her wily magic (yes!).

It just takes a small amount of boron and a low amount of nitrogen. Its these trace ingredients (basically impurities trapped in the crystal’s structure) that create the beautiful blue hue. Currently, blue diamonds are found in a only a few mines around the world. And as mentioned, they are very rare: only about one in 200,000 diamonds display blue with far fewer displaying deep color.

The Sky Blue Diamond, an 8.01-carat fancy vivid blue diamond mounted on a diamond ring designed by Cartier, sold for more than $17 million at Sotheby’s. Source: Forbes

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There’s a certain formality to jewelry…and lots of rules. But guess what? Rules are meant to be broken! These fun jewelry hacks bypass traditional jewelry maintenance and storage tips and offer up some out-of-the-box suggestions. [Hint: ketchup is not just for french fries.]

Nothing shows you the difference in color and brilliance than a good old-fashioned side-by-side test. If you’re interested in a green gemstone for your engagement ring, see firsthand the difference between green sapphire and medium green moissanite (which is a paler shade of green than you may think).

Both gems are distinctively and strikingly green and similar in hardness, but note the slight difference in hue…and of course, price. Moissanite continues to offer amazing shades, durability and a price that most can afford.

[Remember: moissanite is not a diamond simulant or substitute but its own type of gem. Moissanite has a hardness ranging from 9.2 to 9.25 on the Mohs scale, which puts it closer to ruby and sapphire (at 9).  Diamond—at the top of scale—at 10.0.]

You may be seeing the common safety pin as the new jewelry of choice following the recent U.S. elections. The idea originated in the UK following Brexit. According to the BBC, hate crimes increased after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union.

What does the safety pin represent?

It represents solidarity with people who say they have suffered racism, sexism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and homophobia, among other manifestations of bigotry. The underlying message: I understand and you’re safe with me.

The process of cutting and polishing gems is called gem-cutting (or lapidary). Gems are cut and polished by progressive abrasion using finer and finer grits of harder substances.

Above is an example of how cutting affects a gemstone’s appearance. These are 3.5mm yellow sapphires prior to going into a bracelet. Stone #1, in addition to having better proportions, has a flower, or star pattern at the base/culet of the stone. The result is a much brighter looking stone.

When it comes to gem-cutting, every facet counts. Let us take your custom design jewelry to the next level with our lapidary expertise.

Channel settings are a classic, clean look (like our recent custom designed channel set bracelet below), where the gems are placed in a channel and seamlessly linked together. This provides a flow (like a channel of water) and perfectly balanced symmetry to the bracelet. Grooves on both walls hold the gems securely in place.

If there’s a channel set bracelet or ring that you have dancing around in your head, share it with us and we’ll turn it into a wearable reality.

Check out our video below, where yellow sapphire and moissanite alternate and compliment in perfect form.

Channel Set Yellow Sapphire and Moissanite Bracelet

We love informed customers. Why? Because they make smart decisions that lead to long-term happiness with their custom design jewelry.

This quick and informative video helps you choose a diamond, with the help of GIA (Gemological Institute of America), creator of the 4Cs of diamond quality.

Whether you’re looking to buy loose diamonds, or how to buy a diamond ring, look to GIA for unbiased diamond quality evaluation. No matter how gorgeous a diamond may look or how beautifully it sparkles, you simply cannot see its true quality. The 4Cs of diamond quality will provide you with the information you need to know the diamond’s actual quality, so that you can make an informed purchase.

The most beautiful necklace in the world doesn’t mean anything unless its paired with the right neckline. We could detail you “the rules” but nothing is better than seeing the visuals, right? This sweet little video by Kate Caviar gives you the basics in just over 2 minutes!

After reading Know what Feeds You in PsychCentral, it got me thinking: can the way you dress improve your sense of well-being? (I’ll get to the answer in a second.)

This piece does a great job detailing the fact that most women slowly but surely evolve into caretakers and often forget what it means to take care of themselves. We get that! Between family and work, it’s often hard to manage time for self-care.

As time marched on, you began to identify your needs and found ways to feed yourself. Perhaps some habits you have developed work well while others need working on. The concept of self-sustenance conjures up dietary needs but demonstrates physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well. Break down the necessities for your personal sustenance to connect with your overall best self-care routine.

Yet this type of self-nurturing is critical to our overall well-being. Along with some great advice (like asking for help when you need it…hello, stop doing it all!), I’d include the external aspects as well. When you dress in a way that represents and expresses who you are, you’re taking care of your self from the outside in.

So today:

Wear that outfit that truly expresses you. Don that piece of jewelry that always makes you feel good, whenever you wear it.

Sure, self-care is in an inside out job ultimately. But its alright to dress the part of an amazing you too!

In fading light of the end of summer, where bugs seem an ever-present part of the seasonal scene, we couldn’t help but love on this insect inspired jewelry by a number of designers, including Gucci, Stephen Webster and Los Angeles-based Jennifer Herwitt (who designed the amazing bee earrings below).

According to Herwitt [The Los Angeles Times]:

“At first, people react as if they hate or are scared of insects,” says Herwitt, about the insect and arachnid pieces she creates for her jewelry line J. Herwitt. “[But] once they see they are diamonds and gold, they start to see the beauty and the delicacy and intricate details that make [them] so realistic.”

If you’re looking for insect-inspired earrings, our custom design can get your project buzzing!

Contact us today!