The art of enameling goes back to ancient times when artisans discovered they could use fine particles of glass to substitute for precious gems. The effects were so stunning that we still see enamel used in fine jewelry today, with jewelers able to custom make hundreds of colors and incorporate them into bold designs (this…
Bezel is more than just a fun word; it’s also a jewelry setting that can make your stones more secure—particularly good for active people who like jewelry—and protect the edges of softer stones (opal, turquoise, e.g.), or even hide small chips. If you’ve never seen a bezel setting, it’s one that features a metal rim…
Not just a fun word to say, filigree is a delicate jewelry metalwork made with tiny beads or twisted threads that are soldered together to resemble latticework or, at its very finest, lace. (The word comes from the Latin “filium” and “granium” meaning thread and grain; in fact, it was once called “filigrane.”) Around since…
Onyx—in any color—is a banded variety of the mineral chalcedony. It’s a cousin of agate, the difference between them being the type of band: agate bands are curved, and onyx bands are parallel. Both black and white are common, and while it’s nice to know all these facts, what matters most is how beautifully shiny…
If Kwiat isn’t synonymous with diamonds in your mind, it’s because the nearly 110-year-old company wasn’t always in retail. Family-owned since its 1907 inception, the company was primarily private label. It wasn’t until around the turn of this last century that the company became a high-end brand offering collections, bridal jewelry, and one-of-a-kind items that…
Vintage jewelry is so popular that jewelers often manufacture lines to mimic vintage styles. And, of course, what they mimic are the most popular trends within the vintage aesthetic. Yes, vintage jewelry is timeless, but there are always market trends. So what’s selling well in vintage? One only need look to runways to see. And…
The second most abundant mineral on Earth’s crust, quartz comes in myriad varieties, including more than a few gemstones. Purple quartz is amethyst, greenish-yellow quartz is citrine, and so on. You may have heard of rose quartz, a frosty stone that exhibits a rosy red hue due to trace amounts of iron, manganese, or titanium;…
There are many reasons to choose a channel setting, which places stones—usually round, though emerald, oval, square, and baguette cuts are also seen—in a trough-like (or channel) setting, so that the stones are flush with the shank. First, it’s a secure setting that prevents the stones from snagging or being pried loose from prongs. Second,…
So what about it? Can you or can’t you mix metals—white, yellow, and rose gold? Can you do it every day or just on special occasions? And what are the rules? First off, of course you can mix metals. There may have been some antiquated rule once but, as you know, in fashion, rules are…
If you buy a diamond at a retail jeweler, it’s likely marked up 100 percent from its wholesale value. If you buy a diamond ring, you could be looking at 200 to 300 percent markup. So what do you think happens when you walk out of the store? That’s right: the value of that purchase…