Red, green, blue, and purple stones are rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and amethysts, right? Not exactly. These familiar labels are actually trade names for certain color varieties of precious minerals that can occur in a wide range of other colors. The names are usually created in an attempt to make the stone seem more appealing—simple marketing…
And if you see it when you shop for jewelry in the DC area, should you buy it? If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know that we’re always in favor of buying what you like, so if this gorgeous blue stone appeals to you, then yes! You should buy it. But if…
In evaluating the four Cs of diamonds, Cut is probably the easiest, because it’s clearly discerned just by looking. Of all the cuts, the most popular is round, or brilliant (sometimes even called diamond cut), developed by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. Shop for jewelry in the DC area and you’ll see that the majority of engagement…
We all know that one of the four Cs of diamonds is cut, but when it comes to diamonds, you’re not going to see another C-cabochon. We thought, then, it might help to know about this cut when you go shopping for jewelry in the DC area. A cabochon—or cab as is often heard—cut means…
The minute something becomes a trend, somebody is already bucking it. In the case of diamond engagement rings, it’s taken a while. But over the past decade or so, engagement rings don’t have to diamonds alone, or even diamonds at all. A betrothal can be marked with just about any ring at all, and colored…
Everybody knows what jade is—sort of. Well, it’s green; you know that right? So is jadeite, which is a relative of jade, but a different mineral. Simply put: jade is nephrite. The similar-looking mineral, but rarer and more expensive, is jadeite. Jade comes from China, and jadeite comes from Burma; the most expensive jadeite contains…
Pawn shops have always been a great go-to for traditional wedding jewelry; think lots of diamonds and pearls. But this year’s hottest trends are a far cry from your grandma’s wedding jewelry, but maybe not so far a cry from the other stuff in her jewelry box. Here’s some of what’s hot for 2016, and…
Have you noticed how when you need new clothes, you go out and see what hits your eye? But when it comes to jewelry, you have specific wants: diamond stud earrings, a mother’s ring, a gold bangle. Why do we shop for clothes impulsively, and plan our jewelry purchases so meticulously? The obvious reason, of…
You know how hard it can be to find just the right prom dress, the one that will make a statement, won’t cost too much, and will have no risk of being duplicated by your worst enemy come prom night? You can not only buy prom dresses and even shoes at pawn shops in Northern Virginia,…
The fashion gurus have spoken: pearls are trending for fall 2016 and into 2017. This is great news for jewelry lovers who favor classic and estate jewelry, where pearls abound. That means you can dig out your retro strands and pearly styles and be as hip as can be. And, if you’re looking to add…