Though garnets come in a rainbow of colors, when we think about the January birthstone, it’s the red variety—in fact, the world garnet comes from the Middle English gernet, meaning dark red—that seems to emerge. Thought to represent friendship and trust, as well as peace, wealth, and good health, there’s no reason not to love…
As we’re fond of saying, you can never go wrong with diamond jewelry, and the sheer number of all-diamond pieces we regularly have here at Loudoun Jewelry on Maple Avenue is testament to that. But diamonds also make statements about formality, romance, and more that is replaced by festive sophistication when some of the piece’s…
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…
If you do any shopping at all for jewelry in the DC area, you know that “fashion” rings are everywhere. But what are they? Are they costume jewelry? Phony stones? Cheaply made? If it’s a diamond, is it still a fashion ring? Just about the only obvious thing about such a nebulous term is that…
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…
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…
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;…
If you every heard someone claim that “they” say you shouldn’t wear diamonds and pearls together, we sure hope you’re ignoring it. Let whatever fashion snobs who still adhere to it turn up their noses all they want: diamonds and pearls are two classic looks that look great together, and if it was good enough…
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,…