You may have heard of colored diamonds and, of course, they’re fancy, but are they different from fancy colored diamonds? Not really. The difference is that the rarer colors—pink, blue, green, red—are usually called pink diamonds, blue diamonds, green diamonds, red diamonds. But the less rare ones, the yellows and browns, well, they get the…
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…
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…
July babies are lucky: their birthstone is the gorgeous ruby, which is not only a stunning gemstone second in durability only to the diamond, but also said to guarantee health, wisdom, and success in love! Perhaps that’s why it is also the traditional stone to celebrate 15th or 40th anniversaries. Though these stones are expensive,…
Clear across the country, Gump’s in San Francisco sells everything from home décor to its exquisite artisan jewelry using the brightest gems and precious materials. Gump’s has been a San Francisco staple since 1861, when Gertrude Gump began the business, along with Solomon and Gustave Gump. Over the years, the enterprise survived the San Francisco…
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,…