For the conservative man, there are few avenues through which to express personal style. Ties have always been an easy one, and, now, socks are becoming a new form of individual expressions. But when it comes to jewelry, the options have always been fairly limited: pocket watches, rings, tie bars, and, of course, cufflinks. Though…
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,…
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…
Everyone knows Rolex and Cartier, but Zenith has a pedigree of its own, and the company’s watches are worth a look. In 1865, the company was founded by Georges Favre-Jacot, who revolutionized watchmaking when he instituted the concept of the Manufacture, whereby all watchmaking professions worked together to create timepieces. The first chronograph came out…
Everybody knows estate and vintage jewelry is all the rage, and if you’ve browsed enough of it, you’ve seen enough pins and brooches to know that they were hot commodities back in the day. Check out old pictures of your Grandma; there’s probably a brooch pinned to her upper breast. That stodgy style may be…
Customers who have jewelry to sell always want to get the most for their items as possible, but where is that? At a retail jewelry store or a pawn shop in Northern Virginia? There’s no simple answer to the question, but there is information that’s useful to have. Let’s start with gold. Gold is an…