On Memorial Day

Thank you to our men and women in uniform.

“Ev’ry heart beats true ‘neath the Red, White and Blue” -George M. Cohan

This beautiful gem-set representation of the American Flag was created by Tiffany  & Company.

One of the greatest names in the history of American Jewelry manufacturing, began as a stationery and fancy good store in 1837. Within ten years, it had expanded to include jewelry and silver items. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, Tiffany & Co. was at the international forefront of design and gemology, thanks to men like Paulding Farnham and George Fredrick Kunz.  The company’s reputation was established for good with the designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany. His enamel jewelry, but also his silver and lamp designs are  still highly regarded and sought after by collectors and scholars worldwide. From the second half of the 19th century through today, Tiffany & Co. continues to be the home of design icons: Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and Fank Ghery, to name a few.

Look for future briefs that delve deeper into some of the storied  designs of  Tiffany & Company.

Weekend Brief: A Brief for 31.45 Million Women

According to the US Census Bureau there are 62.9 million married American women. Sadly (or sometimes happily), statistics also show that fifty percent of them will divorce their husbands in the future.  This means that one question will be raised over 31 million times: who keeps the engagement ring? Don’t look at the law for an answer: the courts do not agree. Forget etiquette blogs. They are often , quite frankly, unrealistic in their expectations of chivalry. It seems most women keep the ring. So, this is for all of my friends that have found themselves, after the dust settles, with a diamond ring, which is unmistakably an engagement ring that means much less to them than it once did.

There are many ways to remount your stone that do not scream divorcee.  If you have enough cash, and don’t already have ear studs, purchasing a matching stone for earrings is a great option.  There are several pendant mountings that add to, rather than feature, the single diamond. One is a traditional pave-diamonds donut, which enhances the bezel-set center stone.  The diamond can also be framed in colored stones, or like a flower with marquise or pear-shaped stones. You may own a brooch, which would look fabulous accented by your diamond.  A flower brooch, circle pin or horseshoe, depending on the design, could absolutely shine with a larger diamond accent.

Finally, and possibly my favorite because everyone is wearing bangles and it is so un-ring-like,  a great design is a gold bangle “sprinkled” with bezel-set diamonds of different sizes. This design can also be accomplished if you have other pieces from your ex that you are breaking up and melting down.

When everything else fails, a belly button ring is always an option.

To Bead or Not to Bead?

By all means, bead.  One of this Summer’s hottest accessory is still the  statement necklace.  Bead necklaces are one of the best ways to bring the new, bright colors of the season into your wardrobe.  Coral beads or “branches”, faceted “lime” quartz or turquoise beads are just the beginning of the list of gemstones that brilliantly show off a Summer palette.  Depending on the material these necklaces can be composed of a single strand of large beads or multiple strands of smaller beads to really make a statement!

Weekend Bonus Brief: Blue Diamond Sells for Record Price

This week the diamond and jewelry industry is buzzing from a record setting sale of a blue diamond. An internally flawless, vivid blue diamond was sold for $9.5 million dollars on May 12, at Sotheby’s in Geneva. This amount is the highest price per carat paid for any gemstone at auction.

From approximately every million carats of diamonds mined, only about one carat is fancy color diamonds. From those fancy colored diamonds only a fraction of a percent represents the annual production of natural blue diamonds. The blue color comes from the rare presence of boron within the diamond’s crystal structure.

The rectangular brilliant cut diamond sold at Sotheby’s weighs 7.03ct., and is accompanied by a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Diamond Grading Report. This report is an industry standard for a diamond’s credentials. The report identifies the diamond’s hue; in this case it is blue without any color modifiers (such as grayish blue), making the stone an even more rare specimen. The report also lists the stone’s color saturation as vivid, a “fancy” grade, which is the highest possible. Finally, the stone has a clarity grade of “internally flawless”, meaning very nearly free of any flaws with no internal inclusions. This is indeed a very rare stone.

The stone’s seller, Petra Diamonds, reportedly mined the stone last year from the Cullinan Mine in South Africa, which the company owns. For more photos of the blue diamond and amazing photos of diamond mines visit www.petradiamonds.com . Finally, while this diamond has reportedly gone to an anonymous buyer, perhaps to a private collection, remember that you, as an American taxpayer, own some colored diamonds, too: rare and amazing gemstones are on view every day at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C..

Retro Style

The term Retro, as related to jewelry history, refers to the period surrounding the Second World War.  During this time, wearing extravagant, fancy jewelry was understandably out of fashion and precious metals were needed for the war effort.  So, the bracelets that emerged were predominantly made from sheets of yellow gold in wide, bold geometric designs that complimented the tailored suits that were the fashion of the time.

Retro bracelets are composed of sculptural (often hollow) links that still add pizzazz to any outfit.  Popular design motifs included scrolls, buckles and stylized arches, which might be accented with warm yellow or brown citrine or topaz.  If you are lucky, you might find a bracelet with small faceted ruby or cabochon ruby accents. These yellow or rose gold chunky, bold designs are right in step with the fashion styles of today; and should be on every woman’s wish list.

Go Green!

Consider adding a green gemstone to your collection. Green is the color of nature, associated with Spring, growth and harmony.  It is also the most restful color for the human eye.

Emerald is usually the first green stone that comes to mind.  It is also the most valuable variety of the beryl species.  Emerald’s color ranges from very strongly bluish green to green, and the saturation of color can be breathtakingly beautiful.  The finest emeralds, frequently those from Columbia, have only a very slight blue element and are a warm green color.  Emeralds from Africa tend to be slightly bluer. Emeralds are delicate, ranking a 7 1/2 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale. (Diamonds score a 10)  They are characteristically naturally included, think of it as their fingerprints, however, avoid opaque or even semi-translucent emeralds.  So, the cleaner that a stone is to the unaided eye the more valuable it is.   Emeralds are most commonly found in smaller sizes, under four carats, which means stones over 4ct. will be more valuable.  Emeralds can be lively and vibrant in the small sizes.  A perfect example is the classic Oscar Heyman ring, circa 1950, featuring three rows of channel-set emeralds, accented by two rows of diamonds.

Other green gemstones include green beryl, green varieties of garnet, peridot, green quartz, and tourmaline.  These gemstones come in many ranges of color, sizes, and prices.  There is a green stone for every style and budget.

Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.