Gems and Jewels

Colombian Emeralds Are the Preeminent Green Gems. Here’s Why

Colombian emeralds are one of the most sought-after precious gems in the world. Originating mainly in the renowned Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez mines, Colombian emeralds uniquely form in sedimentary...

Burmese Rubies: What Makes Them the Supreme Red Stone?

Burmese rubies are renowned for their clarity, silk inclusions that give them a soft glow, and, of course, their vibrant color—a combination of purplish-red body color and fiery red fluorescence...

Kashmir Sapphires: The Legendary Blue Sapphires You Should Know

Discovered in the Himalaya Mountains of northwest India in 1881, the legendary Kashmir sapphires, with their extraordinary vivid blue color—often called “cornflower blue”—and velvety luster, are th...

Gemstone Inclusions: The Universe Within

One of the most wondrous things about a gemstone is what’s called “inclusions,” the irregularities that are created within the stone as it’s being formed in the earth. Inclusions are, if you will, ...

Antique Cut Diamonds: Briolette Cut

The beautiful briolette cut is an antique gemstone cut unlike any other. It has a three-dimensional mainly teardrop or oval shape without a flat table, girdle or pointed culet. It’s also surfaced o...

How to Store Your Jewelry: Tips and Tricks

For many women, one of life’s little frustrations is an untidy jewelry collection. Save yourself—and your jewelry—from the stress, and follow these simple tips. They’ll teach you how to store your...

Antique Cut Diamonds: French Cut

The French cut, a simple cut with a pretty play of light, is an antique diamond cut that evolved from the table cut, which is considered the first of the faceted diamond cuts. It essentially adds a...

Antique Diamond Cuts: The Usual Suspects

An antique diamond does not always signify an antique jewel. Jewelry collectors use visual tools to determine the workmanship and quality of a piece, thus being able to estimate the age and even ma...

Antique Cut Diamonds: Portrait Cut

Thin, flat diamonds with crown-consuming tables, polished upper and lower surfaces, and slight facets on their sides are known as portrait cut diamonds, which were historically used to clearly view...

Antique Cut Diamonds: Table Cut

When the early lapidary artists first applied a flat facet to the top of a natural diamond crystal, the table cut was born, representing a significant breakthrough in diamond cutting and the first ...

Oscar Heyman: When Classic Meets Modern

The Heyman BrothersIn the early 1900s, a family of six brothers and three sisters emigrated from Latvia to America, making them part of a large wave of Eastern European immigrants. Three of the bro...

Paul Flato: Jeweler to the Stars

Katharine Hepburn wearing a brooch by Paul Flato (photo source: EraGem) “(Paul Flato) was the first of the major American jewelers to do highly imaginative work on par with European jewelers.'' --...

Raymond Yard: An Art Deco Legend

A piece by Raymond Yard (photo source: Christies.com) Best known for his exquisite platinum mountings and for using only the highest quality gemstones, Raymond Yard redefined the jewelry world in w...

The Point Cut: The Antique 'Diamond Cut' That Started Them All

Point cut diamonds are well-shaped versions of diamond crystals in their natural octahedral and dodecahedral crystal forms, which were highly revered by ancient civilizations and believed to posses...

Edwardian vs. Art Deco

Anyone who’s dipped their toes in the jewelry world has undoubtedly heard the terms Edwardian and Art Deco thrown around. And still, you might be wondering: what exactly do these terms mean? While ...

Significance of the Golconda Mine

Anup Jogani explains the significance of the Golconda mine from a dealer’s perspective. As a dealer and connoisseur, the Golconda mine represents a specific time and place that produced some of the...

The Constitution of Fine Craftsmanship

How does a dealer like Anup Jogani determine quality craftsmanship? The first distinction to make is the difference between jewelry made over eighty years ago and modern craftsmanship. Modern metho...

The Allure of Fancy Color Diamonds

Anup Jogani shares the dealer's perspective: What makes the distinction between fancy colored diamonds and colorless diamonds (white diamonds) so considerable? The majority of interesting fancy col...

Tiffany & Co

The Brand We All Know and Love A 1920s Tiffany pearl necklace from the Jogani collection It’s time to talk about one of my favorite jewelry brands: Tiffany & Co.!Everyone knows the iconic blue...

Cartier

Since its genesis over 170 years ago, Cartier has been a dominant force in the jewelry industry, adorning the elite all around the world: from Europe, to Asia, and into the United States. Cartier w...

Caring for your Jewelry

Jewelry is so much more than adornment - it’s our spiritual armor. Everyday, we wear the pieces that symbolize who we are: pieces rich in sentiment and love. If you’re passionate about jewelry, you...

Thoughts from a 2015 show

 2015 We’re on the heels of the New York Antique Jewelry and Watch Show, which ran from July 24th to 27th in Manhattan. What a trip! Our time in the city was a typical sleepless combination of gem ...

A Cutting Insight

  When it comes to diamonds, size is not everything. Nothing highlights the natural beauty of a diamond like the right cut, and there are many reasons why we may take a diamond to the wheel and los...

Historical Collections

Those who are passionate about jewelry know that the most extraordinary pieces aren't defined solely by their appearance or price, but also by their historical value. Around the world, there are co...

The History of Jewelry

The art of jewelry-making has existed as long as humankind. In prehistoric times, people crafted jewelry out of shells, bones, and stones: natural gifts from the earth that both provided protection...

Famous Diamonds

Throughout history, there have only been a handful of diamonds to truly astonish the jewelry world with their grandeur and beauty. Many of these gems were possessed by royalty, and all have histori...

Historical Characters in the World of Jewelry

The world of jewelry is timeless and far-reaching - almost everyone owns a piece of jewelry, and many have even tried to craft a piece themselves. But there’s a select group of people who will go d...

Introduction to Gems

The Hope Diamond is one of the most well-known diamonds in the world (photo source: Vogue) The history of gems For thousands of years, humans have been captivated by the most beautiful and intric...

Rose Cuts

Rose Cuts   While the brilliant cut is America’s most popular diamond, connoisseurs have been driving a recent surge in the popularity of rose cut stones, collectors loves these alternative, more c...

Old European Cuts

Gem School : The Old Euro Cut This is a blog post I’ve been anticipating for a while! It’s time to talk about my favorite diamond cut: the Old European, also known as the Old Euro, and the predeces...

Emeralds

Muzo. Coscuez. Chivor. These names don’t mean much to the average person - but in the world of fine colored gems, they’re titanic. Colombia has long held a reputation for being the source for the w...

A Treasure Hunting Story in Baltimore

Treasure Hunting with Anup Jogani   “I’m sorry, we’re not buying right now.” On the road in any business, you’ll hear this from time to time. Many dealers go through phases of buying and selling in...

Deco Influence

Art Deco pieces from the Jogani collection If you’re familiar with my work and inventory, you’ll know I love Art Deco pieces. My earliest original designs draw an abundance of inspiration from t...

Intro to Golconda Diamonds

The Last Golconda Often referred to as “the beginning of diamonds”, Golconda diamonds come from a small group of mines that surround the Krishna River in the Golconda region of India. For nearly tw...

Old Mine Cuts

If you want to hunt for treasure, you have to know what you’re looking for! This is going to be the first in a series about the diamond cuts I find the most intriguing, the most beautiful, and the ...

All About the Hunt

Treasure Hunting with Anup Jogani One of the most unique, unpredictable, and totally fun aspects of my job is the process of treasure hunting. I travel California, the United States, and the entir...

Diving into the Jewelry Trade, Head First!

Ah, the elusive perfect gemstone. Just one could take millions of years to form and rise to the earth’s surface, months of deliberation and planning, and weeks of painstaking, steady-handed cutting...