Gemstones

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 ...

Kashmir Sapphires: The Extraordinary Blue Sapphires You Should Know-Jogani

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 c...

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 ...

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 ta...

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 thes...

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 ...

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 piec...

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 diam...

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 signific...

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 wav...

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 im...

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 gemsto...