Citrine is the November birthstone.  It is the transparent, pale yellow to brownish-orange variety of quartz and is rare in nature. Traces of iron are what give this quartz variety its color.  Citrine is most commonly seen in the yellow to orange color range. It’s name was derived from the Latin word ‘citrus’ meaning “citron” (a fruit closely related to the lemon). Citrine is commonly found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Spain. With a warm attractive color, Citrine brings some heat to a chilly November. It is also considered the nineteenth anniversary gemstone. Source: GIA ..read more

It’s Halloween and time for all the ghosts and ghouls and goblins (and princesses and super heroes and kitty cats) to come out for their treats. If you are looking for some more grown up treats, check out these Halloween inspired jewels… This lovely webbed cuff bracelet from Sutra features a 20 carat opal with white and brown rose-cut diamond accents set in 18 karat black gold. $29,000. Or how about an 18 karat yellow gold and enamel spider necklace? This one from Lord Jewelry features an 8.40 carat oval ruby and a 1.20 carat round diamond with 2.65 carats of additional accent diamo ..read more

The month of October has a variety of birthstones associated with it including Tourmaline and Pink Sapphire, but most commonly Opal is named the official birthstone. Opal is known for its unique display of flashing rainbow colors called play-of-color. Play-of-color occurs because the stone is made up of sub-microscopic spheres stacked in a grid-like pattern—like layers of Ping-Pong balls in a box. As the lightwaves travel between the spheres, the waves diffract, or bend. As they bend, they break up into the colors of the rainbow, called spectral colors. Play-of-color is the result. Many cultur ..read more

Awards season is upon us, kicked off by the 69th Emmy Awards ceremony last week. Here are some of the most stunning jewels of the night… Mandy Moore wore a pink sapphire and diamond ensemble designed by Jennifer Meyer: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper continued the pink sapphire theme with Lorraine Schwartz earrings and ring featuring rubellite, pink sapphires and rubies: Emeralds made their own big splash on the red carpet. Actress Emmy Rossum displayed 58 Carat Columbian emerald drop earrings and a coordinating 19 Carat emerald cocktail ring: Jane Fonda dazzled in an emerald a ..read more

The September birthstone is the Sapphire. Blue sapphire belongs to the mineral species corundum. It can be a pure blue but ranges from greenish blue to violetish blue. The name “sapphire” can also apply to any corundum that’s not red and doesn’t qualify as ruby (another corundum variety). Besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family also includes so-called “fancy sapphires.” They come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues.  Sapphires can even be gray or brown. Fancy sapphires are generally less available than blue ones, and some colors are scarce, es ..read more

The birthstone for the month of August is the Peridot. Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral Olivine. Its chemical composition includes iron and magnesium, and iron is the cause of its attractive yellowish-green colors. The gem often occurs in volcanic rocks called basalts, which are rich in these two elements. Peridot has always been associated with light. In fact, the Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Some believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their lef ..read more

The July birthstone is the Ruby. Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species, which includes sapphire. In fact, Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the mineral’s crystal structure cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes ruby’s red color. Rubies can range from an orangy red to a purplish red depending on how much chromium is present during formation (the more chromium, the stronger the red color). The most renowned rub ..read more

Earlier this month we saw yet another awards ceremony pass glittering by, complete with all the frills and finery. As always, paired with the stunning gowns, were stunning pieces of jewelry! Here are just a few of our favorites… Ileana Ferreras in marquetry earrings by Silvia Furmanovich: Cynthia Nixon wearing an 18 Karat yellow gold and diamond necklace by Fred Leighton, circa 1950s: Sarah Paulson wearing Irene Neuwirth earrings featuring rose-cut rainbow moonstones set in 18 Karat rose gold: Uma Thurman wearing a 19th century amethyst rivière and cross pendant by Fred Leighton: And final ..read more

Pearls occur in a wide variety of colors. The most familiar are white and cream, but the palette of colors extends to every hue. The main color, or bodycolor, is often modified by additional colors called overtones, which are typically pink, green, purple, or blue. In jewelry, pearls are either natural or cultured. Natural pearls form around a microscopic irritant in the bodies of certain mollusks. Cultured pearls are the result of the deliberate insertion of a bead or piece of tissue that the mollusk coats with nacre. There are four major types of cultured whole pearls: Akoya, South Sea ..read more

  “One lucky lady snagged the deal of a lifetime over 30 years ago when she purchased what she thought was merely a fun cocktail ring, but what turned out to be a diamond worth more than $450,000. The unaware buyer who spent approximately $15 at a flea market in London had no idea the gem was actually a 26.27-carat white diamond. On Monday, Jessica Wyndham, head of Sotheby’s London jewelry department, met with the owner who has been wearing the ring since the ’80s and only recently found out from a local jeweler it could be of significant value. “She first bought it in the 1980s as a cos ..read more