Paramount Gems' Prattlings

Visit us at SJTA Atlanta!!!

2012-02-25T00:13:00.003-05:00

We at Paramount Gems look forward to seeing you at

SJTA Atlanta

February 25-27, 2012

Cobb Galleria Centre,

Atlanta, GA.

Booth No. 719

See you at the show!

Award Show Aaahs!

2012-02-22T19:19:00.002-05:00

I was so devastated to hear aboutthe untimely death of WhitneyHouston on Saturday night that I barely even paid attention to theGrammies. Rock-and-popstars are known for their striking tastes in clothes andjewelry, which were certainly different from those worn at the Golden Globes orthe acting-related awards.

For instance, there was plentyof white,bridal-ish fashion to be seen at the Screen Actors Guilds Awards. Iabsolutely ADORED Judy Greer’s Collette Dinnigan lace gown and rubelliteearrings. The red color added a striking contrast to the elegant detailing ofthe gown, though I didn’t think much of the hot pink purse. Definitely aninteresting color choice for the bold bride.

Another striking look was theMarchesa gown with gold detailing worn by Viola Davis. While pearls anddiamonds are de rigeur for the American bride, I wonder if many would betempted by the yellow gold embellishment? That would certainly allow fordelicate hints of yellow gold in the jewelry, which color, we must admit,flatters every skin tone.

I love how her earrings match her dress in embellishment style!

A wedding dress that I wouldwear? Stacey Keibler’s black Marchesa gown converted to white! Topped off withlacy diamond tops or solitaire drops. Yes indeed!

Kate Beckinsale wore a nudeRoberto Cavalli gown with shoulder-length Lorraine Schwartz earrings anddiamond cuffs.

I object to the following sentence used to describe her look “Heavy-duty diamond cuffs and earrings add some fashionedge and keep the look from going too bridal.” Well, I object to the principle!When women spend thousands of dollars on their wedding gowns, (arguably itemsof sentimental value), why don’t they spend on bridal jewelry? Jewelry is forlife! Why wouldn’t you wear gorgeous earrings or cuffs or necklace if theymatched your gown? You’d derive joy from that piece for years and years tocome!

But it was gratifying to see somereally colorful jewelry at the Golden Globes. My favorite for sheerclassiness and subtlety? Julianne Moore’s Fred Leighton emerald and diamondearrings.

The Grammies also saw some surprisingly ladylike choices by a lot of fashion-forward women, such as Katy Perry in Elie Saab with gorgeous Norman Silverman solitaire jewelry worth over a million dollars, and Kelly Rowland in multi-colored diamonds to match her blush-and-silver gown.

Carrie Underwood was in delicate Jonathan Arndt filigree earrings, and a gown that made her look like a mascot for winter, in my opinion.

Taylor Swift looked absolutely heavenly in her Zuhair Murad gown and Neil Lane jewels, like Princess Leia at her coronation (minus the braids!).

And finally, Nicki Minaj never fails to impress (as in, leave an impression, not wow! Or maybe wow, but not necessarily in admiration!) Wouldn't black diamonds be the perfect accessory for her???!!!

Well, as Warner Bros. says, that's all Folks! (at least till the Oscar update next week!)

Centurion Runners Up!

2012-02-16T13:47:00.003-05:00

Paramount Gems is proud to announce that its jewelry entry was voted "First Runner-Up" in the "Diamond Classic" category at the prestigious Second Annual Centurion Design Awards held at the Centurion show from January 29-31, 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The design in question was a filigreed yellow and white gold bangle set with diamonds from our "Lyrical" Collection. This collection debuted at JCK Las Vegas in June 2011 and has garnered an excellent response, leading to an increase in the variety of designs in the collection. See below:

185BG, from the Lyrical Collection.

Yay!

Spring Trends

2012-02-10T15:58:00.003-05:00

Merecedes Fashion Week 2012 Trends: From left: Art Deco, Lime, Peplums, Digital prints, Metallics, Deep Necklines.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is here again, and the Spring-Summer 2012 trends have already arrived. Color-blocking, the pairing of neutrals with bright colors, lace or the illusion of lace, flowy blouses or boxy '80's jackets with linear trousers or pencil skirts have carried on from Fall 2011. While pastels may be hot for spring, (pair them with neutrals for feminine elegance) the brights/electrics/neons will definitely last well into the year, what with Pantone's Fall 2012 Color Report. (Tangerine Tango is the Color of the Year - guess they now want to deprive Orange from the dubious merit of being America's least favorite color!)

The new trend for this year is Peplums: ruffles or overskirts attached to the waist which accentuate the illusion of the hourglass figure. They can be both fussy and ladylike but also sleek and architectural, while maintaining classy femininity. Again, this trend is best worn with sleek bottoms - a pencil skirt or narrow trousers.

Geometric patterns are still in, the neckline plunges in anticipation of the weather ahead, metallic stay trendy (black diamonds to match, anyone?)

What do these trends mean for the jewelry fashionista? Chunky necklaces, bangles or cocktail rings, or alternatively, slim bracelets or long pendants both keep the silhouette clean and centred. Earrings would do well focused on huggies or short danglers, but bright tops would also make for a striking effect.

Have fun with fashion: we at Paramount Gems always do!

Artistic Amethysts

2012-02-09T15:35:00.000-05:00

The word Amethyst comes fromthe Greek Amethystos, meaning “notdrunken”. A famous origin story states that the God of wine Dionysius waspursuing a beautiful chaste virgin called Amethystos. Amethystos pleaded to theGoddess Artemis to preserve her chastity, and Artemis turned her into a statueof glittering white quartz. In contrition, Dionysius poured a goblet of wineover the statue, turning the colorless quartz purple. Another variation statesthat Dionysius, insulted by a mortal’s lack of acknowledgement, vowed to wreakhis vengeance on the next human who came his way, through fierce tigers. Alongcame the virgin Amethystos, who was saved from the claws of the tigers by beingturned into a status of quartz by Artemis. Dionysius, upon seeing this, criedtears of repentance, which mingled with his goblet of wine and fell upon thestatue, turning it purple. Since then, amethyst has been associated withsobriety and balance of mind. Goblets were made of amethyst to preventdrunkenness and overcome addiction.

Clear quartz with amethyst "tears": displays color zoning seen in Quartz crystals

Amethystwas also one of the 12 stones that adorned the breastplate of the High PriestAaron, and comprised the 12^th foundation of the Holy City. It alsorepresents the tribe of Dan. It also stood for piety and celibacy, and was animportant ornament for prayer beads for Tibetan Buddhists, and as rings andpendants for the Catholic and other church clergy, particularly bishops,throughout the Middle Ages. It was also believed to dissipate evil thoughts andquicken the intelligence and retain courage, and hence was also used bysoldiers in battle.

Groundamethyst is believed to cure stomach aches and bad dreams in Chinese medicine.As a stone encouraging peace, love, spiritual upliftment and happiness, it wasalso given to couples or siblings. Amethyst’s powers are best recharged in moonlight.

Amethyst, due to its purplehue, was considered the color of royalty (purple was only worn by royalty asthe fabric dye was extremely rare and expensive) and once prized as much asdiamond, ruby, emerald and sapphir. It has only decreased in value in recenttimes after large deposits were discovered in the Americas.

Here is some information on theamethyst:

· Amethyst is the purple-hued single-crystal varietiesof the mineral quartz, one of the most common minerals on earth.

· Therefore, Amethyst, like citrine, is composedof silicon and oxygen, and forms in a trigonal crystal system.

· The purple color of amethyst is caused bynatural irradiation that acts on the iron in its crystal structure and createscolor centers.

· The most valuable amethyst color is a uniform, stronglysaturated reddish purple or purple.

Beautiful reddish-purple amethyst from the Smithsonian Collection.

· Amethysts come in a wide range of tones andsaturations of purple because the color in an amethyst quartz crystal tends tobe strongest in the tips, fading out towards the end of the crystal.

· Brownish tints or color zoning (colorconcentrated in one area, or strips or patches of irregular color) lower its value.

· There are generally 4 grades of amethyst in thewholesale market, depending on hue, tone and saturation, and uniformity ofcolor (absence of color zoning). From most valuable to least, these are AAA(super), AA/A (medium dark), B (medium) and C (light) grades.

· Amethyst was once only found in Russia (whereCatherine the Great once set thousands of workers to the Urals to find theseexquisite stones containing hints of red), but now there are excellent sourcesin Africa and South America. Zambian amethyst is reputed to have the finestcolor, and Brazil is known for its commercial-quality amethyst. NeighboringUruguay has also been found to contain amethyst of good color and quality.

· Other, relatively minor sources include India,Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tanzania, Namibia, Mexico, Canada and Arizona.

· Cutting centers include India, China andThailand for commercial goods, and Germany for high-end amethyst.

· Amethyst is often heat-treated to lighten verydark colors, or remove brownish shades. However heat treatment cannot make alight stone darker.

· More intensive heat treatment of amethyst canalso change its color to green/yellowish-green, or the yellow of citrine quartz.

· Amethyst is often synthesized as well, and isvery difficult to identify nowadays except through advanced gemological testing.

· Amethyst is rated 7 on the Moh’s scale in termsof hardness, and therefore is better worn in jewelry that is not subjected todaily wear-and-tear.

· The best way to clean amethyst is through soapand water, and wiping it with a soft cloth, though ultrasonic cleaning is alsogenerally considered safe.

· Avoid too much exposure to heat and sunlight:amethyst can fade.

Tucson Ahoy!

2012-01-31T11:58:00.001-05:00

2012 has gone off to a great start! I hope it has for you too, and that you're stocking up for Valentine's Day, my personal favorite holiday!

Well, right now, Tucson is your one-stop shop for all things gem-related. We're there too, so make sure to stop by and see us! Here are the details:

Paramount Gems

Booth 626

AGTA Gemfair,

Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, AZ

January 31-February 5, 2012.

See you there!

Green (and orange and yellow) Garnets!

2012-01-03T14:38:00.003-05:00

· Orangegarnets became popular in the 1990s. They comprise Spessartite and HessoniteGarnets.

· Spessartitewas first found in Spessart, Germany, but is now sourced in Brazil,Nigeria, Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, Pakistan , India and Sri Lanka.

· While they range in color from yellowish orangeto brownish red, the best color is a medium to medium-dark reddish-orangecolor. The color is caused by manganese and iron. They are often marketed as "Mandarin" garnets.

· Malaya garnetsare a mixture of Pyrope and Spessartite, with a small amount of Almandite,whose iron and manganese elements cause its pinkish-reddish-orange “peach” to “cinnamon”colors.

· They are found in Tanzania, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

· Hessonite,while not as commercially important, has the color of whiskey in firelight,with included crystals that give it a hazy appearance. It is found in India,Sri Lanka, Brazil and East Africa.

· Green garnets, like Tsavorite Grossularite Garnet and Demantoid Andradite Garnet, are also extremely valuable, becausethey are rarer and found mostly in smaller sizes.

Good-colored Tsavorite.

· Tsavoriteis colored by vanadium and ranges from bluish-green to yellowish green, andlike emerald, is most valued when it is of a vivid, saturated bluish-green togreen hue of medium-medium-dark tone.

· It is an excellent emerald substitute because itis comparable in color, and has better clarity, consistency, brilliance anddurability than an emerald.

· Tsavorite is found in East Africa (it is named after Tsavo National Park in Kenya) and Pakistan,cut in Thailand or India (smaller sizes), or Germany (better qualities and largersizes).

· Light green tsavorites are simply sold as “greengrossularite”.

· Demantoidgarnets have higher dispersion of light than even diamonds and are extremelyscarce.

· It was discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains andpopularized by Tsar Nicholas II in the 19^th century.

· Demantoid’s color ranges from yellowish green(golden-green) to vivid green.

· Chromium causes its green and iron its yellowshades.

· Russia and Namibia are two important sources ofdemantoids. Other sources include Iran, Italy, Greece and Mexico.

· Russian demantoids sometimes contain adistinctive fibrous mineral inclusion known as a “horsetail”, which actually canincrease its value.

· Yellow andradite is sold as “topazolite.”

· Phenomenal garnets are also available.

· Colorchange garnets come from Africa or Sri Lanka, and appear purple or redunder one light source, and green or blue under another. Other stones also showmore subtle changes like red to orange, orange to pink or yellow, or pink topurple. They’re composed of vanadium and pyrope and spessartite garnets.

· Star garnets are found in India, Sri Lanka and Idaho.They often comprise of a 4-rayed star made of rutile needles, and sometimes 6or a combination of the two. These are often made of pyrope and/or almandite.

New Year Greetings with Garnets!

2012-01-03T14:29:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday January Babies!The first month of the year should commence with a gemstone celebration, andwhat more festive color than red? The color of blood, our life-force, of love,of roses, of kings. And amply representing all these traits is January’sbirthstone, the Garnet.

Called carbunculus meaning “littlespark” and “granatus” meaning seed in Latin, red garnets have a romantic history. They have been known since Biblicaltimes, and were believed to have been one of the 12 stones adorning thebreastplate of the High Priest at Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. It is alsobelieved that Noah used a garnet in the front of his Ark to light his waythrough the storm. Besides, in Greek mythology, when the God of the UnderworldHades, kidnapped his beloved Persephone , the Goddess of spring and was forcedto return her by Zeus, he gave her a pomegranate, in the hope that she wouldreturn to him. And indeed she did, for three months every year, which is whenwinter set in in the world. Thus Garnets are associated with faith andconstancy, safe travels and lovers’ returns, and are often given as partinggifts and used as amulets.

For health, garnet was used as apoultice to relieve fevers, and worn to calm skin inflammations. Besides itregulated blood circulation and cured depression. It wasalso used to protect one from lightning as it was believed that garnet itselfcontained a tiny counteractive flame of lightning inside it. Besides healing, it was also used to cause harm in Asiaand the Americas, as it was believed that garnets caused greater wounds thanother weapons.

Today, garnets are available in a variety of colors, but let's talk about the most well-known Red Garnets first.

Garnet hues, courtesy the Smithsonian.

· Garnets are gemstones comprised of silicon,oxygen, and aluminium or calcium.

· Garnets are singly-refractive, which means thatthey exhibit the same color when viewed from any direction or in any lightingcondition.

· All garnets, irrespective of color, haveessentially the same crystal structure, with only the chemical compositiondiffering slightly.

· Garnets can interbreed, ie. 2 garnet species cancombine through a chemical substitution process called “Isomorphous Replacement”to form a “baby” garnet, that has similar, but yet measurably differentgemological characteristics from its “parents”. Eg. Rhodolite. Most commercially available garnets arecombinations of 2 species.

· Garnets are very rarely treated.

· Large rough of excellent color and clarity isextremely rare, making it very valuable.

· Red isthe most well-known garnet color.

· The red garnet varieties are Pyrope, Almandite and Rhodolite. These are alumiuniumgarnets.

· Pyropeand Almandite range from orange-red all the way through the red spectrum toreddish-purple.

· Pyropes arecolored by iron or chromium.

· Pyropes were found in the 1600s in Bohemia in theCzech Republic, and are still the centre of the gem industry there, sold inVictorian designs.

An antique hairpin with Bohemian Pyropes

· Pyropes are also found in Arizona and Utah.

· Almanditesare found in Myanmar, Thailand, Mozambique, Tanzania and Brazil.

· Almandite tends to be so dark as to look black,so it is often foil-backed, cut to shallow proportions, or as a hollowback cabochonto lighten its color.

· In red garnets, generally the larger the stone,the darker it tends to be.

· Livelier red-orange-brown stones tend to beknown as African or Mozambique garnets, while darker stones tend to be known asThai garnets.

· Rhodoliteis a mixture of Pyrope and Almandite Garnets.

· It is the most valuable red garnet, with the bestcolor being a medium to medium dark bright red with a hint of purple.

· It is found in East Africa, Madagascar, Indiaand Sri Lanka.

Elizabeth Taylor's Christie's Auction

2011-12-06T16:59:00.001-05:00

Ironic, and yet oddly suitable that such a colorful personality could be awarded a black and white montage.

OH MY GOD.

I have just returned from the Christie's Exhibition of Elizabeth Taylor's clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, and decorative objects, and I'm struck speechless. There are so many emotions one feels when walking through the multiple galleries dedicated to the objects of her life - awe, wistfulness, jealousy (a lot!), amazement (you'll know why when you see the amount of STUFF she has!), wonder. And a little odd ache, that this woman, in her 80-odd years, has lived more, loved more, throroughly enjoyed her life (and wealth) more than most of us ever will. The abandonment, the passion and love she brought to her life is obvious from her possessions.

For those of you who didn't know, about a thousand of her relatively inexpensive possessions and memorabilia have started to be auctioned online since December 3, with bidding closing on December 17. Prices start as low as $100. It's not too late to register. Who knows, you may give a loved one a Christmas or Valentine's day gift of a lifetime! Of course, the most valuable items will be auctioned on December 13-16 2011 at Christie's New York.

If you're in New York and love fashion, jewelry, and the good life, a visit to Christie's this week is highly recommended. Purchase tickets online here. You can thank us later!

Some good articles: Instyle's Online jewelry highlights, JCKOnline's Photo preview.

Love Love Love!!!

Terrific Turquoise!

2011-12-02T16:35:00.001-05:00

Turquoise is one of the fewopaque stones that have received the assignation of a birthstone, and for goodreason. It has a storied history, adorning pharoahs and emperors of the mostcomplex and fascinating civilizations in the world.

Tutankhamun tomb scarab beetle of lapis lazuli, carnelian and turquoise.

Called “Phirozeh” or “Victorious”by the Persians, this stone has been believed to protect one from the evil eye,demons, ill health and injury. The ancient Mexicans believed that turquoise wasso sacred it could only adorn the Gods. Native Americansused turquoise on their arrows to make their aim better and their horses moresure-footed, and to guard the dead. They believed that turquoise originatedfrom the sweat of a great chief with turquoise-colored skin. Associated withthe blue of the sky and the green of the earth, it is believed that turquoisecan appease the Wind Spirit. Hence it was sometimes used in Dreamcatchers to absorb bad spirits. Linked to the Goddess of Love inMediterranean cultures, turquoise was believed to bring love, happiness andprosperity. So named because it was brought to Europe through Turkey, turquoise’sgorgeous, soothing flat color is a balm for sore eyes (yes, it was alsobelieved to improve eyesight and free one of care). And the irony is that thiscool stone the hue of an artist's dream of a perfect summer sea is found in dryand barren topography. Let's learn a little more about this stunning stone.

· Turquoise is composed of a hydrous phosphate ofcopper and aluminium.

· It is created through a sedimentary processduring which groundwater, containing copper, reacts with phosporus andaluminium-rich minerals, usually limonite or sandstone.

· The color of the host rocks defines the color ofthe rocky mottling or veining or "matrix" sometimes found inturquoise. Limonite causes dark brown markings, sandstone a tan color.

· No matrix in gem-quality turquoise is mostvaluable, but attractive and bold matrix also has a good market, particularly"spiderweb matrix'.

· Turquoise is a cryptocrystalline aggregate -each stone is composed of tiny microscopic crystals joined together.

· The closer the crystals, the finer the texture,and shinier the lustre, the greater the durability, the more valuable thestone, and vice versa.

· Turquoise comes in a range of colors - yellow,all shades of green, grey, yellow and blue.

· The most valuable color is a uniform medium"sky" blue. This color is often known as "Persian Blue" inthe trade, even though it may not have been mined in Persia. The blue color iscaused by higher amounts of copper in the composition.

· Greenish tones in turquoise are less valuable(often found in Egyptian and American turquoise), and are due to higher ironconcentration in the gem.

· An even tone is much prefered to a speckled,spotted, or mottled texture, whatever the color of the pattern.

· Popular cuts for turquoise are flat pieces forinlay work, assorted beads, and cabochons, the shape of which lends finequality turquoise a soft glow.

· Persia and New Mexico were traditional sourcesof fine turquoise in the past. It is also frequently used in carvings.

· Today, the most turquoise is found insouthwestern USA, Iran (formerly Persia), Egypt, Chile and the best color tendsto be found in southern China. It’s often found in conjugation with coppermines.

· Turquoise is the state gem of Arizona, NewMexico and Nevada.

· The largest market for turquoise is the Americansouthwest, and collectors of Victorian and vintage jewelry.

540-ct turquoise and 700-ct diamond Empress Marie Louise (Napolean's 2nd wife) Diadem at the Smithsonian

· The color in natural, untreated turquoise tendsto be unstable, fading, darkening or discoloring over time as it reacts to theenvironment due to the individual porosity of the stone. Case in point -antiquated carvings.

· This is why today most turquoise is treated insome way, to keep the color stable and the gem durable, usually by sealing withwax, oil or polymers, to make “stabilized” turquoise. Some treated turquoise can look slightlyunnatural in its uniform cool blue color. Sometimes, a dark, cyan blue colorcan indicate that the stone is dyed.

· Synthetic turquoise is also available, but isnot very common.

· More common are imitations like glass andplastic.

· Rarer imitations are made up of entirelydifferent minerals. Variscite is a completely different mineral that is similarto turquoise in color and is sometimes called “California” or “Nevada”turquoise. Howlite can be dyed to imitate turquoise with matrix.Chrysacolla-in-chalcedony is a shinier, harder quartz that resembles fineturquoise in color.

· Warm soapy water and a cotton swab is the bestway to clean turquoise, avoid heat, steam and ultrasonic cleaners.

Auction Extravaganza!

2011-11-29T17:02:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness! My wishlist for Santa has just become wayyyy more substantial with the addition of these gorgeous gems that alas, some other investor, or woman in Asia, has received as a Christmas gift!

Just LOOK at these gorgeous diamonds! The cut, the luster, the brilliance, the fire, oooh!!!!

Courtesy Christie's courtesy JCKOnline

71-and-change ct total weight diamonds - 35.something carats each. One for my neck, one for my hairband tiara! Or as lovely drop earrings wheeeee! Both together sold for $16.4 million! The highest price for colorless diamonds in Asia! That's almost $223,000 per carat!

And this pair of gorgeous emerald earrings, sold for a paltry $4 million. The highest price for emerald earrings in auction history! $83,000 a carat!

Courtesy Christie's Courtesy JCKOnline

Sigh, to be kissed under the mistletoe and presented these! Or to find them among the fallen pine needles under your Christmas tree!

SOMEONE better be having a very happy Christmas indeed!!!

Double up in December - Blue Zircon

2011-11-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

Zircons havebeen recovered for thousands of years from Sri Lanka, though it was only namedin the 18th century by Professor Klaproth of the University of Berlin, who alsodiscovered strontium, titanium, chromium and zirconium. However the word"Zircon" is believed to originate from the Persian "Zargun""gold-colored", or the Arabic "Zarkun""vermilion".

Ancient Hindusbelieved that the mythical Tree of Wisdom or Kalpavruksh was covered withleaves of zircon. Zircon was also associated with the planet Pluto. It was alsobelieved that a zircon would lose its luster before a storm.

In theMiddle Ages, zircons were believed to aid sleep, as well as promote prosperity,honor and wisdom and drive away the plague, poisons and evil spirits thatcaused melancholy and hallucinations. Thus they were symbols of purity,innocence and constancy. It was also believed to aid varicose veins, blisters,bleeding (unless caused by a stone or iron) and problems with the testicles. Itwas also supposed to strengthen the heart, lungs and liver, and help pregnantwomen give birth easily.

· Zircon is composed of silicon, oxygen andzirconium.

· Zircon is found in both igneous and metamorphicrocks.

· It occurs in all colors, particularly yellow,red and brown, and sometimes green.

· Zircon can have a wide range of refractive index(speed and direction of light as it passes through it),double refraction (breakingup of light into two rays as it passes through it), and specific gravity(weight/heft).

· Normally doubling is visible in the zirconthrough the naked eye, which differentiates it from the stone it most imitatesin terms of brilliance, fire and color (or lack of it) - the diamond, which issingly refractive.

A vivid blue zircon from the Smithsonian Collection. If you look carefully through the table and crown facets to the pavilion facets, you'll see that the facet edges look double - there are two lines where one should be. This is Zircon's strong double refraction!

· Green zircons tend to have the lowest ranges ofthese properties as their crystal structures and properties have been highlydamaged by radioactivity due to the presence of uranium or thorium. However,heating "low" zircons tends to repair their damaged crystallinestructure and restore their properties to normal. Cool, right??? But don'tworry, your zircon jewelry is extremely unlikely to be radioactive!

· Blue and colorless zircon are rarely found innature. Their color (or lack of it) is usually a result of heat treatment toyellow or brown stones.

· Blue is by far the most popular zircon colortoday. Surprised?!

· Blue zircon is generally more expensive thanblue topaz.

· Blue zircon was very popular in Victorianjewelry (1880s-1900s)

· Note that zircon is DIFFERENT from syntheticcubic zirconia, which is a man-made, singly-refractivestone that is much softer than a zircon.

· Zircon is 7-7.5 on the Moh's scale, butrelatively brittle, making it difficult to cut, though it is available in allvarieties of cuts.

· Due to its brittleness, which causes its edgesto become damaged easily, it must be set securely with its edges protects.Items of jewelry that are the most secure are earrings, necklaces, pins andbrooches.

· Zircon is most often found in Australia, SriLanka, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Other sources includeMadagascar, East Africa and Brazil.

· Its main cutting center is Thailand.

Tantalizing Tanzanite

2011-11-29T08:37:00.001-05:00

Well Hello again! I am stuffedand happy after a perfect Thanksgiving with friends and family and a weekendtrip to Boston… are you? How did Black Friday go for you? And cyber Monday?Well, that’s just a pushstart to get us all geared up for December!!! Decemberis chock-full, what with Christmas and the associated holiday shoppers buyingluxury items like *ahem* jewelry, not to mention 4.. yes.. FOUR.. birthstones!

So it seems that after thedreary gloom of November needing to be dispelled by sunny warm-hued gemstonesthe powers that be decided to embrace winter in all its icy glory with lovelyblue gemstones! Standing out against the landscape like the clear blue of asummer lake, alas, now sadly frozen over, it reflects the clear blue of a sunnywinter sky. We have Blue topaz this month, along with turquoise, tanzanite andzircon. Let’s start with the most recently famous - the gemstone of the 20^th Century:the Tanzanite.

· Tanzanite is one of the newest gemstones to hitthe market, discovered only in 1967.

· Tanzanite was named by Tiffany & Co. afterthe country it was found in – Tanzania in East Africa, which is still one ofthe only sources of Tanzanite.

· It is a transparent blue variety of the mineralZoisite, which is opaque and green.

· It is actually a brownish colored stone, whichis then heated to remove the brown, yellow and green pleochroic colors toproduce blue tanzanite.

· Tanzanite is composed of silica, aluminium andcalcium.

· Tanzanite is strongly pleochroic, ie. It lookslike two different colors when viewed from different angles and directions. Onecolor is purple, the other a blue to violetish blue.

· Also the more vivid the color, the more valuableit is.

· The blue to violetish-blue color is the mostvaluable in tanzanite, but those stones tend to be smaller than purplishstones, which retain more weight during the cutting process.

· Tanzanite is most often cut into oval, cushionor trillion shapes.

· Tanzanite’s popularity is due to its being amore reasonable alternative for blue sapphire, and having a distinctive hueunmatched by other gemstones. It was also marketed by Tiffany and Co. earlieron, and television shopping networks in the 1990’s.

· It joined the birthstone list in 2002.

· Its main cutting center is Jaipur, India.

· Tanzanite is moderately hard – about 6.5 on theMoh’s scale, but not tough at all, as it cleaves in one direction and is alsosensitive to heat. So for handygem-wearers, I’d recommend buying earrings or necklace over a bracelet or ringfor daily use (of course, Tanzanite cocktail rings are particularly striking),and cleaning with warm water and soap and a toothbrush.

· Tanzanite imitations include glass, SyntheticForsterite, Coranite (a synthetic sapphire) and Tanavyte (yttrium aluminiumgarnet). Another substitute for Tanzanite is the naturally occurring, triplypleochroic Iolite (or Cordierite).

· Zoisite, Tanzanite’s parent mineral (not abirthstone), is also available in transparent green (known as chrome tanzaniteor green tanzanite), and a translucent to opaque mottled pink called Thulite.

A lovely photograph from the Smithsonian showcasing Tanzanite's pleochroic colors.

Due to its relative newness, there is not muchmyth or lore associated with it. However, there is a pretty romantic storyattached to its discovery. Supposedly, there was a fire in the Masai landscaused by lightning. One day, Masai tribesmen were going about their daily workwhen one of them noticed that there were gorgeously colored bluish crystalssticking out of the ground. The brown/colorless zoisite crystals that werecommonly found on the land had turned that color from the heat caused by thefire. After research, when it was found to be Zoisite, Tiffany rejected thescientific name “Blue Zoisite” because it sounded too much like ‘suicide”, andnamed it Tanzanite instead, in keeping with the contemporary fascination withAfrica.

The soothing blue of Tanzanite has been associated with the sameproperties as those of blue sapphire – bringing about a sense of peace and calmand soothing negative feelings, while maintaining balance and productivity.

One of my favorite designs from Paramount Gems - my favorite 3-stone ring shape paired with periwinkle-blue Tanzanites, clear as a Lake in Geneva... perfect on ANY finger! Pair a birthstone with a sign of love!

Another Amazing Auction!

2011-11-16T18:10:00.001-05:00

Auctions seem to be the place to be to view exquisite pieces of jewelry and purchase rare items with storied provenances. And the prices seem to be going through the roof for unique pieces - a phenomenon certainly not reflected in the rest of the market!!!

Case in point: a 110.03 fancy vivid yellow VVS1 pear-shaped "Sundrop" Diamond, which was sold at the Sotheby's Auction in Geneva on November 15, 2011 for $12.4 million, (a record price for a yellow diamond), is also the largest known fancy vivid yellow pear-shaped diamond in the world. (Certainly, Bigger seems to be better!)

Sundrop Diamond. Another beautiful diamond bites a hand other than mine!

A 12.01ct Muzo emerald (the mine where the finest colored emeralds often emerge from) ring with diamonds and spessartite garnets, went for a little over $1.3 million, more than doubling its estimate of CHF 365,000 to 555,000.

Other spectacular gains over the estimated price include

A Cartier diamond and sapphire ring, estimated at CHF90,000 to 135,000, which sold for CHF 806,500,
A ruby and diamond ring, estimated at CHF 19,000 to 29,000, which sold for CHF 266,500, and
A FINE PINK TOPAZ that was estimated at CHF 20,000-30,000, which went for CHF 206,500!!!!! Wonder if the wife of the man had a November birthday!!! But most likely it was an investor.

I wish I could post some pictures, but if you click on the Sotheby's Auction link, you will be redirected to a catalogue of the auction results. I feasted my eyes on some lovely pieces! Enjoy!

P.S. CHF means Swiss Francs. 1CHF = USD 1.08, so the USD price of the items above would be SLIGHTLY more than that indicated.

Jewelry Fashion Continues at the CMAs!

2011-11-10T12:45:00.000-05:00

The Country Music Awards just took place last night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The CMA red carpet was just as rewarding as the one at the Emmys with safe, elegant style displayed on the part of the ladies, and the predictable display of cowboy hats and shiny jackets on the part of the men.

Graceful gowns with plenty of sequins, drape detailing and bare shoulders, allowing for long chandelier earrings and big diamond studs, lots of clutches held in hands, providing an eloquent display of chunky bracelets, cuffs and cocktail rings, with some neck jewelry in these images. Here are some of my favorites from the link above:

Martina McBride in stilleto earrings and what looks like a black and white diamond cocktail ring.

Taylor Swift in a J. Mendel gown and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Nicole Kidman in a Jean Paul Gaultier gown and a diamond and platinum choker by Fred Leighton

... And my personal favorite: festive and dazzling:

Carrie Underwood in a Reem Acra gown with Jonathan Arndt jewels.

Enjoy! (psst... hasn't LeAnn Rimes became so much skinnier than when her single "Can't Fight the Moonlight" was released? And Faith Hill too!!!)

P.S. For a closer look at some of the jewels and some really funny comments on the stars' looks, click here!

Citrine and Sunlight

2011-11-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

Citrine, another sunny November stone, also brings with it a host of ameliorative qualities, along with an ancient and storied legacy. Its modern name is believed to originate from the French “Citron”, as it is comparable to the fresh hues of the citrus family.

Citrine was believed one of the stones used in the breastplate of the High Priest in the Genesis. However, there is little mention of Citrine otherwise before the first century B.C. The ancient Greeks, then the Romans, were thought to be its active wearers, crafting it into cabochons or intaglio carving. Then, the citrine was carried as a protection against the plague, skin problems, snake bites, and evil thoughts.

Citrine is also believed to help the heart, kidney, digestive tract, liver and muscles and circulation. It is said to balance the thyroid and stimulates thymus. In these capacities, it is believed to help in overcoming backache, depression, fears and phobias, and providing hope. It also promotes creativity, helps personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.

Known as "The Merchant's Stone", possibly due to its golden hue, Citrine is said to bring prosperity and success when placed in a cash register. Citrine became more popular during the Romantic Period, when artisans often favored these warm colored gems to enhance gold jewelry.

Since Citrine is reported to hold no negativity, it never requires cleaning.

For more about Citrine’s fascinating, varied, and controversial history, click here. For facts, look no further than below!

· Citrine is only one of a large family of gems belonging to the Quartz group, which also includes amethyst, ametrine, smoky, rock crystal and rose quartz, aventurine, hawks-eye and tiger’s eye quartz, and all varieties of chalcedony.

· As a quartz, it is composed of Silicon and Oxygen.

· Citrine is actually extremely rare in nature, having often been confused with topaz and yellow sapphire throughout history.

· Citrine is typically yellow to red to brown in color, with its color caused by iron,

· The most valuable citrine color is a saturated yellow to reddish-orange, with no brown tints, also known as Madeira or brandy after the richly-colored liqueurs. However many people also like the lemony shades.

A gorgeous Citrine from John Dyer Gems. I want!!! Now doesn't this make you think of Brandy or Madeira???

· Most citrine in the market is a result of heat-treating amethyst, particularly from Brazil.

· The more saturated the original amethyst, the more saturated the citrine. Of course, natural citrine tends to be paler in general than treated citrine.

· Citrine is mostly mined in Madagascar, Spain, Mexico, Uruguay and Bolivia. It is also found in the Urals of Russia and in France.

· It possesses a hardness of 7, so it is relatively delicate and easily scratched compared to topaz or precious stones. It should be stored in a fabric-lined jewelry box to prevent scratches and breakage.

· It should not be exposed to strong heat or light, as the color can fade.

Sunshine in November: Yellow Birthstones

2011-11-04T18:02:00.000-04:00

Happy November!!! This month is special to me because it is my birthday month! However, it seems to figure to others as one of the most insignificant/unpopular months. If you look at any calendar, November will tend to have the ugliest visual image. I guess because it’s such a dreary, uninspiring month, a limbo month between fall and winter. And that’s probably why the birthstones for November are both the sunny-colored gemstones – Topaz and Citrine. Maybe they were somehow expressly chosen to bring to mind the brighter, more-lighthearted days of summer, or the warm candle and firelight of winter. I’d believe that.

The name Topaz comes from Sanskrit “tapas” meaning fire. Its name is also believed to be derived from the island of Topazios, also known as Zabargad or St. John’s Island, in the Red Sea. The Egyptians believed that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the sun god Ra and wore it as an amulet to protect them from injury. The ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase one’s strength and courage and make its wearer invisible in cases of emergency.

The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who is also the god of the sun and believed it had power to improve eyesight. When worn as amulet, topaz was said to drive away sadness and strengthen the intellect.

When mounted in gold and hung around the neck, it was believed to dispel bad charms. When powdered and put in wine, topaz was believed to be a cure for insomnia, asthma, burns and hemorrhage.

Topaz was also said to change its color or become invisible in the presence of poisoned food or drink.All these mystical powers were believed to increase and decrease with the phases of the moon, and to be enhanced in the presence of moonlight.

During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent untimely death. Topaz was believed to be capable of cooling boiling water, curing gall, dispelling night terrors, and lessening anger and lechery, The topaz is also considered precious by African bushmen; it is used in ceremonies for healing and contacting spirits.

Among the many powers attributed to topaz was the stone's ability to create its own light. St. Hildegarde claimed that she read prayers in a darkened chapel by the light emanating from a topaz.

In the 19th century, pink topaz was discovered in Russia. The gemstone was so coveted that only the Czar, his family, and those he gave it to were allowed ownership.

As the myths’ origins claim, Topaz has been around for millennia, and used by most ancient cultures. However, it seems that only the yellow color was known. This blogpost will remove some of the mystery surrounding topaz.

Beautiful golden Topaz earrings in the Smithsonian Collection

· Topaz exists in a variety of colors in nature: red, pink, yellow, brown orange, purple, blue, green and most commonly, colorless.

· Topaz’s colors come from the existence of trace elements or color centres, and are not an essential part of its chemistry, making it Allochromatic.

· Topaz is most often found in cavities in igneous rocks like granite, or in hydrothermal pockets, mostly in Minas Gerais and Ouro Preto, Brazil.

· The topaz rough crystal is long, causing Topaz to most often be cut in elongated shapes like ovals, pears or emerald cuts to retain the most weight and maximise color display.

· Colorless topaz is found mostly in Brazil and Sri Lanka, followed by Australia, US, Namibia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Mexico and Myanmar.

· Strong blue topaz is naturally rare. The blue topaz available in the market is a result of radiation and heat treatment applied to colorless gems.

· Blue topaz is the most popular color in the US.

· Treated topaz comes in many shades of blue – from grey-blue London Blue, to bright Swiss Blue, to electric, and sky blue shades.

· The blue color is stable and permanent, but the fact that it is treated makes blue Topaz the cheapest topaz in the market, with prices a few dozen dollars a carat.

· More valuable than the blue are the yellow-orange-brown varieties of Topaz. The yellow and brown colors are caused by color centers. The orange color is caused by chromium AND color centers.

· Orangey-yellow topaz is often known as Sherry Topaz, after the rich wine.

· Yellow and brown topaz is most often found in Brazil, but are most popular in Europe.

· Yellow-brown topaz can be valued at almost a $1000 a carat.

· The most precious variety of Topaz is known as “Imperial Topaz”, after its value to the Russian Royal Family.

· It tends to be a reddish-orangeish-purplish color, with strong red pleochroism or overtones in its color.

· Imperial Topaz is most highly valued in Germany and Japan.

· Red is the most valued color of Topaz, primarily in East Asia, and also the rarest, followed by pink. It’s value can exceed $1000 a carat.

· Red and pink topaz’s sources include Brazil and Pakistan.

· Treated topaz, like all gems, are far less valuable than untreated topaz.

· Topaz, while ranking 8 on the Moh’s scale for hardness, can break or split easily near the base, and therefore needs to be placed in a protective jewelry setting. Avoid setting them in rings.

· Topaz, due to its delicateness, should only be cleaned with warm soapy water, and avoid exposing yellow-to-brown topaz to extended periods of heat or light as they might fade.

· A common treatment for colorless topaz is to coat it with a thin metallic oxide layer, that creates a multi-hued aspect. This is often known as Rainbow or Mystic Topaz.

· Topaz is not as popular as it should be, either on its own strength or as a substitute for the precious gemstones, given its range of colors, reasonable prices, and large sizes. It is also confused for the cheaper, and moree popular Citrine Quartz, which is the other birthstone for November, and will be dealt with in our next post.

Trending Now: Fall and Winter Fashion

2011-10-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

Most of fashion trends that we had predicted for fall: sleek metallic jewelry, bright colors, and the dainty, lady-like look, have appeared in magazines and stores and on consumers already. As a follow-up, the two great links below further explain these current trends and give consumers advice on how to wear the new types of jewelry that we've been seeing recently.

Michael Kors' Do's and Don'ts regarding Jewelry wear: love the advice about cocktail rings (we can't all be Victoire de Castellane), and also on not looking like a "Christmas Tree". It's part of being in the business!

Victoire de Castellane of Dior

The Emmy Awards in particular seem to have set the ball rolling this year on GREAT fashion trends, which are further explained in this post here. I LOVE matchy-matchy, and feel sad it isn't done enough. In my post above (first one in this paragraph), you can see that Gwyneth Paltrow, Evan Rachel Woods and Julie Bowen are wearing dark dresses, and matching dark jewelry, Heidi Klum is wearing a beige dress, with a matching suite of earrings and ring, Kelly Osbourne is wearing a maroon gown with ruby jewelry. The trend this time around doesn't seem to be to match the shades EXACTLY, but to wear similar colors to produce a complementarity, a wholeness or unity to the look if you will.

Lots of potential for elegance and style!

Tourmalines Add to October's Charm

2011-10-17T10:35:00.001-04:00

October is one of the only months that actually has two birthstones that are extremely different from each other, giving October babies the advantage of a WIDE range of choice! Unlike November, MY birth month, in which both birthstones, topaz and citrine, look pretty similar! We posted plenty of information on the Opal in the previous post, now here is some information on the Tourmaline (Note: Only PINK tourmaline is considered a birthstone. The other tourmaline colors are not).

Tourmaline, despite having been misidentified as other gemstones through the ages, still possesses its own canon of myths and symbolism. With its modern name derived from the Sinhalese “toro malli”, “mixed stones”, it is believable that a legend would arise stating that tourmaline was such a wide range of colors because it travelled along a rainbow and gathered its colors. Its myriad hues are also believed to inspire creativity in writers and artists. Most likely the pink tourmaline was believed to strengthen the nervous and circulatory systems, and uplift the spirit. Due to their capability of piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity, they are also believed to attract positive energies and dispel negative forces or emotions.

·         Tourmaline’s many different colors (green, blue, yellow, brown, black, pink, red, neon and bi-and tri-colored varieties) are due to their differing chemical compositions, which contribute to different types of tourmalines having different physical properties as well, despite their similar crystal structures.
·         Tourmalines are primarily comprised of silica, boron, aluminium and fluorine.
·         Tourmaline is extremely pleochroic in that it can shows two extreme differences in color depending on the angle it is viewed from. This property requires care in cutting so as to display the more attractive pleochroic hue to best advantage.
·         It is also strongly doubly refractive – can show what looks like blurred or double-facet outlines or inclusions, even without magnification.
·          Another characteristic of tourmalines is that they tend to contain thin, meandering inclusions containing liquid or gas bubbles, or long tubes with a crystal on one end.
·         Tourmalines are most often found in Brazil, followed by East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia), and Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
·         Important cutting and trading centres are Idar-Oberstein, Germany, and Bangkok, Thailand.

The Nautilus Pendant, with a 3.76 ct pink Nigerian tourmaline, at the Smithsonian

· Pink and red tourmaline are also known as Rubellite in the trade. The color comes from the presence of manganese, or less frequently, titanium.

· The deeper the color, the more valuable the stone.

· They are similar in color ranges to ruby and pink sapphires, but never display the fluorescent “glow” of fine rubies, no matter how red the stone. Often, the deeper the color, the darker it might look.

· Tourmaline comes in a wide range of sizes and shapes, and generally in good clarity. However, included tourmaline is also cut in cabochons or carved into decorative objects.

· Tourmaline is also often heat-treated to improve color, which provides a stable and permanent result. However, tourmalines colored by natural or man-induced radiation tend to fade with exposure to heat or light.

· Tourmaline with liquid inclusions is rarely heat-treated, but may be irradiated, which is an undetectable treatment.

Tourmalines were also mined in California, and exported mainly to China, where the last Empress T’zu Hsi loved them so much that when she died, she was laid to rest on a pillow of tourmaline. After the Chinese monarchy collapsed in 1912, the US tourmaline trade also collapsed. Now tourmaline mining in California is relatively small in scale.

Opalescence in October

2011-10-06T16:18:00.001-04:00

The Opal was known to the ancient Romans as the Queen of Gemstones because it contained all the colors of the other gems. The Arabs also believed them to be magical stones fallen from the heavens. A lovely ancient origin myth states that a storm god through a bolt of lightning at a rainbow that ended his storm. The rainbow exploded and fell to the earth, and its colors embedded themselves in the rocks, creating the opal. It symbolized hope, purity and love, and was believed to cure diseases of the eye and increase mental powers. It was also believed to make the wearer invisible. Blonds in the middle ages wore opals in their hair to prevent it from greying! Mined in many parts of Eastern Europe, opals were the most popular stone to be set in jewelry in the Middle Ages, till the Black plague struck, at which time it was believed that the victims’ opals would flare up and then totally lose their color upon their wearers’ death. Opals continued to lose their market share till the early 20^th century, when brilliant and myriad-hued Australian opals made their way to Queen Victoria’s court in England. Today, they have regained their popularity as pretty, affordable gemstones that match pretty much any outfit, especially this season’s vivid colors!

Opal has a pretty fascinating formation story. Most opals are over 30 million years old, some almost 400 million years old. They are the remnants of geothermal hot springs whose bubbling minerals lined cracks, vents and underground cavities in the bedrock, and dried up over millennia.

Millions of years ago, the deserts of central Australia were a great inland sea, with silica deposits around its shoreline. After the sea receded and disappeared to become the great Artesian basin, weathering and rainfall 30 million years ago released most of the silica into a solution which seeped down and filled cracks in rocks, layers in clay, and even some fossils. During droughts, the water would evaporate, leaving a solid deposit of silica in the cracks. Some of the silica became precious opal. The water in opal (sometimes as much as 30%) is a remnant of that ancient sea. Today, Australia is the most important source of white, black and boulder opal. Other sources include Brazil, Canada and Ethiopia.

· Thus Opal is a silicon dioxide with water.

· Opal is one of the only gemstones that is created by sedimentary formation.

· It is amorphous in nature (contains no crystalline structure that defines its mineral type), but precious opal has a definite internal pattern, comprising billions of uniform, miniscule silica spheres stacked neatly one on top of the other in a 3-D formation. This is believed to occur when water evaporates steadily during opal formation.

· Play-of-color, the flashes of color found in opal that make it so fascinating, is formed when light diffracts (travels and bends), between the spaces between the spheres, breaking up into spectral (individual) colors. Note though, that non-precious opal does NOT display play-of-color.

· Non-precious or “potch” opal, does not display play-of-color because its silica particles are randomly shaped and arranged, not allowing light to pass through and diffract. Water probably evaporated in an erratic fashion in its formation.

· Opal’s value is based on 3 factors:

1. Background color and play-of-color: Background color is caused by mineral impurities between the silica spheres. The more the impurities, the darker the color and the greater the opacity. Black is the most prized background color, and red and orange the most valuable colors for play-of color, with blue and green being less desirable. The more vivid and varied the play-of-color, the more valuable it is.

2. Pattern of play-of-color: This consists of pinfire (small dots of color), flash (large areas of color), and Harlequin (large distinct polygonal patches of color touching each other on the sides, with this last being the most valuable. Dead spots (areas with no play-of-color), take away from the stone’s value. This is sometimes difficult to judge as some opals only show colors when held toward the light. The most valuable opal is one that shows strong, uniform play of color from all angles and in most lighting situations. Besides, the pattern should be harmonious and balanced to increase value.

3. Clarity of the stone: its level of transparency and clarity. This is different valued for different opal types. A milky/cloudy stone in any type is less valuable as it decreases intensity of color and can indicate that an opal is drying out. A dried opal looks like it has a network of cracks on it. It is caused due to exposure to excessive heat, dryness or bright lights. Surface damage like fractures or pits also decrease value and durability.

· There are 7 types of Opal, primarily differentiated by background color:

1. Black Opal

This is typically the most valuable type of opal. Background color ranges from black to a dark hue, usually grey, as long as it appears black in reflected light. The more opaque the stone is, the more valuable as it shows play-of-color much better. As such, fine black opal sells by the piece, rather than the carat weight.

2. White Opal

The background color of white opal ranges from translucent white to medium grey. It makes up the majority of commercial quality opals in the market today. Commercial opals have faint, cloudy-looking colors while high-end white opals show brightly-colored and defined play.

3. Crystal Opal

This type of opal has a transparent to semi-transparent body, whatever the color. Its transparency makes the colors stand out much more vividly.

4. Water Opal

This type of opal has a transparent to translucent light-colored body, whatever the body color. It also shows none to relatively little play of color, making it less valuable than other types of opals.

5. Boulder Opal

This is a thin layer of opal cut and backed by the rock it emerged from, usually sandstone or dark brown ironstone. Sometimes they may contain veins of the stone in between the patches of opal. Its background color can be any hue, and its price depends upon its play-of-color and the way the backing stone is incorporated into the opal. Its price is about a third of the price of black opal, unless it’s excellent quality. It is only mined in Queensland, Australia.

6. Fire Opal

So named because of its transparent to translucent yellow, orange, or red bodycolor, fire opal is valued for its color, whether or not it contains play-of-color. Red-orange to bright red hues, also called cherry opals, command top dollar. This type of stone has good clarity, so it’s often faceted, or fashioned into a cabochon if it displays play of color. It is mined in Mexico, Honduras and Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.

7. Assembled Opal

An assembled opal is usually a thin piece of opal that is backed with non-motherstone materials to improve durability. An opal doublet is an opal usually cemented to glass, onyx, obsidian, black glass, potch opal or plastic. An opal triplet consists of 3 layers, and is valued on the basis of its construction, quality and play of color.

· Most opal is cut in China or Germany, but sold in China or Australia.

· Opals are treated to enhance color, like all gemstones. Many are only surface treatments that do not penetrate the entire depth of the stone. A speckled appearance is often an indicator of treatment.

· Synthetic opals often display a pattern under magnification that looks like snakeskin, or a honeycomb.

· Imitation opal, also known as slocum stone, after its creator, John Slocum, is made of glass containing tiny tinselly flakes. Plastic imitation opal is also available, but extremely soft and non-durable.

32.00 ct Black Opal from Lightning Ridge, Australia: peacock ornamented with precious stones, designed by Harry Winston, part of the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

You can find lots of information on opals on this website, naturally, an Australian Opal company!

Rapaport Diamond Conference 2011 Afternoon Session

2011-09-20T12:57:00.012-04:00

For the summaries of the Morning session, click here.

4. PRADD: Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development: USAID, the State Department and Artisanal Mining Communities in the CAR and Liberia: Brad Brooks-Rubin, Special Advisor on Conflict Diamonds, US State Department

While commending the Kimberley Process, Mr. Brooks-Rubins acknowledged its limitations as a certification scheme it only involves “conflict diamonds”, ie. Diamonds owned by rebel governments seeking to overthrow legitimate governments, and does not include diamonds procured as a result of other human rights abuses such as child labor, inhuman circumstances, environmental damage etc. Moreover, there has sometimes been an inconsistency in the values between each individual office, which has sometimes led to laxity in certification in the past.

Though its organization PRADD (Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development), the US State Department has been working in various African countries to provide a legitimate outlet to artisanal miners to legally sell their diamonds. The 2005 Moscow Resolution, and the Working Group for Artisanal and Alluvia Production, currently chaired by Angola and serving Ghana, West Africa and Cote D’Ivoire, among others, have been important steps towards the development of this important livelihood in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Through the Diamond Development Initiative, attempts have been made to formalize and mechanise diamond mining and standards in these countries.

The miners in these countries are mostly male, earning US$325 per annum, with mining being their primary, and usually only, source of livelihood. Only 40% of miners have a valid official license for their claims. With the average cost of a mine pit being $384 per annum, many miners are actually not even breaking even. Labor, financial support and alternative livelihoods are all hard to find, making miners vulnerable to unscrupulous financiers. Property rights conflicts are frequent.

The aims of PRADD in this region are to increase the amount of artisanal diamonds entering the formal supply chain, increase benefits to the mining community from the revenue generated, clarify and strengthen property rights and reduce disputes, (if miners got a valid license, their revenues would double as they’d be able to receive fair prices for their yields), increase security of land and mineral rights, decrease environmental damage, diversify incomes, and provide a better understanding of mining laws.

To this end, PRADD takes the traditional ways of doing things, and formalizes them for the state to accept. It helps improve the documentation of mining-related issues in the governmental system. It issues a PRADD certificate and methodology to miners. It has helped create alternative livelihoods for miners by launching fish farming in dead mine pits, vegetable farming and diamond valuation training. It has reduced mining fees by 36%, established a ministry unit to manage the mining cadaster. PRADD certificates add validity to mining claims, allowing miners to buy and sell their claims, thus legitimizing ownership and adding value. PRADD’s methodology is adaptable into many governmental systems as well.

In the Central African Republic, PRADD has helped improve tracking of diamond production and sales, increased the number of legal miners and legal diamond production, increased revenues from diamond exports and licenses, and compliance with the Kimberley Process.

The future of PRADD has the potential to change the dynamics of the supply chain, through direct marketing avenues for PRADD zone diamonds. With expansion and engagement with other initiatives throughout the world in the mining and jewelry sectors, microfinance and scientific schemes and higher-level, the future of the diamond industry can be very bright indeed!

5. Building and Implementing industry-Wide Standards: Matt Runci, Chairman, Responsible Jewellery Council

The Mission statement of the Responsible Jewellery Council is “to build a responsible diamond, gold and platinum supply chain from mine to customer”. The RJC currently consists of 320+ trade members headed by a Standards Committee, participation in which is open to all members. Through its Chain-of-Custody certification scheme, which should be ready to launch by February 2012, the RJC aims to develop a verification system that any company in the industry, be it producers, refiners, traders, cutters and polishers, manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers can subscribe to.

The criteria that were considered in the design of the Chain-of-Custody certification scheme include: ability to address a wide variety of systems and technology, compliance with anti-trust laws without restraining competition, reasonable cost of implementation, auditability, clear and transparent standards and verification system. It was designed under the auspices of a consultative panel of NGOs, trade organizations, research/consultancies and supply chain organizations. Chain-of-custody certification also covers managements systems, business practices, fair labor and environmental considerations.

There are plenty of good reasons to consider certification. Supporting responsible mining practices, sourcing legitimate recycled material, the ability to identify the specific provenance of jewelry material, avoidance of conflict resources, the enhancement of the company’s reputation through responsible sourcing, maintaining diligence in supply chain management, and responding to customer requests are among them.

Diamonds certified under Chain-of Custody verification may not be mixed with non-CoC-certified diamonds. Eligible diamonds for CoC certification include: mined diamonds produced by CoC-certified companies, recycled post-consumer diamonds sourced from CoC certified companies, lab-grown diamonds (which may not be mixed with natural diamonds even though both may be CoC-certified), and grandfathered diamonds, owned by a CoC-certified company prior to a certain date. These 3 types of natural diamonds, once CoC-certified, can be mixed together. Chain of Certification, while containing a wider definition of “conflict” and additional requirements above those of the Kimberley Process, still requires its member companies to comply with the Kimberley Process.

In conclusion, Chain of certification is a system that micro-manages the supply chain/sequence of custody of diamonds, platinum and gold, to the extent of the name of the employee responsible for the shipping of goods. It will be a process that takes time as more supply chain businesses get involved. For more information, visit www.responsiblejewellery.com/chain-of-custody.html.

6. Ethical Certification: Martin Rapaport

The world is not a level playing field. People and countries want sovereignty – the ability to govern themselves, which many do not have, with corruption, rebel governments, wealth and resource allocation and warfare, and exploitation of the masses. The world is changing to. With a rapidly emerging middle-class in India and China, two of the world’s most populated countries, there is far greater demand for oil, steel, coal, diamonds and other commodities. There are global laws and organizations that promote trade, embargoes and sanctions between countries, and differences in the interpretations of laws and ethics in different parts of the world.

The big question is if global companies can afford to be ethical? Companies are unlikely to change their policies in anyway unless it’s a profitable move. Brands that advertise, however, must be consistent with their messages, especially in terms of ethics, because they are most in the public eye.

The Rapaport Ethical Certificate deals with fair-trade diamonds, at the microeconomic, grassroots level, with artisanal and alluvial miners. This would prevent illegal or conflict diamonds like those from Marange, Zimbabwe, entering the market. It would certify products from the source, use existing standards if possible, ensure profitable sustainability, and create competitive, transparent, ethical markets. It would identify production processes and producers from raw material to certified product, rate and audit the ethical status of all production processes, confirm and audit all transformation processes and transition points to ensure certified product identity, physically identify the final certified product to reverse and progressive traceability, audit and randomly spot-check the production and auditing process, conduct independent third party audits, communicate the certification processesand the limitations of the ethical certificate.

The Rapaport Ethical Certificate can provide a voluntary value-added proposition, utilize competitive market forces, and the already established x3 cut model, for many would contend that a product is only as good as its certificate. Besides, society only gets the level of ethics it’s willing to pay for.

7. The Future of Retail in Sustainable Fashion, Jewelry and Accessories: Louis Sagar, Director, the GreenShows

Brands and consumers both have started to take a strong position on ethical and sustainable fashion. People are increasingly environmentally conscious. GreenShows aims to design and develop “online and physical points of distribution that are friendly, informative, and scalable”. It also organizes runway shows celebrating ethical fashion, and pop-up shops, among other things. It evaluates designer applicants on the basis of the following criteria: fair/ethical trade, local construction, custom/tailormade, artisanal craftsmanship, eco-printing, organic/natural materials, recycled,vintage/secondhand material, vegan/cruelty-free/animal free materials, low-impact, natural processes, waste reduction, green marketing, social responsibility and resource efficiency. Gold mining, for instance, causes a lot of wastage, and displaces and hurts indigenous communities worldwide. 20 tonnes of gold are wasted for every ring produced. However, recycled gold is available, as efforts are made to improve gold mining standards and minimize wastage by the gold community.

Trend Talk at the Emmy's

2011-09-20T12:55:00.001-04:00

The Emmy Awards occured this past weekend: did you get a chance to watch it? I was thrilled to see (besides some interesting dresses), a lot of the jewelry trends we've been talking about this past season on view on many of our celebrities. Cases in point:

1. Black (diamonds, onyx, gold):

Gwyneth Paltrow wearing 7ct black and white diamond platinum earrings and a 5ct black onyx and diamond ring by Neil Lane

Julie Bowen in black and white diamond earrings and rings in platinum from Neil Lane

Evan Rachel Woods wearing black rhodium and diamond earrings and a diamond bow cuff on silver worked with gold.

Claire Danes in champagne diamond earrings

2. Color

Sofia Vergara in diamond and emerald earrings by Lorraine Schwartz and gold cuffs

Kelly Osbourne in Katerina Maxim ruby earrings and ring

3. Charms and Amulets

Dianna Agron in interesting mythical-looking earrings and enamel ring by Fred Leighton

Seal in a charm necklace

View all these great images and more on this fabulous website!

Visit Us in Hong Kong!

2011-09-18T22:32:00.000-04:00

We cordially invite you to visit us at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair to view our prodigious range of diamonds and gemstones!

Paramount Gems

Booth No. 10R36-38

Asia World Expo Hall 10

19-23 September 2011

See you at the show!

Rapaport Diamond Conference 2011 Morning Session

2011-09-15T15:55:00.001-04:00

Long Post Alert!

The Rapaport Diamond Conference took place at the Times Centre in New York on Monday September 12. I was glad I attended as the speakers provided an interesting range of information about branding, trends and diamond-related issues. If you weren't present or watching it online, videos of the presentations made at the conference are still available here. Or you can avoid all that clicking, loading and buffering and read my interpretative summaries in this and the following post!

With more millionaires with a net worth of over $5million in the USA than in India or China, there's no need to look elsewhere for loyal customers. However, these consumers have become much more sophisticated than luxury consumers of the past: they now require an experience along with the product, and brand values that match their own values and lifestyles.

1. The Luxury Consumer: Changing Consumer Values and New Marketing Strategies: Pam Danziger

Jewelry is the ultimate luxury product because it is not a need. This requires our industry to work harder to create the feeling of exclusivity, the special experience that makes each love, each life achievement unique. However, though numbers have reached pre-recession levels, the jewelry market has changed, and a value shift is required in jewelry companies as well.

Unity Marketing's research identifies the top 20% of the economy, earning over $100,000 a year, as "Affluents", with the top 2%, earning over $250,000 annually, as "Ultra-Affluents". this top 2% tends to spend 2.5-3 times more than the remaining 18% on jewelry. However, overall, The top 20% accounts for 50% of the nation's income, 40% of consumer spending, and 90% discretionary income, which is a pretty big deal.

The "Affluents" are also known in the market as HENRYs(High Earners Not Rich Yet). While this group is more hesitant about making big-ticket purchases compared to the ultra-affluents, it is also a much bigger target market, especially now that the middle class is worse off than before the recession. Though 80% of affluents are married, marriage rates have also been falling, making the married population a smaller market than before. Therefore not only does the single-sex fashion market have to be targeted, but alternative metals are also being demanded as wedding band options in this category.

The dominant buyers in the marketplace tend to be between 35-54 years of age. Individuals aged 35-44 tend to be in a more acquisitive phase of their lives, compared to 45-54-year olds, who have already done their acquiring, and are more thoughtful about their purchases. The millennial generation (those born in 1982 or after), have a taste for luxury - for less. Hence the popularity of flash sales and pop-up shops, even on department store websites like Saks, which force young buyers to make a decision in a short span of time, or the item will be sold out.

As we all know, overall spending on all aspects of luxury (vehicles, homes, vacations, jewelry), is slightly lower, though DEMAND is actually stronger than pre-recession levels. This means that consumers are spending less overall on jewelry than they did before.

These seem to be the current trends in the jewelry market: increased demand for men's jewelry, costume, semi-precious and faux jewelry, white and alternative metals, the move to non-traditional jewelry outlets like jewelry stores, discount stores and websites, an increased focus on value for money (making the top 3 wedding destinations Tiffany's, Bvlgari, and Kay's).

One way to add value and increase the choices in your store is to classify your inventory into 3 tiers: Good, Better, and Best, with a good price range within each tier. Reposition the perception of your range by moving "Best" higher. This may encourage your HENRY to buy, if not the best, then the highest-priced item in your "Better" range. Make your product, your store, an experience, and your brand one that fits in with your customer's values. Walk the Talk. Educate, Integrate, Innovate, Inspire. While you must control the 4P Tangibles: Place, Price, Product and Performance, you must also account for the Intangibles: Perceptions, Performance, Peripherals, People. The Personal connection is still important, even with mass electronic media. Keep your brand messages short, sweet, and simple.

If you have a website, it MUST be convenient and easy to navigate, not a labyrinth of links and flash videos. Mobilize facebook and Twitter for public relations and viral marketing and see your sales soar and advertising costs fall!

2. Auctions: Large Diamonds, Gemstones and Jewelry: Lisa Hubbard and Gary Schuler, Sotheby's.

Auctions are a great way to add value to a gemstone or a piece of jewelry. Not only is it an extremely limited time opportunity to own something extraordinary, a lot of research is also done into the origin of the product so you know exactly what you are getting. Provenance, the stories of previous owners and locations of the piece, also add romance and an "experience" to the item.

Auctions houses really started coming into prominence with the sale of the Duchess of Windsor's Jewels in 1987, when they sold for $50 million, more than 7 times their fair market value. Since then, in 2010, Christie's and Sotheby's together have sold $827 million worth of jewels to participants from 83 countries, spending an average of $275,000, compared to $80,000 in 1995. There has also been a shift in the type of buyer: from trade to private, from established markets to emerging ones. Asian buyers, for instance, account for 30% of annual jewelry sales, and 20% of global sales, compared to just 6% in 1995.

There are many reasons to buy and sell at auctions, such as global brand recognition, transparency, fiduciary fulfillment, broad, vast and in-depth marketing reach through mass media and targeted outreach, focus on rarity, craftsmanship and provenance, expert guidance and excellent value. In a strong market, over 60% of auctioned lots exceed high estimates given by the appraisers at auction houses.

Some interesting Diamond Facts:

· The Star of the Season, a 100.00ct DIF stone was sold for $16.5 million. It still holds the record of the highest price paid for a diamond.

· The average price per carat of a white diamond was $240,000 in 2009, up from $192,000 in 2007.

· The Graff Pink sold for $46.2 million in 2010, still the highest price for a pink diamond.

While they primarily promoted auctions as a viable global market for gems and jewelry, I felt that some of what they said could also be helpful for the average retailer. For instance, Ms. Hubbard talked about placing a showcase of magnificent jewels in the midst of an auction exhibition of fine paintings. The jewels complemented the colors of the paintings, and also looked much more affordable compared to them, so they had art buyers who became jewelry buyers. This placement strategy might be relevant for some products in showcases, where you would show customers something extravagant, way beyond their budget, so that the next thing you show them, not only looks somewhat similar, but is also far more affordable. Ms. Hubbard also described the jewelry in the images in a poetic and eloquent manner, making the colors spurt into a waterfall of lush life and the workmanship stand out in stunning detail. I wished I owned those pieces. Passion about your product, or about selling, is a very important quality in a salesperson!

3. Trend Talk: Panel Discussion on Design featuring Amber Michelle,editor in chief, Rapaport Magazine, Michael O'Connor, Janet Goldman, Nina Runsdorf, Laura Aman: NSR Nina Runsdorf Jewelry, and Kerri Halpern.

A trend emerges from an artistic reaction or discussion of an event everyone is experiencing at the time. The darkened mood due to the fluctuating economy has led to the color black being a prominent theme in fashion and jewelry, a return to the basics by contrasting black with white.

Black diamonds, oxidised metals, rough, opaque and sliced diamonds, not only allow for creativity, but also lower price points, and appear classic and unique at the same time.

Charms and amulets have also made a comeback, in the form of initials or symbols related to family and faith, to be worn on a chain, close to the heart, as it were.

Circles are still popular, being a classic shape, looking good on anyone, and symbolising themes in all philosophies that provide faith and assurance.

Colored gems are extremely popular as well, as they brighten the mood or a simple outfit.

Movement, in the form of tassels and beads, add an element of lightheartedness to an otherwise sombre time.

Open work, negative spacing, have helped in enlarging a piece's look,while still keeping metal costs down.

While fashion trends influence jewelry in terms of color and silhouette, women still buy jewelry for its quality and timesless appeal. Jewelry carries the zeitgeist (the spirit of the times we lived in), and the reason and the emotions we were experiencing when we bought them.

Innovation in jewelry is often fashion and art (and economy!) inspired. We will continue to see a lot more silver and gemstones, but also consumers looking for unique pieces. Other trends for next year include feathers, jewelry that transitions well from day to night, insects, and some more classic pieces.

Fancy, Phenomenal Sapphires (pun intended!)

2011-09-14T12:17:00.002-04:00

Sapphires, as I mentioned in the previous post, comprise a vast range of colors BESIDES blue. They also exhibit phenomena (unusual visual effects caused by inclusions in the gemstone), such as asterism (a 4,6, or 12 rayed star), and color change (looking a different color in different lighting conditions. This post will cover these fancy and phenomenal corundum, and give you a new appreciation for those multisapphire sets (I personally LOVE the bangles and hoop earrings when paired with denim, white or black!)

Star Sapphires

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Star of India, 563.35 cts, American Museum of Natural History.

· Star sapphires have been significant gemstones in the treasuries of royalty since the 16th century.

· They are believed to have been endowed with the power to protect travelers or seekers on their quests, even after the stone has been passed on to someone else.

· The "star" is caused by tiny needle-like reflective inclusions ("silk"), oriented in specific directions.

· The most common stars have 6 rays.

· Twelve rayed stars, which are extremely rare, are caused by both rutile and hematite inclusions together.

· The star should be sharp and clear, symmetrical, centred on the stone, and visible from all directions. it should sharply contrast with them gem and move smoothly across the stone when rocked. The best stone is normally semi-transparent.

· Star sapphires are normally cut into cabochons (domed circular shape with a flat bottom), to display the star better. A high dome (about 2/3 of the gem's width), and good polish enhance the star's appeal.

· Star sapphires come in all colors, but the pure red, star ruby, and the pure blue, are the most valuable. But an excellent star ruby can be up to 10 times more valuable than an equivalent star sapphire.

· Blue star sapphires often reach large sizes.

· The least valuable are black star sapphires.

· However, if a black star sapphire has a star with golden rays, it commands a higher price.

· Star sapphires are often heat-treated to melt the silk and remove the star, because faceted sapphires tend to be more valuable, unless the color of the stone is excellent and the star well-defined and prominent.

· It is estimated that nearly 90% of star corundum is found in Sri Lanka. East Africa is another source, as well as Myanmar. black star sapphires are most often found in Thailand and Australia, due to the high basalt content of the earth.

Color-Change Sapphires

· These are sapphires that appear green to blue to violet in daylight (fluorescent light), and violetish-purple, reddish brown to reddish-purple in incandescent light.

· color-change is caused by vanadium.

· Value is determined on the basis of the strength/contrast of the color-change, and the strength of color of the stone.

· Color-change sapphires are relatively affordable compared to Alexandrites.

· These sapphires have been found in East Africa, particularly in Tanzania.

Fancy Colored Sapphires

1. Padparaschas:

· Padparaschas are a light to medium pinkish orange to orange pink, with intense saturation.

· They are likened to colors like salmon, sunset, guava juice, or lotuses in Sri Lanka, where the majority of them originate.

· Padparaschas are the most valuable type of fancy sapphire, rivalling fine ruby in price.

· The peculiar coloring is caused by iron, chromium or color centers.

· East Africa is another major source of Padparaschas. But the color tends to be more brownish or orangey-red compared to Sri Lankan ones, so they are sometimes marketed as "African Padparaschas".

· Heat-treated padparaschas are often available in the marketplace and must be disclosed. These often contain melted zircon crystals or rutile crystals with blue halos around them. Sometimes they have a pink core with an orange outline.

2. Other Colors

· Pink and purple sapphires form a confusing boundary with rubies that only experience and a good eye can define. A light red is still termed a pink sapphire.

· The color pink is caused by chromium or titanium, while purple is caused by combinations of chromium, titanium and iron.

· Pink sapphires are the most valuable of the fancy colored sapphires, besides Padparaschas.

· Purple sapphires are not as popular due to the demand for amethyst, though they are much more durable. They are often heated to create pink or red sapphires.

· The most common sources of pink and purple sapphires are Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, East Africa, Madagascar, and less frequently, Montana.

· Sapphires are also available in all sorts of yellow and orange shades. These shades are caused by iron, chromium or color centers.

· Yellow and orange sapphires are often heat-treated to improve color. The color can also be altered through radiation, but this treatment is extremely unstable

· East Africa and Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Montana are sources for yellow and orange sapphires, while yellow sapphires are also found in Thailand and Australia

· Green sapphires are typically the least valuable colored sapphires, due to their dull color, which is caused by iron and titanium

· Green sapphire is most often used to make ruby or blue sapphire doublets, with a green crown glued to a synthetic pavilion.

· Green sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, East Africa, Thailand and Australia.

· Colorless sapphire is rarely colorless, often containing traces of grey, yellow, brown or blue. it is often used as a diamond substitute.

· Black sapphires are often just extremely dark yellow, blue or green that appear black under normal lighting. They are often used in men's rings or as black diamond substitutes.

Again, with all gemstones, it is important for the trade to keep in touch with treatments that are constantly evolving. what was de rigeur 10 years ago may well be obsolete now, and new synthetics and imitations harder to detect than before. However, that said, don't be scared, ENJOY selling and buying jewelry and all the beautiful feelings it entails!

I leave you with a multi-sapphire piece I LOVE from Paramount Gems:

A Sapphire for September (and Saturn and Salvation)

2011-08-31T17:20:00.003-04:00

Today, we enter the month of September, the Autumn Equinox and one of the last few holidays of the year, Labor Day Weekend! The bright blue sky of summer shall slowly fade and be replaced by grey and midnight blue. But September's birthstone, Sapphire, comes in all these blue hues and more!
In fact, the earth was believed to be embedded on a huge sapphire. Sapphires have other exquisite beliefs attributed to them as well. It is believed that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses carved on a sapphired slab. Famous Kings (Solomon), priests, and lovers (Queen Victoria, Joan Navarre, and most recently, Kate Middleton), have adorned themselves with sapphire. Sapphire is believed to be a symbol of long-term honesty, commitment and fidelity, and hence is considered a commemorative stone for the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversaries. It was also believed that licking a sapphire would increase intellect and prevent Taureans from having mental disorders. As a "beloved of Saturn" (from the Indo-Iranian shani-priyam), it was also believed to aid enlightenment, inner peace, psychokinesis, telepathy. clairvoyance and astral projection. That's a lot of power contained in one blue stone!

Queen Elizabeth II in a gorgeous sapphire and diamond tiara, necklace and earrings.

Whether these be true or not, these are facts that we DO know:

· Blue sapphire is the most popular colored gemstone, because it is one of the most affordable, but also because they match those baby blues! (Blue is also estimated to be the most liked color in the United States).

· Sapphire is a variety of the mineral Corundum, like ruby. In fact, ruby is the red colored variety of corundum, while all other colors of corundum are known as blue sapphire or “fancy sapphire” (pink, orange, yellow, green, etc).

· It is one of the hardest gemstones, 9 on the Moh’s scale, so the only gemstone harder is the diamond. This makes it very durable for daily wear.

· Sapphire is made of aluminium and oxygen.

· Its blue color is caused by iron and titanium.

· While sapphires range in color from light greenish blue to dark violetish blue, the very best sapphires are velvety blue to violetish blue, with medium-medium dark tones and vivid saturation.

· Sapphires tend to come in smaller sizes. Fine stones over 5.00 cts are rare.

· Commercial qualities are generally available in cushion and oval shapes, with brilliant cut crowns and step-cut pavilions, as those shapes retain the most weight from the rough.

· Sapphire can contain a variety of inclusions, such as boehmite needles, crystals, liquid/ gas/solid inclusions that can look like fingerprints, growth or color zoning (irregular bands of varying shades of blue), and rutile silk.

· Rutile silk, in tiny needle-like shapes, occurring generally in a triangular direction like millions of tiny shooting stars, can actually be considered extremely valuable in "Kashmir” sapphires, as they tend to scatter light and give the stone a soft, velvety color. However, too much rutile silk can obstruct light passage and appear to darken a stone’s color.

· Sapphires originate mostly in the south-eastern part of the world. Their appearance can be associated with a particular country of origin in the trade, but it is important to note that testing the origin of a stone is nearly impossible.

· Kashmir was a historically significant location but its output is sporadic at best today. The best stones from Kashmir are considered to be the finest kind of sapphire. They are characterized by a “cornflower” blue color, with a medium tone and vivid saturation. They tend to contain the rutile needles, also called “silk”, which softens and intensifies the color of the stone at the same time.

· Burmese sapphires are also considered extremely valuable, second only to the Kashmir sapphires. Their color can be similar to the Kashmir sapphire, even more intense, a “royal blue”, but they lack the “silk”y softness of the Kashmir stones. The best sapphires from Burma tend to come from the same mines in Mogok as the rubies.

· Sri Lankan or “Ceylon” sapphires tend to be lighter in tone than the above two types, which makes them appear brighter in color. This is because they tend to have lower levels of iron and titanium in them. They also tend to be bigger than stones from most other regions.

· Sapphires are also found in Montana, USA. Though these gems often have excellent color. Stones found in the Yogo Gulch mine in Montana are unique in that they tend to have extremely uniform light blue color, with minimal inclusions. However, they are often very small, the rough being less than 1.00 ct. Other mining issues are the high cost of labor and technology in the US.

· Madagascar has been another emerging producer, rivaling Burmese sapphire for the best color.

· Cambodian or “Pailin” sapphires have a wider range of color, touching the slightly “greener” end of the spectrum, with a darker tone. The dark tone prevents the rough from being fashioned into larger shapes, which would make it less valuable than a smaller, brighter stone. Most gems found in Cambodia make their way over the border to Thailand.

· “Kanchanaburi” sapphires tend to be a little grayer in tone, making them less bright than Sri Lankan sapphires, while “Thai” sapphires are darker, looking “inky blue” or “blue-black”. Kanchanaburi is one of Thailand’s oldest sapphire mines. Thailand is also an important treatment, cutting and trade centre for gemstones from all over the world. Thailand is one of the most important developers of heat treatment, having successfully improved the colors of millions of carats of near-colorless rough, not least because of the problematic milkiness and/or dark tones of its own yields. It is also the world’s largest supplier of commercial goods.

· Switzerland however, is the world’s foremost supplier for the highest quality gemstones.

· At the bottom end of the value spectrum lie the Australian sapphires, which tend to be extremely dark, and show strong greenish blue pleochroism. The eastern part of the country may well be the largest source of sapphires by carat weight in the world so far. Better colors emerging from Australia tend to be classified as “Thai” or “Cambodian”. these 3 types of sapphires tend to be found in basaltic rock, which contains higher levels of iron.

· Sapphires with better color tend to be formed in igneous or metamorphic conditions.

· A sapphire is considered untreated if it has not been modified beyond cutting and polishing. Untreated sapphires comprise the highest tier of the sapphire market.

· Most sapphires are heat-treated to high temperatures for varying amounts of time to improve color or clarity in some way. The results of this heat treatment are stable and permanent, and this treatment is therefore accepted in the trade.

· Lattice diffusion involves heating the stones with coloring minerals like titanium and beryllium, so that the compounds enter the stone and merge with it to some level. These stones supply the lowest end of the market.

· The United States is the largest market for sapphire. After it come Japan, Switzerland, Great Britain, Taiwan and Germany.

A post on "phenomenal" and “fancy” sapphires will come up shortly! Have a great weekend!

The Influence of Others

2011-08-22T18:12:00.001-04:00

JCK Online ran an interesting article publishing the results of a survey, that states that the Millennials (generally people born in or after 1982), are more likely to shop with their near and dear ones, than previous generations. Moreover, Millennials seem to be more likely to be dependent on the approval of their peers with regard their shopping destinations, and more likely to shop on a mobile device.

Just barely being a Millennial myself, I am inclined to agree with most of the statements above. I think that the reason for this confusion and need for approval is one, the exponential proliferation of choices in the marketplace, and two, the changing values and lifestyle of our generation.

Today, there is something for everyone, options for necessities, luxuries, for wants one didn’t even know one had, and that become indispensable needs once someone else in our social circle makes use of those objects of desire! We deal with trade-offs and opportunity costs for every single purchase, because our generation also makes some sort of purchase more frequently than ever before!

Two, the emphasis on changing technology has played a big role in making our generation the consumers we are. For one, Credit cards became an indispensable part of consumer lifestyle, for without being able to demonstrate a “credit history”, one was unable to purchase anything of somewhat high value. The credit card confused the values of thrift and discretion that we were taught by our parents because it was so EASY to use, that we didn’t even realize the impact it had on our pockets.

Second, the computer began to be essential for every household. From the household desktop in 1995, to the point where now each individual owns multiple electronic devices. As a result of technological and communicational bombardment, our generation has much less patience with anything than the one before us, so accustomed are we to instant gratification in terms of responses, reviews, a purchase confirmation, you name it. Our generation is more likely to buy a few things online, try them all on, and send them back, rather than take a few hours off to drive to the mall and look for the item in question, thus avoiding unnecessary headaches and postal expenses.

Three, with the advent of these technologies the resultant exposure to global markets, there arose greater access to social mobility. Anyone could access any lifestyle with enough money and the right products – be they the boat, mansion, car, jewels, handbag or vacations. And the brands that exemplified that type of luxury lifestyle most consistently (the handbag case-in-point would be the Hermes Birkin or Louis Vuitton), flourished. If one owns one (or both) of these, it sends the message that one has “arrived”. Hence the market for lookalikes, fakes, and secondhand designer bags has spawned and flourished. People want these bags by hook or by crook. At one point, or to a certain mindset, these bags would have been a luxury purchase after reaching a certain age, after years of saving, as a special anniversary gift or a commemoration for an achievement. Now, they seem to considered birthrights, almost, in order to prove social status, irrespective of age; in fact the younger, the better.

How do my reflection translate into the jewelry market? For one, traditionally, consumers of fine jewelry have usually been discreet, with the decision made after careful pondering. Someone who carries a $5000 handbag certainly has no qualms about wearing 3-ct diamond studs of a 5-ct diamond ring. The fine jewelry market in America still primarily consists of solitaire diamonds, the pendant, ring, stud earrings and the tennis bracelet being considered immensely wearable jewelry staples. Large sets still primarily consist of large sized diamonds, rubies, sapphires or emeralds arranged in elegant floral or geometric designs. But the jewelry market has been changing too. Fashion jewelry is available not only in myriad diamond hues that are now lower priced than the traditional hues, but also in different gemstones. You have the urban rich wearing solitaires at younger and younger ages, and more willing to spend income on fashionable jewelry that looks big or trendy and retails at a few thousand dollars.

At the same time, individuals of this generation are more likely to be a “Jack of all Trades, Master of none”, who, though with high incomes, and unlimited access to Wikipedia and other online resources, are in a constant rat-race to prove themselves, and to stay on the cutting edge of the good life. They want to do something different and fresh with their diamonds, but are afraid to veer too far away from the conventions of beauty established by previous generations when it comes to traditional gifts like an engagement ring. This is probably why they are more likely to shop with peers or family, to get confirmation from a valued opinion (be it expertise or social leadership) about the right decision, while using technology to get instant gratification for their desires.

What I want to know from such a survey is, how many women shop for jewelry (not just the engagement set), with their spouses as opposed to a generation ago?

The Poetry of Peridot

2011-08-01T17:36:00.002-04:00

Peridots have a history that is as storied as other “precious” gemstones. For millennia, peridot was mined on an island 35 miles off of Egypt in the Red Sea called Topazios or Zabargad. It was coveted by the Egyptians and the other near Eastern cultures. Today, it is believed that Cleopatra’s famous “emerald” collection may have actually been peridot. It is also believed to have been used as the second stone in the High Priest’s breastplate for the second Temple of Jerusalem built in 515 B.C. The Romans called peridot the “Evening Emerald”, because it did not darken in dim light, but maintained its lively color. It was known “Gem of the sun” and was believed to have many powers on the basis of the association. If set in gold, it could banish the terrors of the night. Powdered peridot mixed with water was believed to be a cure for asthma, and if a gem was placed under the tongue, it could cure a person of thirst associated with fever. It was also believed to rid the wearer of envious thoughts. However, to really harness its powers, it had to be strung with the hair of a donkey and worn on one’s left arm.

Parure of the Archduchess Isabella of Austria

In the Middle Ages, peridot attained importance as an Ecclesiatical stone. Knights and mercenaries returning from the Crusades in the Middle East returned with peridots and donated them to their local Cathedrals, believing them to be emeralds. The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral in Germany contains a fine specimen of peridot.

Peridot’s name remained Chrysolite or “yellow stone” till the 18^th century when the British changed the name to peridot to avoid confusion with yellow topaz.

Now for the HARD (or not so much, as you will see) FACTS:

· Peridot is the most affordable untreated green stone readily available today.

· It is the only gemstone that only has one color.

· Peridot is a gem variety of the mineral Olivine. It is composed of iron, magnesium and silica, and its color is derived from iron.

· Peridot’s color ranges from yellowish-green to greenish-yellow. The finest color is considered to be a saturated green without any hint of yellow or brown (like a good color, less-saturated emerald). In general, the larger the stone, the better the color.

· However, it can be distinguished from emerald by its lustre. Emerald, as a harder stone, has a vitreous (glass-like) lustre, while peridot has a more greasy, softer sort of lustre.

· An unusual inclusion found in peridots, that often distinguishes them from other stones, is a reflective circle called a “lily pad”. It looks like a reflective folding fan that has been opened all the way around into a circle (but without the handle).

· St. John's island continued to be a source till the mid-20th cetury. Today, fine peridot is most often mined in Burma and Pakistan. Commercial quality peridot is mined mostly in Arizona and China. In Arizona, many Apache tribespeople mine peridot on the san Carlos Reservation. Other miner (pun intended, haha!) sources include Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Australia, New Mexico and Ethiopia.

· It is also the only gemstone that has been found in a meteorite!

· Most peridot is cut in Thailand and India.

· The largest-cut peridot, weighing 310 cts, can be found in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. It was mined in its ancient source of St. John's island.

· Peridot is a relatively soft stone: about 6.5-7 on the Moh’s Scale, and therefore more vulnerable to damage. It is better off set into earrings, pendant or brooch than to a ring.

· Due to its softness, and tendency to get abraded easily, the best way to clean peridot is with warm water and mild detergent or soap.

· Currently, there are no known color enhancements or synthetic versions of peridot.

Summer Show in the South!

2011-08-01T15:23:00.003-04:00

Summer will soon come to an end,

But your business certainly shall not;

Proposals and purchases occur year round:

It's now time for the South to restock!

Paramount Gems

cordially invites you to visit us at

SJTA: Atlanta Jewelry Show

at the Cobb Galleria Centre

Saturday, August 6 to Monday, August 8

Booth No. 719

We look forward to seeing you!

Savage Beauty and Enduring Legacies

2011-07-25T15:30:00.002-04:00

This morning, I stood in line for over an hour and a half to view the “Savage Beauty” exhibition featuring clothes and accessories by Alexander McQueen, organized at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. And though the line was long and the hall incredibly crowded, it was really worth it. 11 halls of over a hundred outfits and 70 accessories designed by Philip Treacy and others for McQueen confirm him as one of the most original, vocal, and sensational designers, tailors and visionaries of our times, an imaginative inner life cut short by suicide.

This has been my second, very crowded fashion-and-history related exhibition, after the fabulous Van Cleef & Arpels special exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Museum earlier this summer.

Now I’m not one to gush about the technicalities of fashion: there are better critics of art than me at the New York Times and the New Yorker who have written far more illuminating pieces on that exhibition than I am in the mood for at the moment. But what I have been thinking about is really what the essence of these exhibitions is: every creation of both Alexander McQueen and Van Cleef and Arpels, built on the future by borrowing from the past, and created a defining moment in history. They both followed the finest traditions of craftsmanship and construction, and made historical statements about important cultural moments in their times (McQueen’s political shows in Scotland, Van Cleef & Arpels fascination with the Oriental cultures mid-century), while innovating ways to combine the old and new, nature with technology. And also what it says about the people who were associated with them, or owned their designs.

These two are merely examples. Everything we own, the way we think and dress, where we go, what we use, are statements about us and of our times. Our heirlooms tell a story. Our clothes and jewelry define what is important to us, and what they mean. Yes, some people simply buy jewelry to state "Look at how much money I have", (and hey, that's a statement too!), but the majority of us buy something because it's something we'd love to own, have around us, because it means something. Elizabeth Taylor is a famous case in point.

In the future, if someone were to find a bag of our belongings, s/he would be able to say, “This person loved rubies”, or “This person was married”, or “This person really cherished her memories” or “This person really made good use of her clothes”. The things that say something about us today will still say these things about us in the future. If a scientist or historian were to study the jewelry from our time, he might say “There was a recession in 2009-10 because at that time, there was a lot of silver being combined with diamonds. Historical records also show that the price of gold was very high at the time”. Or “Circa 2005, platinum became very popular as luxury consumers wanted the most expensive metal to set their diamonds in”, or “Circles were very popular during the first decade of the 21^st century along with yoga and pilates, because it seems that people were looking to strengthen themselves both within and without, and understand their interconnectedness to everything else”.

Life is as beautiful as we make it, and no matter how long it may be, it’s still pretty short in the end, so why shouldn’t we make the best of it? Spend time with your family, take that vacation, buy that piece of jewelry you want, comemorate happy occasions with people through meaningful memories and objects, make sure your kids know their grandparents in some way, know the story of everything you possess or want to and be happy to tell it. Have a legacy to leave so that people will be able to piece together YOUR story too someday.

Happy Monday!

P.S. For a retrospective with fabulous images of his designs, click here.

Rubies and Romance

2011-07-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

Rubies, as we know, are the birthstone for July. Due to their color, which is that of blood, they have also been associated throughout the ages with power, passion, vitality, beauty and wisdom. They have been mentioned in writings over 2 millenia old, as being traded from China westerwards on the Silk Route. They have been known to confer the ability to live in peace with one's enemies, which is probably why it was believed in Ancient India that those who offered rubies to the God Krishna would be reborn as Emperors. Hence rubies were called "Ratnaraj", or the "King of percious stones" in Sanskrit. They were also associated with invulnerability and long life as it was believed in Medieval/Renaissance Europe that they would darken in color if the life of their wearer was threatened, and return to their original hue when the threat was removed. In the Bible, they were considered the most precious of the 12 stones of Aaron's breastplate.

The Ruby has recently been popularised as a romantic gemstone in the US by Jessica Simpson's Neil Lane engagement ring worth $85,000, given to her by her footballer fiance Eric Johnson.

We know the difference now, but there was a time when ALL red gemstones were called Rubies. In fact, some of the most famous rubies throughout history, including the Black Prince's ruby in the British Crown and the Timur Ruby, are actually Spinels.

Here are some interesting facts about the Ruby:

Today, the name Ruby is only given to the red colored stones of the species Corundum (the blue is sapphire, the pink, yellow, green, white and orange are also considered sapphires). Therefore color is its most important aspect.
A ruby that is considered to have the best type of color will tend to have a red to slightly purplish red tone, vivid saturation, and medium to medium-dark tone. If it's too orangey or too pinkish/purplish, it's considered a sapphire.
Corundum is made of aluminium oxide, in the absence of silicon. Ruby's color is due to the presence of chromium.
The finest rubies are usually from Burma/Myanmar, Northern Vietnam and the Himalayas (Afghanistan). They seem to glow a bright red because they are formed in marble.
Rubies are also formed in Mong Hsu, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, but these are formed in basalt, which contains iron, which causes the stones to have a darker tone, with hints of brown.
Other sources are East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Madagascar), Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.
“Burmese” rubies refers to rubies that originally came from mines in Mogok. Rubies from that source are said to have the finest color and fluorescence and a soft look due to minute inclusions in the stone. Now the term is used to describe fine color that would be associated with that place: it may not necessarily be from Burma. These fine rubies are also known as pigeon’s-blood rubies.
Ceylon or Sri Lankan rubies tend to be purplish or pinkish red with lighter tones. This makes them look brighter than Thai rubies.
Fine rubies over 1ct are very rare.
Rubies tend to be cut in oval or cushion shapes to minimize weight loss from the rough stone. Other shapes tend to be rarer in better qualities and larger sizes.
A characteristic of natural, and indeed, Burma rubies is intact rutile needles, or “silk” that’s scatters light and softens the tone of the gem.
Like clarity grading in diamonds, the less visible the inclusions, the more valuable the stone.
Almost all rubies today are heated (from 600-1500 degrees Fahrenheit) to enhance their red color, and reduce color banding and remove the less desirable color undertones. Therefore good quality natural unheated rubies tend to command much higher prices.
Heat treatment can generally be detected through the alterations that occur in some inclusions.
The trade however, doesn’t accept dyeing or fracture-filling rubies.
There are synthetic and imitation rubies manufactured for birthstone and other inexpensive jewelry.
Thailand is the main cutting and trading center for the global ruby market, and the highest exporter of rubies to the US.
Switzerland is the trading centre for the world’s finest gemstones, and is the second highest exporter of rubies to the US, in terms of dollar amount. India is the second largest in terms of carat weight, as it is also a major cutting and trading center for commercial rubies.
Rubies and sapphires are second in hardness only to the diamond, so they are very durable for daily wear.

I saw a beautiful synthetic ruby belonging to a customer once. It was a perfectly made large flame-fusion ruby, with finely curved stria, it must have been about 15 cts. It was cut in a long oval brilliant. It belonged to her great-grandmother, so it must have been nearly a century old. That's another kind of technological history altogether - to bring beauty to the people!

Science is wonderful, but must take inspiration from Nature.

More Red, White and Blue for You

2011-07-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

And do you know who else besides Beyonce looks good in patriotic colors? Yes, another patriot, albeit of a different nation (same colors, different flag), Kate Middleton, aka Princess William of Wales, aka the new Duchess of Cambridge. For their 2-week trip to Canada and the US, the new wife of the second-in-line to the throne of the House of Windsor diplomatically and thoughtfully chose to be attired in red, white, and/or blue for at least one occasion almost daily during her week-long stay in Canada. For not only were they celebrating Canada Day during the time they were there, it also happened to be Independence Day in the United States (that is most certainly a coincidence: Canada still remains a Commonwealth nation, while the United States obtained its independence from England long ago.

Some cases in point:

On the day of their departure from Canada

On Canada Day (notice the Maple leaves on her hat, a diamond maple leaf brooch borrowed from the Queen and the fact that she repeated her engagement portrait outfit)

At a prayer service

Other diplomatic dresses: a cricket sweater dress by Alexander McQueen and a rodeo outfit in Calgary. Of course, once the week ended, she opted for light, flowy summer chic once she got to California.

Notice that she is always wearing some amount of jewelry on every outfit. Of course she's wearing her engagement ring (and we know that engagement rings always match everything), but she is always wearing some earrings, be they studs, or danglers. If there is a broad V-neck or an unembellished boat-neck, there is always a pendant, and she almost always has on a bracelet, particularly if her sleeves are on her elbow or above. She purportedly had 40 outfit changes in 2 weeks, and I've been trying to count her shoes - so far I have about 7. Purses: about 6-8.

What I especially like about her is that she repeats outfits, changing her hair or accessories so that each look seems fresh and new. It's inspiring to see a modern monarch do that, particularly when she has such an aura of glamour and elegance around her. And more so because she (and I) are part of a generation of women that spends the majority of its disposable income on fashion. She also takes a lot of care to match her jewelry to each outfit too. She has worn both yellow and white gold, diamonds including a classic diamond cross (diamonds go with everything), and sapphires (they match her ring, her eyes, and many of her outfits, which are cream or blue). There is also some silver in her collection. In that sense, she is successful (so far) as a style icon for youth, and as a young member of the Royal Family (this is a great article, by the way) that most of us can identify with.

And the best part of her investment in red, white, and blue outfits? She'll be able to make the most of them in most of the Commonwealth countries she will visit, because most of them still contain the colors of the union Jack in their own flags! Talk about smart choices!

It's Showtime, Folks!

2011-07-20T13:58:00.004-04:00

Paramount Gems

cordially invites you to visit us at

Jewelers of America New York

at the Javits Convention Centre

Sunday, July 24 - Tuesday, July 26

Booth No. 2341.

If you didn't get a chance to see us at JCK Las Vegas, want to restock, or place an order you regret not placing (you know who you are!), come by!

We look forward to seeing you!

Fireworks and Firestones!

2011-07-20T12:45:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July holiday and is now refreshed and ready for work! We are so lucky to have America's Independence Day in the summer so that families can celebrate together! The barbecues and the picnics and of course, the concerts and fireworks we're get to see in New York - it's a different spirit here altogether!

And speaking of fireworks, we all enjoyed seeing Beyonce's sparklers on her face and hands as she performed at the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks spectacular at the Statue of Liberty in New York! She was wearing Lorraine Schwartz platinum and ruby earrings, necklace and ring. (Rubies are also the birthstone for July!) Her elegant navy blue gown was by Rubin Singer.

I can't help feeling that a royal blue gown may have been more striking. Red, white and blue - it's such a great combination! Notice the red nailpolish too!

Post on the ruby coming up soon!

Girls love Pearls (in June)

2011-07-01T00:24:00.000-04:00

I remember reading a short story in school when I was 8. It was about a young Arabian man (who looked very handsome in the black and white illustration), who dove into the waters of the Persian Gulf to find pearls for a living. He would go underwater to find shellfish, holding his breath for an unbelievable length of time, and when he’d gathered some shells, he’d tug on a rope and be pulled up where he’d collapse, unconscious, at the bottom of a boat. It seemed very romantic and magical at the time, that jewels of such lustrous beauty could be gathered even from a realm as frightening and mysterious as the ocean. A thing of beauty is certainly a joy forever, but it takes a lot of effort to become that way! (There you go: no pain, no gain, right?! My father always said when we were growing up and would be disobedient that the difference between a rose and a weed is the effort required to cultivate them). But I digress.

Pearls are known for their soft glow, their ability to look good on any skin tone and outfit (just like diamonds!), their relative neutrality of color, and their projected elegance and versatility. And to think they start out as dirt, as an irritant in a mollusk’s shell! Here are some factoids about pearls, our Birthstone for June:

Pearls are organic: made from living creatures.
A pearl is formed when some foreign matter enters the mollusk. To minimise irritation, the mollusk coats it with layers of nacre.
Nacre and mother of pearl are made up of the same material, which is why the pearls and the shells of the oysters they come from are the same color.
Mother of pearl was often used for buttons, but now you're most likely to find the imitation plastic variety.
The cultured pearl industry emerged in the early 20th century. This, oil discovery, and plastic buttons led to the decline of the natural pearl industry.
Kokichi Mikimoto was the most commercially successful cultured pearl manufacturer, but certainly not the only one in his time.
Cultured pearls became popular in the US after soldiers bought them home for their wives and sweethearts after World War II.
South sea cultured pearl farms were established in the 1950s, Tahitian in the 1960's, and Chinese freshwater cultured pearls in the 1970's.
Freshwater mussels in the US are harvested for their pearls which as used as beads for pearl culturing.
There are 4 types of cultured Pearls
1. Akoya: generally from Japan, round, white, lustrous, with a hint of pink, blue or green, and with relatively uniform shapes and sizes.
2. South Sea: mostly from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines, with a softer lustre, gold or silvery in color.
3. Tahitian: from French Polynesia and Cook Islands. Generally lustrous, grey-black with purple, pink, or blue-green tones.
4. Freshwater: from mussels, with the majority produced in China. High volumes of production keep the prices of these pearls relatively low. They're available in a variety of colors.
Most Akoya and Freshwater Pearls are processed in some way, such as bleaching and dying to change color and lustre.
Other types of Pearls/pearl products are
1. Natural and Cultured Blister Pearls, which form the same way as other pearls, but adhere to the shell as they form and grow. This therefore looks like a lump or blister, and is sold in its irregular shape. This process has been known for centuries.
2. Mabé pearls are assembled cultured blister pearls that are filled in and backed with mother-of-pearl. They tend to be flat on the bottom.
3. Abalone pearls come from a single- shelled, colorful mollusk, tend to have unusual colors and irregular shapes.
4. Keshi "poppy seed" pearls are small byproducts of the pearl culturing process, come in a variety of colors and irregular shapes. They are more affordable also.
5. Seed Pearls are tiny natural pearls, usually less than 2mm in diameter.
6. Two other coarser forms of pearls that also originate from sea animals, but are not really classified as pearls, are the conch and melo melo pearls. Conch pearls tend to be small and irreularly shaped, and pink or orange in color. Melo pearls are often round and large. They can be orange. Both can exhibit a thin wavy pattern called flame structure, but this can fade with time.
Culturing pearls is a risky and far-reaching investment that requires
1.Clean, nutritious, sheltered waters for breeding,
2. Oysters or mussels that must be collected and/or spawned for breeding in the wild or in hatcheries,
3. Continuous monitoring and care for the mollusks in terms of health and predators
4. Skilled surgeons to nucleate the mollusks with a bead and/or a foreign mantle tissue to instigate pearl formation.
5. To wait for anywhere from 6 months to 6 years for the pearl to nucleate
6. To prevent theft of mollusks.
7. Harvest, clean and assort pearls. This is a nail-biting time as often the crop cannot be predicted without opening the shells and harvesting.

Wow, that was a lot of information! I guess good things come to those who wait, and I hope that the fact that this post was tardy was worth the information in it!

Happy Independence Day Weekend! Eat, shop and love!

Fashions for Fall

2011-06-16T18:45:00.000-04:00

Oh Gosh!

You must have barely recovered from JCK Las Vegas, where many of you will have done all your buying for fall and for the Holiday season! I’m sure you saw a lot of new and exciting concepts there, not just in terms of color and style, but also very interesting concepts and combinations of materials and gems. This year has changed the way we look at jewelry and value by 180 degrees.

There is a lot more color in the market, in terms of agates, the Big 3:rubies, sapphires and emeralds (hats off to the Royal wedding for that craze and the re-emergence of elegance in daily style), semi-precious stones like topaz, peridot and amethyst, and diamonds in all hues, cuts and styles. Gold, in a range of colors, is also coming back with a bang.

And luckily, the fall sartorial trends for 2011 reflect these changes in jewelry design as well.

On one hand, bright colors like orchid purple, and honeysuckle, a reddish pink, will be contrasted with browns, tans, neutrals, and bamboo (greenish ochre) for a bright, yet understated look, allowing one to choose to match one’s jewelry in accordance with one’s personality :over-the-top, or understated . The 70’s use of length and color will call for lots of tiny pendants of different lengths to match! Stacked friendship bracelets in a range of materials, from gold to leather , also make a stylish statement.

On the other hand is a clean, modern look, with the emphasis on structure and silhouette rather than print or detail. In this look, one or two architectural/geometric pieces in shiny gold, like earrings, a cuff, a collar or a cluster cocktail ring would look fantastic!

A third options is the ladylike look, with longer hemlines, lace, polka dots, and fluff. Pendant/necklace sets with earrings are a must in this look. A richer look could be created through the use of broad diamond bands!

Speaking of ladylike, pearls are the birthstones of June. A lovely soft glow to soothe the eyes after the harsh glare of outdoors! Watch out for our next post on the pearl!