There is significant buzz and a fair amount of contention right now in the jewelry industry about the term ‘fair trade’ as it pertains to gem stone purchase. Does fair trade actually mean something or is it simply a tag for marketing? As an American jeweler for over four decades now, I have watched interest…
The more you know about gemstones, the better you understand and appreciate the gem stones in your personal jewelry collection. That’s why I’d like to blog about two properties of gem stones you often hear about: hardness and toughness. Although they sound similar, hardness and toughness of a gem are two separate, unrelated physical characteristics…
June is an awesome month. Not quite the scorcher of a month we Midwesterners are known for. But pleasantly warm and beautiful. Those of you that know me know that I am also a fan of June’s birthstone – the pearl. Pearls represent taste and refinement and are a natural symbol of purity. They are…
There really is nothing quite like staring at a brilliant diamond as it reflects fire and light and scatters a rainbow of colors across a room. But what are you really talking about, when it comes to discussing a gemstone’s “brilliance?” Scientifically speaking, when light enters a gemstone, it can either be reflected back out…