Tag Archives: clarity

Sapphire – September Birthstone

Many societies throughout history have elevated the color blue above almost any other. Royalty in the Ancient Near and Middle East wore blue. Hindu deities were often depicted in various shades of blue. Persians believed the Earth rested on a giant sapphire, the reflection of which colored the sky. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt were…

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Ruby – July Birthstone

The moniker “The King of Gemstones” sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? Do you think it belongs to diamond? It doesn’t; ruby got that name when diamonds were still largely unmined and unusable as gemstones because the technology did not exist to fashion them. The phrase actually comes from the Sanskrit word for ruby: ratnaraj. Anything…

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Caring for Your Emerald

In my first blog this month, I wrote about emeralds: all of their wondrous beauty, their allure, and their chaotic origins. But I mentioned, almost in passing, that emeralds need some extra care. I didn’t have room in that entry, so I’m going to expound on that notion here. If you’ll recall (or pull up…

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Diamond Certification Part II

Recently, I gave you the basic rundown on what diamond certification is, and why it is important for you as a consumer. This week, I’m going to explain why diamond certification is so important to me as both a jeweler and as an ethical businessman. I’ve been selling diamonds for a very long time and…

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Diamond Certification Part I

Most people are familiar with the Four Cs of Diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. Those of you who have purchased a diamond from me know I harp on cut more than anything else because the quality of cutting can make or break the Wow Factor of a diamond. But there is an unspoken…

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May’s birthstone: the lovely emerald..green fire.

I first got turned on to emeralds in Munich, Germany, while walking through a museum housing some of the most fantastic pieces I had seen. I remember being in a short passage (lined with cases of incredible jewelry) and glancing to my left seeing green fire. The emerald in the collection was a square emerald…

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