Another stone that doesn’t spark any joy in me. I know – not the most cheerful opener from a jeweler. Aventurine has been ruined for me by too many cheap tourist trinkets sold at crazy markups. Honestly, I have sympathy for only one type of aventurine – the blue variety with a “starry night” sparkle….
Bigger isn’t always better. In the world of gems, a small, brilliantly cut stone can outshine a larger dud. We’ve all seen a giant diamond that should dazzle like Rihanna’s stage outfit – yet somehow it looks dull. Why? Because cut is the secret sauce that makes a gemstone come alive. This isn’t just true…
In my jewelry workshops, customers commission diamond pieces for practically every occasion – and sometimes for no occasion at all. As a jeweler who’s seen it all, I can confirm: the allure of a diamond is timeless, and it truly needs no justification. So honestly, you don’t need to read this article. Why look for…
One evening I reread that 2016 Allure piece about the “rose gold obsession” – and I still nod along. The Google-Trends curve has swooped downward since its 2018 peak, yet the metal never slipped into oblivion. We’re no longer breathless; we’re simply at ease with it – and that’s a healthier kind of love. From…
There was a time I couldn’t stand red gold. Growing up in the post-Soviet world, I associated it with bulky rings , sharp prongs, and those deep synthetic rubies that never quite looked real. Sometimes you’d see a cluster of tiny Czech garnets or a dull amethyst, locked into a heavy red setting. The whole…
I’ll admit it up front: purple rarely makes my personal shortlist, whether in a gemstone parcel or my own closet. Even so, amethyst – the violet member of the vast quartz clan – has earned a level of reverence I can’t ignore. Its availability, generous size options and centuries-deep lore keep it perennially popular ….