Colorful gemstones are just anybody’s dream to have. Their natural colors more than match your very fashionable dresses. Their sheer range could strike you spell bound. Gemstones are precious or semiprecious mineral stones which when cut and faceted can be used as jewels.

There is more to gemstones than just being jewelry items. They are regarded as lucky when worn specific to an individual’s birth month. Before we deal with this aspect in detail lets see the classification of gemstones.

Classification and Characteristics of Gemstones

There is a tri-level classification of gemstones namely, groups, species and varieties. Simply put, rubies which are red in color belong to conundrum species which in turn belong to hematite group. Others like emerald, aquamarine, goshenite, heliodor and morganite, all of them belong to that variety known as beryl. There are over 150 different species available.

One thing you can say about gold earrings is that they are timeless pieces that are always in style. They are not only beautiful, but also wear-friendly since, unlike sterling silver, they don’t tarnish. Another great attribute is that people with allergies to certain metals, or find they have a problem with staining from metals that have been combined with gold, don’t have a problem with gold itself.

Gold is a versatile metal, able to be worked in virtually any shape, whether it be small, but sturdy, strands to thin sheets. In fact, just one ounce has the ability to be hammered into an extremely thin sheet measuring at ten feet square. Artisans, especially makers of gold earrings, can manipulate gold into any desired shape.

When choosing gold earrings you need to look at the gold’s karat factor. Different karat numbers are what describe just how much pure gold is in the earrings. The percentage of gold in the earrings is higher when the karat number is higher.

Channel setting is fairly new for diamond jewelry. Learn how channel settings work with expert tips in this free diamond jewelry video.

The setting diamonds are placed in also affect the performance of light through a diamond. The 3 most commonly used settings are: Prong, Bezel, and Channel. Prong settings are the most popular setting for diamond jewelry. The prong setting consists of four or six ‘claws’ that cradle the diamond, allowing the maximum amount of light to enter from all angles, allowing the diamonds to appear larger and more brilliant. In bezel settings the diamond or gemstone is completely surrounded by a rim of metal, which can be molded into any shape to accommodate the stone. Used to set earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings, bezel settings can have open or closed backs, and generally can be molded to allow a lot of light to pass through. Channel settings set the stones right next to each other with no metal separating them. This setting is mostly used in wedding and anniversary bands. The outer ridge is then worked over the edges of the stones to create a smooth exterior surface. This also protects the girdle area of the stone.

How-to videos for using epoxy resin, silver-plated rings and pewter pendant trays to create jewelry from reproductions of your artwork. Video in 3 Parts.

Paris – Shoppers strolling along the Rue Saint-Honore in Paris encounter no shortage of distractions, with the bags of Longchamp, the runway-ready shoes of Giuseppe Zanotti and the chic threads of Gucci and Missoni just a few of the offerings on the boutique-centric boulevard.

And while each is tempting in its own way, a new display at the street’s Chronopassion boutique might have shoppers actually stopping in their tracks.

Earlier this month, the watch store debuted a new window display dubbed the “Carousel,” which features watches set into recessed spaces. By simply pressing a button labeled “touch to move,” someone standing outside the store can spin the display to reveal, with each touch, a previously hidden array of watches within the display. While consumers don’t even have to enter the store to view the watches, the show of wizardry might just tempt window shoppers anyway.

Designed by Switzerland-based design and development firm Dietlin, the display is also installed at the l’Heure Asch boutique in Geneva. It began as just one of many research and development projects at Dietlin.

Others include vitrines featuring liquid crystals that appear and disappear on the surface of the glass cases to display signage, as well as glassless displays that allow a customer to view a watch more closely. If one’s fingers get too close to the merchandise, however, a motion detector kicks in and the timepiece swoops down into a compartment below.

Technologies such as these remain in the research and development phase, but they are all a sign of what is to come for the retail jewelry experience, experts say.

“It really is a whole different way of showing jewelry,” says Artco Group’s Mickey Minagorri, describing the interactive jewelry displays he has helped to implement at independent retail stores and watch brand doors alike.

New York–It shouldn’t come as any surprise whose jewelry Ivanka Trump wore the other night when she walked down the aisle to marry newspaper owner and fellow real estate scion Jared Kushner. Why, her own, of course.

The Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry owner, who married Kushner in a private ceremony at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., wore a custom Vera Wang gown and $265,000 in jewels from Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, including a custom-designed, platinum and mixed-cut diamond hair piece, platinum and mixed-cut diamond cluster earrings and an art deco platinum and fancy-link diamond estate bracelet.

The hair piece, valued at $45,000, accented Trump’s veil and featured 6.38 carats of diamonds, while her $90,000 estate bracelet weighed in at 26 carats of diamonds. It was her hefty earrings, though, that carried the heaviest price tag: $130,000 for the 9.67-carat total-weight stunners.

Everybody knows that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And everybody knows that Victoria’s Secret is a guy’s best friend. So, it only makes sense to combine friends and make everyone happy. This season, Victoria’s Secret is unveiling a $3 million fantasy bra, and it features quite an impressive collection of diamonds.

The Fantasy Bra has nearly 2,500 diamonds of various colors, including a huge 16-carat heart-shaped diamond in the middle. The diamonds are colored white, cognac and champagne.

The bra, which boasts 150 carats, was designed exclusively for Victoria’s Secret by Italian jeweler Damiani and manufactured in Valenza, Italy. It can be worn five ways, including strapless, halter, crossback, one-strap or classic.

Every year Victoria’s Secret includes a novelty bra as part of its fall fashion. Last year’s model was worth $5 million. The 2003 model, which was worth $8 million, was famously worn and broken by Heidi Klum on the Jay Leno Show. However, because the recession, this year’s bra is worth a “mere” $3 million.

On December 1st you can all see Marisa Miller modeling the 2009 Fantasy Bra at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which will air on the CBS television network. Fergie and the Black-Eyed Peas will be performing at the event. Allegedly, front row tickets for the spectacular are going for $25,000.

The famous 32.01 square Annenberg diamond sold at auction to an unnamed phone buyer on Wednesday. The diamond, known for it’s near-flawlessness, was bought by Leonore Annenberg for her 90th birthday. She died in March at age 91. Christie’s auction house had the gem delivered to her by armed guards in celebration of her birthday.

Annenberg served as the US Chief of Protocol during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, a position that granted her diplomatic status. Her husband, Walter Annenberg, was a billionaire who was both a publisher and the Ambassador to England under Richard Nixon. The Annenberg name gave the diamond even further importance. Richard Annenberg died in 2002.

The Emerald-Cut diamond is set in a ring designed by New York jeweler David Webb, who flanked the center walnut-sized stone with pear-shaped diamonds, one weighing 1.61 carats, and the other 1.51 carats. Although Christie’s set the pre-sale estimate for the masterpiece at $3-$5 million, it was clearly coveted by many, and well exceeded expectations.

Adornment around the neck continues as the key trend in jewelry this season, the easiest way to update a look. Moreover, in these economic times, shoppers want value for their money, so the more versatility that can be wrung from a single item of jewelry, the more its perceived value. The result is that a single necklace or a single combination of necklaces is often burdened with the task of updating many ensembles in a wardrobe.

A necklace, more than any other item of jewelry, needs to be chosen with consideration of the garments with which it will be worn. Almost any necklace, long or short, complex or simple, can work with a simple sheath dress, a garment that lives for adornment. But with the cooler weather arrive styles of garments that are not as forgiving in their requirements.

One of the trickiest of such garments is the blouse. Created from a soft, even fluid, fabric such as silk, a blouse is too fragile to support the weight of a brooch, let alone recover from the puncture marks it would cause. Long (or long-ish) sleeves limit the number of bracelets that can be worn. And thus the necklace becomes the adornment of choice.

Jewel-neck blouses, like sheath dresses, love adornment. So long as the necklace(s) are visually dominant over the short neckline of such a blouse, any style necklace, long or short, works well. When a jewel-neck blouse is layered under a blazer or jacket, that third piece will guide the placement of a necklace.

Blouses with collars, ruffles and button fronts are much trickier to adorn with necklaces, and several recent items in the fashion magazines demonstrate this point.

A high grade mechanical watch, if properly maintained will perform for generations. They are known for quality and durability but like all machines, they need to be maintained to perform at fullest potential. This article explains what an overhaul is and the meticulous care a watchmaker takes to restore a fine timepiece to factory standards.
You now are the proud owner of a fine mechanical watch. It is the watch you will pass down to your grandchild. High grade timepieces are known for quality and durability but like all machines, they need to be maintained to perform at fullest potential. With proper maintenance you will have a fine timepiece to wear with satisfaction knowing it is running with precision.

When my customers ask, “Why does an overhaul cost so much?” I usually show them my method of taking the watch apart and the number of parts and how meticulous I have to be in handling them. Then they understand. Hopefully, this article will also impart the same understanding to you, the reader.

A popular motif in jewelry, even among city dwellers, is horses. Horse jewelry is enigmatic and evokes a sense of strength as well as of mystery. Now one would have to ask: why horses? Why care about an animal rarely seen in the city anyway?

Horses symbolize freedom, and pride in freedom. Wild horses come with the connotation of spiritual and emotional independence. Have you ever seen or read “The Horse Whisperer” or “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”? Perhaps the snow-white horse named Shadowfax in the “Lord of the Rings” movies has evoked a sense of unbridled freedom in you? And yet, Hollywood has not even begun to touch on the importance of horses in ancient cultures. Far from being mere beasts of burden, horses were also trusted friends. Native Americans paid great respect to the horses they have domesticated, for they were useful in hunting and traveling.

Wearing horse jewelry is a celebration of independence, a rallying cry to break free from the bonds of society and be graceful, proud and natural.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against the parent company of Cash4Gold, claiming the company misrepresented its services and defrauded customers who sent in their gold jewelry in exchange for cash, court documents say.

The 100-plus-page complaint names Cash4Gold’s parent company, Green Bullion Financial Services LLC, and was filed as a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 6.

The suit was filed on behalf of two California women who were former Cash4Gold customers, but attorneys in the case are asking the court to open the suit to all persons “who suffered injury from Cash4Gold’s unlawful practices from Oct. 6, 2003 to Oct. 6, 2009.”

Sterling silver is an excellent choice in estate jewelry. Long lasting, easy to care for, and so beautiful. Buying estate jewelry sterling silver can be a lot of fun but it can also be confusing. Whether you are looking at sterling silver for a gift for that special someone or looking to add to your own jewelry to make that fashion statement, it’s important you understand the terms that are used throughout the industry. Once you understand the terminology you will be better equipped to choose quality pieces of sterling silver jewelry and you’ll be able to complete your purchases with a lot more confidence.

It doesn’t matter whether you are buying on line or at your local store. It doesn’t matter if you are buying in the USA or Canada or in Europe or China. The terminology used to describe silver are the same around the world.

Sterling silver jewelry has always been popular and remains so today. Sterling silver estate jewelry has also shared it’s time in the limelight but in recent years its popularity has exploded. That’s because buyers are looking for something a little more unique than modern sterling silver can offer. Everyone knows how beautiful sterling silver is and how durable it is, that’s one of the reasons it’s such a popular choice. And of course let’s not forget how affordable it is!

A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for many people, although for an increasing number of persons, it has become a several-in-a-lifetime event. In any case, it is still a very special ceremony that binds not only a man and a woman together; today, gay male couples and gay women couples also observe the ceremony to affirm their lifelong commitment to each other. In such ceremonies, the gay wedding ring takes center stage.

Same-sex marriage is still illegal in the majority of U.S. states and in countries all over the world, so what gay couples opt for is to participate in a “commitment ceremony,” where the exchange of gay wedding rings also takes place. A gay wedding ring most often resembles the traditional gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, the couples are free to have the designs or the metal they wish for their gay wedding ring. Gay-related symbols are often engraved on the rings, and various textures and effects are available as well. Irish and Scottish rings, multicolored rings, woven rings – a wealth of options is available.

Washington: Despite a deteriorating economic environment in 2008, coupled with the worst holiday season in decades, 57 percent of online retailers surveyed for Shop.org’s “State of Retailing Online 2009″ reported they were more profitable in 2008 than 2007.

According to the survey, which polled 117 retailers and was conducted by Forrester Research Inc., online retailers adjusted to the economy in a variety of different ways. Nine in 10 retailers (91 percent) focused on preserving margins, while 88 percent of retailers amplified promotions or increased “value” messaging. Slightly more than half of retailers (53 percent) lowered prices as a result of the economy.

More than 40,000 people from around the world were recently involved in the biggest mass wedding in over a decade. Brides in white dresses and Japanese kimonos joined grooms in black suits and red ties to exchange wedding rings.

The mass wedding was the largest “blessing ceremony” held by the Unification Church since 1999. 89-year-old Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the controversial founder of the church, oversaw the ceremony. His followers are known as Moonies.

Most of the couples receiving blessing were marrying for the first time, but many were renewing their vows. The reverend also blessed 10,000 couples from Sweden to Brazil, who were taking part in ceremonies around the world.

The massive world-wide ceremony was meant to celebrate two key anniversaries in the leader’s life: his 90th birthday and his 50th wedding anniversary. Sun Myung Moon is getting ready to hand everyday leadership of the church over to his children.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, Rev. Moon sprinkled holy water over the couple before they exchanged rings.

“It’s the realization of a dream I’ve had for so long. Taking part in a mass wedding only adds to the profoundness — I barely have the words to describe what I feel,” said Laudicea Corina de Padua in Brazil. “Marrying in this way, with so many other people around the world, will give more strength to our union, it feels like they are all a part of us,” her husband said.

Many opponents of the church claim that it engages in cult-like practices. They argue that the mass weddings prove that it brainwashes its followers, since most members let Moon pick their spouses, and that couples meet for the first time at the mass weddings.

Petra Diamonds Limited (”Petra” or “the Company”), the international diamond mining group, announces the recovery of an important 507.55 carat white diamond at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. This spectacular gemstone was recovered on Thursday 24 September and is currently with experts for analysis. Initial examinations indicate that it is of exceptional color and clarity, and most likely to be a Type II diamond. Further details, including color grading and clarity, will be released once the diamond has undergone appropriate analysis.

The diamond was recovered alongside three other special white stones of similar color and clarity in the same production run: another very large stone of 168.00 carats and two other stones of 58.50 and 53.30 carats.

At 507 carats (just over 100 grams) the diamond, which has yet to be named, is considered to be amongst the top 20 largest high quality rough diamonds ever found worldwide and ranks alongside other illustrious diamonds recovered at the celebrated Cullinan mine. Cullinan has a special place in the history of diamonds as the source of the world’s largest gem diamond ever recovered, the ‘Cullinan’, at 3,106 carats rough. It has also produced a further two of the world’s largest diamonds, the Golden Jubilee at 755 carats rough and the Centenary at 599 carats rough, and many other famous gems including the Taylor-Burton (69 carats polished).

In recent years, men’s jewelry has come into the spotlight. Years ago, Tiger Woods began wearing magnetic bracelets to apparently help his golf game. These bracelets were titanium, steel or sterling silver and were often in the cuff style. Well, I do not know if the bracelet improved his game but it may have helped start the ball rolling on the bracelet jewelry trend. Soon after, more and more professional golfers began to wear these bracelets and soon after that more and more golf enthusiasts. Not surprisingly, these enthusiasts were soon wearing their “golf” bracelets all the time. Perhaps they thought that the more they wore their bracelet, the greater benefit it would have. In hindsight, I wonder if there was something more to the increased popularity of these seemingly functional-only bracelets.

Years later, professional cyclist Lance Armstrong unveiled his now infamous yellow rubber “Live Strong” bracelet and launched his Lance Armstrong Foundation. These little yellow yet powerful bracelets were soon being worn by everybody from celebrities to your next door neighbor – men included. Lance’s choice of material – rubber – and color (very gender neutral) were probably key factors to their immediate and widespread popularity. This is, of course, not to mention that the bracelets were for a worthy cause and led by one of America’s favored sportsman at the time.

When it comes to diamonds, there are numerous scams to avoid. Most scams are minor, but there are some major ones that come up from time to time concerning the buying and selling of diamonds. Scams occur simply because most people who buy diamonds – for whatever reasons – don’t know that much about diamonds. Therefore, they are easily fooled.

Jewelry stores like to show their diamonds in bright lights. Lights make diamonds shine. Ask to see the diamond in a different, darker type of lighting as well. Jewelry also stores often run ‘fluorescence’ scams to varying degrees. Referring to a diamond as a blue-white diamond is such a scam. A blue-white diamond sounds very unique and special, but in fact, this type of diamond is of lesser quality – even though the jeweler will try to make you think you are getting something special. On line dealers will often simply alter the images. Remember the quality of the photography work and post-photography “photo touching” can greatly alter the presentation of the piece.

A common scam that most jewelry stores participate in is the Carat Total Weight scam. The tag on the piece of jewelry, usually a ring, only states the total carat weight of all diamonds in the piece, instead of listing the total weights separately for each diamond. This leads consumers to believe that the main diamond in the piece is actually bigger than it is. Ask what the total carat weight of the center stone is. Also beware of fractions. Jewelry stores are allowed to round off diamond weights. This means that if the jeweler tells you that it is a ¾ carat diamond, it is probably between ½ and ¾ carat – but closer to ¾.

Some truly unscrupulous jewelers target those who want appraisals on diamonds that were given to them as gifts or that were purchased elsewhere. They will try to tell you that the diamond is worthless, or worth less than it actually is worth – and offer to take it off your hands or trade it for a much better diamond, along with the cash to make up the difference. This is called low balling. Get a second, third, and even a forth opinion before taking any action.

Another common dirty trick is to switch the diamond you have chosen and paid for with one of lesser quality and value when you leave it to be set in a piece of jewelry, or leave a diamond ring to be sized. The only way to avoid this is to do business with one trustworthy jeweler. Avoid jewelers that you have not done business with in the past.

There are many more scams that jewelry stores commonly pull on unsuspecting consumers (click READ MORE below). Our best suggestion is to your homework and research both online and in brick and mortar stores. We here at The Modern Jeweler believe that most often your BEST value will come from reputable jewelers that have both a solid on-line presence with an up-to-date look and feel, as well as a high-quality, elegant brick and mortar store. Regardless, just use your best judgment, and purchase your diamonds with the utmost care and consideration.

No, by jewelry and the darkside, we are not referring to Darth Vader’s dark side of the force. However, the idea of jewelry inspired by Anakin Skywalker, the Sith and his Emperor sure is tantalizing. Here, if you think more about the likes of Morticia Addams of the Addams family, then you’re on the right track. Gothic jewelry is the type of jewelry that the likes of her would wear: mysterious, brooding, yet elegant. Viewed this way, jewelry and the darkside certainly can go hand in hand.

Gothic jewelry, or darkside jewelry, as opposed to ‘light,’ evokes images of the macabre and the preternatural: vampires, the dead and undead, spirits, black magic and the black arts. As such, artisans craft items that would appeal to a person’s dark or gothic side. There is an abundance of e-commerce websites and specialty stores whose emphasis is on jewelry and the darkside. In these places, a person will be able to find gothic jewelry such as pentacle pendants, Gothic cross necklaces, spider-and-web piercings, and more.