Tag Archives: diamonds

Introducing Dabakarov

I just picked up a designer line that has actually been around for about thirty years. Over the course of its history, Dabakarov has evolved to keep up with the trending styles of jewelry. While I personally believe that trends are as fickle as the sea, and a truly fine piece of jewelry is timeless…

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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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Why Solder Your Rings Together?

Wedding season is entering the 7th Inning Stretch, and so there’s a practical decision looming on the horizon for brides coming back from their honeymoons. Or maybe your wedding is coming up in the last half of this year; this is a question you’ll eventually have to answer, as well. “Should I get my wedding…

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Chromium – The High End of Color

Since we’re in July, and I’ve been talking about rubies lately, I thought I’d cover a very important part of what makes ruby burn with such crimson glory: literally, what makes a ruby a ruby. There is some science involved; some parts of consumer education are more complex than others, but don’t be afraid. It’s…

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Corundum Conundrum – Ruby vs Pink Sapphire

There’s an old adage in the jewelry industry: “If you’re the seller, it’s a ruby; if you’re the buyer, it’s a pink sapphire.” The world of colored gemstones is by no means as highly organized or regulated as is the world of diamonds. By comparison, diamonds are fairly simple and straightforward. Colored gemstones comprise the…

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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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Diamond Certification Part III

So I’ve gone from what diamond certification is to why it’s important to both the industry and the consumer. Then I wrote about how it’s been hijacked and abused. Now I’m going to set forth my personal philosophy on how I’m handling the problem in my store. In short, having a reputable onsite gemologist and…

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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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Some Diamonds are Fancier than Others

If I asked you picture a diamond in your mind, what do you think of? Most people think of a transparent, colorless, sparkling gemstone set in an engagement ring. But what if I asked you what your favorite color was? Then what if I told you it was a legitimate possibility to find a diamond…

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