Thanks for visiting Diana’s blog. Here’s where we share all sorts of fun things for fervent jewelry fans (otherwise known as aficionados) –trends, interesting gemstones (ever seen a Burma Ruby?), how to care for fine jewelry and lots more.
Your Questions Answered
Happy summer! I hope you are all capturing the great weather in between smoke, heat, and torrential rains. We just did a show in Glencoe, Illinois where we saw old friends and clients and met lots of new ones. Many of you ask similar questions so here are some answers,
Colorful World Series: Part 1
Color is everywhere. Color affects us whether we know it or not. While outside of us, color subtly influences our mood. For instance, who doesn’t feel better when the sky is blue? How about when the “newness of spring,” (to quote my granddaughter) first flowers pop up? What happens when
Lion of Merelani: Green Garnet Sublime
History’s largest green garnet has taken up residence in the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection. Worth a pilgrimage for this gem lover, I want to share a condensed version of the story with you. The gemstone name honors Campbell Bridges, a Scottish-born Kenyan gemologist whose entire life circled around geology and
Blue-Glow Sapphires: One of a Kind
Hi everyone! Sometimes, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. You all know I love sapphires and, apparently, so do you. Here, a new pair of earrings comprised of sapphires from Burma and Sri Lanka. They are locally mined and cut, so the community makes its fair share.
On a Handshake
I hope this finds you well. My recent trip to the Tucson gem shows after three years away was exhilarating for many reasons. Of course, the gems…. Rows and rows of sparkling colors from all over the globe calling my name. Fanta orange, hot pink, grassy green, plum, turquoise… so
Blasts from the Past: Ancient Designs Still Relevant Today
Roman Torq Cable Necklace You know I love ancient finds, whether buildings, mosaic floors, pottery or jewelry. In this photo we see an ancient Roman “torq” necklace found in Newark, Britain. The neck collar, which is a combination of gold and silver dates to 250 BC and is now on
Easy Tips for Sparkling Diamonds
I know I’ve published jewelry cleaning tips before, but here are specifics on cleaning diamonds. I publish this with the reminder that clients can bring your diamonds to me for a steam cleaning and prong check every year for no charge. See #5. 1) Dishwashing Soap: This household staple mixed
Some of Your Favorite Things for 2022
The year-end is a time for reflection and perspective-taking for my personal life and my jewelry business. I’ve just finished my 23rd year in this amazing industry. I’m planning a retrospective of sorts but meanwhile, I wanted to share a few custom projects from 2022. These projects range from brand
Heavy Lies the Head who Wears the Crown: The Koh-I-Noor Diamond
The passing of Britain’s esteemed Queen again raises the issue of who should own the 105-carat Koh-I-Noor diamond that graces the center of the Queen Mother’s Crown. I am quite sure that the diamond will never be removed from the Imperial Crown and handed back to India, but it started me
Traceable Sapphires Are Here
You all know I love sapphires. Any color, any shape, as long as they are well cut and refractive. For quite a while now, I’ve been buying from a Swedish gem group which carefully sources its sapphire material from a small mining village in Sri Lanka. The Swedes have recruited
Thank You for a Wonderful Show
Two weeks ago, we did our annual show at Port Clinton in Highland Park, IL. It was such fun to see so many of you and reunite after three years away. It was also very gratifying to see the citizens of Highland Park come to the town center and support
True North Rubies and Sapphires
In the icy white North of Greenland lays a cache of red ruby and pink sapphire rough. Formerly covered with ice and now revealed by global warming, this rich red ruby and sapphire deposit is “believed by geologists to be the oldest rock formation on earth,” according to Company exploration
Global Gem Shopping with Purpose
I hope this finds you all healthy and happy. If you’re a long-time reader of this newsletter, you know I’m a big-time gem geek. I love finding you the best colors, the high-quality gems and treasures that you seek when you call. I also love meeting gem dealers, miners, and
Pearl Divers of Japan: The Ama Culture
Off the coast of Okinawa, a 2000 year old culture of the Ama or free-divers is still going strong. These gutsy, fearless divers had a major role in developing the cultured pearl industry started by Mikimoto. They dove down and planted the oysters and brought them back to the surface.
Ancient World
If you’ve been reading my newsletter for a long time, you probably know that I am fascinated with the ancient world and its influence on modern life. I remember going to Pompeii a few years back and learning that the ancients invented street signs, gutters, and fast-food stalls in the
The World’s First Recorded Opalized Pearls Discovered
The world’s first recorded opalized pearls, relics of creatures in an ancient inland sea dating back 65 million years, have been unearthed by two miners in the South Australian outback. Dr. Ben Grguric from the SA Museum, where the pearls have gone on display, said opal miners Dale Price and
Now, the Good News
Last week, I sent out a client letter about Alrosa and the current government sanctions against Russian diamonds. Read it here. Today, I received notice from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) that the body will soon offer GIA Source Verify, a geographical origin notation for natural, mined diamonds that will
When a Diamond is not Just a Diamond
The bloody, brutal war in Ukraine caused the US government and its allies to ban the import of Russian diamonds. The jewelry industry fully supports this measure, but the sanction levied by the United States is porous because most Russian diamond material is sent to India for cutting and India
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds “Real?”
In an ever-changing gem marketplace, one of the newest additions to the diamond world is the lab-grown stones. Historically, diamond simulants like Cubic Zirconia (CZ) and moissanite offered customers a chance to wear something white and sparkly without having to buy a natural diamond. In the last few years, a
Jewelry Auctions and Hot Commodities: Part 1
An industry magazine recently featured an interview with Francois Curiel, the international director of the luxury division of Christies and its Chairman for Europe. I thought I’d share some interesting bits with you since this is an area most of us never get to know well. The most relevant parts
Undersea Colors: The Luminosity of Pearls
It’s no secret that I love pearls’ subtle colors and soft light. I love all the shapes and the mixed colors that happen randomly in many pearls. Admittedly, I wear mostly rounds and teardrop baroques but all the crazy shapes we used to cast aside are considered fun to wear
Happy February to the Amethyst Babies!
Your purple birthstone ranges from rich plums to pale lavender. It is the most beloved of all the quartzes and mined worldwide. Amethysts appear in royal jewel collections as well as in most of our personal jewelry collections. The word amethyst comes from the Greek “amethystos” which means “remedy
Inquiring Mind: Garnets for January Babies
Garnets: Not Just Dark Red Garnet, I serenade thee… Very few know your true glory as a gem is revealed in a breathtaking palette of hues. Citrus orange, sherry red, honeyed gold, raspberry, olive, plum, spearmint, lime, basil, blue, and pale, sea green and near-black. Fewer still realize that your
Current Appraising Techniques
I love my appraisal work. Appraisals expand my exposure to pieces I would never know about and help clients know what they have, either for insurance or estate purposes. I thought I’d offer you a glimpse of a recent appraisal, with identifying information redacted. This report took many hours