Lunch at Tiffany's
This month I got to fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting The Landmark Tiffany & Co. in New York City at the corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. It…
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The Complete Archive
The Journal
33 articles on gemstones, antique jewelry, and a life spent chasing the extraordinary.
The Argyle Mine
This Very Light Pink beauty is an example of an extremely small portion of the output of the Argyle mine. If you follow jewelry news at all, it's likely…
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GIA Educational Opportunities!
Remember when I was telling you about all of the free gemology educational opportunities to take advantage of if you found yourself with extra time during…
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JCK 2021 - Here's Who I Look Forward To Seeing Next Year
Like many of you, I recently received the email that confirmed what we were all expecting - JCK Las Vegas will not be happening this year due to COVID-19…
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Educational Opportunities During Quarantine
GIA is closed - but the website is open! Ok! Now that everyone has their jewelry clean, stored correctly and properly insured, now what? If you have ever…
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Jewelry Maintenance During Quarantine
Hi everyone! I hope this finds you and your family well and, if you are in an area (as I am, north of Seattle, Washington) that is under some form of…
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All About Spinel!
Spinel is my new favorite gemstone! I recently went to a gem show in Seattle and found some amazing grayish purplish cut stones that are so gorgeous!…
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Selling antique jewelry to Lang Antiques!
My client's coral earring and brooch suite in the original box. Someone who collects coral from the Georgian period will really enjoy this! I was recently…
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Carlsbad For Beginners!
If you are planning to head to Carlsbad anytime soon to attend any GIA lab classes (or one of the resident programs) are you in luck! I have some ideas on…
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I took the Gem Identification Lab at GIA in Carlsbad!
I recently completed another piece of my (eventual) Graduate Gemologist degree - I went to Carlsbad, California to the Robert Mouawad world headquarters…
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Must-Do Things in Las Vegas!
Ah Las Vegas - there is a little something there for everyone! World-class restaurants, luxurious hotels and every jewelry brand under the sun, Las Vegas…
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My First Visit to JCK - Part 2!
One of the things I loved most about JCK is discovering brands that I was not previously aware of. In this column, I'm going to show you two of the brands…
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Attending JCK VEGAS for the First Time
It's almost JCK time again! In 2018, I attended JCK in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time. I was new to the jewelry world and had always wanted to…
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I had my Ellensburg Blue polished by a lapidary!
My husband and I have owned a piece of rough Ellensburg Blue for some time. What is Ellensburg Blue, you ask? Ellensburg Blue (also affectionately known…
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Middleton Jewelers project complete!
A while back, I won a gift card in an Instagram contest from Middleton Jewelers (www.middletonjewelers.com), a business in Middleton, Wisconsin. Since I…
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All About Peridot
It's August and we're celebrating our August babies by talking about Peridot! Peridot is a lovely green gem that comes in a number of calibrated sizes,…
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All About Tanzanite: Interesting Facts and Information
Tanzanite Introduction Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite (a mineral which consists of mostly silica, calcium and aluminum) which, before heat treatment,…
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All About Morganite - Gemstone Information & Trends
Morganite at a Glance: Morganite is a gem that is definitely having a moment right now! Trendy and popular as an engagement stone - Morganite is a pink…
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All About Moonstone: Interesting Facts and Information
Moonstone Introduction Since it's June, it's time to talk about another of June's three birthstones, Moonstone! Moonstone is a feldspar made up of two…
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Rent the Runway Review
I recently found myself planning for a gala, and not having a clue what I should wear. Not wanting to invest hundreds of dollars in a dress I would likely…
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All About Tourmaline: Facts and Information
Tourmaline Introduction Tourmaline is a gemstone that comes in a variety of dazzling colors. Tourmaline was usually found in Sri Lanka, until major…
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All About Emerald: Interesting Facts about May's Birthstone
Introduction It is May, and it's time to talk about Emerald, which just so happens to be the birthstone for May! Emerald is all about color! The US has…
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All About Ammonite
Ammonites (or Ammolites) are organic gems which are the fossils of mollusks that lived up to 395 million years ago! Over millions of years after the…
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Buying jewelry from Ebay
I have always been nervous about buying jewelry from Ebay, but now that I have this blog, I had to do some investigative work, right? I started searching…
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All About Opal
Opal is one of nature's most unique offerings. It is believed that most Opal deposits formed in the earth 15 to 30 million years ago! Opal is the product…
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All About Ruby
Ruby is the red variety of corundum. It gets its color from chromium. Ruby gets its name from the Latin ruber, which means red. Ruby is considered one of…
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Buying loose gemstones on Etsy
I recently decided to buy a few loose gemstones on Etsy. Included in my haul was a .36 carat alexandrite (I finally got one!), a.14 carat Tanzanite (my…
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All About Ametrine
Are you a fan of bicolored gemstones? If you are, Ametrine is the stone for you. Ametrine shows amethyst and citrine colors in the same stone. To find the…
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GLDA Las Vegas Gem & Jewelry Show - Mirage Hotel & Casino
The 2018 Las Vegas Gem & Jewelry Show May 28-31, 2018 At The Mirage Hotel & Casino Show Hours Monday - Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm | Thursday 10 am - 4 pm…
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JCK Show Las Vegas in 2018 at Mandalay Bay
JCK Las Vegas returns to its traditional date pattern in 2018 for its final year at Mandalay Bay! JCK Las Vegas is the jewelry industry's leading annual…
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All About Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a lovely, cool blue colored variety of beryl. It belongs to the same family of gems as Emerald and Morganite. Gem-quality aquamarine is…
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All about Amethyst
Let’s talk about February’s birthstone, shall we? Amethyst is a lovely variety of quartz that has so much going for it: its beautiful purple shade, its…
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All about Alexandrite
I’ve toyed with the idea of a blog for years - after all, I love to write, and what better subject than jewelry and gemstones, am I right? I’d like to…
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