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How to Identify Genuine Georgian Jewelry, part 1

How to Clean Antique Jewelry — The Important Do’s & Don’ts

Where to Sell Your Unwanted Jewelry

Ten Reasons — What Makes Customers Buy Jewelry from Specific Designers

Endless talk of all things sparkly.

Obsessions

Statue of David; Gold Gold Gold

A gold rush has come over me.  With all these commercials convincing viewers to "sell your old gold jewelry" I think we should also be investing in gold as well.  Not like the big bars of solid gold, I mean gold jewelry!  Big, chunky pieces.  Some of the best gold jewelry I own is from my grandparents.  They would bring back gorgeous pieces from their trips to Italy for my sisters and I.  We would get so excited to see what treasures they'd find. Photography by ALisha Above is an 18k yellow gold oval link bracelet from one of my grandparents' trips overseas, given to my sister. Its our favorite keepsake. Now that my grandparents are older, they don't really go to Italy as much, so we treasure our gold Italian jewelry even more. Below are a few finds that remind me of some of the pieces we treasure. Greek key is a design that will never go out of style. What better way to capture this classic design than by wearing it around your finger. This ring is a steal at $265...that's only a dollar a day for a year! From Ross-Simons. Another classic motif is the fleur de lis. These 18k gold earwires are one-of-a-kind! Designed by Dana David, they remind me of Europe in so many ways. A lot of the Italian jewelry my grandparents would bring back had enameling on it. This bracelet has green enamel outlining the ends. It is a vintage piece from the 1830s and can be found at Fay Cullen for $3900. The etched detailing is remarkable! Read More

Obsessions

Buddha-rama

Slightly buddha-obsessed, my sister and I were on a mission to find a good piece of jewelry featuring, none other than, the buddha himself. We wanted either a necklace or bracelet, something you couldn't find in Forever 21 or Claire's that would tarnish in three days. Fake jewelry is a waste of money for that reason. photography by ALisha We found a necklace, a pendant and a bracelet, although the bracelet is not real gold, we couldn't resist its similarity to the peace sign bracelets seen recently on The Hills' Stephanie Pratt. Check out our finds below! This pendant is our favorite. Priced at $150, it is a good buy for being 14k gold and carved jade. It would look great on a short or long chain, depending on what you like. This juicy treasure may even bring you good luck, and can be purchased at c.h.a.r.m. When we saw this necklace, we immediately wanted to take out our credit cards. Unfortunately, $420 is not in the budget. The buddha is made out of carved coral, with a mother-of-pearl leaf and turquoise bead dangling below. On a 14k gold chain with a lobster claw clasp, this little jigglypuff can be yours by going to Ylang|23 now! This is the bracelet we found...wish the buddha was made out of 14k gold. [sad face] But if you're into fake jewelry, he's good as golden! Max & Chloe is the neat online shop where you can purchase this bracelet for $63 in any color you want! Read More

Obsessions

Gem Gossip Charity Bracelet Gets a Makeover

In order to be more flexible for everyday wear; that is easy to slip on and give an even more "layered" look, I gave the Gem Gossip Charity Bracelet a makeover!  The new design lets you wrap it around your wrist a few times, and then adjust the knots by sliding them for a perfect fit.  At its full size you could even wear it as a necklace!  Pretty neat! I wore mine while in California, and it withstood a lot of activities like hiking, kayaking in the ocean and treking through the San Diego Zoo all day!  If you would like to own your very own, email me at charitybracelet@gmail.com Read More

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Obsessions

Chain Gang; The Right Pendant for a Long Chain

Do you have a long, gold chain just laying in your jewelry box? Not too sure what to do with it? Well I've got the perfect pendant solutions to a long chain. First off, hopefully you've got a good, long chain to work with, preferably 20" or more. A box link chain will do fine, or you could change it up with a different type (maybe like the ones in the picture above). If you don't have one, and need to purchase a long chain, don't be afraid to pay anywhere from $300+ because a heavy gold chain will last a lifetime, is very versatile, and is actually an investment in terms of gold prices. Next, you need the perfect pendant. The size is important because it needs to be large either vertically or horizontally. I've noticed that this could get expensive, so certain gemstones like jade or mother-of-pearl are great choices because they are affordable and look great as a large pendant. Check out my choices below! Smokey Quartz is a great gemstone and very affordable. This pendant is almost 12 carats, however the price is still a very affordable $50. The elongated style is a great one to wear on a long chain. This pendant is from Jewelry Television--I'd recommend sticking to browsing the website and not watching it on tv. Hearts are always classic, and this pendant is not your typical diamond\plain\boring. The white part of it is called mother-of-pearl, and has a 14k gold filigree etched heart. It would be very pretty hanging from a long snake chain. It is from Ross-Simons and is $165. I love this pendant! I never usually like this many gemstones in one piece of jewelry, but I can make an exception! There are peridots, garnets, citrines, amethyst, and diopsides. The emerald cut gems mixed in with the round makes it so unique. It can be purchased for $265 at Ross-Simons. Did you know jade can be carved into beautiful designs like this? This is brown jade and the design is an intricate knot, called an endless knot. Jade has continuously been known for being a luck charm. Maybe this pendant will bring luck to its wearer. At only $100 from Ross-Simons, this would pull off the long chain look superbly! Read More

Obsessions

September Sapphires: Layered Charm Necklaces

Sapphires are my favorite gemstone.  Most people do not like their birthstone, but I love mine.  If you are also a September baby, I hope you love your birthstone too!  Any piece of sapphire jewelry given as a gift represents trust, honesty and loyalty.  When worn, sapphires are said to provide mental clarity and preception.  I like that sapphire comes in all sorts of shades, not just the blue that one would normally picture.  Its strength and hardness is also a huge plus, being able to be worn daily and cleans up well in a sonic cleaner.  I've had a new found love for layering charm-like necklaces.  Here are a bunch that would be perfect for just that!  Just click on the picture, and it will take you to the website where you can learn more information about it, even purchase the necklace if you like it! Read More

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How to Identify Genuine Georgian Jewelry, part 1

How to Identify Genuine Georgian Jewelry, part 1

Education & Advice
How to Clean Antique Jewelry — The Important Do’s & Don’ts

How to Clean Antique Jewelry — The Important Do’s & Don’ts

Education & Advice
Where to Sell Your Unwanted Jewelry

Where to Sell Your Unwanted Jewelry

Education & Advice

Obsessions

Shake it Fast;; Watch Yourself!

Whether it's floating diamonds, rubies, sapphires or even flecks of gold, shaker jewelry is back in action.  But don't get this trend confused with what it was several years ago.  It is hard to explain, so I'll give you some visual pictures.  You will see the difference! Okay, here is what the trend looked like when it first debuted.  Usually a few diamonds, bezel set (gold around them) "floating" in usually a white sapphire crystal.  Not so cute anymore. Now here is the newly updated version of the shaker jewelry trend. You can definitely see the difference! Gemstones are not carefully placed inside the crystal anymore, no more gold border to them, and I even like the flecks of gold rather than gemstones. It's like you just went gemstone hunting, and put all your finds into an empty case. This necklace has faceted rubies inside a vintage crystal locket. I wonder how many little rubies there are? You can also special order this piece in sapphires or diamonds. Price ranges for this necklace are anywhere between $800-$4000. http://www.77thstreetimports.com So pretty! This is a different take on the shaker jewelry trend. Why not use flakes of gold? These flakes are actually rose gold, which makes it even more unique. The ring, designed by Moritz Glik, is set in 18k rose gold, using two white sapphire plates to hold the flecks of gold. It is $3160 and can be purchased at Ylang|23. Another great example of this trend is this peridot shaker necklace designed by Elisa Solomon. Many of us will like the price on this 'usually very expensive' trend--only $370. How was this accomplished? Just by using peridot gemstones, instead of diamonds and using 14k gold rather than 18k gold. Still top notch, by all means and the pretty green color of peridot will make this shaker necklace stand out above the rest! Read More