AGS Archives

Unique Wedding Bands for Men

November 26, 2014

By Amanda L Colborn For this week’s #WeddingWednesday we wanted to do something just a little different. Usually we pay tribute to all the gorgeous variations of women’s wedding and engagement jewelry. This week we wanted to get the men into the mix and shine the spotlight on just of few of the thousands of variations and options for men’s wedding bands. Have you ever wondered why men wear wedding rings in the first place? Is it just tradition or a true sentiment of love? Well, it is both! In ancient Egypt, both men and women wore wedding bands as a

2014 Holiday Jewelry Trends

November 21, 2014

By Amanda L Colborn With the holiday season right around the corner – this is the perfect time to post about upcoming jewelry trends so you can dress to impress at your next holiday party. We’ve come across several themes this season, but the following six definitely stood out the most. Let’s jump right to them: Charms Charm bracelets are classic for the holiday season. What better way to show the one you care about than with a beautiful charm selected just for them? This is the ultimate in personalization for the bracelet lover in your life. Charm bracelets are

Celebrating the Birthstones of November!

November 7, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn, Marketing Coordinator at AGS Topaz Topaz is a gemstone available in a rich rainbow of colors. Prized for several thousand years in antiquity, at the time — all yellow gems were called topaz. Often confused with citrine quartz (yellow) and smoky quartz (brown), quartz and topaz are separate and unrelated mineral species. The most prized color of topaz is called Imperial topaz after the Russian Czars of the 1800s and features a magnificent orange body color with pinkish undertones. Topaz also comes in yellow, pink, purple, orange, and the many popular blue tones. Citrine Citrine, the other birthstone for

How To Choose Her Perfect Engagement Ring

October 31, 2014

By Kirsty Wareing, Content Editor for Ritani When you’re ready to propose, you want to get it right. That not only refers to the time and place, but the ring that you offer her. As a symbol of how much you know and love her, it should reflect her tastes and suit her lifestyle. Ritani, a member of the American Gem Society, offers these tips for selecting a perfect engagement ring that she’ll want to wear forever. A sense for style If you’re not sure where to start, pay attention to the type of clothes she wears and the jewelry

How do you sparkle?

October 24, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn How do you sparkle? You’re likely familiar with the 4 C’s of Diamonds: Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat – however, there is another very important aspect of diamonds to keep top of mind: Sparkle! Sparkle, or Scintillation as it is also known, is the play of white and colored flashes of light seen when the diamond is viewed in motion. Viewable with the naked eye, sparkle is the life of the diamond. Sparkle does have two different aspects, flash scintillation and fire scintillation. Flash Flash scintillation is the dynamic pattern of white sparkles observed across a

Spooky Jewelry: No Tricks. All Treats.

October 17, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn Halloween doesn’t have to be all face paint and bobbing for apples—it’s also a chance to explore a whole new realm of fine jewelry—spooky, Halloween jewelry! If there is any holiday that has a real, dedicated following, it is Halloween! True Halloween enthusiasts don’t just get into the spirit of the season, they live for it. Because of this, there are fine jewelry options for those who like their nights scary and their jewelry spooky. Such pieces can be worn year-round if that is your style, or just brought out to add a little sparkle to your

The Healing Power of Gemstones

October 3, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn According to folklore and stories throughout history, many gemstones are thought to offer mystic healing to its wearer. So whether shopping for a gift of fine jewelry, or considering a gift for yourself along the way, consider the healing properties of these fine gemstones. Birthday gemstones may not bake your cookies and wrap your gifts for you, but they will make you feel better while doing so. Gemstone healing powers: Amber – Thought to aid memory loss, purify the body, alleviate headaches, and bone and heart problems, Amber is known for its stress relieving and calming properties.

Fall Fashion Trends Straight from the Runway!

September 26, 2014

By Amanda L. Colborn 2014’s New York Fashion Week showcased several upcoming jewelry themes for this year’s fall season. Unique pieces such as the single earring, hand bracelets and diamond chokers definitely caught our attention! Apart from the stunning individual pieces of jewelry, we were able to focus in on 5 major themes for the season: Color Feminine Features Floral Patterns Texture Color Just because it’s fall doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the colors of spring and summer! NY Fashion Week was all about color this season, especially in their jewelry. Just like these beautiful drop earrings from Yael Designs: Feminine

Color-Changing Gemstones are Phenomenal!

September 19, 2014

By Kevin P. McVay Have you ever thought about adding color-changing gemstones to your jewelry collection? We’re not talking about well-known colored gemstones like rubies, sapphires or emeralds, but gems—such as opal gemstones—that actually change color depending on the lighting. From rings to pendants and everything in-between, color-changing gemstones, known as phenomenal gems, are unique and go well with many types of jewelry designs. Here are some of our favorites: Alexandrite This rare gem was discovered in 1834. During the day, it beams green or bluish-green. In incandescent light, it turns to a soft shade of red. The Alexandrite’s optical

Hand Bling to the Extreme

August 29, 2014

By Kevin P. McVay We recently stumbled upon an article that explains a recent fashion trend that has now hit the Hollywood stage—nails-as-jewelry. Rita Ora, a British singer, songwriter and actress, was seen with a completely customized manicure last Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards. Her nails were coated with Azature Black Diamond Nail Lacquer in Ruby Diamond. Though her nail polish contained black diamonds, what was featured on top of them is what’s getting people talking. Her manicure, applied by celebrity manicurist Barbara Warner, featured tiny hand-crafted diamond spiders and ruby bows which have been priced at around $56,000! While

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