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Garnet in Many Shades

By Anna Samsonova, CGA, Ben Bridge Jeweler This January birthstone has a deep history and comes in many colors. Although birthstones have now been established and represent the 12 months of the year, this wasn’t always the case. Birthstones were first associated with Aaron’s (Exodus) breastplate, and believed to be for the 12 zodiac signs. In modern times, most people only associate with their own birthstone, throughout history it was believed to be lucky to wear the birthstone for each month. Currently, the accepted zodiac and monthly birthstones are different, and some months are even lucky to have options! We

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Style Pick of the Week

By Lauren Ruggeroli, Membership Sales Associate American Gem Society member Christophe Danhier aims to treat every piece in his collection “as an individual jewel, unique in its beauty.” Because of his pieces’ ability to stand out in the crowd, we picked two of his latest rings for our Style Pick this week. Both are sure to be a huge hit this holiday season! First up, a beautiful 18K rose gold diamond, sapphire and ruby ring.    With this ring, Danhier experimented with new color combinations hoping to create a piece that not only stood out in the industry, but also

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Holiday Style Picks from a Jewelry Buyer

Crowded parking lots, trunks jammed with shopping bags, gift wrapping spread all over your kitchen table, and a long to-do list. The holidays are definitely here, and gift buying is on practically everyone’s mind. If you need some inspiration for jewelry this season, we have you covered. We asked a jewelry buyer at one of the largest AGS retailers in the country to give us some insider tips on what is a hot seller in their store. Laura Barringer has been at Ben Bridge for 33 years, and has been a buyer for 27 years. Here are some of Laura’s

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5 Factors That Impact “Bargain” Prices on Diamonds

By Evert P. Botha, Registered Supplier, Embee Diamonds Think again. Truth be told, just about everyone knows someone in the diamond and jewelry trade, but do you have a relationship with a trusted jewelry professional? Someone with the credentials to prove that they know their stuff? Someone that’s not interested in simply selling you what they have available at a bargain price? So called “bargain” prices on diamonds should always raise several red flags. Let’s look at some of the many factors that impact such “bargain” prices. Firstly, origin or conscience. Diamonds that make their way into the supply pipeline

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5 Reasons why Watches aren't Passé

By Preston Wallace, K-Jon’s Fine Jewelers The age of the smartphone has arrived. Everyone has one. At the press of a button, the time is displayed, and it’s always correct.  How can an old-fashioned watch compete with that?  The age of the watch has come and gone, right?  Nope.  I use my smartphone all the time, but I go nowhere without my watch. The wristwatch as a timepiece has not gone out of style, nor will it in years to come. Here are 5 reasons why. 1. A watch is a fashion piece. Yes, it’s true.  A watch has been

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What Can Pink Floyd Teach Us About Sparkle?

  By Donna Jolly Deputy Executive Director, American Gem Society We all love diamonds, right? They are a multi-purpose gemstone, filling in the blanks for an array of emotions and symbols. A diamond can represent love when given to someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, or it can be a calling card for status when worn as a big honker on the ring finger of your right hand. Diamonds can be passed down for generations, proving that, well, a diamond really is forever. We know we love them, but what about this romantic gem makes

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Emerald: May’s Birthstone

By Anna Samsonova, CGA, Ben Bridge Jewelers The Pantone Color of the Year is making a huge comeback! Often imitated, never duplicated. It’s a phrase that describes emeralds, May’s birthstone, very well. Since the beginning of time emeralds have been a hot commodity. Cleopatra is believed to have had a huge love and admiration for the gemstone, although most of her collection turned out to be peridot.  Roman Emperor Nero is believed to have had sunglasses made of emeralds, however this is unlikely due to their included and cloudy nature. Nero’s supposed sunglasses were a representation of the stone’s power.

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Considerations Cutters Take When Shaping Diamonds

Today’s blog post is written by American Gem Society member, By Marc Nanasi, from NEI Diamond professionals swear that Cut is the ‘C’ which has the most influence on a diamond’s beauty,and interestingly enough, it is also the only C that is controlled by humans (a diamond’s color, carat weight, and clarity are dictated from the rough stone found in nature). What most people don’t realize about cut is the extensive amount of consideration that goes into the cutting process.  Cut can influence a diamond’s value by up to 50%! The decisions which have the largest affects on the final

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