Jewelry Archives

Happy Birthday April! It's your time to shine!

April 2, 2015

By Amanda L Colborn At the American Gem Society and especially in AGS Laboratories, we look forward to April all year long! With the diamond being April’s birthstone, it’s yet another opportunity to celebrate our favorite things: bright, shiny diamonds! Don’t get us wrong, all other months and their birthstones are just as special! However, being part of an organization that offers you the highest quality diamond grading reports…we do have a special soft spot for diamonds. History of the Diamond as the April Birthstone Diamonds are a thing of beauty and the ultimate gift for a loved one. Thought to

Jewelry and the Colors of Spring!

March 13, 2015

By Amanda L Colborn We’re finally reaching the threshold of spring! (Seriously…it really took its sweet time getting here.) And in celebration of spring, we wanted to share with you the latest style and color trends of the season, so when you hit the beach — you’ll be the hottest one there! Pantone recently released their Spring 2015 color scheme. The Spring 2015 palette includes ten colors for the season in varying shades and hues. Pantone says, “This season there is a move toward the cooler and softer side of the color spectrum. An eclectic, ethereal mix of understated brights,

Going Gaga for Heart-Shaped Jewelry

February 27, 2015

By Amanda L Colborn In honor of Lady Gaga’s recent engagement (and her heart-stopping diamond ring), we’re celebrating the heart symbol and the heart cut diamond. Did you know that we can trace the heart symbol all the way back to the Ice Age era? It’s true. Cave paintings have been discovered with this symbol that trace back to the Ice Age. Though we do not know what this symbol meant to the cavemen who drew them, we do know that it was important enough for them to often paint it on the inside of their cave walls. The mysterious symbol

Finding Your Jeweler

January 2, 2015

By Alethea Inns, CG As a jewelry industry professional, I am often asked where to find a jeweler, how to find one that is trustworthy, or where to get professional appraisals. My answer is always the same. Find an American Gem Society credentialed jeweler or appraiser, and you are guaranteed a jewelry industry professional committed to your best interests. AGS credentialed jewelers are pledged to consumer protection, business ethics, and continued education. Jewelry stores that are AGS members are admitted to the Society after going through a series of approvals by an anonymous panel of fellow industry professionals, and their

Jewelry Buying Tips from the Pros

December 17, 2014

By Donna Jolly, RJ American Gem Society You know it’s the holiday season when magazines and blogs run a “shopping tips” article. We thought, though, that you should hear advice from the people actually in the field who have learned a thing or two about best-buying practices: the jewelers. Of course, these are not just any retailers. They are American Gem Society credentialed jewelers. Every day, they help their customers find the perfect piece of jewelry, whether it’s finding the right style or fitting the right budget—or both. Here is some solid advice straight from a few jewelers: Catherine

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

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

Instagram Favorites

September 12, 2014

By Kevin P. McVay We’ve been getting a lot of new followers on our Instagram account over the last month. Since we love reposting photos of our members’ fine jewelry pieces, we’d like to share some of them with you. Here’s a look at the top three posts that our followers absolutely loved: The top image of a 7.52ct diamond ring from Alson Jeweler’s sparked a positive note among Instagrammers. The brilliance of the center diamond is beyond compare! The middle image is a unique yellow pearl ring from Mastoloni Pearls. Accented in diamonds, this piece gathered quite a lot

3 Reasons Why We Love Peridot, the August Birthstone

August 1, 2014

By Kevin P. McVay August’s birthstone is the magical peridot, a yellow-green to lime-green gemstone that is said to have healing properties that help bring its wearers power and influence. There are many reasons why we like the peridot, even if we weren’t born in August. The peridot might be what we need to complete the finishing touches to our perfect summer look. Here’s why we think it’s so popular: It has history. The Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Some even believe that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection might have actually been peridot. The Romans used the gem

Are Opals a Girl’s New Best Friend?

March 28, 2014

Opals have emerged as one of the big jewelry trends of 2014. Cate Blanchett’s stunning Chopard opal earrings received almost as much attention at the Academy Awards as her Oscar-winning performance. Her earrings demonstrated all the traits that are making opals so popular right now: they are lustrous, reflecting the fire of many colors. Blanchett explained her decision to don them for the Oscars, saying that opals are “must-haves” for Australians, as they are the country’s national gemstone. Opals are found in deposits around the world, but are most abundant in Australia, which produces 97 percent of the world’s opals.

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