Jeweler, Author, and founder of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest.
Question How often should I inspect my jewelry? Answer It is a good idea to have your diamonds inspected at least twice a year to make sure no prongs have been bent or loosened. Although it is durable, even 14K gold jewelry will have a tendency to wear or become thinner over the years. If… Continue reading How often should I inspect my jewelry?
Question Why does my ring snag on everything? Is there anything I can do to fix it? Answer If you wear your jewelry often, you probably strike it daily against hard objects. This gradually causes wear and tear, and bends and sharpens the prongs. The ring will eventually snag your clothes, catch on nylons, and even… Continue reading Why does my ring snag on everything? Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Question I've heard that I can use bleach to clean my ring. Is that true? Answer No! Do not use bleach to clean your ring! Bleach won't hurt the diamond, but it could cause discoloration of your gold jewelry-- or even create pits. If you're looking for more advice on jewelry cleaning, you can find… Continue reading I’ve heard that I can use bleach to clean my ring. Is that true?
Trust is earned. Trust takes time. Time cannot be rushed. I believe a history of returning happy customers who say they refer their friends is a great indication that you have earned trust. Most people are not diamond experts. In fact, many jewelry customers have never had the opportunity to enjoy the mysteries of a… Continue reading How do I find a jeweler I trust?
For most of my life I have been a diamond merchant. I was 22 when I first helped another young man decide on a precious gem that would later be presented to the girl of his dreams. I worked on the seventh floor of a historic office building in Louisville, Kentucky. Loose diamonds had recently… Continue reading The Diamond in My Heart
The Star of South Africa, a 47.69-carat old style pear-shaped diamond, was cut from a crystal of 83.50 carats, and is credited with being the diamond that turned the tides of fortune in South Africa. In 1869, it was picked up by a Griqua shepherd boy on the Zandfontein Farm near the Orange River. Schalk… Continue reading The Star of South Africa
The Wittelsbach is a rare dark blue diamond weighing 35.56 carats. It is pure apart from a few surface scratches that were probably caused during removal from its setting. The diamond has been cut with 82 facets arranged in an unusual pattern -- the star facets on the crown are vertically split and the pavilion… Continue reading The Wittlesbach Diamond
This 105.60 oval-shaped diamond (in center of crown) is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The first mention of it is in India in 1297. It has been said that whoever owned the 'Koh-i-noor' ruled the world. It is now among the British Crown Jewels.
The Sancy Diamond has one of the most interesting, colorful, confused and involved histories of all the famous diamonds in Europe. It is a pale yellow 55.23-carat shield-shaped stone, apparently of Indian origin, and is said to be one of the first large diamonds to be cut with symmetrical facets. The stone is also unusual… Continue reading The Sancy Diamond
The "waterfall" ring was the most popular ladies ring from 1960 to 1980. It usually had 19 diamonds and cascaded up and then down like flowing water. Photo shown in 14 karat white gold although yellow gold was more popular during this period.
The Shah Diamond The Shah's shape, similar to a quartz crystal, is one of the most unusual in the world of famous diamonds. The Shah is an 88.70-carat, bar-shaped, partially polished diamond bearing three engraved markings. It was probably found in Golconda, India. The first engraving reads "Bourhan-Nizam-Shah-II, 1000" (Mohammedan calender), which places the stone… Continue reading The Shah Diamond
This 69.42 carat pear-shaped diamond was sold at auction in 1969 with the understanding that it could be named by the buyer. Cartier of New York successfully bid for it and immediately christened it "Cartier". However, the next day Richard Burton bought the stone for Elizabeth Taylor, renaming it the "Taylor-Burton." In June 1979, the… Continue reading Taylor-Burton Diamond
Legend says this stone, which served as the eye of an Indian idol, found its way into the Court of Russia in the 1700's, where Prince Orlov gave it to his ex-lover, Catherine the Great. This stone is currently held in the Diamond Treasury in Moscow. The stone weighs 194.75 cts.
De Beers has unveiled the world's rarest set of diamonds ever put together to mark the year 2000. Stressing that 'millennia come and go, but diamonds are forever,' the diamond giant's Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer presented the De Beers Millennium Star, a D-color, internally and externally flawless pear-shape, cut to perfect proportions, weighing 203.04 carats. It… Continue reading The Millennium Star Diamond
The William Goldberg Diamond Corporation, famous for outstanding stones like the Premier Rose and the Guinea Star, cut this gem from a 13.90-carat rough. They transformed the piece into a spectacular red diamond weighing 5.11 carats. The GIA states, "It is the largest Fancy Red, natural color diamond that we have graded as of the… Continue reading The Moussaieff Red