The Ruby has long been a hugely popular gemstone, and is instantly recognizable for its deep red color, with ‘Pigeon Blood Red’ being the most valuable hue. It is also one of the four precious stones and a gem of huge symbolic significance. The simple ruby ring is a truly classic piece. It is the deep red hue of the ruby that has long drawn the eye of women all over the world, pr...

The world-famous Swarovski company has been making high quality lead glass crystal for over 100 years. It all began back in 1895, when along with financial backers Franz Weis and Armand Kosmann, Daniel Swarovski founded the business. Mr. Swarovski had previously served a two-year apprenticeship working alongside his father as a glass and crystal cutter, and in 1892 had invented his own electric cu...

Gold is both desirable and expensive, and has long been a symbol of wealth and power. In this article we look at how it has remained such a coveted metal for many centuries. The mining and production of gold was halted for almost 1,000 years following the fall of the Roman Empire, but resumed when the Spanish discovered America in 1492. Since then a number of wars have been fought over it and fort...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download In this Podcast I talk about how to recognize good quality jewelry.   I cover rings, gemstones, and chains and this is a must listen to  for anybody who buys jewelry.  I teach you how to compare similar designs and learn how to spot manufacture short cuts that can have an impact on wearability and the life of your jewelry. ...

The Seven Deadly Sins of Jewelry Buying by Mike Stevens. Here are the transcrips of an interview I recently had about major mistakes made by consumers.  I will also be doing Podcasts that will get into more detail about the 7 sins . Paying too much.  Not comparing apples to apples. Impulse Buying. Over Buying. Not asking enough questions. Not understanding the warranty. TV Buying. Vacation Pu...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jennifer Kirkpatrick is the designer behind Bella Photo Jewelry, a company that hand makes unique and beautiful photographic jewelry.  Mike Stevens interviews Jennifer as she talks about her business and the process of her art. ...

Today we look at the story of Nina and Susan Barker, a mother and daughter team from New Hampshire who re-ignited a family jewelry business, and have shown that as fashions change, so can your fortunes. Susan Barker began crafting silver jewelry in the 1970’s, but her bracelets struggled to sell in her New Hampshire hometown, and after the birth of her daughter Nina she was eventually forced...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download Before listening to this Podcast you should read the transcript of the interview “The Seven Deadly Sins of Jewelry Buying”.  This is the first in a series of podcasts that will go into detail about the Seven Deadly Sins of Jewelry Buying.  I have witnessed these over and over again in the past 30 years.  I hope my experience will help you, ...

Opal is the most colorful of all gems and possesses a fascinating structure. As this structure is not truly crystalline however, the gem is actually considered a mineraloid, and is made of hardened silica gel. The play of colors witnessed in Precious opals means it is said that in them you can see all of nature’s splendor, including flashes of fire and lightning, rainbows and seas. Opals can ra...

A symbol of beauty and splendor, topaz is a silicate mineral of fluorine and aluminum, and a gemstone that has been around for many centuries. Its high luster, wide variety of vibrant colors and well-formed crystals combine to make topaz an attractive gemstone that is popular in many items of jewelry. Background and Types of Topaz  Topaz has been known for over 2,000 years, and is named as ...

Tourmaline is known as the ‘gemstone of the rainbow’, due to the huge of array of colors which it can be found in. As a result, no two tourmalines are exactly the same, making for a unique and popular stone that can also bring many believed therapeutic benefits. Background and Types of Tourmaline   Tourmalines are found all over the world, with major deposits existing in Brazil, S...

I woke up early this morning and decided to start surfing the net. While I was surfing I came across an article titled “Jewelry is a Great Investment”.  Knowing what I know about jewelry I just had to read this, and  after the first few sentences I realized the author knew absolutely nothing about jewelry  and was just trying to fill up the page with words.  The one thing that I ...