April’s Birthstone: The Brilliant Diamond

Arguably the most well known of the fine gemstones, diamonds have been desired by both women and men alike for thousands of years. For those of you with April birthdays, you are extra lucky to have this gem as your birthstone, because although it is a commonly used stone, it is one of the most unique and fascinating.

Cherish Collection Engagement Ring and Wedding Band.

A diamond goes through a lot before you see it in your favorite piece of jewelry. Most diamonds formed more than a billion years ago deep in the earth under extreme heat and pressure. As the earth shifts, they are ejected violently upward until they arrive at or near the surface where they are then mined, cleaned and cut.

Besides its brilliant sparkle, diamonds are also known for their hardness. They are the hardest material on earth and can only be scratched by another diamond. This quality makes them perfect for any type of jewelry, especially rings!

When looking to buy a diamond consider the 4Cs (Clarity, Color, Cut and Carat Weight), created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as the universal language of diamond quality. Any qualified jeweler will be able to tell you all about these qualities and how to use them to find your own beautiful diamond.

Private Reserve Fancy Yellow Diamond Ring.

While diamonds are most known in their colorless state,  fancy colored diamonds have recently made an impact in the luxury jewelry world. This is due to their rarity and aesthetic combination of a diamond’s sparkle and beautiful color, that is hard to match. Diamonds naturally come in several colors including yellow, red, pink, blue and green, but only 1 in 100,000 diamonds mined display enough natural color to be designated as a fancy color diamond.  Because of this, the more vivid the color, the more expensive the stone.

Check out our diamond gift guide for something special for the April baby in your life!

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The World’s Biggest Watch Fair, BaselWorld, Starts Today

Every year since we can remember, the world’s largest and, perhaps, most important watch exhibition, BaselWorld, has taken place in Basel, Switzerland, in March. This year, the exhibition runs from March 23 until March 30. This is a huge affair, with hundreds of watch brands unveiling their newest timepieces — watches that are sure to set wrist trends for another year.

BaselWorld is a meeting of minds, of technology and craftsmanship. Here, in five separate buildings, as well as off-site, some of the best brands in the world unveil the watches that they have been secretly working on for years.

While we will bring you specific watch brand information after the show, here are five trends we expect to be prevalent this year:

Affordability. As global economics have a huge effect on watch lineups, we expect this year to see some more affordable timepieces with quality movements and great design. These will appeal more to the younger audiences and those being a bit more frugal this year.

Over the Top.  We also still expect to see some truly over-the-top watches: timepieces with astronomical complications, musical features, and top-of-the-line complexities. Along with that, we expect that diamond- and gemstone-set watches will be strong.

Color. This is the year for brands to make a color statement. From blue to red and from pale pink to white, color should abound this year. Along with colorful dials and straps, we may find some interesting new interchangeable straps.

Sporty Appeal. Chronograph watches, pilot watches, dive watches and watches inspired by the world of automotive racing will continue to steal the spotlight. We look forward to seeing the newest affiliations and iterations from the brands we carry.

Connectivity. Smart watches in the “traditional” watch world continue. Let’s see what is unveiled this week.

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Rolex Rated the World’s Most Reputable Brand

We all know Rolex has a pristine reputation, but that fact has been proven by the Global RepTrak 100 rankings. According to the Reputation Institute that publishes the list on corporate reputations, Rolex topped the ranking — for the second year in a row.

Interestingly, Rolex was the only watch brand listed on the Top 100 ranking. It scored high for such factors as “offering high-quality products and services” to “stands behind its products and services.”

Rolex’s position at the top is key, as the brand beat out names like Amazon, eBay, Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren. The company that ranked second was Lego Group, with Walt Disney coming in third and Canon in fourth.

We invite you into our store anytime to see our grand collection of Rolex timepieces — from the most highly reputable company in the world.

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Clock Lovers Won’t Want to Miss a Special ‘Winterthur’ Webinar This Sunday

If you love clocks and their history, you may well be interested in the upcoming webinar being offered by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC). The webinar is entitled “Hidden History: Clock and Watch Records in the Riggs Archive at Winterthur.”

Taking place on Sunday, March 19, at 7 p.m. EST, the presentation will be made by Bob Frishman, a full-time restorer of antique clocks since 1992. He regularly lectures on the history, science and culture of timekeeping. The webinar is free. You can register for it at NAWCC.org.

If you are interested but not available on March 19, you can view a recording of the session as long as you have registered.

Winterthur’s clocks number more than 100 and include chiming shelf clocks made in America more than a century ago. The Riggs Archives at Winterthur are part of the Winterthur Garden and Museum in Delaware. Winterthur was opened to the public almost 60 years ago by collector Henry Francis du Pont. It is considered one of the premier museums of decorative arts with nearly 90,000 objects on display. Winterthur is set amidst a 1,000-acre preserve of rolling meadows and woodlands in the town of the same name, about 7 miles northwest of Wilmington.

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The Female Designers Behind Your Favorite Jewelry

In the world of jewelry, and really any business, a certain brand name has become synonymous with certain qualities.  Typically, we don’t dive deeper into a brand because inherently we know whether it’s good or bad, whether it’s our style or not, and so on. Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we are taking a look behind the jewelry brands that we carry, to the women who started it all. While we share their beautiful pieces on a regular basis, it is important to learn about the mind behind the design. Scroll down to learn more about these incredible designers.

Fadua Hueb

While Heub designs have grown to become a regular sight on a multitude of celebrities, Fadua Hueb started her collections simply to provide jewelry that her friends wanted but couldn’t find. From that initial inspiration came unique pieces with stunning gemstones and colorful accents that evoked the bright spirit and natural energy of Brazil. Each piece was designed to complement a woman’s personal style, rather than define it.  Today, Hueb spans three generations with a continuing focus on meticulously crafted luxury jewelry that is meant to be worn and enjoyed by women in all walks of life. What truly sets Heub apart is their philosophy at the core of every design, which consists of five beliefs: “Let luxury be inspiring and celebratory- not intimidating, transcend age with personal style, express yourself with jewelry, celebrate life every day, live passionately without restraints”.

View the collection here

 

 

Temple St. Clair

For over 30 years, Temple St. Clair has been translating her passion for creative expression into stunning pieces of wearable art using the finest gold and gemstones. St. Clair introduced her first fine jewelry collection in 1986 and has been growing ever since, becoming known as an essential for top fashion publications and celebrities worldwide. Not only is she recognized for creating the fine jewelry collections we carry, but also for her haute couture work that has been on display at the Louvre and has drawn spectators and collectors from all over the world. Her exquisite and uncompromising choice in material and execution of her designs inspired by the world around her has granted St. Clair critical acclaim from the industry and collectors alike. This year, St. Clair was awarded the GEM Award for Jewelry Design, the jewelry industry’s most prestigious honor.

View her collection here

Ippolita Rostagno

In 1999, Italian artist and designer Ippolita Rostagno founded her namesake company, IPPOLITA to address a void in fine jewelry. She realized that at the time jewelry was very traditional and primarily worm only on special occasions. Rostagno sought out to create a collection of fine jewelry that created a lighter look while still making the woman wearing her pieces feel beautiful. Since then, IPPOLITA has pioneered the concept of cool fine jewelry designed to be worn every day and for all occasions. Her stylish creations can be seen on women all over the world including today’s top celebrities.

View her collection here

The Gumuchian Family

Their tag line says it all: “Designed by Women For Women”. Owned and operated by Anita Gumuchian and her two daughters, this boutique company has quickly made a name for itself in the fine jewelry world. Gumuchian is known for its exquisite design and incredible attention to detail, but go behind the scenes and you learn that this company does it all. From the selection of the finest diamonds, to the actual manufacturing, everything is kept within the company to ensure the highest standards. Anita and her daughters even design every piece in their collection using their intuitive feel for what modern women of style crave today.

View their collection here

Jade Lustig

The mind behind the Jade Trau Collection, Jade Lustig, takes inspiration for her designs from all aspects of her life, drawing upon her family heritage as a sixth generation diamantaire and her current role as a wife and mother, allowing her to create meticulously crafted jewelry that is also comfortable and versatile. Known for her trend-setting ear cuffs and stackable bracelets, her designs have been a favorite of in-the-know women and style influencers in New York and beyond. Most recently, she has gained critical acclaim as the designer of the much loved one-of-a-kind diamond cuff worn by Olivia Munn at the Oscars.

View her collection here

Angélique Knafo

Angélique Knafo, the creative director and designer for her namesake collection Angélique de Paris, loved everything artistic from an early age and actively sought out experiences and education to enhance her love and create a career out of it. During her thirteen years living in Paris, she amassed undergraduate and advanced graduate degrees specializing in art history, business, photography, gemology, French cuisine, Japanese language and more. With the belief that “A woman who doesn’t wear jewelry misses an opportunity to express the many facets of herself”, Knafo has created a collection of wearable art inspired by her own artistic background and world travels that seek to adorn and embellish.

View her collection here

 

 

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