Carving and setting opal is like sculpting stained glass. Not only is the opal fragile and unpredictable, it dictates form. Making jewelry from it requires patience, flexibility, and a taste for living on the edge. Read More
47 results for
opal
What would you guess is the most popular gem on The Jewelry Loupe? Diamond, emerald, sapphire? Nope. Opal, according to... Read More
Will wearing opal bring you bad luck if it isn’t your birthstone? Of all the ancient myths about gemstones, none endure like the superstitions surrounding opal. The bad-luck opal myth isn’t really ancient. It comes from 19th-century fiction. Read More
Baiyang Qiu combines the precision of industrial design with a love of organic form to create her unique award-winning jewelry. Read More
Any designer who wants to stand out at the AGTA Spectrum Awards has to start with world-class gems and then do something astonishing with them. Here are tanzanite, tourmaline, topaz, and boulder opal like you've never seen them. Read More
Three pairs of JAR ear clips in the December Magnificent Jewels sales showcase designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal's way with unusual gem material like pink and blue opal, carved quartz and zircon. Read More
In honor of this month's magical birthstone, Bonhams & Butterfields is dedicating an entire auction to opals, from fiery Mexicans to cool Australians. There's even an opal hat. Read More
One of the finest independent craftsmen working in French Art Nouveau was actually Belgian. With his delicate florals and scary Medusas, Philippe Wolfers was a master of that era's mystical, sensuous jewelry. Read More
How do you know the jewelry you're buying was made without harming people or planet? Ask the right questions. Read More
Those of us who get giddy looking at giant images of gems and jewels are in hog heaven this year.... Read More
Some amazing works of art are coming up for auction at Bonham’s Los Angeles next week, and I’m not talking... Read More
Strolling past the booths of an outdoor craft festival recently, I stopped to admire a chunky beaded necklace labeled “Copal... Read More
Ethically sourced, fair-mined, eco-friendly, sustainable – these are buzz words in jewelry now. So many jewelers are claiming that as... Read More
OK! magazine is hitting newsstands in Bulgaria with a feature on jewelry blogs & bloggers, including me and mine. To mark the 8th anniversary of The Jewelry Loupe, here is a sneak peek and translation. Cheers! Read More
As enamel jewelry takes off again, a new generation of artists and collectors are discovering, experimenting, and reinventing. Many types... Read More