In the heady world of Paris between the two world wars, Deco jewelry ruled – which made the bold jewels designed by Juliette Moutard of René Boivin and Suzanne Belperron stand out all the more. Christie’s Paris is offering three spectacular bracelets this month that typify that other style favored by sophisticated Parisians in...
If there was any doubt that red carpet minimalism is giving way to big gems and over-the-top glam, last night’s Emmy Awards proved it. And not just white diamonds – although there were plenty of those – but gems in all colors of the rainbow. Jewels by Lorraine Schwartz were a special case in...
Andrea Rosenfeld designs what she calls “healing jewelry,” using stones known for their healing powers and the technique of Reiki. She started designing jewelry fairly recently but brings a wealth of experience and skills to her creations – loom weaving, silk screening, photography, garment design, drawing, painting, ceramics, and wood-working – not to mention...
Ralph Esmerian, former owner of Fred Leighton, pleaded guilty last week to bankruptcy fraud, a tragic turn in a respected family business that took a century to build. The Esmerians began like many jewelry businesses that relocated to New York in the early twentieth century, bringing their expertise in the old world European jewelry...
Forget the mislabeled citrine and the cheap, irradiated blues. Here's a new look at an old gem that's making a comeback, in all its glorious and often-overlooked variations.
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.
Known as the "king" of gems in Ancient Rome, sapphire is still most coveted in deep blue - like the stunning parure Christie's Dubai will auction off next month. But sapphire comes in a rainbow of colors and, increasingly, creative jewelers are getting their hands on those.
One of the JAR jewels made famous at the 2006 sale of Ellen Barkin’s jewelry is up for grabs again – four years later and in the same showroom, Christie’s announced yesterday. Those who didn’t make the winning bid can try again in October, if they still have the funds. These earrings created a...
Charles Vargas is one of the few Apaches born and raised on San Carlos Reservation who left to get a college education and work in the outside world. That experience helped him recognize the treasure he and his tribe had been sitting on for more than a century: peridot. When I visited the reservation...
First recorded peridot was found as early as 1300 B.C. on Saint John’s, an Egyptian Island in the Red Sea. It’s said that this green gem was impossible to spot by day but glowed in the dark, so was mined only after nightfall. Set in gold, peridot was said to achieve its full sun-driven...
