Unofficial Gemstone & Jewellery Buyer Blog

Jewellery Marketplace Design

2011-08-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

It seems that Pearlera silently unveiled the first phase of a significant redesign and rebranding of their website. Re-built from the ground up, presentation of jewellery inventory improved drastically: reviews, social media and many other features are added. In addition to tha pearl jewelery range, a lot of designer gemstone jewellery and fine jewellery collections now available. Among other distinct features on the website is a jewellery mixer and zoom which allows to inspect every detail on a jewellery piece at various angles.

Pearlera.com soft launch

Scottish Beauty is the new face of Orchira’s summer pearl jewellery range

2011-05-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Emma Blythe, best known as the “Scottish Beauty“, is the new face of Orchira’s summer pearl jewellery range.

Treasure Book with the secret cash voucher

2011-04-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

David Wein, known for it's natural alexandrite jewellery collection, have released the new version of their Treasure Book catalogue, which shipped with every online order. New to this catalogue is the secret cash voucher code hidden inside. Surprise, surprise - for a $250.00 voucher that can be redeemed at their website only.

"Tatiana" - Brazilian alexandrite engagement ring

2011-03-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Fit for a princess and perfect for an engagement, this stunning white gold eternity ring comes with strong colour change natural Brazilian alexandrite's. Most of alexandrite jewellery currently available on the market are synthetic, marketed as "created alexandrite", and it's not easy to find genuine alexandrite ring. Alexandrite's are not typical stones you will find in the jewellery, but they surely make a beautiful match with classic engagement and eternity settings.

Orchira Spring pearl jewellery collection

2011-02-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite fashion jewellery brand has launched its 2011 spring pearl jewellery collection with a wider range of ideas to cater for gift Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day shoppers. Orchira is planning to impress customers with unique mixture of freshwater pearls and semi-precious coloured gems. The 25%-off discount code is JETAIME and redeemable only at Orchira website.

Precision-cut genuine calibrated gemstones

2011-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Since Switzerland-based Signity stopped producing natural precision-cut gemstones, we were looking for the new source. and finally found one in Bangkok, Thailand. Signity was a joint venture between Swarovski and Golay Buchel, and actually was doing decent job with precision cutting, thanks to the Swarovski machines, although selection of natural stones was not that great.

Machine-cut precision calibrated gemstones facetted and graded to the most strict criteria of colour, clarity, size and shape, producing necessary uniformity and consistency which can be used for manufacturing intricate piece of jewellery (with a lot of pave or invisible settings) or mass production of jewellery using semi automatic equipment like CNC machines.

Full Collar Swan Plumage Pearl Choker

2010-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hand strung pure white biwa pearl choker complimented with a silver ball clas,, Over a hundred of graduated 35mm long biwa pearl needles in this nekclace The purity of the white colour is bridal wear at its best, and the irregular needle like shapes secure a unique personality of this piece.

Orissa Alexandrites Ring

2010-11-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

A beautiful one-of-a-kind gold ring custom made with an exceptional suite of Orissa alexandrites. The colour change of these gemstones from the depleted deposit is outstanding.

Hand Woven Virgin Hebi

2010-10-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

An intricate, hand woven rope pearl necklac made of thousands of tiny white freshwater seed pearls. Seed pearl necklaces were in vogue from the year 1840, and it's look like they made a comeback at London and Paris catwalk shows. These pearls usually come from freshwater lakes in China. Commonly off-round, rice shaped to baroque and slightly less symmetrical and smaller, these pearls offers good value for the price

Madagascar Lemon Hunt

2010-09-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Travel to the gemstone rich mines at Andelamena of Madagascar to dig for ctirines. This mine is a one-stop shop for not just quartz crystal, but garnet, sapphires, rubies and more. The new deposit is about 85 kilometers north of the village. Most of the sellers were either miners or middlemen who had walked there to sell rubies. Like most parts of Madagascar, there are no roads so walking or flying are the only options.

Travel to the gemstone rich mines at Andelamena of Madagascar to dig for ctirines. This mine is a one-stop shop for not just quartz crystal, but garnet, sapphires, rubies and more. The new deposit is about 85 kilometers north of the village. Most of the sellers were either miners or middlemen who had walked there to sell rubies. Like most parts of Madagascar, there are no roads so walking or flying are the only options.

Citrine is joyous, warm and energizing gemstone . It is also one of the most affordable gems, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz. Named from the French name for lemon, many citrines features a juicy lemon color. In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts.

Nostalgia at The Gemstone House - En cabochon Jewellery

2010-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

A large Brazilan cabochone amethyst is surrounded by all rainbow sapphires. The impressive size of the center stone and the combination of colors, polish, and shapes are what set this piece apart and make it so exciting. Large high quality cabochons are always a rarity and this 18k gold ring will be a pleasure to look at and wear.

Stone of protection against misfortune

2010-07-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

The different coloured tourmaline gemstones can be used with the corresponding chakras so it is not surprising that in this day and age many people are drawn to tourmaline jewellery. Pink coloured tourmalines promotes female balancem while green coloured tourmaline gems promotes male balance. Also, tourmaline suppose to protect the wearer against misfortune.

Pictured, outstanding 12.4 cts strongly greenish blue eye clean tourmaline cushion photographed at Multicolour.com lab with white balance around 6700K.

Rare pearl and alexandrite necklace

2010-06-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Clasic double strand champagne pearl necklace with clasp encircled by natural alexandrites.

Pearl necklace of the day - Galaxy by Orchira

2010-03-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Extremely rare natural colour pearl necklace. This is the fine, perfectly round pearl necklace made from the king of pearls, the largest size that can ever be grown in freshwater oysters. These are rare, near perfect, high lustre natural colour pearls, hand strung and knotted and secured with a white gold clasp.

Random thoughts for selling pearl jewellery online

2010-03-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Internet presence has now affirmatively become a necessity for every business especially for brands and retailers alike. For pearl jewellery it is specially the case. Most of individual designers nowadays can market their pearls more effectively via online jewellery store with relatively low cost.

With the obligatory regulation (in EU) of "Cool off period", allowing 7-14 days to return any product bought online, today's customers shall have no concern about buying any kind of jewellery.

One of the big concerns for merchants selling jewellery online is there is a considerable amount of fraud transactions. Jewellery probably claims the highest rate of fraud transactions in the online retail industry.

In order to be successful, online jewellery retailers should invest generously in the photography of their products so that they look clear and attractive on their website, ideally offering several angle looks. Some sophisticated jewellery retailers even offer a video of the product constantly turning, showing off every aspect of the jewellery.

Possibly in the near future a simulated action video will be used to display jewellery online, while using the mouse to drag, the picture will turn according to the mouse action to show different angles of the jewellery.

Passage Des Perles

2010-02-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

My favorite gemstone dealer now offering a large selection of loose cultured freshwater pearls in a wide range of different natural colors, shapes and sizes. There is no minimum order and it is possible to request to drill the pearls any way you want - from half drill, to fully drilled or double drilled, to diagonally drilled or un-drilled.

2010 UK Jewellery Awards - Call for Entries

2010-02-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

The 2010 UK Jewellery Awards have been revamped and are now open for entries with even more categories for you to enter.

This year the UK Jewellery Awards have had a facelift and promised to be more transparent with a whole new judging process and brand new categories.

I hope that people who understand at least something about web will be employed, to avoid embracement of awarding horrific web sites like it happens in 2008 and 2007.

To find out more about entering and complete your submission online by the April 15 deadline, visit www.ukjewelleryawards.co.uk

Designer ring of the day - Zodiac by David Wein

2010-02-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Sphene, Alexandrite, Aquamarine, Demantoid, Ruby, Spessartite, Tsavorite, Diamond and three colors of Sapphire ... all natural stones, nearly every astrological gemstone. Gemologists and jewellery connoisseurs would love this ring that combines many of the worlds rarest gemstones in an elegant one of a kind design.

Available @ David Wein's Fine Jewelry Store

British Pearls Boutique Wins An Award

2010-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

BoBijou, a leading online retailer of Orchira pearl jewellery, announces receipt of the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Interactive Media Award in the “Retail” category for their retail website, which is dedicated to the highest quality standards in the industry and offers luxurious and unique Orchira branded pearl jewellery made exclusively with fine cultured pearls and natural gemstones.

Bobijou.com was given a complete makeover, enhancing the look and functionality of the website while streamlining the integration of the proprietary e-commerce platform, enabling to personalize and enhance the online shopping experience. Exclusively dedicated to the retail of Orchira branded pearl jewellery in the United Kingdom, 2010 plans include expansion of the pearl jewellery brand portfolio and further international expansion.

The IMA judges evaluate websites based on five criteria: Design, Content, Feature Functionality, Usability and Standards Compliance and Bobijou.com excelled in all areas of the international competition's judging criteria, earning an overall score of 478 out of 500. It is an extremely challenging award to win and represents a very high standard of planning, execution and overall professionalism.

Jennifer Aniston fresh start with Ross, the Dino Geek

2009-04-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

What every Rachel Green needs is the clever gift for her geeky friend. Ensuring smooth transition from the friendship zone into the boyfriend heaven. Can it be secured with roughly 3 million year-old dinosaur bone?

It's sure can. Introducing dinosaur bone cufflinks a must have to impress uptight folks at any palaeontologist convention.

Both David Wein and David Yurman options look nice, but it seems that David Yurman missed the dinosaur extinction event amongst fancy banker's bonuses and is charging Tyrannosaurus prices.

Gemstone dealer turned to jewellery design, and why not?

2009-03-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am buying all kinds of colour gemstones. All day long. All year around. No weekends. Because my job is beautiful and I love it. I couldn’t care less about our jewellery design department, because half of the folks there don't know anything about gems and another half think too much.

But I get worried when my gemstone suppliers turn into jewellery manufacturing. I was worried when I saw Multicolour Gems opened it's fine jewellery store. I thought yeah, right, now where would I get my alexandrites and spinels? Turns out - now they understand my needs better, since they have the same headache as me - keeping goldsmiths and jewellery designs in bay.

And now my other favourite gemstone trader, Icgems announced that they are planning to open a jewellery store. Oh, well. Every gemstone dealer thinks that jewellery is made of gold, when sometimes it's made of wood. Although I must admit, their first jewellery collection is very nice.
Organic contemporary ornaments. Good colour mix and interesting composition. Oh well, maybe now they will understand my needs better too?

BoBijou pearl necklaces design thoughts

2009-02-13T05:36:00.000-08:00

BoBijou has perfected a method of pearl stringing that has increased its restringing guarantee to eight years. Claimed method, patent pending by the way, involves some kind of sophisticated process of hand-knotting pearls on quadruple stands of Japanese silk.

My guess - it's just a very labour intensive method, which perhaps is suitable for fine pearl jewellery, such as classic pearls necklaces and designer pearl lariats. Not sure if it will be useful for commercial pearls or fashion jewellery. Although, I do like BoBijou pearl necklace designs. Very trendy.

You got pearls

2009-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

I bought this rare and 100% natural Abalone beauty from Multicolour.com for an upcoming pearl jewellery design competition. Imagine the thrill of finding one of these?

The Abalone pearl, with its true scarcity and impending extinction will prove itself the ultimate prize for the knowledgeable and informed collector. Unlike the Oriental Natural, the Akoya pearl, and the South Sea and Tahitian cultured pearls, abalone pearls are not primarily judged by their roundness. Also, unlike other types of pearls, Abalone pearls are not subjected to any type of processing, such as bleaching or buffing. The pearls essentially look the way they look coming directly from the Abalone shell.

Hot September - Sapphire Bespoke Rings

2008-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sapphire jewellery is always hot in September, but this time Fameo latest bespoke designs features hypnotic blue sapphire fine cabochon rings. Very stylish, and nice gemstones too.

Hypnotic Pool - Blue sapphire and white diamond gold ring

One blue sapphire glows around an orbit of light. Sixteen white diamonds adorn a circle of white gold in this beautifully designed fine cabochon sapphire ring.

Orbit Light - Blue sapphire and white diamond gold ring.

One blue sapphire glows around an orbit of light. Sixteen white diamonds adorn a circle of white gold in this beautifully designed fine cabochon sapphire ring.

One blue sapphire glows around an orbit of light. Sixteen white diamonds adorn a circle of white gold in this beautifully designed ring.

Beautiful Frog

2008-08-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Various creatures have been part of Fameo’s artistic repertoire since 2004 - the signature line of small animals, designed with colour graded cabochon gemstones to achieve realistic and yet artistic expression of natural beauty. A variety of inventive jewel animals, using non-conventional creatures, such as frogs, gecko’s and snails, accenting on and exploiting the natural features of the animals. Here is the latest Frog Pendant. So cute! And a lot better than Frog with blue sapphires.

Bridal Jewellery Collection of the Year 2008 Award.

2008-07-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

Fameo won the Bridal Jewellery of the Year award, with their two bridal jewellery collections - a unique series of fine jewellery pieces, which includes an ensemble of special heirloom quality bracelets, earrings, necklaces and pendants. Award winning bridal jewellery collections include Imperial Wedding - a mix of cascading peach-colour morganite gemstones accented by princess-cut diamonds and the Tsarina - pearl jewellery range.

The UK Jewellery Awards event took place at the Grovenor House Hotel, Park Lane on Thursday 17th July 2008. A spectacular ceremony hosted by Mica Paris, soul singer and TV presenter, attended by British celebrities and the cream of the international jewellery world. The catwalk event that took place showcased stunning pieces of jewellery and the awards were presented to each winner of the jewellery categories. Retail Jeweller editor Sarah Carpin said: "It was a tremendous evening where we awarded and applauded the very best in our industry".

Other notable winners are:

Azendi - Multiple Retailer of the Year

Stephen Webster - UK Jewellery Brand of the Year
Elizabeth Gage - Lifetime Achievement Award

High-end bridal jewellery 2008 debut collections

2008-06-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Fameo expanded their online offerings to include two high-end bridal jewellery collections - Tsarina and Imperial Wedding, which are finalists in the UK Jewellery Awards 2008 and chosen for the event Catwalk Show.

In 2008 UK Jewellery Awards have decided to spice things up and include a Catwalk Show to really highlight this year's short-listed entrants and Fameo's bridal jewellery collection did not just make it to the shortlist, but also have been chosen to be on the spectacular catwalk that will be taking place during the awards presentation.

The Tsarina collection features the finest quality pearls that are captured inside gold cages and diamonds adorn the egg-shape enclosures. This range is symbolic and designed in mind of Tsarina Alexandra's life, where the pearl represents the last Empress of Russia and the golden cage represents her life in confinement and the diamonds represent her family and what they meant to her.

The Imperial Wedding collection showcases cascading morganite baguettes and princess square diamonds. The stunning pink hues sparkle in wonderment and timeless vibrancy. The concept behind the collection is the thoughts and dreams of the perfect fairy tale wedding. A magnificent dress adorned with elaborate embroidery, a long train and white veil floating past as you walk down the aisle. Stunning jewellery, which compliments the whole look. A crowded ceremonial room full of friends and family. A memorable event that will last a lifetime, as heirloom jewellery pieces.

Mueda aquamarine jewellery

2008-05-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Fameo has launched a new fine jewellery line, centred around Mueda aquamarine gemstones. Named after the largest town of the Makonde Plateau in north-east Mozambique, Mueda aquamarine has a unique natural sea-green colour and unlike most aquamarines on the market is not heat treated or irradiated to produce the desired and permanent appearance.

Found only in selected pocket of Makonde Plateau, the colour of the gemstone is suggestive of a hint of tropical lagoons. This gemstone is rare and limited exploration makes the Mueda aquamarine jewellery a valuable and desirable collectors piece.

Fameo designers fabricated range of exceptional designs to celebrate the beauty of the mermaid's stone where a stylish grandeur manifests itself through emerald cut Mueda aquamarines and marquise diamonds.

Demand for high end in the UK is rising and it seems that Fameo working hard to launch more fine jewellery lines this year featuring coloured gemstones.

Jewellery That Fits Your Phone Screen

2008-04-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

The mobile internet is still a niche market, but the number of people accessing the internet in the UK using a mobile device is already one-fourth the size of those using PC's to go online and it's predicted by analysts to be 4 times bigger than the current PC web.

Being at the forefront is crucial at times when competition between online jewellery e-tailers is at an all time high. Most of the companies who have created mobile websites have put out cut-down versions of their PC sites instead of starting out with a mobile-centric approach like Fameo which hope that this mobile-first approach will set company apart.

Fameo's new mobile service available to their growing number of loyal customers and specifically designed to allow anyone with a GPRS or 3G phone to browse Fameo jewellery offers, monitor their order status, research information and get customer service on the go. Long-term strategy involves building a WAP-based jewellery shopping portal featuring enhanced functionality for customers who want to buy jewellery using the browser on their mobile phone, price comparison for loose diamonds and colour gemstones via SMS text messages and a launch of push-based mobile marketing campaigns called the "Jewellery that fits your phone screen".

Fameo Announces Acquisition Of The Gemsuite.com

2008-03-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Fine jewellery designer and retailer Fameo announced the acquisition of Gemsuite.com, one of the leading online retailers of high-quality gemstones known for it's fine emerald gemstones.

The purchase of Gemsuite.com, a popular internet destination for colour gemstones and a bespoke jewellery service, is the first step of a planned expansion into the U.S online jewellery market, according to Fameo.

Gemsuite.com has over 8 years of experience selling colour gemstones and offering a bespoke jewellery service over the Internet and Fameo will be the first online jewellery retailer to offer thousands of individually graded and photographed gemstones as a customisation option for hundreds of Fameo's fine jewellery designs.

Online jewellery shoppers are primarily men who take jewellery purchases very seriously and continuously demand customisation options, including rare gemstone sourcing and jewellery design modifications. Gemsuite.com acquisition and planned intergation of it's loose gemstone inventory into Fameo's online jewellery catalogue is an important step in providing very best online jewellery shopping experience.

Fameo will continue to operate the Gemsuite.com website, and Gemsuite.com's customers will benefit from the expansion of bespoke jewellery services reinforced by Fameo's in-house jewellery designer team, award winning jewellery designs and Fameo fine gemstones selection.

Ethical Jewellery Movement - Another Lame Marketing Gimmick?

2008-02-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

This dull Damien Hirst's diamod encrusted skull, which was titled "For the Love of God", became a symbol of lame publicity stunt, but really it should be used as logo for all the jewellers claiming that their fine jewellery is ethical.

As a gemstone buyer I am faced with a dilemma. How can I ensure that the gemstones I purchase are fairly traded, conflict free and ethical? This cannot be done even for diamonds, because if a diamond is not "bloody", it's probably "sweaty". The diamond market is controlled mainly by one organization - De Beers, which comprises of many companies involved in rough diamond exploration, mining and diamond trading. And a monopoly, by my understanding, is already something not ethical.

But here is more, just last year War on Want published a report accusing De Beers parent company Anglo American of profiting from the abuse of people in developing countries in which the company operates.

There is a lot of speculation and marketing exploitation of the term ethical jewellery, especially when it comes as a cheap and easy option of simply printing "conflict-free" on the invoice or calling to ban Myanmar gemstones (i.e. Burmese rubies). These claims do not make jewellery ethical, nor does it actually guarantee that the colour gemstones and diamonds are conflict free, ethical and fairly traded.

But what about Kimberley process, which is a certification system, which attempts to guarantee that diamonds are conflict-free. Unfortunately, the Kimberley process does not certify fair trade practice, environmental and social standards, nor does it address issues with other precious stones, which come from all over the world, including war zones.

Manufacturing a finished product presents another process with its own labor and environmental issues. Plus, there is a wide range of jewellery products, from toy rings to the high end. Attempting to come to an agreed upon criteria of what is ethical with such an elaborate, disparate supply chain is daunting.

Jewellery Retailer Wins IMA Outstanding Achievement Award

2008-02-05T00:15:00.000-08:00

Fameo Jewellery website, a British fine jewellery online retailer o was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award in the Catalog category by The Interactive Media Council (IMA).

Fameo website, was given a complete makeover, enhancing the look and functionality of the website while streamlining the integration of the proprietary e-commerce platform, enabling Fameo to personalize the online shopping experience and allowing customers to find, share, customize and purchase fine jewellery, as well as register for gifts or create public wish lists.

In addition to the generic jewellery taxonomy and intuitive navigation, Fameo Online Jewellery Boutique offers powerful jewellery search capabilities, detail prodile of all precious materials and gemstones used in the jewellery pieces and powerful personal account management tools for an enhanced user experience.

The Outstanding Achievement award is the second highest honor bestowed by IMA and recognizes the high standards of planning, execution and overall professionalism. Fameo website excelled in all areas of the international competition’s judging criteria, earning an overall score of 469 out of 500 for design, content, feature functionality, usability, and standards compliance and cross-browser compatibility.

A new breed of e-commerce jewellery website

2008-02-01T05:31:00.000-08:00

Fameo created a new breed of e-commerce jewellery website, by taking advantage of cutting edge internet technologies and connecting in-house jewellery design, customer service, logistics and workshop departments to the online shopper through a state of the art website and achieving unprecedented levels of online jewellery presentation, featuring full discloser of materials (including grading of colour gemstones) used in the jewellery through in-depth specification, multiple illustrations and customer reviews.

In addition to the standard e-commerce features, such as keyword search, what's new, advanced search, e-mail a friend, e-mail subscription, coupons/rebates, dynamic imaging, product recommendations, real time product availability, product ratings and enhanced security (SSL) Fameo offers an alternate version of Fameo Jewellery Boutique which has been specially designed for viewing on the mobile phone. Updated daily and includes all Fameo jewellery catalogues, as well as some exclusive content, such as access to your order tracking facility and SMS alerts service for the latest jewellery arrivals, price changes, order status and special promotions.

Glamorous Art Deco Morganite Cross

2007-11-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

Reminiscent of a shattered chandelier lacing the glamorous gowns of a darkened 1930’s banquet, this cross transports the wearer to a time when love affairs were larger-than life and every dream seemed an ambitious escapade.

Fameo new additions to the art deco jewellery collection have progressed the design further, introducing princess cut diamonds and Imperial Morganite, taking the jewellery to a higher level of elegance and beauty.

Imperial Morganite has a unique colour and timeless vibrance. The stunning pink hues sparkle in wonderment, making the stone an instant success and desirable collectors item. Found only in selected pockets in Mozambique, this pink beryl is rare and limited exploration makes this stone a valuable find.

Tahitian Pearl Trophy 2007-2008 national winners announced

2007-10-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Tahitian Pearl Trophy 5th edition national winners for 2007 have been announced and Fameo won 2nd and 3rd place in the pearl ring category and 2nd place in pearl bracelet category for pearl jewellery pieces featuring black Tahitian pearls that are captured inside gold cages.

Each golden enclosure of the jewellery embraces the pearls, no other stone or metal has captivated people more than the pearl, a gem that is beautiful and elegant, a true gift of nature. The finest quality pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and the pearl has become a representative for something rare, fine, and admirable.

Fameo also experimented with an invisible pearl ring concept which pivots and the opening shell reveals a single white black Tahitian pearl one would never expect. Made out 18K gold and encrusted with forty-nine sparkling white diamonds, this ring is truly a gem with a magical secret. The design is based on the fascination of life, where all things are not what they seem on the outside, to always look deeper within to find the truth. This ring is both compelling and powerful and manufactured to a high level of craftsmanship, which has both commercial appeal and individuality.

The fifth bi-annual Tahitian Pearl Trophy Awards took place on October 19th 2007 at Home House, Portman Square, when UK’s brightest jewellery designers were recognised for their design talents. The judging panel was comprised of three expert judges including Jessica Andrews from Tatler, fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic and Retail Jeweller Editor, Sarah Carpin. The Tahitian Pearl Trophy competition is the initiative of Perles De Tahiti GIE, the official promotion body for Cultured Pearls in French Polynesia. This international competition is synonymous with an unequalled international artistic rivalry and for the UK 2007 Trophy, Perles de Tahiti set the theme of "Song of the Stars".

Ideas About Bridal Jewellery

2007-09-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

"My soul will always be near, and will always and everywhere follow you and protect you from every evil with prayers." - Royal Martyr Tsarina Alexandra the Empress of Russia

Tsarina is the term used for a Tsar’s wife and the last Empress of Russia was Tsarina Alexandra. She was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, and the sister of Grand Duchess Elizabeth, who also became a Holy Martyr in Russia, the wife of His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas II.T

This very special Empress was the Mother of all of Russia. A mother who cared not only for her family, but also for the country, in which she frequently spoke in terms of love and devotion.

In the year 1917, the Royal family were placed under arrest and confined, first by the Provisional (Kerenski) Government and then by the Bolsheviks. Everything the Russian people had given to the Tsar, Tsarina and their children was taken away from them. The entire Royal Family was mercilessly slain by the Communists on the 17 July in 1918.

Design concept of "Tsatina" bridal jewellery collection , where the pearl represents Tsarina and the golden cage represents her life in confinement and the diamonds represent her family and what they meant to her. Each golden enclosure of the jewellery should embraces pinkish pearls, no other stone or metal has captivated people more than the pearl, a gem that is beautiful and elegant, a true gift of nature.

Fine quality pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and the pearl has become a representative for something rare, fine, and admirable.

Blue Sapphire Frog Pendant

2007-08-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Gold frogs made with sapphire cabochons to achieve realistic and yet artistic expression of natural beauty. Here is the first Frog Pendant from new animal jewellery line. Perhaps blue sapphires should changed to green.

Where To Test And Appraise Alexandrite?

2007-07-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

The most well known gemological laboratories are listed below and all of them are equipped to test alexandrite. Most gemological laboratories only identify gemstones, they do not appraise them

Gem Studies Lab
European Gemological Laboratory
Hong Kong Gems Laboratory
Zenhokyo
The Russian MSU Gemological Center
AIGS Gemological Laboratory
The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand
GemResearch Swisslab
Gubelin Gemological Laboratories
SSEF
AGTA Gemological Testing Center
American Gemological Laboratories
Gemological Institute of America
Gemological Association of Great Britain

A good appraisal takes time, expertise and a lot of experience especially with alexandrite. Jewelry stores who offer some sort of verbal appraisal aren´t doing their job properly and when appraiser´s first claim is that "you paid to much for that gemstone", then you are not getting an appraisal, but you are a victim of a practice known as low-balling. Your best choice is a professional appraiser from a major appraisal organizations, with standards of education and codes of ethics. To protect the client they use methodologies that provide some assurance of accuracy.

The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers
The International Society of Appraisers
The American Society of Appraisers
National Association of Goldsmith

Greatest Jewellers Of All Times

2007-04-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Alphonse Fouquet
Alphonse created pieces decorated with delicate interlaced motifs and set with gems miniatures and cameos and recognised as one of the leading Paris jewellers.

Fortunato Pia Castellani
In 1862 he displayed at the International Exhibition in London. Alessandro made jewellery decorated with early Christian symbols or Byzantine style mosaics which were very popular with visitors to Rome.

Carlo Giuliano
He made a number of Revivalist jewels in the style of Castellani in his Frith street premises and these were offered for sale in notable West End shops.

Rene Lalique
1860 to 1945 was famous for his Art Nouveau jewellery, he caused a stir at the Exposition Universalle in Paris when he exhibited his winged jewels, bronze figures and flowing lines of the Art Nouveau movement.

Carl Faberge
He encouraged his workforce to pursue new ideas and techniques and the Russian aristocracy loved his jewellery.

Henry Vever
He designed classic settings and floral themes using nature for his inspiration. The house of Vever became famous for using new techniques and different enamels.

Jean Schlumberger
Schlumberger's designs at Tiffany & Co. were remarkable for their whimsical interpretations of natural forms. He was especially inspired by sea creatures and other animals. Diana Vreeland wrote that Schlumberger "appreciates the miracle of jewels. For him, they are the ways and means to the realization of his dreams.

Bridal and Fine Jewellery Shopping

2007-02-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of the perfect fairy tale wedding? A magnificent dress adorned with elaborate embroidery, a long train and white veil floating past as you walk down the aisle. Stunning jewellery, which compliments the whole look. A memorable event, that will last a lifetime, as well as the fine jewellery pieces becoming an heirloom passed on from generation to generation.

Choosing the perfect jewellery for your wedding day is an important decision, and these days there are numerous options and designs to choose from. Most brides choose pearls or diamonds in the fine jewellery range, but as more people are getting adventurous with the colours of their dresses, more precious stones are being used to match the colour scheme of the day.

Fine jewellery bought for any special occasion should inspire excitement and confidence when worn and the new fashion of colourful and bold jewellery can capture any mood or moment you wish.

Jewellery in itself is a very personal issue and has been used over many years for various reasons such as status and wealth. Jewellery for weddings have in many cultures been used as dowries, part of the estate a woman brings to her husband in marriage. Other uses are for symbolism, protection or purely for arts sake and these days a definite fashion statement.

Shopping for the perfect piece of jewellery that captures the look you want can be challenging, the many retail jewellery stores all over the country and now the recent boom of online jewellery stores, which stock anything from designer pieces to fine jewellery to costume jewellery seems a daunting task.

Firstly you need to think of the reason why you want the piece – for investment purposes or a particular occasion. Then look at the colours you like and what the jewellery can be worn with. The traditional diamonds and gold can be worn with practically anything. More ornate pieces are usually worn with more simplistic clothing, while the simple items can be worn with more flamboyant clothing.

Ultimately it comes down to your own style and what you feel comfortable wearing, whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. The most important thing is you feel fantastic wearing the fine jewellery pieces and it captures your imagination for years to come.

Royal Charms - First Design

2007-01-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Very first royal charm design idea. Look very Russian.... orthodox. Not sure if that will be popular in UK.

Highly Commended Orange Sapphire Jewellery

2006-11-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

The Kayman Award winners for 2007 have been announced and Fameo was honoured in the Highly Commended category for the "Banquet 1930" Art Deco jewellery range - unique fine jewellery pieces, featuring cascading orange sapphire baguettes and diamonds which harks back to a time of grand formal dinners and cocktails at the Ritz.

The judges said: "Retro is definitely a strong look for 2007 and this sophisticated collection does it with verve and plenty of style. This glamorous suite exudes feminine allure and sophistication."

The Art Deco jewellery movement (1920-1930) introduced styles that often focused on bold colours and geometric shapes. Baguette cut gemstones and diamonds became fashionable and is as popular today as ever, but these days it is not as easy to find quality precious stones as it was 70 years ago. Modern Art Deco jewellery still features strong symmetry, streamlined shapes and geometric cuts such as baguette, emerald and triangle, but Fameo added an interesting twist of a cascading free fall effect achieving an extra sparkle and sophistication for jewellery pieces on the move.

The Kayman Award, is a national competition in memory of the UK jewellery manufacturer Gerald Kayman and is held to draw attention to the very best within the UK jewellery industry and to reward firms and individuals that can demonstrate their ability to design and produce to the highest standards. The competition is organised by the British Jewellers Association and sponsored by the Spring Fair Birmingham, with the backing of the British Jeweller, Giftware and Finishing Federation and Jewellery in Britain magazine.

Top 5 overrated gemstones

2006-09-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

1. Diamond
2. Tanzanite
3. Yellow sapphire
4. South sea (Tahitian) black pearl
5. Blue topaz

Treatments, non-permanent, and worst of all undisclosed treatments and synthetics. Flooding the market with treated gemstones to make short term money reducing trust for the business and coloured gems.

Becoming a Jeweller - Where To Start?

2006-08-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

You will need to learn the different techniques used in jewellery making and what makes jewellery good or not. You will be able to spot defects in manufacturing because you will know what techniques were used. You don't need to be a goldsmith or setter to know that but you need to learn their techniques and that comes with many years of experience.

You do not need to be a designer, but experience will teach you how to instruct a designer to translate your ideas on paper. You will be able to spot weaknesses in designs presented to you because you will know where the flaws are. This is a pretty tough path to take, requires lot of effort and above all you need to get the experience from real jeweller. You will also need to know about gemstones and diamonds and you need to see a lot of real qualityjewellery and a lot of gemstones and diamonds also.

Self teaching can be done but you need to have a very good artistic capability like drawing or painting, then you can pretty much catch up with jewellery design by reading a few books. Your best bet will be for you to enroll in a jewellery design course like the one offered by GIA. You will learn how to do basic design but in the end, don't expect to be Rene Lalique because if you don't have the gift of a designer, you will not be able to create anything artistic. However, taking a jewellery design course will help you understand a design if it is good or not when presented to you.

It is also very important to have a design that is as much as accurate and technically doable as possible. You cannot simply design anything and produce it in jewellery. First the design must be doable and for you to design something that can be produced, you need to understand jewellery making techniques. So the course you take in jewellery design has a basic course (you will learn the basics, course of 2-3 months) and advance (where you will learn jewellery making techniques, which can take up to 4 years).

My personal observations of the jewellery design process:

Step 1: Concept - few very rough drawings of the jewellery piece. Usually for some specific stone or gems parcel.

Step 2. Colouring - selected design detailed drawing including overall dimensions, colours and comments of the gems.

Step 3. 3D Rendering - final design drawing made in 3D in 2 versions. One is CNC file for rapid prototyping and another with full shadering, for the goldsmith's review.

Step 4. CNC file sent to the rapid prototyping machine for preparation of a plastic model. This model used to test jewellery design, and in most of the cases some modifications applied to the 3D design.

Step 5. Final CNC file sent to the milling machine for the wax model.

I would suggest taking a course in gemstones and diamonds, and even in basic jewellery design. Then your best bet would be to be a retailer that can resell jewellery and if you don't want to be just another retailer, then you will need to be very selective on the jewellery that you will sell.

Make a name for yourself, sell quality jewellery that you can produce by ordering as per your requirements and you might do well.

Gemstone Acquisition Of The Month

2006-06-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

The long quest for alexandrite is over. Someone very lucky from Toronto will receive this alexandrite oval in a platinum setting. This alexandrite features an unusual combination of a fine colour change and exceptional clarity, making it one of the very top alexandrites ever to be unearthed from this deposit in Tunduru.

Although Russian alexandrite has the most historical value, fine stones are no longer available on the market and top gems like this stone is extremely rare. Alexandrite is the stone of duality. Green or red, good luck or misfortune, the significance is interpretive and related to social and historical context of time and culture. Forever changing its colors, alexandrite is a magical gemstone with universal appeal that continues to fascinate and be admired by astrologers, scientists, and gem lovers throughout the world.