Last November, I was approached by an Australian customer to source an engagement stone for her. She wanted a Ceylon sapphire, 4 carats, emerald cut, no heat, with cert. The budget: $15,000. Needless to say I don’t have those kinds of stones lying around. Not in that price range for sure, but I also don’t have the kind of inventory in larger sizes that allows for such specifics. Nonetheless I was...

So I had the brilliant idea of taking snapshots while my setter, Pierre, set an apatite into my new silver halo ring. Dark blue sapphire outside, turquoise center, it was going to look fabulous. Pierre has some very fancy setting equipment. At his bench there is a huge microscope with very strong lighting that costs several thousand dollars, surrounded by lots of other smaller gadgets. I guess you...

The gems I offer on Etsy do run the gamut: some have amazing cutting that brings out the absolute best of the gem, others are look more like someone was still practicing on them.  Wouldn’t I be better off having those recut?

There are pros and cons to this question. To me, there are three important factors to consider when asking myself if I should recut a gem: price, outcome, and what type of gem...

I produce an average of 20 items of jewelry per week, and if you assume that one item takes an hour, you can do the math of how long it takes to make everything from scratch.  If you then add the time to make listings, photos, convos, pack orders, shop for gems and supplies, it adds up to this: not gonna happen.  Not even if I quit my full time job.  Which I love.

So I do what most people do who...

When you sell gold on 47^thStreet, there are two ways to go. You can sell at any one of the small gold dealers (or the larger ones), or you can go straight to a refinery that melts it for you. Prices are often in the same neighborhood, but when you have scrap that’s not identifiable, or that you suspect is thickly plated over silver, or lots of individual pieces that would have to be tested...

If you read Yvonne’s entry on Vintage diamonds – OMCs (Old Mine Cuts) and OECs (Old European Cuts) – you will have noticed that she called them the only “truly rare” diamonds on the market today. That is because diamonds with this type of cut are no longer mass produced. Old-cut aficionados like me have to get creative to find the perfect stone. Here are some tips on how to go...

I’ve been wanting to write about this topic for a while.  I often get asked why I don’t have insurance when I refuse to set a customer’s stone because  - as I explain – I’m not insured for it.

The hard truth is I can’t afford it, and most people I know on 47^thStreet can’t either. Jewelry stores have insurance because (I think) they’re required, but this does not apply to gemstone dealers and small...