Platinum Engagement Rings
Antique vs. Reproduction
Sam: Should I purchase an antique engagement ring or a reproduction? If you are looking to purchase an antique looking engagement ring, why not buy the real thing. Nothing matches the delicate workmanship and one of a kind designs. The most popular diamond engagement rings come from the Victorian era, the Art Nouveau period, the Edwardian period and the Art Deco time period. Actual antique diamond engagement rings from these...
The History of Birthstones
The History of birthstones is believed to have gone back to the book of Exodus with the Breastplate of Aaron. It was a garment with twelve gemstones sewn into it that represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The gemstones were set in three rows of three gemstones. At that time the gemstones were “sardius, topaz and carbuncle; emerald, sapphire and diamond; ligure, agate and amethyst; beryl, onyx and jasper. The...
The History of DeBeers
Cecil Rhodes was the founder of DeBeers and he started simply by renting water pumps during the rush of 1871. Then an 83.5 carat diamond was discovered in the Kimberly Mine in South Africa. He used the proceeds to buy small mining operations and started his own. To fund his new mining operations, he was able to get capital from the Rothschild family. DeBeers was founded in 1888 and, at...
The Hope Diamond
The Hope diamond currently in the Smithsonian Museum, weighs 45.52 carats, is VS1 in clarity and is a natural fancy deep grayish blue color. This fantastic stone has had a mysterious, ever changing and cursed history as described below. The first recorded finding of the diamond was in the late 1600’s when Jean Baptiste either stole the diamond from a slave he later murdered or it was purchased for an...