My love affair with gemstones started quite young. I always knew they were special, hence my desire to be adorned with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires began. This eventually led to my love for the jewelry industry, but it all started with the colorful stones that I had heard had "magical" powers to heal, change my mood, or even bring me good luck. Diamonds The diamond represents so much when it comes to relationships. Today, they represent love when asking for another's hand in marriage. They represent a lifelong love and everlasting happiness with your special someone. But in times past, they had other meanings as well. In centuries past, people wore diamonds sewn into their clothing or as decorations on their swords and weapons, believing that they were a symbol of success and also brought them good luck. They were thought to bring attraction and power to the wearer...

Gemstones, rocks, and minerals are extremely important to the jewelry industry. As a young college student, I became interested in gemstones, which led me to a love affair with minerals and rocks as well. It was this love affair that led me into the industry and helped me really understand what makes up each type of stone in each individual piece of jewelry. Understanding gemstones, rocks, and minerals can help you understand your next large jewelry investment. Gemstones A gemstone is usually a mineral, but it is one that has formed crystals and then been cut and polished professionally to be made into a piece of jewelry. The study of gemstones is called gemology. This is a type of mineralogy (the study of minerals) that is the study of the physical properties seen by the naked eye and also in magnification of the stone. The evaluation of a gemstone is...

  It's very important to keep your most valuable piece of jewelry, your beautiful diamond engagement ring, clean. I remember searching for the best way to clean mine right before my bridal portraits, then again before the day of my wedding. Since that wonderful day, I've been making sure to protect my ring and keep it clean and well-maintained. I want my diamond to look beautiful for the next 100 years, so I've vowed to keep it shiny and protected. Keeping it Clean Even before you actually clean your ring, you can do a few things to prevent it from getting grimy and dirty. Start by keeping your hands off of it. Touching your ring will put more dirt and oil from your fingers onto the ring, causing it to look dirty sooner. Keep your hands free from lotions and other products that can get in between the stone and...

  This month signifies the beginning of warmer weather, week-long vacations, and cookouts in the backyard. What better way to represent it than the beautiful green emerald? This has long been a favorite stone of mine, and while it isn't my birthstone, I love the several emerald pieces that I own and I wear them often. The stone is an interesting and beautiful one and also has a bit of cool history behind it. The History of the Emerald The word "emerald" is a derivative of the Greek word "smaragdos," which means "green." The stone represents things that are the greenest of green. Although it is carved from jadeite, the Emerald Buddha is one of Thailand's most sacred icons. The Emerald Isle is another name for Ireland, which is full of beautiful green pastures. Seattle, often referred to as the Emerald City, gets its nickname because of its lush green...