Eight historic jewels were stolen from the Louvre on Sunday, October 19. Media outlets are scrambling to place a value on these priceless treasures. The value of one is pretty clear, though. Here’s what we know about the diamond brooch that belonged to Empress Eugenie, which entered the Louvre amid high drama in 2008 and has now vanished the same way. Empress Eugenie’s diamond bow brooch was made in 1855 of old mine and old European-cut diamonds — lots of […] The post Eugenie brooch a...| the jewelry loupe
You may be surprised who pulls out the skull rings and cross pendants on weekends. Seems everybody wants to be a rock star. Just ask Gerard Marti, owner of Célèbrités galleries in Maui. His customers include Steven Tyler, Tommy Lee and Paris Hilton, as well as the co-founder of MySpace. The post How to wear jewelry like a rock star, part II first appeared on the jewelry loupe.| the jewelry loupe
If you're in the market for rubies, read this. There's an interloper among those red beauties - and it's been spotted at mainstream retailers, priced well above its true value. The post Beware: That ruby may be a glass composite first appeared on the jewelry loupe.| the jewelry loupe
If you think building a career as a jewelry designer is challenging today, imagine what it was like 50 years ago, when the women’s movement was just catching fire – or a century ago when the suffragettes were battling in the streets for our right to vote. Yet jewelry is an art form women have always had a natural affinity for. We’re the primary wearers, after all, and jewelry is often closely connected to fashion. Designing and making jewelry is a craft that […] The post Femme mét...| the jewelry loupe
One of the finest independent craftsmen working in French Art Nouveau was actually Belgian. With his delicate florals and scary Medusas, Philippe Wolfers was a master of that era's mystical, sensuous jewelry. The post Art Nouveau treasure by Philippe Wolfers coming to America first appeared on the jewelry loupe.| the jewelry loupe
Do you have post-divorce wedding or engagement rings burning a hole in your jewelry box? Join the club. About 43 percent of once-married people have been divorced by the time they’re in their fifties. Nearly 800,000 people divorced in the U.S. alone in 2017. That’s a lot of rings loaded with emotional baggage and raw material. Maybe it’s time to do something with those rings. I have one of those rings. Sometimes when I open my ring drawer, light glints […] The post What to do with you...| the jewelry loupe