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One of the most prominent gems this time of year is garnet. This pretty little stone makes quite the appearance this time of year as it is the official gemstone for the month of January. Being a January baby myself I always keep my eyes peeled for great garnet pieces to enhance my own personal jewelry collection.

Garnet has been used in jewelry and for other purposes for thousands of years. Most of us think of the traditional red garnet, but did you know this gem is available in almost any color? Lovely! Garnet is like topaz in this respect.

Keep your eyes on our auctions this month for great pieces featuring the month’s favorite gem: garnet! Good luck and happy bidding to all!

When it comes to fine jewelry, the cut of the gemstone is as important as the clarity or quality. A poorly cut gemstone can ruin the once brilliant quality of the gem, leaving it dull.

When gems are properly cut they shimmer and shine; they are beautiful. Judging a proper cut is not a difficult task if you know what to look for. To test the cut of a gem, look at it from directly above the gem. The surface should be bright, reflecting as much light as possible. You should not be able to see directly through the gemstone if it has been properly cut because you should instead see reflected light!

A poorly cut gemstone, on the other hand, can be either too shallow or too deep. A poor cut causes for what is called a ‘window’ meaning that you can see directly through the gem. If you were holding the gem over a table, in other words, you would be able to see the table. Light does not properly reflect off of a poorly cut gemstone causing it to be dull and to lose it sparkle potential.

When judging the cut of a gem look for mirrors, not windows! Even an extremely clear gemstone is not worth your buck if the cut is poor.

Most gemstones available on the market today have been treated in one way or another to enhance the clarity or the color of the stone. For instance, diamonds can be treated to have a greater clarity. Who knew?

Depending upon the treatment (as well as the degree of the treatment) the value of the actual gemstone can be affected. Some treatments, such as heat treatment, are very widely used and are very much accepted because of the resulting product. Heat treating a sapphire, for example, yields a much brighter color and leaves the gem stable. Same deal with ruby. Other treatments may leave the gem unstable in color, meaning that it may eventually fade and revert to its original coloring.

In the following posts I will explain some of the most common treatments used on gems today.

One of the most prominent gems this time of year is garnet. This pretty little stone makes quite the appearance this time of year as it is the official gemstone for the month of January. Being a January baby myself I always keep my eyes peeled for great garnet pieces to enhance my own personal jewelry collection.

Garnet has been used in jewelry and for other purposes for thousands of years. Most of us think of the traditional red garnet, but did you know this gem is available in almost any color? Lovely! Garnet is like topaz in this respect.

Keep your eyes on our auctions this month for great pieces featuring the month’s favorite gem: garnet! Good luck and happy bidding to all!

Aquamarine is one of those stones we all know and love. It is considered a mineral and is named after the Latin phrase aqua marina, or “water of the sea.”

This beautiful gem glows a delicate blue or turquoise coloring, hence the relation to sea water. It is also closely related in makeup to emerald. Technically, aquamarine is a transparent variety of beryl and is known to be found in yellow, pink and white varieties.

Aquamarine is the official birthstone of the month of March, as well as the gemstone associated with the 19^th wedding anniversary. During the Middle Ages the stone was believed to hold the magical abilities to cure poison. Anciently, sailors toted the crystals to ensure a safe journey and safe return home. Sailors also believed mermaid’s fins to be made of aquamarine. I’m not sure how they thought the mermaids could swim…perhaps this is where the “drunken sailor” in them came out.

We often feature pieces with aquamarines in our jewelry auctions here on Bidz.com. Check the auctions daily to find the perfect pieces to add to your jewelry collection.

The cut of the gemstone is as important as the clarity or quality. A poorly cut gemstone can ruin the once brilliant quality of the gem.

When gems are properly cut they shine; they shimmer; they are beautiful. Judging a proper cut is not a difficult task if you know what to look for. To test the cut of a gem, look at it from directly above the gem. The surface should be bright, reflecting as much light as possible. You should not be able to see directly through the gemstone if it has been properly cut because you should instead see reflected light!

A poorly cut gemstone, on the other hand, can be either too shallow or too deep. A poor cut causes for what is called a ‘window’ meaning that you can see directly through the gem. If you were holding the gem over a table, in other words, you would be able to see the table. Light does not properly reflect off of a poorly cut gemstone causing it to be dull and to lose it sparkle potential.

When judging the cut of a gem look for mirrors, not windows! Even an extremely clear gemstone is not worth your buck if the cut is poor.

The cut of the gemstone is as important as the clarity or quality. A poorly cut gemstone can ruin the once brilliant quality of the gem.

When gems are properly cut they shine; they shimmer; they are beautiful. Judging a proper cut is not a difficult task if you know what to look for. To test the cut of a gem, look at it from directly above the gem. The surface should be bright, reflecting as much light as possible. You should not be able to see directly through the gemstone if it has been properly cut because you should instead see reflected light!

A poorly cut gemstone, on the other hand, can be either too shallow or too deep. A poor cut causes for what is called a ‘window’ meaning that you can see directly through the gem. If you were holding the gem over a table, in other words, you would be able to see the table. Light does not properly reflect off of a poorly cut gemstone causing it to be dull and to lose it sparkle potential.

When judging the cut of a gem look for mirrors, not windows! Even an extremely clear gemstone is not worth your buck if the cut is poor.

Sapphire has been a popular gemstone for a longer amount of time than any of us actually need to know. All we really need to know is that sapphire is a gorgeous gemstone, and luckily we’re already quite aware of that!

We most commonly know sapphires to exhibit a gorgeous deep blue coloring, but sapphire is actually available in a variety of bright colors (often assisted to brighter coloring through heat treatments). Sapphires come in pink, green, yellow, purple, blue, clear—as I said, a variety of colors.

As legend states, sapphire is believed to offer healing properties for those suffering from colic, rheumatism and mental illnesses. It has also been used as an antidepressant and to provide spiritual enlightenment and inner peace to the wearer/beholder. Quite the impressive little stone, eh?

The cut of the gemstone is as important as the clarity or quality. A poorly cut gemstone can ruin the once brilliant quality of the gem.

When gems are properly cut they shine; they shimmer; they are beautiful. Judging a proper cut is not a difficult task if you know what to look for. To test the cut of a gem, look at it from directly above the gem. The surface should be bright, reflecting as much light as possible. You should not be able to see directly through the gemstone if it has been properly cut because you should instead see reflected light!

A poorly cut gemstone, on the other hand, can be either too shallow or too deep. A poor cut causes for what is called a ‘window’ meaning that you can see directly through the gem. If you were holding the gem over a table, in other words, you would be able to see the table. Light does not properly reflect off of a poorly cut gemstone causing it to be dull and to lose it sparkle potential.

When judging the cut of a gem look for mirrors, not windows! Even an extremely clear gemstone is not worth your buck if the cut is poor.

It is amazing to find such a splendid and remarkable piece of jewelry and yet, there is neither precious metal nor gemstone anywhere on it.

Carla Labat’s inspiring ‘Large-Scale’ jewelry would surely appeal to Marie Antoinettes sensibilities! Made from vintage fabrics, trims, buckles, and appliqués found in Paris Flea Markets, her jewelry is reminiscent of 18th century theatre costuming with a modern twist.
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While browsing through our online jewelry you will find necklaces equally impressive - some of wood, some of fiber, some of leather and many, many are made from every gemstone and precious metal found under the sun. So if you are going natural, or if your are going for classic elegance, our men and women’s jewelry auction selections will have you feeling like royalty too.