When thinking of a Sapphire, one generally pictures a deep blue gem--a blue that resonates in the sunlight and is unsurpassed when it comes to color and beauty. All gemstone color breaks down into three components: Hue--color of the gemstone; Tone--highlight or lowlight of color; and Saturation--brightness of color in a gem. Blue sapphire in general, is a various mixture of all these components with the primary color being blue.

So you've spotted an "Alexandrite" ring on that ever popular auction site: the stone is huge, the price is affordable but climbing, and ooh, you've wanted a real alexandrite for so long! You're thinking "maybe this is the one you should go for.?" Well, before you dive in and bid or buy, here's some information that might stop you from making an expensive mistake.

Like a lot of sellers on Ruby Lane, I am always on the look out for beautiful antique and vintage jewelry to offer in my shop. Most of the time, I make great purchases but recently I learned a very valuable lesson from my local goldsmith.

It’s so much fun to feature seasonal and holiday related jewelry in my shop, SuzansTreasures. In March, I often list Irish and Celtic jewelry (as well as anything green). I’ve recently added several Irish brooches with Connemara marble, and received this question from a customer:

“Please enlighten me. What is Connemara marble and why is it exclusive to Celtic jewelry?”

From all low reptiles the serpent has clearly made the highest profile career.

A lot can be said about serpents (or snakes). They have been worshiped since the Dark Ages and are a powerful religious symbol with many different meanings, like death and resurrection, while they have also been associated with healing and rivergods and also denote fertility, wisdom and the ability to cure. In jewelry serpents are depicted both for decorative as symbolic reasons.

During the depression, expensive fashion was no longer within reach for many people. In a very real sense, with our failing economy, we are facing the same circumstances today. What does this mean for the fashion industry, and does this mean that consumers need to sacrifice their sense of style?

Not since Jacqueline Kennedy has there been this much buzz about fashion in the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama is sleek, stylish, and sophisticated; she carries her model-like stature with elegance. She is accomplished, well educated, as well as beautiful – a role model for all women. It has been enjoyable to see Mrs. Obama’s distinctive personal and creative style along the campaign trail.

Victorian "Honeymoon" pins are characterized by a crescent moon shape with accompanying floral decoration. The Victorian period spanned from the 1830's to just after 1890. The pins were sometimes enhanced with gemstones such as diamonds, garnets, rubies, seedpearls, turquoise, emerald, or amethyst, (those being the most popular and widely used in Victorian jewelry). The earlier pieces dating prior to 1900 often used colored glass paste stones, and sometimes colorful enamels.

St. Patrick’s Day and spring always coincide closely, and have some common traits. Ireland, land of St. Patrick’s missionary work, is also known as the Emerald Isle, famed for its verdant greenery. And Green is the color of Spring.

Do you remember the song “The Great Pretender”? Well, that song title is apropos for Henry Bogoff! Henry’s years of experience in the European fine jewelry firms, using precious metals (gold, platinum and silver) and the highest quality gemstones (diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires) set the stage for him to make the finest costume jewelry that so closely resembled the real thing.