We are proud to present you here an Art Deco ring with a truly magnificent Colombian emerald. This is how one wants to have an emerald. The velvetish warm green color of this stone makes it a true gem. One truly magnificent Colombian old mine emerald with a weight of 1.85 crt and hardly any ‘Jardin’. Jardin – French for “garden” – Is a group of three-phase, moss-like inclusions that are to be seen in almost every emerald and that constitute an acceptable, sometimes attractive, flaw. See the certificate for the specifications of this beauty as the pictures do not do really reveal the beauty of this gem.

Although the back of this jewel is in yellow gold, the diamonds are set in platinum. Mounted with 18kt yellow gold prawns in an entourage of small old mine cut diamonds (no less then 62) with a total weight of 1.20 carats and set in platinum gives an ovErall chique and yet unpretentious design. Look and enjoy!

Click to see more genuine Colombian emerald rings

In contrary to cultured pearls, the most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but they are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls.

The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable.

We are proud to have some real natural pearl necklaces in our collection and we invite you to take a look at them.

Real antique rings, enjoying jewelry with a history!

Stylish Women Prefer: Adin Antwerp – Next time you attend a smart house party, make this test: Ask every woman there where she bought the antique ring she is wearing. It is almost a certainty that the majority tells you “Adin in Antwerp”. But that is only natural. Adin was first to discover that an Antique Ring is no longer a mere cosmetic. It’s a style accessory.

And so fashionable women everywhere look at Adin for their Antique Rings as surely as they look to Paris for styles in clothes. Adin Antique Rings retain their lustre longer. And as everyone knows, they sparkle and shine.

Try Adin Antique Rings. Continuously fresh stock coming in! Fashion right!

• Roman or Byzantine mosaic, with the tesserae made of glass, set into molten glass, and fused together
• Florentine mosaic. (Venetian mosaic) made of slices of coloured glass canes, usually making a millefiori pattern, was seldom used for pieces of jewelry.

In both types the decorative motifs were often pictorial views of ancient ruins or famous buildings, and in the 1820s Egyptian motifs, but by the mid-l9th century the usual subjects had become more sentimental, e.g. flowers and pet dogs. The Florentine mosaic was imitated in Derbyshire, England, in the late 18th to early 19 century, by using local black marble and feldspar.

Swan on diamonds lake

At the end of the 19th Century jewelers used nature as inspiration for their designs. Their interpretations of animals in jewels are based on a realistic view of the colours and lines in naturalistic detail. The French were undoubtedly unrivalled in the design of jewelry during this period with a deep understanding for the gems and materials used. It is in French jewelry that the most stunning naturalistic motifs can be found. This 19th Century naturalistic jewelry in diamonds, of course, can be very expensive. With careful and imaginative taste, the flowers (reedmace or cattail) and swan act as a romantic and fascinating theme of this decorative jewel.

We think that this beauty is made at the end of the Victorian and beginning of the Art Nouveau era.

The Victorian era (the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901) is known for its eclectic revival and interpretation of historic styles and the introduction of cross-cultural influences from the middle east and Asia in furniture, fittings, and interior decoration. Victorian design is widely viewed as having indulged in an excess of ornament. The Victorian period can roughly be divided into 3 distinct periods; the Romantic (1837 – 1860), Grand (1861 – 1885), and Late or Aesthetic Period (1880 – 1901). The jewelry of the late Victorian period once again returned to romanticism with more delicate and whimsical motifs such as stars, crescent moons, reptiles, animals, birds and insects. The discovery of the diamond mines in South Africa led to the use of mine, rose and cushion cut diamond stones.

The Art Nouveau style has its beginning in the late Victorian era. Art Nouveau (French for New Style) is an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art – especially the decorative arts – that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905). The name “Art Nouveau” is French for “new art”. It is also known as “Jugendstil”, German for “youth style”, named after the magazine Jugend, which promoted it, and in Italy, Stile Liberty from the department store in London, Liberty & Co., which popularised the style. A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly stylized, flowing curvilinear forms. Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life.

But all this info aside: What a beautiful brooch! Upon the sight of this brooch we all turned instantly happy. What a pretty piece of Applied Art. Charming, touching, cute, top notch work and design… One of the very nicest pieces we have had in many many years. And it stays nice… everytime we look at it we are in awe of the quality and its positive impact to our mood .

Victorian locket

That has to be the number one question that buyers ask me.  The answer is research.  A lot of research. With most antique pieces, a specific date or year is usually not available unless the piece is signed or hallmarked or has documented provenance. However with a little knowledge, you can usually get pretty close to the age of a piece.

I try to read and study as many books and articles on antique jewelry, clothing and history that become available to me. Even studying old photographs helps in the research process. Actually seeing how pieces were worn and what they were used for is very useful information. So if you are looking  for information on Victorian jewelry, for example, look at old tintypes. The  U.S. Library of Congress  has a vast digital collection of old photographs on their website.  I could easily spend hours looking at them. Which leads to my next step. The internet.

When I first started collecting, there were no personal computers or internet. So now it is absolutely amazing to me what can be found on the internet, as far as research goes. So many fabulous sites devoted to antiques and antique jewelry. A wealth of information! Don’t forget about searching images as well as articles.

If you are interested in collecting certain types or eras of antique jewelry, there is probably no better way to learn about them than actually holding and inspecting many, many pieces of jewelry. Up close and personal.  After a while, you begin to see how pieces of certain eras were made. The materials used. The construction of a piece. Certain cuts of stones. Engraving techniques. It all helps to date a piece. This does take time and attention to details, but it will help you to discern between the true antique and the freshly made item.

Remember also that vintage style or antique style does not equal antique or vintage. So don’t let certain words lead you to believe that a piece of jewelry is old just because of a descriptive word. These days the words antique, vintage, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, estate piece, (just to name a few) are being tossed around quite liberally to describe a style. Usually not meant to be deceiving, but to a new collector or buyer, it can be quite confusing.  My favorite has to be “it was my grandma’s”. Not to say that someone’s  grandma did not have antiques, but to many people, the word “grandma” conjures up an image of an elderly woman in a rocking chair. I can tell you that my sister is a grandma and she does not fit that image at all! So just because it belonged to “grandma” does not make it old.

If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask! I am pretty sure that most antique dealers to not bite! Most reputable dealers will happily answer your questions. And yes, even a reputable dealer can be fooled sometimes. It happens. We are human. You never stop learning in this business. It is just part of the process of becoming a reputable antiques dealer. So arm yourself with knowledge. Do some research and have some fun. You will meet some great people along the way and in no time, it may just be you answering the question of  “How do you know how old that is?”.

Text written by Wicked Darling running an antique jewelry business in  Georgia, United States

Click here to visit her beautiful collection of antique jewels

Though most people wear a ring all a day, however there  are occasions when it should be removed:

Do not wear a ring while doing rough work. Even a diamond is durable, it can also be chipped by a very hard blow.

High temperatures can ruin jewellery and care must be taken during soldering.

Organic material like pearls, corals, cameos etc. can be damaged by acids, alcohol (including perfume) and skin creams.

Diamond Jewellery should not come in contact with chlorine bleach because it can pit and discolour the mounting.

A jeweller should check the ring once a year for loose stones and wear of the mounting. He can also clean the ring professionally

B. Cleaning your antique jewellery.

Once you have selected your piece of jewellery it is necessary to take good care in order to make it last a lifetime. Although nature invests millions of years of heat and pressure to crystallise a single diamond it is still imperative to take constant care in order to keep them at their brilliant best. A clean stone not only reflects light better, but actually looks bigger than one that’s been dulled by skin oils and cosmetics. To keep their fire at its brightest set jewellery should be cleaned once a month. Use one of the following methods:

Please note that:
Foiled-back set stones should never be immersed in any liquid.
Organic materials can only be immersed in luke warm water and certainly not alcohol and acids.

In most cases (even for organic materials), you can use one of the following methods, but be on the safe side and check with your expert.

• The Detergent Bath. Prepare a small bowl of warm sudsy water with any of the mild liquid detergents used at home. Brush the pieces with a small soft brush, for instance a toothbrush, while they are in the suds, then rinse under warm running water. Pat dry with a soft lint free cloth.

• The Cold Water Soak : Soak the jewellery in a half and half solution of cold water and household ammonia for 30 minutes. Lift out and gently tap around the front and back of the mounting with a small soft brush. Swish in the solution a second time, rinse and drain on tissue paper.

• The Quick Dip Method : Buy one of the brand name liquid Jewellery cleaning kits now available in the market and follow the instructions.

The Art Nouveau found particularly beautiful expression in the collaborative work of the jeweler Georges Fouquet (1862-1957) and the designer/artist Alphonse Mucha ( 1860-1939). For a brief glorious moment, extravagant beauty reigned supreme. Brooch ca. 1900 Manufacturer- Georges Fouquet Designer- Alphonse Mucha The Metropolitan Museum of Art Georges acquired his skill and taste early on through the acclaim and talents of his father Alphonse Fouq … Read More

via Babylon Baroque

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk. Lady Diana Spencer married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981. During her marriage the Princess undertook a wide range of royal duties. Family was very important to the Princess, who had two sons: Prince William and Prince Henry (Harry). After her divorce from The Prince of Wales, the Princess continued to be regarded … Read More

via A caution and a ran