Journal
The Journal
Field notes from inside the antique and estate jewelry trade — what to look for, what to walk away from.
How to Tell If a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Is Real
How to tell if a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra is real: the perlée border, stone fit, clasp, serial number and hallmarks,...
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Vintage Tiffany & Co. Jewelry: How to Date It, Authenticate It, and What's Worth Buying
How to read vintage Tiffany jewelry marks, tell real from fake (including Return to Tiffany), why gold pieces are so much rarer...
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What $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000 Buys in an Antique Engagement Ring
An honest guide to antique engagement ring cost: the realistic trade-offs at $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000, where value hides in old cuts...
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Old European Cut Diamonds: What Actually Drives the Price
Old European cut diamonds do not price like modern rounds. How carat thresholds, spread, warm colour, recutting and the grading report really...
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Sourcing: How a Specific Antique Ring Actually Gets Found
You know exactly what you want and it is not for sale anywhere. Sourcing is the work of finding it — what...
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Designing a Ring Around an Inherited Diamond
Resetting an inherited stone is the most emotionally loaded work in jewelry, and the technical decisions get made badly when the conversation...
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How to Read a Diamond Report on an Antique Stone
Grading reports were designed for modern round brilliants, and on an antique stone half the document is misleading. Which fields to trust,...
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Garnet, Amethyst and Citrine: The Underrated Antique Stones
Amethyst was once priced with emerald. Then Brazil happened. The stones that lost their value to supply are now the best way...
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Natural vs Cultured Pearls in Antique Jewelry: Why the Difference Is Enormous
Before the 1920s every pearl in jewelry was natural, and natural pearls frequently cost more than the diamonds beside them. Most people...
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