Journal
The Journal
Field notes from inside the antique and estate jewelry trade — what to look for, what to walk away from.
Antique Halo vs Modern Halo: Why They Age So Differently
Both surround a centre stone with smaller ones, and there the similarity ends. Antique surrounds are built from individually set stones with...
Read more
Signet Rings: From Seal to Style
The signet ring is the oldest ring with a job. It was a signature, and the test of a real one is...
Read more
Cocktail Rings: The Statement Ring With a Prohibition Backstory
The cocktail ring was designed to be seen holding a glass you were not legally allowed to hold. Where the style came...
Read more
Three-Stone Rings: The History, the Marketing, and How to Choose One
The past, present and future story is 1990s advertising, not history. Three-stone rings are far older and far more interesting than that...
Read more
How to Date an Antique Ring Without a Hallmark
Most antique rings carry no usable hallmark. Dating them is a matter of reading construction: the cut of the stones, how the...
Read more
Why Antique Diamonds Sparkle Differently: Fire, Brilliance and the Light They Were Cut For
Antique and modern diamonds do not just look different — they are solving different optical problems, for different light. Understanding fire, brilliance...
Read more
Old Mine Cut Diamonds: What Actually Drives the Price
Old mine cut diamonds do not price like modern stones, and the grading report that governs a modern diamond actively works against...
Read more
Buying Antique Jewelry Online Without Getting Burned
Almost all antique jewelry now sells online, where you cannot hold the piece or see it in daylight. The photographs to demand,...
Read more
Retro Jewelry of the 1940s: Big Gold, Bold Colour, Wartime Rules
When platinum was requisitioned for the war effort, jewelers turned to gold and made it loud. Retro jewelry is the most undervalued...
Read more