Humans have been fascinated with gemstones for thousands of years. They are among the rarest and most desirable minerals on the Earth. Throughout history, gems play essential roles in economics, politics, religion, law, and fashion. We collect and possess gems for many reasons: to adorn ourselves, for our surroundings, to demonstrate wealth, as investments, or to benefit from their supposed healing properties. Gemmologists, those trained in the science of gem materials, are like detectives. They identify gemstones and determine their nature, whether they are natural, treated, or synthetic. Of all the gemstones, a diamond's properties are unique and among the...

All diamonds are not created equal One thing that makes diamonds so exceptional and the need for a grading system is that each diamond is unique. They have different sizes, shapes, colors, and internal characteristics. Any polished diamond has value, some more than others, a lot more! But what makes some more valuable than others? The value is based on several factors. Rarity is one that comes into play and can make a big difference in the price. However, rarity is difficult to measure. Certain qualities, such as size, and particularly color, can make a diamond rare. What can be...

The Sweat of the Sun In Mexico for the Mesoamerican culture, gold was extremely valuable. The Aztecs believed that gold was the sweat of the sun. They thought they could actually pick up pieces of the sweat of the sun. Gold had strong spiritual significance because the God of Sun was a very important component of their culture. With gold's beautiful properties, it's shiny and yellow, it was only natural to assign its origins to the Sun. What is really amazing is we now know that gold, like most heavy metals, is forged by stars through nuclear fusion. One Astro...

The global economy has had many ups and downs since 2008, and mostly downs. We find ourselves now in 2020 and beyond in even more uncertain times. People more than ever are looking for ways to protect their money. Just having money in the bank or stocks is not safe. Banks can and have collapsed as the stock market can collapse. It is better to hold physical commodities like gold in your hand. Over the last several years there has been an increasing interest in investing in diamonds. People are catching on to the fact that the price of diamonds...

Should you buy Jewelry in a store or should you buy it online? The first known online purchase was made in 1994. Now over 25 years later eCommerce has gone from a new concept to a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Despite the ubiquitous prevalence of online shopping, some people are not open to purchasing products like jewelry online. Many will prefer a traditional jewelry store where they can be sure who they are talking to. Especially when it comes to high-value jewelry. Ordering online can create some apprehension due to some of the preconceived notions and myths surrounding the ecommerce industry. Anyone...