Feeling Green?
Today is Saint Patrick's Day, so I thought I'd talk about green gemstones. Sometimes, folks assume just because they have a green stone...
top of page
Search
Heather Burleson
- Dec 8, 2021
- 2 min
'Tis the Season!
If you're planning a holiday proposal or even if you're just planning a significant jewelry gift this season, this is your friendly...
24 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Oct 29, 2021
- 3 min
What's the Deal with Lab-Grown Diamonds?
HPHT Lab-Grown Rough Diamond crystal Natural Octahedral Diamond Crystal I have seen a lot of lab-grown diamonds lately, so I want to...
68 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Sep 13, 2021
- 2 min
Gemstone Focus: Pearls
We've talked a little about pearls here and about restringing them from time to time, etc., but I haven't really talked about what they...
31 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jun 21, 2021
- 1 min
Gemstone Focus: Sapphires & Rubies
Here's something you might not have known: Sapphires come in every color of the rainbow, and when they are red, they're rubies. If you...
25 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- May 22, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Necessary Repairs
Sometimes when I appraise a piece, I will find that repairs are necessary. You will notice the prong at 9 o'clock is torn away from the...
40 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- May 7, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Antique Diamond Cuts
I am often asked to appraise pieces that have been inherited, which sometimes means running into the diamond cuts in the above graphic....
66 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Apr 21, 2021
- 3 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Changing Values
One of the things I am often asked to do is update appraisals from many years ago. Often, the value is similar to or even may be less...
41 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Apr 13, 2021
- 1 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Naturals
This is a photo of a natural on the girdle/pavilion of a diamond. So, what did I just say? Well, a natural is the original (or natural)...
41 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Apr 5, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Resale
Sometimes you have diamond pieces (usually rings) that you have inherited or no longer have use for you'd like to sell. If you have a...
28 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Mar 29, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Damage
While diamonds are the hardest natural substance on earth, if it weren't possible to break them, we wouldn't be able to cut them to...
31 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Mar 19, 2021
- 3 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Gold & Platinum
This next topic applies whether or not the gemstone in your jewelry is a diamond. Still, since the series has been Understanding Your...
38 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Mar 3, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Setting Style
Today we're moving from the diamonds themselves to the way they are set. Above is a graphic showing twelve common ways stones (not just...
372 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Feb 24, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Cut
While shape is the outward shape of the stone, the word cut is used to denote how well a diamond returns light. Remember physics class?...
28 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Feb 10, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Clarity
Next on the list is clarity. Almost all diamonds will have some type of inclusion inside, the severity of which will determine its...
33 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jan 28, 2021
- 2 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Color
Diamonds are graded starting at D and going to Z before heading into Fancy Colors. D-F are colorless and are more rare and valuable than...
51 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jan 25, 2021
- 3 min
Understanding Your Diamond Appraisal: Shape
Diamonds are cut into many shapes--even more than the ten shown here-- and the shape impacts the value every time. It can also help date...
48 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jan 18, 2021
- 2 min
Jewelry Insurance: What You Need to Know
You have homeowners or renters insurance, so you would naturally think that means all the belongings in your home are covered, but that...
42 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jan 14, 2021
- 2 min
To Restring to Not Restring... That is the Question
Pearls-- be they cultured freshwater, cultured saltwater, natural, or even faux-- need to be restrung every so often to ensure the strand...
26 views0 comments
Heather Burleson
- Jan 11, 2021
- 1 min
Microscope Monday!
Check out the inclusions in these natural (heated) sapphires from a bracelet. While the stones match to the unaided eye regarding color,...
32 views0 comments
bottom of page