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Getting to know gemstones
As the new associate editor at National Jeweler, I can’t imagine a better way to get acquainted with the fine jewelry industry than to head straight to an event, where I got to see great pieces up close and in person. On Monday, I went to see all the jewelry involved in the AGTA’s 2014 Spectrum Awards.
Not only did I learn a lot about gems from the industry veterans who were there, but walking around and getting to try on all the beautiful jewelry taught me a lot about my own preferences.
I’m such a fan of color in most aspects of fashion and beauty (chalk it up to a Southern upbringing), so everything at the Spectrum Awards was right up my alley.
But, more than that, I’m a huge fan of a simple colored stone. When visiting the bridal wear table, I found myself attracted to a cushion-cut Sapphire engagement ring.
While at the event, I tried on a number of rings with colored gems. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.
This is the “Mandarin Dream” ring from Joe Escobar Diamonds, an 18-karat rose gold and platinum ring featuring a 7.23-carat orange sapphire accented with white diamonds and orange sapphires.
This is another beautiful ring I loved from Ajit Roy. The 14-karat yellow gold ring features an oval green tourmaline accented with yellow diamond melee.
One of the things that also really struck me while I was there was the variety of colors when it came to opals. I was unfamiliar with anything more than a traditional white coloring, and immediately fell for a number of pieces using black opals.
This one shown below was one of my favorites. The Dena Kemp 18-karat white gold ring is accented with tsavorite garnets, blue sapphires and diamonds.
I’m also a fan of statement jewelry; give me a piece that’s oversized, bold or less traditional, and I’m in. And here, the Spectrum Awards definitely did not disappoint.
This was one of my favorite pieces overall. This Thomas Turner 18-karat yellow gold necklace featured rough chrysoprase slabs accented with Akoya cultured pearls and diamonds. It was just stunning in person.
And on the winner’s table, I found one that I thought was tops as well.
This double finger ring from Michael John Jewelry features a diamond polar bear jumping between two opal icebergs. How fun is that?
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