by Mitzi M. Howard | Nov 14, 2013 | Uncategorized
Wow, it’s that time of the year again….. Before you head off for some holiday shopping, I thought I’d pass on some observations about your options. Not that I am encouraging anyone to overspend on an overly-commercialized holiday, but knowing your...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Nov 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
Last week I described general shopping options for fine jewelry. Even with the internet, there are still some advantages to TV shopping. Usually the item for sale is fully described, displayed extensively from all angles & modeled. Some stations specialize in...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Nov 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
By any other name smell so sweet? Apologies to the Bard, but someone asked a great question the other day, so I am going to take a break from talking about gemstone rainbows and try to answer it. What is the difference between natural, synthetic, enhanced, &...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Oct 31, 2013 | Uncategorized
Since I can’t think of anything Halloween-y that is really jewelry related (I gave up working with plastic spiders a while back), I will entertain you with my favorite photo of a past Halloween. Since Red only dresses up about once a decade, this rare event...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Oct 24, 2013 | Uncategorized
While tourmalines can be pricey, most color variations of quartz are quite affordable & often come in large sizes with minimal inclusions, making for satisfying jewels on a budget. Quartz is a relatively hard mineral with a Mohs scale of 7, so it makes for...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Oct 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
Tourmaline is the birthstone for October & truly comes in almost every color of the rainbow: all shades of pink, red, blue, green, yellow & gold, as well as bi- & tri-color specimens. Tourmaline is always included to varying degrees & the clarity...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Oct 10, 2013 | Uncategorized
Well, at least rainbows–I’ll let you know when I find the unicorns…… Did you know than many gemstones come in a rainbow of colors? When most people think of “garnets”, they picture a deep brownish red, but garnets come in at least...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Oct 3, 2013 | Uncategorized
Today I’ll continue my series on Fabulous Flaws with Phantom Quartz. I just love the name–Phantom–sounds so exotic/romantic/mysterious. As you look into the patterns of each bead, it’s almost like looking into tiny crystal balls. The colors...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Sep 26, 2013 | Gemology
When is an imperfection desirable? From the “beauty spots” of vintage Hollywood starlets (think Elizabeth Taylor’s tiny mole) to Barbra Streisand’s famously crooked nose, sometimes a flaw can be memorable. And so it is with gemstones. In...
by Mitzi M. Howard | Sep 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Insomnia can be a productive time. While struggling to put on a favorite bracelet, I pulled out my assortment of assistance devices, but all required 2 hands & were awkward. My sleepless sojourn yielded a better idea: my B.A.D. or Bracelet Attachment Device. While...
