Archaeologists discovered this 2,000 year old gold, pearl and emerald earring in the ruins of a building in Jerusalem. So much of today's jewelry resembles ancient styles, especially jewelry from designers who are inspired by historical pieces, like Amrita Singh (the first-century collar necklace in the ancient jewelry gallery looks a lot like her gold and ruby necklace from 2006). Another example -- a gold bracelet found in Pompeii, which resembles a corsage bracelet that Maggie Gyllenhaal wore to the premiere of The Dark Knight. Fine jewelry is timeless, and we're seeing a growing trend towards "new" styles that mimic past looks.

Ancient Jewelry Gallery

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Four important factors that are considered when judging a diamond's quality and value are color, clarity, cut, and carat weight, commonly called the Four Cs. This eCourse takes you step-by-step through the Four Cs, with materials arriving in your in-box once each week for four weeks. Work at your own pace to complete the reading and sort out the facts. Are you're ready to start exploring the world of diamonds?

Created diamonds are becoming more common every year, but the stones produced by LifeGems are unique. These fancy color diamonds are made from carbon that's captured during the cremation process (or from a lock of hair). Would you wear a memorial diamond?

Prongs are the most commonly used gemstone setting technique, but did you know that prongs aren't all alike, and that they're sometimes either not well designed or they're designed in ways that make them poor choices for some lifestyles? For example... if you have a brand new baby you probably don't want to wear a ring with a gem set in tall prongs that could easily scratch soft skin. Take time to learn how prongs differ before you buy jewelry and you'll end up with a prong setting that works for you.