![]() We receive lots of questions regarding the difference between and old mine cut diamond and an old European cut diamond, as well as circular brilliant cut, and round brilliant cut. For more technical information please see our previous blog post. To simplify the answer we decided to add this photo just showing relative differences between an old mine cut and old European cut. The main difference you will notice is overall shape. Old mine cuts generally have what we like to refer to as "corners" sort of like a couch cushion would. The European cut is more round! To learn more see our previous blog posts! Looking for and Old European cut diamond or Old Mine Cut Diamond? Look no further. We have thousands of loose natural diamonds of both cutting styles NOT listed on our website. If you are interested in a particular size or grade contact us today!
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We often get the question why is this stone considered a "circular brilliant' by GIA versus an 'Old European' cut. This question comes from dealers, as well as the public alike. After analyzing the stone usually it comes down to measurements, or angles. Here is a quick guideline.
Size Of Rolex WatchesRolex has produced watches that have changed in size over the years. Datejust: 31mm; 36mm; 41mm Date: 34mm Oyster Perpetual: 28mm; 31mm; 34mm; 36mm; 41mm Sky-Dweller: 42mm Day-Date: 36mm; 40mm Lady-Datejust: 28mm Pearlmaster: 34mm; 39mm Cellini: 39mm Submariner: 41mm Daytona: 40mm Sea-Dweller: 43mm Deepsea: 44mm GMT-Master II: 40mm Yacht-Master: 37mm; 40mm; 42mm Yacht-Master II: 44mm Explorer: 39mm Explorer II: 42mm Milgauss: 40mm Air-King: 40mm WE ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING PREOWNED AND VINTAGE ROLEX WATCHES! CONTACT US ANYTIMEIn recent years we have seen the rise of the metaverse. Virtual real estate, and digital art have been commanding high premiums both at auction as well as in private sales. It is likely this will continue yet we suspect probably not at the same rate it has been accelerating as of recently. We predict that in the coming years the larger jewelry brands will get involved in the metaverse opening digital stores and selling possibly digital versions on their pieces, diamonds, or gems. This should create new opportunities for designers, programmers, and digital engineers. Creators will blossom and creativity will transfer from screen into physical items. We are excited to see the transformation and creation of these pieces both in the metaverse and in life!
Herbert Marcus Sr. left his job to found a new business with his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband, A.L. Neiman. In 1907 the trio had $25,000 from the successful sales-promotion firm they had built in Atlanta, Georgia, and two potential investments of funds. Interestingly enough, they were offered ownership in Coca-Cola at the time yet declined the investment opportunity. The store, which opened on September 10, 1907, was lavishly furnished and stocked with clothing of a quality, something not commonly found in Texas. THe store sold most of its inventory within a few weeks as oil rich Texans were looking for places to spend their money. By the 1920s-1930s Neiman Marcus began expanding into jewelry as it meshed nicely for their clients. Original Neiman Marcus designed and crafted pieces can be found from time to time. The extravagance continued in all things including jewelry when, in 1952, Stanley Marcus introduced extravagant and unusual gifts in each year's Christmas catalog. The idea was sparked when a journalist discussed with Marcus on air if the store would be offering anything unusual that might interest his radio listeners. Marcus invented on the spot the idea of selling a live Black Angus bull accompanied by a sterling silver barbecue cart. After the interview and press they altered the catelog to offer the bull and sterling BBQ for $1925. Neiman Marcus continued to make headlines for years and in November 2013 they discovered a 25-carat rough diamond off Namibia's coast, which was valued with a reserve price tag of $1.85 million. The diamond was referred to as the "Nam Diamond".
To learn more about jewelry designers check out a Makers Biographies section. Non-fungible tokens (NFT) are digital assets that represent a wide range of unique tangible and intangible items. They are changing the world from sports cards to virtual real estate and to even jewelry. We are one of the first companies in the jewelry industry to get in on the NFT space and early.
The main benefit of owning a digital collectible versus a physical collectible like a is that each NFT contains distinguishing information that makes it both distinct from any other NFT and easily verifiable. This makes the creation and circulation of fake collectibles pointless because each item can be traced back to the original issuer. So in certain high value pieces owning the NFT for that piece can be important. For example any of our photos we are able to convert to NFT's for you should you purchase a piece from us for an additional charge you can buy the rights to those photos. Some important things about NFT's that make them attractive to own as a part of purchasing a piece from us:
In 1896 in Paris France Salomon Arpels and his son-in-law Alfred Van Cleef founded the trailblazing brand in fine jewelry. Van Cleef & Arpels baubles have long been coveted by royals, celebrities and other members of high society. The brand even patented the “Mystery Setting”, which is a proprietary technique that allows the prongs of a jewelry piece to be nearly invisible. VCA's unique offerings make many of their pieces in a league of their own.
That being said creating such beautiful items attracts the attentions of copycats and counterfeiters. Though some do make a fairly convincing imitation, there are usually different tells that one can look for to identify a fake. We will try to outline some of them as we have been writing a book for about 12 years on counterfeit jewelry such as VCA, Cartier, Winston etc. One thing to note is these tells are based on our experience and opinion and are not to be taken as advice. We recommend sending the items to Van Cleef and Arpels for authentication for more guaranteed results however this is a paid service (the cost is around $2000 we were told but cannot guarantee the accuracy) Our methods are meant as a guide, and not a foolproof security measure, they will definitely help you separate a genuine piece from a counterfeit VCA piece however they are not perfect. Some counterfeits can be easier to spot than others, so thorough inspection and caution are highly advised. Trademarks, Hallmarks, Serials, Styles, Local There are three main things that become important in identifying a genuine versus counterfeit vca piece.
*Always look at the entire piece. The quality of build and quality of stones. VCA pieces are coveted because of their quality. Cost If you've found a Van Cleef & Arpels piece that's being sold for an uncharacteristically low price its likely because it isn't real. There are price differences from store to store and online shop to online shop, but when comparing prices, they are mostly very close in price. If a price is much lower its likely not correct. The price tag is high for a reason, VCA makes quality. Quality, design, reputation, and skill are all reflected in the cost of each piece. Quality Van Cleef & Arpels is crafted by hand with high quality materials and techniques. There is a great amount of time and labor that goes into each piece, you will understand why a Van Cleef & Arpels is coveted. Each piece should be outstanding. So if anything about the piece is of doubt its best to pass. There should be no gap between stones, all stones should be cut to perfection. Diamonds with easily noticeable inclusions are not VCA pieces. Serial numbers, hallmarks and trademarks should be smooth and legible, very very rarely crooked or sloppy. Consider the Source Certain preowned websites and even local jewelers may need extra caution and attention. Fraudulent sellers love websites and they make it easy for them to sell, with false information, photoshopped or stolen photos, etc. Many times your item arrives and is not what you ordered, is clearly a fake, or worse yet, you shell out money for authentication only to be told it's not an authentic piece later on. ALWAYS shop with a reputable, honest seller, with EXPERT KNOWLEDGE, also with an excellent record. Buying from a trusted jeweler very much increases the chance of you securing an authentic piece of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. NOTE: a local jeweler may not have the experience with buying or selling a VCA piece. They may be an expert of their craft however doing business with a company that has experience with buying and selling VCA daily may be a better direction to consider. We constantly review both genuine and counterfeit pieces. In fact we have been tracking counterfeiters progress for approximately 12 years documenting signatures and tells. Note: These notes are just our opinions and experience and in no way are any advice in buying or selling piece. We are serious buyers and sellers of all things Van Cleef and Arpels. Our experience is vast from Alhambra collection pieces, to custom one of a kind pieces, and even watches. Should you have a piece to sell we are serious buyers and have collectors all over the world who are personal friends and clients of ours this helps to make sure you are getting top dollar for your pieces. If you are looking for an authentic VCA piece we are happy to help. Opal is the product of water that drenched dry ground in regions such as Australia’s semi-desert “outback.” The showers soaked deep into ancient underground rock, carrying dissolved silica downward. The silica spheres deposit and during dry periods, the water evaporates leaving deposits of silica in between layers of underground sedimentary rock. The silica deposits form opal.
Opal is known for its unique display of flashing rainbow colors called play-of-color. There are two broad classes of opal: precious opal and common opal. Precious opal displays play-of-color, common opal does not. Play-of-color occurs in precious opal because it’s made up of silica spheres which have stacked in a grid-like pattern. As light-waves travel between the spheres, the waves diffract, or bend. As they bend, they break up into the colors of the rainbow, called spectral colors. Play-of-color is the result. Although gem opals can be divided into many different categories, five of the main types are:
Did you know? In 1829 The novel “Anne of Geierstein” gave opal a reputation of being unlucky but actually is only unlucky if you haven't purchased yourself some! Calculating the value of an opal is actually quite complex as many factors go into valuation of an opal
As internationally recognized opal experts we are serious buyers of opals. In fact we currently have opals on display in museums! If you have loose, or mounted opal in jewelry we would love the opportunity to evaluate it! We are often asked "How do I find out the purity of my gold?" or "How do I test the quality of my gold?."
Lets start with the basics:
Here we discuss a few different methods used widely to test the purity of gold. There are a number of different ways jewelers use to check the purity of gold.
Here at Velvet Box Society we use ALL of these methods in house and verify our materials in different ways based on subject matter. With the volatility in the price of gold and other precious metals, we cannot afford the time or the potential inaccuracies to not check every single piece. So if you should have items you wish to sell we'd be happy to assist in the matter. For more information contact us directly as we offer this service for dealers as well as the public! We get a lot of inquires from customers regarding buying old jewelry. YES WE BUY ALL JEWELRY, COINS, GEMSTONES, DIAMONDS, and WATCHES. So I thought this will be a good blog topic to cover and provide solid tips to our customers and readers on how to effectively sell gold jewelry.
We welcome the opportunity to evaluate your items. Whether you are a dealer, a retired jeweler, or the public we are happy to help. |