Continuing our month-long focus on April’s beloved birthstone, the diamond, it’s no secret that the media (both today and in days past) loves a good love story. So when a celeb engagement makes the news, everyone waits with baited breath to see “THE” ring. (We’re guilty too – just last week we showed you John Cena’s […]
Imperial Easter Eggs A Fabergé egg is a jeweled egg created by the House of Fabergé. Virtually all of these famous collectibles were manufactured under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé between 1885 and 1917. The first Fabergé egg was crafted for Tsar Alexander III, who had decided to give his wife, the Empress Maria […]
After the initial excitement of your engagement, or as you shop for your ring, you may find yourself wondering when the custom of giving a ring first began. And why? Anthropologists believe the tradition originated from a Roman custom – wives wore rings attached to small keys, indicating their husbands’ ownership. Others cite a true origin […]
Why Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend It probably has something to do with the fact that diamonds are the most popular gemstone in the world. The saying itself comes from a song of the same name featured in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Marilyn Monroe’s version, from the film version of Gentlemen […]
Watch as John Cena proposes to Nikki Bella: And we must say, the ring was quite the stunner! Congratulations John & Nikki! Interested in more stories like this? Join Us On Social Media. We send periodic email announcements and a monthly newsletter with clips […]
March’s Birthstone: Aquamarine Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater and it was said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. March’s birthstone was also thought to enhance the happiness of marriages. The best gems combine high clarity with limpid transparency and blue to slightly greenish blue hues. Like many beryls, aquamarine […]
Last week we talked about February’s Birthstone, the amethyst. Take a look at some of these stunning examples of Amethyst Jewelry over the years. An Egyptian Amethyst necklace featuring an 8th century BC. inscription. The use of amethyst in Egypt dates back as far back as 3100 B.C. The Egyptians primary source for their supply […]
The diversity and culture in NYC is one of the many reasons we are proud to call this vibrant city home. It was a day of romance in Times Square yesterday – proposals, weddings and vow renewal ceremonies. Couples from around the world made promises and kicked off engagements during an all day-long event hosted by the Times Square […]
While some people have had their plans in place for months, there are others of us who are starting to get a little nervous. After all, Valentine’s Day is in only SIX days, and there’s a lot of pressure to make it the perfect evening for your significant other. If you are one of the […]
Dark Beginnings Far from today’s flowers, jewelry & romance, Valentine’s Day history includes much darker topics, including beheadings, martyred saints, and pagan rituals. While the exact origins of Valentine’s Day remain murky, some historians consider the Ancient Roman feast Lupercalia, held from February 13 to 15, the holiday’s earliest iteration. During the festivities, Roman priests […]
Chocolates or roses might nice, but a special piece of jewelry can communicate just how special your significant other is to you. Following are some guidelines to help you choose the perfect Valentine’s Day Jewelry Gift. First, don’t feel relegated to just buying diamonds. Valentine’s Day, being customarily associated with the color red, is a great fit for rubies or […]
When it comes to pearls, most people, including myself think of very well behaved girls, grandmothers and the 50’s. Lately though, designers have been breathing new life into pearls (thankfully) and incorporating them into funkier, bolder designs so we can all take advantage of a little beauty secret our mothers and grandmothers are all well […]
You are probably aware that diamonds are used for purposes other than jewelry. Because diamonds are so hard and durable, they are ideal for grinding, cutting, drilling, and polishing. When used as an abrasive, very small pieces of diamond are embedded into grinding wheels, saw blades, or drill bits. Diamonds are also believed to enhance the […]
Teleprompter glitches and political statements certainly gained plenty of attention during last night’s Golden Globe Awards. While fashion, kissing and of course the winners and losers were getting plenty of attention in the Social Media space, we were paying attention to the sparkle and shine behind the scenes – the jewelry! Necklaces, rings, and earrings became […]
Gifts That Sparkle Will Speak To Her Heart At Grants Jewelry, we know diamonds. The Diamond Essentials Collection means everyday luxury – pieces you can wear anywhere, anytime. Diamonds are expertly selected, ensuring a perfect piece suited for giving or receiving. Complete her jewelry collection with one of the pieces below! Diamond Studs: Your Everyday Go-To […]
OK, so maybe size does matter, at least when it comes to diamonds. Seemingly, larger than life diamonds are in the news (and on the auction block) much more frequently these days. Earlier this year, we saw the Lesedi La Rona, the largest diamond found in the past hundred years go up for auction. The Lesedi, […]
The mere thought of losing a valuable piece of jewelry – whether the value is monetary, sentimental, or both – is enough to make most women cringe. Unfortunately for one NYC woman, that was the reality last week. After preparing Thanksgiving Dinner for her family, this woman realized that her engagement ring and wedding band […]
December’s birthstones offer three ways to fight the winter blues: tanzanite, zircon and turquoise – all of them best known for beautiful shades of blue. These gems range from the oldest on earth (zircon), to one of the first mined and used in jewelry (turquoise), to one of the most recently discovered (tanzanite). Tanzanite is an exquisite […]
With sparkling lights & a festive atmosphere, it’s no wonder that December is one of the most popular times of year to get engaged. If you are planning a holiday proposal, you might want to consider on of the following iconic NYC locations – they are among the most favored backdrops for popping the question. At […]
Announcing special pricing on Diamond Essentials for the Holidays! A new special sale item will be featured each week. This week – Diamond Studs! Diamond Essentials are classic pieces of jewelry that complement every jewelry collection. Diamond Studs, Diamond Hoops, Tennis Bracelets, Diamond Necklaces & Pendants – pieces that go from everyday to evening […]
The gems that I use to create stunning jewelry can be equally stunning in their natural state. The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, one of the world’s preeminent natural history museums, has just opened David Friend Hall, a state-of-the-art gem and mineral gallery that will showcase those natural pieces. The beauty offered in the new display […]
An 11.00 carat Brownish Orange piece of rough diamond was discovered by a farmer in the Central African Republic years ago, but he couldn’t have foreseen that it would one day become one of the rarest and most expensive Natural Fancy Vivid Orange diamonds in the world. The piece of rough diamond ended up being […]
Australian mines were the origin of the most famous opals in history. The Olympic Australis At 11 inches long, 4 ¾ inches tall and 4 ½ inches wide, the Olympic Australis is the largest gem opal in the world. It weighs 17,000 carats (3.45 kg). The Olympic Australis was found in 1956 at a mine […]
Opal is the national gemstone of Australia and the birthstone for the month of October. The most striking feature of opal is the ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of colors. In fact, the term “opalescence” was coined to describe this phenomenon. The size and spacing of spheres of silica within the stone refract […]
Last week, as we tried on rings, necklaces and more during the Sapphire & Diamond Extravaganza, I was reminded that truly, this is such an enjoyable profession. There are many aspects that I enjoy. In this case, I’m referring to the fact that I haven’t met many women who don’t enjoy the opportunity to see what “that […]
We love a good proposal story. Luckily, our engagement ring customers frequently share those stories with us. A message in a fortune cookie, a surprise trip to Paris – Every story is another celebration of love. If you follow the local news, today you heard about a public proposal that almost went horribly wrong. From […]
Last week I attended a GIA Alumni Lecture, The Tale of the Blue Moon Diamond. The lecture was presented by Alan Bronstein, a Colored Diamond Expert. Alan sets uncompromising standards for qualifying and sourcing the most rare and beautiful diamonds for discerning collectors and connoisseurs worldwide. With all the attention to Fancy Colored Diamonds earlier this […]
We’ve been busy this August, enhancing grantsjewelry.com and planning for fall events! As the summer winds down, here’s a quick preview of what we have planned for September. All About Sapphires Sapphire, the September birthstone, has been popular since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm. This birthstone […]
Congratulations on your engagement! As a newly-engaged bride-to-be, we’re sure that practical and time-consuming tasks like purchasing engagement ring insurance are far less exciting than searching for the perfect wedding dress or planning a dreamy honeymoon. However, if your engagement ring falls off into the ocean while you are working on your summer tan you’ll wish you […]
What is the GIA? Established in 1931, The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is considered the world’s foremost authority in gemology. They are present in 13 countries, with 10 campuses, 4 research centers, and 9 grading laboratories. The GIA is a nonprofit institution dedicated to continuous education and research in the field of gems and […]
Red is the color of love. It radiates warmth and a strong sense of vitality, and is associated with passion and power. Red is also the color of the ruby, the king of the gemstones, and July’s birthstone. For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. […]
Did you know that if you are a June baby, you have three birthstones from which to choose? Pearl, moonstone and alexandrite. But since pearls are the first gems ever known to man, we have chosen to focus on pearls alone in celebration of all those June birthdays out there. Pearls are associated with […]
Whether you’ve had an idea in your head for years or you’ve found an existing design and want to add your own personal twist, our custom jewelry design process will ensure pieces that you will never want to take off. People might create custom jewelry for weddings and engagements, one of a kind gifts, or family heirlooms. At Grants Jewelry, every piece we […]
Why are pearls considered the world’s most mysterious of gems? Because of their origin and the manner in which they are formed. Pearls come from shell fish, the most common of which is the oyster. When a grain of sand enters and irritates the soft part of the oyster, a new substance is formed called […]
Fancy colored diamonds are not the only jewelry you’ll find on the auction block these days. Joan Rivers’ private collection of accessories, jewelry and home decor is up for sale online from June 16 to 23 and via live auction on June 22 in NYC. Among the items up for grabs are diamond brooches, amethyst […]
Black diamonds, also known as black industrial diamonds, owe their color to minor inclusions and random particles in the stone, rather than the trace elements of nitrogen and hydrogen which give color to most diamonds. They have a unique sheen that seems to come from total darkness, as pure black diamonds completely absorb light, rather […]
The “Cullinan Dream,” the largest and most expensive fancy intense blue diamond ever sold at auction, fetched $25.3 million Thursday at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale. The Cullinan Dream is the largest of the four gems cut from the 122.52 ct rough blue diamond discovered in 2014 at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. […]
The “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond sold recently for more than 56.8 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) including fees, crushing the previous record for the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction. Capping a lively and even laughter-filled auction at Christie’s, the hammer came down to applause as the 14.62-carat stone, billed as the largest Vivid Blue diamond […]
In this age of synthetic, lab-grown diamonds, transparency is critical. Lab-created diamonds are chemical clones of their mined counterparts, so tracking and authentication must take place at every step of the process. Synthetic diamonds are man-made diamonds grown in a lab with the same chemical, physical and optical properties and structure of natural diamonds. Aside […]
You never know what you’ll find at the bottom of the sea. A couple of divers in the ancient Israeli port of Caesarea brought up some items from the seabed last month, leading to the discovery of a treasure trove of bronze statues, coins and other artifacts that went down with a cargo ship 1,600 […]
The Lesedi la Rona weighs 1,109 carats. This massive tennis-ball sized rough diamond, the second largest ever unearthed, is expected to fetch $70 million at auction this summer. Found by the Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana late last year, the stone has since been named Lesedi la Rona, which mean “our light” in Tswana, the […]
Christie’s The Jubilee Ruby, a 15.99 ct. Burmese ruby and diamond ring, sold for $14,165,000 Christie’s set a record for the most expensive colored gemstone sold at auction in the United States with its sale of the Jubilee Ruby (pictured) on April 20 in New York. The 15.99 ct. Burmese ruby and diamond ring by Verdura […]
A 9.54 carat natural blue diamond ring that belonged to Shirley Temple will go up for auction today. It has an estimated pre-sale price of $25 million-35 million. http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/videos/2016/03/shirley-temples-blue-diamond-takes-centre-stage.html
This is a beautiful hand engraved ring made in NYC by my master engraver friend Sergey. A G.I.A. laser inscribed diamond. Most G.I.A. graded diamonds are laser engraved on the girdle. A quote from Rosa Parks engraved on the edge of a commemorative coin. A picture of Queen Elizabeth on a spec of gold […]
writes our religion correspondent
Beautiful Wild Flowers in Death Valley
The Chinese New Year of the Fire Monkey will start on February 8, 2016-the second New Moon after the Solstice. Following twelve months of the dignified and sure footed Goat, the New Year of the Monkey is going to shake, rattle and roll! Even though the monkey is impatient and scattered brained, he has a […]
Beautiful hearts for a beautiful woman!! Happy Valentines Days!
Tuesday morning view of Central Park Reservoir. It’s a glorious day in New York City and lots happening at Grants Jewelry. Is there something we can do for you? Give us a call, send an email. We are here to help with all your jewelry matters. Have a great day!!
Susan is working hard (or hardly working!) at the JA NY Summer Fine Jewelry Show. “There are so many new designs coming out this season, I am excited to be part of this industry. I have my eyes on large pearls today.
Susan and Jennifer attended the Luxury “Prive” Jewelry Show at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. There they met with some of the finest jewelry manufacturers in the world. The new big rage…alexandrite. A sensational feature about Alexandrite is its surprising ability to change its colour. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of […]
