Notes & stories
The School of Fine Jewelry
lessons in antique & vintage jewelry
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What Is Spinel? The Great Impostor That Fooled Kings
Spinel spent centuries being mistaken for ruby, and the twentieth century being the stone in half of Sweden's pale blue gold rings. A dealer explains...
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Get Oldmine on Your Home Screen
Did you know the shop can live on your home screen just like an app? No app store, no downloads - here is how, in...
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Lab-Created Sapphires in Antique Jewelry: A Century of Man-Made Stones
Lab created sapphires have been set in real jewelry since 1902 - old enough to be antiques themselves. How they were used, how to spot...
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The Classic Pieces Every Jewelry Collection Needs
Nine pieces that never date and never sit unworn, drawn from what actually leaves my cases. The solid chain, the bangle, the old band and...
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Heart Jewelry Meaning: Witch's Hearts, Padlocks and Puffy Hearts
Witch's hearts, padlock hearts, puffy hearts - every era drew the oldest love symbol its own way. What each one means and when it was...
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How to Spot Reproduction Antique Jewelry: A Dealer's Checklist
Construction, wear, findings, stones, hallmarks - the checklist I run through before I believe any piece is old.
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Opals in Antique Jewelry: Fire, Water and How to Live With Them
No other stone carries light the way an opal does, and none is more misunderstood. The types, the care rules and what to buy.
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Rubies in Antique Jewelry: The Red Stone Kings Fought Over
Kings fought over them and Burma set the standard. Ruby quality, the synthetic question in vintage pieces, and how to buy well.
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The History of the Engagement Ring: From Rome to the Diamond Solitaire
Two thousand years before the diamond solitaire there were iron rings, posy rings and fede hands. The whole story, era by era.
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Platinum in Antique Jewelry: The Metal That Made Edwardian Lace Possible
The metal that made Edwardian lace and Art Deco geometry possible, then disappeared into the war effort. How to recognize it and live with it.
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What Is Mid-Century Jewelry? The Golden Decades of 1950-1975
Heavy chains, sculptural bangles and Scandinavian goldsmiths at the top of their game. A dealer on the golden decades of 1950-1975.
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What Is Retro Jewelry? Big Gold, Bows and Hollywood (1935-1950)
Big sculptural gold, bows and tank bracelets - the glamour Hollywood kept up while gold was rationed. How to know Retro when you see it.
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