Notes & stories
The School of Fine Jewelry
lessons in antique & vintage jewelry
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What Is a Buttercup Setting?
I explain the buttercup setting - the little golden flower that held a century of solitaires - when it was popular, and how to tell...
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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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What Is a Pinky Ring? The Finger That Carries the Family
Three sets of initials cut into 23K gold in Sweden in 1900, on a ring sized for the finger that traditionally carried them. Antique Signet...
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Wedding Band vs Engagement Ring: Which Is Which, and Which Goes First
Heavy 23K, engraved all the way round, and made to be worn for fifty years without being thought about. Heavy Old Engraved Wedding Band, 23K...
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What Does a Ring on Each Finger Mean?
A French lily in ruby and diamond from around 1900, made for a hand that would be looked at. Antique French Lily Ring, ruby and...
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Why Are Antique Rings So Small? Myth and Fact
Discover why so many antique rings run small, and learn the real mix of bodies, fashion, melting pots and resizing history behind those tiny sizes.
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What Is a Solitaire Ring? One Stone, the Whole Argument
I'll show you why one stone alone became the ring world's most enduring idea, and how to spot a truly good antique solitaire.
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What Is a Three Stone Ring? Past, Present and Future on One Finger
Discover what past, present and future really mean on a three stone ring, and why antique trilogies in old cuts still outshine anything new.
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How Tight Should a Ring Fit? The Feel of a Correct Fit
Learn what a correct ring fit truly feels like, how your knuckle and finger base can disagree, and how sizing beads quietly fix a ring...
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What Is a Promise Ring? A Very Old Idea With a New Name
Discover where promise rings truly began, what they mean today, and why an antique one says it best.
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What Is a Stacking Ring? The Art of Wearing Several at Once
Learn why slim antique bands make the best stacking rings, how to mix metals and eras without clashing, and the quarter-size trick that keeps a...
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What Is a Cluster Ring? Small Stones, Big Presence
Learn why a handful of small diamonds can outshine one big stone, and how to check an antique cluster ring's stones and settings before she...
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