I'm Valerie Bound, a gemologist and jewelry historian based in the Pacific Northwest. This blog is where I chart my obsession with gems and jewelry. ​My determination to learn everything about all the pretty things I love led to me to become an official gemologist (GG, GIA). That taught me about gems, where they come from, how we value them, and how to tell a ruby from a spinel. But the making of the jewelry, the inspiration, the collectors, the history, all that was learned elsewhere. I went to antique shows, jewelry conferences, museums, and anywhere else I could learn. Soon museum curators and jewelry appraisers and store owners became good friends.​So go ahead. Look around. Explore. The stories I've learned are now yours.

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