Stories of Gems

Besides my wedding ring, there’s another piece of jewelry I wear daily – earrings! In my opinion, they’re one of the most versatile kinds...

Today, watches and jewelry are often grouped together, sold together at department store counters and combined in lots at auctions. Beautiful timepieces and beautiful gemstones have a lot in common - attention to detail and superb craftsmanship. But it wasn't always that way. Watches have a unique history, their connection to wartime and how we came to wear them on our wrists. You may think wristwatches are a thing of the past, because now you have your phone. But don't forge

I bet you didn’t know that today is Appreciate a Dragon Day! Yes, indeed, every January 16th has been decreed (by who, I wonder?) to...

Today, Estee Lauder is up for my Women of Influence (for Women’s History Month) series. She’s another cosmetics maven. And if you’ve ever...

Alright, gem gals, my Women of Influence series (for Women’s History Month) continues with the amazing Helena Rubenstein. She originally...

Today I want to debut a new feature that I’m calling “7 questions.” Basically, I plan to ask jewelry stores and/or jewelry designers the...

I know you probably didn’t think there would be a link between jewelry and walking on the moon, but I’m here to tell you THERE IS! If you...

Lab grown diamonds are here, gem gals! And they’re pretty amazing. I mean, they are diamonds, after all! If you are thinking of getting a...

Today is Mary Todd Lincoln’s birthday, and while you may not know anything about her, trust me when I tell you she LOVED jewelry! Mary...

So many times, I hear actors on the red carpet gush about their jewelry, and then the name – Harry Winston. He seems responsible for decking out a ton of Hollywood ladies and I got to wondering – who is this guy?! So, it turns out Harry Winston is not actually alive anymore. His company is still around, though, and that’s what people are referring to. The man himself died in 1978. <img class=" wp-image-5361 lazyload" src="https://valthegemgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/h

I just saw Ocean’s 8 so stealing jewelry is on my mind. Then I read about the brazen theft of the Swedish Crown Jewels. Two thieves grabbed the jewels in broad daylight and sped off in a motorboat! Wow! And the police still haven’t found them. I love heist movies for some good escapism, but at the end of the day, stealing is not the kind of activity I want to root for. Most of the time, your robbers are not nearly as handsome as George Clooney or Brad Pitt and the tricks are

Oh, Meghan! I’m so excited to have an American join the royal family! I was a complete royal nerd, and streamed the royal wedding on my...

We are past the World War II era, but we’re still talking about beautiful bird pins that tell a story. Today, I’ll tell you about a...