Stories of Gems

Today let's talk about one of the most influential jewelry design houses, Van Cleef and Arpels. A favorite of royalty and celebrities, they are known for their amazing craftsmanship. This fabulous French jewelry house was started with a marriage in 1896 between Alfred and Estelle. Both came from families in the jewelry industry. Alfred was the son of a stone cutter, and Estelle was the daughter of a gem dealer. These two loved jewelry and loved to travel. They had an eye for

Angelina Jolie donates citrine jewelry to the Smithsonian.

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