Always Buy Good Jewelry Design

Queen Victoria's coronation ring

Queen Victoria had smaller hands then her predecessor, King William IV, so her carnation ring of a large sapphire, rubies and diamonds was made just for her. She left the ring to the Crown. It is part of the Crown Jewels.

Big rare Ceylon blue sapphires are rare in nature, making them expensive. What a shame to cover it up with rubies and close it off with diamonds. I wouldn't do a thing to this ring to preserve history. The ring has much British symbolism, but a better setting would show off the loveliness of all the magnificent top-notch stones.

As commoners much lower on the wage-food-chain, we don't have the luxury of poor jewelry design. A piece of fine jewelry we save up to buy becomes a waste if we don't love and wear it. What's more, many of us can't afford big, perfect stones. So the most important factor to consider is good jewelry design. How the stones are set and arranged matter. 

Don't worry. When you see good jewelry design you recognize it!

And guess what? With good design, less perfect stones can look stunning. A ring sparkles on a finger. Earrings glitter on the ears. A splurge without emptying a wallet is possible for a savvy shopper! So trust your eyes and your gut. Only buy what you love.

Diamonds (made of carbon) rate a 10 on the Mohl Scale of Stone Hardness. Sapphires (blue corundum, a mineral made of alumina and oxygen) and rubies (red corundum) are a 9, while emeralds (made of beryllium) rate an 8. All are hard enough for jewelry. Diamonds are common and plentiful in nature. Sapphires are rarer, followed by rubies, then emeralds. You should buy the gem you love not what costs the most. Why? Because jewelry is not an investment. And diamonds are not rare, but a demand created by marketing, beginning in the 1930s. Once you pay for a diamond ring and bring it home, it loses about half of its value.

The ruby and diamond pendent, belonging to Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, a gift from her grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Ruby and diamond pendent neckless created for Macy's. Not nearly as pricey as the Queen's, (the ruby and diamonds are smaller and less perfect),  yet beautiful.

Still  jewelry with good design looks gorgeous. Gems catch the light and sparkle when the work of nature (which takes 1000s of years) is improved by a skillful human hand.



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