Wow. Okay, here goes: this is a modified cushion-cut 9-carat fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond, set in platinum with single-cut diamond prongs, gallery, and shoulders. The color is natural, and the stone is GIA-certified to be a Type IIa, which (as you’ll remember from my past ravings about Golconda diamonds) means it's the most chemically pure and transparent form of diamond. The Type IIa designation is common to famous stones such as the Cullinan I (a.k.a. the Great Star of Africa) and the Koh-i-noor, both of which are part of the British Crown Jewels. READ MORE

Many people don’t realize that sapphire comes in all sorts of colors, not just blue. Sapphire is the gem form of the mineral corundum, and depending on other elements within the stone, it can also be pink, yellow, green — or even red (but if it’s red, it’s a ruby!). Padparadscha is the rarest, most desirable — and most valuable — form of sapphire around. The demand is due to the beautiful color, which is a delicate mix of orange and pink. READ MORE

Back in 1867, a Venetian Marquis by the name of Pietro Selvatico established an art school in Padua, Italy. While The Istituto Statale d'Arte Pietro Selvatico was essentially a vocational school, Selvatico — who was himself an architect and art critic — didn’t just want the students to learn how to churn out items on a production line, he wanted them to gain an intellectual mastery of their craft as well. The school maintained this well-rounded approach to education, particularly in the second half of the 20th century, through professors such as Mario Pinton, a great champion of the use of gold when it was considered unfashionable, and Francesco Pavan, one of Pinton's former students and a master of geometrical forms. Under Pinton, Pavan, and others, the students at the institute were encouraged to treat jewelry as sculpture, and their unconventional work eventually drew international attention. These goldsmiths and jewelers came to be known collectively as the “The Padua School,” and a large exhibit featuring their work recently travelled the world. One of those former students is Marco Rigovacca, who designed this 18k gold “Javelin” earring in 1986. READ MORE

This brooch is so beautiful I’m tempted to just leave it here, with no explanation, nothing. Just look at it. READ MORE

This gorgeous Arts & Crafts pendant is attributed to Sarah Madeleine Martineau (1872-1972), a successful, unmarried jewelry designer working in London in the early 1900s. She was a member of the Sir John Cass Arts and Crafts Society, which was comprised of past and present students of the Sir John Cass Technical Institute in London. It was at the Institute that Martineau learned metalsmithing, and she began to show and sell her work in various galleries and exhibitions, and was eventually featured in Studio magazine. READ MORE

Right now there’s a great exhibit, “International Art Jewelry 1895-1925,” on view at the Forbes Galleries in New York. The exhibit focuses on the emergence of “art” jewelry in the late 19th century — a time of great change, when artists and designers throughout the world were being driven by a desire to create something fresh and new (including this gorgeous morning glory pendant). Their designs often took on individual characteristics specific to their country, and the resulting styles became known by various names: Arts and Crafts, Glasgow Style, Art Nouveau, etc. A common thread runs through them all, however, and this exhibit aims to expose that commonality by gathering examples from all over the world, so that the art jewelry movement can be seen as a whole. The exhibit opened on October 29 and runs through March 17, 2012. (Image: Morning Glory Brooch/Pendant, Marcus & Co., American c. 1900. Plique-à-jour, gold. Siegelson, New York.) Definitely worth a visit. READ MORE

OK, so I’m sure you guys have heard about the big Elizabeth Taylor jewelry auction, right? The pieces are going on exhibit in Los Angeles on October 13-16, but tickets have already sold out. After that they’ll make appearances in Dubai, Geneva, Paris, and Hong Kong, before finally landing in New York for an exhibit at Christie’s from December 3-12. The serious jewels (80 in total) will then go up for auction in an evening sale on December 13. Other auctions will follow, including lesser jewels, clothing, memorabilia, and paintings. READ MORE

Archibald Knox (1864-1933) was one of the giants of the British Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau design movements, and his history is deeply intertwined with that of Liberty & Co., the great English department store. He was particularly known for his Celtic-style designs, which he first developed as a student on the Isle of Man. READ MORE

Circa the 1920s, this piece is a marriage of two different makers: Cartier and Mauboussin. It’s a pairing worthy of the filthiest fan fiction. READ MORE

A while back, I told you guys about suffragette jewelry and how it encompassed both everyday jewelry and more specific ornamentation directly related to the struggle. READ MORE