Suzy Landa in Store Tuesday!

 

Suzy Landa is a self proclaimed "refugee of the film business". She spent 15 years in the trenches before finding her true calling, making candy colored delights for the self-assured woman. 

We are lucky enough to have her full collection in store Tuesday, December 13th. So stop by and indulge yourself in this "sweet" collection.

 

Ultimate Proposal & Wedding in Oklahoma City!

Photo by Traina Photography

We are very excited to be participating in the upcoming "Your Ultimate Wedding" this January!  In the meantime, Von Wedding Films captured the proposal that our prospective groom, Michael Gulikers,  made to his future bride, Malorie Christian, last Friday night!  Balliet's provided Malorie's stunning gown and Moliere Bridal will provide Malorie's wedding gown for the January 13th nuptials.

Photo by Traina Photography

We were thrilled to provide the stunning engagement ring; a beautiful cushion cut diamond set in 18kt white gold and surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds! Malorie also wore beautiful diamond and white gold earrings and a bracelet by Memoire!







Cheryl Brown’s fabulous home in Heritage Hills provided the perfect backdrop for the proposal. Marianne's Rentals provided staging and will provide the spectacular table settings for next month's ceremony which will take place at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.



Fairytale Wedding Proposal from Von Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Temple St. Clair Honored at the 2011 ACE Awards

Our Temple St. Clair Trunk Show is tomorrow, and we want to congratulate Temple on being honored at the 2011 ACE Awards! She received the Hall of Fame Award in celebration of the 25th anniversary of her company. Cynthia Nixon, of Sex and the City fame, presented the award while wearing Temple St. Clair's 18kt Flower Cluster necklace. Temple was wearing one of our favorite pieces at the event:  the 18kt Large Tolomeo Pendant with Mixed Sapphires and Diamonds.

She was in great company as fellow honorees included: Rebecca Minkoff and Phillip Treacy.
Temple, we are all so proud of you and your accomplishments!  Keep up the good work!

Cynthia Nixon at the 2011 ACE Awards

Temple St. Clair at the 2011 ACE Awards

Images Courtesy of Temple St. Clair

Back to Basics

                                                         Back to Basics

Is there anything more quintessential Sarah Graham than stacking rings? We think not. And with tens of thousands of permutations, you can almost certainly be guaranteed that your stack will be unlike any other out there. But if the endless possibilities seem overwhelming, don’t despair…we are experts at narrowing down the choices and helping you hone in on your own perfectly unique stack.

18 K Yellow, White and Rose Gold and Oxidized Cobalt Chrome Stacking Rings with Black, White and Cognac Diamonds, from $125.

The Truth About SI3

If you've been shopping for a diamond lately, then you know how easy it is to be frustrated by the process depending on where you're shopping.  To make matters even more confusing, not every laboratory issuing diamond certificates uses the same grading standards.  Some laboratories even make up their own grades!

A case in point is the SI3 clarity grade.  Several years ago the Los Angeles location of the European Gem Lab (EGL) introduced the SI3 grade, a move undoubtedly aimed at garnering more business from wholesale and retail clients who couldn't sell a diamond without a certificate.  And who wants a cert that says a diamond they are buying is I1 (Included/Imperfect)?  Not many, hence the need to create a grade that would straddle the fence of SI2 and I1, all in the name of marketing.

The Accredited Gemologists Association defines a diamond graded as SI3 as "those which would normally have been graded as a very low SI2, almost I1."  The article went on to say that typical SI3 diamonds are those which contain approximately three or more inclusions which, if taken individually, might have warranted an SI2 grade but, taken collectively, would be graded SI3.

The bottom line is this:  The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created the current grading scale that is utilized by all Graduate Gemologists and Certified Gemologists today.  The GIA and the American Gem Society (AGS) are the only governing bodies in our industry that certify gemologists and issue diplomas accordingly, and neither organization recognizes the SI3 grade. 

When you buy a diamond, buy it for its beauty.  There are many beautiful I1 diamonds.  If you can barely see the inclusion without using a loupe, perhaps it can be hidden underneath a prong.   Buy your diamond from a reputable dealer who is a member of the American Gem Society or, at the very least, who carries certified and non-certified diamonds, can explain the differences between each, and will offer a minimum of 10 days to return the diamond, no questions asked, if you are not completely satisfied with your purchase.  This return period gives you the opportunity to have the grade verified by an independent, graduate gemologist and to make sure that the certificate, if one is issued, is valid.

And if your salesperson tells you that the diamond they are showing you is SI3...well, then, just know that not only will it NOT have a GIA or AGS certificate, but it's an I1.

Todd Reed is Here!

My store has always been known for carrying designer and "one-off pieces" of jewelry that aren't easily sourced elsewhere in Oklahoma and, sometimes, in most of the U.S.   During the past year, it became apparant that in addition to carrying some of the most spectacular engagement rings and wedding bands in the area, we needed to answer the needs of a growing group of people who want something truly unique and different. 

I've been watching the work of Boulder, Colorado jewelry designer, Todd Reed, for the past four years.  Todd has been making jewelry for 20 years and is entirely self-taught.  It wasn't until he saw a pile of rough diamonds about 10 years ago, though, that his inspiration really took off.  Todd is fascinated with the myriad of colors and shapes you find in rough diamonds.  He takes diamond material that used to be ground down and applied to drill bits and industrial saws and, with painterly precision, makes some of the most cool diamond jewelry available today. 

Todd doesn't just make engagement rings and wedding bands.  In fact, his fine fashion jewelry that is crafted from oxidized sterling silver and 18kt yellow gold and, sometimes, palladium, outsells the wedding ring merchanidise.  And whose to say you can't stack two of those crazy-gorgeous engagement center stone rings together for a "stacking" right hand ring?  Well, of course you can!

It's not just women who want something unique these days:  never a week goes by that the guys aren't asking for something almost bespoke.  I'm crazy for the way Todd channel sets rough, square diamonds in his men's bands.  Sometimes they're set on the edge of a band a la Brad Pitt for Damiani a few years ago, though Todd's take on it is, in my opinion, more interesting.  Sometimes they are set in a subtle curve around the diameter of a band, the diamonds varying in color just enough to make you look a second time.

Todd employs eight jewelers in his Boulder workshop, and they hand fabricate 98% of everything they make.  What does that mean?  It means that every piece is, in effect, one of a kind as no pre-cast molds are used to duplicate styles.  Does it take extra time to make jewelry that way?  Yes, it does.  But in a world where everybody is trying to do things faster and cheaper, I applaud the person who understands that the method of making a piece is critical to achieving the desired, artistic outcome.   

I hope all of you who can will come in and check out this entirely new catagory of merchandise in our showroom!

Moonstone Earrings and Rings from my Emotions Collection

Moonstone Pendant from my Emotions Collection

It is said moonstones have been imbued with mystical properties that extend the fabled powers of the moon into daytime.

Moonstones, gems named for their resemblance to the familiar glowing orb in the night sky, offer us more than mere beauty. Their association with moon goddesses throughout the world may explain why moonstones’ qualities seem to reach out to assist all those who find themselves under the moon’s light, from travelers and those at sea to lovers and dreamers. Throughout the world, moonstones have been imbued with mystical properties that extend the fabled powers of the moon into daylight hours.

In India, they are thought to give sweet, beautiful dreams by night but have gained a reputation for enhancing intuitive sensitivity and spiritual vision of the “third eye” at any time of the day. This connection to the subconscious was also recognized in the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was believed that gazing into a moonstone would cause you to fall into a deep sleep that allowed you to see the future. This extends to the power of fertility, where in Arabia, women sew moonstones into their garments to enhance their fertility. This association with fertility even extends to the fertility of crops, which is why moonstone amulets have been seen hanging in fruit trees before harvest. To further enhance the power of your moonstone, try putting them outside in the light of the full moon.

Moonstones, sometimes likened to a raindrop or tear, have long reminded people in Asia that the moon cannot be seen during the rain, just as it is difficult to see through our tears. By bringing love and abundance into our lives today and helping us to see the future, moonstones allow us to bring the hope of all good things into our lives.

source: www.dailyom.com

Temple St. Clair Moonstone "Bubble" Bracelet