AC Appraisals 2021 Year in Review After the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations is over, after all the gifts have been opened, and after all the dishes have been washed, you can finally take a moment (hopefully a few) to relax. For me, the holidays mean spending time with family, visiting with friends, and …
#morethansparkle When we talk about jewellery, people immediately think of big shiny diamonds and a luxurious lifestyle. But jewellery is not just about the parts that make it up, the metal and the stones. As I have learned, the meaning of jewellery is the stories and most importantly, the memories. No matter the design, style, or VALUE, …
The crisp fall air welcomes warm sweaters, the fall rhapsody, and everything pumpkin spice. In the jewellery industry, the crisp fall air signals that the holidays are fast approaching, oh how nice. Workshops are teeming with repairs, new stock, and custom jewellery commissions. Just like a cup of your favourite pumpkin spice latte, the jeweller’s bench is filled …
Don’t forget-no on else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell. -Charles de Lint Storytelling has played an integral role in understanding and preserving culture. Stories have been told in many different forms including pictures painted by hand inside cave walls, in …
If your jewellery could talk, what stories would they tell? Read More »
DIAMOND, this simple seven letter word resonates with people all around the world. We associate diamonds with love, affection, and the eternal promise of marriage. Diamonds are often displayed as status symbols, especially when used to encrust miscellaneous everyday objects or mounted in a musician’s forehead (yes, that happened recently). In countries where diamonds are …
Dazed by Diamonds? Your 7 Diamond Questions, Answered Read More »
Part 3: So, what gemstone is this? Did you know that there are hundreds of natural gemstones that can be found all over the world? With that information, I am sure you can understand how challenging it can be to separate the various varieties. I regularly see pictures of jewellery being posting online with the …
Part 2: So, where can I sell it? Now that you know how much your jewellery is worth, you might want to sell it. But where? Between pawnshops, jewellers, auctions and online marketplaces, the options are endless. How and where you decide to sell your items depends on how quickly you need to sell and …
As a GIA Graduate Gemologist and Registered Master Valuer, I get the opportunity to see a variety of jewellery items. Many of these items come with appraisal questions such as “what is it worth?”, “where can I sell it?”, or “is this real?”? I am sure that at some point you have asked yourself at …
These days we are all searching for creative ways to escape from reality. With travel restrictions still in place, who would have ever thought a trip to the mailbox would take me on a wildly exciting journey through the animal kingdom. This beautifully curated book, aptly named “Beautiful Creatures” by Marion Fasel provides readers with …
Day 3: Historic Sapphire mines near Helena and the mineral rich area of Butte, Montana As you learned on Day 1 of our virtual journey, there are four main sapphire mining areas in Montana. We visited Bozeman to learn about Yogo sapphires mined from an underground hard rock mine. We also visited Gem Mountain in …