Jewelry

[Oznell]

I have not much "valuable" jewelry at all (predictably, even my taste in jewelry runs to vintage costume jewelry, art deco, ha) but have definite preferences in jewels, and love to read about them.

I tend to like cabochon cuts and gems that are somehow organic.  Pearls, lapis, old, oversize cameos, amber, garnets, mother of pearl, ametrine, green tourmaline, turquoise,  blue onyx.  I like things with "markers" or flaws, and irregular shapes.

Have a special affinity for "brown" stones--  leopard jasper, rutilated quartzes, tigereye, coffee obsidian.

Favorite book on jewelry:    "Famous Jewelry Collectors",  by Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes.  Luscious, close-up photos of the legendary gems of Merle Oberon, the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, Helena Rubenstein, Paulette Goddard, etc.

Elizabeth Taylor's book on jewelry is great, also.

What do you like?

[Gram W]

@Oznell. I am 72 so have been collecting for many years.  My mother and her mother shared some pieces with me before they passed.   I prefer my statement and organic gemstone pieces.  My husband and I stopped at many shows over the years.  We purchased organic pieces because we liked the design and natural shapes of the stones.  We never gave a thought to future monetary value.

 Now a retired widow I have purchased a book on gemstones to learn more about the stones I have.  Thank goodness I had kept most of those pieces in their original box so I now know what they are.  I did not realize I had so much.  So glad I started this project.  I am logging the information for my DIL and organizing in jewerly boxes.  I am sharing with the girls now and they will get the rest later.  It is a pleasure seeing them enjoy wearing my pieces.  Now all unpacked I am enjoying pieces I forgot I had.  

I now have arthritis in my hands.  This has made it hard for me to put on my gold and silver chains and bracelets.  Also those chains are delicate and small in size.  I have babies in our family and their little hands love to play with necklaces and earrings.  I have purchased a couple of magnetic findings from QVC to use on my chains and they work well.  They are larger than the chains but are hidden by my hair.

I enjoy reading books on old jewerly and seeing how styles have changed over the eras.  I will take a look at the book you mentioned.  Thank you for sharing this.

[rickiraccoon]

I inherited a lot of jewelry and loose gem stones from my mother. They're fun to pull out and admire every once in a while but I have know idea what I'll do with all of it. But my most favorite gem is the blue diamond, I can't help it just love them. That's what I wear and buy mostly. It doesn't bother me that they're "enhanced" I just think they're pretty and my all time favorite.

[Oznell]

geller girl, you express a jewelry "philosophy" that I am in sync with--  I also would purchase without concern for monetary value.  Only get what you love!  What a neat project to be organizing and categorizing items that you want to go to various family members.  I would find that fun also, as I like to imagine which relatives would most appreciate which items.  And in the meantime, you get to enjoy them fully...

[Oznell]

rickiracoon--  Blue diamonds!  They are beautiful and the blue sparkles like no other blue stone.  I think of them as very ethereal.  How lucky to have your mother's things...

[SANNA]

Rubies,SB turquoise,pearls, garnets, diamonds,smokey quartz 

[Oznell]

Sanna, love those.  Several of them combine beautifully together, too...

[Carolm]

Gemstones -- a subject near and dear to my heart! I started collecting about ten years ago and I now have a wonderful granddaughter to pass them on to, when she gets a little older.  There are so many beautiful gemstones, and I love a lot of them.  I agree with #Oznell, blue diamonds are gorgeous.  Another gemstone I love is tsavorite garnet.  I have a Burmese ruby that really does glow, and I love mystic topaz and amathysts even though they are relatively inexpensive.  And, over the years, I've developed a preference for precision cut stones, such as cushion cut and a shield cut, and a portuguese cut.  So many to choose and not enough money!

[MyGirlsMom]

diamonds - tanzanite and pearls

[sunshine 919]

I love blue sapphires, because they are my birthstone. However I just saw colleen present a watermelon quartz doublet that is absolutely gorgeous.  I think I like all of them.  Whenever I watch a jewelry show I find that I like many different stones.