Blog — royalty

The World’s Most Famous Diamonds – Part 3 - The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

March 27, 2020 • Peter Lopez • diamonds • gems • historical jewelry • jewelry • royalty • the 4cs • The World's most Famous Diamonds

Laurence Graff purchased the Wittelsbach Diamond in 2008 for £16.4 million. In 2010, Graff revealed he had had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws. The diamond was now more than 4 carats lighter and was renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond.
There was controversy...

The History of the Diamond

February 20, 2020 • Peter Lopez • blog • carat • clarity • color • custom jewelry • custom jewelry design • cut • diamonds • facets • gems • gia • historical jewelry • jewelry • marquise • pear • round • royalty • the 4cs

DIAMONDS

Early history

Prior to the discovery of diamonds in Brazil in the 1700s, India was the only place where diamonds were mined. Early references to diamonds in India come from

A GoldSmith's workshop circa 1572

March 04, 2019 • Peter Lopez • bench jeweler • blog • carat • clarity • color • custom jewelry • custom jewelry design • cut • diamonds • emerald • facets • gems • gold • gold melting • historical jewelry • jewelry • jewelry manufacturing • journal • liquid gold • marquise • newsletter • painting • pear • platinum • round • royalty • the 4cs

The Studiolo was a room in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, where the paintings concealed the...

All February Babies are Amethyst Babies

February 16, 2019 • Peter Lopez • Amethyst • blog • carat • clarity • color • custom jewelry • cut • diamonds • emerald • facets • gems • historical jewelry • jewelry • marquise • newsletter • pear • round • royalty • the 4cs

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the ancient Greek ("not") and ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication. It is one of several forms of quartz. Amethyst is a semi-precious stone and is the traditional birthstone for February. Hardness is 7 in Mohs Scale Amethyst, the gemstone believed by ancient Greeks and Romans to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus, (the...