Jewelry Blog

• As a mineral and gemstone, quartz has always been very popular among gem and mineral hobbyists and collectors, and the presence of colorful inclusions adds a special appeal and unique dimension to this widely enjoyed mineral.
• Recently, another unusual mineral was added to this growing collection of colorful inclusions in quartz. Transparent to translucent rock crystal hosting beautiful radial tufts of blue-to-green gilalite was discovered in mid 2003 in Paraiba, Brazil.
• When put under a microscope, these inclusions looked similar to jellyfish, or medusas rondeau, thus the name Medusa Quartz.

The IDL (International Diamond Laboratories) revealed today its new product line of Jewelry Certificates. Available in three sizes, IDL Jewelry Certificates describe jewelry pieces.

You won’t find most of these diamond studded items at your local jewelry store. In fact, some of them aren’t set into jewelry at all, like the platinum and diamond skull you see here, which was cast from the skull of a living, breathing male who lived about 300 years ago. Poor guy — his grave must not have been very secure. The necklace made from Marie Antoinette’s pearls is beautiful, and the $500,000 gold and diamond dog collar is, well… big.

_{Photo by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd / Getty Images}