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Editorial: Inconspicuous Consumption
As more and more haves feel pity for have-nots, they are hiding rather than
flaunting wealth. But that doesn’t mean they’re not amassing it. |
4 |
 Ones-of-a-Kind:
Faceted Pearls
If you think all pearls must have smooth surfaces, we have news for you.
Some designers are now using faceted pearls to create unusual works of art.
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7 |
 What’s
In: Chocolate Cravings
Can pearls give you a sugar rush? These chocolate beauties can satisfy
the most finicky sweet tooth.
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10 |
 Photo
Atlas: Still Making Waves
From akoyas to abalones, from Tahiti to the South Seas — pearl diversity
has never been greater. Jeremy Shepherd of PearlParadise.com gives a panorama
of the new pearl plentitude.
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12 |
 Designer
911: Pearls of Wisdom
Arab legend says God’s first creation was a giant pearl. No wonder Colored
Stone’s designer panel draws so much inspiration from this salty old
queen of the sea.
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20 |
Back in the Black
Pearls aren’t just products of the Orient. The intrepid Jordan Clary travels
to Mexico and finds stunning black pearls being grown in the Sea of Cortez. |
26 |
A Time Capsule of Pearls
First, gem treasure hunters retrieved incredible emeralds from the Atocha off
Florida’s Keys. Now combing through the wreck of another Spanish galleon,
Santa Margarita, they have unexpectedly found an amazing cache of natural pearls. |
30 |
 Titanic
Treasure
When Titanic sank in 1912, she took some of the age’s richest people and
their jewelry riches with her. Find out what was saved, what was lost, and what
was found. |
34 |
How to
Contact Us |
42 |
| online features |
The Emerald World’s Best-Kept Secret:
The La Pita Mines of Columbia
Since the late 16th century, one country, Colombia, has produced most
of the world’s finest emeralds. Today, two Colombian mines — Muzo
and La Pita — account for 90 percent of the country’s emerald exports. |
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What’s in the Cards for Credit
The old no-money-down, take-two-years-to-pay model of jewelry consumption
financing is likely a thing of the past. What will debt-dependent jewelers do
to coax spending in a credit-starved economy?. |
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The Red Scare is Real: Andesine-Copper Diffusion
For more than a year, gemologists and dealers have suspected so-called
natural red andesine was, in reality, colored using copper diffusion. Now research
physicist John Emmett has proven these suspicions are quite possible. |
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| Advertiser Index |
41 |
March/April
2009