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Warranty: One year warranty from the date of purchase. Includes a gemstone romance card with purchase.
Part of the Gems en Vogue II Collection. Avoid using chemical jewelry cleaners. All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Click here for important information about gemstone enhancements and special care requirements.
Gold Embraced: Our Gold Embraced collections feature layers of precious 18K gold over sterling silver or bronze for a rich, lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
To care for your plated jewelry items:
Mother-of-pearl is found on the shells of mollusks, such as mussels and oysters, and the shells of pseudopods, such as snails. When the young of these creatures come into the world, they create a shell “house” in order to preserve their existence. The walls of this housing are formed with layers their of secretions, ensuring a simultaneous growth of house and creature together.
Depending on the type of animal and the environment in which it lives, secretions create various shapes and colors found on the different types of mother-of-pearl. “White” mother-of-pearl comes from pearl-bearing oysters. It features high reflective properties and is one of the most commonly used types of this material. “ Iridescent” mother-of-pearl is a type in which the colors of pink and green are predominant, while “variegated” mother-of-pearl is a multicolored type. “Stone” mother-of-pearl is white with a low reflective power, while “mat” mother-of-pearl is dull grey and also has a low reflective power.
The shiny quality of mother-of-pearl has attracted attention for thousands of years. The Louvre Museum features mother-of-pearl objects that belonged to the Sumerians and were found in Mesopotamia. In China, a dish with geometric-shaped pieces of mother-of-pearl was found that belonged to the Tang Dynasty in 618-906 A.D. Mother-of-pearl work was also common in ancient Italy, Greece and Cyprus. Today, different types of mother-of-pearl are commonly used in the art world. This type of art is certainly a challenge, for in order for them to be made into works of art, the mother-of-pearl pieces must be thick enough to withstand being worked upon and be of high enough quality to beautifully reflect colors of the rainbow.
Vermeil Plating: Pronounced “vermay,” vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Over time, vermeil will wear off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gems en Vogue II The vintage inspired designs of Gems en Vogue II conjure romantic visions of elegance from the Art Deco movement to the French Renaissance. Set in advanced Sterling Palladium Alloy with 18K Gold Embraced™ accents, each piece of Gem en Vogue II jewelry is a wearable work of art, individually designed and executed with intriguing, often unexpected detail and highlighted by a colorful variety of unique gems.
Each piece of jewelry is designed around a specific gemstone and is often inspired by nature or architecture and influenced by historical jewelry and current fashion trends. The ultimate goal is always to present customers with original jewelry pieces they'll be delighted to wear.
About the Guest Guest Michael Valitutti G.G. (GIA) is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America with a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for gemstones and jewelry. Winner of two design competitions and the subject of numerous articles and industry news, Michael introduced Sterling Palladium Alloy to America in 2006 with the launch of Gems en Vogue II.
Before entering the jewelry business, Michael had decided to pursue his MBA. However, before returning to his studies, he took a summer job working for a friend - a jeweler in a swanky area of downtown Toronto. He recalls, "I liked it so much, I decided to pursue this career full time, so I asked for a refund of my tuition and the rest is history." It's no surprise that Michael ended up on TV selling jewelry. More than 30 years ago, he did a pilot for his own TV show. He also worked at the TV station on weekends, working his way up to floor director. Now he is at home on TV and at home in the jewelry business.
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