From the First Frost to the Last

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Beautiful Things

This ring has had me captivated since I first saw it a week or so ago… inexplicably so.  It’s completely opposite of anything I go for.  

  • In terms of white metals – there are three main choices: silver, white gold and platinum. 
    • Silver has multiple benefits…  it’s beautiful, has a lovely shine, is readily available and it’s very affordable.  It is a soft metal and will tarnish over time.
    • White gold is another great option.  White gold is a precious metal made from yellow gold that is mixed with white alloys like nickel.  It is then rhodium plated (a platinum solution) to give a bright white finish.  (This plating does wear and will need to be redone).  White gold is stronger and more durable than silver.  It is more expensive than silver.  
    • Platinum is a naturally occurring white metal.  It’s a dense, and resistant to stress and breaking.  It polishes to a bright shine and never needs plating.  Over time it develops a patina unlike any other metal… the finish becomes almost satiny or frosted.  It does cost a bit more than white gold.

I’m a platinum girl.  I love everything about it; from the weighty feel of it on my hand to the rich color of the metal – it simply oozes quality.  

This ring is made from 14-karat white gold.  Set at the base of the ring (dependent upon the direction you choose to wear it), is a light green emerald-cut natural emerald.  It’s set in an east/west orientation.  Shown from behind, the ring appears to have been made for an oval center stone instead of this rectangular one…  leading me to the conclusion that this is not the original stone.  

With so many luscious green gemstones available, I’m rarely drawn to emeralds.  Most often because they can have eye visible imperfections and aren’t good choices for daily wear.  However – this gem the loveliest shade of beryl and weighs 2.40 carats.  Resembling the hue of fine jadeite, this stone the perfect color for this ring… and it does indeed have eye visible inclusions.  

It’s asymmetrical and definitely unusual.  A small sprig branches up out of the ring, vining up the finger.  It features four leaves, each one set with two single-cut diamonds.  These diamonds have a combined weight of .15 carat, offering a hint of sparkle without upstaging the emerald.  

From the first moment I saw it, it reminded me of a crisp frost first thing in the morning.  Whether it be the last frost of winter when spring buds are bursting from the ground or the first frost of fall when the grass is still green – this ring is a visual reminder of the beauty of the changing seasons.  And even though it’s out-of-the-box for me, it emphasizes the notion that change is good.  Moderately priced at $2,450.00, it’s available in store and online.  

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

Signature Series – Volume 1

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Quality Things

In our never-ending quest to find fresh pieces for social media and the website, Dana and I dig through hundreds of pieces.  We get ridiculously excited over new lots of estate jewelry and can’t wait to show each other all the best bits.  When something catches my eye, the first thing I do is go over it from top to bottom.  Loupe in hand, I eyeball every inch of it… are there any missing stones?  Does it need prong work?  Do the finishes and textures need touched up?  Is the karat weight of the gold stamped on the metal? 

Quality isn’t just something that you see with your eyes, you also feel it with your hands.  After nearly twenty years in the business, when you hold an exceptional piece in your hands, you just sense it.  You know.  Just last week, I picked up this seemingly simple ring.  

I was struck by the color of the emerald.  My first thought was “must be a synthetic stone”.  As I brought it up to my eye, my curiosity was peaked.  Under the magnification of my loupe, I could see a couple tiny marks within the bright green gemstone.  After showing it to Jay, he assured me that the emerald is genuine – and it’s a stunner.  The deep green color of the stone combined with the clean clarity grade is everything you want in an emerald.  It weighs approximately 1.01 carat.  Winking from each side of this stone are a pair of round brilliant diamonds that have a total weight of .10 carat.  

Looking inside the ring, it all becomes clear.  Right beside the 14K is a crisp maker’s mark… “BaumF”.  This stamp is the signature of a popular Mid Century Modern designer Baumstein and Feder.  The New York firm reigned from the 1940’s-1980’s, they were known for superior quality and spectacular gemstones.  Supreme quality is the mark of our signature series, each piece crafted by a well-known designer.  This beauty is on our site for $3,150.00.  Click on over to our site to see what all the fuss is about.

“You can go to a museum and look, or come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

Give the Green Light

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Holiday Rings

Just two weeks left until Christmas… that leaves 13 days to shop.  I’ve procrastinated this year and I still have several names on my list, but I don’t mind.  In fact, I luxuriate in taking my time and selecting each and every present personally.  Last night, I spent over an hour choosing several rolls of wrapping paper, tissue, gift bags and bows…  there’s nothing like the anticipation of receiving a beautifully wrapped package and wondering what’s inside!

If you’re like me and still have shopping to do – let Joden come to the rescue.  This is the second week of our Holiday Gift Guide.  Each hand-selected piece is crafted from either white gold or platinum.  A broad range of styles and pricing ensures that we truly do have something for everyone, each one is listed on our website!

    

I’m sure that killer Art Deco emerald ring has caught your eye – I know it caught mine!  Being a May baby, emerald is my birthstone – usually, I’m not a fan.  This beauty is a different story!  

Crafted from white gold during the 1920’s, this ring screams “Art Deco”.  It centers on a 1.50 carat bright green square cut emerald set in a milgrain accented bezel.  Two tiny diamond crowns flank the center stone, adding a bit of sparkle.  An additional six single-cut diamonds are seated at the Northern and Southern tips of the ring.  It sits flawlessly on the finger, striking an ideal balance between “not enough” and “too much”.  Priced at $1,875 – this gem is available on our site.

If the holidays have you stressed out, come to Joden.  Our expert staff will match every name on your list to a perfect gift AND wrap it in style!

“You can go to our site and look, then come to us and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Dana Jerpe

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