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Known since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, niello (also referred to as tulo) is both a process and a substance that was used in jewelry and the decorative arts. Resembling black enamel, niello stands out with its distinctive graphite, lead gray metallic sheen. It is a lustrous almost blue-black material that has been used as technique to heighten and enrich objects that have been engraved, chased or etched. The contrast of the inlay against matte or polished metal is striking. The earliest examples of the art belong to the Roman period of the 1st century. To this day classical,...

Around the turn of the 20th century Newark, New Jersey was quickly rising as the center of America's jewelry creation and production. One of the core members was the Riker Brothers firm that helped fuel this great expansion.  As an integral member of this cabal, Riker Bros. was one of the few Art Nouveau era houses to employ plique-à-jour enamels as well as create a full line of platinum and gold jewelry. Having achieved a reputation for its dragon (sometimes referred to as griffin) motif antique brooches, Riker Brothers offered these and similar adornments in a variety of sizes and manifestations dating from circa 1890-1900....

Catch The Three Graces' in Forbes Magazine in an article by the noted author Beth Bernstein entitled, "Valentine's Day Gift Guide: The Best Heart Motif Jewelry Under $5000.". Informative, visually interesting, and just plain fun, Beth expounds on some of the history of heart motif jewelry. She even provides hints on how to let a loved one know that your preferences for chocolates are "out" and antique or vintage jewelry is decidedly "in". Read the full article here! Photographs are provided that cover a broad array of heart and love motif jewelry in every shape and size. This antique Georgian period heart locket...

What is the difference between estate, antique & vintage jewelry? Some of the most common questions asked about jewelry revolve around those terms. What do they mean and what is their definition? There can be a great deal of confusion and no wonder, as in many cases, even jewelers apply the terms for different things. But there are generally accepted definitions to use as benchmarks and it's all about dating a piece of jewelry, according to when it was made. Just remember the 25 / 100 rule. An antique piece of jewelry was created at least 100 years ago. Most experts,...