All About Carats and Karats

When diamond was traded years ago, merchants used carob seeds as an original unit of measure, which is where the word carat is derived from. Because of the uniformity in the size of carob seeds, it was adopted as a generally accepted unit of measurement centuries ago.   These days, the carat (ct) is a […]

Gemological Flora and Fauna

The parrot pendant, which is richly decorated with gold, diamonds, rubies and pearls, was crafted in the second half of the 16th century in southern Germany, possibly in Augsburg.   The colorful bird is surrounded by a white hare, a snail and a bee. The pendant was likely a wedding gift, as parrots are known […]

The D-to-Z of Diamonds

An observant and deliberate painter, Vermeer produced only 36 known works in his lifetime, while many of his contemporaries completed hundreds. Like his peers, he mostly depicted scenes of ordinary life, later called “genre” painting, often of women at daily tasks. Notable examples include Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window (c. 1657) and […]

Max Ernst, the Würth Collection

Max Ernst The Würth Collection 18 July 2020 through 17 January 2021 Parts of Max Ernst’s biographical notes are fictitious, and he always remained ironically detached from his own works and techniques. His pictures feature figurative elements as well as imaginary forms, and his works have been created from mixed media. Max Ernst was a […]

Flower Bouquet of Gemstones

The en tremblant style of jewelry crafting first emerged in the 18th and 19th century and the term itself in French means “trembling.” These brooches were created by affixing a trembler, or a wire-coiled spring, at the base of a bejewelled floral or flower spray piece. The slightest movement created a subtle trembling effect, catching […]