David's Blog

On a cold night in Westminster Abbey, an old monk tells a young novice the legend of the king who gave his sapphire ring to a beggar, and the two pilgrims who brought it home.

A medieval tale of a goldsmith, his apprentice, a bishop's sapphire ring and one very surprised spider, inspired by what people of the Middle Ages truly believed about sapphire.

From a Persian legend about the sky to Princess Diana's engagement ring, the legends and true stories behind the sapphire.

Color, cut, clarity, treatment and origin: how our gemologist judges a sapphire, and what to look for when you choose one.

In a hidden valley in Egypt's desert, a miner's daughter learns where the queen's emeralds come from. The legend of Cleopatra and her emeralds.

Cleopatra's mines, Nero's green lens, a sunken Spanish galleon and the cursed giant emerald that rode out Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans: the legends of emerald.

Color, the "garden" inside, oiling, cut, origin and care: how to choose an emerald you will love for a lifetime.

A Spanish treasure galleon lost in a 1622 hurricane, a sixteen-year search, and emeralds that stayed green under the sea. A grandfather in Key West tells the story of the Atocha.

A practical guide from David’s to choosing ruby rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Learn about color, treatments, care, July’s birthstone and the questions to ask before buying.

A poor man finds the finest jade in the world hidden in a rough rock, and no one believes him. The ancient Chinese legend of the Heshi Bi, told in a rainy teahouse.

In 1968, a young soldier's shovel broke into a hillside and found a prince who had been sleeping in a suit of jade for more than two thousand years.

Treasured above gold in China, buried with Maya kings and gifted as pounamu in New Zealand: the legends and true stories of jade.