We have opened our new gallery at 63 Church Street, Lenox.
New Location
Category: Blog Post
Laurie’s Blog
Peridot, August Birthstone
Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 16th year of marriage.
Peridot is one of the few gemtones that occur in only one color; an olive-green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on the percentage of iron that is contained in the crystal structure, so the color of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow, to olive, to brownish-green. It is 6.5 -7 on the Mohs hardness scale. Large peridot are rare.
Peridot gemstones symbolize the sun and helps manifest feelings of inner warmth and well-being. It brings positive vibes that open the heart up to joy and abundance.
Jewelry made by hand in the Berkshires
Visit our Gallery in Lenox, MA in the Berkshires, just a short distance from Tanglewood. Featuring fine contemporary hand made jewelry, vintage jewelry, and the largest collection of loose colored gemstones in the Berkshires. We work in precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum. Custom designed jewelry is our specialty.
Ruby Jewelry
Rubies are given as a symbol of success, devotion, and integrity. According to Ancient Lore, a ruby is capable of reconciling lovers’ quarrels. Rubies were thought to ward off misfortune and ill-health.
Ruby, July Birthstone
Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are sapphires, which come in every color of the rainbow. The word ruby comes from ruber, Latin for red.
Ruby is 9 on the Mohs hardness scale making it a superior gemstone for jewelry. In fact, ruby’s rich red color is deserving of it’s nickname, the “King of Gems”.
The quality of a ruby is determined by its color, cut, and clarity, which, along with carat weight, affect its value. The brightest and most valuable shade of red called pigeon blood, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality.
Made in the Berkshires
Visit our Gallery in Lenox, MA in the Berkshires, just a short distance from Tanglewood. Featuring fine contemporary hand made jewelry, vintage jewelry, and the largest collection of loose colored gemstones in the Berkshires. We work in precious metals such as silver, gold, and platinum. Custom designed jewelry is our specialty.
Pearl Jewelry
Made by hand in our workshop in the Berkshires! Earrings, Large Peach Freshwater Baroque pearls drop from matched peach zircons with diamonds set in 14K white gold. The pearl drops are removable making these “Day/Night” Earrings.
Pearl, June Birthstone
A pearl is a hard glistening object produced within the soft tissue (the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes, known as baroque pearls, can occur.
Natural Pearls occur spontaneously in the wild and are extremely rare. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those currently sold.
Whether natural or cultured, gem quality perals are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them.
Emerald – 20th or 35th wedding anniversary
Visit our Gallery in Lenox, MA in the Berkshires.
In May the welcomed green of new grass makes us think of emeralds, the gem of spring and May’s birthstone. And, if you are celebrating your 20th or 35th wedding anniversary, it’s your gemstone as well. Come to our gallery to see the finest collection of contemporary hand made jewelry and the largest collection of loose colored gemstones in the Berkshires.
Emerald Jewelry
Visit our Lenox Gallery in the Berkshires to view our collection of loose Columbian emeralds for either collecting or for a custom designed piece. We also have exclusive emerald jewelry on display for your immediate purchase.
It takes a highly trained goldsmith to set emeralds carefully and securly in order to protect them from possible damage. We at Laurie Donovan Designs have the skills to set emeralds properly in our on-premise workshop.
Come see us for emerald jewelry and many other fine pieces of jewelry including necklaces, rings, earrings, and pendants in gold and silver.