14k White Gold Pink Sapphire and Diamond Strawberry Pendant

A fun gift for that person in your life that collects pave set gemstone charms.

Summer Breeze

A new, 2,000-square-foot gallery opening today at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History sparkles and glitters with fancy jewelry, both modern and antique, and a kaleidoscope of gemstones.

"Summer Breeze," a gold pendant set with citrine, amethyst, ruby and opal stones and designed Paula Crevoshay and Arthur Lee Anderson, is on exhibit at the Wertz Gallery at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems.

1930s Mauboussin bracelet

Wertz Gallery is named in honor of Ronald W. Wertz, longtime president of the Hillman Foundation. The creation of Wertz Gallery is part of the year–long expansion and renovation of Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems, which first opened in 1980, and which presents and exhibits minerals in the manner of sculpture, showing them for their beauty as well as their physical properties and industrial uses.

This 1930s Mauboussin bracelet was once owned by actress Mae West.

The original Hillman Hall did display gems and jewelry but often on a temporary basis. The expanded Wertz Gallery gives the collection its own space and many new gems and pieces of jewelry that have never been on exhibit will be on display. Approximately 500 gems, crystals, jewelry and other pieces of gem art will be on display in the permanent collection of Wertz Gallery. In addition, Wertz Gallery will also host special temporary and traveling exhibits from collectors around the world.

Carnegie Museum Wertz Gallery dramatic gems

The new Wertz Gallery -- an add-on to the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems that is part of the Oakland museum -- features both a permanent jewelry and gem exhibit and a traveling one. "Wertz Gallery: Gems and Jewelry," which is permanent, features numerous glass cases full of precious and semi-precious gemstones, including diamonds, amber, topaz and sapphires.

"Luxe Life: Masterpieces of American Jewelry" -- which has been to many museums and is on display through early January -- features extravagant pieces of jewelry, ranging in age from mid-19th-century to modern.

Both exhibits, which feature pieces donated from private collectors, will dazzle museum visitors with their pure beauty, says Marc Wilson, head of the section of minerals.

"They are going to see top-quality jewelry and gemstones displayed in a beautiful setting, and learn how to evaluate them," Wilson says.

Debra Wilson, collections assistant, agrees.

"We want to make it attractive enough and glittery enough so that everybody's going to like it, whether they like jewelry or not," says Wilson, who is married to Marc Wilson.

"Gems and Jewelry" includes a wall with glass cases that demonstrate how to determine a gem's worth according to the four C's: carats, which is weight; color and its intensity; clarity; and cut, for which there is an exact, scientific formula.

Probably the most popular part of "Gems and Jewelry" is the large case full of each month's birthstones, Debra Wilson says.

"Everyone loves birthstones," she says. "One thing we try to do in this exhibit is show the range of colors in birthstones."

People might be surprised to know that sapphire, for instance, is not just the deep blue for which the September birthstone is most known: The stone comes in every color except red. If the same stone type, called corundum, is transparent and red, it's called a ruby, July's birthstone. Pearls, June's birthstones, don't come only from oysters; they also come from conch and melo shells. Garnets, January's birthstone, aren't always maroon or blood-red; they come in several shades, including green.

"Gems and Jewelry" has a few very old pieces, including an intricately carved, full-bodied diamond necklace. The ornate piece dates to the 17th century.

3 Ct Radiant cut with slim bagettes

The proposal

On Christmas night Jesse had fallen off the roof and I found him unconcious. I was freaking out. His neck was crooked to the side and looked as if it was broken and he wasn't responding to me talking to him and I couldn't see if he was breathing. I put my ear up to his heart and it was beating so I proceeded to shake him a little bit and call his name. Finally he came to, he was unconcious for about an hour needless to say I spent Christmas night in the emergency room until 2am. The next day, 12.26.08 we decided to have family and friends over for a party and I was so tired from being in the emergency room and having to wake up every 2 hours to wake Jesse up to make sure he would wake up. I fell asleep with all of the company over then Jesse's dad came over and told me that I wanted to wake up and get my shoes on. Then suddenly all of Jesse's brothers disappeared into the back room so I knew something must have been going on. Finally Jesse came out and was acting nervous now that I look back on it and said that he wasn't meaning to get injured and wanted it to be perfect but he said that he knows that we've been through a lot in our lives and had a lot of ups and downs but as long as we are together he knows that we will be okay. And he asked if I'd marry him which of course I said yes.

I do now I don't

A new website caters to people who want to sell their engagement rings – after their relationship has gone sour.

IdonowIdont.com is a unique action site that connects the brokenhearted with those who are looking buy engagement rings (and other jewelry) on the cheap. Users sell their engagement rings via online auction.

Founder Josh Opperman started the site after his fianc? of three months dumped him. When she moved out, she took all her stuff – except for the engagement ring.

Opperman tried to sell the ring back to the original jeweler, but the jeweler presented him with a “staggeringly low” offer. That’s when Opperman decided to start the site, which he co-founded with his sister Mara.

IdonowIdont.com is not just any other auction site. After a purchase is made, the engagement ring (or other jewelry item) is inspected by a GIA-trained gemologist. Once the gemologist confirms that the item is indeed as-described by the seller, the funds are transferred from the buyer’s account.

The most interesting feature of IdonowIdont.com is the small box on every item page entitled “This Item’s Story.” A seller offering a $9,000 engagement ring writes about his failed relationship and why his girlfriend left him; another engagement-ring seller writes a note to all the other recently-dumped males, telling them “don’t worry, life moves on.”

And it did, at least for Opperman. He’s now happily married.

Rare blue 35 carat diamond sells for $24.3 million

The Wittelsbach diamond, a rare blue diamond which passed through generations of royalty, sold for $24.3 million at a Christie’s auction in London. The 35.56 carat diamond broke the world record for any diamond sold at any auction.

“Blue diamonds are rare and to offer a blue diamond of this size, quality, shape and provenance is truly extraordinary,” a Christie’s spokesman said.

The Wittelsbach diamond was purchased by King Philip IV of Spain in 1664. He later gave to his daughter Infanta Margarita Teresa. The infanta is the famous child with blue eyes and blond hair featured in Spanish painter Diego Vel?zquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas (1656).

Although the infanta died young – at 21 – the diamond remained in the family with her husband, Leopold I of Austria.. The diamond got its name in 1722, when the granddaughter of Leopold married a member of the Wittelsbach family.

The diamond remained with Bavarian royalty over the next few centuries. It turned up in 1931, when it was offered for auction. There are conflicting reports as to what occurred to the diamond after that – some say it fell into private hands – and the diamond resurfaced again in 1962, when a private jewelry recognized its significance.