Gem Tidbits

Did you know that . . .

• the unit of measure for gemstones had a humble beginning. Its derivation is from the Greek word keration, which is a carob bean. The keration was used in ancient Greece as a standard for weighing small quantities. The carob/carat is equivalent to 200 mg, or about 0.007 ounces.
• according to tennis historians, the ever-popular tennis bracelet, a then-line bracelet of diamonds (or other gemstones) that encircles the wrist, dates back to 1987 when Chris Evert, the former World No. 1 woman tennis player and the winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, was playing in the U.S. Open. She was wearing a thin in-line diamond bracelet, designed by jeweler to the stars George Bedewi. The story goes that the clasp on the bracelet broke and Chris asked the judges to halt the match, so that she could recover it. It was, incidentally, unprecedented for the judges to pause a game. The name "tennis bracelet" stuck and spurred a jewelry trend. Several other famous tennis players such as Serena Williams and Gabriela Sabatini continued the trend and it was also picked up by the Ageneral public.@ The Tennis Bracelet has maintained its popularity to this day.
• the Tin Cup Pearl necklace has its beginning in the 1996 movie ATin Cup@ starring Kevin Costner and Renee Russo. She wore a white pearl illusion necklace that had been designed for the film by Wendy Brigode, a Hollywood jewelry designer and personal stylist to the stars. The necklace was originally created by Brigode as an alternative to the heavier appearance of the traditional pearl necklace strand. The Tin Cup Pearl necklace designed for Russo became an instant trend-setter and modern fashion statement.

  Russo "fueled the jewelry fire" by wearing yet another floating pearl necklace in the movie "Ransom", which she filmed in 1996. The pearl necklace was chosen by the costume designer for the second film, unbeknownst to her that Russo had worn the necklace in an earlier film. The Tin Cup Pearl necklace went on to appear in high-fashion magazines such as Town and Country and on popular television programs of the 90's such as "Seinfeld" and "Beverly Hills and 90210".

  It remains as of the trends in jewelry that has kept its status as a "must-have" in a woman's jewelry collections. It now "appears" not only as originally as white cultured pearls, but is now also available in more affordable freshwater pearls and Swarovski pearls. On the other end of the spectrum, it is also designed using Tahitian pearls. It=s a piece of jewelry that can be worn for a dressy occasion as well as for every day.