Piper Smith

Kokichi Mikimoto is definitely seen as the father of modern day pearls as the creator of the beautiful Akoya pearl His Akoya pearls, farmed exclusively off the coasts of Japan, are among the most beautiful and high quality pearls in the world

There are many wonderful stories associated with gems and jewels - pearls in particular We have accounts of pearls that dated back to ancient time, pearls that belonged to Katherine the Great, and pearls that belonged to Elizabeth I

It was not very long ago that the majority of buttons had a shiny, iridescent quality In fact, take a look at shirts and dresses as recent as the 1970's, and you might notice these luminous buttons

When we go into a jewelry store and try on a lustrous strand of Akoya or Tahitian pearls, it’s hard to think about what that little stone went through before it hit the store A pearl has an entire life before it is strung and shipped out to a retail store

Jewelry has been around since before the history books were being written There have even been cave drawings found that depict items wrapped around necks and wrists of the people

Little is known about the saint who is celebrated on Valentine’s Day, though legends abound The Catholic Church currently recognizes three martyred saints named Valentine or some variation thereof

Mary Queen of Scots, also known as Marie Stuart, also known as Mary I, is one of the most fascinating characters of the 1500’s Married three times and possibly partially responsible for her second husband’s death, Mary was tried for treason and executed in 1587