Giving Thanks

As we head into yet another busy holiday season, we at Harry Merrill & Son wanted to take some time to really think about  Thanksgiving and what it means to us.  It's easy to let that holiday get lost in the run up to Christmas, but it's also very important to reflect on our blessings and keep everything in perspective.  

So without further ado, here is what we are thankful for this year.

- We are so fortunate to have loving, supportive, and giving family and friends in our lives.  They enrich our lives in more ways than we can count, and for that we are very grateful. 

- We get to spend our days working in a business that we love, and that allows us to share the most special and most joyful moments of our customers' lives with them.  We're constantly growing and learning, and we have fun doing it.  We know and appreciate how lucky we are to truly enjoy what we do for a living.

- We are blessed every day with the good fortune of having a home, food on the table, health, love, and laughter.  We will never take these things for granted, because they are what matter most.



From our family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

Iris, Robert, Nicole, and Stan

Photo credit The Huffington Post

Going for Gold (and Silver, and Bronze)

Every four years the world gets caught up in the excitement of the Olympics.  (Do you remember when the summer and winter games took place in the same year?)  This year the 2012 Summer Olympics are taking place in London and we'll be watching!  Nicole's favorite events are swimming, diving, and gymnastics, while Rob, not surprisingly, loves football (soccer to you Yanks).  While we wait to see who will be standing on the podium, here are some fun facts about the shiny medals the winners will be wearing:  

2012 London (Summer) Olympics - Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals

• At the 2008 Summer Olympics, China won 51 gold medals, the most of any nation, and led the gold medal count for the first time in Olympic history. The United States won the most medals overall with a total of 110.
  
  (Wikipedia - 2008 Summer Olympics Medal Table)
  
• Larysa Latynina is the only athlete, in any sport, to have a collection of 18 Olympic medals, including nine gold. The Ukrainian gymnast won six medals at each of the three editions of the Games in which she participated.  Lining up the records, she is also the only person to have won 14 medals in individual events. 
  
  (Olympic.org - Official website of the Olympic Movement)

       

• The Olympic medals are designed especially for each individual Olympic Games by the host city's organizing committee. Each medal must be at least three millimeters thick and 60 millimeters in diameter. Also, the gold and silver Olympic medals must be made out of 92.5 percent silver, with the gold medal covered in six grams of gold.
• The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912.
• When the United States' James B. Connolly won the "hop, step, and jump" (the first final event in the 1896 Olympics), he became the first champion of the modern Olympic Games.
  
  (About.com - Interesting Olympic Facts)

       

Off to the races!

This year, the 138th Kentucky Derby will take place on May 5th.  Known as the Run for the Roses, the Derby is the first leg in the the Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.  Famous for big hats, linen suits, and mint juleps, Derby Day is one of the most important days of the year in American thoroughbred racing.

Who will be wearing the signature blanket of red roses at the end of the day?  We don't know, but we have a soft spot for Gemologist.  Here are some great equestrian-inspired pieces that we think will put you in a Derby mood, and they're all much more versatile than a big hat.   

Platinum estate pave diamond stirrup pin with 2.20 carats in Old European cut diamonds

14k yellow gold men's bracelet with horse bit links and stylized horse head

Pave diamond horseshoe pendant necklace

Lights, Cameras, Fashion - A look at the Oscars

It's almost time for the biggest red-carpet event of the year...we're talking about the Oscars.  Millions tune in to see who will win and, just as important, what they are wearing.  We love to see the men in tuxes and the women in evening gowns, but we're really fascinated by all the sparkle.  Earrings, necklaces, bangles, hair accessories; for us, the bling is the thing.

Let's be honest.  Very few of us will ever get to wear an incredible bib necklace set with precious stones or diamond chandelier earrings. All of those gems are part of an elaborate night of playing dress-up, and it's fun to give the thumbs up or down to the different looks.  So, what will be hot this year?  Let's take a look back for some inspiration.

Black is always chic, but color takes a look to the next level.  Reese Witherspoon gave new meaning to the term "going green" with these emerald drops from Neil Lane at last year's Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, Marisa Tomei made her vintage navy gown pop with a set from Van Cleef and Arpels featuring yellow and blue sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds.

 

Speaking of vintage, retro designs are making a comeback.  Natalie Portman wore ruby tassel earrings from Tiffany and Co. when she picked up her Oscar for Best Actress in 2011.

Her Black Swan co-star, Mila Kunis, kept the tassel theme going at this year's Golden Globes with her diamond earrings from Cartier.

Helen Mirren turned up the wow factor at the 2011 Oscars with an antique Cartier diamond necklace.

Also at the Golden Globes, Nicole Richie glammed it up with gorgeous diamond and pearl Neil Lane chandelier earrings finished with black rhodium.

Lastly, one thing that can always be counted on to show up on the red carpet?  Big, bold, statement pieces.  Check out Heidi Klum's turquoise and diamond Lorraine Schwartz necklace at the Golden Globes.

Julianna Margulies showed off a pair of Lorraine Schwartz jadeite earrings as well.

Gorgeous redhead Amy Adams worked a chunky platinum, diamond, and emerald bracelet and necklace ensemble on the red carpet at the 2011 Academy Awards.  The Cartier Haute Joaillerie secret watch bracelet featured a 30 carat carved emerald, while the necklace featured a 33 carat emerald!

Finally, Sofia Vergara gives new meaning to the phrase "Go big or go home" with her stunning Golden Globes look - $5 million in Harry Winston diamonds are truly a girl's best friend!

Valentine's Day!

As soon as the New Year's champagne bottles are cleared away, we're suddenly surrounded by candy pink hearts and cutesy packages of cards that say "Bee Mine!"  February 14th seems like a day for romantic dinners and sappy poems, but it also has some interesting traditions and facts.  Check these out, and then use your knowledge to impress your friends (or try out for Jeopardy)!


* In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. This is where the saying "wear your heart on your sleeve" comes from.

* The oldest surviving love poem is written on a clay tablet from around 3500 B.C.

* The city of Verona, where Romeo and Juliet takes place, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.


* Approximately 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets. (Heart shaped squeaky toy, anyone?)

* In Medieval times, young ladies ate unusual foods on St Valentine's Day to make them dream of their future husbands.

* Alexander Graham Bell filed for his patent on the telephone, titled an "Improvement in Telegraphy," on February 14, 1876, ensuring that generations of suitors would be able to call just to say "I love you."

* Richard Cadbury invented the first Valentines Day candy box in the late 1800s. (Yum.)

All trivia courtesy of stvalentinesday.org!

Fun Facts: Topaz

When you think of topaz, chances are that you picture the deep blue of December's birthstone or the rich yellow of November.  However, topaz comes in all shades of the rainbow.  Here are some other things you may not know about topaz!

- Topaz is a very hard gemstone, with a Mohs hardness of 8. (Mohs Scale - Wikipedia)

- The topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem.

- The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter.

- Topaz comes in yellow, yellow-brown, brown, green, blue, red, pink, and white, which is actually colorless.

- The ancient Egyptians believed that topaz was colored by glow of the sun god (Ra), which gave it the power to protect the faithful against harm.

- The ancient Greeks believed that topaz could make a wearer invisible.

- Rare pastel pink topaz is found in Pakistan and Russia. When it was first discovered in Russia, ownership was restricted to the czar, his family, and those to whom he gifted it. For this reason, fine colored topaz is known as "imperial topaz."

International Colored Gemstone Association 

American Gem Trade Association

Old Mine, Old Miner or Mine Cut. It is known by several different names, but what is so special about it?  Let's take a closer look at this unique diamond cut. 

Where did it get its name?  The name Old Mine comes from the fact that many of these diamonds came from the old diamond mines throughout India.  Old Mine diamonds were the precursor to today's modern brilliant or brilliant round cuts.  The diamonds were cut mostly by hand before the advent of the modern saws and tools used today. Many of the old mine cut diamonds were shaped or "blocked" by hand, so they are not always truly round in shape and often have an elegant cushion shape.

The diamonds were cut to maximize the brilliance and sparkle of the diamond at a time when indoor lighting was much lower in wattage and sophistication.  Today, the Old Mine cut is brilliant in minimal light with the advanced lighting available today and you have a diamond that exhibits tremendous brilliance and fire.  These diamonds have more of a kaleidoscope effect, as opposed to the balanced and symmetrical brilliance of the modern cut.  The Old Mine cut was the first to have the 58 facets that are present in the modern cut round diamonds, and is characterized by a smaller table and steeper crown.  The most noticeable characteristic is the open culet, or flat bottom, that gives the appearance of an opening in the middle of the diamond when viewed through the table. 

A side view of an Old Mine cut shows the steep crown and blunted culet.

A top view shows the cushion shape that is more common, as opposed to the perfectly round shape found in a modern or brilliant round cut.                                

 

When you consider that the Old Mine diamonds have not been cut since the early 20th century, it is really cool to own a piece of history that is only available from estate collections and specialized jewelers.