Katherine Huang. Private Jeweler. Personal Jewelry Consultant.

If you attended the Boston PINK Conference and received a gift certificate for my services, I look forward to collaborating! Please feel free to call me directly to discuss what you’d like to see or to talk about designing a piece together.

Please note that the following restrictions apply to the gift certificate:

• Showings must be arranged by appointment, and within an 18 mile radius of Boston proper.
• I reserve the right to refuse service if I perceive a security risk.
• The gift certificate is valid for one phone/email consult and one in-person consult.
• The card may not be redeemed for cash. Unfortunately, I cannot replace it if lost or stolen.
• Pieces starting at $500 and up.

It takes a lifetime to put together an enviable collection of pieces that reflect your every taste, mood and signature style. With some good planning and an expert eye, you can start a collection of fine jewelry with some essential pieces and build from there. If you are in the market to start a fine jewelry wardrobe and need some inspiration or help with your first signature piece, I am honored to offer my assistance.

If you are the simplest of girls, and love clean, modern, simple lines, I suggest you start your wardrobe with the following:

Bracelets:

• A tennis bracelet in diamonds. A traditional line bracelet is best. If diamonds alone is not possible, choose diamonds alternating with your favorite gem. The more stones and the less metal, the better. Metal is just a substitute to bulk up a bracelet. This can be worn every day and on special occasions.
• A stack of three bangles, one in each color of gold (white, yellow and pink). If you’re feeling adventurous, throw in another bangle in the last color, green.

Earrings:

• Diamond studs. The bigger, the better. Pay for color before clarity – no one can see how clean an earring is from three feet away, but they can tell if the color is dingy right away.
• Two pair of hoops, one smaller pair with diamonds and a larger pair with or without diamonds.
• Diamond or gem dangle earrings for formal evenings out. If your studs are large enough, on some nights you may choose to wear your studs in lieu of dangles.

Necklaces:

• A strand of white pearls. The higher up they sit on your neck, the better, since the luster of the pearls will add luminosity to your face. Go for luster first, then color, then complexion.
• A solitaire diamond pendant. Your mother or grandmother’s engagement diamond, reset into a pendant, is a wonderful way to remember her every day.
• A signature necklace. This can be something that you wear every day, or is so vibrant that people remember (and expect) it when you wear it out for special occasions.

Rings:

• A sapphire ring (doesn’t have to be blue – sapphires come in every color of the rainbow, including pink, blue and yellow), surrounded by diamonds, either in a pave setting or a three stone setting. If your favorite color is red, go for ruby instead. Both sapphire and ruby are great every day gems – they hold up to quite vigorous wear.
• A cocktail ring in your favorite gemstone. Go for a large solitaire in a specialty cut like a cushion or radiant, or a classic round cut surround by diamonds.

Watches:

• A dress watch. I like a classic face in a rectangular or round design with a bezel that contains diamonds with either a sleek metal bracelet or a black strap. Some watches are available with alternate straps. Cartier usually fits the bill here.
• A sports watch. My favorite is the classic Date-Just Rolex with a little rose gold thrown in for good measure.

Starting this October, each month I will be featuring a one of a kind piece. Every selection is an exceptional design that caught my eye or was custom-made for a client. Some pieces are available for purchase; some are samples of the beautiful creations that I have had the honor of creating with my clients. I hope that looking through these pieces gives you just as much joy as it does me.

I am often asked, “How’s business?”. Most people believe that in this economy, business must not be so great. The truth is, business is better than ever. Here’s why. My clients are still interested in the genuine, the fine, the best of the best, and they still take great pride in wearing the pieces we work on together.

What they are no longer interested in is spending money for the sake of spending. Many of my clients used to purchase in high end designer shops, sometimes because they wanted something immediately, sometimes because they enjoyed the clout of a certain colored box. Now they would rather first see if we can work together. Saving several hundred dollars is now something that is worth waiting for.

The other reason is that there are still many, many husbands and boyfriends who are still wanting to do something very special for their other halves, for special occasions, and “just because”. In regular retail, they have been priced right out of the market. I find that they are now searching me out because I can help with the seemingly impossible. More than ever, I am offering honesty, integrity and value. If anything, the need for my services has increased.

If you are in the market for something special, please find a few minutes to contact me. You won’t be sorry you did.

From time to time, I come across a truly beautiful stone that I believe is an incredible value. When I do, I take pride in giving my clients an opportunity to snatch it up.

This 2.02 is a beautiful round brilliant cut. GIA certified on July 11, 2008 with report # 10330154. It has the following characteristics:

• 2.02 carats total.
• F color.
• VS2 clarity. It is a very strong VS2, which means that it has a very clean table.
• Excellent cut grade assigned by GIA.
• No flourescence. Please note that I am very picky about high color grade stones that have flourescence, especially strong flourescence. They are a waste of money because they do not retain their value as well. It is a way for diamond dealers to offload stones that have less value on unsuspecting customers who don’t know what flourescence is. Of course, if you are buying anything that is J color and lower, by all means, offset the color with strong flourescence to achieve a better face-up impression.

I am offering this stone for $29,500 with a certified check or bank wire transfer. Please contact me for more information or to obtain a fax of the GIA report. If you are interested in purchasing at wholesale, please call me directly with your Jeweler’s Board of Trade credentials.

As of November 4, 2008, this stone is no longer available. When I find another stone of this caliber and value, I will post the appropriate information. Thank you for your interest.