How we work

Every piece in the catalog is reviewed for the quality of its construction before it is reviewed for how it looks in a photograph: how the setting is finished, whether the prongs and seams are clean, and whether the metal and stone specifications match what the supplier has represented. A piece that photographs well but is poorly finished underneath is not listed.

We would rather offer a shorter selection we can stand behind than a long one padded with pieces we have not properly examined. When a style is retired or a supplier can no longer meet our standard, it comes off the site rather than staying up on the strength of old photography.

Each product page lists the metal type and karat or purity, the stone type and, for diamonds, the shape, carat weight, color, clarity and cut. Where a grading report exists, the issuing laboratory is named. Where a specification is not available for a given piece, the page says so rather than leaving the field blank or implying a grade that was not actually assigned.

We do not use vague language such as “premium quality” or “museum grade” in place of a specific grade or measurement. If a claim cannot be tied to a number, a report, or a named standard, it is left off the page.

We list natural and laboratory grown diamonds side by side, with the same detail on each, and let the comparison speak for itself. Neither type is presented as the more “correct” choice. The two differ in origin and in how their prices behave over time, and both differences are described plainly on the diamond education guide rather than glossed over.

We do not describe either natural or laboratory grown stones as an investment. Jewelry is priced and sold for what it is: an object to wear and keep, not a financial instrument.