Blog

Gemstones have captivated mankind for centuries with their stunning hues and mesmerizing beauty. While we are familiar with gems exhibiting a single color, there exists a rare and enchanting category of gemstones that possess the remarkable ability to change color....

At the beginning of May, you most likely noticed that we had closed for a week. While the owners had gone to an education conference hosted by the American Gem Society, I traveled north to Alaska to see family. Despite not going there to shop for jewelry or even learn...

We see a lot of unique jewelry come through Olufson Designs. Whether it’s a piece in our famed estate case, a piece we’ve repaired or a piece being evaluated, antiques and family heirlooms are a common sight within the walls of our shop. These pieces also come with...

Laboratory-grown diamonds are also commonly called lab created, factory-grown, man-made, synthetic, and lab-grown. These diamonds have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds, but they are grown in specifically designed equipment called...

How do you know if you just purchased quality jewelry? Read on to find out because it can help you understand why some pieces will last generations with just a few repairs versus some pieces that are in for repairs frequently. Many goldsmiths can argue most of these...

What are gemstone inclusions?  According to Gemsociety.org, an inclusion is “any material that is trapped inside another mineral while that mineral forms.” Inclusions tell us a lot about how or where the gem grew. Inclusions can range from simple gas bubbles, to...

Here's What's New At Olufson Designs One of our owners, Elisa, spent two months this summer studying Computer Aided Drafting/Computer Aided Modeling (CAD/CAM) at the Gemological Institute of America in California. She came back with the skills to help Sean and the...

Have you noticed how chains are becoming more popular? You can do just about anything and you won’t be wrong. Layering chains with multiple lengths is one way to go. Try layering a sixteen inch, eighteen, and twenty inch necklace or pendant with a V-neck shirt to be...

Diamonds are well known for their rarity, but did you know there are other rare gemstones? Get ready to learn some interesting facts on four gems rarer than diamond. Tanzanite Tanzanite is a stunning blue and purple variety of the mineral zoisite that is only found in...