If you’ve never been to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. - you are missing a magnificent opportunity to view some of the world’s most beautiful gemstones.

A few years back I saw the blue Hope Diamond on display there. It had such luster and appeal- it’s hard to imagine a more impressive gemstone. Of course the history of this gemstone is full of legend and intrigue.

But for my money the best part of the display was the naturally occurring crystals that I imagined to still be growing behind the glass. Of course they weren’t, but because of their structure they almost seemed alive.

You’ll just have to go see for yourself.

Did you realize that an uncut diamond may have very little luster? It takes artistry to bring out the beauty of a gemstone.

A lapidary has great skill. He or she has much knowledge on gem cutting, gained through experience and practice. He can look at an uncut gem and tell exactly how the stone should be cut to bring out the greatest beauty in the piece. Much of this is based on the action of the light as it passes through the gemstone and reflects from its surface.

There are many different cuts possible. Transparent stones such as diamonds and emeralds have a few principal cuts used, most of them involving facets. The more facets, the more light is reflected which is what causes the stone to shine with such brilliance.

There are a growing number of jewelers who are catering to wealthy pet owners. It was bound to happen, as people’s pets come to mean more to them than ever before.

Of course you can’t worry too much about what Fido does to that beautiful diamond studded bone worn on his collar as he rolls around in the mud. But come to think about it, I bet the owners who would put such a fine jewelry item on their pooch don’t live anywhere near mud anyway.

Little toy poodles with gem-encrusted collars are more likely to be found in Beverly Hills than the suburbs of Detroit, but even middle class pet owners are decorating their non-human companions with costume jewelry.

It sounds crazy to think that one day sterling silver will more highly coveted than gold . Just a few years ago a friend of mine talked deprecatingly about this precious metal. There was so much of it, so many cheaply made silver earrings and pendants from overseas flooding the marketplace.

That may change someday. Why is gold more expensive? Like other commodities, the prices of precious metals are driven by supply and demand. If silver supplies run low, the price will have to increase. It sounds like an upside down proposition, but only because gold has always been the rarer of the two.

I think they are both beautiful, from an aesthetic point of view. In fact, many people prefer silver jewelry over gold. But value is a result of how much is around, and how good the marketing of it is.