Estate Sales & Auction Blog

When CJ Swank, a former Visual Arts Director retired and began chronicling her experiences in updating her upstate New York on instagram (@cjswank_newyork), insta browsers took notice. Her eclectic and fun design sense permeates her feed. Discover what's inside as CJ shares her curated selection of antiques and vintage pieces.

Every August, National Wear Your Mother's Jewelry Day occurs without much fanfare and without much notice. But this year, we got to thinking, what might be so special about your mother's (or grandmother's) jewelry that there's a day dedicated to it? That question led us to consider all jewelry passed down from our forbears ... heirloom jewelry and to inquire for industry experts their tips for sourcing and passing down heirloom jewelry.

Although the antique style brings a particular emotional relevance, random placement of such items carries the risk of creating an outdated look in your new modern living room. However, there are several different ways to decorate with antique pieces, while still keeping your home both stylish and timeless - trust me!

Last week, we focused on all the fabulous shades of colored diamonds (brown, yellow, green, blue, red, pink, and purple). This week, our gemologist, Susan Leeper, brings us the glamour, allure, and extraordinary timelessness of the black diamond....

Who says diamonds should be white? Did you know that diamonds come naturally in a wide array of colors and hues ranging from the most common -- browns -- to the extraordinarily rare red diamond? Since the diamond is April's birthstone, we are celebrating the mighty diamond.

A defense attorney and former mayor of Burlington, NC turned interior design firm entrepreneur, William ("Billy") Lewis Durham's career path was diverse, to say the least. He was a life-long connoisseur and collector of fine home furnishings. Billy's passion for home furnishings fed his entrepreneurial spirit and led him to begin two design businesses which sourced, curated, and provided exceptional design, antiques, and extraordinarily well-designed home good items. His name became ubiquitous for fine design in the interior space.

Large. Small. Opaque. Clear. Antique. Vintage, Contemporary. Gems come in different shapes, sizes, colors, clarities, and age. Learn some gemology basics in part V of our jewelry series, Bring on the Blingology.

If you've ever wanted to journey into the world of gemology and all things blingy, then you won't want to miss this eight part BRG jewelry series: "Bring on the Blingology" starting with this fun quiz on some basic jewelry terms. It's time to test your jewelry word power.

What "holiday" promotes awareness of apparel industry waste with the end goal of reducing that waste? Learn more here.

What do rhythmic drums, gentle waves, distant and echoing roar of lions, local tribes people, and festivals have in common? Everything, for one globe-trotting couple. These are just a small sampling of the exotic sights and sounds that Barbara Paul and her husband experienced. Now see their personal curated collection of artifacts, textiles, and more.