Estate Sales & Auction Blog

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.

"Creating art is a necessary experience in my daily life. It has made me aware of really seeing and feeling everything around me rather than just looking at the world." Discover how Norma Flanagan broke the traditional housewife mold of the era and embarked on a life surround by art.

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.

Did you know that BRG's jewelry department has a GIA graduate gemologist and jewelry expert on staff? We recently sat down with her to learn the best DIYs to properly clean, store, and care for the treasures lying in your jewelry box.

Some terms don't necessarily fall into the neat categories of gemology or metallurgy, but are nonetheless good to know. We've collected some miscellaneous jewelry terms -- most of them have to do with embellishments. Here are our terms of miscellany.

Since the dawn of the Bronze Age, metals (precious, semi-precious, and non-precious) have become ubiquitous with jewelry. From tin to gold, popularity and values of metals ebb and flow. In our sixth installment of our jewelry series, learn some key terms and metals used in jewelry today.

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.

For millenia, people have sought ways to decorate themselves beyond clothing and textiles. From ancient times to the modern era, jewelry has played a key role in personal adornment -- from rings to necklaces to earrings. Learn about key types of jewelry ....

Styles and forms of jewelry have transformed through the ages, while others have become ubiquitous with good design. Join us on a brief trip back in time to explore key eras in the history of jewelry.