Michael Moses Vault

Citrine is a beautiful and popular gemstone known for its vibrant yellow to golden-orange color. It's part of the Quartz variety, an abundant, affordable gem used in various types of jewelry, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Its bright and warm color makes it an appealing choice for jewelry.

Throughout history, brooches have been used as both functional and ornamental pieces. In ancient times, they were used to fasten and hold clothing together. Later on, they became popular as decorative jewelry items during various periods, such as the Victorian era, where intricate and elaborate brooch designs were fashionable.

Cameo jewelry is a decorative accessory with a carved relief design on a gemstone or shell. The most common form of cameo jewelry showcases a raised image (usually a portrait or a scene) on a contrasting background. The image is typically carved in a way that the lighter-colored layers of the material form the design, while the darker layers serve as the background. During the Victorian era, cameos were especially prevalent and were often worn as brooches, pendants, rings, and earrings.

Cultured pearls are valued for their beauty and radiance, and they have a wide range of uses in jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. There are two main types of cultured pearls: Saltwater Cultured Pearls: The most famous and valuable saltwater cultured pearls are Akoya pearls, South Sea pearls, and Tahitian pearls. Akoya pearls are typically small and round, and known for their luster and uniformity. South Sea pearls are larger and come from the Pinctada maxima oyster in the South Pacific. Tahitian pearls, also known as black pearls, are produced by the black-lipped variety of the Pinctada margaritifera oyster.
Freshwater Cultured Pearls: These pearls are grown in freshwater environments, usually in mussels. They are more abundant than saltwater pearls and come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz, a mineral composed of silicon dioxide. The purple color of amethyst can range from pale lavender to deep violet, and its hues are typically due to traces of iron within the crystal lattice.

Vintage jewelry refers to jewelry items that were created at least 20 to 30 years ago, but typically from the early 1900s to the 1980s. These pieces often exhibit unique design elements, craftsmanship, and materials that reflect the style and trends of the era in which they were made. Vintage jewelry is highly sought after by collectors, fashion enthusiasts, and those who appreciate the charm and character of older pieces.

Gemstone setting techniques refer to the different methods used to secure diamonds in jewelry. These techniques ensure the stones are securely held in place, enhancing their beauty and allowing for various design options. Some standard gemstone setting techniques are Prong, Bezel, Channel, Pave, Invisible, Tension and Flush setting.

Lapis lazuli is a deep blue gemstone that has been highly valued for its beauty and spiritual significance for thousands of years. It is a metamorphic rock composed mainly of the mineral lazurite, along with other minerals such as calcite, pyrite, and sodalite.

Australian opal is a precious gemstone known for its vibrant and iridescent colors. Opal is formed from silica deposits in the ground that seep into rock fissures and solidify over millions of years. The play-of-color, which is the vibrant display of spectral colors when the opal is viewed from different angles, is one of the most captivating features of Australian opals. This phenomenon is caused by the diffraction of light as it passes through the tiny silica spheres within the opal. Australia is renowned for producing some of the world's finest and most sought-after opals.

The Audemars Piguet "Philosopher": Designed with a rotating case, diamond bezel, sapphire markers, single hand, and forged in 18k gold. An extraordinary and uniquely articulated timepiece, leaving time literally up for interpretation.

Gemstones are naturally occurring minerals that have been valued for their beauty and rarity for centuries. The crystal structure plays a crucial role in determining a gemstone's physical and optical properties, such as its hardness, color, transparency, and refractive index.

During the 1920s and 1930s, jewelry designers embraced the Art Deco style, creating pieces that reflected the era's fascination with modernism, geometric shapes, and the influence of industrialization.