The Mark Schneider Fine Jewelry Blog

If you’ve been shopping for an engagement ring, you’ve probably heard the word “halo” thrown around quite a bit. A halo setting is one of those classic jewelry designs that has been popular for years, and for good reason: surrounding...

When you’re shopping for a diamond, there’s a lot to think about. Cut, color, clarity, carat weight, shape, proportions, certification…the list can start to feel like you need a degree in gemology just to figure out what you’re looking at....

If you like the look of a long, rectangular diamond, you've probably come across both emerald cut and radiant cut diamonds. At first glance, the two can look pretty similar because they both can have an elongated shape, clean lines,...

If you’ve ever fallen in love with a ring you saw online, in a magazine, on Pinterest, or even on someone else’s hand, you’ve probably wondered whether a jeweler could make the same thing. The answer is a little more...

When you’re shopping for a diamond or another gemstone, you’ll probably hear a lot about the 4Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Those four characteristics are important, but there are also smaller details that can have a surprisingly big...

There’s something about holiday jewelry that makes people a little more willing to have fun. The rest of the year, we might reach for the same pair of diamond studs or a simple gold chain without thinking twice. Then December...

Diamonds have earned a reputation for being nearly indestructible, and to a certain extent, that's true. They're the hardest natural material on Earth, ranking a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. But that doesn’t mean diamonds can’t chip...

If you've ever looked at a diamond grading report, you've probably come across some pretty strange terminology. Feathers, clouds, needles, crystals, pinpoints… if you didn't know better, you might assume you're looking at a list of serious flaws. The names...

When shopping for a diamond ring, most people focus on the diamond itself. They compare carat weight, color, clarity, and cut while spending very little time thinking about the setting that will actually hold the stone in place. While the...

In the first part of this series, we explored how a rough diamond is studied, mapped, and planned long before any cutting begins. That stage is where the future of the diamond is essentially decided, from its final shape to...

When people imagine diamond cutting, they usually picture a sparkling stone being carefully shaped on a wheel, slowly transforming from a dull rough crystal into something that catches light beautifully. What most people don’t realize is that the most important...

When people admire a ring, their eyes usually go straight to the center stone. Whether it's a diamond, sapphire, emerald, or another gemstone, the center stone is designed to be the main focus. But side stones are equally important because...