Friday, November 27, 2015

The Meaning & Symbolism of Citrine


Your office holiday party looms on the horizon. You're moving up in the world, hoping for that promotion, and you want to impress all the right people. You've chosen your perfect black dress, and you have a gorgeous Indian yellow silk scarf, which you've learned just how to wrap so you look stunning. You've consulted your makeup artist, and you're set for understated glam. You've got tasteful diamond drop earrings, and you're leaving your neck bare in red carpet style. All you need to complete your look is a scintillating left hand ring.

Why not consider this magnificent and massive 80-carat citrine cocktail ring? You can wear it on your power finger (that is, your index finger), so that whenever you point something out, your colleagues will see that not only do you make a good argument, but you also have brilliant taste.

Rest assured, you'll be in good company with citrine, classically referred to as the Merchant's Stone or as I like to call it, the Stone of Sweet Success. Medieval merchants kept citrines in their money purses, believing their financial pursuits would be blessed by its power and presence. The ancients believed citrine harnessed the power of the sun, carrying its radiance and warmth into everyday life. The mystics of old believed it would dispel sadness, anger, and fear, opening the space around them to the abundance of the universe, ensuring that good things come their way.

Do you want that promotion? Then count on the Merchant's Stone to energize you into full expression of your natural talents and gifts. Long believed to enliven creativity and spark the imagination, citrine just might aid you in transforming your dreams into tangible realities, resulting in a solid plan you can follow to reach your goals. You can choose to believe, like those who practice crystal energy healing, that citrine encourages fresh starts and brings fullness of life to those in pursuit of new horizons.

Practitioners of gemstone healing and magic count on citrine to enhance mental clarity, personal discipline, and confidence, making it the perfect stone to wear when pursuing that promotion. Not only that, but citrine has long been hailed as a stone of joy. Who wouldn't want to pursue the next level in their career with joy, imparting enthusiasm to those around them, as well?

Why not make your mark on your company and bring those around you along with you? Citrine is said to promote generosity. It could be called a Share the Wealth stone, as well as the Merchant's Stone.

With all this latent positive energy connected to your power finger, you might just find yourself overcoming obstacles and blocks to your creative expression. It might just give you that leg up in winning over even the most stubborn of associates to motivate action and teamwork. Since every promotion is a team effort, why not allow the generous nature of citrine to encourage your acknowledgement of those who are supporting your promotion? Then, you'll have the loyalty of your team as you move into your new position.

This beautiful ring might just be the motivation you need to get to work and make that promotion a reality. If you'd like to feel its power, we invite you to make an appointment with us today. Try it on, see what 80 carats of citrine can do for you.

~Angela Magnotti Andrews, Staff Writer


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Designer Spotlight: Jose Hess


Are you in search of brilliant color for your engagement ring? 

Do you appreciate clean lines, modern styles, and American-made jewelry?

If so, may we recommend this magnificent Jose Hess tsavorite garnet wedding set?


Crafted of solid 18k white gold, this gorgeous wedding set features rounded bands lined with nearly 40 flush-set, round brilliant white diamonds. Geometrical engravings add luster and interest to the bands. Mounted in a four-prong claw setting, a single green tsavorite garnet weighing 1.61 carats takes center stage. The gemstone is a beautiful oval cut. This designer ring demonstrates the modern elegance closely associated with the Jose Hess brand.

Jose Hess jewels are best known for their inclusion of fiery brilliant white diamonds, contemporary styles, dazzling brilliance, and masterful designs. Each Jose Hess ring is guaranteed to please with modern lines, excellent craftsmanship, and a superior use of white diamonds.

Jose Hess began his career in Colombia, South America, where his parents relocated during the Nazi invasion of his birth country Germany. After serving alongside his parents in the family's bakery throughout his early childhood, Jose went on to sweep floors in a nearby jewelry factory.

Before long, he learned to melt gold and hand-set jewelry. To him, this was just rote work, a job to keep him busy and earn some pocket money. That is, until he discovered the artistry behind the jewelry. By the time he turned 17, Mr. Hess had caught design fever. Soon after, he left Colombia, arriving in New York in 1951.

At night he went to school, taking classes in everything from accounting to art. He also took a correspondence course with the Gemological Institute of America. During the day, he worked for various jewelry firms, learning the techniques and practicing the skills he would later use to launch his brand into the forefront of American jewelry design.

Eventually, he landed a position with accredited jewelry designer David Webb. After two years with Mr. Webb's firm, Jose Hess launched his own brand, fighting tooth and nail for American designers to be noticed and respected by retailers and consumers alike.

At the foundation of Mr. Hess's design philosophy is his attention to the needs and interests of his retail jewelry customers. During the 1980s, his designs catered to sophisticated business women who loved lavish pieces heavy with diamonds. Today, his pieces tend to be more subtle, favoring the simple elegance of everyday jewels that can be worn by day or night by almost any woman.

Jose Hess is celebrated as one of the first designers in what is today known as the American Jewelry movement. At its core, American Jewelry is largely defined by the absence of a set of design standards. Whereas European jewelers follow a certain code, using techniques handed down for hundreds and hundreds of years, American jewelers are afforded a higher level of creativity in the application of their techniques. While many of these traditional techniques are mastered by American jewelers, the US jewelry industry allows designers the freedom to apply these age-old techniques to new materials and to refine the techniques to bring a decidedly contemporary feel to the old ways. Jose Hess has distinguished himself as a master in the art of contemporary American design, using clean lines, lots of brilliance, and statement color (if color is used at all).

If you are a modern woman, ready to walk down the aisle wearing only the finest in American craftsmanship, then we suggest you look no further than this Jose Hess tsavorite garnet bridal set.

Call today to make your appointment to visit our Seattle-area showroom.

~Angela Magnotti Andrews, Staff Writer