The Panthere' is Back......

When I think of Cartier the brand, I think of a sophisticated, elegant and sexy line of jewelry or watches.

The panther is a fierce, sexy and powerful animal that has been the muse for Cartier since 1948 when the maison debuted it's first-ever three-dimensional panther. The Cartier Panther Brooch, commissioned by the Duke of Windsor has a gold, flecked with black enamel panther perched atop of an impressive 116.74 carat cabochon emerald. Since then the Panthere' has had a volume collection, with multiple price points. Cartier is keeping the design exactly as the original.

The panthe're watches today are being offered in a variety of metals so what ever your personal preference Cartier is offering it with this beautiful time piece. Below are several styles that Provident Jewelry has in stock, so please come by to see it in person. I look forward to working with you!

                  Panthe're de Cartier Watch, small model yellow gold & steel $7,350

             Panthe're de Cartier Watch, medium pink gold with diamonds $25,200

                Panthe're de Cartier Watch, medium model stainless steel $4,600

Tanzanite the Blue Violet Gemstone....

Tanzanite is the blue/violet variety of the mineral zoisite belonging to the epidote group and on the few gemstones that is pleochroic, meaning it shows different colors when titled. Depending on the crystal direction, tanzanite can be more violetish blue or purplish. In many cases, it's color looks similar to a sapphire color. It was discovered by Manuel d'Souza in the Merenrani Hills of Manyara Region in Northern Tanzania in 1967, near the city of Arusha and Mount Kilimanjaro. Manuel d'Souza, a tailor and part-time gold prospector living in Arusha (Tanzania), found transparent fragments of blue and blue-purple gem crystals on a ridge near Mererani. He is known to have concluded it "dumortierite", a blue non-gem mineral. Shortly therafter, the stones were shown to John Saul, a Nairobi-based consulting geologist and gemstone wholesaler. Saul shortly after discovered the famous ruby deposits in the Tsavo area of Kenya. Saul eliminated dumortierite and send samples to his father, Hyman Saul, who was the vice President of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City at the time. Hyamn Saul broth the samples across the street to the Gemological Institute of America who correctly identified the new gem as a variety of mineral zoisite. The gemstone was correctly identified by mineralogists at Harvard University, the British Museum, and Heidelberg University, but the very first person to get the identification right  was Ian McCloud, a Tanzanian government geologist. It was the first transparent blue gemstone discovery in hundreds of years, and represented a whole new species of gemstone.

Scientifically called "blue zoisite", the gemstone was renamed as tanzanite by Tiffany & Co., who wanted to capitalize on the rarity and single location of the gem, and thought the gemstone would not sell well. Tiffany's original campaign advertised that tanzanite could now be found in two places; "in Tanzania and at Tiffany’s”. The erratic changes in supply caused problems, though, which eventually led Tiffany’s to stop promotion. In 1972, the Tanzanian government formed STAMICO (State Mining Corporation) in an attempt to fix issues and capitalize on tanzanite.

From 1967, an estimated two million carats of tanzanite were mined in Tanzania before the mines were nationalized by the Tanzanian government in 1971. Since that time, Tanzanite has been used as a  substitute for the far more expensive blue gemstone, sapphire. 

In 2002, the American Gem Trade Association chose Tanzanite as a December birthstone, the first change to their birthstone list since 1912.

           Tanzanite and Diamond Earrings 2Pear Shaped Tanz=52.60cts with D=6.0cts

18k Yellow Gold/Silver Baroque Pearl Tanzanite and Diamond Pave Necklace D=~10.8cts

The importance of having your jewelry appraised.....

It is extremely important to have your valuable jewelry items appraised. Often people make the mistake of finding out after the loss or theft that their precious items were not properly covered and they have no recourse on replacing them. Below is information to assist you with any questions you may have on how to best protect your jewelry.

Appraisals are important for the insurance process, no insurance company will write a policy on your jewelry without an appraisal. An appraisal is an expert estimate of something. The document will have a photograph of the item, stone size/s, number of stones with metal type that has an appraised replacement value. A sales receipt will not do as a legitimate measure of value when it comes to filing a claim or being paid by your insurance company. The person providing the appraisal document will need to be reputable. If you have a homeowners policy check with your agent as to the particulars of jewelry limits if a claim is filed and what are the specifics shall you ever need to file a claim. What will to insurance company pay for and what will cause them to not pay on insured items.

Check with your agent to see how often your insurer requires an updated appraisal. Updated appraisals are required as things change, for instance when metal prices increase or decrease, you have the appropriate insurance amount to cover your jewelry.

If you file a claim your insurance company will verify all details about your jewelry and if stolen, you will need to provide a copy of the police report. No insurance company will ever write a check without proof of what happened. In the instance of loss, the insurance company will want to know how and if there were any witnesses. If so, they will want to speak with the witness or witnesses. They may even ask your family or friends about your jewelry and what they know of your items.

Remember to update your address on all documentation when and if moving as this is often something easily forgotten.

I hope this helps with any questions or concerns you may have about insuring your jewelry. If you need any jewelry appraised I would love to assist you with your cherished items please do not hesitate to contact me.

Keeping with St. Patrick's Day.....the world of peridot!

I do love the color green, maybe because it's one of the colors of the Italian flag and it is the birthstone for August. Yes, I am Italian and my birthday is in August. Peridot has a fascinting history both in nature and culture. It is one of the oldest gemstones, ancient records document the mining of this beautiful gemstone as early as 1500 B.C. This gem is especially connected with ancient Egypt, some actually believe the famous emeralds of Cleopatra's were actually peridot, not emeralds. Most gems are formed in the earth's crust, yet the two exceptions are peridot and diamonds. Peridot forms in magma, which is approximately 20 to 55 miles deeper than the earth's crust. Then, brought to the surface by tectonic or volcanic activity. I think the entire gemstone growth process is absolutely fascinating.

Also, another thing that sets this gemstone apart from others is it's one of the few gemstones that forms in only one color an olive-green. The intensity and tint of the green, is determined by the amount of iron that is contained in the crystal structure. So, the color of individual peridot gems can differ from yellow, to olive, to brownish-green. In rare cases, peridot can occur in medium-dark tones, visually pure green with a secondary yellow hue or brown mask.

Truly a lovely stone for those who fancy the color green. Some yummy jewelry below; what is your favorite piece?

18K White Gold Round Martini Studs With 48 Diamonds=.18ctw GH-VS2/SI1 and Two 6.5mm Peridot=2.00ctw

"HENRY DUNAY" List price ~$32K D~4CTS 2P~6CTS

18K White Gold Ring with a Burmese Peridot=16.71ct and 68 Diamonds=.58ctw G-H/VS2-SI1

18k Yellow Gold Agate, Peridot & Diamond Pendant

* This is a pendant that I designed, thought you might like to see some of my work!

Aquamarine, the transparent and versatile gemstone.....

The beryl species is one of the most notable gemstone families. Many people are only acquainted with the most famous beryl - emerald. But the family includes several important gemstones, including; aquamarine, morganite; in honor of the American banker and gem collector J.P. Morgan. Morganite is usually a soft pink to violet, yet a salmon-color is also known, helidor; also known as golden beryl and maxixe, least common and least known of the variety that is dark, sapphire blue in color. The different varieties of beryl are distinguished by their color, significant transparency and color. Deeper color blues command higher price per carat.

The traditional source for aquamarine is Brazil, yet recently some very fine Mozambique material has made it to the market for sale. Aquamarine ranges in color from a faint light blue to blue and bluish-green, with lighter colored stones being the most common type. Light green beryl can be transformed into aquamarine if heated. The green hues in most aquamarine can also be removed through heat treatment.

Aquamarine is the second most popular of the beryl, named for it’s seawater-like color. The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin words: aqua meaning “water” and marina meaning “of the sea”. It is the birthstone for March.

On the Mohs hardness scale they have a hardness of 7.5 - 8. Compared to a diamond, which is the hardest at 10 on the scale. A stone that is hard enough to wear often because it is durable, yet it may develop internal cracks if banged hard against something. Aquamarine is often completely flawless, unlike emerald. Aquamarine with visible flaws are rarely seen.

Aquamarine crystals range from very small to very large and can be up to 100 lbs. in some cases. Large stones are available, yet it is difficult to use very large stones in jewelry.


Princess Diana famously wore a large aquamarine ring during her visit to Sydney, Australia. The stone was emerald cut, flanked by diamonds and set in yellow gold. The Princess had commissioned the ring herself and would often wear it together with a diamond bracelet.


The below photos; several aquamarine specimens, stunning aquamarine and diamond briolette drop earrings.

18K White Gold Earrings with Aquamarines wit a total weight of 92.57 carats and Round Brilliant Diamonds with a total weight of 2.28 carats G in color and VS in clarity. 

We have these earrings in our stock today, please contact me more information. Thank you for reading and I love hearing your comments.

The House & History of Buccellati....

I am always drawn to Italian jewelry design collections and one of our most luxurious in my opinion would be the house of Buccellati. The Italian firm, Buccellati was founded in Milan in 1919 and known for it’s beautiful handcrafted items designed in yellow and white gold or platinum. They use a unique engraving skill, parallel engraving, which creates a sheen appearance. The other unique design that Buccellati is known for is an imitate linen look. Their most delicate texture engraving is called modellato, very old world Italian craftsmanship that is very time consuming and delicate looking.

In 1909, at the age of 12, Mario Buccellati apprenticed with the highly respected firm, Beltrami & Beltrami, in Milan. In 1919, Buccellati took over the firm and renamed it Buccellati. Because of his unique handcrafted items such as his watches and rings, Buccellati became internationally known.


Later, four of his five sons entered the business and they opened stores in Rome in 1925, followed by Florence in 1929. In 1951, he was the first Italian craftsman to open a store in New York on Fifth Avenue. Today, the store in NYC is located on Madison Avenue featuring the latest and core designs that Mario became famous for.

In 1967, Mario died and his four sons split the business. The company has had changes through out the resent years, yet the luxurious quality and image have stayed consistent to the original vision of Mario Buccellati.


Please see photos of the designs below and to see the trunk show, which is here through February please visit me at Provident Jewelry, 766 5th Ave South, Naples, FL 34102 or for an appointment call 239.649.7200.

Behind the scenes look at Provident Jewelry's Master Watchmaker, Chris Wiles.....

Scott Suchy. Chris Wiles grew up in North Carolina and at the age of 13 was sweeping the floor and washing the windows of a local jewelry store on Saturday’s owned by friends of his family. The owner, Jim Willenger who Chris apprenticed with and learned a great deal about jewelry. During his senior year Chris decided to  stay in the jewelry industry and took a course after graduation, which was a watch repair major with a jewelry minor curriculum. In 1976 Chris was now a licensed watchmaker and his love for watches has never wavered since that time. The apprenticeship with Jim WIllinger lasted for 5 years, which Chris learned the essentials of watch repair from a seasoned jeweler. Chris has acquired a plethora of certifications, which definitely impressed me and I am sure will impress you. They are the following;  Accuton Certification, AWI Courses, Ebel in 1992 , Cartier in 1993 & 2003,Tag Huer in 1998 and finally the CW21 (means Twenty-First Century Certified Watchmaker). So, as you can see Chris is master watchmaker with the highest credentials and thousands upon thousands of watches have crossed his bench over the last forty years. Watchmaking is an art and it takes a skilled craftsman to repair luxury watches.

I asked Chris what the general public should know about the maintenance of their watches and he thought it was important that when one purchases a luxury watch that they treat it like a luxury car, a Mercedes for example. If you purchase a Mercedes it will need regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly and give your car a long life. You would not take your car to a mechanic who is unfamiliar with Mercedes parts, performance or maintenance. You would want to take care of your car so it holds it’s value giving you a pleasurable feeling on your investment. Having a luxury watch is the same thing, regular maintenance such as following through on the warranty checkups to keep your warranty valid. During the warranty checking the movement is working properly,  any necessary cleaning that is needed, as well as gaskets being changed, protecting the watch from moisture invading the movement and or battery. Also, taking the watch to an expert that has the genuine parts is essential for the life of your watch.

Chris moved to Florida in 2000 and when they are not working, he and his wife Christine are active tennis, golfers and bicycle riders. Chris’s daughter Sarah, had a baby boy named Reid Jonah Arthur in August of this year, who was 7 pounds, which brings their family so much joy. We at the Provident family could not be any happier for them and love seeing pictures of this bundle of joy, Chris truly is a proud grandfather.

Please consider this reading when you think about your watches and keep us in mind when you need help with any of your watch  or jewelry needs. Thank you for reading and we look forward to hearing from you about what you have just read.