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.

In the final days.....

It’s hard to believe the end of this five month journey is in site. All twenty members of class #207 are preparing, imagining, fearing, sweating and feeling a sense of hope they will soon complete this rigorous yet empowering Graduate Gemologist course. In the first several weeks of the course our professor told us stories of well educated people who never completed the course. They were not prepared for how intense the course was, nor were they willing to do the amount of work in a lab setting to complete the requirements for the degree. Don’t get me wrong, everyone has their own level of resilience and desire. If we didn’t know prior to attending the GIA course, we definitely know now how resilient we truly are.

The 20 stone test seemed to be months away, then before I knew it the following Friday would my first attempt at taking the test. The school allows each student five attempts at taking the test because the diagnosis of all 20 stones needs to be 100% accurate in order to pass and receive one’s GG. I have to admit that my track record in getting a 100% on any test in school was rare. Okay, so if we were talking about art, fashion or what jewelry design house created the Macri Collection with hand engraving made in Italy and the most incredible craftsmanship going back to the early 1900’s, I could most certainly tell you it was Buccellati. But, 100% accuracy on determining 20 stones with zero errors… now that is a tall order!It’s not that I am not capable or that I can not apply myself in the way necessary to accomplish the grade. However, some of the information was so complex that I needed to break it down into small chunks so I could retain and review everything. Sometimes it took four times before I could actually retain it. The course moved so rapidly, that at times I felt I was falling behind. On weekends I would study 8 hours on both Saturday and Sunday, while other students were taking trips, playing or attending class bomb fires at the beach. Unfortunately, I did not have the luxury of playing on the weekends. I knew if I were going to pass the course and obtain the level of education I wanted, I needed to apply myself as I had never done before. I was ready and I did it. Occasionally, I broke away for an early morning hike. Enjoying the amazing area of California helped me focus and prepare for a long day of study.

I found it interesting the reasoning behind the high standard of testing is that GIA is known through out the world as having the best gemological educational facility, laboratory and research department of our time. Their reputation extends far and wide, and they want to protect both the student entering the trade as well as the general public. An error in evaluating a stone for a client or making a large purchase of Columbian emeralds, if not diagnosed correctly can be a costly mistake. The school is preparing their students to enter the trade with the necessary information they will need to succeed. I have come to respect and appreciate this high level of standard. I am very grateful I was able to accomplish it.

The past five months for me was both challenging and rewarding.  I have a better appreciation of the process now that I am on the other side. I passed the 20 stone test with 100% and was thrilled beyond measure. It felt so good to select one by one the small manila envelopes, remove the stone, test the properties and then make my calls. I had a natural ruby, that prior to my GIA education I would have called synthetic because the color was slightly pinkish with a very bright tone, but through my education and knowing what inclusions only appear in natural stones, I was able to call it correctly. Next, I had an opal triplet and at first it could have gone either way synthetic or natural. With my microscope I viewed the play of color and not seeing any snake skin effect or consistent pattern throughout the opal, I knew it had to be natural. I was delighted to get what I thought was an amber stone. Once I put it in the testing solution and it floated, I had confirmation it was a natural organic gem called amber. A beautiful blue sapphire showed up as one of my stones and because it had straight color zoning, I took the RI determining it was sapphire.  Now the call was synthetic or natural and the zoning determined the call being natural sapphire with no treatment call necessary. Another of my stones was a Jadeite and this stone through out the course had made me nervous because sometimes I could see the dye band in the spectroscope and sometimes not. Calling it Jadeite could be an incorrect call if it is dyed. I had done this several times on my practice 20 tests. In this case it showed me a dye band, and all I could think to myself was thank you, thank you, thank you! Calling it dyed Jadeite was the correct call! I felt confident as I finished the test and reviewed my calls and yet not second guessing myself or changing my call too often. Turning the test in I was hopeful yet not overly confident because one minor treatment miss, natural or synthetic, and the fun ones like Scapolite or Amethyst when the properties overlap and additional testing not easy to determine need to be done in order to call it can be the one stone that takes you down.

So, as you can see in reading my blog, gemology is no only a science but also a love of mine. I am elated because I have wanted to get my Graduate Gemologist degree for several years now.  It was a goal of mine. I feel accomplished having obtained the credentials I have always wanted. It feels good! Thank you all for your support as I walked this wonderful journey, yet I have the distinct feeling this is just the beginning of a new and tremendous journey for me. I have an appreciation for colored stones, diamonds and aggregates that is so much more in-depth than when I began the pursuit of my GG and for that I am grateful.

                                   

                                                   Diamond macle with perfectly formed Trigons  

Phenomena Gemstones

       Myself, Elizabeth Ellman, Nina Spano (GIA teacher), Julie Ewer, Sierra Petey Jones & Mengshuan Lin.

A girl in a candy store....my trip to the LA Natural History Museum

The Los Angeles Natural History Museum, Gem and Mineral Hall displays more than 2,000 spectacular specimens and is by far the finest exhibit of gems and minerals in the world. It features an incredible array of gems and minerals from all around the globe even specimens from California the Benitiote, which is the official state gemstone mined from the San Benito County mine. Every one of the objects in the gallery is beautiful and interesting in their own right.

The museum opened in November 5, 1913 and just 3 days after opening General Charles Forman, made one of the first minerals donations to the museum. At that time Dr. Howard Hill, a zoologist, curated minerals, shells, fish, amphibians, and reptiles remained for 40 years with the museum. Towards the end of 1959, NHM began a campaign to build their collection of gems and minerals through major purchases. Important purchases were from Martin Ehrmann (1904 - 1972), a long time LA resident and Museum - quality mineral specimens dealer who sold world-class specimens to museum supporters such as Marion Stuart and Ed Harrison, who later donated the purchased specimens to the museum. I have just touched on a few names as there were many others of the next many decades that made the exhibit what it is today.

In 1971 the building of the North Wing began, which is now the Gems and Minerals Hall. November 1989 “Best of LA” featured in the Los Angeles Magazine, the Museum's Hall of Gems and Minerals was recognized s the best permanent museum exhibition in LA. During the 80’s there were many large endowments, gifts, and galas that took place. The Gem & Mineral Council was founded, which provides essential support for the museums department as well as provides it’s members with unparalleled programs of activities including educational lectures, exclusives social events and field trips to various places around the world pertaining to gems and minerals.

I have to say, by far this was my favorite exhibit of any museum trip I have taken. I was like a little girl in a candy store wanting ever gem and mineral specimen that I saw. The array of colors was both enticing and inspiring to view. Every gem and mineral I viewed the next was more spectacular and beautify than the previous. The exhibit has a vault room, which houses the precious gemstones and you can see rough to the finished piece giving a perspective on from beginning to end. This, I find fascinating and exciting to view, admiring all the possibilities of a small piece of rough. Below are several photos from the exhibit that I hope you enjoy looking at as much as I enjoyed seeing and if you are ever in LA, this is a must see museum in my book.

Gems of Pala Mine Trip

The GIA school puts on several mining trips per year and I decided to embark on this particular not wanting to miss out on a once in a lifetime experience. We visited to Stewart Lithia mine located in Pala, California presently owned by a long time miner Blue Sheppard. This mine is known as the largest mine largest pegmatite operation in US history. Absolutely an industrial giant! A pegmatite is a coarsely crystalline granite or igneous rock with crystals from centimeters to several meters in length. Truly an amazing occurrence of nature that continues to fascinate me the more I learn about gemstones at GIA and experience the rock world outside of the jewelry store environment.

Gem quality natural pink tourmaline is fives times as rare as gem quality diamonds and more than time times as valuable as gold in it’s natural form. Tourmaline produces exquisite gemstones that are beautiful in saturation, vibrant in color and a tone that is luscious.
In the 1890’s most of the Stewart Lithia tourmaline mined was exported to China of rate Chi’ing Dynasty Imperial Court of the Empress T’su Hsi, who financially supported all of San Diego County tourmaline mining for 30 years. Pink Tourmaline was believed to be a sacred gem of the Bodhisattva Kwan Yin, is the embodiment of great compassion. He has vowed to free all sentient beings from suffering.

Blue purchased the museum 30 plus years ago and has operated it ever since. He has mined all over the world and has found incredible amounts of gem quality tourmaline, quartz, feldspar and other varieties. Many of the gemstones and specimens from this mine are in museums like GIA, Smithsonian & Los Angeles National History Museum. So if you are ever in one of those places do keep an eye out for a specimen from Gems of Pala.

As I put my hard hat on and grabbed a flash light the excitement of going into a mine and seeing were gemstones and specimens are dug was fascinating to me. I could see myself with a hammer and chisel standing on a ladder searching, digging and eagerly anticipating the next find. Especially, if you are like Blue and find pockets of gem quality stones that profit millions of dollars with that one find! Who knew mother nature could be so generous….

The temperature in Pala, CA was 87% and with pants and a long shirt was rather smoldering, yet the anticipation weight heavier. Entering the mine, I could feel the cool damp dark rock. We traveled down the mine about 400 meters, which, took approximately 20 minutes. Blue took us into the Honeymoon Sweet, which is a room that produced a wealth of gem quality tourmaline for him. As you view the photos from below the rock inside the mine is of all colors, the sparkle at times is stunning and to see them protruding from the rock, exposed specimens, what a delight for me. A world of fascination and as I continue to learn about different aspect of the jewelry trade my love grows deeper everyday.

Thank you for reading and your interest in my experience is appreciate. Please read next weeks blog, which will be a personal interview of Blue’s life as a miner and the extraordinary experiences he has had.

Please see below several photos from the inside of the mine.

Blue Sheppard mine owner showing us the medical device he uses while working in the mine.

Black Tourmaline specimen

Lippidolite in the mine walls

Diamonds formation, from rock to beauty.....

Diamonds form under extreme temperature and pressure. Then, through cataclysmic eruption they are brought to the earth’s surface.  It’s truly amazing they survive a process so violent and explosive. There are two types of source rock that can form a diamond: igneous rock - molten lava that is formed into a solid state becoming a rock, and metamorphic rock - pre-existing rocks that have been altered by heat as well as pressure. If the temperature and pressure vary just slightly, or the diamonds take too long to be brought to the earth’s surface, graphite is formed, not diamonds. This is why large diamonds rarely survive in one piece.  Precise conditions need to be in place, and the volatility of impact is enormous. The diamonds are brought to the earth’s surface by either kimberlite or lampoite, and sometimes, a geological process called emplacement delivers them to the earth’s surface.

After arriving on the surface of the earth, diamonds can live millions of years in rivers, streams and ocean tides before being found my a miner. They might wait hundreds of millions of years before arriving at the surface. The diamonds that exist today were most likely on the earth’s surface 20 million to 2.5 billion years ago. Now those numbers I find astonishing.

Diamonds have the highest hardness on the Moh’s scale (an industry wide geological scale), and can be contaminated by very few types of impurities. Some of the diamonds are gems with non-gem qualities. They can be used as sandpaper surface, or as tools for cutting, grinding and drilling for many different industries inside and outside of the jewelry industry.

Today, diamonds are more available and affordable than at other times in history. Yet, while they are abundantly available, diamonds with high clarity and color grading are still very rare, and of course, those stones are very valuable.

The world of mining is challenging, from finding a source that will be profitable, to dealing with ecological, environment or political conditions, it is an expensive undertaking. One is looking at hundreds of millions, if not billions, as an investment to embark on the process, hoping for a profit. It requires intense exploration, years of planning and construction, and on top of it all, potentially profitable diamond sources are very rare. Yet, there are mines that produce gem quality diamonds which have been in operation for decades.

Until the eighteenth century, India was the world’s only major diamond source. Today’s diamond sources are Canada, the US, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Russia, India, China, Indonesia, Australia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Dominican Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa. Namibia is perhaps the largest marine diamond deposit in the world.

Please see below, the amazing diamonds we offer at Provident Jewelry. We provide a selection like no other from very petite, to 20 carat rings, and all of them have their own unique character as well as beauty. I hope that if you did not know much about diamonds, this article helped you appreciate what it takes for a diamond to be available to you, and trust me, I only shared a portion of the process. It’s remarkable what our mother earth creates for us, and what a privilege it is that we have the opportunity to appreciate this beauty.

Thank you for reading and as always sparkle on…..

Tiffany & Company Platinum Diamond Ring 3.37 (Graded by Tiffany as F,VV2) center stone in platinum baguette mounting (side diamonds =.48 cts tw)

Emerald Cut = 10.07cts Diamond I VVS2 Ring set in Platinum with two side trapezoids = 1.40cts. comes with GIA report

Platinum Engagement Ring with Round Brilliant Round Diamond=11.16ct H, SI1 GIA Triple X/ Mounting 326 Dia.=1.32ctw

Amber the organic gem

Amber is tree resin that has hardened over time. To be called amber, it needs to be at least 1 million years old. Anything less in maturity is known as copal. Amber artifacts have been found back as far as 10,000 BC by archeologists and used ornamentally since that time. In German, amber is referred to as the “burn stone”, or bernstein.

Interestingly enough, the most sauté after-color is red. The majority of the time we see amber in yellow to  golden orange, and transparent in appearance.  Amber comes primarily from the Baltic Sea region of Europe and near the Baltic shores of Denmark. It is very light weight helping it to float in salt water.  Weather, as well as erosion, releases the amber, and it ends up on the beaches. Then people gather and bring it to market. 

When treated with heat and oil to improve its appearance and marketability, the side effect can be circular marks, which the trade refers to as sun spangles. Sun spangles often have an attractive look, making the amber piece a little more unique. Heat treatment clarifies the gem, otherwise it would remain cloudy and not as visually attractive. 

Amber is a lovely gem that can be big and bold without a heft to the piece, making it easy to wear. See below several pieces of Amber earrings and a necklace from our collection at Provident Jewelry.

I hope you are able to walk away with at least one fact about amber you did not know prior to reading this week’s blog post, and thank you for taking the time. I wish you a good week and until next time, sparkle on!

Phenomenal Gems - The Feldspar Family

Phenomenal Gems - Labradorite Feldspar & Moonstone Labradorite Feldspar

Feldspar is most widespread mineral on the earth's crust and has some of the most diverse gemstones. I have designed jewelry using Labradorite Feldspar for years, not knowing that this gemstone was part of a large group of related species with several different varieties. The feldspar group has many members. Some are suitable for jewelry, while others are not because of either their lack in durability or availability. Members of this family vary slightly in chemical composition and sometimes crystal structure. The gemstones vary widely in appearance and it is the chemical elements that make up the appearance. Interestingly enough, some of this family has a phenomenal appearance while others do much the same way as some people in a family stand out more than others. 

Moonstone has been very popular for decades. In the 1960’s during the “flower child” movement ,it was popular for it’s exquisite beauty. In the 1990’s ,the New Age movement turned to it for it’s natural beauty while the luxury jewelry industry started designing with it in the early 2000’s. I personally became aware of the gemstone then, and have loved it ever since. Several designers, whose work I admire,  such as those from Saks to Nieman’s, who have used Moonstone in their collections. It’s a stone that catches your eye because the vivid adularescence, which is noticeably appealing. Anything sparkly interested me, which most of you know by now.

The moonstone is a variety of Orthoclase while Labradorite is it’s variety as well as species. Top quality moonstone is found in Sri Lanka while commercial grade, which is primarily most of the gemstones you and I will see, is mined from Myanmar and India. Most often you will see moonstone in as a cabochon gemstone. It is so plentiful there are calibrated sizes, meaning standard jewelry size stones available a the wholesale level.  Another labradorite variety is Sunstone that is mined in Oregon and is not treated. Some buyers search out as well as it being a gemstone from the USA.  

There is a place on the Cambria Coastline in California that is called Moonstone Beach and after a heavy storm one can find moonstone gems on the beach amongst the rocks on the shore line. During the storm the water churns up gemstones, separating them from the earth's crust while the surface to the beaches shore line. This is a place on my bucket list! If it wasn't a 5.5 hour drive from San Diego I would venture there several times a week while here in California to see what I can find. 

Blind Pass Beach on Sanibel Island one can find sharks teeth on the beach on any given day. It's amazing what mother nature provides to us that is both beautiful and fascinating to explore.

Labradorite was found on the coast of Labrador ,Canada around 1770 ,by a missionary, hence the name Labradorite. This stone is used decoratively, often as carved into designs for a richly patterned look. Fine Labradorite Feldspar shimmers with a unique iridescent phenomenon that you can see below in some of the earrings shown. 

If you have not been aware of this gorgeous gemstone family, I hope you can appreciate and find a love for this stone as I have. Thank you for reading this week's blog and until next time sparkle on…..

Designer Paula Crevoshay's blackened-gold, faceted blue moonstone, fuchsia, sapphire, and diamond cymbidium orchid brooch is part of the Garden of Light collection by Crevoshay. It is a painted jewel.  ~ Moonsonte(18)=29.24ct. Red Spinel(25)=0.78ct. This brooch is from Provident Jewelry's Collection, Naples, FL.

Kaufmann de Suisse since 1954 has designed distinctive elegant jewelry and the company has won five Diamond International Awards building a reputation as a world famous designer catering to the elite of society. This estate necklace is set in 18k white gold and the 9 moonstones have a gorgeous blue sheen with a milky or cloudy look to the cabochon. This is a necklace that can be worn for many occasions from casual to elegant, it just needs the right outfit styled correctly and the right attitude!!! This necklace is from Provident Jewelry’s Collection, Naples, FL. 

      

Maryann Scandiffio Jewelry Design - Labradorite Felspar, the earrings on the left are a greenish grey with a pink and white sheen while the x-large earrings on the right are a highly prized gemstones because of the blueish grey color and the luscious blue sheen that this gemstone is known for. Although to me, it’s a personal preference in color composition that makes you happy when selecting the perfect piece for you. At the end of the day it’s about finding what gemstone speaks to you, will make you happy when you put it on and is something that won’t sit in your jewelry box. Jewelry is meant to be worn and adorned…...

* If you have any interest in any of the items above please contact me for more details.