Tourmaline? Or Opal? Which would you pick for Your October Birth Stone? 
You have a choice!
Each of these gemstones come in resplendant colors, with all the spectacle of autumn. 
Fine Opal is one of natures most beautiful masterpieces. Coober Pedy Opals from Australia have vivid and crisp patterns of color. Most prized are the reds and purples amongst a backdrop of blues and greens. Each Opal is as unique as the person who wears it. Opals are the ultimate gemstone of self expression.
Opals are amorphic, meaning the atomic arrangement is scattered, not like a hexagon or trapezoidal matrix. It maintains stronger durability when a force is applied to it, but it scratches easily and must be lovingly treated with care if being worn in a ring.
Tourmalines are a great alternative to the traditional Opal as an October birthstone. Full Spectrum Tourmaline comes in every shade of color imaginable. It is durable and easier to wear than Opals, are affordable , and come in many shapes and sizes. 
When searching for a Tourmaline, first decide your color of choice, then its shape: round, square, triangular, oval, emerald cut... Choices!!! Find a jeweler who can show you a selection of Tourmalines to light your imagination afire, like the colors of autumn!

The Sapphire is September’s Birthstone, and is a truly remarkable Gemstone. Corundum is the matrix material, or mother mineral for this stone. Sapphires actually come in a wide variety of colors, and here is why: when the Corundum is hot and fluid, it becomes mixed with other minerals, which gives the Corundum different colors. Hence HEAT is the reason for the multitude of Sapphire colors. In fact, you can choose from any color in the rainbow!
Pictured is a wedding ring with channel set saphires, which is a lovely use of this gemstone. 
Athough blue Sapphies are seen commonly, the Red color of Corundum is known as Ruby! And, the Lotus Flower Pink (with peach overtones) is known as Padaparasha. 
If you are a September baby, you are blessed with a truly unlimited variety of Corundum ( Sapphires) from which to choose! 
Have fun choosing your favorite Sapphire. 

Solitaire Studs of Pearls, Colored Gemstones, or Diamonds add a highlight to your look, by using a punctuation of color and light. 
​Dangling Earrings give movement and length to the appearance of the ear. That little bit of motion adds alot of drama!
Huggy Earrings are very nice. They hug the ear lobe, and have a finished front side and back side. They clip on, and have a taylored appearance. The design styles are limitless, from simple hoops to colored gemstones, some whimsical and some playful. 
Button earrings are usually on the larger side, and because of their size and weight have French backs to hold them upright on the ear. These earrings can feature larger colored gemstones, and there is alot of area to work with. You can work with different forms or designs, from freeform, to geometric, to asymmetrical shapes. These earrings tend to make a BOLDER fashion statement. 

When choosing an earring style, you should keep in mind the shape of your face. Whether your face is round, pear, oval or square in shape, pick a style that flatters your look with a design that accents you beautifully. 

Earrrings are a wonderfull part of the jewelry wardrobe. Discover your style and look your best!

My Favorite Clients are the ones who have taken the time to celebrate those special moments in life. The Birthdays, Anniversaries, and significant events such as career promotions, graduations, and accomplishments to remember and commemorate!
A recent customer called, and wanted to make an appointment to upgrade his wife’s original wedding ring. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary!
He wanted to give her a diamond when they were married, and what he could afford, was a yellow gold free form band. It was lovely! And of course, that band means the world to them. His comment was “from humble beginnings.” I had a beautiful half carat diamond that they both fell in love with. I fashioned it into their old ring with some careful remodeling. 
When they picked up the finished ring, it brought tears to their eyes. He said to her that she finally had her diamond that he had been saving up for so long. A wonderful celebration of their sparkling life, together.

Your Fine Jewelry can be insured to protect your value, in case of damge, loss or theft. The best way to insure your fine jewelry is to have a seperate rider on your home owners policy. Your agent will need an itemised list and appraisal of your jewelry pieces. Sometimes appraisals are inflated, but it can be argued that gemstone and precious metal inflation causes your jewelry to have a higher replacement value than your purchase price over time. I usually suggest to clients that their insurance be written to replace the items, and not to insure the jewelry for the retail purchase price. Policies that specify reimbursement value for each piece based on purchase price is very expensive, compared to policies that replace based on the present value at time of loss. 
It is important to revisit your insurance policy every 3 to 5 years with updated appraisals, if you insure for replacement cost, when there is inflation in precious metals or gemstones. This will protect the value of your jewelry in cases of loss. 

One of my Daughters was born in August, and August’s Birthstone is Peridot. So that makes it one of my favorites! A Gem Quality Peridot has Brilliance, and a depth of color that is Uniquely...... Peridot! 
A warm green with blue green overtones. 
A 5 carat gemsone is a nice size, that retains its depth of color and is easily affordable.
Peridot is beautiful on its own, but is easily accented with other gemstones. Amethyst , pearl, sapphire (blue or pink) or diamonds, all enhance the gem’s natural beauty .
The Gemstone is stunning in 8mm earrings, or in a Pendant. 
Peridot is a 6.5 to 7 on Mohs Scale of hardness, compared to a diamond which is a 10. 
One has to be cautious not to be aggressive or abusive  with a Peridot ring, for example. But pendants and earrings are always a good choice. 

What Can I Create for YOU?
​​Michael Nutter Jeweler
From Concept to Finished Jewelry
Award Winning Jeweler since 1978
Call Michael for Quality Jewelry

Cabochons !!!!
These are Wonderful, Fabulous and INCREDIBLE......Why?
Well, When a colored cfrystal comes out of Mother Earth, it is basically a rock. 
Back in time, pebbles found on the beach, were rounded and semitransparent. They were mysterious. 
As time progressed, these pebbles were abraded to a polished stone. Lapiderists are technicians who take raw stones, and fashion them to polished gemstones. These artisans seach out unpolished gemstones to polish into beautiful gems. 
My Love Affair with Cabochons goes back to my youth and early years in jewelry design and creation. More of the Gem is set above the surface of the setting, which means there is more color. For colored gemstones, that is the goal. Brilliant color. 
​

In the world of Big Box Retailers, and the Chain Store phenomenon - - Society has lost a valuable resource. The Small Independent Jeweler.
The coporate model is one of growth: divide, multiply, divide again. With all of that pressure in the marketplace, what happens to MAIN STREET mom and pop retail? Well, they suffer, shrink and disappear. This is nothing new. The expansion of Corporate Retail in the jewelry industry has been ongoing for 6 decades. The gravity of the decimation of MAIN STREET retail is real: it results in LOSS of CHOICES for the consumer. 
Now with COVID 19 we are seeing even Big Box stores closing, as shopping preferences shift to online retail, and internet sales continue to increase market share. 
With the emergence of the Big Players on the Internet, the carnage continues, and small independent retail dwindles. 
Someday, I hope sooner than later, the average consumer will realise that you want to actually see , touch and feel your jewelry options. Not just pushing a key on a computer screen, for  the same old product you see everywhere online.
Feel the craftsmanship, See the beauty, and let it Touch your heart. 
A truly independent retailer offers an array of merchandise.... somethings traditional, somethings edgy, somethings playful. My view is that it is this level of personalization that is being lost for the jewelry buyer. 
Our world has been truly altered by this pandemic. 
If you value independent, creative, unique and adventuresome jewelry choices, take the time and make the effort to step out onto MAIN STREET. You deserve all that talent, craftsmanship and beauty that  awaits you at your community’s Small Businesses! I hope to see you there!

 Corundum: a spectacular mineral that displays every color under the rainbow, with many variations of color and so many nuances. 
Red Corundum is named Ruby. 
This Gemstone is often referred to as the Gemstone of Passion. 
Fiery Red, this gem is RARE because Chromium in the earth’s mantle is extremely rare. The Corundum mineral has to come into contact with the chromium to create the beautiful red color in Rubies. 
Ruby is found Africa, Thailand, Burma.... large gems are very rare, and only a few each year are discovered that are greater than 3 carats. 
July’s birthstone is Fiery with Passion and Radiance!

Recently Carole, at first a client who has become a dear friend over the years,  sent me the following. She really wowed me with her review. Thank you Carole for supporing me !!
”My trustworthy jeweler for the past 15 years is Michael Nutter Jeweler.  He is an extremely talented designer of fine jewelry and has several distinguished awards.  Michael is a perfectionist craftsman.  He has also redesigned some of my old pieces to make them look like today’s styles.  
Michael Nutter stays abreast of the market values and always offers me the most favorable prices.  
Michael has a keen mind with gentleman manners and has been an honest businessman for 42 years.”
By Carole Brooks