Jewelry With Rough Gemstones | Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog this week.

Monday, Jan. 15, 2018: The Jewel of the Month is my first-ever man brooch! The 20+ carat garnet at its center was sourced by ANZA Gems.
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018: I approve of some recent celebrity engagement rings. This is rare!
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018: My new FACTS hat inspired me to talk about some worthwhile nonprofit journalism organizations.

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018: More about the making of the garnet man brooch, including a sketch and a wax model.
Friday, Jan. 19, 2018: Ahead of the 2018 Women’s March, I took a look back at last year’s Women’s March on Washington.

Over on the business Instagram, there’s a little video of the man brooch.

I got double the wrapping fun when I boxed, then #unboxed this brooch. Ahem, #manbrooch. Garnet cut by @ptgems for @idazzle & @anzagems! – – – #instavideo #jewelryvideo #couture #bycouture #sputnik #futuristic #video #100 #garnet #mensjewelry #mensfashion #manbrooch #forhim #customjewelry #oneofakind #oneofakindjewelry #garnet #diamond #diamonds #rosecutdiamond #ethicalsourcing #ethicalmining

A post shared by Wendy Brandes Jewelry PR (@wendybrandesjewelry) on Jan 19, 2018 at 9:35am PST

Elsewhere on Instagram, ANZA Gems founder Monica Stephenson shared another photo of pieces from the ANZA PURE x Wendy Brandes collaboration. I urge you to read her caption, in which she describes how jewelry designs that incorporate gemstone rough help the mining communities in Tanzania and Kenya.

Another day, another garnet: can’t get enough of the ANZA PURE @anzagems X @wendybrandesjewelry collection! One-of-a-kind single studs in Merelani mint garnets and Mahenge spinel from Tanzania. The 18k settings are handmade in #NYC by artisans, because that’s how @wendybrandes and I roll. I’m so proud of this collaboration for several reasons. First, it’s relatively affordable: prices start at $345 for the single studs. Also, when I’m buying the rough from dealers and miners, I love it so much I sometimes hate to facet it—it’s so freaking beautiful on its own, in its PURE state. And finally, I can only buy the largest, finest rough to become ANZA faceted gems (did you know that the best yields you can hope for are typically around 30%?). Buying the gorgeous but smaller material allows me to invest so much more into these regions that need our support. And have I mentioned how gorgeous?? They glow. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a January birthday, these green garnets make a BIG IMPACT, as $50 from every purchase goes back to support faceting students in Tanzania. #garnet #greengarnet #grossulargarnet #mintgarnet #pinkspinel #mahengespinel #18k #mismatchedstuds #studearrings #roughgems #gemstones #gemsforchange #gemsgiveback #jewelrywithapurpose #responsiblejewelry #responsiblegems #anzagems #idazzle #idazzletravels #eastafrica #tanzania #kenya #jewelrydesigner #collaboration #handmadejewelry #supportingartisans #madeinnyc

A post shared by idazzle (@idazzle) on Jan 19, 2018 at 12:42pm PST