After years of hiding in the watery depths, mermaids, mythical half-human sea creatures, are surfacing everywhere – in a provocative photo shoot in the December 2013 issue of W ; on countless Starbucks’ cups (the mermaid is their corporate logo); in television shows like Mermaids and H20: Just Add Water; Pinterest, Etsy, and on bridesmaid accessories and wedding dresses.

A gemstone that conjures up images of heaven and earth, life and death, yin and yang, jade remains hugely popular in China, and all across the world. But did you know that jadeite is available in lavender (but not in pink?)

Jewelry connoisseurs have gone crazy for colored diamonds. And their appetites were practically insatiable in 2013.

If you follow this blog, you know to look for GIA reports when making a diamond, pearl or colored gemstone purchase. The “blue” GIA report had been around for more years than we can count – that is, until January of this year, when GIA began issuing its trusted reports in a new look. By integrating new technologies and simplifying the format, the reports were redesigned to set a new standard for jewelry buyers in terms of ease of use and credibility.

The story of the Cheapside Hoard has the twists and turns of the finest detective novels.

Between 1640 and 1666, nearly 500 items – including jewelry and loose gems – were placed in a wooden box and hidden in the cellar of a building near London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. A large Colombian emerald pocket watch; a rose-cut sapphire and diamond cross pendant; an enameled gold ring set with a large table-cut diamond; a 2,000-year-old Egyptian agate cameo – these were just a few of the spectacular pieces secreted away.