Author: Dean Cox

I’ve spent the better part of the last decade bouncing between jewellery workshops, trade shows, and the sort of tiny gem markets where stallholders still grade stones under yellowed lamps. And I’ll be honest with you—very few things in this industry genuinely surprise me anymore. But a visit to Kuala Lumpur earlier this year left me rethinking where the future of fine jewellery is headed. KL has always had a buzz about it: energetic, warm, a bit cheeky in its charm. But tucked between the rooftop bars and late-night food stalls is something you might not expect—an emerging reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most exciting hubs for lab grown diamonds. Not cheap imitations, not “synthetics,” but real diamonds grown by scientists with startling precision. If you haven’t kept up with the ...

As a Melbourne-based lifestyle writer who’s spent far too many weekends poking around jewellers’ workshops and chatting with designers over long coffees, I’ve come to appreciate how much storytelling sits behind a single gemstone. And lately, one story keeps coming up — loose lab grown diamonds. If you’ve dipped a toe into the jewellery world recently, you’ve probably noticed they’re everywhere. Not in an “everyone’s pushing them” way, but more like an undercurrent that’s quietly reshaping how people think about diamonds, value, and even love. The shift didn’t happen overnight, and honestly, I was sceptical at first. But the more I spoke with gemologists, couples designing engagement rings, and jewellers trying to keep up with modern tastes, the more I realised something bigger is happeni...

You know that moment when you spot a piece of jewellery in a shop window and can’t help but stare? That’s exactly what happened to me last month while wandering through a boutique in Sydney’s CBD. I’d gone in just to “have a look,” but then my eyes fell on a delicate ring that sparkled like it was lit from within. The closer I looked, the more I noticed the shimmer wasn’t coming from a single diamond, but from dozens of tiny stones set so closely together that the metal barely peeked through. That, my friends, is the magic of pave  diamonds. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure what “pave” meant at first. I assumed it was some kind of fancy marketing term, but it turns out it’s French for “paved,” like a cobblestone street. And that imagery makes perfect sense — these little diamonds are lite...

If you hang around a jewellery studio long enough, you start to notice something funny. People walk in thinking they’re about to have a conversation about diamonds... but what they really want is reassurance. They want to know they’re choosing something beautiful, meaningful, and worth the money. And lately, the question I’m hearing more than anything else is, “What’s the deal with lab diamonds HPHT? Are they legit?” I don’t blame anyone for asking. This whole world of lab grown gems has exploded in Australia over the last five or six years, and the internet hasn’t exactly made things easier. One minute you’re reading about breakthrough technology, the next you’re lost in a maze of acronyms like HPHT and CVD. Even seasoned jewellers like me had to take a step back and relearn a few things...

Getting cash for gold in Melbourne means doing homework first. Shop visits alone won’t cut it. Prices shift every day - timing matters just as much as weight. A reliable buyer doesn’t always shout the loudest. Markets react to global swings; your return hinges on that pulse. Walk in blind, walk out shortchanged. Knowledge gaps cost real money. Trust isn’t given - it’s checked. Value hides in details most miss. Prepare or pay the price. A quick look at today's gold price makes a difference when selling. Start by checking online platforms, nearby shops that buy precious metals, or financial institutions for current numbers. Jump between different places to see how much your item could truly bring in. Tiny gaps in pricing might change what ends up in your pocket more than expected. Assessing...