All right, my darlings! I’ve made the list and checked it twice, so it’s time to reveal what you loved the most on Diamonds in the Library in 2018.

These are my most viewed blog posts of the year! They weren’t necessarily written in this year, although some of them were. I’ve also skipped over any posts that were included in previous years’ roundups, but if you want to see what you loved in 2017, 2016, 2015, or 2014, just follow the links! 

Let me know what you want to see more of and if you have any special requests for 2019! 

Your favorite jewels of 2018 

I’m going to include just one photo from each article, so if you want more, click through the links to read the full post. We’re doing this countdown-style, so #1 is going to be at the end for dramatic effect. 

15. Strength, love, and hardware: the Marla Aaron lock.

Marla Aaron’s chic, innovative designs have skyrocketed in popularity since I first wrote this blog post back in 2016. If you haven’t seen her IG lately, it’s definitely worth checking out how her aesthetic has evolved. I’m not at all surprised that Google searches for Marla’s lovely locks have propelled this article back into the most read posts of the year! 

14. Kimberly Collins: colored gem boss babe.

I loved writing this post. It was so much fun collaborating with Kim, who I adore, and these photoshoots made me feel like I was living in a kaleidoscope filled with gemstones and flowers. What more could a jewelry lover want? 

13. The jewels of VicenzaOro 2018.

2018 was my fourth year attending this glamorous Italian trade show! I do agree that it was a particularly good year, with new designs from old favorites like Alessio Boschi and Pasquale Bruni, as well as new-to-me finds like Ferrari Firenze and Vendorafa. I finally met legendary designer Roberto Coin and we discussed upholstery and business card design. 

12. Rainbow jewelry: wear a rainbow, baby.

I love happy, colorful jewelry and I guess you do too! Way to have good taste, my darlings. (Really I could write that about any post on this list. I’m proud.) 

11. Joden: Pennsylvania’s jewelry treasure trove.

Oooh yes, my dears. I took so many fantastic photos and videos during my gloriously chaotic one-day visit to this treasure-packed Pennsylvania jewelry store! Joden remains one of the most remarkable jewelry stores I’ve ever visited, especially given its bucolic location. 

10. Precious pasta jewelry from Alison Lou.

Pasta jewelry! How could you not love it? 

9. More Miami antique show favorites.

 I really did meet some extraordinary jewels at the 2018 Original Miami Beach Antique Show! It’s actually almost time for the 2019 OMBAS – it’s coming up again in January, when the show will return to its freshly-renovated original home near the beach. 

8. So you want to buy jewelry on Ebay: a first-timer’s guide.

This is the oldest post on this list: it’s actually from 2012! That’s 6 whole years ago. The pictures are so tiny that I had to make a new one to use in this list.

I’m not sure why this post is suddenly rising to the top again, but it is true that there’s a whole lot of anxiety right now about fakes and reproduction pieces, especially in the antique jewelry community especially. I’ve learned a thing or two in the 6 years since I wrote this post, but I still stand by its advice. 

7. A GiGi Ferranti jewelry giveaway!

I loved my summer collaboration with GiGi Ferranti! I got to do a summery photoshoot with some of the designer’s newest pieces and then – even more exciting – do a giveaway of a GiGi Ferranti jewel! This giveaway proved so popular that the designer decided to double it in the middle and we ended up giving away two pieces of jewelry instead of one.  

6. Treasures of the Vegas Antique Jewelry Show.

Twice in my life have I tried on jewelry that belonged to famous Queens of the past…and both of those blog posts are here in this list! 

5. What to do when a ring is stuck on your finger.

I actually really love when my useful posts show up in the most read list. I wrote this one – as you may have surmised – after a friend with a ring stuck on her finger asked me for advice. I hope the post has been useful to some of you, although even more than that I hope that you only need to consult it very occasionally. 

4. A love poem you can wear: the Augis medaille d’amour.

Instagram discovered these beautiful, cryptic little charms a few years ago and the design has been extremely popular ever since! I’m not surprised that a few of you have gone looking for this article to discover the meaning behind the symbols (and the love story behind the original sentiment). 

3. Wearing Marie Antoinette’s jewelry.

I only published this post last month, which makes it super impressive that it’s up here as the third most popular post of the year already. But trying on Marie Antoinette’s jewelry may be the coolest thing I’ve ever done, so I’m not surprised that you’re enjoying it too. 

2. The gorgeous jewels of AGTA GemFair 2018.

I had so much fun working with my fabulous fellow Gembassadors at the 2018 AGTA GemFair! The jewelry wasn’t bad, either. 

1. 12 vintage engagement rings from Victor Barbone.

Ah, my darlings. I can always count on you to enjoy a roundup of exceptional vintage engagement rings. This was a particularly spectacular selection, wasn’t it? We’ll have to do more of this in 2019.