Giveaway, Guest Post, Mysteries

Guest Chick: CB Wilson

Please join us in welcoming CB Wilson: gemologist, dog lover, and author of the Gem Hunters Mysteries and the Barkview Mysteries! CB has graciously provided a giveaway today, so please read on and reply below to be entered.

What is a diamond specialist, really? A geologist who understands how carbon transforms under pressure deep within the earth? A trained gemologist who can grade clarity, color, and cut with precision? Or someone who simply knows what sparkles brightest?

I’ve come to believe it’s something else entirely. Because anyone who’s truly spent time with diamonds will tell you, it’s not just about the stone. It’s about the story. Yes, I’m a trained gemologist. I can identify a flawless D-color diamond, distinguish an old European cut from a modern brilliant, and read how light moves through facets to determine value. But my real appreciation doesn’t come from the science. It comes from understanding that two diamonds can look identical, yet affect you entirely differently.

Every diamond begins the same way—formed in darkness and shaped by pressure. But from the moment it’s discovered, its path changes. It’s gifted, inherited, maybe even stolen. A diamond absorbs the life around it. That’s why a specialist isn’t just someone who evaluates a stone. It’s someone who asks:

  • Where did it come from?
  • Who owned it?
  • What happened to it along the way?

Because the answers to those questions matter far more than the carat weight.

In the world of the Gem Hunters Mysteries, Taylor “Hunter” Hunter isn’t your typical diamond expert. She doesn’t stand behind a counter and simply appraise a stone. She is a “diamond recovery specialist”—a woman who recovers missing diamonds for insurance companies. She also knows that when a diamond disappears, it takes its story with it. And those stories are never simple. They’re tangled in secrets, buried in lies, and often guarded by people who will do anything to keep the truth hidden.

Alongside Glimmer, her diamond-sniffing dachshund, Hunter tracks more than just physical clues. They follow where logic falls short and instinct takes over. Because in Hunter’s world, finding the diamond is only part of the job. Uncovering its story is everything.

Her journey is my journey. It’s a culmination of decades spent immersed in the legends and lore of the diamond world, where beauty and danger have always gone hand in hand.

So, what is a diamond specialist? Let me suggest that the one who truly understands diamonds is the one who listens.

Because every diamond has a story…And in the world of the Gem Hunters Mysteries, that story is everything.

 I will offer a Free e-copy of The Fire Diamond to a lucky winner. Here’s my question:  At the heart of the case in The Water Diamond is a missing platinum bracelet. Tell me, do you prefer gold, silver, or platinum jewelry? 

Award-winning author CB Wilson writes two beloved cozy mystery series: the Gem Hunters Mysteries—beginning with The Fire Diamond—and the Barkview Mysteries, set in the dog-friendliest town in America.

A GIA-trained gemologist and lifelong dog lover, she fills her books with sparkling clues, warm humor, and unforgettable canine sidekicks. She lives in Arizona, where she writes stories rich with diamonds, danger, laughter, and loyal dogs.

Website: cbwilsonauthor.com

Here’s a link to sign up for my newsletter to follow Glimmer’s journey through the Water Diamond’s clues. It starts at the historic Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix & ends at the Casino on Catalina Island.  https://forms.gle/PwShcEB2VTar74Sz6

 

26 thoughts on “Guest Chick: CB Wilson”

  1. Fascinating post, CB. I’ve never thought about gemologists that way, but it makes total sense. And makes for a terrific mystery, I’m sure!

    I’m not one much for jewelry, but the few things I do have are gold.

    Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, and congrats on the new book!

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  2. Fascinating, CB. The stories behind anything are always more intriguing to me than the thing itself.

    As a young girl I preferred yellow gold, but now I like the silver tone, so silver or platinum is my choice. Or white gold, I suppose.

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  3. Hi CB, I love this description of a gemologist. Stories are what make the world go round! I am not a huge jewelry person. What I have is a mix, but I usually wear silver, but the few good pieces I have are set in gold.

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  6. Great to see you here, CB! I’m not much of a jewelry person, but both my wedding ring and Claddagh ring are gold, so I guess that’s my choice. Cheers!

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  7. Absolutely fascinating, Cheryl! I totally see this now. When you read about a famous jewel, it’s always the human interest aspect of it – its past history – that’s fascinating.

    I am a Fiery Autumn in color terms, so gold is my metal because it’s warm toned. I don’t wear silver.

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  8. Ohhhh, I love your doggy! What a great sidekick. The picture with the pink hat reminds me of my dad’s dachshunds … they would sit up and look out the window when they went for a ride, and sometimes they’d even “help” drive.

    Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

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  9. Thanks for being here, CB! That’s fascinating to think of diamonds (or all gems) as absorbing everything that happens to them.

    P.S. I’m okay with all metals, with a slight preference for platinum because it’s so durable!

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  11. Hi CB, thanks for visiting Chicks today–it’s so nice to meet you! What a fascinating post–I’ll admit I hadn’t thought about diamonds having stories, other than in movies and books. But I love that way of looking at them, and all jewelry, for that matter. I change it up between silver and gold all the time–silver for less formal, gold for dress-up. (Usually.) My wedding ring is white gold, I believe.

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  12. very cool article. The first thing I thought of when I saw the beginning of the pat was a slot machine I love to play called Gem Hunters (I think). Cute video cartoony slot. I enjoy looking at the pictures as they roll by.

    Sterling silver is my metal of choice to wear. And I hope someday to have a sterling silver pen to add to my collection. But I need to save up for it!

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  14. Sterling silver is my everyday choice and yellow gold is more for dress/special events. Platinum will be my metal of choice in retirement when it will match my hair. I believe that the stories jewelry pieces carry with them are to be celebrated and explored. I am glad you have this series to help readers do that.

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  15. Thank you all for your warm welcome. I love to talk jewelry. Reach out with questions or send your significant other my way if they need a rerommendation for that “perfect” gift. (just make sure you tell me what’s catching your eye first….) CB

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    1. I love what you said about diamonds and gemologists. I never thought of it that way, but many diamonds must have a great story if they could only talk. Some we have provenance on like the Hope Daimond, though I am sure we do not know all of the nuances. I can’t wait to read your novels on this subject. A great premise. I have always loved gold but after the death of my mother, I was given her wedding ring and her engagement ring. One was set in platinum and the other in white gold it turns out. I used to wear them until the jeweler told me how delicate they were when I was having them cleaned and appraised. I did not want to lose them, so I quit wearing them. I quit wearing my own rose gold wedding and engagement rings during covid and have not started wearing them again. All I wear is a sterling silver pinkie ring now. We don’t go anywhere anymore anyway.

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