About Anne & Michael Dale
Forty years. One marriage. One store. Serving the Northshore since 1983.
GIA Certified Gemologist | Master Goldsmith | Locally Owned Since 1983 | Mandeville, Louisiana
Anne Dale
GIA GRADUATE GEMOLOGIST | FGA | PG
Anne did not become a gemologist by taking a weekend course. She holds the GIA Graduate Gemologist designation, a Fellowship from the Gemological Association of Great Britain, and a Professional Gemologist title from the Columbia School of Gemology — where she studied under the late Antonio Bonanno, one of the most celebrated figures in the history of the field.
She served as Executive Director of Gem-A America, has taught gemology at universities across the country, and has been a frequent speaker at national jewelry trade shows for decades. She is the discoverer of LaPearlite — the Official State Gemstone of Louisiana, signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal in 2011.
She is also the author of Swept Away — available on Amazon — a true story of gemology, Katrina, community and purpose that Oliver North called a must-read.
When you sit across from Anne, you are sitting across from one of the most credentialed gemologists in the South. She will tell you exactly what you have, what it is worth, and what your best options are — honestly and without pressure.
As Executive Director of Gem-A America, Anne assembled the organization’s USA Advisory Board — bringing together some of the most respected names in the international gemological community. Pictured with Anne: Ken Scarratt, Peter Yantzer, Teresa Shannon, Gail Levine and Harold Dupuy.
Michael Dale
MASTER GOLDSMITH | 40 YEARS AT THE BENCH
Michael Dale spent over forty years as a working goldsmith — diamond setter, fabricator, craftsman. He built this store from a trade shop in 1983, doing contract work for other jewelers who needed someone who genuinely knew what they were doing at the bench.
Today Michael brings that lifetime of knowledge to every custom design and repair conversation. He understands the work at every level — the metals, the settings, the tolerances, the techniques — and works directly with the skilled craftsmen who execute each piece to ensure it is done exactly right.
When you describe what you want, Michael knows what is possible, what is not, and how to get from your vision to a finished piece that exceeds your expectations. That knowledge does not come from a catalog — it comes from four decades of doing the work himself.
He is the reason your ring gets done right. He just may not be the one holding the torch anymore.
Our Story
MANDEVILLE, LOUISIANA — SINCE 1983
High school sweethearts — married over 43 years
Anne & Michael — the early years
Grand opening — our new Mandeville location, 2022
Anne and Michael are high school sweethearts — married over 43 years, three grown children, more grandchildren than they can keep up with. They grew up with this community. They were here when young families first crossed the causeway looking for room to breathe and better schools. They were here through Katrina and the rebuilding that followed. They are here now as Saint Tammany has become one of the most vibrant communities in Louisiana.
The store has had a few names over the decades — Mike Dale Jewelers, Dale Jewelers, and finally Anne-Dale Jewelers — but the mission has never changed. Do the work right. Be honest with people. Build relationships that last longer than any single transaction.
Many of the Dale’s designs are inspired by their New Orleans family’s French heritage, father’s Sicilian roots and mother’s hometown New York City.
Over 300 Northshore couples have started their forever at our desk. We do not take that lightly.
A Career Recognized Beyond the Northshore
THE INDUSTRY COMES TO ANNE — NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
LOUISIANA JEWELERS CONVENTION
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & INDUSTRY PRESENCE
Anne has been invited to present on diamond evaluation, gemstone identification and jewelry education at the most respected venues in the industry — by peers who recognize the depth of her knowledge, not by customers who heard about her store.
✦ National Association of Jewelry Appraisers
✦ JCK Las Vegas — International Jewelry Show
✦ Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
✦ Atlanta Jewelry Show
✦ Stuller’s Bench Work Show
✦ Louisiana Jewelers Convention
✦ Gemological Association of Great Britain — International Conferences
Anne helped establish gemology departments at gem schools across the United States — including Paris Junior College’s nationally recognized jewelry and gemstone program in Texas. Her curriculum work produced working jewelers and gemologists who are active in the field today. She also traveled with Gem-A to China to explore gemological education opportunities internationally.
DIAMOND SOURCING — ANTWERP, BELGIUM
GEM-A TRADE DELEGATION — CHINA
Where Diamonds Come From — She Has Been There
ANTWERP · TUCSON · CHINA · THE WORLD’S GREAT GEM MARKETS
Anne has sourced diamonds and gemstones at the world’s most important gem markets — Antwerp, Tucson, the international wholesale networks that most local jewelers never access. That firsthand experience of where stones come from, how they are graded and what they genuinely cost at the source is what makes her evaluations different from anyone else’s in this market.
She traveled with Gem-A to China to explore gemological education opportunities, worked directly with gemology schools to build their curricula and has been at the center of the industry’s education efforts for four decades.
When Anne looks at your jewelry she is drawing on a knowledge base that was built at the source — not from a textbook.
The Bonanno Years
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Anne’s path to becoming the gemologist she is today runs directly through the late Antonio Bonanno — one of the most celebrated and influential figures in the history of American gemology. Studying under Mr. Bonanno at the Columbia School of Gemology was not just an education. It was an introduction to a world that very few people in this country have ever accessed.
The knowledge, the rigor, the standards he demanded and the network of serious gemological professionals he connected her to shaped everything that followed — the Gem-A years, the advisory board, the speaking career and ultimately the store that has stood in this community for over 40 years.
You do not train under someone like Antonio Bonanno and come out the other side as a typical jeweler. You come out as something else entirely.
ANNE WITH HER MENTOR ANTONIO BONANNO — SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
Anne traveled from New Orleans to present Mr. Bonanno
with the Gem-A England Lifetime Achievement Award.
It would be the last time she saw him.
WITH LOUISIANA GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY — WASHINGTON, D.C.
WITH RUSSELL FEATHER — SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Louisiana Roots — National Reach
FROM WASHINGTON D.C. TO THE SMITHSONIAN
Anne’s work with LaPearlite — the Official Louisiana State Gemstone she discovered from the native oyster shell — brought her to Washington D.C. and into conversations with Louisiana’s congressional delegation. That work ultimately led to Governor Bobby Jindal signing the designation into law in 2011.
Her connection to the Smithsonian Institution through her gemological work placed her alongside some of the most respected names in the natural sciences. LaPearlite is not just a Louisiana story — it is a story about what happens when a Mandeville jeweler refuses to stop at good enough.
Governor Jeff Landry, then serving as a Louisiana Congressman, was among those who supported Anne’s gemstone designation work in Washington.
Featured In
NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRESS COVERAGE
WWL-TV — JEWELRY AND COMMUNITY COVERAGE
PRINT & BROADCAST RECOGNITION
Anne’s work — both in gemology and in the community — has been recognized by regional and national media throughout her career. From national trade publications to New Orleans television, the story of Anne Dale Jewelers has been told by people who found it worth telling.
National Jeweler
National trade publication feature — Anne Dale Jewelers and the Louisiana market
Sophisticated Woman
Cover feature — recognized as one of the region’s most accomplished women in business
CityBusiness
New Orleans regional business press — community impact and industry leadership
WWL-TV New Orleans
Multiple television appearances covering jewelry, Katrina recovery and LaPearlite
What We Believe
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND EVERYTHING WE DO
Once presented, each piece of jewelry begins its story. A story of love, commitment, joy — and in some cases sorrow. The sentiments that bind us. This big adventure we call life is a complex collection of moments and memories. There is no better way to memorialize those moments than with fine jewelry.
We are passionate about our creations — especially those that rise to the level of a sacramental. When a young couple sits across from us about to begin the most important commitment of their lives, we treat that moment with the reverence it deserves. We have found that most couples hunger for exactly that — someone who understands that what is happening at this desk is profound.
Love is not just emotion. Love is action. Love is a choice. Love is a spiritual connection that allows us to discover meaning and purpose. Let us help you bring that story to life.
A Few Things That Set Us Apart
NOT EVERY JEWELER CAN SAY THESE THINGS
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Louisiana’s State Gemstone
Anne discovered LaPearlite — a gemstone derived from the Louisiana oyster shell — and in 2011 Governor Bobby Jindal signed it into law as the Official State Gemstone of Louisiana. She did not just sell Louisiana jewelry. She gave Louisiana its gemstone.
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Jeweler for a Cause
Born from Katrina in 2006, Anne’s Jeweler for a Cause collection has raised over $225,000 for hurricane relief, veterans causes, Easter Seals and more. Each piece comes with a story. Each purchase supports something larger than jewelry.
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A Published Author
Anne’s book Swept Away tells her story through the lens of Katrina — from a blind broom salesman who knocked on her door as a child to the gemstone that belongs to all of Louisiana. Available on Amazon. Endorsed by Oliver North.
Come Meet Us
NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED — WALK-INS ALWAYS WELCOME
We are a small store on purpose. One gemologist. One craftsman. One couple at a time. If that sounds like the experience you are looking for — we would love to meet you.