Archive for March, 2008
Posted in jewelry March 31st, 2008
Diamonds are extremely hard and durable. Take care of your diamond by avoiding breaks and scratches and keep it clean. With good care, your diamond will have the same sparkle and beauty in ten, a hundred or a thousand years. Diamonds do not fade, tarnish or wear out like most materials. The secret to keeping a diamond’s sparkle is keeping it clean.
Diamonds are the hardest natural material. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Use great caution when wearing multiple diamond rings on the same finger. If the diamonds of one ring touch diamonds in another ring, both diamonds will likely end up scratched in a relatively short time. If you have a diamond wedding band next to your diamond engagement ring, be sure their design allows them to fit together so the diamonds do not touch.
The next most dangerous place for diamonds scratching each other is in the jewelry box. Do not throw your diamond rings, diamond earrings, and diamond bracelet together. Since diamonds will scratch diamonds, think of what they can do to other gemstones and precious metals. Keep your diamond jewelry in separate compartments or isolated by soft cloth to keep them from rubbing each other.
While diamonds are very durable, they can break or chip. You would not let someone hit your diamond with a steel hammer but your diamond ring faces the same type of danger every day. File cabinets, metal seat belt buckles, and car doors are just a few of the metal surfaces that can hit a diamond in the course of a normal day. Avoid sharp impacts with hard surfaces and you will avoid chips and cracks in your diamond.
Diamonds are natural grease attractors. Some diamond mines separate diamonds from the broken rocks by running the material over a conveyor belt covered with a layer of grease. Diamonds stick to the grease and the rocks slide off. At the end of the shift, they remove the grease and melt it away, leaving the diamonds.
Remember diamond’s attraction to grease when you touch a diamond with your finger. The oil from your fingertips will coat the diamond and reduce the sparkle. The same is true when your diamond ring touches the oil in your hair. Hand creams, lotions, hair spray, soap, and grease from food will create a film on your diamond that hides its beauty. When you put your hands in dishwater, the dirt and grease in the water will adhere to the diamond. Dust and powders also cling to diamonds.
Fortunately, diamonds are easy to clean. Put your diamond jewelry in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. You can also use the containers of “Jewelry Cleaner” available at jewelry and department stores. These typically have a small basket the ring can sit in and a small, soft brush to clean the hard to reach places around the diamond. Swish the ring around in the solution, rinse it with warm water, and dry the ring with a lint-free cloth. While chemicals will probably not hurt your diamond, harsh chemicals like chlorine or bleach can weaken and discolor the metal in the jewelry. Keep in mind that swimming pools and hot tubs usually have high levels of chlorine and are not a safe place for jewelry.
There are many types of ultrasonic cleaners available to the public today. The piece of jewelry sits in a basket of water and detergent. The ultrasonic cleaner produces high-frequency turbulence that is an excellent way to clean the hard to get at part of jewelry. Not all gemstones are as durable as diamonds. Never put soft materials like emeralds, opals and pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner.
With a little common sense and regular cleaning, your diamonds will keep their sparkle and beauty for years of enjoyment.
Denny Reinke is the Vice-President of Diamond Source of Virginia, an online diamond retailer specializing in loose diamonds, diamond rings and diamond jewelry located in Richmond, Virginia and on the web at http://www.DiamondSourceVA.com. You can also visit Denny’s blog at http://www.diamonds.blogs.com.
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Posted in jewelry March 30th, 2008
A single strand of classic cultured pearls is always in fashion. Any woman who is looking for her first pearls will choose a white cultured Akoya pearl necklace. Their luminosity, simple elegance, and grace have made cultured Akoya pearls a top fashion pick, year after year.
Pearl jewelry with more designs is also a fashion trend in 2005. These designs take a classic style and make it even more sophisticated.
Below is a list of this year’s trends in pearl jewelry:
Pearl earrings accented with diamonds, sapphires, or rubies. Gemstones add color brilliance to pearls, while bringing out their warmth and softness.
Dangling pearl earrings or dramatic pendants. They move with you and are always eye-catching.
Pearl jewelry in two-tone white and yellow gold settings.
Pearl necklaces with diamond gold clasps, showing off the sparkle of the clasp and adding a distinctive look.
Pearls in heart-shaped pendants or earrings, showing your love.
Exotic South Sea or Tahitian pearl necklaces, white, golden, and multicolor, are simply breathtaking.
Freshwater pearl necklaces with the look of South Sea or Tahitian Pearls are more affordable than ever.
Black pearl necklaces showing the coolness and mysterious beauty.
Necklaces or bracelets made of pearls and gold links are always luxurious and fashionable.
A single pearl or several pearls on a gold chain prove yet again that less is more. A black Tahitian pearl on a leather chain looks wonderful on men.
Signature pearl jewelry, fashionable and irresistible, can express your individuality, and have made the 2005 fashion year one of the most exciting ever.
About the author:
Yan Berry is a pearl expert from Premium Pearl, an online pearl jewelry retailer featuring fine cultured pearl jewelry, pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, Tahitian pearls, Akoya pearls, and more.
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Posted in jewelry March 29th, 2008
We got friends to make up for our relatives
– Anonymous
A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway.
– Fr. Jerome Cummings
Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but
in the hearts of true friends.
– Cindy Lew
Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure.
– Jewish Saying
What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. — Aristotle
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.
– Abraham Lincoln
“A faithful friend is the medicine of life.”
– Apocrypha
“The best mirror is an old friend.”
–George Herbert
One who looks for a friend without faults will have none.
– Hasidic Saying
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
– Walter Winchell
Friends are needed both for joy and for sorrow.
– Samuel Paterson
Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world.
– John Evelyn
A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory
fails.
– Anonymous
“The rain may be falling hard outside,
But your smile makes it all alright.
I’m so glad that you’re my friend.
I know our friendship will never end.”
– Robert Alan
“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening
fruit.”
– Aristotle (4th century B.C.)
“Friendship is essentially a partnership.”
– Aristotle (4th century B.C.)
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him
that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”
– The Bible: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
“A friend loves at all times.”
– The Bible: Proverbs 17, 17.
“A companion loves some agreeable qualities which a man may possess, but a
friend loves the man himself.”
– James Boswell (1763)
“Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote
the good and happiness of one another.”
– Eustace Budgell (1711)
“Friendship is Love without his wings!”
– Lord Byron (1806)
“Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by
dividing and sharing it.”
– Cicero (44 B.C.)
“True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known
until it be lost”
– Charles Caleb Colton (1825)
“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their
help in need.”
– Epicurus (3rd century B.C.)
“Friends show their love in times of trouble…”
– Euripides (408 B.C.)
“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.”
– Euripides (408 B.C.)
“A good friend is my nearest relation.”
– Thomas Fuller (1732)
“My friend is he who will tell me my faults in private.”
– Solomon Ibn Gabirol
“Your friend is your needs answered.”
– Kahil Gibran
“Let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.”
– Kahil Gibran.
“Let your best be for your friend…”
– Kahil Gibran
“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of
pleasures.”
– Kahil Gibran
“A sympathetic friend can be quite as dear as a brother.”
– Homer (9th century B.C.)
“We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling
a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over;
so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart
run over.”
– Samuel Johnson
“However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.”
– La Rochefoucauld (1665)
“A true friend is the greatest of all blessings, and that which we take the
least care to acquire.”
– La Rochefoucauld (1665)
“I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in
other people, than you can in two years by trying to get other people
interested in you.”
– Bernard Meltzer
“Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.”
– Baltasar Gracian (1647)
“Friendship needs no words…”
– Dag Hammarskjold.
“Friends are the sunshine of life.”
– John Hay (1871)
Good friends are like stars….You don’t always see them, but you know they
are always there.
– Anonymous
Jane Opal
Online & Inspirational Consultant
http://geocities.com/bluelantern77
Highly Recommended Sites:
http://maitr.com|http://bluewonders.com
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Posted in jewelry March 28th, 2008
Most advertising campaigns by De Beers feature their famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” Consequently, women seldom sell a diamond and often feel uncomfortable buying diamonds previously owned by other women. There is a sentimental aspect to diamonds that is very different from other tangible assets like boats, houses or automobiles. However, there are occasions when consumers need to sell their diamonds and, unlike the used car market, there is not a well-developed method for consumers to sell their diamonds.
As a consumer, you face some unique challenges when trying to get the best price for your diamond in a safe and comfortable manner. Your starting point is to know exactly what you are selling. This is much easier if the diamond has a grading report from a major laboratory like the GIA or AGS. You have more of a challenge if there is no formal grading report. In this case, you need to find an independent appraiser who can evaluate the diamond and determine its quality and potential value.
Once you know your diamond’s specifications, you can find the current retail asking price by checking with online retailers to see what similar diamonds are selling for in today’s retail market. It is unlikely you will be able to get the going retail price for your diamond. Selling your diamond at 80% to 90% of that amount would make it sell quicker. Be realistic about your expectations. The lowest cost online retailers, not the expensive jewelry stores with double the price, set the value of your diamond.
You now know your target price and simply have to figure out how to find the right buyer for your diamond. There are several options available to sell your diamond and you need to determine which is best for maximizing your money and safety while minimizing your time and effort.
Your first thought might be to go to the closest jewelry store or pawnshop and sell them the diamond. The key to remember here is that they do not need your diamond. They can get all the diamonds they want on the wholesale market. The only reason they will buy your diamond is if the price is a fraction of the wholesale price. They hope you need the money bad enough to take 25%-50% of what you could be getting for your diamond elsewhere. They might offer you a little more if you “trade up” to something in their display case. However, this often results in you paying more for the new diamond and receiving less for your diamond than if you sold it elsewhere.
Several online brokers specialize in buying diamonds and estate jewelry from consumers. They typically have you ship the diamond to them so they can determine the amount they will pay you. All too often, this amount is much less than their preliminary estimate so you must either pay the return shipping, or accept their price. If your main priority is getting money fast, this is a valid option. If your main priority is getting top dollar for your diamond, there are better selling methods available to you.
Auctions like eBay are very popular for selling jewelry items but there is so much low quality jewelry listed, it is hard for potential buyer to find your quality diamond. You are competing with jewelry retailers whose entire business is selling on eBay so they are experts at writing the descriptions (often with exaggerated quality), taking impressive pictures and shipping their items. Even if a bidder does find your item, the odds of getting your target price are slim to nil because other retailers are advertising items with similar descriptions for about half the amount you want. Notice I did not say they are advertising similar quality, just similar descriptions. Do a search for diamond rings with GIA grading reports and you will see the vast majority of diamond rings have paperwork from sources you have never heard of before.
Other effective ways to find a buyer are classified ads in local newspapers and bulletin boards at church or work. The challenge is reaching enough people to find at least one buyer willing to pay your price. You have to be careful when doing this kind of transaction, especially if selling to a stranger. Do the transaction in a safe place and be sure you have a valid form of payment. You do not want to hand over your diamond and end up with a phony cashiers check or bad personal check.
Some jewelry stores and online retailers will sell your diamond on consignment. Online retailers with a local presence have an advantage in that they have large numbers of diamond shoppers on their website plus walk in traffic that can see your diamond in person. They also have lower overhead and prices so you can get a bigger share of the selling price. With jewelry stores often marking up prices over 100%, your share is likely to be less than half of the selling price.
Just be sure to get a written description of the item you are giving on consignment and the minimum amount you will accept for your diamond. All too often sellers are not being able to get their jewelry items back from a store or only receive a fraction of the amount they expected from the sale. However, if you have patience and a low priced, trustworthy retailer to broker your diamond, you have an excellent chance of getting an excellent price for your diamond without the hassle and safety issues of selling it yourself.
Denny Reinke is the Vice-President of Diamond Source of Virginia, an online diamond retailer specializing in loose diamonds, diamond rings and diamond jewelry located in Richmond, Virginia and on the web at http://www.DiamondSourceVA.com. You can also visit Denny’s blog at http://www.diamonds.blogs.com.
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Posted in jewelry March 27th, 2008
A popular motif in jewelry, even among city dwellers, is horses. Horse jewelry is enigmatic and evokes a sense of strength as well as of mystery. Now one would have to ask: why horses? Why care about an animal rarely seen in the city anyway?
Horses symbolize freedom, and pride in freedom. Wild horses come with the connotation of spiritual and emotional independence. Have you ever seen or read “The Horse Whisperer” or “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”? Perhaps the snow-white horse named Shadowfax in the “Lord of the Rings” movies has evoked a sense of unbridled freedom in you? And yet, Hollywood has not even begun to touch on the importance of horses in ancient cultures. Far from being mere beasts of burden, horses were also trusted friends. Native Americans paid great respect to the horses they have domesticated, for they were useful in hunting and traveling.
Wearing horse jewelry is a celebration of independence, a rallying cry to break free from the bonds of society and be graceful, proud and natural.
It is a popular belief that the wild horse chooses its tamer. Alexander the Great’s horse, the celebrated Bucephalus, was known to be the wildest horse in his day: king of horses, unconquered by conquerors. And yet when the young Alexander cautiously approached him, Bucephalus calmed down and allowed the teenaged monarch to climb on his back. Together the two conquered cities, leveled fortresses, and built an empire — kindred untrammeled spirits faithful to each other until the end.
A driven, successful, hard-to-get professional woman may appreciate a gift of horse jewelry — in celebration of her strong, free-spirited nature. A young carefree lad may also benefit from horse jewelry, as an expression of virility and natural strength.
Horse jewelry comes in a variety of forms — from pendants to hairclips, brooches to bracelets, anything that catches attention! The flashier the better, or the more muted the more desirable, for people who gravitate to horses.
Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com.
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Posted in jewelry March 26th, 2008
Before buying any jewelry with gems, you want to familiarize yourself with the various terms used with various gems. Most important, check over the terms used for substitute gems, especially those of any gems in which you might be interested. Although no reliable jeweler would knowingly pass off one gem for another, if you are going to shop around you are going to have to expect to run into jewelers who may be less fussy.
Keep in mind that you cannot always tell what gem is by looking at it. Emeralds are green. Also, Tourmalines are green, and that name itself comes from the Singhalese word for mixed gems. Smoky quartz can outwardly resemble the more precious smoky topaz. Then, there are the gems of which few consumers have heard, like spinel.
There is no rule of thumb of what you can expect to pay. Any price list today is out of date before it is printed. The only way you can tell what is a fair price is to ask jewelers. If you don’t have a regular jeweler whom you trust, it is even more important to shop around and check the prices of particular gems. If you want smoky topaz, look at smoky topazes in as many stores as possible to get a general idea of the current price, although prices will vary with size and quality as well as setting. Still, you can get fair idea of fair topazes, or other gems, as possible.
Although the terms “precious gem” and “semi precious gem” have little meaning as the prices of all jewelry increase, the less expensive gems are probably safer buys from the point of view that there is less reason for anyone to try to sell a gem that isn’t what it is supposed to be. However, some inexpensive gems, such as turquoise and zircon, can have nature improved on by various kinds of treatment, and spinel and garnet can be synthetic.
Another problem in buying jewelry with gems is that the gems are already set. Once a gem is in the setting, you may not be able to see all the inclusions, nor may an appraiser, because the setting can hide them. A setting can also make up for imperfect cutting. That doesn’t mean you should buy only unset gems. The average person can be as taken in by unset gems as by set ones. It does mean that where you buy can be more important than how to buy.
Still and all, there are some precautions you can take in shopping around and looking at gems. These precautions hold particularly true for diamonds, which are most common gem purchased, and for few other stones.
A) Buying diamonds.
B) A diamond is not a diamond, any more than all that glitters is gold. There are two broad categories of diamonds, gem and industrial diamonds, and the first is the one that concerns the consumer.
The term “gem diamonds,” however, covers a broad spectrum of quality, based on the four Cs of clarity, color, cut, and carat weight. Although the terminology can vary from store to store and country to country, more and more jewelers in the United States are using the standards and terminology established by the Gemological Institute of America, GIA. These and other standards and terminology you may hear or see. Granted, you may find still other terms, but any reliable jeweler should be able to translate his terminology into GIA terms, particularly if he has taken GIA courses. The GIA standards and GIA quality certificates, incidentally, are accepted and may be used worldwide, especially for investment diamonds.
Investment diamonds are at the very top of the standards used to judge gem diamonds. At the lower end are jewelry diamonds, the diamonds you are most likely to find in jewelry. In Between are diamonds that are too good for ordinary jewelry. Hey are used in the best jewelry but are not good enough for investment purpose.
Although buying diamonds for investment purposes is entirely different from buying diamond jewelry and diamonds for jewelry, whose purpose is adornment, you should be aware of, and be aware, talk of investing in diamonds for the sake of diamonds. Diamonds have been bought by investors in other countries and are beginning to be thought of as being investments in the United States because of their dramatic increase in value over the past few years.
What you want to beware, as mentioned before, is the fact that the diamonds that have increased in value so much are the top quality stones and not all diamonds. As has been pointed out by a well-known diamond expert broker, an investment diamond must be flawless, be of top color (D - H on the color table), and at least 1 carat in size. Cut and color are more important to a diamond’s attractiveness in jewelry than minor inclusions that can be hidden by a setting, but even the tiniest inclusions can lower a diamond’s value as an investment.
You also want to be aware that diamonds meeting the investment criteria are rarely found in jewelry. For one thing, they are usually bought before they can reach the jeweler. For another, the cost at retail, often 100 percent above wholesale price, would not only make such a diamond prohibitive in price to the average consumer but also mean that the diamond would have to be held a considerably longer time. In addition, prices would have to rise much more dramatically for the average consumer to break even on his investment.
Buying investment diamonds, therefore, means going to a wholesaler, whom the average consumer doesn’t know and doesn’t have access to. In addition, a wholesaler must be picked with all the care of a retail jeweler. All the experts in, a wholesaler must be picked with all the care of a retail jeweler.
Despite the fact that investing in diamonds is a subject far too complicated, if you thinking of diamonds in this sense, you want to:
1) Consider only diamonds of very top quality, color and cut and of at least 1 carat in size. The smaller the stone, the less demand there is for it and the less it will get on resale.
2) Buy the stone out of the setting, if possible. The gem must be removed from its setting for GIA certificate anyway.
3) Make sure the seller gives you a GIA diamond certificate attesting to the four Cs. With so much money at stake and so few people knowing much about diamonds, there is always the possibility of fraud. A company or person that will take thousands of dollars of your money without providing GIA, and only GIA, certification of quality may not always be fraudulent but should be treated warily.
4) Try to get a Gemprint, which is a photograph made with a laser beam that “fingerprints” the stone. No two diamonds are ever exactly alike, and the Gemprint is proof both of the gem’s authenticity and identification.
5) Plan to keep the diamond for at least two years. Diamonds are a long-term investment.
6) Above all, make sure you can afford the investment and the gamble that diamond values will continue to go up. Diamonds, particularly those rare top quality stones, may continue to increase in price, but they can always go down in value for a number reasons. One reason is a recession. Another reason is that some dealers feel prices are so high they will have to level off or no one will be able to afford diamonds.
Many of the above points pertain to buying diamond jewelry and diamonds for jewelry, too. To begin with, you want to familiarize yourself with the terminology. Then, you have to consider how much money you want or have to spend, keeping in mind that you will have a far greater selection of diamonds to choose from for jewelry than you have for investment purposes.
The benchmark in price is one carat regardless of the kind of diamond. The smaller the stone, the less valuable it is and the less value it has.
Size is the first factor to consider because of its relationship to price. The second factor is color. Colors D - H are the whitest, most transparent stones. The problem with color is that it can be deceiving. The color you se may not be what you get, depending on lighting, the background against which you look at the diamond, and the setting of the gem.
A well know diamond expert whose firm buys only investment diamonds, offers the following suggestions for jewelry buyers:
1) Look at the diamond only under direct lighting. That means real light, which may be daylight or pure white fluorescence. Blue light will make any diamond sparkle with the desirable blue fire, and any diamond looks good in simulated candlelight. In addition, never buy a diamond at night, when no daylight is available.
2) Look at diamond against an off white or white background. The best diamonds are transparent, even those that may be tinged with yellow, and the slightly off white will give a better idea of the true color than any other color background. By the same token, yellow surroundings may make even the bluest-white diamond appear yellow. Thus, the background against which you look at a diamond can change the color or give the illusion that the stone is whiter or more transparent than it actually is.
3) Look at the top of the diamond, how the table disperses and refracts the light, to see how much fire and dispersion the diamond has.
4) Look at the diamond at a 45-degree angle to the crown, the 1/3 of the diamond above the girdle or setting, to tell the color. The top or table is only an indication of brilliance.
5) Try to buy or look at the diamond unset. A setting can hide inclusions. In addition, a diamond with a yellow tint will look better in a yellow gold setting, while a white diamond will look better in a white gold or platinum setting. Remember, a setting can hide inclusions, making it look better in the setting than it may look unset.
6) With a diamond of 1 carat or larger, insist on a GIA certificate. Any reliable jeweler should get you one for a small fee. Even though you are not investing in diamonds, the GIA certificate is your assurance that the diamond is what it is supposed to be, what the jeweler tells you, and what is written on your sales receipt. Although the gem will not be appraised for price, it will be appraised for all the other qualities.
Most, if not all, reliable jewelers will be willing to get you the certificate for a small fee that is well worth it considering what you are spending. In any case, your sale receipt should specify what the diamond is, as far as the four Cs go, and you should make sure it does or that you are given a certificate that spells them out. Both will also come in handy for insurance. In this case make sure you get a complete sales receipt, identifying the diamond exactly.
Based on these criteria, what you may have to decide is whether size or quality is more important, depending on what you can afford. Is size important? You may have to settle for an included stone with a slight yellow tint, if you want a diamond of 1 carat or larger. Is color important? You may have to settle for a white (D - H color) diamond, with a number of flaws depending on the size and cut. Is clarity important? You may have to settle for a very, very slightly include diamond of lesser color, again depending on size and cut. The Prices of these examples may be the same or so similar that there is little difference. So, how do you decide?
No jeweler or expert can answer the question of which is the better diamond because each has its own drawbacks. One stone is better from the point of view of size, another from color, and another from clarity. Still, color is what the average person sees. Clarity is actually less important for jewelry, as long as the inclusions do not interfere with the gem’s fire or brilliance. On the other hand, you may go along with the people who prefer a colored or “fancy” diamond and truly yellow diamonds, what are called “canary,” are as valuable as any fine white diamond of equal clarity. They may be more expensive, because they are rarer.
The decision is therefore, is one only you can make.
The GIA also appraises diamonds for individuals. You must make an appointment, however, because although laboratory facilities are extensive in equipment they are limited in size and space. In addition, the diamond must be at least 1 carat and must be un-mounted.
To be continued in Part 6!
The article above can be used on your web site or newsletter. When it is published, may I request that you include my name and resource box (the bio, contact and copyright information) that follows the article. I would also appreciate if you could send me an email of notification along with a complimentary copy of the publication.
Copyright 2005 Bijan Aziz.
Bijan Aziz is the owner and Web Master for The Jewelry Hut - http://www.thejewelryhut.com - the best source for fine Diamond, Gemstone, and Pearl Jewelry on the web!
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Posted in jewelry March 24th, 2008
You are window-shopping and notice a famous brand name watch in the window of a small jewelry store. You go into the store and ask to see the watch. The sales person shows the watch to you with its price. When you hesitate to buy the watch, he offers it to you at a lower price. Would you buy it?
You are looking at diamonds in a jewelry store, and the salesperson offers you a diamond for cash, without a sales receipt and invoice or sales tax, for a price lower than the original one. Would you buy it?
You see sign of “Going Out of Business. Must sell all jewelry at 50% or 75% off.” Would you go into store and buy any jewelry piece there?
All of the above are examples of precisely where you should not buy fine jewelry. In buying fine jewelry, you are buying jewelry you want to keep and treasure, not to throw away the way you may do with costume jewelry. For that reason, not to mention what you may have to pay, you want to be careful where you buy jewelry. And the more you pay, the more you want to be sure the store is reliable, with a reputation of standing behind what it sells. Those qualifications automatically rule out street peddlers, strangers, or fly-by-night stores that may be here today and gone tomorrow, and stores with continual going out of business sales. But where not to go is not much help in finding the store where you should go.
If you have a reputable jeweler with whom you have dealt in the past and with whom you have always been satisfied, you will want to continue going to him. On the other hand, perhaps you have moved or you are making your first purchase of jewelry or your jeweler does not carry the type of jewelry you want. How do you go about finding the right place to buy a piece of gold jewelry or a diamond or other gemstone? How do you know whether you are getting the best advice available? How do you know the store has the kind of business and professional ethics that will mean a fair price backed up by assurance that what you buy is genuine?
One way is to ask people you know about their jewelers, just as you would ask about their dentists or physicians. The key word is jeweler. A jeweler should be an expert in precious metals and gems, with training, experience, integrity, and a reputation in the field to protect. These qualities are important, because with the price of jewelry being what it is you can not afford an expensive mistake: you need guarantee that a piece of jewelry is what it is supposed to be, Since you can not always tell just by looking at it. In this sense, jewelry is a blind purchase.
A jeweler is a person, who makes or repairs jewelry or who deals in jewelry, precious stones, watches, and perhaps silverware and china. More important to you is the fact that jeweler should not only deal in those items but also be an expert in them and stand behind what he sells and work done.
Whether or not you have the names of several jewelers, start out to find the one for you by looking around various stores. Some jewelers may specialize in certain types of jewelry. If you are interested in diamonds, make sure the store carries a good selection of diamonds. If you are interested in colored stones, make sure it has a good selection of those, including the ones you may want to buy.
A jeweler may have a wide choice of diamonds, which is good as long as you want to buy a diamond, and only one or two rubies, sapphires, or tourmalines, which can be costly, as well as for stones that are less expensive. If you want one of the lesser-known gems like peridot or spinel, for example, you want a jeweler who does not display those gems may still have them or be able to get them, but you want assurance he is familiar with gems.
Once you have found a jeweler or jewelers who carry what you want in styles that appeal to you, you still want to know more about the store. That brings up professional ethics and sound business practices.
The article above can be used on your web site or newsletter. When it is published, may I request that you include my name and resource box (the bio, contact and copyright information) that follows the article. I would also appreciate if you could send me an email of notification along with a complimentary copy of the publication.
Copyright 2005 Bijan Aziz.
Bijan Aziz is the owner and Web Master for The Jewelry Hut =>http://www.thejewelryhut.com - the best source for fine Diamond, Gemstone, and Pearl Jewelry on the web.
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Posted in jewelry shop March 23rd, 2008
Do inexpensive engagement rings exist or do they all cost an arm and a leg? The first thing most guys want to know is how much they should spend on the eye candy. Here are some interesting factoids:
- According to a study in 2002 by the Conde Nast Bridal Group, publisher of Bride’s and Modern Bride, the average cost of an engagement ring is $3,576.
- There is the popularized jewelry industry mantra which dictates spending “two months salary” (no one is sure if this is before or after taxes)
You should spend what you feel comfortable with. Society sends us many confusing messages about love and marriage. They emphasize the timeless and unconditional nature of love whilst simultanteously encouraging us to show the extent of our love by purchasing the biggest diamond we can afford. Just something for you to keep in mind.
The reality is that for some, two months salary is $500 while others pull in $10,000 a month or more. You do not want to blow so much money that you don’t have anything leftover for other important expenses such as a down-payment on a house (or groceries for the next week). Whether you purchase an inexpensive engagement ring or one that is more pricey, it is best to have a pre-set ring budget. This way, you may be less tempted to spend more than you can really afford. One thing to consider is that you can always upgrade the ring down the road by adding extra stones, purchasing an additional band, etc…. this has become a very popular thing to do (much to my husband’s dismay…and my delight).
Others who have limited funding but still want to purchase regardless may look into loans for engagement rings. My husbance purchased my ring at Blue Nile one of the best online jewelry stores out there, which has received a lot of positive press. Their website storefront is highly interactive and you can mix and match different stones and settings to create your own ring.
Another great place to buy rings is at Mondera which has won “Best of the Web” award by Forbes. A few weeks ago, one of my good friends got engaged. Her man purchased a ring from Mondera and both of them are ecstatic. She loves the ring and he thought the price and the customer service were excellent. And let me tell you, customer service is important when your plunking down those Gs.
Here are some factors that will impact the cost:
Carats- the heavier the stone, the more moolah
Color- the less of it, the more expensive.
Clarity- the more of it, the more expensive. Small inclusions and flaws will bring down the price.
Cut- Emerald and princess cuts cost less because they follow the shape of the stone. Heart-shaped, oval, and pear cost more.
Retail Store, Online stores, or Online Auctions- Online stores can often price their rings at around 30% less than retail stores because they don’t have to pay as much overhead…..thus, the savings are typically handed over to the customer. When purchasing online, be sure to review whether proper certification and appraisal information is provided. Make note of the terms of the return policy, should you need to return or exchange the ring. Online auctions such as on ebay can also offer signficant savings although precautions must be taken to avoid being taken advantage of.
Ring Setting- Yellow gold, white gold, silver and titanium metals are less expensive than platinum
Authentic diamond vs. cubic zirconia engagement rings or moissanite engagement rings I think you know which of these cost the least
Interestingly enough, two rings that appear fairly similar to the naked eye, can have vastly different prices depending on the quality of the diamond.– Consider this as you are pulling out your credit card.
Check out http://www.ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com for more tips on inexpensive engagement rings.
The author has a beautiful ascher cut engagement ring and has been married for just under a year. She designed the website http://www.ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help out those in search of the perfect engagement ring.
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Posted in jewelry shop March 22nd, 2008
The Hope Diamond’s Legendary Power
Evalyn Walsh MacLean was the last private owner of the Hope Diamond. She died in 1947 at the age of 60, and she left behind one of the most beautiful and well-known pieces of jewelry known to man. This diamond had a tragic history that appealed to the public and made headlines for many years. It was a massive diamond of incredible beauty and unimaginable value, but today is like any other old lady, leading a rather uneventful existence.
Ms. MacLean’s staff were unsure about how to deal with the Hope Diamond after she died, since the diamond had such a remarkable history and a superb value. They turned to a friend of Ms. MacLean’s, Frank Murphy, who they thought would give them the best advice. This Mr. Murphy, in addition to being a long-time friend of the MacLeans, was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Judge Murphy very quickly secured the jewels in the MacLean collection as soon as he came to Ms. MacClean’s house the night she died. He immediately left by cab, but since he couldn’t think of a safe place to put the the diamond at twelve o’clock at night, he decided to ride around in the cab until the banks opened in the morning.
Murphy approached a bank officer at the Riggs National Bank that morning and requested that the entire collection be deposited. When he gave bank officer the inventory of what was in the sack, he didn’t believe the Hope Diamond was one of the items. So he asked for proof that it was the Hope Diamond and when he saw for himself, he realized it had to be. In addition, the fact that a judge of the United States Supreme Court was the courier of this parcel, that he had just picked it up at midnight from the MacClean mansion, he became convinced that it most certainly must be the famous Hope Diamond.
Finally accepting the responsibility of securing such a gem, the bankers agreed to store the diamond, which was soon procured by Murphy, himself, in a sealed bid to purchase it, since no-one else wanted to take it into their possession. There it sat for several years, until he decided to donate it to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. How did he transport it to its new home? By placing it in a regular mailing package with a number of other gems which were of low quality and sending it by way of the U.S. Postal Service.
The beautiful Hope Diamond rests in its case of velvet at the Smithsonian to this day. Any tourist who strolls into the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. can have a glimpse of the most beautiful diamond in the world, which seems an ignoble ending for a gem whose history is steeped in greed, corruption, tragedy and insanity. Even Ms. MacClean died an untimely death at only 60 years of age. The mail carrier who was responsible for its delivery was in two separate car accidents, both resulting in serious injury. The stone had its final revenge.
About The Author
Karl Needan runs the website Flava Diamond, inc. which a site dedicated to diamond enthusiasts and contains all the very latest news and views diamond related. Please visit http://www.flavadiamond.com if you have any questions or comments concerning this article.
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Posted in jewelry March 21st, 2008
Why the Evil Eye bead is more than just a good luck charm:
The Evil Eye is more than just a superstitious myth, and evil eye beads are more than just good luck charms. They are a reminder that we are all one people.
How’s that?
Take an Orthodox from Greece, a Catholic from Mexico, a Jew from Israel, or a Muslim from Turkey, Iran, or anywhere in the Middle East. Different people, different religions, everybody always fighting all the time, etc, etc.
But what do they all have in common? They all believe in the Evil Eye, and they all wear these good luck charms to guard against it.
The Evil Eye is a reminder that underneath it all, we are all the same human beings, even if we think we’re different.
In our eyes, that’s what makes the evil eye REALLY cool!
Enough editorial, now for the straight story…
Throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, many people believe envious gazes or high praise from others can bring you bad luck.
The people who praise you probably mean you no harm, but still, evil spirits can piggyback in on their words or looks, and put a bad luck curse on you.
The Nazar Boncuk charm (or Evil Eye Bead) is an “eye”, often set on a blue background. It stares back at the world to ward off the evil spirits and keep you safe from harm. It is one of the most common items of decoration in any Turkish home, in any car, or on any person. You can see the charm hanging above doorways, dangling from the wrists of young women, or even planted right into the cement outside modern office buildings.
And always, always, you will see them pinned to the shirts of newborn babies.
What do the colors mean? In Turkey and surrounding countries, the most popular evil eye charm color is blue. Turkey is in a dry part of the world, where water is precious — with water things prosper and grow, and without it, things shrivel and die. The color blue reminds people of fresh, cool water.
In the Jewish faith, the color red is often associated with luck and good fortune, so red is also a popular color.
When the Evil Eye Bead appears in other colors besides blue or red, it is usually for fashion reasons — color coordination with one’s wardrobe. Beads in the alternative colors have every bit as much protective power as the traditional blue ones.
Evil eye beads go back thousands of years. The earliest written references to the evil eye occur on Sumerian clay tablets dating to the third millennium BC. Agate beads of exceptional quality, worn to protect the wearer from the influence of the evil eye, were also discovered in royal Sumerian graves at Ur.
In Turkey and Greece, throughout the republics of Central Asia, and all the way to the Turkic regions of western China — the effects of the “evil eye” are believed real, and genuinely feared.
Moda Jewels is an online retailer and wholesaler of Turkish jewelry, specializing in evil eye jewelry like evil eye bracelets, evil eye earrings, and other evil eye good luck charms. See us at http://www.modajewels.com.
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