Online diamonds

By: Denny Reinke

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.

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By: Denny Reinke

If you have travel plans in your future, think carefully if you really need to take all your expensive jewelry. The risk of theft, loss and damage increases as soon as you start your trip because you are in new surroundings, doing new activities and often in tourist areas that are the target of pickpockets, thieves and con artists.

If you are traveling out of the country, check to be sure your jewelry insurance covers your property when you are traveling outside the United States. Because the risk of theft is so much higher in foreign countries, some insurance companies only provide domestic coverage.

To avoid inviting crime, plan to dress inconspicuously to blend into the environment, especially when in another country. When traveling internationally, consider taking and wearing no jewelry. Criminals assume all tourists are wealthy so if you choose to wear jewelry, turn rings around so the diamonds are not showing and avoid dangling earrings. Large, expensive-looking jewelry is an attractive target and it is easy to snatch dangling earrings.

It is never wise to put jewelry items in checked baggage, especially with security personnel going through your belongings. The percentage of bags lost by airlines continues to increase and their liability for your lost luggage is very limited. Keep your jewelry and other valuables like money, keys, wallets, tickets, cameras, and medications in your carryon luggage. If airport security requires going through your carryon, request a private place so other travelers will not see your valuables.

Be especially careful with your valuables in hotel rooms because they are open to cleaning personnel several times a day and safes in hotel rooms are not particularly secure. How many times have you walked by hotel rooms with doors wide open and cleaning crews not visible? Professional criminals know the cleaning procedures and can quickly enter your room when cleaning service personnel are not looking.

If you do not put your jewelry in your luggage or leave it in your hotel room, that means you are carrying it with you but that can be a problem at the security checks at airports or when carrying something all day as you travel or are sightseeing. Many valuables disappear after being left for a few moments in a bag at a restaurant, transportation waiting room, restroom, or ticket line. Thieves patiently wait for travelers to let their guard down for just a minute and grab their bag without anyone noticing.

Theft is only one of the risks when traveling. Often a vacation includes some time at the beach, pool or hot tub. The sand and concrete can easily scratch precious metals in jewelry as well as gemstones that are not as hard as diamonds. Chlorine can also weaken and discolor precious metals. Travelers often expose their jewelry to risks they would never think of doing at home.

Carrying jewelry when traveling also needs some special care. Diamonds, gemstones and metal can scratch each other if carried together in a single bag. Place fine jewelry in separate cloth bags or put in separate compartments of a jewelry bag made for travel. Then be sure to carry the jewelry case in a purse or carryon.

The purpose of most vacations is to relax, not to impress the locals, so minimize jewelry when traveling. If you do take jewelry, be aware that you are in new and potentially dangerous surroundings. Take special care of your valuables and enjoy your trip.

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By: The Jewelry Hut

Celebrating a Special Occasion with Jewelry

Nothing more personal than our response to color. Color is the new language of passion, and nothing captures it better than distinctively styled jewelry.
Leave her speechless with our brilliant colorless and fancy colored diamond or bold brilliant gemstone jewelry styles.

Jewelry and gems
The Buying Guide

How to buy diamonds, pearls, colored gemstones, gold and jewelry with confidence and knowledge?

Becoming Intimate with Gems

Gems should never be bought as a gamble, uneducated consumer will always lose. This is a basic rule of thumb. The best way to take the gamble out of buying a particular gem is to familiarize yourself with gem. While the average consumer can’t hope to make the same precise judgments as a qualified gemologist, whose scientific training and wealth of practical experience provide a far greater data base from which to operate, the consumer can learn to judge a stone as a “total personality” and learn what the critical factors are, color, clarity (also referred to in the trade a “perfection”), cut, brilliance, weight, and how to balance them in judging the gem’s value. Learning about these factors and spending time in the marketplace looking, listing, and asking questions before making the purchase will prepare you o be a wise buyer more likely more likely to get what you really want, at a fair price.

Try to learn as much as you can about the gem you want to buy. Examine stones owned by your family and friends, and compare stones at several different jewelry stores, including online jewelry stores, noticing differences in shades of colors, brilliance, and cut. Go to a good established jewelry store and ask to see fine stones. If the prices vary, ask why. Let the jeweler point out differences in color, cut, or brilliance, and if he can’t, go to another jeweler with greater expertise. Begin to develop an eye for what constitute a fine stone by looking, listening, and asking good questions.

Five key questions to ask yourself initially before you consider buying any stone are:

Is the color what you desire?
Is the shape what you want?
does it have liveliness, or “Zip”?
Do you like it and feel excited by it?
Can you afford it?
If you answer yes to all five questions, you are ready to examine the specific stone more carefully.

The six steps in examining a stone:

Whenever possible, examine stones unmounted. They can be examined more thoroughly out of their settings, and defects cannot be hidden by mounting or side stones.
Make sure the gem is clean. If buying a stone from a retail jeweler, ask that it can be cleaned for you. If you are not some-place where it can be cleaned professionally, breathe on the stone in a huffing manner in order to steam it with your breath and then wipe it with a clean handkerchief. This will at least remove the superficial film grease.
Hold the unmounted stone so that your fingers touch only the girdle. Putting your fingers on the table (top) and/or pavilion (bottom) will leave traces of oil, which will affect color and brilliance.
The careful use of tweezers instead of fingers is recommended only if you feel comfortable using them. Make sure you know how to use them and get the permission of the owner before picking up the stone. It is easy for the stone to pop out of the tweezers and become damaged or lost, and you could be held responsible.
View the gem under proper lighting. Many jewelers use numerous incandescent spotlights, usually recessed in dropped ceilings. Some use special spotlights that can make any gemstone, even glass imitations, look fantastic.
Fluorescent lights may adversely affect the appearance of some gems. Diamonds will not show as much fire under fluorescent lighting, and colored gems such as rubies, look much better in daylight or under incandescent light.
The light source should come from above or behind you, shining down and through the stone, so that the light traveling through the stone is reflected back up to your eye.
Rotate the stone in order to view it from different angles.
If using a loupe, focus it both on the surface and into the interior. To focus into the interior, shift the stone slowly, raising or lowering it, until you focus clearly on all depths within it. This is important because if you focus on the top only, you won’t see what is in the interior of the stone.
How to use a Loupe?

A loupe (pronounced loop) is a special type of magnifying glass. The use of the loupe can be very helpful in many situations, even for a beginner. With a loupe you can check a stone for chips or scratches or examine certain types of noticeable inclusions more closely. Remember, however, that even with a loupe, you will not have the knowledge or skill to see or understand the many telltale indicators that an experienced jeweler or gemologist could spot. No book can provide you with that knowledge or skill. Do not allow yourself to be deluded or let a little knowledge give you a false confidence. Nothing will more quickly alienate a reputable jeweler or mark you faster as easy prey for the disreputable dealer.
The loupe is a very practical tool to use once you master it, and with practice it will become more and more valuable. The correct type is a 10X, or ten-power, “triplet” which can be obtained from any optical supply house. The triplet-type is recommended because it corrects two problems other types of magnifiers have: The presence of the traces of color normally found in the outer edge of the lens; and visual distortion, also usually at the outer edge of the lens. In addition, the loupe must have a black housing around the lens, not chrome or gold, either of which might affect the color you see in the stone.
The loupe must be 10X because the Federal Trade Commission in the United States requires grading to be done under 10-power magnification. Any flaw that does not show up under 10X magnification is considered nonexistent for grading purposes.
With a few minutes’ practice you can easily learn to use the loupe. Here is how:

Hold the loupe between the thumb and forefinger of either hand.
Hold the stone or jewelry similarly in the other hand.
Bring both hands together so that the fleshy parts just below the thumbs are pushed together and braced by the lower portion of each hand just above the wrists (the wrist portion is actually a pivot point).
Now move the hands up your nose or cheek, with the loupe as close to the eye as possible. If you wear glasses, you d not have to remove them.
Get a steady hand. With gems it’s very important to have steady hands for careful examination. With your hands still together and braced against your face, put your elbows on a table. (If a table is not available, brace your arms against your chest or rip cage.) If you do this properly you will have a steady hand.
Practice with the loupe, keeping approximately one inch (more or less) from the eye, and about an inch from the object being examined. Learn to see through it clearly. A 10 X loupe is difficult to focus initially, but with a little practice it will become easy. You can practice on any object that is difficult to see, pores in your skin, a strand of hair, pinhead, or your own jewelry.
Play with the item being examined. Rotate it slowly, tilt it back and forth while rotating it, look at it from different angles and different directions. It won’t take long before you are able to focus easily on anything you wish to examine. If you aren’t sure about your technique, a knowledgeable jeweler will be happy to help you learn to use the loupe correctly.

What the loupe can tell you?

With practice and experience (and further education if you’re really serious), a loupe can tell even the amateur a great deal. For a gemologist it can help determine whether the stone is natural, synthetic, glass, or a doublet (a composite stone) and reveal characteristics flaws, blemishes, or cracks. In other words, the loupe can provide the necessary information to help you know whether the stone is in fact what it si supposed to be.

For the beginner, the loupe is useful in seeing:

The workmanship that went into the cutting. For example, is the symmetry of the stone balanced? Does it have the proper number of facets for its cut? Is the proportion good? Few cutters put the same time and care into cutting glass as they do into a diamond.
Chips, cracks, or scratches on the facet edges, planes, or table. While zircon, for example looks very much like diamond because of its pronounced brilliance and relative hardness, it chips easily. Therefore, careful examination of a zircon will often show chipping, especially around the table edges and girdle. Glass, which is very soft, will often show scratches. Normal wear can cause it to chip or become scratched. Also, if you check around the prongs, the setter to hold the stone.
In such stones as emeralds, the loupe can also help you determine whether or not any natural cracks are really serious, how close they are to the surface, how deep they run, or how many are readily visible.
The sharpness of the facet edges. Harder stones will have a sharper edge, or sharper boundaries between adjoining planes or facets, whereas many imitations are softer and under the loupe the edges between facets are less sharp and have a more rounded appearance.
Bubbles, inclusions, and flaws. Many flaws and inclusions that cannot be seen with naked eye are easily seen with the loupe. But remember, many are not easily seen unless you are very experienced. The presence of inclusion is not as serious in colored stones as in diamonds, and they don’t usually significantly reduce the value of the stone. However, the kind of inclusion seen in colored stones can be important. they often provide the necessary key to positive identification, determine whether a stone is natural or synthetic, and possibly locate the origin of the stone, which may significantly affect the value. With minimal experience, the amateur can also learn to spot the characteristics bubbles and swirl lines associated with glass.
The loupe can tell you a great deal about the workmanship that went into cutting a gem. It can help a professional decide whether a gem is natural, synthetic, a doublet, or glass. It can provide the clues about the gem’s authenticity, its durability, and it point of origin. But spotting these clues takes lots of practice and experience.

When you a loupe, remember that you won’t see what the experienced professional will see, but with a little practice, it cn still be a valuable tool which might save you from a costly mistake.

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By: The Jewelry Hut

Celebrating a Special Occasion with Jewelry

Nothing more personal than our response to color. Color is the new language of passion, and nothing captures it better than distinctively styled jewelry.
Leave her speechless with our brilliant colorless and fancy colored diamond or bold brilliant gemstone jewelry styles.

The Jewelry Hut
Engagement and Wedding Rings
The Buying Guide

Engagement Rings and Wedding Rings through the Ages

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

These are the words a woman and a man will say to each other, and the words that you will also be saying one day soon. These rings have been a symbol of your love and commitment to each other and of your hopes and dreams for the future.
To acquire gems and create distinctive rings in which to set them, the purchase of your engagement and wedding rings is one of the most significant purchases you’ll ever make, both financially and emotionally. No other single piece of jewelry will ever be as important. Not matter how successful you become, no matter how magnificent other jewelry purchases might be, nothing carries with it the same excitement and magic.
But today’s couple have many more choices than did couples in earlier generations. To begin with, there are more jewelers than before; each anxious for your business, and more internet vendors and auction sites. These are more gemstones from which to make a selection, and a wider, and a wider range of sizes, shapes, qualities, and prices.

The Romance of the ring

The romantic traditions associated with rings, especially those containing diamonds and precious gems, resound throughout history. In fact evidence of the engagement tradition dates back as far as the caveman. The Pharaohs of Egypt, however, are credited with being the first to use a ring in the form of a circular band as a symbol of eternity. The Egyptians regarded the circle, a shape that has no beginning and no end, as heavenly reminder that life, happiness, and love have no beginning and no end.
By Roman times, it was an established tradition to give a ring, a symbol of the cycle of life and eternity, as a public pledge that the marriage contract between a man and woman would be honored. These early rings were made of iron, according to the accounts of Roman historians. Gold was introduced some times in the second century A. D. Soon, the Christian adopted the custom, and the ring became an integral part of the marriage service.
It was not long before the symbolism of circular ring was further enhanced by the addition of gems. By medieval days, wealthy citizens were married with gem-set rings; diamonds, colored gems, and diamonds combined with colored gems became fashion. Colored gems were often used because it was the color of the heart. Sapphire was also popular since it was the color of the heavens. Other colored gems believed to hold certain magical properties also become popular choices for betrothal rings.
Diamond held a particularly regal position at this time. It was one of the rarest and costliest of gems. And it was prized above other gems for marriage because of the unique properties described below, and the ,many special powers attributed to it. While reserved for only the most privileged, it became the choice for those fortunate enough; or powerful enough, to acquire one.

The Allure of Diamond

Diamond, nature’s hardest substance; uniquely able to resist both fire and steel, and therefore all of man’s early efforts to alter it; epitomized unyielding power and invincible strength. It seemed truly indestructible. What more natural symbol for the marriage covenant, and for the edict “what God has Joined Together, Let No Man Put Asunder.” If the many properties of diamond and its indestructibility were in fact transferred to the wearer, a marriage sealed with the diamond would certainly last forever.
Indeed, throughout history, the diamond has been one of the most coveted gems. Uncut diamonds have appeared in the crowns of kings and queens all through the ages. Legends of the diamond’s mythical properties have been passed along for centuries.
In India, where diamonds were first discovered hundreds years before Christ the diamond was valued even more for its strength and magic than for its great beauty. The diamond was thought to protect its wearer from snakes, fire, poison, illness, thieves, and all the combined forces of evil. It was a favorite choice for rings given in love, some of which date back to earliest Indian history.
As the gemstone of the Zodiac House of Aries, symbolized by the Ram, the diamond was believed by ancient astrologers to be powerful for people born under the planet Mars. They thought the diamond could provide fortitude, strength of mind, and continuous love in marriage, as well as ward off witchcraft, poisons, and nightmares.
Each culture has prized the diamond for its unique properties. The Roman believed a diamond worn against the skin of their left arm would help them remain brave and daring in battle and give them strength over their enemies. An ancient passage reads: “He who carries a diamond on the left side shall be hardy and manly; it will guard him from accidents to the limbs; but nevertheless a good diamond will lose its power and virtue if worn by one who is incontinent, or drunken.” Another Roman practice was to set diamonds in fine steel that would then serve as a charm against insanity.
The word diamond derives from the Greek “adamas,” meaning “the unconquerable”; its Latin equivalent is “diamas.” The diamond has a long extensive history in books of importance to mankind, with the earliest references occurring in the Bible, Book of Exodus. Here, in describing the details of the tabernacle and its furnishings, a description is given of the High Priest’s breastplate: “And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.” It was believed that the diamond worn by the Jewish High Priest had special powers to prove innocence or guilt; if the accused was guilty, the stone grew dim; if innocent, it shone more brilliantly than ever! Thus diamonds came to be associated with innocence, justice, faith, and strength. early Christian also endowed the diamond with special powers, believing it to be antidote against both moral and physical evil.
Hindus classed diamonds according to the four castes of their social strata: The Brahmin diamond (colorless) gave power, friends, riches, and good luck; the Kshatriya (brow/champagne) prevented old age; Vaisya (the color of a “kodali flower”) brought success; and Sudra (a diamond with the sheen of a polished blade, probably gray or black) brought all types of good fortune. Red and yellow diamonds were exclusively royal gems, for kings alone. The Chinese treasured the diamond as an engraving tool, while the Italians trusted it to protect against poison.
Through the ages, diamonds have been associated with almost everything from sleepwalking to producing invincibility and spiritual ecstasy. In the 1500s it was believed that diamond would enhance the love of a husband for his wife. To dream of diamonds was considered symbolic of success, wealth, happiness, and victory. Even sexual power has been strongly attributed to the diamond. There is a catch, however, to the powers associated with it; some believe that one must find the diamond “naturally” to experience its magic, that it loses its powers if acquired by purchase. However, when offered as apledge of love or friendship, it powers return!

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By: Denny Reinke

Platinum has become a popular choice for jewelry due to its strength, durability, and marketing efforts of the platinum industry in recent years. Platinum is three times more expensive than gold. Jewelers aggressively market it because they make three times the profit on every platinum item they sell compared to gold. Platinum is a naturally white, lustrous metal that is long lasting. Sometimes the claims of strength and scratch resistance are overstated. Like all precious metals, platinum will scratch. A platinum scratch is different from white gold because it simply “plows” the metal instead of removing it.

Traditionally, jewelry manufacturers used platinum alloyed with metals from the platinum group metals (iridium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, and ruthenium). With the proper mix of these platinum group alloys, platinum becomes one of the hardest metals making it a strong and durable jewelry metal. Platinum will not rust or corrode and the platinum family metals make it hypoallergenic and ideal for persons with sensitive skin.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for platinum jewelry state that only items consisting of 950 part per thousand of pure platinum can be marked stamped “PLATINUM” or “PLAT” without more alloy information. From 750-950 Platinum, the platinum group metals must also be indicated. For example, PLAT900IRID for 10% Iridium alloy. Historically, the most common alloys in America were 95% Platinum with 5% Ruthenium or 5% Cobalt and 90% Platinum with 10% Iridium.

There is a misperception that the 950 platinum is better than the 900 platinum. However, pure platinum is very soft and the right alloy mix is what is important. Different alloys and different percentages produce better results for different jewelry purposes. Some alloy mixes work better for casting and some are better for handcrafting like bending the prongs over fragile diamond corners. Many artisans feel that PLAT900IRID is the best general-purpose alloy for diamond rings.

While platinum is best known for its use in jewelry, more than 60% of platinum is used for other industrial purposes such as catalytic converters in autos and pacemakers in the medical field. Because of its rarity and the rapidly increasing demand for this versatile metal, the price has soared in recent years.

The high price of platinum has caused some jewelry manufacturers to start using lower percentages of platinum and to use other alloy metals to lower the cost of the jewelry. Unfortunately, these new alloy mixes are reducing the very qualities that made platinum desirable. The new alloys produce more brittle platinum that is more susceptible to damage.

For example, metal that is stamped 585 Platinum is really only 58.5% pure platinum and 41.5% copper and cobalt with the result that it is more likely to crack, crater, discolor or irritate sensitive skin. Less scrupulous jewelry vendors remove the 585 stamp and complicate the situation, leading consumers to believe the metal is the traditional high quality platinum.

Historically the jewelry shopper did not have to be concerned about the purity of platinum because the alloy metals were in the platinum group the quality was uniform regardless of the particular alloy or percentage used.

Today’s jewelry shopper is at potential risk because the lower quality platinum looks the same as the higher quality platinum. While platinum looks similar regardless of the alloy, the weight of lower quality alloy mixes is lower because there is so much less of the dense platinum.

Currently there are no FTC guidelines for the new platinum alloys so it is up to the jeweler or appraiser to help the consumer determine if the platinum is well suited for its intended use. The consumer deserves a warning if sold lower quality platinum since it might not hold stones as well and is more susceptible to damage. However, do not expect the jeweler selling low quality platinum to point out this potential problem. As with any important purchases, it is up to the consumer to be knowledgeable and ask the right questions before making a purchase.

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By: Denny Reinke

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.

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By: Amelie Mag

Amber, which is actually fossilized pine sap, has become, through the creativity of men, part of jewelry. Amber jewelry is today more or less a part of our lives. The difference between now and decades ago is only one: everyone can afford a piece of amber jewelry today and doesn’t know what to do with it, but a long time ago people suspected its powers and a lot of them couldn’t afford to own this kind of jewelry.

The first name given to amber was electron. After that, around the sixth century B.C., the scientists of that time discovered that, if you rubbed amber against a wool cloth, it became electrically charged. Because of its property it could attract small pieces of paper, fact which amazed the people of that time. Carrying a negative electrical charge, it was thought that the stone itself was able to draw power and energy into its bearer. This belief helped make the stone famous and valuable. People started using it in amber jewelry and making amulets and magical objects. Besides being able to attract energy, it was believed that it aided the intellect. It was prescribed for a lot of curious illnesses like memory loss, anxiety and eccentric behavior.

Amber jewelry was known for its capacity to influence the mood of the bearer. People though that wearing amber jewelry would help them and that the small yellow-brown stone could lighten the burdens of their lives filling their spirit with white light. The results of its actions were supposes to be a feeling of happiness and joy. From the healer’s point of view, the idea was that amber jewelry somehow activated the altruistic side and made people realize the power of their spiritual intellect to the fullest.

For thousands of years amber has been regarded as a precious substance for its warm beauty. Because no one knew then were it came from, it was thought to be of divine origin. People believed that no harm could come to the one that wore amber jewelry because the stone would protect him. Because of these beliefs the stone become used for medical purposes. Philosophers and alchemists have tried for a long period of time to explain how the amber stones came to be and looked the way they did. Around the first century A.D. a Roman senator and historian recorded a popular belief on the forming of the stone. He wrote it was formed from the urine of the lynx. The male was supposed to produce the dark colored stones and the females the lighter ones with yellow colors. Since there was no explanation to how this miraculous gem appeared, people became superstitious. Another one of the spoken beliefs was that the rays of the setting sun were concealed in the evening sea and then they were cast upon the shore in the form of the stone we all know. This is why we can say that amber jewelry is a piece of brilliant sun. Around the year 240 B.C., an astrologer, Sudines, came pretty close to the real origin of amber. He said that the gemstone is the product of a tree called the “lynx”. It was indeed the product of a tree. Amber was a resin.

The one that made the amber color and amber jewelry famous was Nero. He compared his wife’s hair to the color of the gemstone. From that point on every respectable woman, wives of the noble men at that time, started to aspire to that color and it became a symbol. The woman with the red hair that had the setting sun reflected in the evening sea trapped in her hair felt very proud of the similitude between the amber stone and her beauty. That’s why amber jewelry is regarded the way it is. A small piece of “brilliant sun” or “frozen gold” hides the mysteries of the gem in the beauty of the amber jewelry.

As for the medical use of amber, nothing can be scientifically proven. The ancient Romans had great confidence in the powers of amber jewelry and they used amber in other ways too. They thought that some powder of the gemstone taken in a cup of wine could cure illnesses like fever, asthma or even infections of the throat. This type of medicine was used by the ancient Romans for ear and eye problems too. A fine powder was mixed with honey and, sometimes, with oil made from roses and it was either poured on the infected area or taken internally. Not all types of amber were thought to have healing proprieties, only the reddish stones. Nowadays, it’s also recommended to wear some amber jewelry around the neck (a necklace or a pendant) for the same purpose.

Wearing amber jewelry is a double win situation: it looks good and makes you feel good also. Precious, mysterious and miraculous, amber is by far the most complex gemstone. Its past and its aspect still fascinate a lot of people. Amber jewelry can create an effect that no diamond can ever do and is indeed, as poets say, “a slice of sunshine”.

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By: John McQueen

Tanzanite Pricing

Tanzanite is becoming increasingly difficult to find in the better grades and colors. Most of the material presently coming out of the ground is of much lower quality than what has been available for a fair price in the past. Suppliers have been pressed from all of their vendors to continue to maintain a firm line on price, yet continue to provide good color. Something had to give and that something was price.

As a result, tanzanite prices are expected to continue their upward trend in 2006 through the holiday season. As of today, AAA color in the 3 to 5 carat sizes are being offered in the $600 to $700 per carat. For those of you considering a tanzanite purchase, I recommend that you deal only with a tanzanite seller who has an unconditional return policy on their tanzanite. A word of caution…many sellers routinely spike the color in their images to obtain a higher initial price. Not only is this a fraudulent sales practice, these sellers are producing hoards of dissatisfied customers in the process.

Where will tanzanite prices go? Many people are asking this question a lot! The first part of the answer to this question can be found by looking at the short-term price projection. Let’s consider a 24 month time-frame. The answer is very much the same within the industry: It is expected that tanzanite pricing will be commensurate with the decisions of TanzaniteOne Ltd., combined with the law of supply and demand. It is a given, at least for the present time, that there will be enough tanzanite to go around, but it is truly anyone’s guess as to how distribution channels will be controlled and how tanzanite will be marketed. Many of the finer jewelry chains are stock-piling tanzanite with the expectation that prices are going to increase to substantially higher levels. And if this isn’t enough, many sources indicate that in 2005 in Tuscon, the mine owners showed up and quite literally bought back everything they could get their hands on. This buyback was their first step in controlling tanzanite pricing going forward.

In summary, the tanzanite market has changed substantially since 2004. If you are in the market to add any loose tanzanite or tanzanite jewelry to your collection, it is recommended that you do so immediately so as to have the best chance at obtaining this important gemstone at a value price, even at $600+ per carat. See http://www.eTanzanite.com for additional information regarding tanzanite pricing.

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By: Louie

Nitestone is a term given to Montana Sapphires because of their sparkle and slight color change achieved under evening light. Precision diamond cutting achieves a brightness that exceeds other sapphires and makes them sparkle like diamonds. Montana stones have tremendous light refraction.

Montana sapphires are truly some of the finest quality sapphires in the world. They come in a variety of colors. They are COMPLETELY NATURAL gemstones.

Sapphire was first discovered in Montana in the late 1800’s by gold miners working the gravels of Missouri River near Helena. The gold prospectors discovered the Gem Mountain sapphire deposit in 1892. Since that time, this mine has produced 180 million carats of sapphire.

When modern heat treatment processes were introduced, Montana sapphire production went through the roof.

Unfortunately, the sapphires from this location (Gem Mountain) are usually quite small. However, the color and clarity of these gems make up for it. They come in red, orange, yellow, green, pink and blue. They also come in a combination of these colors and because of their color changes under evening lighting they are extremely unique.

Most of the gem grade sapphire in the market place is heat-treated. When Montana sapphire is properly heat treated, they explode with color. Diamond cutting brings out a brilliance under various lighting conditions that is unique to these gemstones. It is very difficult to find Montana sapphires that are gem quality without being heat-treated.

There are four basic Montana sapphire regions but Rock Creek is known for its distinctly sharp colors. The colors range from cornflower blue to red/orange to mint green. Spokane Bar and Eldorado Bar are other sapphire regions and located on either side of Houser Lake.

Please visit www.gemsofcoloronline.com to view some of these incredibly beautiful and unique sapphires.

We have been in the colored gemstone business for over twenty-five years. We purchase rough gemstone material from the source and cut our own stones. This eliminates the middlemen, which allows for tremendous savings that we pass on to our customers. All of our Montana gemstones are diamond cut to exacting standards achieving maximum brilliance and clarity. Diamond cutting achieves a brightness that exceeds other native cuts.

VISIT MY SITE

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By: Ken

Congratulations-You are getting married! Now that you have begun your search for the wedding ring of your dreams, you have some decisions to make, starting with the choice of metal. Titanium is the perfect choice for a wedding ring today. No other item of jewelry has played such important role in demonstrating affection as the wedding ring. Of the precious metals used to create wedding rings, titanium has merits that supersede gold or platinum in its beauty, quality and value that make it an ideal choice as the symbol of your love.

Why a Titanium Wedding Ring?

While titanium has been known to us for many years, it was originally used in aerospace and salt water projects, becoming widely used in commercial applications and now in jewelry designs during the last two decades. One reason why titanium rings are gaining in popularity, especially with men, is because of its strength that belies its light weight feel.

The style and design of your wedding ring aside, there are some practical reasons why choosing titanium makes sense. Because it is an inert metal, it is ideal for people with sensitive skin. This fact accounts for its use in the production of equipment and tools for medical procedures. You will never have to worry about damage from the elements to your titanium wedding ring, unlike silver, it will remain completely tarnish-free.

Whenever you buy jewelry, quality is always the primary concern. The wide spread use of titanium within jewelry industry confirms its quality and its market appeal. In respect to the purity of the metal itself, neither gold nor platinum can match titanium. Today, jewelry designers are using titanium for more of their work, taking advantage of titanium’s beautiful grey sheen that rivals the look of platinum at a more affordable price.

How to Buy a Wedding Ring

A wedding ring is an investment that brings beauty and aesthetic pleasure. But keep in mind that there is a distinct difference between the shape of the hand of a man and a woman. Some are slender with tapered fingers. For this type of hand, a ring that is designed with a diagonal pattern works well, even with an array of stones. However if the hand is broad and fingers are very thick, a flat design, perhaps with contrasting bands could be a good starting point. With the variety of men’s titanium wedding ring designs available, you are sure to be impressed. You can find solid titanium as well as titanium rings in combination with gold or platinum.

What to Look for When Choosing a Men’s Titanium Wedding Ring

Be aware that just like gold, there are different grades of titanium on the market today. You will find many designs made from alloyed titanium, but if you want your wedding ring to be pure titanium, make sure you ask your jeweler for the CP grade of titanium of the ring you are interested in. Purchasing a titanium ring with a CP grade of 2 will prove to be a good investment.

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