|
Personalized
Boutique
Newsletter Archives
Personalized Boutique Newsletter: Spring 2009________________________________________________________________
So glad it's
starting to warm up a bit; this has been a particularly chilly winter for us
down here. Some nights it actually got down to the mid 30's! (note to those
of you who live somewhere that REALLY gets cold: please don't hate us...our
blood is thin and we're basically weather wimps)
Don't worry, I'll be complaining about the heat soon enough :-)
If you've gotten jewelry
from us in the past and haven't sent in a photo of you rocking it for our
Show Us Your Style page, what are you
waiting for?!?
Feel free to
e-mail us
a pic, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
Finally, if you like my newsletters, you should definitely check out my
Blog. It's mostly about jewelry, although I do go off on tangents once
in awhile. It beats therapy.
Thanks for reading.
http://personalizedboutique.blogspot.com/
As always, please feel free to send your
comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
________________________________________________________________
Biggest. Tanzanite. Ever.
Jaipur, India--A company known as 'Rare
Multicolor Gems' in Jaipur, India, has just cut and polished the largest
tanzanite on record, a clean, 525.55-carat stone.
The unusually large piece of rough was uncovered at the
TanzaniteOne mining facility in Merelani, Tanzania, in early 2008,
according to a press release from the Tanzanite Foundation. 'Rare
Multicolor Gems' skilled cutters at the New York-based company's
facilities in Jaipur, India, have meticulously shaped the stone to
reflect maximum brilliance, while keeping it's staggering size and
unique color.
Plans are being made to send the gem to the American
Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center for grading and
certification according to the Tanzanite Foundation's Tanzanite Quality
Scale. The rare tanzanite is subsequently scheduled to be on display in
Tucson, Arizona at the annual Gem & Jewelry Exchange Gem Show
I haven't seen an actual price estimation for the stone
yet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it will be somewhere in
the neighborhood of a bazillion dollars.
The world’s largest gem
tanzanite:
525.55 carat clean, cushion cut |
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Kustom Korner
OK sports fans, this
one's for you. A lovely woman from North Florida drove down to see
me with a special request. She wanted one of our Family Bracelets,
but she wanted it to signify the two most important things in her
life...her children and the Miami Dolphins. She wanted the bracelet
to consist of her kid's names, but instead of their birthstones she
wanted alternating birthstones of the Dolphin's colors; aqua &
orange.
You can't make this stuff up.
At first this didn't seem like that
tough a request, but it's actually not easy to locate gemstones
(emerald-cut ones at that) in just the right colors to match a
team logo. Gemstones aren't like fabric swatches...you can't
just order up aqua & orange (for the record, an Aquamarine stone
is NOT the same color as Dolphins aqua!)
After much searching, we ended up with particularly
aqua-ish genuine london blue topaz for the Aqua and Mexican Fire
Opals for the Orange. Mission accomplished. Go Dolphins!
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter: July/August 2008 Here we are again! It's
summer, and summer means one thing down here in South Florida...Hurricane
Season!! Our payback for being able to swim outside in January. Wish us
luck!
If you've gotten jewelry
from us in the past and haven't sent in a photo of you rocking it for our
Show Us Your Style page, what are you
waiting for?!?
Feel free to
e-mail us
a pic, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
Finally, if you think the month's between newsletters is just TOO long to
wait for my sparkling wit (or if you're really bored), check out my
jewelry blog:
http://personalizedboutique.blogspot.com/
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
________________________________________________________________
Birthstones
One
common mistake many people make is thinking that birthstones correspond
to certain DATES of the Month, like Zodiac signs. They don’t. Although
someone born January 1st would be a Capricorn, and someone born January
31st would be an Aquarius, they would both have the same birthstone,
Garnet (although they might not get along, celestially speaking)
GARNET is January’s birthstone. Although
genuine garnets can come in many colors, red garnet is the color
associated with January. They are usually a deep red to reddish-orange
color, sometimes with a tinge of purple or brown. The name “garnet”
comes from the Latin word “granatus”, meaning “like seeds” because
garnets in rock look somewhat like the seeds in a pomegranate. In the
olden days it was said the wearer of a garnet would be protected in
their travels and kept in good health.
February’s birthstone is AMETHYST, a highly
prized variety of quartz. It’s color ranges from pale lilac to a deep,
royal purple. The name “amethyst” comes from the greek “Amethustos”,
meaning “not drunken”. In ancient times it was believed that an amethyst
wearer could never become intoxicated.
AQUAMARINE is March’s birthstone. Next to
the Emerald, it’s the most highly prized of the beryl group of
stones.The color of aquamarine is usually a clear, pale blue but can
also be a rich, deep blue or blue-green.
April’s true birthstone is DIAMOND, but it
is often substituted with other, less costly clear-white stones such as
white topaz (genuine) or cubic zirconia (synthetic diamond)
Garnet |
Amethyst |
Aquamarine |
Diamond |
EMERALD is May’s birthstone, and is one of
the most highly prized of all gems. It is known for a deep, rich green
color as well as natural internal inclusions called “jardin” (or
‘garden’ as they typically resemble leaves and branches). Emerald was
dedicated by the Greeks to the goddess Venus, and is the symbol of
immortality and faith.
June’s birthstone is ALEXANDRITE. Named for
the former czar of Russia, Alexander II, this color changing variety of
chrysoberyl is now one of the rarest and most expensive of gemstones.
Synthetic alexandrite, which mimics the color-changing properties of
genuine alexandrite, is almost always used in it’s place. These stones
have a red-violet, near amethyst color in incandescent light and a
blue-violet color in daylight. Pearl is sometimes used as an alternate
birthstone for June.
RUBY is July’s birthstone. Ruby is the red
variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind
(diamond is first). It can be any shade of red up to almost pink. The
finest rubies known come from Burma, but they are also found in
Thailand, Sri Lanka and other areas.
PERIDOT is the birthstone for August. It is
a warm, soft olive or yellowish-green gem and is relatively inexpensive.
In olden times, peridot was thought to have medicinal value, and the
power to break evil spells.
Emerald |
Alexandrite
(daylight & candlelight) |
Ruby |
Peridot |
The birthstone for September is SAPPHIRE.
Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum, and is well known among the
general public as being blue, although it can actually be nearly any
color. The term sapphire comes from the Latin “sapphrius”, meaning
“blue”, and the rich, deep blue color sapphire is most prized.
October has two birthstones, PINK
TOURMALINE and OPAL. As opal is a very soft, fragile stone (often called
a “hard luck” stone), pink tourmaline, which is a much more durable,
hard stone will more often be used in multiple birthstone jewelry. It
has a clear, pink to pinkish-red color.
CITRINE is November’s birthstone. The
primary source of this yellow quartz is Brazil. It usually has a rich,
golden color and it’s hardness wears well on rings.
Decembers birthstone is BLUE ZIRCON. Often
confused with cubic zirconia (simulated diamond) because of the similar
sounding name, zircon is actually a genuine stone that comes in many
colors, including colorless. The blue zircon associated with December is
a medium colored blue (darker than aquamarine, lighter than sapphire)
and is sometimes substituted with blue topaz.
Sapphire |
 
Pink Tourmaline & Opal |
Citrine |
Blue Zircon |
__________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
Sometimes people
ask us to make something for them and we
end up liking it so much that we add it to our site. Like this Skull
Bracelet and these Diamond Skull earrings below that were originally
requests from two different customers.
A little while ago someone asked about making a 14k gold Cheez-It
charm which kind of got our "snack food" mojo going. We now have our
own "cheeze cracker" and "tortilla chip" charms with more on the
way!
Goldfish anyone?
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter: Jan/Feb 2008 Welcome to the latest edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter. What's new in the jewelry world?
Alternative metals like Stainless Steel and Titanium are showing up more &
more (likely due to record-high gold & platinum prices...more on this
later); "message" jewelry that carries a deeper meaning behind the style;
and retro jewelry trends like nameplates & name hoop earrings that WILL NOT
DIE!
We told you in our last newsletter that we supplied a 14k gold "Hilda" name
necklace for the ABC hit comedy Ugly Betty. Here's show co-star Ana Ortiz
sporting her new name necklace:
We're still putting together a photo page with
customers wearing our jewelry, so please keep those pictures coming in.
Feel free to
e-mail us
a pic, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
________________________________________________________________
You've Raised Your Prices!
Over the holiday's I received several
emails asking me why the prices of most of our gold jewelry has gone up
this past year. While I did my best to answer the question in an honest,
forthright manner (even to the person who called me names and accused me
of "profiteering" during Christmas), I thought it was probably a good
idea to use this forum to clear a few things up.
As someone who has been in the jewelry business for
over 20 years, I sometimes forget that many people just don't follow the
goings-on of the precious metals market as fanatically as we do. Like it
or not, although we jewelers like to think of ourselves as creators of
wearable art and NOT commodity brokers, the reality is that we DO deal
with precious metals which as of late have been reaching historic highs.
Below is a chart of the price per oz. of gold from the
year 2000 to the present:
 |
As you can see, gold spent the years 2000 to 2003
languishing in the $300 per oz. or below price range and even as
late as 2005 was under $500 per oz. As of this writing, gold is
priced at over $900 per oz.
As I explained to the person who wondered why she just
saw a video from 2004 with Steven Cojocaru on the Today Show saying
our 14k gold "Carrie" name necklaces were $125.00, but now she see's
that they are $175.00; gold was only $400 per oz in 2004. It's $900
per oz now. We basically had 2 choices: start making our name plates
much thinner and use thinner/lighter chains, or raise our prices
enough so we can still offer the same quality we have for over 25
years and be fair to both our customers and to us.
OK, glad I got this off my chest. I will say that most
of the people who had emailed me concerning this were very
understanding and appreciated the info. Many were just not aware of
the sharp rise of gold prices. As for the person who called me names
and never did respond to my reply email, I have 3 words:
use spell check.
;-)
______________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
Our
Kustom Korner
page let's us show off things that aren't found on our regular
website. These are one-of-a-kind creations we've done for people who
want something a little different. Check it out...it's a great place
to get ideas.
Or just to kill some time :-)
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter:
Fall 2007________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Fall 2007 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter. Don't know about you, but we're ready to say
goodbye to summer down here and are looking forward to cooler nights (and
lower electricity bills!). Although it's STILL 88 degrees outside as I write
this, cool weather HAS to be just around the corner, right?
Here's what's new: Represent your hometown in
style with your very own
Area
Code Necklace, available in 14k yellow & white gold and sterling silver.
We've added a few more styles to our
Wings Collection,
as well as funky new
Bamboo Name Hoop earrings that make a BIG statement! Last but not least,
due to popular demand we are once again making our classic script name
necklace in
14k Rose Gold.
Finally, if your a fan of the ABC hit comedy
"Ugly Betty", keep your eyes peeled this season for Betty's sister
Hilda...she'll be sporting a 14k gold name necklace made by
none-other-than your friends at Personalized Boutique!
We're still putting together a photo page with
customers wearing our jewelry, so please keep those pictures coming in.
Feel free to e-mail us
a pic, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
________________________________________________________________
What's In A Number?
Most people know to look for the "karat"
stamp on a piece of jewelry to discover it's gold content (10k, 14k
18k...etc), but do you know what some of the other stampings you may
find on jewelry actually mean?
Aside from the
14k stamp, a piece of jewelry may
alternately have "585" stamped on it (especially if it's a European
piece). "585" is another way of saying 58.3% pure gold, which is
equivalent to 14K. The other common number stamps are 417 (10k), 750
(18k) and 999 (24k, 100% pure gold)
Either type of stamp is considered legal for the marking of gold
jewelry.
If a piece is only "gold filled" then it must say GOLD
FILLED (or GF) after the karat stamp, or have something like
“1/20 14kGF”
to indicate the
percentage of gold in the piece.
"Gold Plated" items do not technically have to be stamped at all, but if
they are will generally have the words "PLATED" or "Gold Plated" on
them.
Sterling silver items are typically stamped "925",
which refers to the amount of silver required (92.5%) for a piece to be
considered "Sterling". If you have a gold colored piece of jewelry
stamped "925", chances are it's actually sterling silver that has been
plated in gold.
Finally, platinum jewelry will generally have the
amount of pure platinum stamped either before or after the word
"PLATINUM" or "PLAT". "950 Plat" and "850 Plat" are the more common
alloys used in platinum jewelry.
________________________________________________________________
"Diamond Studded Top" up for auction
JCK-Oct 04, 2007
|
The $1.4 million diamond-studded top unveiled in
February during Milan Fashion Week will go on the
auction block in Dubai in mid December. The top was
created by the late renowned fashion designer Gianfranco
Ferre in a joint effort with diamond company Dalumi. It
concluded Ferré's women’s collection for fall/winter
2007/2008. Matched with black tuxedo pants and a black
silk cape, the outfit was worn on the runway by British
rock singer Skin.
More than 900 diamonds weighing more than 300 cts. were
stitched in curved horizontal rows across a sheer black
vest. The diamonds were of G color and VS and higher
clarity and were set in white-gold studs. A single Ferré
employee hand-stitched each diamond onto the fabric.
The glittering top was displayed in jewelry shows
around the world, including BaselWorld, The JCK Show in
Las Vegas, The Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair and the
Forevermark DTC event in Tokyo. Dalumi, in a statement,
said placing the top up for auction is the logical next
step. The auction is scheduled for mid-December in
Dubai. No other details were released.
"All the world will have the possibility to admire the
wonderful top," the statement read.
|
British singer "Skin"
with Diamond Studded Top |
________________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
More Dog Tags! Last newsletter we
highlighted some of the special custom dog tags we created for customers. I
guess this inspired more people to get creative, so here's part two:
________________________________________________________________
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone and
everyone you know who might enjoy it. You can subscribe to our newsletter
HERE.
________________________________________________________________ |
Pink Diamonds on view in New York
NJN-Oct 4, 2007
New York— Sixty-five of the rarest pink diamonds in the world are
currently on view under tight security in a posh Manhattan hotel suite,
as the 23rd annual Rio Tinto Diamonds Argyle Pink Diamond Tender makes
its annual New York stopover.
The collection—which was previously in Hong Kong and Perth, Australia—is
in New York City from Oct. 1-12. Attendance to the tender is restricted
to approximately 100 key clientele from around the world.
Diamonds included in the tender are extremely rare and valuable, and can
fetch more than $400,000 per carat. Robyn Ellison, communications
manager for Rio Tinto Diamonds, said the diamonds must be at least half
a carat in size and in the upper-end of the fancy-intense colors to be
considered.
Of the average 30 million carats of rough diamonds produced at the
Argyle mine in Western Australia each year, only about 8,000 to 10,000
carats of polished pink diamonds are produced—primarily in melee
sizes—with only a small fraction of the finest making it to the tender.
Gavin Pearce, senior sales executive for Argyle Diamonds, said the
collection will become even more rare in the years to come. The mine
will transition to an underground operation after 2008, cutting
production by half, and is expected to run out completely by 2018.
He says this year's stones are among the mot vivid and deep in terms of
color.
"I expect it to be extremely strong this year," Pearce said of the
tender.
Among the stones available this year are four extremely rare
purplish-red stones, including a 1.74-carat oval-shaped fancy purplish
red.
Pearce said there are usually one or two stones of this hue in the
collection.
Bids close on Oct. 17 at noon EST, and bidders are notified of the
outcome on Oct. 18. The company does not reveal the names of winning
bidders or prices.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter:
Spring 2007
__________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Spring 2007 edition of the Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
See how I did that? By just calling this the "Spring" newsletter, I don't
have to send another one until Summertime! The "king of the procrastinators"
lives on :-)
Hope the winter wasn't too much of a drag
for anyone. Ours started out pretty mild, but we had some chilly days
towards the end, with some nights getting down to the 40's! (OK, don't
hate us too much you Northerners. We do have to suffer through 6 months
of stifling heat/humidity, so at lease let us enjoy our wimpy winters!)
Here's what's new: Our
Couples Rings have been a big hit! They also work great as
Mother's/Father's/Family rings as well. We've also added lot's of new charms
for our
Diamond Mesh Bracelet collection, so check them out. We have added a
new line of
hot but
affordable
Stainless Steel Jewelry, and will be adding more and more styles in
the next few months. Finally, we've been working on a new line of
Pet Jewelry, and you can get a sneak peek right now with more
designs to come.
We're still putting together a photo page with
customers wearing our jewelry, so please keep those pictures coming in.
Feel free to e-mail us
a pic, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
________________________________________________________________
Jewelry Metals: A Primer-"What's that thing made of?"
With the price of many precious metals reaching 25 year highs (as of
this writing, Gold was over $650 per oz, Platinum over $1,225!), I
thought it would be a good time to go over the different properties of
the various metals used to make jewelry.
Gold
One of the most popular materials
for fine jewelry. As pure gold (24k) is very soft, it is usually alloyed
with other metals such as copper and silver to make carat gold (14k,
18k...etc). Heat, moisture,
oxygen, and most corrosive agents have very little chemical effect on
gold, which is one of the reasons it is so widely used in jewelry.
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is an alloy
of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, such as
copper and zinc. It is a very popular material for jewelry, because of
it's combination of durability and low cost.
As the
alloys used in sterling silver can oxidize (tarnish) when exposed to
moisture/oxygen, many sterling silver jewelry pieces are plated with
other metals such as nickel or rhodium to lessen the chance of
corrosion.
Platinum
Platinum is a naturally white metal, whose
wear and tarnish resistance
characteristics are well suited for making fine
jewelry.
In
addition to being extremely dense, is also a very heavy metal; a
six-inch cube weighs 165 lbs! Platinum is used to
make most types of catalytic converters in cars nationwide, and is also
used extensively in the field of medicine, for catheters, pacemakers,
and even anti-cancer drugs.
Rhodium
Rhodium is a hard silvery white
and durable metal that is primarily used as an alloying agent for
hardening platinum and palladium, and as a plating for other jewelry
metals. It is generally electroplated onto white gold and platinum to
give it a reflective white surface.
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel is
an alloy that will not stain, corrode or rust as easily as ordinary
steel. In jewelry and watches, the most common stainless steel alloy
used is called 316L. It's use in jewelry has steadily increased, as it
is an extremely durable, lightweight yet inexpensive alloy which will
not oxidize or turn black as other metals can.
________________________________________________________________
'Teardrop' pin makes conflict-diamond
statement at Oscars
NJN-March 07, 2007
Los
Angeles—Amidst the many flashes of diamonds at the 79th Annual Academy
Awards, several of Hollywood's leading men, including Djimon Hounsou,
Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling, chose to wear jewelry that makes a
statement about conflict diamonds.
The three Oscar nominees wore Ricardo Basta's 18-karat gold and red
enamel "Teardrop" pin in a show of support for the Amnesty International
USA and Global Witness campaigns that raise awareness for blood diamonds
and their impact on child soldiers.
Basta was asked to implement the teardrop design created by Alessandra
Gallo Jewellery. To complete the project, Basta donated labor and
materials and executed several handmade prototypes before the final
design for the gem-free, tear-shaped pin was approved.
The "Teardrop" pin, crafted by Ricardo
Basta in 18-karat gold and enamel, will be auctioned to
benefit rehabilitation programs for child soldiers. |
"As a jeweler who works with
diamonds every day, it is gratifying to be able to contribute to Amnesty
International's efforts to raise public awareness of conflict diamonds,"
Basta said in a statement.
Amnesty International USA is planning to auction the pins, with profits
going to the benefit of child-soldier rehabilitation.
_________________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
Dog Tag pendants and their variations
have been hot, for both men AND women. For this edition of Kustom Korner, I
thought I would highlight a few of the more unique dog tags' we've created
lately:
Aside from from our standard engraving we can
also engrave custom logo's, like this skull & crossbones we
did for one customer. |
This customer sent us this ghoulish image of
a zombie, and wanted the words "Haunted Corpse" to appear
underneath. Why? Sometimes it's best not to ask questions. |
This regal looking diamond dog tag has a
crown engraved over 3 initials. |
This customer had us create this dog tag with
a
"Rebel Alliance Symbol" and
special "Aurabesh" font for her husband, who's a HUGE Star
Trek fan.
As I said, sometimes it's best
not to ask questions ;-) |
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Largest natural blue sapphire for sale
NJN-January 17, 2007
New York— "You have to not only be wealthy to own this, you have to be
lucky to have the opportunity to purchase it," says gem cutter Michael
Arnstein of the Natural Sapphire Co., which is selling the largest
natural blue sapphire available in the United States.
This 69.53-carat natural blue sapphire, the
largest sapphire available for sale in the United States, is
being sold for approximately $417,000 |
Discovered in 1952 in the gem mines of Sri Lanka, the 129-carat rough
sapphire crystal yielded an 80-carat sapphire in its first cutting. It
was then sold to a British family and held in private ownership until
the late 1990s. At that time, it was re-cut into a more perfect shape
and with better symmetry to improve its light and color reflection.
The oval-shaped, brilliant-cut sapphire, now weighing 69.53 carats, is
in its best form and priced at approximately $417,000.
The Natural Sapphire Co., founded in 1939, is a gemstone company
specializing in fine-quality, natural untreated sapphires. The company
has offices in Bangkok, Thailand; Colombo, Sri Lanka; New York; Mumbai,
India; and will soon open an office in Tokyo.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter: Oct-Dec 2006
__________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the October-December 2006 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
OK, I'm not even going to pretend anymore that
these newsletters are coming out on any kind of schedule. I'll just admit to
being the king of procrastinators and we'll leave it at that :-)
I hope you all are having a great year so
far. Can you believe that it's October already?!? Thankfully it looks
like we've made it through the hurricane season this year completely
unscathed...which after the last two years is great news! Now it's full
speed ahead to the holidays...
What's new? Our
Personalized Wedding Bands have
returned, and we've also added some more affordable styles to the mix. We've
also added some new 3D styles to our world famous
Name Necklaces. Our new
Sport Number Dog Tags are a great
gift for the athlete in your life. Finally...skulls are hot now, but we've
actually been making unique skull themed jewelry for years! For something a
little different, check out our "Skulls"
Collection.
Our "Kustom Korner"
page, which showcases some of the unique jewelry we've custom made over the
years, has become a popular place for people to browse for ideas. Now we
thought it might be fun to add a page with photos of people WEARING the
jewelry we've made for them. So this is a call out to any of our customers
brave enough to send in a photo of themselves wearing something we've made!
You don't have to show your face if you'd rather not, and feel free to make
them as creative as you'd like :-)
Feel free to e-mail us
a photo, or you can snail-mail one in to:
Personalized Boutique
2612 Sawgrass Mills Cir #1511
Sunrise, FL 33323
Anyone who sends a photo and includes their return address will receive a
special gift from us!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
__________________________________________________________________
'Blood Diamond' trailer released on the Internet
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 9/20/2006 7:53:00
PMA trailer for the movie Blood Diamond
has been available on several Web sites for the past few days. You can
view it
here.
The adventure thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou,
is set in Sierra Leone during its brutal civil war in the late 1990's,
according to a plot summary on the Internet Movie Database.
DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, a South African mercenary, and Hounsou
plays Solomon Vandy, a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their
histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in
a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their
lives.
The movie is planned for a mid-December release nationwide.
The trailer shows several violent scenes, including bombs exploding,
someone being hacked with an axe, and a child in military uniform
pointing a gun at the two main characters.
The narrator in the beginning of the trailer says:
They say it came from the heart of the Earth to test the hearts
of men. A stone so rare, men will do anything to possess it. Wars will
be fought in search of it. And all who touch it are left with blood on
her hands.
You can download the trailer by Right clicking the link below and
selecting "Save Target As":
http://home.quicknet.nl/qn/prive/m.markus/BloodDiamond.mov
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
For this edition of Kustom Korner, I
decided to highlight some of the "corporate" jewelry we have done. While we
are primarily a design house specializing in one of a kind pieces, we
occasionally get requests from companies looking to incorporate their logo
into a piece of wearable art. These are usually used as gifts for employees
or clients, and we try to come up with a piece that will keep the companies
identity and still be something someone will actually want to wear ;-)
This California winemaker commissioned several 14k yellow
and 14k white gold slide pendants of their logo for
corporate gifts. |
Record label "80 Proof",
14k white gold pendant |
Sterling Silver pendants made a bold statement for this
company. |
|
Weekly Gem
There are surprise presents, and then there is the gift
given to Mariah Carey last week by the Sultan of
Brunei's admiring son. According to news reports around
the globe, Prince Azim unexpectedly sent Carey millions
in diamond jewelry. News reports of the ring and
necklace's value range from $4 million to $5.4 million …
either way, just a small token for the son of a man
worth $32 billion.
________________
Emmy jewelry gets colorful
AUGUST
28, 2006 -
Los Angeles --
While platinum and diamonds remain the traditional choice for the biggest
award shows, many of those attending the 58th Annual Emmy Awards Sunday
night opted for yellow gold and gemstones.
A-listers like Sandra Oh, Cheryl Hines and Heidi Klum all donned yellow gold
jewelry, either worn alone or mixed with pieces and elements in white gold
or platinum. Actresses accessorizing with gemstones included Tina Fey, Helen
Mirren and Stockard Channing.
Jewelry styles overall signaled a continued withdrawal from over-the-top "bling"
in favor of a more understated glamour.
While many celebrities, including Ellen Pompeo, Tyra Banks and Geena Davis,
opted for diamond-intensive looks, they went for pieces that appeared more
elegant than opulent.
Trends included navel-grazing necklaces, thick diamond cuff bracelets and
oversized cocktail rings. No singular earring style emerged, as various
celebrities selected studs, hoops, chandeliers and stilettos.
Popular jewelry designers on the Emmy red carpet this year included Neil
Lane, who dressed Pompeo, Hines, Jamie Pressly and Judy Reyes; and Harry
Winston, who provided jewelry to Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chandra Wilson and
Sara Ramirez.
|
|
Personalized Boutique Newsletter-January/February 2006
Welcome to the January/February 2006 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Well, of course it's been longer
than I planned to get this newest newsletter done but hey...we're busy over
here!! At the start of our last newsletter I mentioned that Hurricane Season
was in full swing, but I had no idea what lay ahead. There were a record 27
named storms in all, and it felt like just about every one of those storms
went right through our backyard! Thankfully, we were spared the total
devastation many in Louisiana and Mississippi endured,
but we did have a little gal named Wilma basically shut us down for about two
weeks, right before the start of the holiday rush.
Hello winter :-)
We've added lots of new, exciting
items to our site. Check out our newest in-house design, the "Wings"
collection, including the Flying Heart and Angel Wing necklaces. We also found
a terrific new collection of Sterling Silver & Diamond Bangle bracelets, as
well as Sterling Silver, Leather & Diamond Bracelet and Necklace sets!
Finally, our latest "brush with
show-biz" is a special piece we made exclusively for the UPN show "Eve". The
first show to air the piece will be the week of Feb 9th, but you can get a
sneak peek and read all about it in this issues "Kustom Korner" below.
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
JFK watch believed to be
a gift from Monroe sold at auction
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 10/19/2005
A gold Rolex watch believed given by Marilyn Monroe to
the late President John F. Kennedy has been sold for $120,000, an
auction house said on Monday.
Bill Panagopulos, founder of
Connecticut-based auction house, Alexander Autographs, said on
Monday an American collector outbid a European for the watch and
case, Reuters reports.
Panagopulos said the watch was kept
secret for decades, Reuters reports. He said documentation showed it
was handed down through the family of Kennedy's late presidential
aide, Kenneth O'Donnell, and the former president appeared
uncomfortable with the gift.
The watch is reportedly inscribed "Jack
with love as always Marilyn May 29th 1962," Reuters reports. The
watch was sold with a poem titled: "A heartfelt plea on your
birthday," typed in black on a paper disk placed at the bottom of
the gold case containing the watch. The two were rumored to have had
an affair about that time.
A letter sold with the watch at
Saturday's auction, titled "The Unwanted Gift," said: "This watch
was given to my late father in 1962 by President Kennedy in person
with the instruction 'get rid of it,'" Reuters reports.
The gift was dated about the same time
as Monroe's seductive cooing of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to
Kennedy at his 1962 Madison Square Garden party in New York.
Kustom Korner
This month's Kustom
Korner involves the UPN comedy "Eve". In October I was contacted by an
associate with the show in regards to making a special piece of jewelry. On
the show the main character, singer Eve, has a clothing business called
DivaStyle. In the script for an upcoming episode Eve is to receive a gift, a
diamond "DivaStyle" name necklace.
The producer of the
show wanted a REAL piece of jewelry, something that would definitely say "bling",
but that would also say "class". They faxed over a few preliminary font styles:
and gave me more of an idea for what they had in
mind. We decided to go with a 14k white gold 3-dimensional nameplate
around 2 1/2" wide and filled with mostly 2pt fine quality diamonds.
And of course, because this was Hollywood they needed it ASAP.
Action!
The final product was a
smash hit! In fact, the producer of the show liked it so much that
he had us make another exact one (all 1.25ct TW worth) to give as a
gift. The first show that will air the necklace will be on or the
week of Feb 9th (check your local listings). "Eve" is broadcast on
UPN (Thursdays). Eve will be wearing the necklace beginning in that
episode, and most likely anytime from then on.
Don't forget to watch :-)
|
Fed-Ex impostors swipe $4 million in Diamond District heist
NOVEMBER 30, 2005 -
New York
-- Two armed men
posing as Federal Express workers pulled off a midday heist of a
reported $4 million in goods yesterday from jewelry wholesaler
Doppelt & Greenwald Diamonds at 580 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,
according to The New York Times and other published reports.
One robber held out a gun while his accomplice tied up five
employees and two customers, according to the Times report.
The robbery of the heavily guarded building in the heart of New
York's diamond district —home to numerous wholesalers, the
Gemological Institute of America and the New York Diamond Dealers
Club—brought the area to a standstill.
The thieves spent at least five minutes in the wholesaler's office,
but never fired a shot, according to police. The culprits filled a
duffel bag with diamonds and other jewelry before calmly leaving the
building through the employee entrance on West 47th Street, police
said. The thieves were caught on video surveillance tape as they
left the building.
New York Police Capt. Stephen Hughes told the Times that a
worker at the wholesaler managed to free himself from his restraints
and alert a building security guard, who then called 911 at about
12:50 p.m. Officers from the police department's emergency services
unit arrived on the scene shortly afterward, barging into the
building wearing shields and helmets and carrying sledgehammers and
high-powered rifles, the Times reported.
Several tenants of the building told the Times that the
building had installed a new security system six years ago that
included color video surveillance cameras at all entry points,
elevators, hallways and other common areas.
"Every person entering this building is identified," Joseph Weinfeld,
a jewelry wholesaler with offices in the building, told the
newspaper. "All the visitors, tenants, deliverymen—security knows
who they are and where they're going. Or at least they're supposed
to." |
|
Personalized Boutique Newsletter-August/September 2005
Welcome to the Aug/Sept edition of the Personalized Boutique
Newsletter.
Well, hurricane season is now in
full swing down here in sunny South Florida...wish us luck! I realize that
it's been a LONG time since our last newsletter, but we've been busy adding
new items and jazzing up the website.
After many, many requests, we
finally added a few styles of
Personalized Body Jewelry. We also have a great new item for moms and
grandmothers, the
Diamond Heart Locket. We also had many requests for the new
Diamond Threader Earrings, so we added a few styles to our
Diamond Earring page. Last but not least
check out our brand new item, the funky Sterling Silver
Famous Art Pendants. Also, check out some of the new custom pieces we've
made lately at our
Kustom Korner.
Hope you all had (are having) a great summer!
Personalized Body
Jewelry |
Diamond Heart Locket |
Diamond Threader Earrings |
Famous Art Pendants |
As always, please feel free to send your
comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me, your
humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
“This ring turned my finger black!”
Has it happened to
you? A piece of jewelry that is clearly stamped “14k gold” starts blackening
your skin or clothing? Well, before you call out the ‘karat police’, you
should understand that there are several common reasons for 14k gold jewelry
to discolor (or cause discoloring).
The most common reason
is metallic abrasion, caused by makeup on skin or clothing. Cosmetics often
contain compounds harder than the jewelry itself, which wear or rub off very
tiny particles. Very finely divided metal always appears black rather than
metallic, so it looks like a jet-black dust. When this dust comes into contact
with absorbent surfaces such as skin or clothing, it sticks, forming a black
smudge. To prevent this, you should always remove rings and other jewelry
while applying cosmetics, and clean skin areas in contact with jewelry with
soap and water.
Another cause of
discoloration is actual corrosion of the metals. Now, pure gold itself (that
is, 24k gold) does not corrode, but remember, karat gold (14k, 18k etc.)
contains other metal alloys such as silver or copper, which CAN corrode. These
various alloys can form very dark chemical compounds, especially under moist
or wet conditions. When we perspire, fats and fatty acids released can cause
corrosion of karat gold, especially when exposed to warmth and air. This can
be more prevalent with lower karat alloys, hence 10k gold will have a greater
chance of this happening than 14 or 18k gold. This problem can be worse in
seacoast and semitropical areas, where chlorides combine with perspiration to
form a corrosive element that discolors skin. Smog fumes gradually attack
jewelry, and are evident as a tarnish that rubs off on the skin. Yuck!
How can this be
prevented? It’s always a good idea to remove your jewelry before using soaps,
cleaning compounds or detergents. You should also clean your jewelry
frequently, either at your local jeweler, or at home with an over the counter
jewelry cleaner (or a simple homemade solution of 5 parts water, 1 part
ammonia, and a little scrubbing with an old toothbrush will do wonders).
Special care should always be taken with porous stones such as pearls or
opals. It’s also very important to dry your jewelry THOUROUGHLY after
cleaning, paying close attention to any nooks and crannies where moisture
could be trapped.
Following these
corrective actions should solve most discoloration problems. In addition,
these simple guidelines will result in an additional bonus…your jewelry will
look great!
Kustom
Korner
This issues Kustom Korner is a gem lovers
dream. A very good customer sent in a bunch of different gemstones she's been
collecting, and told us to go wild! She knew she wanted a white gold necklace
incorporating the various stones, but the design was totally up to us.
First, we mapped out the layout for
the stones, and placed the individual settings for the various gemstones on a
wax sheet.
Next, we laid
the gemstones in the settings, and matched it up against the white gold
necklace we planned on using.
Finally, we soldered
all of the settings together, attached them to the necklace and set the
stones. The final result...a stunning Ruby, Tsavorite, Citrine, Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Moonstone, Topaz,
Garnet necklace. Whew!
|
Alabama family finds part of a hidden treasure
JCK 7/29/2005
A token redeemable for an $8,500 bejeweled ladybug was recently
found by an Alabama woman.
Susan Peplinski, 28, of Grant, in the northeast
part of the state, found the gold, leaf-shaped token in a knothole
of a tree in a Kentucky state park, the Birmingham News reports.
The token was the seventh found as part of a
real-life treasure hunt for bug tokens interwoven into the fairy
tale A Treasure's Trove, by Michael Stadther, which debuted last
November.
The tokens, representing bugs based on the forest
creatures in the book, are hidden on public property nationwide, the
newspaper reports. Of the dozen bugs, valued at more than $1 million
together, the most expensive is a $450,000 spider, set with jewels
including a 6.36-ct. Kashmir blue sapphire and more than 21 cts. in
yellow diamonds.
The ladybug, which the sisters plan to give to
their mother, features retractable wings and is set with six Burmese
rubies and 51 diamonds. Stadther, who previously owned a software
company, is providing the 12 jeweled pieces, including three from
his private collection. The other nine were created by jeweler
Robert Underhill, and designed by Underhill and Stadther.
The nine tokens for the ladybug, hummingbird, ant,
firefly, caterpillar, grasshopper, snail, dragonfly and butterfly
have been redeemed, the newspaper reports. The bee token is missing,
and the spider token has been found, but not redeemed. The
rhinoceros beetle is still at large.
Peplinski discovered A Treasure's Trove in
February, when she read about it in People. magazine, the newspaper
reports.
"I like to work on puzzles, so I went online and
ordered the book," she told the newspaper.
Next thing you know, it was a family affair,
including her mother and six sisters.
"They all bought the book, and we worked on it
together," Peplinski reportedly said. "We'd call each other and
e-mail each other and say, `Oh, did you try this?' and try and
figure out the clues."
After several months, they hit paydirt in June
when they solved a puzzle that revealed the clue "paintsvillesp,"
which they researched online and decided probably stood for
Paintsville State Park in Kentucky, the newspaper reports. Peplinski;
her mother, Polly Hammett; and three of her sisters, Sylvia
Phillips, Sarah Hammett and Sheena Hammett, decided to go for it.
"We all jumped in the car," Peplinski reportedly
said. "We drove overnight on Saturday, and got there on Sunday, real
early, like 3 in the morning. We got a hotel room, but none of us
could sleep because we were looking at the book. As soon as the sun
came up, we were at the park."
An hour later, they found an overlook—a clue to
the token's whereabouts—where they thought it might be. When they
spotted a familiar-looking tree, they knew they were on the right
track.
"There was a tree there that looked like the tree
in the book," she told the newspaper.
The women tried to reach inside a knothole in the
tree, but their hands didn't fit.
"We got a stick and kept digging," Peplinski
reportedly said. "We pulled up the stick and there was the token,
hanging on the end of it. ... It was unbelievable." |
|
Personalized Boutique Newsletter-October/November 2004
Welcome to the Oct/Nov edition of the Personalized
Boutique Newsletter.
Wow, this has certainly been a crazy summer down
here. We had FOUR hurricanes hit our poor little state this season...Charley,
Frances, Ivan and Jeanne! Thankfully our family and friends made it through
relatively unscathed, but our thoughts go out to our neighbors a little
further North who really got slammed. Oh well, just another perfect day in
paradise :-)
This past Sunday, VH1 held it's first annual "Hip
Hop Honors" show in New York City (first airdate Oct 12th), in which the
legends of Hip Hop are honored by today's brightest stars. Among the gifts
that each and every honoree, performer and presenter receives will be a custom
14k gold Photo Dog Tag created by yours truly!
14k white and yellow gold Photo Dog Tags with VH1 HipHop
Honors logo, created exclusively for VH1 |
Aside from our fabulous new
Photo Dog Tags, we've added
a few other pieces to our Dog Tag line, including a new "Jumbo" size dog tag
and Diamond Dog Tags!
If you haven't visited the site lately, you really
should put aside some quality time to check out what's new. We've added
a huge new selection of Diamond Charms, as well as several new styles of
Charm
Bracelets to hang them from. We've also added the fun new
Envelope Locket, new
Diamond Stiletto Earrings, and our hot new
Pink Gold Name Necklace!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Gemstone Mania
This past year I have
noticed increasing interest in unusual gemstones. I'm not talking your
run-of-the-mill Ruby's, Emerald's or Sapphire's, but lesser-known gemstones
such as Ametrine, Mystic Topaz, Appetite and Pink and Yellow Sapphire. Also
more common semi-precious stones like Amethyst and Blue Topaz cut in
dramatically different shapes. These beautiful stones can now be purchased
from a variety of different sources, from TV and Internet Shopping Networks to
cruise ships!
While these gemstones
ARE beautiful, the question then becomes; "What to do with them?". Well, the
obvious answer is...send them to a jeweler! This past year we have done many
awesome pieces with customer's stones. It's a fairly simple process. The
customer will send the stone (or several stones) in, along with a rough idea
of what they would like (a pink gold ring, a two-tone slide with small
diamonds...etc). Once we agree on the basics of the piece we will then make a
model of it in wax, and once the model is perfect for the particular stone, we
cast it in the appropriate metal, polish and set the gemstone.
This can be a rather
time-consuming process, and some custom pieces might take several weeks to
complete. Also, a certain amount of trust in the design skills of the jeweler
is required, as he or she is basically trying to combine the customers ideas
with their own talents and the constraints of the stone in question.
Ultimately, you should end up with a truly one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to
be handed down from generation to generation.
Below, you can see a
few of the recent creations we've done:
Laser-cut Amethyst bezel-set in 14k Rose Gold ring |
|
Matching ring and slide created for two trillian shape
Mystic Topaz |
14k white gold/diamond ring created for star-cut Blue
Topaz |
14k two-tone diamond ring created for trillian
shape Tanzanite |
Have a gemstone of your own just waiting to be worn? Feel free to
give us a holler
pbinfo@personalizedboutique.com
Kustom Korner
OK, this
month's Kustom Korner item is a little different, to say the least. Follow
me here: this customer wanted to create a really special piece of jewelry to
commemorate his wife's retirement. He wanted a 14k white gold heart to be
custom engraved with a special message, he wanted to incorporate his, his
wife's and their children's birthstones, as well as a 1/4ct diamond. And he
ALSO wanted...are you still with me?...a pebble to be included, to symbolize
the 40 plus years she spent with her nose to the grindstone!
14k white gold custom heart with dangling pebble :-) |
|
Timex unveils 'Watch of the Future' winnersilliam George Shuster, JCK Senior Editor
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 9/29/2004
A paper-thin watch that can be peeled from a roll and
stuck anywhere. A timepiece that measures how much energy you consume—earning
or costing you free time. A watch with a 3D changing face. These are the grand
prize winners in the global “Timex 2154: Future of Time” competition to design
the “watch of the future.”
Timex, the best-selling watch brand in the United States, is celebrating
its 150th anniversary. As part of that, and to show its commitment to design
and innovation, Timex, in association with Core77, a leading on-line site for
industrial design, earlier this year launched the worldwide contest. It asked
designers to create what they think “personal and portable timekeeping” in the
year 2154 will do and look like.
The winning designs were unveiled Sept. 28 in New York City, and will
eventually be put on permanent exhibit at Timex’s TimExpo Museum in Waterbury,
Conn.
Over 3,700 entries from 72 countries were received. The contest had three
categories: wrist-based, wearable and conceptual. One grand prize and three
runners-up were selected in each. Grand prizewinners received $5,000. The
competition was judged by a panel of experts from the design industry, plus
officials of Core77 and Timex.
The “Wrist-Based” winner is Cristophe Koch, a French-born designer. His
"Time-Aid” watch uses a 3D image-based display system which lets users choose,
and change, the watch face from current and historical clocks around the
world. It can immediately morph into any representation, from Big Ben to that
of a porcelain mantel clock.
The “Wearable” winner is Russian-born Alexey Koptev, for his "Sticker
Watch." His concept features a roll of tape with watches on it, from which a
user can tear off a perforated segment and attach it to any surface. The
Sticker Watch, which shows time and date, has no control buttons and begins
working as soon as it is applied to a surface.
The “Conceptual” category winner is actually a team of French design
students--Francois Lane, Nicolas Montabone and Francois Gustin. They created "Energistime,"
a tentacular object with a simple graph monitor to average daily, weekly and
monthly energy useage. “Energistime” indicates when a user is consuming too
much energy and producing too much pollution while using energy-consuming
products, like a car. Under the concept, 150 years from now, the more energy a
user saves, and the less pollution produced, the more free personal time and
less work the user gets. The opposite is true if there’s more pollution and
more energy used.
|
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-April/May 2004
Welcome to the April/May edition of
the Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Whew! The last few month's have
been very exciting here, which is the main reason why this newsletter is so
late. After the piece in January's InStyle Magazine and the mention on the
Today Show in February, I think that just about every woman in the country
(and OUT of the country as well...Canada, Great Britian, Japan...where DON'T
they show "Sex and the City!) had to get her very own "Carrie" necklace :-) If
you missed any of it, or want to see some of the other pieces we provided for
the "ET on VH1" SATC special, you can read all about it on our
Sex and the City Style page.
I know it's a little late, but
there's still time to order something special for the Mom or Grandma in your
life in time for Mother's Day, May 9th. You can see our eclectic collection of
jewelry for Mom/Grandma on our Mother's Jewelry
page. You can check out our Order
Cut-off page for guaranteed Mother's Day delivery, but remember: "Late,
and she love's it!" will always beat out "In time and ho-hum".
We've added a few more items since
our last newsletter, including
Traditional Celtic Wedding Bands, some new
Religious Medals, and a new style of the
Sterling Silver Blocks & Beads
Bracelet. We have also added our new
Designers Gallery, which will feature unique pieces from up and coming
jewelry designers. Our first featured artist is Cate Crismani, and her
Sterling Silver "Infinite Heart" line. More coming soon, so stay tuned!
As always, please feel free to send
your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Cultured Diamonds...are here
In the past few month's you may
have heard or read about a new type of diamond set to enter the jewelry
market. These are diamonds that are grown not deep in the earth's mantle, but
in laboratories. These are not synthetic diamonds like cubic zirconia, but
actual diamonds with all the inherent physical properties of natural diamonds,
but grown in a fraction of the time.
Two companies, Gemesis in Sarasota,
Florida and Apollo Diamond in Boston, Massachusetts have both been growing
diamond crystals consistently and are set to release these new diamonds onto
the open market this year. Needless to say, the diamond industry as a whole
(and DeBeers in particular) are extremely nervous! Their concern is that
something that has been marketed as being rare and precious will suddenly
become widely available and thus, devalued. Their fears could be warranted.
Yellow diamonds manufactured by Gemesis. The largest
grow to 3 carats. |
I won't go into the
scientific explanation of how these diamonds are created...let's just say
that one method uses graphite atomization through extreme heat/pressure, and
the other involves chemical vapor deposition. Yikes! The bottom line is that
then end product of both these methods is a diamond. Not a diamond simulate,
not a diamond substitute, but a real diamond with all it's physical and
chemical properties. A standard diamond testing device (or a knowledgeable
jeweler with a jewelers loupe) will designate these gems as being
diamonds...because they are. Only sophisticated testing equipment would be
able to differentiate between "natural" and lab grown diamonds.
I must admit that I
haven't really formed a firm opinion one way or the other in regards to
these new "diamonds". In the end, the ultimate test will be the consumer.
Will people embrace "cultured diamonds", as these two companies hope they
will, or are they doomed to be looked upon as just another synthetic stone
to be purchased when a "real" diamond's cost is out of reach? If a stone has
the beauty, depth and timeless durability that only a diamond can offer,
will people care what the "origin" of the stone is? After all, a diamond
grown in a lab has no chance of being a so-called "blood diamond", stones
sold by African rebels to fund wars and revolutions.
Gemesis is the first
out of the gate, and they have decided to start with yellow diamonds. The
price for intensely yellow "natural" diamonds is much higher, given their
scarcity, and they hope to bring to middle America diamonds that formerly
only the very wealthy could afford. I would love to get some feedback on
this issue. Are lab created diamonds something you would ever consider
purchasing? Or does DeBeers signature phrase, "A Diamond is Forever" only
ring true when the diamond has been made by mother nature herself? Feel free
to send me your thoughts:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Kustom Korner
This issues' custom
piece involves a subject near and dear to my heart...rock-n-roll! This 14k
gold and diamond pendant/slide was commissioned by a husband for his wife to
celebrate her love for one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Can you
guess their name? Needless to say, the gift was received with immense
"satisfaction" :-)
|
Piece was first rendered in wax, then cast in two
parts (lips 14k yellow gold, tongue 14k white) and pave' set with
.50ct fine quality diamonds. |
|
Eyeing a new jewelry trend
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 4/13/2004
Dutch eye surgeons have implanted tiny pieces of
jewelry called "JewelEye" in the mucous membrane of the eyes of six
women and one man in cosmetic surgery pioneered by an ophthalmic
surgery research and development institute in Rotterdam, media
outlets report.
The procedure involves inserting a 3.5 mm (0.13
inch) wide piece of specially developed platinum—the range includes
a glittering half-moon or heart—into the eye's mucous membrane under
local anesthetic at a cost of 500 to 1,000 euros ($600 to $1,200),
CTV news, a Canadian national TV network reports.
"In my view it is a little more subtle than (body)
piercing. It is a bit of a fun thing and a very personal thing for
people," Gerrit Melles, director of the Netherlands Institute for
Innovative Ocular Surgery, told Reuters.
The piece of jewelry is inserted in the
conjunctiva—the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the
eyelids and front of the eyeball—in sterile conditions using an
operating microscope in a procedure taking about 15 minutes, Reuters
reports.
"Without doing any harm to the eye we can implant
a jewel in the conjunctiva," Melles told Reuters. "So far we have
not seen any side effects or complications and we don't expect any
in the future."
The technique was developed by the NIIOS in 2002.
It says no side effects of the treatment have been noticed, and
"patient satisfaction is high."
The Rotterdam-based institute, which develops new
ocular surgical techniques in corneal, cataract and retinal surgery,
developed and patented the jewelry made with special materials and
the surgical procedure.
So far, the institute, which carries out the
procedure in cooperation with an eye clinic near the city of Utrech,
has reportedly said it has a waiting list of people who want the
implant.
|
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-November/December 2003
Welcome to the November/December edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Wow, the summer flew by, and we're already in the
thick of fall (though truth be told, it still feels like summer here in South
Florida; a little cool weather would be nice!). Before you know it the
holiday's will be here. In the next few days we'll be posting our holiday
cut-off dates for custom orders, but that's only for people who wait until the
last minute...not people like us ;-)
What's hot right now? Our
14k gold Dog Tags and
dog-tag chains are a huge hit, and have quickly become one of our top sellers.
Diamond Initial charms are also big on the hit list, and we have added a few
more charm styles to our popular Diamond Mesh Bracelets. And for something
classic with a modern twist, check out the new
Diamond Charm Bracelet.
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Jewelry Hall of Shame (pt 2)
A while back I wrote a newsletter article titled
"The Jewelry Hall of Shame", which featured the most common jewelry "bargains
that aren't really bargains" that usually show up in all the sale flyers this
time of year. Well, this season I've noticed a disturbing new item in several
of the "leading" jewelers ads...the $499.00 5ct. tennis bracelet!
Wow, what a deal! Can this possibly be for real?
The answer is, technically, yes, but a little deductive reasoning is in order.
Diamonds are, of course, precious stones and their value is determined by
various attributes like cut, clarity, color and carat weight. Now, a single
1ct diamond will generally be worth much more than 100-1pt diamonds even
though they both add up to 1ct total weight. Hence, you can get a 2 or 3ct
diamond tennis bracelet (made up of smaller diamonds) for much less than a
single 2 or 3ct diamond, all things considered.
Smaller diamonds, anywhere from 1/2pt to 5pt, are
called melee and, like their larger counterparts, come in all different
qualities. Very fine melee diamonds can cost upwards of $500 to $600 per
carat wholesale, but even the lowest of the low "promotional" quality diamond
melee will generally run $100 to $200 per carat wholesale. Think about it, a
$499 5ct diamond bracelet would have to be made of diamonds LESS than $100 a
carat for them to make any money at all (and believe me, they do!) Don't
forget, we haven't even taken into consideration the GOLD in the bracelet
(though admittedly 10k and extremely lightweight), and the LABOR to set the
diamonds!
What we have here is a very light, 10k bracelet
set with the CHEAPEST diamonds money can buy...for $500! Still sound like a
bargain? Now, you can purchase a perfectly wonderful GOLD bracelet for $500,
and quite possibly a decent 1ct diamond bracelet as well. But if a 5ct diamond
tennis bracelet for $499 sounds too good to be true...it's probably because it
is!
Rare diamond to be auctioned
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 10/8/2003
One of the world's rarest diamonds was displayed
in London on Tuesday by Sotheby's auctioneers, who will put the gem
up for bid next month in Geneva, The Associated Press reports.
The bright white cushion-shaped stone is the
largest internally flawless diamond of D-color grade—the purest
color grade—to ever appear at auction, Sotheby's said. The diamond
weighs 103.83 carats and is expected to fetch as much as $10 million
during the Nov. 20 auction.
The jewel, discovered at South Africa's Premier
Mine, is only the fourth diamond of perfect color and purity
weighing over 100 carats to be sold at auction, Sotheby's said. In
May 1995, the Star of the Season sold for a record $16.7 million.
"Star of the Season" diamond
Alexandra Rhodes, head of jewelry at Sotheby's
Geneva, said the estimated price of the latest gem reflected the
current market.
``I think for a stone of this caliber it's a
rarity for the market and that's the right (estimated price) for
today's market,'' she said. ``The person who buys it will also have
the privilege of naming it.''
It took diamond cutters 18 months to plan, design,
and cut the gem, and its shape is reminiscent of many famous and
historic diamonds.
Kustom Korner
This issue's "Kustom Korner"
involves a pair of wedding rings with a tropical theme. A customer loved our
P4C Old English Personalized Wedding Ring, but wanted to know if we could add
something special between her and her husband's name...palm trees. We said
"Sure, why not?" We e-mailed her a depiction of what the lettering would look
like:
After the depiction
was approved, the his & her rings were crafted in 14k white and yellow gold.
The final results...well, let's just say it made us all feel a little warm and
fuzzy inside :-)
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Taxi driver returns $230,000 in jewels
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 10/23/2003
A Chicago cabdriver who found a green sack in the
trunk of his car discovered that it contained jewelry with an
estimated retail value of $230,000, The Chicago Tribune reports.
Thanks to his honesty, the jewels were returned to their owner on
Wednesday.
According to the newspaper, the sack, which
Mohammed Hussain discovered Sunday, Oct. 19, in the trunk of his
cab, contained 42 ornate pieces of jewelry, handcrafted 18-ct. gold
earrings and necklaces woven around sparkling walnut-sized
sapphires, aquamarines, and rose quartzes.
"I was not sure if these were real, to be frank,"
Hussain, 26, reportedly said Wednesday. "When I went through these
documents and invoices (in the bag), I was sure they were really
costly."
On Wednesday, the precious cargo was returned to
Anthony Camargo co-owner and designer for an Austin, Texas-based
jewelry-maker.
"I thought that was just so admirable," Camargo,
40, reportedly said. "This doesn't happen where it gets returned in
this manner."
Since its inception five years ago, Anthony-Nak
Fine Jewelry, Inc., of Austin, has catered to celebrity clients
including First Lady Laura Bush, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and
Cher. In Chicago, Camargo says the company sells only through
Barneys New York.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, at about 9 p.m., Camargo and
a sales associate took a cab from Barneys at North Rush and East Oak
Streets back to Hotel 71, 71 E. Wacker Drive, after a long, tiring
day. Moments after getting out of the car, they realized they didn't
have the jewels.
Camargo reportedly said he ran down the street to
catch the taxi but it was lost among several other taxis. He called
police, but he didn't have the taxi number or the correct company.
Chicago police reportedly began an investigation, but detectives
didn't have many leads.
Hussain, a native of Southern India, reportedly
didn't discover the bag until Sunday evening, when he went through
the trunk to tidy up. Sifting through the documents inside, Hussain
found Camargo's name and e-mailed him Monday.
Camargo alerted Chicago police who picked up the
treasures. The jeweler flew back to Chicago Wednesday morning to
thank Hussain in person and reclaim the jewels.
The jewels were insured, Camargo reportedly said,
but he held out hope he'd see them again even if it was a long shot.
Keeping the expensive jewelry in his home for a
couple of days caused Hussain to lose some sleep, but he reportedly
said he never thought twice about keeping it.
On Wednesday, Camargo reclaimed the jewels at a
Chicago police station and reportedly presented Hussain with a check
and a pair of lemon citrine earrings with multicolor sapphire
briolettes, made from stones cut in India. Camargo would not
disclose the value of the check and jewels, only saying, "It's a
nice reward."
Hussain, who is not married, said he would
probably send the earrings to his parents in India.
Hussain will reportedly be nominated for a
citizen's award for his honesty.
|
| Welcome to the August/September
edition of the Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Hope everyone is having a great summer. If you
haven't checked out the website lately, you should come take a look. In the
past month, we have added TONS of new items:
14k gold Dog Tags, in yellow,
white & rose gold. Hand engraved and available in two sizes. 14k yellow &
white gold beaded "dog tag" chains also available...these are HOT!
Diamond Mesh Bracelets. Stainless
steel mesh bracelets with interchangeable 14k white gold/diamond initials and
charms.
Right Hand Rings. Something new is on the
horizon in women's diamond rings...raise your right hand if you'd like a sneak
peek.
We've also added a few new styles of our popular Diamond
Anklets, as well as a highly requested new item,
Children's Name Bracelets.
Come by the site and browse awhile...tell your boss it's research :-)
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Organic gems unveiled in GIA Museum exhibit
Organic gems such as amber, coral, ivory, and
pearls are as diverse as nature itself. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA),
the world’s foremost authority in gemology, will tell the story of organic
gems in a museum exhibition at its Carlsbad, Calif. world headquarters.
“All-Natural, Organically Grown Gems from Plants and Animals” debuts in
mid-July and will be on display through April 2004.
The exhibit, to be presented in the Institute’s S.
Tasaki Graduation and Student Lecture Hall, will feature a rare tusk from a
mastodon, an extinct elephant-like beast that roamed the earth as far back as
35 million years ago. The tusk, originating from the Russian Chukotka
Peninsula, has been carbon dated at around 30,000 years. In addition, organic
gem material in its rough form and intriguing organic-gem jewelry from GIA’s
own collection will be on view, as well as pieces on loan from private
collectors.
Mastodon Tusk
Unlike gemstones, which form deep within the
earth, organic gems are the products of living organisms, and are formed by
biological processes. Some organic gems come from materials that are millions
of years old. Other sources are living today. A number of sources are
endangered and protected by environmental laws. For instance, African and
Asian elephants, a source of ivory, and the Atlantic hawksbill sea turtle,
used to obtain tortoise shell, are both protected animal species.
Some examples that visitors will want to see
include amber, a tree resin that has hardened over time. Probably because of
the movie “Jurassic Park,” amber is best known for its inclusions of insects.
Though it looks like a plant, coral – also on view – is actually a skeletal
structure that houses colonies of tiny marine animals called polyps. Ivory,
essentially tooth material, will be displayed, as well as tagua nuts, a
variety of vegetable ivory. The exhibit also contains natural and cultured
pearls.
Amber w/insect
In addition, GIA will introduce some of the
lesser-known organic gems. Jet, a type of coal formed 180 million years ago
from fossilized trees, is one. Shell and tortoise shell are also included.
Organic gems have been used for centuries in
jewelry ornamentation and adornments. Timelines and locality charts in the
exhibit will uncover how these exceptional gems are formed over thousands—even
millions—of years, and how they are fashioned into innovative jewelry.
19th century tortoise shell coin purse/case
“The important features that distinguish organic
gems from other gem materials are represented in this collection,” said Terri
Ottaway, GIA’s Museum curator. “We teach about organic gems in the Institute’s
courses, but a gorgeous display like this brings them to life for both
students and the public.”
GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski said, “It’s
an extraordinary exhibit that takes an exciting approach to teaching about the
history, localities, and beauty of these organic gems.”
“The Magical World of Ilya Schar,” a unique
collection of creations that resemble paintings but are composed solely of gem
material, will also be on display. The artist, Dr. Illya Schar, cuts, grinds,
and polishes selected gemstones, layers them in a process he calls
“three-dimensional works of art.” He then arranges and adheres them to the
canvas using his patent-pending technique. Natural subjects such as
butterflies are featured in these innovative pieces.
"Butterflies" by Dr. Ilya Schar
Both of the exhibits will be on display through
April 2004, and are free and available to the public through scheduled tours,
except when the Institute is closed for holidays.
Smithsonian unveils 'The Splendor of Diamonds' exhibit
Gary Roskin, G.G., FGA, JCK Senior Editor
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 6/27/2003
Seven of the world’s most extraordinary diamonds
representing a rainbow of colors—red, orange, yellow, pink, blue, blue-green,
and colorless—were unveiled Thursday The Harry Winston Gallery at the
Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Jeffrey Post, curator of the national gem
collection, presented six of the seven incredible color diamonds featured in
“The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, which will run till September 15, in front
of a throng of television cameramen and still photographers who were jockeying
for position while armed guards kept close watch as the gems were wheeled into
view.
The seventh diamond, the 59.60-ct. Fancy Vivid
Steinmetz Pink oval brilliant, was temporarily mounted in a pendant and was
worn by television star Jenna Elfman. The Steinmetz pink is the largest Fancy
Vivid pink known in the world. Elfman, who claims her only jewelry are her
jeans and her wedding ring, was having a wonderful time wearing the
multi-million dollar pink diamond necklace. “It feels great!” exclaimed Elfman.
“It has a good weight to it,” she noted, as she patted it with her hand. “And
I actually feel the vibrations.”
Jenna Elfman with the "Steinmetz Pink"
The six diamonds on the rolling cart were situated
next to Elfman, Post, and Livnat. On the cart was the 203.04-ct. De Beers
Millennium Star, D/Flawless (not just Internally Flawless) pear shape
brilliant, mounted in a platinum and diamond pendant. Owned by DeBeers LV, the
Millennium Star was cut by the Steinmetz Group, which took three years, and
hundreds of practice models, to create the magnificent gem. Being mounted was
LV’s way of pointing out it’s not just for a museum. Even a 200-ct. diamond
can be worn, by anyone who can afford it.
Dwarfed only in size, next to the Millennium was
the 5.11-ct. Moussaieff Red, the largest Fancy red diamond ever graded by
GIA's Gem Trade Lab. A spectacular gem, but in museum lighting it appeared
more reddish pink than red. However, the red was still very noticeable,
especially when placed next to the Steinmetz vivid pink.
The Moussaieff Red
Next to the red was the Allnatt, a 101.29-ct. cushion cut Fancy Vivid
yellow, owned by SIBA Corp. The stone was cut beautifully in an old antique
cushion style with high crown and deep pavilion, which not only showed off its
incredible color, but also enhanced its dispersion. A truly exceptional stone,
both for color and for shape.
Next on the pad was the 27.64-ct. Fancy Vivid blue
heart shape “Heart of Eternity.” Steinmetz had also cut this gem, now in a
private collection, and was one of the blue diamonds on display with the
Millennium star when they were exhibited at the Millennium Dome in London in
2000. The shape of the heart was not anywhere as pleasing as the color, which
was comparable to 45.52-ct. Fancy Dark Grayish-Blue Hope diamond just a few
yards away.
Harry Winston’s Pumpkin was next on the pad; a
5.54-ct. cushion cut Fancy Vivid orange diamond. While it wasn’t formally
announced at the exhibit, according to Winston spokesperson Carol
Brodie-Gelles, the pumpkin is ripe for sale with a $3 million dollar price
tag.
Harry Winston's "Pumpkin"
Finally, at the end of the pad, was the 5.51-ct.
Fancy Deep blue-green “Ocean Dream,” owned by Cora Diamond, New York. It was
obvious that the blue, the red, and the blue-green were cut specifically with
saving weight and color, and not for beautiful design. That said, the
blue-green is one of the very rarest diamonds known, with no record of any
other diamond of this color and size. No wonder they saved the weight.
The Ocean Dream
For more information about “the Splendor of
Diamonds,” contact the Smithsonian at (202) 357-2700 or on-line at
www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/si-gems.
Kustom Korner
This issue of "Kustom Korner"
involves a contemporary twist on a classic piece of jewelry...the Charm
Bracelet.
This customer wanted a more modern looking, white gold
charm bracelet that would nicely complement her other white gold/diamond
jewelry but still reflect her personality and interests.
We adapted several diamond necklace pendants for the
bracelet, including our popular "peace sign" pendant, and also polished/rhodiumed
a birdhouse pendant she'd had custom made previously. We attached them all on
a modern, 14k white gold rolo-link bracelet with a fancy toggle clasp. The
result was...charming :-)
|
Jewelry
from Dolores Gray and Gladys Burg's estates slated for auction
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 7/14/2003
Doyle New York will hold an auction of Important
Estate Jewelry featuring jewelry from the estate of Broadway and
Hollywood actress Dolores Gray, and the estate of Gladys Burg of New
York on Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.
The public is invited to the exhibition on view
from Saturday, September 13 through Tuesday, Sept. 16.
A Web page devoted to the upcoming jewelry
auction, complete with color images and information on the sale, may
be viewed at
http://doylenewyork.com/
pr/jewelry
The Web page page also provides further
information on Tony award winning actress Dolores Gray, who was the
real-life inspiration for entertainer John Epperson’s character
Lipsynka!
____________________
More than $1 million stolen from jewelry store
in 42 seconds
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 7/5/2003
It took 42 seconds for a gang of masked robbers to
storm a Deerfield Beach, Fla., jewelry store, smash display cases
with an ax and two sledgehammers and escape with more than $1
million in watches and jewelry, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
reports.
The men entered East Coast Jewelers, 3379 W.
Hillsboro Blvd., June 28 behind a family that had been buzzed
through the locked door just after 12:30 p.m., the newspaper
reports. The robbers showed no weapons.
“It was obviously well-planned and well-executed,”
Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jim Leljedal reportedly said, who
was not aware of any similar robberies in recent months.
Michael Yampolsky, president of East Coast
Jewelers, reportedly said the store’s video cameras showed the
robbers to have been in and out in 42 seconds. The video showed
between six and eight men wearing ski masks, gloves and bulky
clothing spreading out and smashing specific cases. They used an ax
and two sledgehammers to smash cases containing diamond rings,
earrings, necklaces and watches. The stolen watches included Rolexes
and part of a Swiss Vacheron Constantin set worth about $700,000,
Yampolsky reportedly said.
“They went right to the good stuff,” Yampolsky
reportedly said, noting that the men escaped in two dark-colored
Nissan Maximas. “The alarm was pushed ... and the cops were there in
one minute, and [the robbers] were gone.”
Besides knowing which cases held the store’s most
valuable items, the robbers also executed their heist on a Saturday
when six employees were in the store, as opposed to the 20 who work
there during weekdays, Yampolsky told the newspaper.
Leljedal reportedly said the most likely way the
robbers would be caught would be when they sell or give away the
merchandise.
Leljedal told the newspaper that the stolen
merchandise is worth between $1 million and $2 million. No arrests
have been made, and East Coast Jewelry is offering a $10,000 reward
for the arrest and conviction of the thieves.
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|
Personalized Boutique Newsletter-June/July 2003
Welcome to the June/July 2003 edition of the Personalized
Boutique Newsletter.
Wow, it's June already, and some of
you might be wondering what happened to the May newsletter; to which I would
reply...WHAT HAPPENED TO MAY! Yep, things were pretty busy here with Mother's
Day and Graduation orders, and with vacation time just around the corner
(Hooray!), I think we'll move to a bi-monthly newsletter format for now.
Well, after many requests, we have
finally added our popular Name Anklet to the site.
It's available in both 14k yellow and 14k white gold, and is perfect for those
bare summer ankles :-) Also, for something uniquely different for dad, check
out our Personalized Wedding
Bands. They make excellent "fathers rings", with the kids names or one
child's name and birth date wrapping around a solid, 14k gold comfort-fit
band. It'll look great on his finger while he's flipping those burgers on
Father's Day!
As always, please feel free to send
your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Raise Your Right Hand...
Beginning in September, the Diamond
Promotion Service will begin marketing a new concept in women's jewelry to
consumers; The Right Hand Ring. Specific designs will vary greatly, but the
general idea will be a somewhat larger ring design with several diamonds
spread about the ring in an up and down orientation.
The Diamond Promotion Service,
along with DeBeers, has a long history of introducing new styles of diamond
jewelry in the hopes that they will catch the fancy of jewelry buyers and work
it's way into mainstream America's (and the worlds) jewelry vocabulary. Think
diamond stud earrings, the diamond tennis bracelet, and most recently the
wildly popular "past, present, future" three-stone diamond jewelry designs.
It's their hope that the new Right Hand Ring promotion will spark that same
type of interest.
You really have to give the DPS and
DeBeers credit. Throughout the years they have managed to keep diamond jewelry
at the forefront of many women's wish lists. The phrase "A diamond is
forever", and the idea that two month's salary is a reasonable amount to spend
for an engagement ring are both as well known as "You deserve a break today".
A recent study done by DeBeers found that 86% of women questioned said that
they would prefer a larger diamond to a smaller one. Hmmm, my question is, did
they really have to do a STUDY to learn this?
JIC Forecasts Fall/Holiday Fine Jewelry Trends
The Jewelry Information Center,
along with six major promotional groups in the jewelry industry, held a lunch
in New York City on May 14 to introduce consumer and trade jewelry editors to
the top five jewelry trends for the fall/holiday season. The lunch included an
exhibition of nearly 100 pieces of contemporary jewelry to illustrate the five
themes, along with information on the designers, costs and how to contact
various promotion groups to arrange photo shoots and articles. Prize drawing
giveaways of fine jewelry helped the editors appreciate the value of precious
gems and metals. The aim of the event was to stimulate the coverage of fine
jewelry in fall and pre-holiday editions of magazines and newspapers.
The five trends for Fall 2003 cited at the event were:
• Quick Change Artists. This group of jewelry
included pieces that could be worn in several ways or changed into different
jewels. The transformations included line earrings that became hoops,
necklaces that convert to bracelets or lariats, brooches that double as
pendants, and reversible and interchangeable rings.
• Dramatic Earrings. A wide array of mostly dangling
earrings included chandeliers, drops, strands, hoops and cascades. The exhibit
acknowledged the influence of currently popular goddess-inspired clothing and
styling. The look includes lots of upswept hair that emphasizes the ear.
Several studs, lozenges, and clips were also shown.
• Period Drama. Art Deco influences dominated this
exhibit of revival jewelry, but there were also Victorian and Edwardian styled
pieces on display. Antique-inspired diamond cuts were also highlighted, as
were 1920s-style pearl strands.
• Color. The fascination with color in fashion
continues to spill over into jewelry and the exhibit featured colored gems as
well as colored diamonds, while also emphasizing that white was hot, as in
pearls, diamonds and platinum. The green gems, such as emerald, peridot, jade
and pistachio green Tahitian cultured pearls, were touted as being especially
popular. Blues also showed up in a lot of pieces, including sapphire,
aquamarine, turquoise and tanzanite. Coral also made it into several jewels.
• Graphic Detail. The final exhibit featured jewelry
using geometric shapes, crosses, hearts, stars, swirls and spirals to mirror
the bold graphics and Pucci-inspired prints now popular in clothing fashion.
The six promotional groups who cohosted the event were the
American Gem Trade Association, Diamond Information Center, Perles de Tahiti,
Platinum Guild International, South Sea Pearl Consortium and World Gold
Council.
Kustom Korner
This issues Kustom Korner comes
straight out of Hollywood. A customer had admired several styles of dog-tag
necklaces celebrities have been wearing of late. These were usually made in
platinum or 18k gold, with diamond accents, and at $1,800 and up, were a
little pricey for the average non-celebrity. She took a few ideas from several
different designs, and we crafted hers in 14k white gold with around 3/4ct
fine diamonds. Smashing!
|
Special proof Cullinan Centenary Krugerrand minted underground
JCK- 5/12/2003
A South African Mint
Company 2003 special 1-oz proof Krugerrand has been minted 2,100 feet
underground at De Beers’ Premier Mine to mark the centenary of the
mine and the village of Cullinan near Pretoria. A limited edition of
only 500 of these Krugerrand proof coins bearing the mintmark of a
diamond will be made available to collectors and the public.
Speaking at the ceremony De
Beers managing director Gary Ralfe, said history was again being made
at Cullinan which first achieved international fame with the discovery
of the ‘Cullinan Diamond’ in 1905.
“To our knowledge this is
the first time that any mint coin has been struck underground at this
depth," Ralfe said. "This adds to the uniqueness of this Krugerrand
and will, no doubt, make it very attractive to collectors."
Premier Mine is the only
mine in the world where diamonds are mined, cut, polished, and
designed and set into jewelry.
The Premier Mine and
Cullinan centenary celebrations began in December 2002 with the
opening of a ‘diamond hub’ at Cullinan by former President Nelson
Mandela. The centenary celebrations continue until November this year
________________
Cartier actions disrupt major U.S. Watch
counterfeiting ring
Tens of thousands of fake
luxury watches with a street value of $1.5 million have been seized
and a major U.S. counterfeiting ring disrupted following court orders,
raids and a $4.8 million penalty, all prompted by a Cartier
investigation.
The multi-million dollar
penalty, issued Apr. 15, is believed to be the largest
contempt-of-court judgment ever levied in a U.S. trademark case.
The companies and persons
involved were allegedly responsible for at least 50% of fake luxury
watches sold annually in America, including those on the Internet, JCK
was told by Marc Frisanco, counsel for protection of intellectual
property rights for Richemont International, the Swiss luxury group
whose brands include Cartier.
“This is a significant
breakthrough in our ongoing fight against counterfeiters,” said
Stanilas de Quercize, president and chief executive officer of Carter
Inc., Cartier’s North American division. “For the first time in the
United States, we‘ve been able to target higher level wholesalers and
importers rather than just street level vendors.”
The case is ongoing. No
criminal charges were filed, by press time, although the FBI
reportedly has become involved in the investigation.
|
|
Personalized Boutique Newsletter-April 2003
Welcome to the April 2003 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Well, spring is finally here and I hope
things are warming up for those of you in the colder states. I know that some of
you had a ROUGH winter! If you haven't browsed our site in awhile, you really
should. Lot's of new goodies, including more
Irish Claddagh Jewelry, a new selection
of Lockets, a new page of Ankle
Bracelets and more Huggie Earrings! Dive
in :-)
Don't forget, Mother's day is just around the corner
now and we can't forget mom! We've added some more items to our
Mother's Jewelry page, so don't wait until the
last minute...for once!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
More Famous Diamonds
In last April's
newsletter, we visited some of the worlds most famous diamonds. Well, it's
April again, and since diamond is the official birthstone of this month, I
thought we would dig deeper and discover more, "famous diamonds".
The Golden Jubilee is the largest faceted diamond in the
world, weighing 545.67 carats. The stone was designed by Gabi Tolkowsky, who
also designed the 273.85-carat Centenary diamond, which is the largest
D-Flawless diamond in the world. The Golden Jubilee was presented to the King
of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his
coronation. Prior to this event, the stone was simply known as the Unnamed
Brown.
The Idol's Eye: A flattened pear shaped stone the size of a bantam's egg,
its polished size is 70.20 carats. This is another famous diamond that was
once set in the eye of an idol before it was stolen. Legend also has it that
it was given as a ransom for Princess Rasheetah by the Sheik of Kashmir to the
Sultan of Turkey who had abducted her.
The Star of the East: The history of this 94.80
carat D-color pear-shape starts in the mid seventeenth century, when French
gem merchant Tavernier purchased a 157 carat rough diamond known as the
Ahmedabad.
The stone cut from the Ahmedabad appeared in the
possesion of Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire.
During the period of unrest that proceded the Young Turk's rebellion in 1909,
The Star of the East together with the Hope appeared in Paris for sale.
The diamond was purchased in 1908 by the newly-wed
Evalyn Walsh McLean on her honeymoon. She used all her "pin money" and some of
her husband's fortune to meet the $120,000 purchase price.
Harry Winston purchased it from her estate in 1949.
The Tiffany: The best known yellow diamond. It was found in
the De Beers mine in Kimberly in 1878 and weighed 287.42 carats. The following
year it was bought by Charles Lewis Tiffany, the famous Fifth Avenue Jeweler,
and was cut in paris as a cushion-shaped brilliant with 90 facets, weighing
128.51 carats.
The Regent: A truly historic diamond discovered in 1701 by
an Indian slave near Golconda, it weighed 410 carats in the rough. Once owned
by William Pitt, the English Prime Minister, it was cut into a cushion shaped
brilliant of 140.50 carats and, until it was sold to the Duke of Orleans,
Regent of France when Louis XV was a boy in 1717, was called The Pitt. It was
then renamed The Regent and set in the crown Louis XV wore at his coronation.
After the French revolution, it was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte who set it in
the hilt of his sword. It is now on display in the Louvre.
The Star of Africa: The largest stone cut from the Cullinan
and now among the British Crown Jewels. It weighs 530.20 carats and has 74
facets and is still the largest cut diamond in the world.
Kustom Korner
This month's Kustom Korner
is a good example of how we can work with a customer to create something
unique, without ever actually meeting them. My local customers ask me all the
time, "how can people buy jewelry over the internet without actually seeing
it?"
To which I reply, "hey, not everyone's as lucky as you to have ME so close
by!" ;-)
This particular customer contacted me and said she
wanted to make a special necklace for her mother with all of her children's
birthstones. She thought she might like something along the lines of a "hugs
and kisses" style necklace, and I suggested a slightly different "hearts and
kisses" style, which we could then set the various birthstones in. I e-mailed
her a picture of the necklace, along with a coin to give her perspective on
the size. I also laid a birthstone on one of the links, to show her the size
birthstone I had in mind to use.
Once she approved the
photo, we went over which actual birthstones we would use, and quoted her a
price for the finished, 18" necklace. The entire necklace took around a week
and a half to complete, from initial contact to completed piece. The customer
was delighted with the finished product, and her mother was thrilled with her
gift!
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The 'Freedom Purse' is now available
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 3/25/2003
In a patriotic response to the U.S. war in Iraq, the
Maurice, La., design house of Vivian Alexander, has created the
"Freedom Purse."
Designed in the company's signature egg-shape, the
purse is adorned with translucent red, white, and blue baked enamel
colors and imbedded with sparking mica designed to reflect light when
moved. The purse's inner lining is made of Chinese sand-washed silk.
The purse also includes a large beveled mirror mounted on top and a
detachable 48-in. gold shoulder strap. ________________
R.F. Moeller and Molina Fine Jewelers go to the
Oscars
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 3/18/2003
R.F. Moeller Jeweler and Molina Fine Jewelers have
been chosen to provide special gifts for nominees at this year’s 75th
Annual Academy Awards. Deemed “Everyone Wins at the Oscars,” the
nominees will receive a special gift bag that contains special gifts
in recognition of their well-deserved nomination.
Each nominee for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best
Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Picture and Best
Director will receive a gift certificate valued at $10,000 from R.F.
Moeller Jeweler or Molina Fine Jewelers. R.F. Moeller Jeweler has
offered each nominee the opportunity to receive a confidential,
personal consultation to view the finest in diamonds, gems and
jewelry—including Lazare Diamonds, Mikimoto Pearls and Rolex
Timepieces.
The Molina certificate includes a personal
consultation with company president Alfredo J. Molina either at the
Phoenix store (airfare/accommodations included) or at the actor's
residence.
At last year's Oscar show, Molina escorted Laura
Harring of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive down the red carpet as she
wore a $27.5 million necklace.
R.F. Moeller Jeweler is Minnesota’s premier,
independent, full-service jeweler that operates three retail stores:
Highland Park in St. Paul, Gaviidae Common in Minneapolis and in
Edina.
Molina Fine Jewelers is a fine jewelry salon in
Phoenix, Ariz., that sells both fine luxury jewelry, collector's
jewelry, luxury timepieces, and unique custom-made designs. The store
boasts an international clientele. Alfredo J. Molina, a master
gemologist and appraiser, founded the store in 1987.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-March 2003
Hope everyone had a great month. We shipped plenty of
24k gold dipped roses out just in time for
Valentine's Day...hope everyone got what they wanted :-) This month we will be
adding a selection of Irish Claddagh
Jewelry to the site as well as a few other surprises. Stay tuned!
As always, please feel free to send your comments,
suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me, your humble
webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
The "Platinum" Standard
Platinum has long been considered the "king" of precious
metals, and the past ten years or so has seen a steady climb in it's
popularity, especially in the bridal jewelry category. Although quite a bit
more expensive than gold (usually two to three times more than 14k gold), it
continues to enthrall some as the luxury metal of choice.
Starting in the late 1800's, platinum mania swept through
Europe and Russia. Kings and Queens bedecked themselves with anything and
everything platinum. Luxury jewelers like Cartier, Faberge and Tiffany used
platinum for many of their legendary designs, and the worlds most famous
diamonds such as the Star of Africa and Hope diamond were set in platinum
settings. It's popularity in jewelry grew up until the outset of WWII, when
the US government declared it a strategic metal and banned it's use for
jewelry. Americans made do with white gold (14k gold became the US standard)
and even after the war it's use in jewelry fell by the wayside.
Now, with it's current rise in popularity, platinum is once
again in the fine jewelry spotlight. Here are a few interesting facts about
platinum you may or may not have known:
Platinum, in addition to being extremely dense, is also a
very heavy metal; a six-inch cube weighs 165 lbs!
Platinum is rare; it takes ten tons of ore and eight weeks
to produce a single ounce of platinum.
Contrary to what some people might say, platinum CAN
scratch, although the way it scratches is different than most other precious
metals. Platinum loses virtually no metal when scratched. Instead, the
platinum separates, displacing the metal on the surface and making way for the
scratch.
Platinum is used to make most types of catalytic converters
in cars nationwide.
Platinum is also used extensively in the field of medicine,
for catheters, pacemakers, and even anti-cancer drugs.
Kustom Korner
This month's Kustom Korner involves a group of twirlers in
our area, the South Florida Super Stars. We have made some custom charms for
them in the past, but for their annual banquet they wanted to raffle off
something truly unique.
We designed a 14k yellow and white gold/diamond ring that
was sure to make some lucky girl feel like a "super star".
How did it turn out? Super!
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone and
everyone you know who might enjoy it. You can subscribe to our newsletter
HERE. |
___ Jewelry
at the Grammys
Colored diamonds showed up on many at the Grammy
Awards, according to the Diamond Information Center. Faith Hill and
Ashanti sported yellow diamond pinky rings by Mimi So and Faith Evans
and the Dixie Chicks wore black and white diamond jewelry by various
makers. Aretha Franklin wore an 80-ct. yellow and white diamond
necklace with matching 23-ct. earrings.
Gwen Stefani of No Doubt worked the red carpet in a
1940s-inspired dress set off by a large diamond pendant. Singer
Vanessa Carlton piled on long pearl strands in black and white. Rapper
and Academy-Award nominee Queen Latifah sported jewelry by Chopard.
Men were swathed in jewelry as well: Harvey
Fierstein, star of Broadway's Hairspray appeared in drag (he plays a
woman in the show), wearing 80-ct. fancy intense yellow diamond
cluster earrings and matching pendant. Rappers Nelly, Sean Combs and
Busta Rhymes wore diamond studs and several rings, while funk legend
Bootsy Collins mixed white and gold metals in rings and necklaces.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-February 2003
Welcome to the February 2003 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
We've added a lot of new items to our site this month
so if you haven't checked it out recently, come on by and browse a bit. We've
added a few more styles of Personalized Mother's Rings, a few new charms on our
Charms page, and our newest addition...Sterling Silver 'blocks & beads'
bracelets!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Another Gold Rush?
Been following the price of gold
lately? On January 29th, 2002 gold was trading at $277.90 an ounce. As I am writing
this, the current price is $370.20! While we in the jewelry making business
don't usually like to regard gold as strictly a commodity, it's role as one of
the most popular "precious metals" and it's place in the worlds economy can't
be ignored. Gold is indeed a precious metal (as is silver, currently trading
at a whopping $4.90...precious metal indeed!), and has been used to make fine
jewelry (usually after alloying it with other metals to produce various
karats, with 14kt being the US standard) for thousands of years.
Up until 1971, the price of gold
was pretty much frozen at $35 an ounce. Then through the 70's, gold
experienced a tremendous rise in price. In 1975 gold had risen to almost $200
an ounce, and by the early 80's had climbed to prices over $600 an ounce,
hitting a peak in late 1980 of $850! This significant rise in the price of
gold is generally attributed to inflation and the decline of the US dollar.
Gold's chemical symbol, Au, is short for
the Latin word for gold, 'Aurum', which means 'glowing dawn' |
In 1991, in the months preceding
the invasion of Iraq, the gold price rose (along with the crude oil price)
from about $350 where it had been trading, to over $400 an ounce,
strengthening a little more when the war actually broke out, but then fell
sharply in the weeks following the invasion. Eventually, in a period of a few
weeks, the price fell near to where it had started (around $350) and gradually
deteriorated to around $325.
There are some who feel that the current political
climate and the threat of war are what's driving the price of gold up now.
Some feel that gold will continue to rise as economy continues to slump.
Others feel that this is just a temporary bubble, and that gold will soon fall
back to it's recent norm (around $300). What do I think? Well, if I knew the
answer, I would be a rich and high powered commodities broker, instead
of a mild mannered jeweler :-)
Kustom Korner
For this month's 'kustom
korner', I thought I would show you something we made that we don't actually
feature on our website. While we have been making our custom jewelry for
people all over the world through our site, personalizedboutique.com for the
past 3 years, we have been running our store, Personalized Boutique, here in
South Florida for over 23 years! And while engagement rings are not our
specialty, we have made many unique styles of engagement rings for our special
customers throughout the years.
One such longtime customer wanted something special for
his girlfriend of many years. He decided it was time to pop the question, and
as this would be the second time around for both of them, he wanted something
unique and from the heart.
His girlfriend loved hearts, and many of the previous
jewelry gifts he had gotten her had some form of heart motif. He definitely
wanted to give her a heart shaped diamond, but he also wanted two smaller
hearts on either side of the diamond, to symbolize the merging of their two
families (both have children from their previous marriages) into one. Finally,
a row of baguette diamonds on either side would symbolize the long road they
each had to travel to get where they were today. Together we designed a ring
incorporating all these things, and thankfully...she said yes!
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone and
everyone you know who might enjoy it. You can subscribe to our newsletter
HERE. |
___
Breitling Watch Helps Save Pilots
Two British adventurers who crashed their helicopter
in the Antarctic Jan. 28 were located by Chilean rescuers via the
transmitters inside their Breitling Emergency watches. Steven Brooks
and Hugh Quentin-Smith were flying from Chile to Antarctica on the
final leg of a pole-to-pole journey.
Brooks called his wife after he and Smith boarded an
emergency dinghy following the crash, according to news reports.
"While they were waiting for rescue, the two activated their Breitling
Emergency watches which gave rescuers their location," says Lisa
Roman, head of Breitling USA communications. Both men wore the watch,
though the expedition was not connected to Breitling. A Chilean Otter
aircraft honed in on the signals and located the stranded duo.
The watch, which Breitling introduced in the U.S.
following Federal Aviation Administration approval in 1999, contains a
microtransmitter which sends a signal on the international aviation
distress frequency. Initially available to pilots only, it is now
available to the general public. Each buyer must register with the
FAA. In Europe, the watch has been linked to 17 rescues since its
introduction there in 1995.
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Welcome to the January 2003 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Well, we survived the holiday rush (barely!), and
thankfully got all our holiday orders out in time for holiday delivery. Thanks
FedEx! And thanks to all of you who entrusted us with your special gifts...hope
everyone got what they wanted :-)
Not much added to the site this past month...a few new
pendants and our wonderful new "Tree of Life" pendant added to our
CHARMS page. Look for new styles of our
Personalized Mothers Rings and
a few more surprises to be added later this month. Don't forget, Valentine's Day
is just around the corner!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
Red Gems Red-Hot for Valentine's Day
By Barbara Green
DECEMBER 19, 2002 - CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Not surprisingly, red gems are
expected to be red-hot for Valentine's Day, according to the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA). Passionate, confident and never boring, shoppers
have a variety of options when looking to gift their love one with a
fiery-colored stone. The following are four options the GIA is suggesting to
consumers.
Ruby: King of Red Gemstones
Mined in exotic locations around the world including Myanmar, Madagascar,
East Africa and Sri Lanka, rubies come in a range of hues that run from
pinkish to dark, velvety red. Second only to diamond in hardness, ruby is
considered the highest quality when vivid.
Spinel: The Great Pretender
According to GIA colored stone experts, quite a few famous "rubies" in
royal jewels throughout the world are actually spinels-some even reside in the
British Crown Jewels. Now that it's come into its own, spinel fans love the
stone for its brilliance and hardness. Durable, affordable and uncommon,
spinel is mined in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tajikistan and Vietnam.
Garnet: The Popular Gem
Although garnets come in many colors, red is the most admired--it's also
plentiful, affordable and durable. The almandine species of red garnet is
medium in color, while rhodolite is found in red with purple or raspberry
overtones. Pyrope, from the Greek word pyropus meaning "fiery-eyed," is the
darkest red garnet. Garnets are mined in East Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
Tourmaline: A Colorful Character
This gem occurs in more colors and color combinations than any other
gemstone variety, according to the GIA. In the tourmaline family, a red
gemstone is referred to as a rubellite. Important sources of rubellite are
Brazil and Nigeria.
Kustom Korner
This month's kustom korner involves a
request that we hear quite often, "I want to get my mother a 'grandma'
pendant, but my kids don't call her grandma!", to which we answer..."no
problem!"
This customer loved the "grandma"
pin/pendant we carry, with the birthstone kids, but HER name was "mema".
She also loved the birthstone kids we hang from the
charm, but she wanted to wear it on a heavier "omega" type chain. We
custom-made her a "Mema" plate, and attached to the holder/pin part of the
grandma pendant. We then added larger hidden loops on the back to accommodate
her necklace. The result? Well...see for yourself :-)
Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone and
everyone you know who might enjoy it. You can subscribe to our newsletter
HERE. |
Bejeweled Jeans to Make Debut During Super Bowl
JANUARY
02, 2003 -
SAN FRANCISCO --
Levi's Jeans announced today the creation of the "world's
most valuable pair of jeans" to celebrate the launch of its new Type 1 jeans
model. A pricey, one-of-a-kind pair adorned with gold, diamonds and rubies
will be awarded to a lucky Super Bowl viewer following an interactive
promotion.
The winner will receive a total prize package worth $150,000, which will
include the bejeweled jeans, to commemorate the company's 150th year in
business.
"To mark one of our most significant product launches, we have created the
boldest and most valuable pair of jeans in the world," Levi brand Marketing
Director Anna Brockway said. "In our new Levi's Type 1 Jeans line, Levi's
signature design details--the red-tab logo, buttons, rivets and two-horse back
patch--have all been accentuated to highlight the features that only Levi's
Jeans can truly own. On the celebratory pair of Levi's Type 1 Jeans, we have
embellished all these iconic elements with gold, diamonds and rubies."
H. Stern Jewelers handcrafted the precious metal and jewel details of the
pants.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-December 2002
Welcome to the December 2002
edition of the Personalized Boutique Newsletter.
Well, it's that time of year again and we are
busybusybusy, so I'm afraid this edition of our newsletter will be
shortshortshort!
We've added a few new charms/pendants to our
CHARMS
page, as well as some new links for the Italian Flex Bracelets. We've also
posted our Holiday Cut-Off Dates guide, so if you're still thinking of
ordering something special for that special someone in time for the holidays,
please CHECK THEM OUT!
As always, please feel free to send your comments,
suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me, your humble
webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
___________________________________________________________________
The
Ganoskin Project
The Ganoskin Project is a 7 year old
project dedicated to serving the needs of the gem and jewelry community, as
well as providing a wealth of free information to those in the jewelry trade,
and those that just have an interest in jewelry and gemstones. Their site
maintains a substantial library of articles, publications, reports and
technical data on gem and jewelry related topics.
The Orchid
archive is both a reservoir of content and network of active relationships for
the benefit of the gem and jewelry industries. Through Orchid, participants
may resolve their questions about virtually any subject relevant to the broad
spectrum of involvement surrounding the gem and jewelry industries.
The Ganoskin Library contains
hundreds of articles addressing all forms of jewelry and gem work. While the
search results (like many keyword search results in general) can be erratic,
try entering a few jewelry terms that may be of interest to you. You're bound
to find something interesting, and hopefully gain new insight into the art of
jewelry making.
___________________________________________________________________
Kustom Korner
This month's "kustom korner"
involves a custom designed piece created for a very special person. This
customer wanted to give her friend, a huge "Tweety Bird" fan, the moon and
stars. She sent in a rough drawing of the brooch design she had in mind.
We used a licensed "Tweety" charm
as the center of the pin, fashioned a 14k yellow gold moon, and set a stone
the customer provided in a 14k white gold "star" setting.
The customer was thrilled with the
actualization of her concept, and we were thrilled to be a part of her special
gift.
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CBS News found underkarating in gold pieces purchased at discount
stores
A recent CBS News investigation found that certain
discount merchants were misrepresenting the gold jewelry they were
selling, a practice known as underkarating.
The report aired Monday, Nov. 25 on the CBS Evening
News with Dan Rather in its "Eye on America" segment. CBS New
Correspondent Cynthia Bowers explained that some low-end retailers and
flea markets sold jewelry represented as 10k and 14k gold that was
below stated karat quality. She issued an alert to consumers to beware
and ask questions when purchasing jewelry this holiday season as well
as year round.
In preparing the segment, a team of CBS employees
went undercover and purchased 25 pieces of gold jewelry. The gold
pieces were taken to the Jewelers Vigilance Committee’s Precious
Metals Testing facility, and CBS reported that one-third of the items
purchased and tested didn’t meet the gold standard.
"Every time a consumer buys one of these little
charms and some of the gold is missing, a consumer's had his pocket
picked," Cecilia Gardner, JVC executive director and general counsel,
said in the segment.
Among the items that were misrepresented were Mickey
Mouse watches and Winnie the Pooh charms purchased in Minneapolis,
where they tested at 8k and not 10k as advertised.
"It is a pretty yellow metal, but it's not gold—at
least under the law," Gardner said.
When store owner Ginny Choi was told about the
pieces, she stopped selling them. Choi told CBS that she is as much of
a victim as the consumer because she was unaware the products were
underkarated. She said she trusted her supplier and the 10k stamp.
Investigators found the same problem with a Mickey charm purchased in
a Chicago flea market.
The Mickey and Winnie charm pieces were missing more
than just gold—they were missing trademarks as well. In other words,
they were knockoffs.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-November 2002
Welcome to the November 2002 edition of the
Personalized Boutique Newsletter. Well, the holidays are fast approaching
(although you wouldn't know it from down here in sunny South Florida, where it
hasn't dipped below 80 yet...sheesh, enough of Summer already!), and we will
soon be posting our Holiday cut-off dates for guaranteed Holiday delivery of our
personalized jewelry. As a world class procrastinator myself, I know how fun it
is to wait until the last possible moment to get your special orders in :-)
Ever wonder what happened to those big, chunky charms
that used to adorn those old-fashioned charm bracelets? Check out our newest
addition to the site, a special selection of 14k gold
Specialty Charms, just like Grandma used to
wear!
As always, please feel free to
send your comments, suggestions or ideas for future jewelry articles/items to me,
your humble webmaster:
Robert@personalizedboutique.com
"Conflict" Diamonds
You may have heard the term
"conflict diamonds" in the news lately. This refers to diamonds mined
in African countries such as Angola, Democratic
Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. The profits from unregulated diamond trade
in these areas have been used to obtain weapons and fund armed conflicts. As a
result, tens of thousands of civilians have been abducted, mutilated or
killed.
Revelations that diamond sales were financing some of
Africa's bloodiest conflicts severely dented the $7.8 billion dollar
industry's glittering image and forced the introduction of new controls on the
gems-for-guns trade. In an effort to improve it's image, the industry plans to
set up a "diamond relief fund" to channel money toward poverty reduction in
the poorest gem producing countries.
On January 1st, about 30 countries are expected to
implement the so-called Kimberly Process, an international policing system to
control the sale of legal diamonds and keep conflict diamonds off the market.
For the average consumer concerned about conflict diamonds, it is perfectly
reasonable to ask a jeweler if they know where their diamonds come from, and
to ask to see proper certification of origin when making a major diamond
purchase. And while we deal mainly in smaller diamonds for our custom jewelry
(of mainly Israeli and Russian origin), we applaud the industries continuing
efforts to stamp out "conflict diamonds".
Stone of the Month-Precious Topaz
While Golden Citrine is now generally
used as the birthstone for November because of it's abundant availability and
reasonable cost, the original birthstone for November was actually the yellow
to orange variety of precious topaz.
The name topaz comes from Topazios, the name of an
island, now called Zabargad, in the Red Sea. Topazios is from the Greek word
for "to seek" as the island was often obscured by fog and difficult to find.
For many years, any yellow stone was called topaz.
Yellow sapphire was called "Oriental topaz", citrine was called "topaz quartz"
and brownish red citrine quartz is often mislabeled as "Madeira topaz".
Appropriately, "precious topaz" refers to true topaz of yellow color.
To ancient Egyptians, the color of yellow topaz
symbolized Ra, the Egyptian sun god. The Greeks believed it conferred
strength. It has been worn as an amulet to ward off enchantment, break spells,
dispel sadness and strengthen intellect. It was also said to make the wearer
invisible, and assure beauty, intelligence, fidelity, and long life.
Much of the finest quality topaz comes from Brazil.
Topaz is also mined in Nigeria, Australia, Myanmar (Burma), Mexico, Namibia,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and the US.
Kustom Korner
In this month's "kustom korner",
I thought I would show you some unique variations customers have come up with
for our popular "family bracelets". Our traditional family bracelet usually
consists of connecting block letters with plain or diamond hearts separating
the names:
We recently had a customer who loved the idea of her
children's names on a bracelet, but wasn't really crazy about the hearts or
blocks as separators. She wondered if we could use X's side-by-side to make up
the rest of the bracelet, and do the names in 14k WHITE gold. Well, we
could...we did...and we think the bracelet came out great!
Sometimes, people ask us if we can do numbers as well
as letters for the family bracelet. Yes, we can, and this customer came up
with a great design using her and her husband's names, with their anniversary
date in the middle and a unique variation of our diamond blocks for the
dashes:
What do you do if you have too many grandchildren to
fit on one bracelet? You attach three together for a triple-strand bubble
letter bracelet with birthstone block separators!
And finally, there was the customer who's mother already had a family bracelet
for years, which she loved. She wanted to get her mother something special for
her 80th birthday, along the same lines. She was wondering if we could make
her a "family necklace" using our connecting block letters and her tapered
omega chain for the rest. "Well, we would have to adapt the letters to curve
around the neck, and they really weren't meant to hang this way, and I don't
really think we can do it", I told her.
"You HAVE to do it", she insisted, "I know you can."
Never being one to back down from a challenge, I agreed to give it a shot. The
resulting necklace was a big hit at her mother's party, and the "family
necklace" may eventually make it's way to our webstore.
I've always felt that some of the best jewelry design
ideas come from our customers, and these unique variations of our standard
family bracelets prove that point. Keep those ideas coming!
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Tanzanite becomes a December birthstoneThe American Gem Trade
Association (AGTA) has added tanzanite to the list of traditional birthstones
for the month of December.
Tanzanite, with its blending of royal blue and burgundy wine hues, was
first introduced to the public in 1969 and has grown to become the most
popular blue gemstone after sapphire. Adding it to the traditional list of
December birthstones (currently turquoise and zircon) should help build even
more demand for the stone, says Douglas K. Hucker, executive director of AGTA.
The organization made the announcement Oct. 30.
Hucker said the idea was sparked during a meeting of industry association
leaders earlier this year. Among a variety of gemological issues being
discussed, someone brought up the idea of finding another alternative gemstone
for December, and there was strong consensus among the associations that
tanzanite would be a good choice.
But can anyone just suddenly declare a new birthstone?
“There’s no astrological authority [that assigns birthstones],” Hucker told
JCK. “Most birthstones were established through tradition. Some date back to
Biblical times, but the current, contemporary list was developed in the ‘30s
or ‘40s by a group of jewelers in the Midwest who got together to develop a
modern list of birthstones and alternate birthstones. The decision to include
tanzanite for December was also reached through an industry consensus.”
Hucker said AGTA is working closely with other associations like the
Jewelers of America and the American Gem Society to disseminate information
quickly before the holiday selling season begins. Both AGS and JA already have
included tanzanite in their promotional materials for the holiday selling
season, he said. Other associations involved in the consensus included the
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the International Colored Stone
Association (ICA).
According to the National Retail Federation 2002 Holiday Consumer
Intentions and Actions Survey, consumers plan to increase their holiday
spending by 2.6% over last year's projected spending, and 23% of this year's
survey respondents indicated they want to receive jewelry or precious metal
accessories. “Consumers will be in the stores soon searching for the perfect
gift—and we [AGTA] hope that gift is Tanzanite,” says Hucker.
The only known source of the gem is a five-square-mile area in the hills of
Merelani, between Moshi and Arusha in Tanzania, Africa. While some tanzanite
displays trace of blue when it is mined, most crystals emerge from the earth
with a muted gray green color. All tanzanite gems have been subjected to heat
during the fashioning process to produce the violet-blue hues consumers know,
says AGTA.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-October 2002
Opal-The Stone of Paradox
 The early Greeks
thought that opals gave their owners the powers of foresight and prophecy.
Romans
adored it as a token of hope and purity.
Eastern
people regarded it as sacred.
Arabs
believed it fell from heaven.
Opal is truly a paradoxical
gemstone, and one of the most fascinating. It is a form of quartz, but is not
a form of quartz. It is the most colorful gemstone, but some forms are
colorless. It can be black, and it can be white. It's best known attribute,
the brilliant flashes of many colors, are not called opalescence, but
iridescence.
Opal is a variety of quartz, but
because it is actually a gel, it is, strictly speaking, not a form of quartz.
Quartz is a crystalline form of silicon dioxide, and the chemical formula of
opal is the same except that opal is also hydrous, that is, it contains some
water which is chemically attached to the silicon dioxide molecules. This is
why special care should be taken when cleaning opals, as certain cleaning
solutions can cause them to dry out and become brittle.
Australia
is the world's
largest producer of opal. Once opal was discovered in Australia, initially
about 1849, the natural brilliance and beauty of the gem led to it being a
highly coveted gemstone. Most of Australia's opal fields were formed about 100
million years ago. Rain would dissolve some of the silica present in the
earth's surface and the silica-laden water collecting on the ground then
filled up cracks, joints and cavities. When the water evaporated, the
remaining silica formed a gel made up of minute silica spheres. Although 95%
of precious opal is now mined in Australia, history has seen it produced in
India, Mexico and Central Africa.
A particularly unique feature of
opal is it's "play of color", or "fire". The color does not come from any
inclusions in the stone, but is caused by the diffraction of light. Where the
minute spheres of silica are of a uniform size and arrangement, the light
reflecting from them is split into its spectral colors, and the stone appears
to contain all the colors of the rainbow. Where the spheres are larger and
less uniform, the range of color is less or non-existent.
Black Opal is, quite
simply,
the most highly prized and most
precious of all opal. The only place in the world true black opal is found is
in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia. Black opal is known by its
name because the background color of the opal is dark black.
Fire Opal is often a cause of
confusion when discussing opals. While the play of color produced by opaque
opals is often called "fire", Fire Opal is actually a completely different
variety of opal. It is bright orange in color, and can vary from completely
translucent without any iridescence at all, to semi-translucent with very
noticeable flashes of iridescent color. It is often called Mexican Fire Opal,
because Mexico is one of its prime sources.
While opal is usually thought of as
the traditional birthstone for the month of October, the alternate gemstone,
Pink Tourmaline, is generally used in mother's/family jewelry because its
faceted, translucent appearance is a better fit with other birthstones.
Kustom Korner
This month's installment of "kustom
korner" involves a very special men's bracelet we made for a customer with a
very special hobby.
| This customer wanted a bracelet that would incorporate
the Licensed Private Pilot logo and a "wings" motif. |
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We roughed-out a design concept, and carved wax models
for the logo, which would be cast in 14k yellow gold, and the wings
which would be 14k white gold. |
| After casting the components, we chose a solid curb-link
chain for the bracelet, and prepared the pieces for polishing and
assembly. |
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The final product, a truly one-of-a-kind
piece of jewelry that reflects the personality of it's owner. The
customer has received many compliments on his bracelet, and we are now
in the process of designing a matching ring! |
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Liz Taylor and Christie's host exhibition and charity auction
Christie's will host the first-ever public exhibition of Elizabeth Taylor's
legendary jewelry collection at Rockefeller Center, New York, from 30
September to 14 October, the auction house said in a statement. Admission is
free.
Taylor has personally selected 30 pieces for the event. Items include: the
"La Peregrina" pearl; the 33.19ct Krupp diamond that Richard Burton gave her;
the "King Farouk" Art Deco Egyptian revival diamond and precious stone
bracelet; as well as other gifts from her friends, Michael Jackson and Malcolm
Forbes. The exhibition is being held to celebrate the launch of Miss Taylor's
book, My Love Affair with Jewelry, and will coincide with Christie's Oct. 17
sale of Magnificent Jewels.
In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be a private gala dinner
held at Christie's on 26 September, with a charity auction of eight jewels by
Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, JAR, Lynn Nakamura, Paloma Picasso for Tiffany &
Co, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston, designed especially for Miss Taylor.
The last lot will be a Bulgari emerald and diamond ring donated by Miss Taylor
from her personal collection. The jewels are on view at Christie's Rockefeller
Center galleries until 26 September. All proceeds from the sale will benefit
the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
AngloGold to Debut 22K Tattoo
SEPTEMBER 09, 2002 - NEW YORK -- During its Afridesia fashion show, slated
to run during New York Fashion Week this September, AngloGold will unveil its
newest addition to the accessory marketplace: temporary tattoos made from
22-karat gold.
Devised in response to the ideas of the designers taking place in Afridesia,
the tattoos were created to mesh with the existing line of gold accessories
including handbags, hairpins, scarves, belts and sandals. Each design will
last from five to seven days and is hypoallergenic.
"We invented the gold tattoo in response to a request from one of the
Afridesia designers, Malcolm Kluk, who we've been working with over the past
three months to develop gold accessories for his Spring/Summer 2003
collection. He wanted gold jewelry that was soft and moveable, like seaweed,"
said Sarah DaVanzo, project leader of Afridesia and creative director of
AngloGold. "We had been toying with a gold tattoo concept for several years as
part of our ongoing drive to identify innovative new gold adornment products
which make gold fashionable and attractive to the youth market."
For more information on AngloGold's tattoos, contact Valerie Donati or
Dianna Vays at (212) 343-8917.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-September 2002
Making the Cut
The most usual method of
fashioning a gem is to cut the surface into a number of flat faces, known as
facets. This gives the stone its final shape and "cut". Polishing is the
oldest form of fashioning. Gemstone cut has the greatest impact on the beauty
of the stone. The cut impacts how the stone refracts light, how it reflects
light and its depth of color. The most popular cutting methods of colored
gemstones can be divided into five main categories:
Brilliant-Cuts
Step-Cuts
Mixed-Cuts
Fancy-Cuts
Cabochons
Brilliant-Cuts
The brilliant-cut is the most popular
cut for diamonds, and for many colorless gemstones. It ensures that maximum
light is reflected out through the front giving brightness and fire.
 
Variations in the outline produces ovals, pear-shapes, marquise and other
shapes as well as the traditional 58 facet round brilliant.
Step-Cuts
The step-cut shows color gemstones to
advantage, having a rectangular or square table facet and girdle, with
parallel rectangular facets.
   
The corners of fragile gems may be removed, making octagonal stones; as, for
example, in most emeralds. Variations in the outline produces emerald, square,
radiant, octagon, baguette and other table cuts. The very popular "emerald
cut" was perfected on the emerald, and is intended to intensify a stone's
color. The deeper the stone's "belly", the richer the perceived color.
Mixed-Cuts
Mixed-cut stones are usually rounded
in outline, with the crowns (above the girdle) cut as brilliants, and the
pavilions step-cut.
  
Sapphires and Rubies, and most transparent color gemstones are cut in this
style. Variations in the outline give a cushion, pear (or teardrop) and oval
shapes.
Fancy-Cuts
Fancy-cuts have several possible
outlines, such as triangular, kite-shaped, lozenge-shaped, pentagonal or
hexagonal.
   
Other variations in the outline produces hexagon, pentagon, trilliant,
marquise, heart, stepped crown, step cut briolette, rondelle, star, twisted
triangle and some pears.
Cabochons
Dark-colored stones, and gemstones that are translucent or
opaque, such as opal and jade, are often polished into smooth cabochon stones
rather than faceted.
  
A cabochon features a smooth, rounded/polished surface with no facets. The
bottom of a cabochon-cut stone is usually flat or nearly flat.
Kustom Korner
This is our first installment of "kustom
korner" where we will showcase various custom-made pieces we have done for
customers lately.
This piece was originally an antique 14k white
gold/diamond watch that had long since ceased working. The customer
wanted to keep the piece relatively intact for sentimental reasons, but
did not want to repair the watch-works, as it would probably never be
worn. Together we decided that it would work best as a pendant that
could be worn on special occasions. We removed the black strap,
completely removed the works and set a black onyx in it's place. We
drilled a hole in the center of the onyx, and bezel-set a 1/4ct old-cut
diamond left over from an old ring of the customers. Once the piece was
polished and paired together with a 14k white gold beaded chain, we
ended up with a beautiful, truly unique piece of jewelry with a strong
link to the past.
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Diamond replica presented to London police for catching
thieves
JCK-Jewelers Circular Keystone -- 8/16/2002
The De Beers Diamond Trading Company presenting London's
police headquarters on Thursday with a replica of the world's most valuable
diamond to commemorate the day the Flying Squad foiled the spectacular
Millennium Dome heist, Reuters reported.
"The replica Millennium Star will act as a lasting
reminder of one of our most successful operations," Police Commissioner Sir
John Stevens reportedly said. "Their efforts to pull off one of the largest
robberies in the world in broad daylight were utterly audacious and worthy of
a James Bond film plot."
The replica diamond, now being given a permanent home in New Scotland
Yard's Crime Museum, was substituted for the real gem ahead of the attempted
robbery, Reuters reported.
The gang tried to steal diamonds worth $306 million from the Dome, escape
along the River Thames in a speedboat and smuggle them out of the country into
the hands of the Russian mafia.
Among the stones they hoped to steal was the Millennium Star, at 777 carats
one of the world's largest gems.
The robbers may have been inspired by the Bond film "The World is Not
Enough," which featured a speedboat chase to the Dome—showpiece of Britain's
year 2000 celebrations—a in the opening sequence.
But the audacious plan was foiled by police who had switched the real
diamonds for fakes and was lying in wait for the robbers.
In February, the gang was sentenced to a total of 71 years in prison.
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Personalized Boutique Newsletter-July/August
Is it real, or is it Moissanite?
Lately, a lot of people have been
asking me if I've heard of the new gemstone that's so much like a diamond it
will even fool a diamond tester (AND many jewelers!). Well, I have, and the
stone is called moissanite. Let me first start off by saying that we at
Personalized Boutique don't carry moissanite, and that I'm not really
convinced of it's supposed value in the marketplace. However, I feel there's
been enough hype about the stone to at least take a closer look.
The history of moissanite can be traced to the late
1800's, when a future Nobel Prize-winning chemist, Dr. Henri Moissan,
discovered minute quantities of natural silicon carbide while analyzing
samples from an Arizona crater site. The mineral name for silicon carbide,
moissanite, was given in Dr. Moissan's honor in 1905. While this rare
substance had potential as a gem of unique beauty, the quantities available
were much too limited for use in jewelry.
Jump ahead to the late 1980's, when a proprietary
process for producing large crystals of moissanite was developed by combining
the natural minerals of silicon and carbon. Then, in 1995, a master diamond
cutter suggested that properly cut crystals would make a remarkably hard,
highly reflective gem. The company Charles & Colvard obtained a patent and has
been manufacturing the stones in various shapes and sizes ever since.
The similarities between moissanite and genuine diamond
are many. Moissanite is second only to diamond in hardness, and it's optical
properties, such as high refraction, high reflectivity and modest dispersion
gives it a brilliance and luster much the same as a finely cut diamond. In
fact, a standard diamond tester, which measures the thermal conductivity of a
stone, will mistakenly identify moissanite as a diamond. There are now special
testers, specifically calibrated to separate moissanite from diamond, and a
well trained jeweler should be able to differentiate between the two using a
standard 10x jewelers loupe and a careful eye (careful enough to spot the
tell-tale double refractions distinctive of moissanite-diamonds have single
refractions).
While moissanite does sell for less than diamonds
(generally in the $200 to $800 per carat range), it should be stressed that it
is a lab-created, man made diamond simulate. Although it's use in fine jewelry
has grown as of late, it's true value as a gemstone, in my humble opinion, has
yet to be determined.
Stone of the month-Peridot
Peridot is reported to ward off
evil spirits, eliminate enchantments, as well as prevent nightmares. This is
due to its association with the sun and power of its life-giving rays, hence
the term "gem of the sun". Peridot was treasured by the Egyptians, and was
called "divine tears wept by Pele, goddess of the Volcano", in Hawaiian
legends.
Peridot comes from the Arabic word "Zeberget" for
Peridot, and also an island in the Red Sea, an early source for the gem. The
most valuable Peridot is medium in tone, the most vivid possible, and slightly
yellowish Green in hue. Peridot is widely available in a variety of shapes
from faceted to cabochon (curved dome), and many sizes.
The majority of the Peridot today is mined in Arizona.
It is also found in Myanmar (Burma) and China, and other localities.
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Back in Black
MAY 01, 2002 - Weehawken, N.J. -- Forever at the forefront of watch
placement in movies, Hamilton Watch Co.'s latest project, "Men in Black II,"
the sequel to the phenomenally successful original—which was also a home run
for Hamilton's "Men in Black" Ventura watch—will have the company
accessorizing stars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith with two new watches. "We
were given the opportunity to choose two different watches this time, and
since we recently launched a new product, the Ventura Chrono, we decided to
use this for the 'Men in Black II' watch," said Holger Dahmen, president of
Hamilton International. "It has the same case shape [as the Ventura] with push
buttons. For the movie promotion, it will come out in a limited-edition with a
different dial, strap and a new face."
The "Digital Men in Black Special" (MIB Digital) will be the second Hamilton
watch to appear in the movie. "This watch plays a very special part in
the movie, so we will release it at the same time as the film," Dahmen said.
"Men in Black II" opens in the United States July 3, 2002, and Hamilton
intends to have the watches on the market right after Memorial Day. The Men in
Black II watch will come in a gift box limited to 2002 units and will retail
for $645. The MIB Digital will come in a gift box as well and will retail for
$195. Dahmen said the MIB Digital offering is a one-shot deal in conjunction
with the film's release because it has such a strong relation with the movie.
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JUNE-2002
Caring for your Costume Jewelry
While most of the jewelry we create is made of precious metals and stones
(14k yellow /14k white gold, genuine diamonds...etc), most people will
usually own one or two pieces of 'costume jewelry' that may hold great
sentimental value, or just may be a great look!
Costume jewelry is jewelry which is produced in non-precious metals,
often gold or silver plated, with or without synthetic or glass stones.
Repair or cleaning of costume jewelry is necessarily limited by the original
materials used and their inherent limitations. Most of the metals used do
not have the same malleability as precious metals. Enamels, plastics and
coatings are limiting factors as well.
Tarnish, which may occur as a result of oxidation, is caused by
interacting of metal, silver or gold plated costume jewelry with certain
elements such as oxygen or sulfur as well as with certain acids, including
body acids. To help keep it tarnish-free, frequently clean your costume
jewelry in a mild dishwashing liquid diluted in water. Thoroughly dry your
jewelry after exposure to water, and store in a dry container or plastic bag
with anti-tarnish paper. Completely drying your jewelry is extremely
important, as moisture is the number one cause of deterioration for costume
jewelry.
Although most fine jewelry repair work should be done by a professional,
costume jewelry stones settings can often be repaired at home. If a stone is
loose, check the prongs to see if one needs to be tightened. This can be
done with a smooth jawed pair of pliers. Go completely around the stone,
tightening each prong for the best results. Do this slowly and carefully
since most metals used in costume jewelry are brittle and could break under
stress. If a stone falls out of your costume jewelry, it can be reattached
with a drop of instant glue.
And speaking of glue, a carefully applied bit of the sticky stuff can
save a broken costume piece from the junk pile. It can be used to re-attach
a pin-assembly back onto a brooch, re-join broken metal back together, and
otherwise 'weld' together that which could not be soldered by conventional
jewelry repair methods, due to the plated-metal and synthetic stones
intolerance to the extreme heat of soldering. A word to the wise, however;
while those little tubes of 'crazy glue' say they work great on jewelry, a
good dual-ingrediant epoxy will work much better, and last longer when
properly applied.
Stone of the month- Alexandrite
One of the most fascinating gemstones throughout history is alexandrite:
a gem variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that actually changes color from
green in daylight to red in incandescent light. The first time you see it,
it is hard to believe your eyes! Gems that show special optical effects are
known as "phenomenal stones." Chrysoberyl dominates this category, because
not only is alexandrite the most spectacular color change gem, cat's-eye
chrysoberyl has the most dramatic eye. Alexandrite has a distinguished and
glamorous past: it was discovered in 1830 in Czarist Russia. Since the old
Russian imperial colors are red and green it was named after Czar Alexander
II on the occasion of his coming of age.
Alexandrite can be found in jewels of the period as it was well loved by
the Russian master jewelers. Master gemologist George Kunz of Tiffany was a
fan of alexandrite and the company produced many rings featuring fine
alexandrite in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, including
some set in platinum from the twenties. Some Victorian jewelry from England
features sets of small alexandrites.
Alexandrite is also sometimes available as an unset stone but it is
extremely rare in fine qualities. The original source in Russia's Ural
Mountains has long since closed after producing for only a few decades and
only a few stones can be found on the market today. Material with a
certificate of Russian origin is still particularly valued by the trade.
Some alexandrite is found in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and Brazil but very
little shows a dramatic color change. For many years, alexandrite was almost
impossible to find because there was so little available.
Then in 1987, a new find of alexandrite was made in Brazil at a locality
called Hematita. The Hematita alexandrite shows a striking and attractive
color change from raspberry red to bluish green. Although alexandrite
remains extremely rare and expensive, the production of a limited amount of
new material means a new generation of jewelers and collectors have been
exposed to this beautiful gemstone, creating an upsurge in popularity and
demand.
On a personal note, I had the privilege this past mother's day of making
a four-stone mother's ring for a customer with two genuine alexandrites!
While I explained to him that we alway's use synthetic alexandrite for the
mother's rings due to the extremely high cost of the stone, he insisted on
all of the stones being genuine. The cost for two genuine .10pt alexandrites
added $300 to the price of the ring (each stone cost $150, nearly TWICE the
cost of a fine quality .10pt diamond!)but I must say that having limited
exposure to genuine alexandrites myself, even I was blown away at the rare
beauty these stones brought to the ring. It is something I'm sure his wife
will treasure the rest of her life :-)
MAY-2002
Appraising your jewelry- A primer
There are two main reasons why people get there
jewelry appraised. The first is for insurance purposes. Most insurance
companies do offer some coverage (usually $1000) for jewelry in case of
theft in a standard homeowners policy. For added coverage, insurance
companies will want an insurance appraisal of your pieces. The second common
reason for appraising jewelry is if you are buying or selling pieces. This
type of appraisal determines the Fair Market Value of the jewelry.
An independent appraiser acts as an impartial
third party. The appraiser cannot act as a buyer or a seller of the piece,
and should have no relationship with the pieces being appraised, or the
parties involved. This assures you that the appraiser is being fair and
impartial, and that the pieces being appraised are not being artificially
inflated or devalued. While it is common for jewelers to provide a "sales
appraisal" with a piece purchased from them, this is simply a statement of
the various components of the piece and it's estimated value at time of
sale, and should not be confused with a thorough written appraisal performed
by a qualified independent appraiser.
There are two basic types of appraisals-
Insurance and Fair Market Value (FMV):
Insurance- Insurance appraisals are used for insurance purposes, usually to
increase the coverage on your jewelry. The purpose of this appraisal is
generally twofold: the value that is given to your pieces is used to set
your premiums, and the descriptipn is used in order to replace the piece if
necessary. Because of this, it is very important that the descriptions be
extremely detailed and specific as far as quality of manufacturing and
gemstones.
FMV- Fair Market Value appraisals can be used for a variety of purposes,
including cash liquidation, collateral, divorce settlement, investment,
estate probate, and charitable contributions. The purpose of the appraisal
determines the market that is used to calculate the value of your jewelry.
The best way to determine which of these fair market appraisals are right
for you, is to tell your appraiser what you intend to do with the piece, or
the reason why you are looking to have it appraised.
One of the most respected accreditation that a
jewelry appraiser can earn is the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser. ASA
requires that Master Gemologist Appraisers (MGA) reaccredit every 5 years to
make sure that they stay current with new technologies and information. To
become an MGA, they must be a Graduate Gemologist (GG) of GIA, have five
years of full-time appraisal experience, and complete extensive exams that
cover the full range of duties that appraisers are expected to perform.
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Stone of the month- Tanzanite
Tanzanite is found deep in the mines of Mount Kilimanjaro,
which is in the heart of Tanzania. is the purplish Blue variety of the gem
species Zoisite. The most valuable Tanzanite is medium dark in tone, vivid
in saturation, and slightly violetish Blue. Some people desire the more
purplish to violet Tanzanite shades which are more available and affordable.
The source of its mesmerizing color is that tanzanite is trichroic:
that is, it shows different colors when viewed in different directions. One
direction is blue, another purple, and another bronze, adding subtle depths
to the color. When tanzanite is found in the ground, the bronze color
dominates. However, with gentle heating, the cutter can watch the blue color
bloom and deepen in
the stone.
Legend has it that the affect of heat was first discovered when some
brown zoisite crystals laying on the ground with other rocks were caught in
a fire set by lightning that swept through the grass covered Merelani hills
northeast of Arusha. The Masai herders who drive cattle in the area noticed
the beautiful blue color and picked the crystals up, becoming the first
tanzanite collectors.
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APRIL
Frequently Asked Questions
Most of us, not being jewelry experts, are apt to ask our local jeweler for
answers to common questions about gems and jewelry. The following questions,
according to the Jewelry Information Center, are most often asked of
jewelers by the public.
1. What does “Carat” mean, and how much does one actually weigh?
The word “Carat” comes from the Greek name of a seed,
which was first used in ancient times as a measure of weight. A carat weighs
seven-thousandths of an ounce, and about 142 of them are needed to make a
single ounce. The carat is divided into 100 points, so a diamond that is a
quarter of a carat, for example, is the same as 25 points.
2. Which came first…the engagement ring or the wedding ring?
Curiously enough, historians are unable to agree on
this. The use of two rings, however, can be traced back to the time when it
was the custom to give the prospective bride a ring at the time marriage was
proposed and, to conform to religious requirements, the marriage was delayed
until some later time. When the wedding took place, the bridegroom signified
that his betrothal assurances were still valid by presenting another ring, a
plain band of holy union.
3. Why is the engagement ring worn on the third finger of the left hand?
It was once believed that the vein of love (vena amoris)
ran from this finger directly to the heart. Romantic as this may be, medical
science does not support this view :-) Practically speaking, the third
finger is more convenient as a matter of protection for the ring itself,
since the first and second are too active. The left hand was chosen for the
ring because it normally is less active than the right, hence safer (sorry
lefties).
4. What does the word “Jewelry” really mean?
According to the Latin and French derivation of the
word, it means joy or gladness. Historians say that even back in prehistoric
times jewelry was known and regarded as a symbol of happiness.
5. How are cultured pearls produced?
Following the pattern set by nature herself, an
irritant in the form of a mother-of-pearl bead is slipped within the folds
of a live oyster. The oyster is then returned to the water and in time
covers the bead with layers of nacre, the pearl substance. At the end of the
prescribed period, the oysters are taken out and the pearls removed.
6. How can I have my other questions answered?
For answers to other jewelry related questions, feel
free to e-mail me at:
PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
I will be happy to help you with any question you may have :-)
Stone of the month: Diamond
April is the luckiest month of all, since Diamond is
it’s birthstone! Most diamonds are more than 100 million years old, and many
are over 3 billion years old, making diamonds the oldest of all gemstones.
They are also the hardest substance known to man, made of carbon that is
crystallized deep within the earth.
First discovered over 3,000 years ago in India,
diamonds are found today in remote parts of the world, such as Australia,
Russia, Botswana, and South Africa. Their unique hardness and high
refractive index have inspired legends. To the Greeks, they were teardrops
from the gods. To the Romans, they came from the falling stars that tipped
the arrow of Eros, the god of love. For Hindus, diamonds were the lightning
that armed the hand of the god Indra. The name “diamond” comes from the
Greek word, “adamas”. It means unconquerable.
March-2002
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The Jewelry Hall of Shame
With the recent announcement of the demise of Service
Merchandise, who used to tout themselves as “America’s Leading Jeweler”, I
began reflecting on all of the so called “promotional” jewelry I have come
across (and repaired for customers!) over the years. There are still plenty of other
jewelry stores (usually chain stores that are in all the malls) selling these cheaply
made, bargain basement items by the thousands. I have comprised a list of my top 5
“hall of shame” items. Let the buyer beware!
Number 5: The hollow rope chain. This is a chain that looks like
a regular solid rope chain (made with SOLID 14k gold wire that is tightly intertwined),
but is actually made of hollow gold tubing. It weighs about half of what a solid rope
would weigh, and feels like nothing when you hold it in your hands. This type of rope
chain will invariably fray and come apart under normal wear, and will not stand the test
of time.
Number 4: The $599 pair of diamond stud earrings. Not much to say
about this one. With diamonds, you definitely get what you pay for. Assuming that the
jeweler selling these wants to make a profit (and BELIEVE me, they DO make a profit), this
means that the two, half-carat diamonds cost less than $600 per carat, probably more like
$300 per carat. These 'commercial quality' diamonds (most likely set in flimsy,
lightweight stud settings) will be so included/cloudy that they will have no life to them.
Far from a bargain, $600 is a lot of money to pay for something that looks like two pieces
of rock candy sitting on your ears!
Number 3: The "free" ultra-light chain. We’ve all
seen these. You buy a diamond heart or other pendant and they include a genuine gold chain
along with it. The only problem is that the chain is paper thin, weighs practically
nothing and will break at the first pull. Don’t actually try and WEAR the pendant on
this chain, but it does look awful pretty hanging in the box.
Number 2: The 10k, hollow hugs & kisses bracelet. This is the
familiar X’s and O’s design, but is completely hollowed out underneath, 10k
gold, and extremely lightweight. Probably the piece I see most for repairs, someone
somewhere must be selling thousands of these bracelets! Very hard to solder because of the
thinness of the gold, and once it’s repaired in one spot, it will invariably break in
another.
Number 1: And finally, the number one piece of jewelry in this
dubious hall of shame…the $199 1ct diamond tennis bracelet. Now, you could buy a very
nice 14k gold bracelet for $200, but for that price you are NOT going to get a nice 1ct
diamond bracelet. What you will get is a feather light, usually 10k bracelet mounting with
just about the lowest quality, commercial grade diamonds available. Not only won’t
these diamonds sparkle, they will be so cloudy and ‘dead’ that you will hardly
even know they’re diamonds! They will usually be set in rhodiumed
‘illusion’ settings, which will actually have SOME sparkle under heavy lighting,
but the diamonds themselves will resemble what many jewelers like to call, ‘frozen
spit’. Yuck!
Unfortunately, most people will have come across at least one of
these items (hopefully, not too many own ALL of them!) which is a shame, because there are
many reasonable pieces of jewelry that are also well made and of good value. The fact that
so many of the aforementioned items are sold every day is really not the fault of the
consumer, who is generally not aware of the widely varying quality of manufactured
jewelry. I put the blame squarely on those (usually mass-merchant) jewelers who put
profits first and foremost ahead of value, cheating their customers out of the true
pleasure of owning a nice piece of jewelry.
**********************************************************************
Stone of the Month: Bloodstone
The commonly known birthstone for the month of March is
aquamarine, but did you know that there is an alternate March birthstone called
Bloodstone? Bloodstone, also known as Heliotrope, is an opaque dark green chalcedony with
red spots.
The red spots in bloodstone lead to many blood-related legends.
Early Christian legends held that the red spots were from Jesus' blood that fell on a
piece of jasper at the foot of the cross.
The spots also suggested its use as yet another cure for
bleeding. Like many red stones, it was said to check the flow of blood. Among the legends
is the case of author Giorgio Vasari. While painter Luca Signorelli was placing one of his
pictures in a church, Vasari, who was present, was seized with a violent hemorrhage and
fainted away. Signorelli took from his pocket a bloodstone amulet and slipped it down
between Vasari's shoulder blades. The hemorrhage is said to have ceased immediately.
Other benefits said to be related to bloodstone are that it could
magically smooth discord, soothe the wrath of kings, and mixed with honey would remove
tumors. It was also thought to foretell the future and dye water red. From this arose the
notion that bloodstone turned the sun blood-red and caused violent storms.
**********************************************************************
Please feel free to foward this newsletter to anyone and
everyone who would find it of interest. You can subscribe to
this newsletter here:
SUBSCRIBE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*********NEW ITEM*********NEW ITEM************NEW ITEM***************NEW
ITEM*********************
We are pleased to announce a new addition to our mother's jewelry collection...Personalized Mother's Rings! These new ring
designs feature the birthstones AND names of your children (or grandchildren),and come in
several different styles. There's even one for dad!!!
These new rings, as well as our large selection of personalized 14k
gold name jewelry can be ordered securely online, 24/7, on our website:
http://personalizedboutique.com
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February, 2002
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A "Gold Rose", by any other name...
One of the most popular new items we carry is the 24K Gold
Dipped Rose. Since Valentine's day is approaching (you DID
remember Valentine's day, didn't you?), I thought I would
offer a brief explanation of the process involved in creating
these unique works of art.
It starts with a real rose (yes, a REAL 12" American Beauty
rose!), that is picked at the peak of it's beauty. It is sized, formed,
and then preserved in copper for strength and durability. Next, it is
plated in nickel, for added strengthening. Finally, it is completely
dipped in 24k gold.
It takes five days of meticulous work with over 40 steps by
skilled
artisans and technicians to complete each rose. Every 24k rose
is unique, and will last forever!
You can find these wonderful creations of man and nature, as well
as the all new "lacquer rose" (in which the stem is gold plated, but
the bud and leaves are coated in lacquer to preserve their color,
and are then trimmed in 24k gold) by going here:
GOLD ROSE
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*********************************************
Famous (and infamous) Diamonds
Of all the precious gems, none have had a more storied history
than the diamond. Here are a few of the more 'colorful' celebrity
diamonds, and their rich and famous owners...
In 1866, a small boy unknowingly discovered the first diamond
in South Africa. This pebble, picked up along the shores of the banks
of the Orange River, was determined to be a 21 carat rough yellow
diamond. The 'Eureka Diamond', as it was named, was cut into a
10.73 carat brilliant diamond, and heralded the beginning of the
great Diamond Rush.
In 1905 the largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered was
removed from the Premier Mine in South Africa. It weighed 3,106
carats and was named the Cullinan in honor of Sir Thomas
Cullinan, who originally opened the mine. The rough crystal was
presented to King Edward VII in 1907, who had it cut into 9
major and 96 smaller stones.
The Cullinan I, known as The Great Star of Africa, is the largest
cut diamond in the world. It is a 530.20 carat pear-shaped stone
set in the Sovereign's Royal Scepter as part of the Crown Jewels
displayed in the Tower of London.
Cullinan II, known as The Lesser Star of Africa, the world's
second largest cut diamond, is a 317.40 carat square brilliant-cut
gem mounted in the Imperial State Crown, also part of the Crown
Jewels.
One of the more popular diamonds in recent history is the
Taylor-Burton. This 69.42 carat pear-shaped diamond was
bought by Cartier in 1969, and sold to Richard Burton for his
wife, Elizabeth Taylor, who appropriately renamed it. In 1979
Elizabeth Taylor sold this diamond for nearly 3 million dollars.
Historical facts about the Koh-i-Noor date back to the year
1304, when it was owned by the Rajah of Malwa (India). Two
centuries later, this magnificent gem fell into the hands of Sultan
Babar, the first Mogul Emperor, and was passed down the line
to all the great Moguls.Legend has it that the conquered Mogul ruler,
Mohammed Shah, lost his great possession to Persia's Nadir Shah
through an Oriental custom of exchanging turbans. When this great
stone fell from Mohammed's turban, Nadir Shah was alleged to have
cried "Koh-i-noor", meaning 'mountain of light' and thus christened the
diamond. In 1850, Queen Victoria was presented the Koh-i-Noor.
This Indian-cut, 186 carat diamond was displayed at the Crystal
Palace Exposition at London in 1851. Viewers were disappointed
with the stone's lack of fire; therefore, Victoria had it recut into a
108.93 carat oval-brilliant.
The Blue Hope is perhaps the most well-known diamond. It
was once owned by Louis XIV, and stolen during the French
Revolution. It reappeared on the London market in 1830 and
was purchased by Henry Phillip Hope, for whom it was named.
Through the generations of the Hope family, it acquired a reputation
for bad luck. In 1911, Edward McLean, then owner of the Washington
Post, presented the Hope to his wife. Mrs. McLean never considered
the stone unlucky, despite the legends of numerous violent deaths
and disasters associated with it's ownership. After Mrs, McLean's
death in 1947, Harry Winston purchased the Hope and donated it to
the Smithsonian Institute where it remains today.
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------------------------
Please feel free to foward this newsletter to anyone and
everyone who would find it of interest. You can subscribe to
this newsletter here:
SUBSCRIBE
------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's Day is coming!
Stuck on what to get that special someone for Valentine's Day?
How about the unique 24K Rose, a real longstemmed rose
preserved and covered in rich 24K gold! Also, check out our selection
of 14k gold/diamond "promise rings", as well as
the HOT Diamond
Horse Shoe Pendants, and our brand new Diamond Heart pendants.
These items, as well as our large selectionof personalized 14k
gold name jewelry can be ordered securely online, 24/7, on our website:
http://personalizedboutique.com
------------------------------------------------------------
***************IDEAS WANTED******************
I would love some suggestions for future newsletter topics. Please
send me your ideas for future topics, along with your address.
I can't promise I'll use every suggestion, but I WILL send you a
free gift just for trying :-)
e-mail me here: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
**********************************************
January, 2002
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Happy Holiday's!
As the Christmas/Hannukah holiday's come to a close, I have
just one thing on my mind...sleep! This was our 22nd Christmas
season in our store, and our 3rd on the web, and though they
say that sales were down this year, you would never have
known it here! Most nights we were working until 2:00AM,
and woke up 6:00AM every morning, printing shipping labels
and cutting nameplates and packing up boxes to ensure that
everyone's order got out in time. Thanks to everyone who put
their faith in us to deliver some holiday cheer, and a special
thanks to my family for all their support, and for not forgetting
what I look like in December :-)
Have a great new year!
Robert-Personalized Boutique
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Jewelry Repairs-A Primer
As a retail jeweler for over twenty years doing both custom
work and repairs, I have heard countless repair horror stories;
tales of botched soldering jobs, stretched-out shanks and
$200 ring sizing. Like finding a good mechanic, finding a good,
honest local jeweler to handle your jewelry repairs is worth the
effort. Here then, are a few tips and guidelines of what to look
for, and what to expect when dealing with basic jewelry repairs.
Note: while I would never tell another jeweler what to charge
for his or her work, I believe that fairness and common sense
can dictate a ‘range’ of pricing that most jewelers would agree
to be reasonable.
The most common jewelry repair job is the simple solder.
This will usually involve a link chain or bracelet that has broken,
and needs to be welded back together. The links are re-joined
using a torch and gold solder, and the solder joint is then polished.
When done properly, this type of repair can be virtually
unnoticeable. The charge for a single solder will usually range
between $5 and $15. Please note that more intricate pieces
(hollow links, rope chains, fancy braided links) will require
considerably more skill and care, and the charge may reflect this.
Ring sizing is another common request. Sizing down a ring
(making it smaller) involves cutting a piece of the shank out and
re-soldering the now smaller shank. The charge for this will
usually range between $10 and $30, depending on the thickness
of the shank.. Sizing a ring larger can be done two ways. A ring
can be stretched to a larger size.There are many opinions on ring
stretching; my personal feeling is that a ring with a fairly thick
shank can be stretched up to one size larger, but no more than
that. Alternately, the shank of the ring is cut, and a piece of gold
the same width and thickness of the shank is added. The cost of
sizing a ring larger can vary greatly, ranging anywhere from $10
to $30 for the first size up, and $5 to $20 for each size after. All
of these methods, when done properly, should be undetectable.
Also, it should be noted that rings with intricate design work or
patterns all around, as well as rings with channel set, invisible set,
or fragile stones will most likely entail a higher sizing cost.
Replacing a stone that has fallen out of a ring can involve
several variables. Are there prongs damaged or missing? Can
they be replaced without disturbing other stones around it? Aside
from the cost of the actual stone being replaced, these other factors
can greatly influence the final cost of the repair. For example, a broken
prong on a diamond ring can be easily re-tipped with the diamond
in place, as a diamond will be unaffected by the heat of a soldering
torch. This common repair will usually run $5 to $15. On the other
hand, replacing a prong on an opal cluster ring would involve
removing all of the surrounding opals before the prong could be
soldered, adding considerable labor (and cost) to the job.
These are just a few guidelines for what you can expect when
having
your jewelry repaired. When you're quoted a price for a repair, don't be
afraid to ask questions. Any reputable jeweler will be happy to explain
the work that needs to be done for a particular repair job. If you feel the
quoted price sounds unreasonable for the labor involved, by all means
seek a second opinion from another jeweler. But take care to not make
price the only criteria you rely on. You should also take into the
consideration the skill and knowlege of the jeweler, and the reputation
of his past work. Remember, a $15 repair on a treasured piece of
jewelry, returning it to 'good as new' condition, will far outshine a
$5 rush job that can be spotted a mile away!
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Stone of the month: Garnet
Garnet is this month's featured stone, as it is the traditional
birthstone for those born in January and for all Aquarians. This Gem
is also used to honor the 2nd and 18th wedding anniversaries.
Garnets are a closely related group of gemstones that are
available in a rainbow of colors. Most people only think of small dark
red gemstones, but this is only one aspect. There are garnets with
color-change phenomena, translucent green garnets which resemble
jade, garnets with stars, garnets that have been mined for thousands
of years and garnets that were just discovered in the last decade.
The most common varieties of garnet are Rhodolite, which are
purple to purplish red, and Mozambique, which are red to brownish
red.
------------------------------------------------------------
Please feel free to foward this newsletter to anyone and
everyone who would find it of interest. You can subscribe to
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SUBSCRIBE
------------------------------------------------------------
Valentine's Day is coming!
Stuck on what to get that special someone for Valentine's Day?
How about the unique 24K Rose, a real longstemmed rose
preserved and covered in rich 24K gold! Also, check out our selection
of 14k gold/diamond "promise rings", as well as
the HOT Diamond
Horse Shoe Pendants.
------------------------------------------------------------
***************IDEAS WANTED******************
I would love some suggestions for future newsletter topics. Please
send me your ideas for future topics, along with your address.
I can't promise I'll use every suggestion, but I WILL send you a
free gift just for trying :-)
e-mail me here: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
**********************************************
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DECEMBER
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The Holiday's Are Upon Us...
Well, it's that time of year again! Unfortunately (well,
actually, fortunately!) I'm so busy now making sure that
everyone's nameplates and name rings and mother's rings
and family bracelets and other goodies get to them in
time for the holiday's, that I really didn't have the time
(or energy!) to write a 'proper' newsletter this month.
I promise, next month I'll get back into the swing
of things. Until then, I hope you enjoy these few
bits of interesting (but basically, useless) jewelry
facts. Have a GREAT Holiday!
Robert-Personalized Boutique
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Did you know...
...cultured pearls are made by inserting a small shell bead
into an oyster as an irritant, and waiting years for the oyster
to cover the bead with it's nacre?
...Amethysts can fade if exposed to too much sun?
...synthetic Rubies were first manufactured in the late
1800's, and they were actually charging more for them
at that time than the real thing?
..."smoky Topaz" is not a Topaz at all- it's a misnomer
for brown Quartz?
...Pearls, by law, must be called "cultured Pearls" unless they
are completely natural, and most Pearls sold today are
cultured (made with the help of man)?
...radiation causes Diamonds to turn green?
...some Diamonds are artificially (and safely) irradiated to
achieve a green color- but early on, before the process
was refined, some green Diamonds were actually made
radioactive and are confiscated by the U.S. Government
if found today?
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December's Birthstone...Blue Zircon
Zircon is a genuine gemstone that comes in many colors.
Natural zircon today suffers for the similarity of it's name to
cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Some
don't realize that there is a beautiful natural gemstone called
zircon.
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors, but for many years
the most popular was the colorless variety which looks more
like a diamond than any other natural stone due to it's brilliance
and dispersion.
Today, the most popular color is blue zircon. Most blue
zircon, which is now considered the traditional birthstone for
December, is a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have
a bright blue color. Zircon is mined in Cambodia, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Australia and other countries.
------------------------------------------------------------
Please feel free to foward this newsletter to anyone and
everyone who would find it of interest. You can subscribe to
this newsletter here:
SUBSCRIBE
------------------------------------------------------------
LAST MINUTE GIFTS!
Missed the cut-off date to order a personalized gift? It's not
too late to give the gift of gold. Our 24k gold Rose, Diamond
Huggie Earrings and "Special Promotion"
Diamond Pendant
Jewelry Box are a few of the "in stock" items that can be ordered
the week before Christmas for guaranteed delivery. Just give us
a call or drop us an e-mail to ask about availability right up
until Christmas!
toll free: 877-531-2565
e-mail: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
------------------------------------------------------------
***************IDEAS WANTED******************
I would love some suggestions for future newsletter topics. Please
send me your ideas for future topics, along with your address.
I can't promise I'll use every suggestion, but I WILL send you a
free gift just for trying :-)
e-mail me here: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
**********************************************
November
Buying Jewelry Online-A Common Sense Guide
As a jewelry retailer for over twenty years, I'm amazed at the way the public's jewelry
buying habits have changed. It used to be that a piece of jewelry was something that had
to be seen up close, held, and experienced in person. After all, as the ultimate form of
'wearable art', jewelry has to be touched and felt to be appreciated, doesn't it? Would
someone spend $100, $500 or even $1000 on a piece of jewelry they haven't even seen, from
someone they never met before? Well, the answer is...yes! Since developing our own online
website nearly two years ago, we've had the pleasure of making jewelry for people all over
the world. I'm proud to say that thousands of people we've never met have become loyal
customers, and our biggest promoters. The internet has truly made the world a smaller
place, and opened all sorts of avenues for creativity and growth. Still, truth be told,
there will always be that first moment of anxiety, right before you click 'buy now', that
one may wonder, "what am I doing?" While I can't totally erase this nagging
feeling, I've compiled a few common sense tips to make your online jewelry shopping a
little less stressful.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Have you ever been to a website and
wanted more information, only to find that a telephone number or e-mail address was
nowhere to be found? You shouldn't have to hunt for a way to contact someone about a
product you're interested in. Sometimes we just want to interact with a real person before
making a buying decision, and if a phone number, or at least an e-mail address is not
readily available, I would think twice about dealing with that company.
SECURE ORDERING: If a website is serious about selling jewelry
(or anything else for that matter) over the internet, they should provide a secure way for
you to place an online order. Credit card information should NEVER be sent over regular
e-mail, and should only be transmitted over a secure server, which should be clearly
indicated when placing an order. You will usually find a small lock or key emblem
somewhere on the screen while entering your card info. TIMELY RESPONSE: If you do e-mail
any questions, you should receive a timely reply, hopefully within 24 hours. If a company
is not responsive to your questions or concerns, this could be an indication of the type
of service (or LACK of service) you will receive from them in the future.
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK: One of the best indications that a company is doing
something right is feedback from previous satisfied customers. When someone takes the time
to write and express their gratitude with a purchase transaction, it's a sign that the
level of service they received has surpassed their expectations.
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE: This is the big one! If a company expects
you to place an order with them for a piece of jewelry, sight unseen, they should provide
a clearly stated guarantee that it can be returned for a full refund it you're not
satisfied. Read these guarantees carefully. Some will have qualifications that say they
only apply to manufacturing defects, or spelling errors, but what if you just don't like
the piece? If a company is truly confident in the quality of their work, they will back-up
that confidence with the assurance that if you are not satisfied with your purchase, you
can get your money back.
Buying jewelry online can be a great way to obtain
unique items that may not be readily available in your area, but the decision to buy
should be made carefully. Much like buying jewelry OFFLINE, you should feel comfortable
with the company your dealing with. Look around a little, get a feel for the jewelry
offered and the people making it. Don't be afraid to ask questions or voice concerns.
Hopefully, when you ARE ready to click the 'buy' button, you'll feel a little more secure
doing it :-)
Remember, I'm always availabe to answer any of your jewelry related questions. I can be
reached at: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
==============================================
Stone of the Month: CITRINE
This month's featured stone is the Citrine, a popular
birthstone for those born in November. Citrine is also the traditional gemstone for
honoring the thirteenth wedding anniversary. Citrine, or citrine quartz, is the yellow to
orange transparent variety of quartz. It is often confused with topaz of similar color,
but it is an entirely different material.
The name citrine is derived from the French 'citron', which means
lemon. Typically, however, citrines are not lemon yellow; they are orangy or golden
yellow. Citrine's color is associated with lightheartedness and cheerfulness. This
gemstone is often given as a symbol of hope, youth, health and fidelity.
Although Brazil is the primary source for citrine, it is also
found in the United States, Spain, and the Soviet Union. The typical size range of this
gem is one to twenty carats, but faceted stones over 1000 carats are known.
_____________________________________________________________
OCTOBER
=====================================================================
Hit or Myth
Over the years, I have heard many interesting myths concerning jewelry. These aren't
the ancient tales we learned in Greek Mythology class, but modern day bits of
mis-information that somehow have become common knowlege 'facts'. Let's debunk a few now.
Myth: Diamonds are so tough, they can never be chipped or scratched,
and can only be cut by another diamond.
Fact: While diamonds ARE harder than any other material on earth, earning
them a 10 on the Mohs' scale of hardness, they CAN be chipped or scratched by other hard
surfaces, especially near their edges, where they are thinner.
Myth: 10k gold is stronger than 14k gold.
Fact: While it's true that pure gold is a 'soft' metal, it is also a very
dense, durable metal. 10k gold has less 'pure gold' than 14k, so it is technically
'harder', but it is not necessarily stronger than 14k gold, and is actually lighter than
it's 14k and 18k counterparts.
Myth: Rubies and Sapphires are completely different stones.
Fact: Ruby and Sapphire are actually the same stone, they are simply two
different colors of the mineral 'corundum'. When corundum is red, it's called Ruby; if
it's any other color, it's called sapphire. Besides blue, Sapphires come in many other
colors, including yellow, green, and pink.
Myth: Diamonds vary in color from white (colorless) to yellow.
Fact: While the standard diamond color grading scale lists diamonds from
colorless (D,E,F...) to brown, diamonds also come in many different colors, including
blue, canary yellow, red, pink, and black. These are called 'fancy' diamonds and specimens
of extremely intense colors can be quite valuable. A one carat red diamond sold at auction
for nearly one million dollars.
Myth: Gold jewelry is always yellow. If a piece of jewelry is white,
it has to be either silver or platinum.
Fact: While pure gold IS always yellow, karat gold jewelry (14k gold, 18k
gold...etc) can be alloyed with different metals to make white gold, red gold, even green
gold.
Remember, I'm always availabe to answer any of your jewelry related questions. I can be
reached at: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
==========================================================================
Stone of the month: OPAL
While the birthstone commonly used for October in mother's and
grandmother's jewelry is pink tourmaline, the alternate stone for October is Opal. Many
consider it the most beautiful and desireable of all gems.
Ancient Eastern cultures regarded opal as sacred,
embodying the spirit of truth. Early Arabs believed opals fell from the heaven in flashes
of lightning that gave them their fiery luster. Ancient Greeks thought they gave their
owners foresight and the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease. Shakespeare
praised opal as "the queen of gems".
The legends have not always been favorable though. In the
nineteenth century, Sir Walter Scott unwittingly began a superstition that still echoes
today. In his novel, Anne of Geierstein, the heroine owned an opal that mirrored her
moods, flashing red when she was angry and turning gray when she died. This has lead some
to believe that opal is unlucky. A common belief today is that opal is lucky if given as a
gift, but unlucky if bought for oneself.
Although opals are found in many regions, Australia is still
the most important source. Other sources include Mexico, Brasil, and the United States.
*********************************************************************************************************************
Please feel free to foward this newsletter to anyone and everyone who would find it of
interest. You can subscribe to this newsletter here: SUBSCRIBE
<>><><><><><><<><><><><><><<><><><>><><><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><>
Looking for a unique 'one of a kind' gift? How about a 24k rose? A real,
longstemmed rose preserved and plated in 24k gold.
Roses come and go, but a 24k rose will last FOREVER!
See it here: GOLD ROSE
*****************************************************IDEAS
WANTED***********************************************
I would love some suggestions for future newsletter topics. Please send me your ideas for
future topics, along with your address. I can't promise I'll use every suggestion, but I
WILL send you a free gift just for trying :-)
e-mail me here: PBinfo@personalizedboutique.com
**********************************************************************************************************************
September
What’s that
thing called?
I was answering some e-mail the other day, and it
occurred to me that when answering various jewelry related questions, I may be using terms
that are common to jewelers, but may be uncommon to the general public. I mean, just
because I know what that little thing that holds a pendant onto a chain is called,
doesn’t mean everyone else will. Here then, is a small list of some common jewelry
terms and jewelry making techniques. (By the way, that little thing that holds a pendant
onto a chain is called a “bail”.)
CZ (Cubic Zirconia): A synthetic stone resembling
a diamond.
Enamelling: A process of decorating metal by
melting a colored substance in a kiln.
Engraving: Embellishing metal with patterns using
a stamping tool or drill.
Filigree: A technique used to produce fine,
intricate patterns in metal.
Brush Finish: A type of finish which gives the
metal a soft, non-reflective matte finish.
Florentine Finish: A type of finish in which fine
lines are cut into the surface of the metal with an engravers tool, in either a parallel
or crosshatch (criss-cross) pattern.
Diamond Cut: In this type of finish the metal is
usually given a rough, stone-like texture and little cuts are made, (usually around the
edges) to reflect the light and add brilliance.
High Polished: A bright, shiny mirror-like finish.
Lost Wax Casting: A method of producing fine
jewelry which involves hand carving a wax model, and casting it directly without the use
of molds. The wax is then ‘lost’ in the casting process, and replaced with a
duplicate of the piece in metal form.
Pave’ Setting (pa-vay): A stone setting
technique in which the stones are set directly into the object by notching up pieces of
the metal to hold them in place, thus making the surface look ‘paved’.
Channel Setting: A setting technique in which the
stones are set side by side in a ‘canal’ type setting, recessed in the metal.
Bezel Setting: A type of setting in which a rim of
metal holds the stone and completely surrounds it.
Anchor Link: Popular, very sturdy type of chain
consisting of criss-crossed, mariner style links.
Flat Anchor: The same type of links, but laid flat
instead of criss-crossed, giving a smooth, shiny look.
Figaro: An Italian style link chain consisting of
3 small links and 1 larger link, repeated.
Carat (Ct.): Refers to the measure of weight of a
diamond. One carat can be divided into 100 ‘points’. A .25Ct diamond is the same
as a 25 point, or 1/4Ct diamond.
I hope this little overview has clarified some terms you may have
heard before, but weren’t sure of their exact meanings. Remember, if you have any
jewelry related questions or concerns, I am always available to help. I can be reached at:
PBInfo@personalizedboutique.com
September’s birthstone is Sapphire. The finest sapphire color is rich,
velvety cornflower blue. This is called "kashmir" out of deference to the
traditional source of the finest quality. Today, however, the Kashmir area of India is not
generally mined because of its physical inaccessibility. Most current production comes
from Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Montana, Australia and Africa.
At one time any blue gem material was called sapphire. References
to a blue-flecked stone led mineral experts to realize that some of what had been called
"sappheiros" was actually lapis lazuli. "Sappheiros" is Greek for
"blue." Although sapphire is found in many colors, these are not all
commercially available at any given time. Some are so rare they are collectors items.
August
How do you REALLY make your jewelry?
It occurred to me the other
day that many people may be wearing our jewelry and not really have any idea as to how it
was made. Yes, that beautiful 14k gold piece you wear around your neck, your wrist or your
finger was ‘custom made’, but how? Was it carved out of a solid chunk of gold,
like a sculpture? (not likely). Was it injected into a rubber mold and left to cool and
harden? (impossible!) I thought I would take a few of the most popular items we make and
give a brief, non-technical explanation as to how each piece is actually made. While this
won’t make you a jewelry expert, it will at least give you an idea of what the
‘hands’ in ‘hand-crafted’ jewelry making are actually up to!
The 14k gold nameplate necklaces are our most popular items,
and while they are very much ‘in style’ now, the method for making them has
basically been unchanged for well over 50 years. First, a piece of 14k yellow or white
gold, about the size of a large pebble, is run through a rolling mill. The mill is a piece
of machinery consisting of two steel drums, in which the piece of gold is continually
‘rolled’ between them, flattening the piece into a solid, flat plate. When the
plate is flattened to the desired thickness, it is then hand engraved with the lettering
for the name. The jeweler then uses a very thin-bladed hacksaw to cut out the name, and a
jewelers drill to cut out the smaller spaces. The plate is then completely polished and
buffed with a polisher (a rapidly spinning wheel with various polishing and buffing
attachments added as needed), and each side of the plate is soldered (welded) onto a 14k
gold chain which has been cut in half.
Our ‘family pendants’ are cast from wax
models.The wax models are surrounded by a powdered substance, which forms a hard shell
around the model in the casting machine when liquid gold is injected in place of the wax,
at very high temperatures. Many people have seen the rubber molds used by jewelers, and
assumed that liquid gold is injected directly into these molds. This is a common
misconception. The hot, liquefied gold would instantly melt the rubber mold! These molds
are actually injected with liquid WAX, and are used to make the wax models which are then
cast into gold in the casting machine. Once cast, the pieces are then put in a tumbler,
which basically bounces them around with hundreds of tiny steel beads to smooth out the
rough texture. This is called, ‘semi-polishing’. Each individual piece is then
hand polished on the polishing machine, and the Karat gold amount is stamped on the back.
I hope these two brief examples have provided some
insight into what is actually involved in the creation of Karat gold jewelry. As you can
see, there are many steps to be taken, and skills to apply, in transforming a base
commodity (gold), into a beautiful piece of wearable art.
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This month’s birthstone is PERIDOT. The French were
the first to call this yellowish-green stone peridot, derived from the Arabic
‘faridot’, which means ‘gem’. Ancient Egyptians used peridot as a
gemstone as early as 1500 BC. In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder wrote about the
large, green topazos crystals that famished pirates found on the Red Sea island of Chitis
while digging for roots and herbs. Today, Chitis is called Zabargad. Although it is home
to only a few birds and giant turtles, this bleak little mound of land was one of the most
guarded areas of the ancient world. The Egyptians prized peridot so highly that guards had
orders to kill anyone approaching the Zabargad shore without permission. The worlds
largest recorded cut peridot is from the Union of Myanmar and weighs 319 carats. It is
currently housed at the Smithsonian Institution.
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