Welcome.
Monday, July 20, 2009
New Blog!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Technorati Set-up
Hey everyone! Just ignore this post -- working on getting the blog in some directories.
Thanks!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Jewelry Maintenance
Some jewelry stores charge to clean and check, but we do not, so contact multiple jewelers if you're unsure where to take your jewelry. Also, find a store that has a jeweler in-house so you are getting a professional's opinion on the condition of your jewelry. If you're not sure where to go, look for jewelers who are American Gem Society members.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Update on Burmese Ruby and Jade Ban
In September 2008, the U.S. government banned the import of rubies and jadeite from Myanmar (also known as Burma). The ban was intended to cut off funds to the country's oppressive government.
Instead of economic sanctions on the government, leaders such as Doug Hucker, the president of the American Gem Trade Association, say the ban is hurting thousands of miners in Myanmar -- many of whom are trying to resist the harsh government.
In an attempt to lift the ban, the AGTA and other organizations have written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with their concerns. They are encouraging others to write to Congress members as well.
If you're interested in writing a letter, visit National Jewelers' website for more information on contacting the right people.
The full article is available at: http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/colored-stones/color-market-reports/e3i1dc51bcd151aa706e386a2307f565906
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Solar-powered watches
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Natural vs. Treated Jade
- 'A' Jade: Natural, untreated jadeite jade
- 'B' Jade: Acid bleached, polymer impregnated jadeite jade
- 'C' Jade: The dyed form of 'B' jade
- 'D' Jade: Dyed jadeite jade with no polymer; predates the the polymer treatment
To produce 'B' jade, poor quality jade that has internal stains is immersed in acid. Sodium, which is a part of jade's chemical composition, is leached out during this process, and with it, the stains are removed. At this point, the jade is put into a neutralizing agent and a polymer is injected into the stone using a centrifuge. A clear, plastic-like coating is then put on the jade and it is cut and polished like any other piece of jade.
'B' jade is not as tough as natural 'A' jade and can actually fracture and discolor. According to Mason-Kay, 'B' jade is valued at about 5 to 10 percent of 'A' jade's value, and 'C' and 'D' jade is worth $20 or less. The selling of 'B', 'C' and 'D' jade is acceptable as long as it is disclosed to the consumer.
-Information provided by Mason-Kay, www.masonkay.com
Friday, May 15, 2009
Jadeite and Nephrite Jade
It has been said that jade grows richer in color when it is worn by a person in good health, and illness drains the color. However, jade is not affected by perfumes, oils and most acids, so it does not actually change color.
For hundreds of years, jade has been carved into animals, religious figures and jewelry, including solid discs, rings and bangle bracelets. The rarity and beauty of jadeite has made emperors prize it and the wealthy covet it. In Chinese culture, important occasions such as birthdays, weddings and births are celebrated with the giving of jade.
On the contrary, nephrite jade is not rare and, therefore, not expensive. A fine jadeite cabochon could cost several thousand dollars or more, whereas a nephrite cabochon should be no more than $100. Since nephrite has been around for at least 5,000 years, antique nephrite carvings have value based on their age but not their gem quality.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Selling Gold
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Professional Jewelry Appraising
- The Cost Approach
The cost approach is a common method for jewelry appraising that is generic in nature and is used when the item of jewelry can be replaced with similar items in multiple retail jewelry stores. With the cost approach, the wholesale cost of the components are determined, added together, and a markup applied. Sometimes, separate markups are used for the various components. For example, the diamond market is competitively priced and a lower markup may be used as opposed to the higher markup that a semi-mount consisting of gold and diamonds may have. The cost approach is the most common methodology at Garwood’s Jewelers with the market data approach the next most frequent method. - The Market Data Approach
This is a method that looks for comparable items sold in comparable markets. For example, an exclusive jewelry design sold only in certain jewelry stores, like John Atencio, should be valued based on the same selling price of that item in those exclusive stores. Most of the time when designer, trademarked or copyrighted jewelry is encountered, the market data approach is utilized. Often, a designer will charge premiums for the design work and then give a suggested retail price for the store to charge.
A Note on Markups
While no standards exist for markups, research has given us guidelines. In the early 1980’s retail markups were considerably higher than they are now. The inception of the Internet has contributed to lower retail markups due in part to more available information and increased use of lab reports for diamond grading, which makes comparison shopping easier.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Gem Identification
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Hearts & Arrows: The Super Symmetry Ideal Cut Diamond
A Hearts & Arrows diamond encompasses the latest technology in diamond cutting. CAD technology plays the lead role in designing such brilliant stones. The rough crystal image is loaded into sophisticated software that then maps out the best pattern of fashioning, all of which is done by computer-driven cutting wheels.
Hearts & Arrows is not a branded diamond. It is a term used to describe these perfectly symmetrical super ideal cut diamonds that exhibit this phenomenon. This model of perfection does command a higher premium, however, not as much as some branded ideal cut diamonds.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Reusing Gold
Because gold jewelry is not pure gold, it cannot simply be melted and reused. That said, very few jewelers have the equipment needed to properly process the gold. Simply melting the gold results in metal that is porous and brittle, which is not safe for everyday wear. Jewelry made form this metal will bend, break and exhibit an uneven pitted surface luster, or porosity. Thus, pieces made this way will not generally hold up well over time. To be safely reused, the gold must be refined, which is the process that frees the metal from impurities and unwanted materials.
While many jewelers will not melt your gold, it is not impossible to find one who will. Some may do it in their store, but most likely they will send it to a refinery. But be aware: what you get back may not be the actual gold you took in. Often for time and monetary efficiency, the jeweler will process a batch of jewelry rather than just your pieces and give you a portion of the refined gold. If it is important to you that you actually use grandma’s jewelry, ask about the jeweler’s process or consider doing something different.
A creative jeweler can help you find other ways to use grandma’s jewelry. Depending on the pieces, you may be able to add or subtract diamonds or gemstones to create a new look. In some cases you can take the top off a ring and fashion it into a pendant or create a pair of earrings if the design is symmetrical. Some wedding bands can be shaped into open heart pendants, and don’t forget that you can always set diamonds and gemstones into new mountings.
Your idea may not work exactly like you envision, but don’t be afraid to share your ideas with a jeweler and let him or her help you find a design that will be both visually appealing and a durable design.
-Photo from www.accountancypartners.co.uk
Monday, April 20, 2009
Finding a Jeweler
- Misleading advertising that is in any way untrue
- Advertising or setting artificially high prices and passing them as the "regular price" to give consumers the idea of a sale price or supposed discount
When you shop at an American Gem Society jewelery store, you can rest assured that you will be assisted by educated and concerned jewelers.
Find an AGS member today: http://www.americangemsociety.org/member-search-jeweler.php
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Setting a Watch
Perpetual calendars and other features like chronograph and moon phase can be quite confusing. Although many watch brands have setting instructions on their websites, sometimes finding the instructions can be equally as confusing.
Casio: http://world.casio.com/wat/download/en/manual/
Citizen: http://citizenwatch.com/COA/English/settings.asp
Hamilton: http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/webapp/en-us/customer-service/instruction-manuals.aspx
Movado: http://www.movado.com/downloads/MovadoOperatingManual.pdf
Omega: http://www.omegawatches.com/uploads/tx_omega/English.pdf
Seiko: http://seikousa.com/#FAQ
Skagen: http://www.skagen.co.uk/index.php?SCREEN=skagen_watch_ instructions
Tag Heuer: http://ww2.tagheuer.com/_documents/manuals/EI2241_en.pdf
Timex: http://www.timex.ca/en/instructions/095Instr.pdf
Tissot: http://www.tissot.ch/data/usersmanual/121-en.pdf
Monday, April 13, 2009
4 C's of a Diamond + Some
Probably the most well-known C, carat refers to the weight of the diamond. Like a dollar, there are 100 points in a carat. You may hear a half carat referred to as "50/100ths of a carat" or "50 points." Most fancy-shaped diamonds are elongated in shape and appear larger than a round brilliant of the same carat.
Clarity
Cut
Shape
Shape is not the same as cut. Shapes include round brilliant, pear, oval, marquise, emerald cut, heart, triangle and other branded shapes. Rounds are the most popular and anything other than round is considered a fancy shape.
Round brilliants often command more money than fancy shapes. In addition, ideal cut diamonds and those with high color and clarity are more valuable than low-grade diamonds.
Diamond is the world's hardest substance at a 10 on the Mohs scale. It is resistant to scratches, although it isn't impossible to scratch a diamond. And even though it is hard, it is not the toughest substance and it is possible to chip or crack a diamond.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
White Gold vs. Platinum
Color
- To achieve its color, white gold is alloyed (or mixed) with other metals. Nickel is often used to produce the white color. Because it is not a pure metal, white gold has a faint yellow color to it. To get a bright white color, white gold is plated with rhodium -- a member of the platinum family. This plating wears off as the jewelry is worn, so it must be re-plated from time to time. There's no set timeframe for re-plating because your body chemistry can affect it and so can the types of activities you do while wearing your jewelry, including washing your hands and using lotion. It also depends on personal preference. Some people don't like to see any hint of yellow, so they rhodium plate their rings every few months, and others don't do it for years.
- Platinum is a pure metal, so its white color is consistent. No plating is necessary.
Hardness
Density
- Gold has a specific gravity of about 19.3.
- Platinum is a dense metal. Its specific gravity of 21.5 makes it heavier than gold. Its density also allows it to wear a long time because little metal is actually lost during wear.
Polishing and Refinishing
- It is fairly easy to buff scratches out of white gold. A quick polish on a buffing wheel will often make gold look shiny and close to new again.
- Platinum isn't as easy to polish. For best results, it’s usually necessary to burnish the platinum to flatten the surface and remove scratches, which is a longer process than merely buffing.
Price
Hope this information answers some of your questions about white gold and platinum. As always, please let us know if you're confused about anything. We know there's a lot of information to keep straight.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Karat Gold
24 karat – 99.9 % gold
18 karat – 75.0 % gold
14 karat – 58.5 % gold
10 karat – 41.7 % gold
Pure gold, also known as 24 karat gold, is very soft. While 24-karat gold jewelry can be found overseas, very few jewelers in the United States use 24 karat gold when manufacturing or repairing jewelry. Instead, they use gold that has been alloyed – or mixed – with other metals. This is done to make gold harder and more durable. Jewelry will be less likely to scratch and be damaged when the gold has been alloyed. Mixing metals also creates different colors of gold. Nickel is often used to create white gold. Copper is used for rose gold and other metals are used to make green and blue as well.
Other karats of gold include 22, 20 and 9, but these are not common in the United States.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to the new blog by Garwood's Jewelers!
We are aiming to educate customers and friends on everything jewelry and learn about your jewelry interests as consumers. We also hope you'll share your questions and comments and allow us to help you take the confusion out of buying jewelry.
From diamond and gemstone facts to our repair techniques and industry news, we will use this blog to transfer our knowledge to you.
In the next few days, we'll be writing about the differences between platinum and white gold, so be sure to check it out.
Hope you enjoy our blog, and please let us know if there are specific things you'd like us to write about.
Cheers!