This guy VS that other Guy

There's no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a jewelry retailer. Everybody has heard of Tiffany's, and we've all seen the countless ads that run on TV for other stores, especially around the holiday season. As consumers, your options are almost limitless.

I love options, I like feeling that when I'm in the market for something, I don't have to settle. If I look around enough, I'm bound to find the perfect whatever it is I'm looking for. However, this many options CAN be a bad thing. 

Here's a hypothetical situation I want you to consider: You buy a piece of jewelry from Sammy Joe Jewelry in your local mall. You love it, you show it off to all your friends and wear it almost daily from that point on. Some time later you're at the mall again, this time at Little Bobby Blue ' s Jewelry store and they offer to clean it for you. The clerk turns up their nose and says that Sammy Joe jipped you and it wasn't worth nearly what you paid. Suddenly this piece you loved five minutes ago looks more and more like tin foil with rhinestones. Stop right there. Breathe. 

This hypothetical situation isn't a far stretch, and unfortunately, customers can find themselves playing the part of a rope in a vicious game of tug of war between competitor jewelers. So? This happens in practically every other market known to man, what's the big deal? I'll tell you. 

Competition between jewelry stores isn't like Ford vs Chevy or any other rivalry out there. You won't find a Chevy on a Ford dealer's lot or vise versa. You Could however find a 1 carat diamond solitaire engagement ring at almost any jewelry store in the country. I can't think of any way to sugar coat this next statement, so here it is plain and simple: you cannot expect honesty and integrity at every jewelry store. It doesn't matter how big they are or how long they've been established in your community. As a customer, if you think there is something wrong with your jewelry and you want a second opinion, I urge you to seek an impartial judge. NOT THE COMPETITION. If you think something is wrong, seek out a licensed appraiser or independent tradesperson.
I don't want to discourage you, there are retailers out there that base their business on integrity and honesty and that kind of business will grow exponentially with word of mouth. You'll know them by their reputation.
But try not to pit one retailer against another. That's a recipe for some smack talk and not the deal negotiating you were probably hoping for.

Black Gold Jewelry! calm down people..... nothing new here.

Black Gold. Sounds epic right? I foresee a huge increase of Gothic themed bling coming to a jewelry store near you very soon. Or, maybe not. Let's talk about why.

There's yellow gold, white gold, pink gold, and even green gold. So what makes the difference? Alloys. Add Nickle and (other things) to yellow gold and you have a dingy white gold metal. Plate it in rhodium and it's pristine white. Add copper (and other things) to yellow and you have pink (or rose) gold. Add silver (and other things) to gold and you get green. Every manufacturer has a different recipe of how to make these different colors, that's why I kept throwing in the disclaimer (and other things) There is no universal ratio. It's kinda like chocolate chip cookies. Every Baker has a recipe, and they all think theirs is the best. 

So what's this black gold? It's a plating. To be fair, Most of the sites I have seen advertising Black Gold made a point of mentioning that fact in fine print somewhere, but there are sites where it isn't specified. Remember when I said that we rhodium plate white gold to make it bright white? It's a similar process with the black gold. Black rhodium is used to alter the color of the metal it is being applied to. Like rhodium for white gold, the plating will wear off over time depending on 1: The quality of the plate 2: How often the piece is worn 3: Elements the wearer exposes the piece to such as bleach, chlorine, ammonia, ect. (Plating will also come off on buffing machines if you take your piece to be polished, or during repair work whenever a torch is involved). It's important to know that not all jewelry repair shops will have black rhodium to re-plate your piece when it comes off.

 In addition to black, there's also blue out there. These plates are used a lot on pieces that have colored diamonds or gemstones to amplify the stone color, or lessen the contrast of the metal setting around the stone. 

Don't let yourself be disappointed by a misunderstanding. Always read the fine print :)  Be prepared for the realities of maintenance involved in owning jewelry. 

Stone swapping, and how do you avoid it happening to you?

People don't generally think of their jewelry unless it breaks or gets stolen. To many, their jewelry is almost a part of their person. I've known people who haven't taken their wedding rings off in over 30 years. So where do you go when you need to have your jewelry repaired?
We have frequent patrons at our store, some we can expect to see at least every other week. Obviously we know each other and trust has been established, so there's no hesitation when their bling needs a little TLC.  But what about other people who haven't set foot in a jewelry store? Or are new in town?
As much as I hate to admit it, there are people out there that will swap your stones, or do poor repair work. It's a scary thing, entrusting your jewelry to someone else. So how do you know if they're the right person for the job?
Unfortunately there is no cookie cutter answer that will eliminate risk altogether. My suggestions aren't going to be fool proof, sometimes you're just gonna have to go with your gut.
If you're looking for repair work, don't be afraid to ask the person what their qualifications are. Don't be a jerk about it, just politely ask if they went to school for it or have some sort if certification. Personally, I would be happy to answer that question for someone, if it helps give them confidence in me and feel more at ease, I'll absolutely cater to that.
If you're not new in town, ask your friends or people you trust who they take their jewelry to. Online reviews for jewelry stores aren't as big as reviews for restaurants or other retail establishments, but it couldn't hurt to do a quick Google search on a prospective repair shop....
While some shops may allow you to watch them work on your piece, don't go in with that expectation. Keep in mind that there are a lot of chemicals and sharp pointy objects in the repair shop, and it's a liability having patrons back there. It's not personal, and it's not necessary a sign that something shady is going on, it's just the rules.
Lastly, if you've asked all the questions and STILL feel uneasy about having your jewelry worked on, I suggest you do one of two things:
1: Take your jewelry to an appraiser and have them write out a detailed appraisal of your bling. They'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about your jewelry and more. AND it's in writing. On paper. From a pro. If you suspect something is amiss after the repair is done, the appraisal will be able to prove or disprove your concern.
2: For diamond jewelry 1/2 carat or larger, I suggest both a laser ID, and a certified grade. The laser ID is a tiny sequence of numbers that will be etched into the girdle line of your diamond. These numbers are Specific to YOUR diamond. It won't be visible with the naked eye, so don't worry about it marring the appearance of your stone. The ID's aren't necessarily cheap, you should anticipate to shell out a few hundred dollars for the service.
The certified grade is also a great thing to have on your side if you worry about stone swapping. I recommend it being done by GIA because they're amazing, they're reputable, and a certification from them is recognized world wide. Your stone will be pulled from its setting and observed in a very specific environment geared for grading. Any inclusions or characteristics will be mapped out and noted, and in the end, you'll know more about your diamond than you knew existed. Keep your jewelry safe :) thanks for reading.

"Where are your real gemstones?"

I always feel intimidated whenever I take my car into the shop for work. I don't know anything about cars, and it would be SO easy for someone with bad intentions to tell me I need a new fibulator gasket and I would probably believe it. Likewise, I imagine that people coming into MY workplace not knowing the lingo feel equally intimidated. It's always frustrating when you don't know how to communicate what you want, so I'm gonna try to teach you a few tips.
People that work in the jewelry industry take key words literally. For example, if someone were to come into the store and say that they wanted a silver necklace, we would take them to see our collection of necklaces made out of silver. However, upon doing so we often learn that the customer meant "silver color" meaning white gold or platinum.
Other frequently misused terms are among the labels we have for gemstones or diamonds. Words like ,"Created, Simulated, Natural, or Genuine".
Believe it or not, created and simulated are not the same. Neither are natural or genuine.
Created gemstones are chemically the same as the genuine version, but they are engineered in the controlled environment of a lab. They don't have inclusions, their color is pristine and they're very appealing.
Simulated gemstones (or diamonds) LOOK the same as the genuine version, but are not chemically the same. Often, people hear the word "simulated" and take it to mean "fake" which is not necessarily true. For instance, a diamond stimulant could be a white sapphire or zircon. At the same time, a diamond stimulant could be ( and often is) cubic Zirconia (or CZ) which is in fact manufactured.
A Genuine anything is just like it sounds. Genuine. The real deal. You can expect that it will have been treated in some way to help preserve it from wear and tear or even change its original color, but those are merely Treatments. It was still made by mother nature.
Finally, the term I hear the least is "Natural" and this one makes me feel a little uneasy whenever I hear someone request it, because it's very specific. "Natural" implies that the stone may be faceted, but that's about all that was done to it after coming out of the ground. No color treatments, nothing. It is what it is. Whenever I hear someone for a natural anything, I'm pretty quick to ask a few questions to clarify if "natural " is what they actually mean.

Knowing a little of the lingo is good. It helps everyone understand one another better and cut down on the likelihood of a misunderstanding.
There you are:) a few words that will help you around the jewelry store.

random

This post will have no real common theme, I'm just restless and feeling guilty for not keeping up with the blog.

First random thought: amethyst comes in more colors than purple. Surprisingly, that vivid almost royal purple that most people think of is usually engineered. Think of a lighter lavender, even moderately colorless and thats about normal. Amethyst is temperamental about heat and makes no secret of just how much it hates it. Expose it to too Much heat and it will turn white just to spite you. And by white I mean, lose its artificially colorful demeanor and just be transparent. It's like an irrational significant other that takes things to a whole new level and you're just left going,"nononono....ohhhhhh....great." 

How does this apply to you? I can see why you might think it doesn't, being that most of you don't plan on lighting your jewelry on fire, but heat from a torch isn't the only thing that can damage your amethyst. How about blow drying your hair while you wear your amethyst earrings? It's happened. That's why I'm using the example. So! Be careful with those things. 

Random though number two: goldsmiths and silversmiths used to be their own separate entities. Nowadays that system is just impractical, so goldsmiths can do both, and then some. 

Random thought number three: watch smiths and goldsmiths are NOT the same thing. Yes, it's technically jewelry but it's also mechanics and requires it's own separate schooling. 

Random thought number four: Don't ask for estimates over the phone. Would you call a mechanic and say," my car is making a weird noise, what's wrong with it?" No. You would take it into the shop. Likewise, we can't tell you anything with any certainty unless we look at it.

Random thought number 5: I'm sleepy, so I'm going to bed.