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Archive for the ‘Jewelry News’ Category

Tour your Very Own Virtual Gem Museum

March 16, 2010

This new website gives people the opportunity to get their virtual hands on a plethora of gorgeous gems such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies to name a few. It’s a great place to research gemstones before purchasing.

Read on:

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has launched the Gem Project, an online resource for colored gemstone information that is free and open to both the trade and the public.

Comprised of data collected from gemstones in the Edward J. Gübelin collection, which GIA acquired in 2005, the virtual resource includes a photo, description and gemological properties for each sample, according to a press release.

The GIA Gem Project can be accessed via the Internet at any time from anywhere in the world. The gemological information included in the project is also available in PDF format.

“The Gem Project can act like a virtual museum but instead of standing in front of a display case, users see a photo of a gemstone and key pieces of information about it,” GIA Museum curator Terri Ottaway said in the release. “This also makes it easier to compare the similarities and differences between types of stones at an advanced level.”

Here’s a sample from one of their pages. Each samples comes with an accompanying information sheet. Check it out!

Corundum – Ruby
2.51 ct
Thailand
35119

Source: NationalJewleryNetwork

Posted in Jewelry News

Material Girls

March 15, 2010

Madonna and her daughter must have hit on hard times. For a little extra income, they’ve decided to start their own jewelry line called appropriately the Material Girl Junior Collection – a clothing and jewelry line for 200 Macy’s stores set to launch in time for school shopping this August.

We believe that ‘Material Girl’ will be a dynamic exclusive brand for Macy’s, and we look forward to working with Madonna, Lourdes and the Iconix team. Madonna is a fashion icon who can bring a new dimension to our juniors customer,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “‘Material Girl’ will enhance the excitement of fast fashion at Macy’s.”No word yet on design details but the affordable prices range from $12 to $40. Will the material mom’s fingerless gloves, fishnets and layered bangles make the cut? Or will Lourdes steer mom away from her 80s past? Stay tuned.

Source: Jewelry.com

Check out our Disney Precious Collection, which has many handcrafted pieces made specifically for juniors.

Style CH1595-

Girls Disney Ariel Shell Necklace

Girls Disney Ariel Shell necklace with .06ct round brilliant diamonds and .02ct natural pink sapphires on an adjustable 16″ chain, 14kt yellow gold.

Posted in Jewelry News

The Bling isn’t the Thing?

March 9, 2010

According to one fashion expert, the Oscars still honored a more subdued look in light of our economy.

Beth Bernstein believes that this is a good thing for a consumer: we can actually afford pieces or styles that celebrities are wearing without breaking the bank.

Of course, this requires some creativity: like using moissanite instead of naturally-mined diamonds or freshwater pearls or Gemesis – all considerably more affordable material:

Bling is no longer the thing at red carpet events.  Low key and subdued is the message A-List celebrities have been sending out for some time now. And, personally,  I think this couldn’t be better for our retailers.

What celebrities are wearing translate into understandable pieces that can easily be interepreted (at lower diamond weights and less tony price tags) into your customer’s wardrobes. And these divas, many whom I’ve watched for several years have had a range of faux pas and now have all come into their own.

I realize that some of my editorial counterparts might not agree, wishing to see more stand out pieces but once again the red carpet was the stage for earrings, cuffs and right hand rings and a few spectacular yet more delicate necklaces.

Earrings are always a way to light up a woman’s face and can easily be interpreted with varied collections you have in your stores. The cuff bracelets are perhaps harder to sell but are good stand out pieces to revolve a collection around. Buy one for impact.

When we finally saw necklaces they were choker length and we didn’t see too many but the styles we did see were breath-taking and less overwhelming than in the past.

I like this minimalism. It doesn’t say jewelry isn’t important; it says don’t let your jewelry wear you.

Writer: Beth Bernstein

Kate Winslet with a Scaled Down Bling Look

Posted in Jewelry News, Jewelry Trends

Olympian Style Star Sitings

February 24, 2010

At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we’re not too shy to hide our star quality! With the Olympics in full gear, we figured we’d share a few shots of us with some real hot shots!

These were taken at the ESPY awards not too long ago. The annual ESPY Awards allows sports fans worldwide to join in an online vote for their favorites in such categories as Best Male Athlete, Best Female Athlete, Best Coach/Manager and Team of the Year.

Joseph Schubach Jewelers donated some jewelry to this great ceremony.

Here I am, with a few of my new friends:

Posted in Celebrity Jewelry, Jewelry News

A Jeweler’s Look at the Olympic Metals

February 22, 2010

From a winner’s eye, these gold and bronze metals are perfect. They represent years, often an entire lifetime, of blood, sweat and tears.

But fashionably speaking, do they cut the mustard? Of course, they’re not intended to wear out to a night at the club. You might one to don your chunky moissanite ring or dazzling Gemesis pendant for that.

These metals:

[are] rather heavy medal plated with 6 grams of gold. Weighing in at over a pound, these medals are not for the slight of frame.The performance of the medals is garnering mixed reviews (not from those that actually win them though – without exception the athletes are elated to own one).

According to the medal’s designers, Vancouver architect Omer Arbel and artist Corrine Hunt, inspiration for the designs was drawn from ocean waves, snowdrifts and mountain ranges. Critics note they seem more representative though of potato chips and the melting clocks from Salvador Dali’s painting “The Persistence of Memory.”

So lesson learned? If you’ve scored yourself an Olympic metal, it might be better off on display!

Source: Jewelry.com

Posted in Jewelry News

The Hottest Jewelry at the Grammys

February 3, 2010

As we saw at this 2010 Grammy award ceremony, people were ready to crawl out of the economy shell and be a little flashier.

None was this more evident than Beyonce’s hoop earrings (that must have felt like quite a relief to take off at the end of the evening):

Beyoncé At The Grammys 2010 Wearing Huge Statement Earrings

Here’s what Sparkle Like the Stars had to say about the top jewelry looks for the evening:

1. Beyonce took home six Grammy Awards, including a Grammy for Record of the Year, and she accessorized her golden goodie with some killer diamond hoop earrings that went with her sequined silver dress. We love the hoops, though we’re sure that the critics will have a thing or two to say about the flashy frock.

2. Carrie Underwood wore a gorgeous gold gown for her performance during the show, and she accented the glamorous dress with pitch-perfect diamond jewelry. Our favorite piece was her glimmering diamond bracelet with a swirling design- though her engagement ring from hockey player Mike Fisher was a close second.

3. Sheryl Crow paired her simple brown dress with some gorgeous gold jewelry. The actress piled on the gold bangle bracelets on her left wrist that matched her large, golden pendant earrings. To balance the look Crow wore an emerald cocktail ring on her right hand.

Posted in Jewelry News, Jewelry Stories

Grammy 2010 – The Winners

February 2, 2010

The styles at the Grammys this year were decidedly a little more daring than last year, hopefully a small sign that our economic woes are slowly lifting and celebrities feel a little more comfortable “blinging” out.

Jewelry choice were chunkier and bolder, some with a decidedly futuristic slant.

As for the fashion, this experts sums up the top winners of the evening, including Lady Gaga’s celestial beast of a dress:

1. Beyonce- With the most wins of the night, the starlet is seen wearing a Stephane Rolland gown, Casadei Heels, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
2. Fergie- Fergie is stunning in a blue Emilio Pucci mini dress, Kwiat cuff, Jessica Robinson jewelry, Le Silla sandals, and a jeweled Judith Leiber clutch. Lately, I’ve seen Fergie in Emilio Pucci at several red carpet events. She surely is a fan of his and I’m sure he is of her. Maybe a collaboration sometime in the future?
3. Jennifer Lopez- JLo looks gorgeous in this silver chain Versace gown.
4. Mary J Blige- So happy to see her in some color and her dress is another unique cut-out neckline that I adore. The R&B star brights up the right carpet in a fuschia Gucci gown with a Gucci clutch, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
5. Lady Gaga- With Lady Gaga you wonder, “What is she going to pull of next?” She surely gave us an eye-popping look in this futuristic, Armani prive dress with towering, sparkly heels.
6. Miley Cyrus- Love her futuristic, rocker-chic style. Miley is wearing a short teal Herve Leger by Max Azria dress, Judith Leiber clutch, and gladiator sandals. Love it!
7. Pink- Now this is a change. Pink giving us old-Hollywood glamour? She looks amazing in a crystal-encrusted Tony Ward haute couture gown, Judith Leiber clutch, and Neil Lane diamond jewelry worth 2.5 million dollars. Wow!
8. Taylor Swift-  She brings extreme glamour in this shimmery blue Kaufman Franco gown, platinum and diamond jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz. I love the neckline of this dress!

Source: HotBeautyHealth

Posted in Jewelry News, Jewelry Trends

Goodies from the Grammys

February 1, 2010

Nothing gives the world a better fashion indicator than a good award ceremony. Figure it this way: some of the top fashion designers in the world are recruited to dress celebrities. These people know what’s hot!

So let’s cut to the chase: what was hot and what was not at last night’s Grammys?

Lady Gaga, in her own fashion universe

Imogen Heap, Mary Poppins style

Pink, in a gray mood

Beyonce, giving flesh tone a whole new meaning

Miley Cyrus, in a marbled look?

Oh, Britney. A good friend would have stopped you.

Katy Perry – vintage goth

Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at some of the jewelry choices seen at the Grammys. Stay tuned!

Posted in Jewelry News, Jewelry Trends

The Wittelsbach Blue Diamond Defies Recession

January 26, 2010

The Wittelsbach diamond, a 35.56-carat fancy deep grayish-blue diamond with a long history, was among the gems slated for auction at Christie’s “Jewels: The London Sale” last month. What was the asking price? Read on:

Officially known as “Der Blaue Wittelsbacher,” the diamond is one of the few that can claim 17th-century heritage.

In 1664, King Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) selected the diamond as part of the dowry of his daughter, Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-1673), upon her engagement to Leopold I of Austria (1640-1705), who later became Holy Roman Emperor.

The diamond subsequently became part of the Austrian and then the Bavarian crown jewels.

The diamond has been part of a private collection since 1964, and its appearance at the upcoming Christie’s auction marks its first offering to the international market in nearly 80 years.

“It is a great honor and a lifetime dream to handle a museum-quality stone such as the Wittelsbach,” said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe and international head of jewelry. “The appearance of a large blue diamond, among the rarest of colors, with a history that can be traced back to the 17th century and 300 years of royal connections will surely be a thrilling occasion for all collectors of exceedingly rare jewels and works of art.”

So what did the historic diamond go for? How about a record-setting $24.3 million! Recession? What recession?

“In the midst of these challenging times, we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond,” said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday’s sale.

The previous sales record was a mere $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995.

Source: National Jeweler

Jewelry Insider

Posted in Fancy Color Diamonds, Jewelry News

Consumers Decide: Mined or Made Diamonds?

January 25, 2010

The debate continues: when a consumer is informed about the very real ecological and political dangers associated with mined diamonds, will he or she purchase a diamond or choose a diamond alternative?

This recent study shows that slowly but surely, people’s minds are changing:

Paso Robles, Calif.–A new consumer survey conducted by MVI Marketing’s Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC) showed that a small but significant percentage of respondents have decided to snub mined diamonds, and an even greater percentage are planning to seek out “created diamond” alternatives.

According to a release from the JCOC, the council conducted a study called “Consumer Perceptions of Created Diamond Alternatives,” which was completed by 1,478 JCOC panel members between the dates of Dec. 26 and Dec. 31, 2009.

The study exposed survey-takers to some brief introductory information about the concerns surrounding diamonds and why those concerns have prompted some consumers to choose created diamond alternatives, including lab-grown diamonds and diamond simulants, instead.

“Mined diamonds are mined from deep in the earth,” a concept introduction provided to survey-takers said. “This has some environmentalists concerned about the destructive nature of mining and the chemicals used. Others are concerned about profits from illicit diamond mining being used to fund the purchase of arms in war-torn countries and contributing towards human suffering. Because of these issues, many people have opted for created diamond alternatives available in fine jewelry instead of mined diamonds.”

The JCOC release said that after learning about issues related to mined diamonds, a majority of respondents have taken actions that indicate they may be buying fewer mined diamonds in the future.

According to the study, 11 percent of those who participated said they have decided not to purchase or request jewelry crafted of mined diamonds.

Eight percent said they won’t give mined diamonds as a gift and 18 percent reported that they have made family or friends aware of the issues.

A total of 16 percent of survey-takers said they seek created diamond alternatives when looking for jewelry.

“Clearly consumers are becoming more aware of the challenges faced in the mining of diamonds,” MVI Chief Executive Officer Mart Hurwitz said in the release. “It is only natural for the consumer to consider man-made alternatives if their concerns about those challenges grow.”

Source: National Jeweler

Moissanite, in our opinion, is a phenomenal product – highly comparable to diamonds – and exceeding in some characteristics. We sell moissanite because we recognize this societal shift and the importance in finding a diamond alternative for people concerned with global issues.

Style 645MR

Classic Tiffany Style Round Moissanite Solitaire

Round Tiffany style solitaire engagement ring with Charles and Colvard created moissanite.

Posted in General Moissanite Info, Jewelry News

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