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Archive for the ‘Metals’ Category

Semi Custom Style 9628

February 1, 2011

Style 9628 shown with pink sapphires in palladium!

Rhodium, The World’s Rarest Metal

July 25, 2010

You may or may not be aware of this extremely rare metal from the platinum family, but chances are you own some of the metal which was recently priced at $10,000/ounce. Rhodium is used in the fine jewelry finishing process. White gold jewelry is plated with rhodium to give it a bright white color (remember, all gold starts out as pure, or 24kt, which is extremely yellow. It’s only after alloying the gold that it gets its white(er) color). Rhodium is also used in catalytic converters in automobiles.

This informative article give some history and insight into rhodium, along with palladium which is another platinum family metal used in jewelry making. It highlights the extremely volatile price of the metal which has seen a greater than tenfold increase in recent years when rhodium reached its peak price of $10,000/oz in 2008. It also explains its extreme scarcity and increasing demand. Click here for the full article. To see examples and additional information on palladium and other metals, visit our Metals section of our blog by clicking here.

Alternative Metals Jewelry Catalog

July 17, 2010

Here’s a great line of alternative metal jewelry that is available to you. There is a great selection of titanium, tungsten carbide, ceramic and stainless steel wedding rings, necklaces, watches, money clips, etc. Click on the picture to view the PDF version of the catalog. It’s kind of a big file, so be patient.

Also, the retail prices are MSRP, you’ll get a substantial discount from these. Call for details or send us your questions here.

The Spiritual Power of Gemstones

June 28, 2010

So you just read the title and you’re sighing already. Spiritual power of gemstones? How is that possible? What kind of new-agey post is this?

But think of it: people do become deeply attached to a piece of jewelry. Many consider it their “good luck charm.” So maybe there’s some truth to it afterall. Take a read…wait. Let’s light a candle first:

Ahh…that’s much better. Nothing like a little ambiance:

Gem stones hold onto energies. It is this which makes them so helpful in magical tasks and healing. They act as containers for magical energy. This makes gem stones ideal as altar tools and charms for spells.

For healing, stones are willing to have disease transferred into them. They then hold onto it until it can be safely flushed away. Healing stones don’t need to be gem stones – river and lake stones work wonderfully.

This ability to hold onto energy also means that new gem stones aren’t “fresh.” They are holding energies from past owners, people who mined them, people who polished and set and sold them, and people who held them in the shop before you picked them up . . .

So take care to cleanse all new stones thoroughly before using them.

Popular Gem Stones And Their Meaning

	Amethyst	Healing on all levels – body, mind, and spirit. Raises vibrational frequency and protects against negative energies.
	Amber	Transmutes negative energy into positive. Bridges conscious self to the Divine.
	Diamond	Purifies. Amplifies thoughts and feelings – both positive and negative.
	Hematite	Grounding. Clarifies thought, improves memory, and calms anxiety.
	Lapis Lazuli	Deep wisdom and intuition. Opens the third eye and leads to enlightenment.
	Moonstone	Balances yin and yang. Enhances the inner feminine, and acceptance for yin attributes.
	Opal	Amplifies emotion, insight, and spontaneity. Very potent, and can cause difficulties with the wrong person. Each colour of opal has its own properties.
	Pearl	Pure mind and heart. Balances emotions and reduces stress.
	Quartz Crystal	Attracts, amplifies, and sends energy. Easy and safe. Useful for all kinds of healing.
	Rose Quartz	Balances yin and yang, restoring harmony after emotional wounding.
	Turquoise	Highly spiritual yet grounding. Uplifting to unconditional Love. Aligns chakras and opens heart.

Precious Metals

	Gold	Symbol of the Sun and the God, as well as purity of spirit and eternity.
	Silver	Symbol of the Moon and the Goddess, the soul, and the beauty of the Wheel of Life.
	White Gold	Symbol of the pure and eternal Light of the Divine, the union of Goddess and God in One, the Spirit manifest in physical for

Source: Wicca Spirituality

18kt yellow gold

May 24, 2010

Whenever we make a ring in 18kt yellow gold I’m reminded how beautiful the metal is. It has a very royal look to it, a color so rich that you can nearly taste it!

Remember, you can have any ring on our site, custom made or otherwise, done in 18kt yellow gold!

Our Latest Looks at Joseph Schubach Jewelers

May 11, 2010

Whether you go with moissanite or naturally minded diamonds, or black and silver tungsten or rose gold; whether you want a more traditional look or something more distinctive and now, we can make a piece tailormade to fit your dreams.

Here is a sampling of some of our latest arrivals at Joseph Schubach. Some of these pieces are totally sharp and cutting and edge in design while others maintain a classic allure.

Black and Silver Tungsten Carbide Ring

We are very excited to display this new arrival. It’s sleek, futuristic and a definite eye-catcher.

Black comfort fit tungsten carbide wedding ring with silver tungsten center, 8mm wide

Style 10471

Titanium and Diamond Wedding Ring

Similar in its “now” appeal, the diamonds in this ring add another level of complexity in look.

Titanium comfort fit wedding ring with 3 diamonds (.09ct total weight) and 4 black inserts, 7mm wide

Style 10469

Hand Made Pave Diamond Engagement Ring

This delicate but bold ring features three rows of perfectly set and perfectly matched pave diamonds. Each row of diamonds gradually and elegantly tapers from the top of the ring to the base of the ring. The ring also has pave set diamonds between the prongs and beneath the prong assembly highlighting your center stone even more.

This is one of our Specialty Items which means each piece is made specifically to your specifications of ring size, metal preference, center stone size and preference and incorporating any other changes or ideas you might have.

Rose Gold Version of style #10137

April 21, 2010

We just received an email from our goldsmith of a piece that’s going out today. This ring was made in 14kt rose gold, and our goldsmith thought it was so pretty she sent over a quick picture for us to see.  We have to agree, it’s absolutely gorgeous in rose gold! It’s our style number 10137, which you can see here.

Metals of Honor – Lessons in Gold

March 10, 2010

Diamonds, sapphires, rubies…we know the gems and the mystique that surrounds them. But often we overlook the equally important metals in our jewelry. The metal is often behind-the-scenes, supporting and displaying its dazzling centerpiece – but each metal possesses a magic of its own.

This week, let’s focus on the many facets of gold:

GOLD

Gold is popular because it can be worked into almost any shape. Yellow gold jewelry of 18K and above does not tarnish and rarely causes problems for people with skin irritations. White Gold is popular for its appearance and price point compared to platinum alloys.

Technically there is no such thing as ‘White Gold.’ Gold can be lightened by combining it with light metals such as Rhodium; a member of the platinum family and the whitest precious metal after silver. This rhodium plating creates a hard skin with good resistance. Over time plating may wear through. Re-plating is a fairly simple process, depending on the condition of the piece. In most cases this will be done approximately as often as a platinum ring requires re-polishing, although a fine plating job may last longer than a polish on platinum due to the superior hardness of rhodium.

COMMON GOLD ALLOYS

24K gold (100% pure gold) does not work well for jewelry because it is too soft. A more durable option is 18K gold, which is 75% pure gold. It has the richness of 24K gold where some of the less pure alloys may not.

Identification

18K gold is the most recognized global standard and will be marked ’18K’ in the USA and ’750′ in Europe.

1. 18K Yellow Gold

* 75% Gold, alloyed with Copper, Silver, Zinc and/or Cobalt
* Does not require plating
*  Very workable
*  Rarely causes skin irritation
*  Will wear down, but over a long period of time with heavy wear

2. 18K White Gold (nickel white gold)

* 75% Gold, alloyed with Copper, Nickel, Zinc and/or Palladium
* Requires rhodium plating and re-plating over time, depending on wear
*  Less workable, less ductile
*  Causes skin irritation for people with nickel allergies
*  Will wear down over a long period of time

3. 18K Palladium White Gold

* 75% Gold, 25% Palladium
* Requires rhodium plating and re-plating over time, depending on wear
* Very workable
*  Rarely, if ever, causes skin irritation
*  Will wear down over a long period of time
*  More expensive than 18K nickel WG

Comparison Photos

1. 18K yellow gold
2. 18K white gold, rhodium plated
3. 18K palladium white gold, not plated

Source: Pricescope Diamond Journal

Here’s our high-style, white gold gent’s engagement ring:

Style 7180WB

Gent’s 14kt White Gold Diamond Wedding Band

Gent’s 14kt white gold wedding band, diagonal design with .20ct t.w. channel set diamonds, high polished and matte finish, 7.75mm tapered.

Metal: 14kt White Gold
Width: 7.75mm
Stone Size: .20ct t.w.
Ring Size: 8.5 – 13

Custom Palladium Jewelry

September 21, 2009

We are in the process of hand fabricating a custom palladium engagement ring for a client and thought we would show you how a hand fabricated piece starts out and explain a little how the process works.

A truly hand fabricated piece of jewelry is different from a traditional lost wax/cast process. With a custom lost wax process, the wax model is carved by hand or carved with a machine (CAM). This wax is then used to directly cast in metal the final piece of jewelry. With a hand fabricated piece, we start out with a piece of metal, like the metal rod shown here. The metal is then worked (filed, hammered, shaped, etc.) by hand into the shape of the final piece. So, rather than carve a wax and cast from the wax, a hand fabricated piece is literally made entirely from hand. It is a much more difficult process to do.

Some pieces are better off being hand fabricated than cast. For example, jewelry that has very fine scroll detail or gallery sections that require fine, intricate polishing are great candidates for hand fabrication. This piece will have very long, smooth curves, and hand fabrication will give us a smoother, more even finish when we’re through.

We’ll try to get some pictures of this ring mid process and post to the blog.

Looking for a platinum alternative? Try palladium (click here for additional information).

Points on Palladium

September 9, 2009

Last week, you learned a little about platinum and its finer points. This week, we shift the spotlight to palladium, the lesser known “little brother” to platinum. What is this wonder metal and how can it add to your jewelry wardrobe?

According to Wikipedia:

Palladium itself has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, as an alternative to platinum or white gold. This is due to its naturally white properties, giving it no need for rhodium plating.

It is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into a thin leaf form as thin as 100 nm (1/250,000 in).

So not is it only highly durable, it’s affordable – making it quite popular during a struggling economy. According to Pierce Mattie Public Relations:

A sure sign of its rise to fame came at the 2009 American Gem Trade Association Spectrum Awards where they announced that Palladium is finally gaining more acceptance in the designer world.  Many designers including Tenthio, Sasha Primak, and Michael Sugarman will be developing an entire palladium collection in conjunction with high-karat gold and platinum lines.

Additionally, retailers can expect to see an increase in palladium pieces at upcoming trade shows.  Solidifying the trend, some of the most highly acclaimed names in the design world will also be adopting the metal, including Robert Lee Morris, Paul Morelli, Zoltan David, Alishan, Michael Bondanza, and Barry Kronen.

(above) Wedding bands were in demand during the 1940s, and many were made of palladium. This diamond-set eternity band is engraved “E.A.E. & M.O’R. Oct. 20, 1943” and “Palladium – Tiffany & Co.” (see inset). Courtesy of Kurt Rothner, Excalibur, West Hollywood, CA.

Here are a few other stellar examples of palladium pieces: