Buy and Sell Gold

Even people not in the know, when it comes to the stock market, have heard how the price of gold continues to soar.

The price of gold per ounce hit a record $1,830 on Thursday, marking a steady climb in the months-long rapid escalation of the price of the metal. Jewelers across the country are reporting a noticeable increase in the amount of people coming in to sell their gold jewelry, which some are reluctant to refine.

“It’s turned into a feeding frenzy,” David Rotenberg, owner of David Craig Jewelers in Langhorne, Penn., said of buying gold. “It’s all we’re doing. People are lining up in the store.”

The economy’s hiccup earlier in August contributed to the increased number of consumers selling gold, Rotenberg said, and also to the types of gold jewelry they’re bringing in.

“They’re obviously digging deeper,” he said, “We went through a period, around 2008, where everything we were buying was scrap metal. Around 2010, people started coming in with nicer pieces of jewelry.”

Now he’s seeing scrap metal again, which leads him to believe that consumers are finding gold to sell that they haven’t considered before, including mementos.

Source: National Jeweler

So if you’ve been waiting to clean out that old jewelry box of yours, get to it sooner rather than later. The time is most definitely golden. Check out our page on how its done by a reputable jeweler such as ourselves.

Here’s a short, sweet poem about the power of women and jewelry. Hope you enjoy!

Class is in session, boys and girls. Sit down and take that gum out of your mouth. And you! You in the back! Put your feet down and sit up straight.

This week’s lesson: Edwardian Jewelry

History

Fashion

Jewelry

	Platinum: Platinum’s strength enabled the creation of “invisible” settings, in which very little metal was used to hold a gemstone in place. Such settings complemented fashion’s lightness. Jewelry made with saw-piercing and filigree techniques matched the lacy looks of the era. White gold alloys were developed as a less expensive alternative, and as a substitute for platinum (considered a strategic metal) during WWI.
	Diamonds and Pearls: Diamonds and pearls set in platinum were favored for their white-on-white color scheme, and sense of refined elegance and luxury.
	Garland Style Motifs: Eighteenth-century decorative motifs, such as swags, bows, ribbons, tassels, wreaths and flower garlands, show the neo-classical and Rococo influences on Edwardian jewelry design.
	Necklaces: The new fashion–with its upswept hair, high collars for day and low necklines for evening–emphasized the head and neck. Pendants and lavalieres were widely worn. Particularly popular was the negligee pendant, consisting of two drops of unequal length suspended from a central element.
	Indian Influence: When Edward toured India, Alexandra developed a keen interest in the style of the Indian princesses, or Maharajas. This exotic influence started a fashion for diamond aigrettes (feathers worn as hair ornamnets); sautoirs (long ropes of pearls or chain ending in a tassel); and chokers, or “dog collars” (one of Alexandra’s favorite styles).
	Brooches: Circle brooches and bar pins, particularly with lacy filigree designs, were very fashionable. Stars and crescents were also popular.
	Amethyst: A favorite stone of Alexandra’s, amethyst was often included in jewelry of the era. The combination of these violet stones with white pearls and green peridots represented the colors of the suffragette movment; the “g,” “w,” and “v” stood for “give women the vote.”  Source: Antique Jewelry Online   Here are some examples: Natural freshwater pearl brooch with three diamonds Alexandra Regina Enamel Brooch Edwardian Brooch with Diamonds Sapphires and Pearls BR-24-04 1,25″ x 1.4″ BR-213A-01 .94″ x .94″ BR-06-05 1.5″ x .83″ Ladies Pin Watch with Enamel and Diamonds Edwardian Butterfly Brooch with Rose Cut Diamonds and Natural Pearl Edwardian Diamond Brooch W196A-00 1.25″ diameter B191A-00 2.5″ w x 2.25″ h B103A-00 1.17″ w x 1″ h “Tiffany & Co.” Amethyst and Diamond Crown Pin Platinum and Gold Wing Brooch Edwardian Crown Pin with Diamonds and Pearls

Source: Joden World Resources

Rose Quartz - The loving stone, helps attract love, and joy.

It’s interesting; even the non-spiritual types usually feel a connection to particular stones. Some believe that each gemstone carries with it it’s own particular powers. And while we’re not making any claims here, you might want to consider the spiritual background of your gem before deciding on an engagement ring or necklace or earrings:

• Aventurine – . A healing stone, gives emotional well being, stimulates creativity.
  
• Agate – The gardening stone, gives protection and self confidence.
  
• Alexandrite – .Gives luck, and love, brings renewal and regeneration.- The thinking stone, stimulates mind
  
• Amber – The energy stone, protects and heals
  
• Amethyst – Brings calmness, uplifts, gives a sense of peace
  
• Apatite – Calms, relieves guilt
  
• Aquamarine – The sight stone, improves senses, calms
  
• Aragonite – The truth stone
  
• Azurite – The meditation stone, relieves joint pain
  
• Bloodstone – The courage and healing stone.
  
• Carnelian – The stone of energy, restorative to mind and spirit.
  
• Chalcedony – Increases vitality, stamina, helps eyes, fevers
  
• Chrysocolla – Calming, soothing, stress reliever
  
• Chrysoprase – Gives peace and well being, helps with depression
  
• Citrine – Brings energy, healing
  
• Coral – Protection against evil
  
• Diamond – Brings succcess, removes evilness
  
• Emerald – Helps with memory, enhances mental clarity
  
• Flourite – Brings balance, peace, harmony
  
• Garnet – Truth stone, brings peace, sexual desire
  
• Gaspeite – Healing stone, reduces stress, brings spirituality
  
• Goldstone – Stress reliever, brings peace of mind, calming
  
• Hematite – Reduces stress, brings balance, soothing
  
• Howlite – Calming, soothing, brings balance
  
• Jade – The dream stone, protects from nightmares and evil
  
• Jasper – Brings peace and well being to mind, calming
  
• Red Jasper – Helps with poise, and gracefulness
  
• Leopard Skin Jasper – Positive energy stone
  
• Picture Jasper – Brings balance and peace, good stone for meditation
  
• Labradorite – Brings inner peace, calms conflicts of the mind
  
• Lapis Lazuli – Brings peace and clarity to mind
  
• Malachite – Brings protection from evil, guards against negativity
• Meteorite – Brings purity, increases iron, endurance
  
• Moonstone – The love stone, promotes love and well being
  
• Morganite – The stone of compassion, brings calm and well being
  
• Onyx – Protects against negativity, promotes peace
  
• Opal – The stone of the mystic, helps with intuitive powers
  
• Pearls – Brings wisdom, safety, love to wearer
• Peridot – The balancing stone, helps with digestive problems
  
• Quartz – The healing stone, helps with emotional, physical, and mental ills.
  
• Rose Quartz – The loving stone, helps attract love, and joy.
  
• Smoky Quartz – Relieves sadness – Brings mental clarity and peace from emotional problems
  
• Rhodonite – Promotes emotional well being and self love
  
• Ruby – Protects against negativity, helps relieve physical ailments.
  
• Sapphire – The purity stone, brings sense of accomplishment, reduces negative thoughts.
• Sardonyx – Relieves anxiety, calms the nerves
  
• Snowflake Obsidian – The protection stone, brings emotional peace.
  
• Sodalite – Protects from negativity in your immediate space.
• Tanzanite – Brings power to intuitiveness, clarity stone
  
• Tiger’s Eye – The stone of confidence
  
• Topaz – The soothing stone, promotes self confidence
  
• Tourmaline – Brings self assurance, calm, protects against negative people.
  
• Turquoise – The friendship stone, relieves guilt, brings peace of mind..
  
• Unakite – Brings emotional well being, calms, protects against negativity

Source: Street Directory

Choosing the shape of the gemstone for your ring is as personal as the ring choice itself. But many people don’t even know about the various cuts of gems.

So here you go: a chart to lead the way:

Yes, I realize the boldness of suggesting that any piece of jewelry could attract love. Many of us want love in our lives, but don’t know how to go about it. So we quietly long for it and when it doesn’t happen, we curse the heavens. Or just blame it on fate and timing. Or just become lazy or apathetic, hoping it will just fall into our laps. But let’s think about it for a second: Being open to love requires action and a mindset…and maybe a little magic.

What if you could open up to love in real, tangible ways in your life?

What if you could envision what you want so strongly that you become a magnet to love?

What if you could write out a magic list that contained all the elements you really want in a partner?

What if you could have charms that you hold and “charge” with your desires, so every time you wear it, you are reminded, even subconsciously, of your true desires?

It’s called manifesting and it’s been around for a long, long time. And jewelry has been used as a tool the in process of manifesting wishes.

Here’s a necklace we believe holds strong powers. It’s one of the staff favorites. Consider it if you’re looking for some love in your life….or just want a charming piece to show off to friends!

Can a necklace attract love? We think so. Especially this one!

Heart Shape Pendant With Genuine Brazilian Garnets And Natural Diamonds

You might not know the word “Bakelite” but undoubtedly you’ve seen it.

Bakelite became popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s. It is a strong, fire resistant plastic invented by Leo Baekeland in 1909. At first it was used for industrial purposes until jewelry makers found that lightweight Bakelite made a perfect choice for designing inexpensive jewelry. Coco Chanel was one famous designer who created Bakelite jewelry and accessories.

Here’s are some Bakelite pieces in its various incarnations over the years.

Auctioneer John Haxell with the largest Bakelite object ever produced - a coffin with a guide price of £5,000 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/mailonsunday/article-1082316/Plastic-fantastic-The-pre-war-Bakelite-auction-expected-raise-thousands.html#ixzz1Pv4vQzOr

What a cute, effective video on a simple sterling silver jewelry cleaning technique!

As part of our ongoing jewelry history series, today we introduce pieces from the Art Nouveau period, with its flowing and fantastical forms and shapes.

The “Art Nouveau” (“new art”) movement was one of the first departures from classical art and design, towards a new modernism. This avant-garde movement occurred during what was known in France as the “La Belle Époque” period, or “beautiful era” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In Germany, the Art Nouveau movement was known as the “Jugendstil,” or “youth style” arts and crafts movement, named after “Jugend,” a cultural weekly magazine founded by Georg Hirth in 1896.

The Modernism movement was primarily influenced by the radical work of Czech (Moravian) artist Alphonse Maria Mucha (1860—1939), Swiss decorative artist Eugène Samuel Grasset (1845—1917), and English illustrator Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (1872—1898) — illustrator of the “The Peacock Skirt” below, left—and the ground-breaking architectural design work of Hector Guimard (1867—1942) of Paris (Paris Métro – below, right) and the surrealist architecture of Antoni Plàcid Gaudí (1852—1926) in Barcelona, Spain.

Design motifs of the Art Nouveau movement focused heavily on the themes of nature, fantasy, and the female form, with sensual flowing shapes that simulated the organic growth that would be reminiscent of the primeval Garden of Eden.

Exotic floral motifs with animals, birds, butterfles, dragonflies, peacock feathers and marsh plants were incorporated with graceful feminine imagery or fairies, mermaids and nymphs, complete with their long manes of twisting hair.

Some of the floral motifs that were used in the Art Nouveau style were borrowed from English artist William Morris, founder of the “Arts and Crafts Movement” of the late Victorian era.

Source: All About Gemstones

A client asked me a few days ago what type of jewelry would be appropriate to give new mothers. Hearts instantly came to mind. They simply and effectively convey the infusion of love a mother feels upon the birth of her child.

Birthstones are another possibility (which can easily be placed within a heart pendant).

Lastly, charm bracelets are a great gift for new mothers. Not only can you add charms per child, but you can also add charms after any achievement. Charm bracelets have a long history of marking special occasions in life.

Here are a few pieces of ours. Click on the image for more details.

Butterfly necklace in 14kt white gold featuring genuine pink sapphires and natural diamonds, approximately 1/10ct total weight on an 18' diamond cut rolo chain.