Okay, boys and girls, time for your weekly jewelry lesson. Sit down…and take that gum out of your mouth!

Go ahead, Mary Jane…ask your question. I can’t hear you. Speak up.

What’s the difference between a mineral and a gem? Well, Mary Jane, since you asked:

Interestingly, there is no geological definition for the word gem, because a gem is a human creation. Minerals are formed by geologic processes in rocks in their natural environment.

When we excavate precious or semiprecious stones, cut, and polish them into specific shapes, they become gems. When a gem is set into metal to be worn on the body it becomes a jewel.

Several key factors determine the value of a gem: To be considered worthy of jewelry, the mineral must have rarity, durability, attractiveness, size, and color.

Okay, class dismissed!

(above) Ocos Mineral Rock

Source: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Much has been said about jewelry. That’s because it means so much to each of us. Whether it’s a fat diamond ring or a handmade bead necklace, jewelry is always so loaded with meaning.

Here’s some quotes about jewelry to get you thinking:

I have always felt a gift diamond shines so much better than one you buy for yourself.  ~Mae West

The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.  ~Author Unknown

Jewelry takes people’s minds off your wrinkles.  ~Sonja Henie

These gems have life in them:  their colors speak, say what words fail of.  ~George Eliot

There is in them a softer fire than the ruby, there is the brilliant purple of the amethyst, and the sea green of the emerald – all shining together in incredible union.  Some by their splendor rival the colors of the painters, others the flame of burning sulphur or of fire quickened by oil.  ~Pliny, about the opal

I never worry about diets.  The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.  ~Mae West

There are worlds in an opal.  ~Astrid Alauda

Perhaps time’s definition of coal is the diamond.  ~Kahlil Gibran

As though pure white snow flashed and sparkled with the color of bright ruddy wine, and was overcome by this radiance.  ~Author unknown, about the opal

Don’t ever wear artistic jewelry; it wrecks a woman’s reputation.  ~Colette, Gigi, 1944, translated

No gold-digging for me; I take diamonds!  We may be off the gold standard someday.  ~Mae West

This diamond has so many carats it’s almost a turnip.  ~Richard Burton

I really think that American gentlemen are the best after all, because kissing your hand may make you feel very very good but a diamond and a sapphire bracelet lasts forever.  ~Anita Loos

Gold! gold! gold! gold!
Bright and yellow, hard and cold!
~Thomas Hood

The jeweler allows me to wear the sapphire blue lake on my finger, the emerald green leaves around my neck, and take the citrine sunset with me wherever I go.  Jewelry has become my daytime link to nature in an office with no windows.  And if I have to work late, there’s nothing like diamond stars and a pearl full moon against an onyx night sky.  ~Astrid Alauda, “Office With No Windows”

My husband gave me a necklace.  It’s fake.  I requested fake.  Maybe I’m paranoid, but in this day and age, I don’t want something around my neck that’s worth more than my head.  ~Rita Rudner

Opal is the multi-gem.  ~Astrid Alauda

Source: The Quote Garden

Moissanite is the word on everybody’s lips this holiday. Not only do you get all the glamour and fire, its manufactured not mined. As this video points out, stars are realizing the importance of showcasing eco-friendly jewelry while looking fantastic!

Check out our amazing moissanite sale with prices reduced up to 60%. This year, give a gift that dazzles at a cost you can afford.

Here’s some fun facts about jewelry we discovered:

Did you know that people have been swallowing precious Pearls whole and in a powdered form for ages as a medicine for sicknesses? This mostly done in Asia, the interesting fact about this is, that Pearls are mostly made of calcium carbonate, which is a antacid, so about the only thing they are curing is a upset stomach. This is one expensive antacid, they should try “Tums” they are cheaper.

Did you know that Opals are said to bring wisdom and good fortune? In ancient times people believed that Opals were pieces of heaven that had fallen out of the sky due to violent thunderstorms.

Did you know that in ancient times, people believed that gold came from the Sun. There were even Religious groups that believed gold were tear drops from their Sun Gods

Did you know that the largest gold nugget found in the U.S.A. was in California and it weighed 195 pounds?

Did you know that the largest Pearl ever found weighed 14 pounds?

Did you know that a Opal will cut glass just like a Diamond?

Did you know that a “carat” is the unit of weight for gemstones and one carat is 1/5 of a gram and that 28 grams equals one ounce?

Did you a rare one carat red Diamond (that would be about the size of the eraser of a pencil) sold at a auction for one million dollars?

Did you know that even though a Diamond is known to be the hardest material mineral known to man, if you hit it with a hammer you would crush it to a powder? This so called “hardness” relates to it’s ability to scratch other materials.   (PS)   Never test a diamond by scratching a glass surface, it will damage the surface of the Diamond.  Even a imitation glass diamond will scratch the surface of glass.

Did you know colored Diamonds are called “fancies” and are rare and those with pronounced colors are worth more than the finest white varieties?

Did you know that gold in it’s pure form (24 carats) is so soft that it bends easily like lead metal and has to be mixed with other metals to make durable jewelry? That is why gold comes in 18 carat gold, 14 carat gold, 10 carat gold, 10 carat gold being the one with less gold in it.

Did you know that Platinum is one of the world’s strongest metals. It weighs 60% more than karat gold. Just holding it in your hand, you can feel the difference.  Not everyone can own Platinum jewelry because there simply isn’t enough of it in world. For example: all the Platinum ever mined would fit in an average sized living room.

Did you also know that we’re one of the few retailers carrying Disney’s Precious Collections, jewelry for children? Come take a look at our Gallery and buy something extra special for that little princess in your life!

Many are fearful of buying jewelry online. Fortunately, it’s never been a safer and easier process. Especially with well-established online jewelers like us!

Jewelry online can be as much as 50% less than retail. So once you’ve found yourself a secure and reliable source, you can feel safe while saving money!
Here are a few other pointers when purchasing jewelry online:

1. Familiarize yourself with how to measure quality in gold, diamonds or other items you may wish to purchase. Know the difference between carats and karats.
2. Enter the word “jewelry” in a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. If desired, enter more specific words such as “rings,” “diamonds” or “gold.”

3. Browse sites for information. Some sites offer jewelry made by known manufacturers while others have their own jewelers that make the pieces for sale.

4. Read information on guarantees, secure ordering and returns. A piece of jewelry is a major investment, and you want to be sure your purchase is guaranteed and that your purchase price can be refunded if you want to return the item.

5. Check to see if certificates are given, particularly for diamonds.

6. If you are confident that the site is secure and reputable, browse the categories (“diamonds,” “gold,” “watches,” “rings,” and so on) or do a site search using the key word or words of the item you are looking for (“gold watch,” “diamond ring,” and so on).

7. If you find a piece that interests you, you may have to click its image to make it larger so you can get a better look. While this is not necessarily a good substitute for seeing the piece in person, it will give you a pretty good idea of what the piece looks like.

8. When you order, pay special attention to sizes and other options offered. (For example, do you want the diamond set in a yellow gold or white gold band?)

At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, if there is ever a problem, we can address it quickly and thoroughly. We pride ourselves in customer service so you can feel safe and comfortable with the entire process.

Style 9337

Diamond Flow Wedding Band – $519

Flow wedding band with .21ct t.w. pave’ diamonds and milgrained edges in 14kt white gold.

Golden Facts:

Gold is the most popular metal used in jewelry making. Here are some other uses of this precious metal:

• McLaren F1 uses gold foil in the engine compartment




• Gold is used in astronauts’ helmets




• Gold can be used in food. Goldwater, traditional herbal liquor produced in Poland and Germany, contains flakes of gold leaf. There are also some expensive ($1000) cocktails which contain flakes of gold leaf.




• Gold is used in the connectors of expensive electronic cables like audio, video and USB cables




• Gold is used in computers, communications equipment, spacecraft, and jet aircraft engines




• Colloidal gold (also known as “nanogold”, is a suspension (or colloid) of sub-micromete-sized particles of gold in a fluid – usually water) is used in research applications in medicine, biology and materials science. Colloidal gold is also the form of gold used as gold paint on ceramics prior to firing.




• It is used for the protective coatings on many artificial satellites




• It is used in infrared protective faceplates in thermal protection suits




• It is used in electronic warfare planes like the EA-6B Prowler




• Gold is used as the reflective layer on some high-end CDs
• The isotope gold-198 is used in some cancer treatments and for treating other diseases




• Gold leaf, flake or dust is used on and in some gourmet foodstuffs, notably sweets and drinks as decorative ingredient




• Gold alloys are used in restorative dentistry, especially in tooth restorations, such as crowns and permanent bridges




• Gold can be made into thread and used in embroidery

Source: Purple Slinky

Styel 7233WB

Ladies’ 14kt Yellow Gold Anniversary Band With Channel Set Diamonds

Ladies’ anniversary band, 1.0ct t.w. channel set diamonds, 14kt yellow gold.

Metal: 14kt Yellow Gold
Stone Size: 1.0ct t.w.
Ring Size: 4 – 8

Sapphire gems dazzle and attract the eye like no other. But what is it and where does it come from? What magical properties does it contain – and more importantly, is a sapphire pendant, necklace or other piece of jewelry in your budget range? Here’s a few tidbits to school you on this rich and intense gem:

• Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September.
• Sapphire is given as a gem for the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversaries while a star sapphire is given on the 65th wedding anniversary.
• Sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum (the red variety of corundum is ruby). A 9.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness, sapphire is the second hardest natural mineral.
• Blue is by far the most popular color for sapphires, but they can be almost any color, including yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple. Padparadscha is the name for a rare orange-pink variety of sapphire and has a higher value than blue sapphires.
• Sapphires with inclusions of tiny, rutile needles exhibit an optical property called asterism. This is the star shaped effect seen in star sapphires and is usually only seen in cabochon cuts.
• Star sapphires usually have six ray stars, but twelve ray stars are also known. Rarely, when sapphires are cut en cabochon, they can demonstrate a cat’s eye effect. This effect displays a thin band of light down the center of the stone and is known as chatoyancy.
• Heating colorless and very pale blue sapphires to high temperatures is done to give them an intense blue color. This treatment can also improve the clarity of the stones by removing tiny inclusions.
• A rare variety of sapphire, known as color changing sapphire, exhibits different colors in different light. A color change sapphire is blue in natural light, and violet in artificial light. A similar effect is also seen in alexandrite.
• Sapphire was first created synthetically in 1902 and is hard to distinguish from natural sapphires except by gemologists. Lab grown sapphires range in price and smaller stones are frequently used in less expensive jewelry.

Source: Bernadine Fine Art Jewelry

Sapphires can radically range in price but are generally more affordable than diamonds. Contact us if you’re interested in a sapphire engagement ring or a sapphire pendant necklace or even a sapphire broach. Sapphires are guaranteed to catch all eyes, so be prepared to draw a lot of attention.

Here are some possibilities:

You want to give her something special – something that represents your feelings…but her tastes as well. How do you eliminate the risk? Nobody wants to hear “Um…it’s…wow, that’s really nice. Hmmm…”

One simple thought? Inspect the jewelry she currently wears. Get a sense of her overall taste. Does she go for bold, bright pieces or subtle, understated pieces? Does she wear one piece of jewelry repeatedly or change pieces constantly?

If you’re really unsure, talk to your jeweler.  There are always a few pieces in any collection that just about any woman would love. A simple, elegant piece works in just about any situation.

Here’s a favorite of ours that we always feel confident suggesting (because we get nothing but good feedback from the wearers.)

Style 10119-4.5mm (1/3ct)

Classic Sweetheart Pave Necklace

Classic Sweetheart pave necklace with 1/5ct t.w. round brilliant stones set on an 18″ cable chain. Fits a 4.5mm (1/3ct diamond) round center stone. (setting only, does not include center stone).

The person who receives this diamond will love it for its beauty and mystique and the joy of wearing it. The person giving it will love the incredible deal and the smiles it brings. However, there’s only one diamond like this, so when it’s gone, it’s gone.

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

As we are seeing in the current real estate market, unprecedented deals on important gemstones are popping up, where prices are marked significantly below average. We are able to present this rare and beautiful natural pear-shaped diamond for less than it would be wholesale in today’s market and markedly less than its retail price of a year ago.

This diamond weighs 5.01 carats, has a color of F, a clarity of VS2 and is accompanied by a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) diamond grading report. The color places it in the highest “colorless” category according to the GIA diamond grading system. The clarity assures you that there are absolutely no visible inclusions to the eye.

The beauty of this particular diamond lies with the cut, or the way this diamond is proportioned: to reflect the most amount of light that enters the stone. Unlike round diamonds, fancy-shaped diamonds do not have an exact mathematical formula or set of parameters to follow to allow for maximum brilliance. The diamond cutter is the artist, when it comes to creating fancy-shaped diamonds. It is his or her knowledge, expertise and skill that ultimately determine how brilliant and bright the diamond will be.

And brilliance, after all, is what a diamond is all about. Brilliance is what makes a diamond speak to you or what captivates you.

This particular pear-shaped gem has one of the prettiest cuts we’ve seen. It has an elegant, graceful, elongated shape and the radiance this diamond exudes is breathtaking. The color is crystal clear (again, it falls in the top “colorless” category, according to GIA.) These two factors – the fire and the color – assure you that this diamond will be a constant eye-catcher.

To add to its rarity, this is a naturally occurring diamond, found in nature and not man-made. The size and quality of this stone make it even more rare. A search on a leading online diamond dealer shows a similar diamond with one color grade better costing over $100,000.00 more than the price of this diamond. One can only imagine the price this would command from any of the leading national or international jewelry houses.

And again, to assure you of the quality of this diamond, it is accompanied by a Diamond Grading Report from the Gemological Institute of America, the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and diamond grading. A report by the GIA far outweighs any other kind of diamond grading report. The GIA is the final authority when it comes to diamond grading and identification. After all, they are the originators of the grading system and the place gemologists go for their training. Any important diamond sold in the market, whether wholesale, in a retail store or at auction, is accompanied by a GIA report. For more information visit the GIA website.

A diamond of this quality would be stunning in a hand-crafted ring or necklace or would be a great addition to an investment portfolio. In the diamond world, as in real estate, this is a “buyer’s market.” If you can take advantage of this rare opportunity, the time to act is now.

For additional information and pricing, contact Joe Schubach personally at 888-724-8222.

38ct D color, flawless clarity pear-shaped diamond necklace once owned by Christina Onassis

Silver is one of the most beloved and versatile metals worldwide and it has been for some time. Silver is never out of fashion and it’s often quite affordable, especially during tough economic times.

The amazing value of silver jewelry has persisted throughout the ages, proving its versatility by adapting to the changing styles and trends of time. Used in tribal ceremonies, eastern and western religions, and department store malls, silver jewelry around the world continues to be a popular choice.

The history of silver jewelry is just as alluring as its beautiful, light-reflecting qualities. Even before 4000 BC, this valuable metal was discovered and mined in Anatolia, known today as Turkey. The groups of people developing in that part of the world began to use and trade items made of silver, and as time passed the metal was mined more intensely.

From these silver mining beginnings, the central hub for extensive silver mining changed from culture to culture, as new improvements and demands developed. At different points in time, China, Greece, and Spain all became main suppliers of silver, sending their silver jewelry around the world.

Today, the statistics show that Mexica and Peru produce the most silver. Mexico in particular supposedly mines 1/5 of all the world’s silver! New and enhanced methods for mining and refining silver have been introduced over the years, and today we have several varieties of silver jewelry with differing levels of durability and shine.

Pure silver jewelry tarnishes easily, so a new 92.5 % silver metal alloy, called sterling silver, is mixed with nickel, copper, or zinc, to keep the pure shine of silver in a durable, longer lasting manner.

Source: SilverFlake.com

Create your own silver jewelry with the help of our custom design team. Whether it’s a piece you saw on a celebrity or reminiscent of a family heirloom, we can bring your jewelry dream to life. Here are some samples, to whet your appetite. The last two pieces are for men (the dogtag is making a real comeback – great holiday gift for your guy!):