Jewelry Education and Advice

“Micro pave is the next generation of hip hop jewelry. You can get that diamond look without paying diamond prices. Some of our customers are entertainers who could easily afford diamond bling style jewelry, but choose to wear micro pave jewelry as the quality is practically indistinguishable from diamonds.” – Tom Diep of King Ice Jewelry

Yes, even the most diehard bling wearer is feeling the pinch of a tight economy. But all is not lost. There are alternatives – amazing alternatives like moissanite and Gemesis and Cubic Zircona – that offer that over-the-top jewelry experience for a fraction of the cost.

The tough economic climate also offers jewelry designers an opportunity to showcase their creative sides.

Take a look at some of these fun, micro pave pieces that let your bling sing!

Source: SoJones

The trend at star-studden ceremonies such as the MTV Music awards last week still remains subdued: a little understated but dazzling nonetheless. Many fashion critics raved over the Cameron Diaz’s simple but effective wide, textured metal white-metal cuff, sprinkled with diamonds set in yellow gold. More yellow gold encircles the cuff’s outer edges.

Vanessa Hudgens kept it simple as well with two pendant necklaces:

Sandra Bullock accented her outfit suitably, with little fanfare, with these mixed metal cylindrical earrings:

And any star in the know knows they can’t go wrong with diamond stud earrings, like these worn by Hayden Panettiere:

Take a look at our diamond stud earrings, bound to please any loved one and accent any outfit perfectly, whether its the red carpet or a simple night out on the town:

Style 1177MS-2.10ct

Cushion Cut Moissanite Stud Earrings

Antique cushion cut stud earrings, four prong wire basket settings with friction backs and Charles and Colvard created moissanite. 2.10ct t.w. (dia equiv, 6mm stones)

Many people walk into Joseph Schubach Jewelers, confessing they know very little about engagement rings. Of course, we're more than happy to help them through the process. An ill-executed engagement ring, well…could end up in a lack of an engagement!

So here, for your amusement (and warning!) are several photos of some of the worst engagement rings we could find:

Okay, now erase those images from your memory…please. And take a look at one of our decidedly non-ugly engagement rings…so you know the difference:

Cushion Cut Moissanite Ring With Pave' Diamonds And Six Genuine Sapphires

As our collective purse strings pull a little tighter, luxury items like jewelry may begin to seem out of reach. But actually, this is the time to treat and adorn yourself. It's sort of an "outside in" approach; when you feel better about your look, you attract more plenty.

That's right. Look rich and get rich!

The nice part with the trends of this season is they are affordable as well. At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we're happy to work with you to create jewelry that is distinctly yours.

So what are some of the hot looks for jewelry this year?

Look toward India for the answer. As our global awareness increases, India and it's bright, rich colors are bedecking more and more women around the world. The palette of colors? Warm, with corals, yellow and turquoise taking the foreground.

Take a look at the photo below for colorful inspiration.

Even though we have 3 generations of stellar jewelry service under our belt, we know the importance of changing with the times. Facebook has seen a massive increase in traffic in the past year. Just look at some of the statistics:

Freshwater pearls have a bad rap. They are often considered the poor step-cousin to the ever-glamorous saltwater pearl. For many years, freshwater pearls came in awkward sizes, rough textures and garish colors. But the past ten years, the freshwater pearls have experienced a real “makeover” in the jewelry world.

Freshwater pearl farmers have revamped their cultivation and processing techniques, creating a pearl that is comparable to saltwater pearls in luster and nacre.

Thing is, seawater pearls are very regulated to ensure that the customer is only presented with the cream of the crop, whereas freshwater pearls don’t have the same restrictions. In other words, you have to find the right jewelry dealer with the highest quality product.

That’s where we come in. For a short time only, we’re offering luscious, high-quality freshwater pearls at a price that won’t cost a lot of clams.

As the economy worsens, more customers are opting for the quality, revamped pearls, which give expensive cultured pearls a run for their money…literally.

Take a look at the photo below (courtesy of The Pearl Outlet) of a strand of saltwater pearls (running close to $19,000) entwined with a strand of freshwater pearls:

Click on the photograph. Look closely. Can you tell the difference? That’s how far Freshwater Pearls have come!

For the full pearl experience, view our
wide array of oversized Chinese Freshwater Pearl necklaces, available
for a limited time only.

Shop our Joseph Schubach Freshwater Pearls Now!

Today, Seth Godin posted an article about great customer service and how much this is worth. In his post, Seth mentions being stuck in an airport trying to figure out how to transfer your seat home from one airline to another (especially appropriate this holiday season!). The question he poses is, "Would you pay $20 to talk to a competent,
empowered agent who answered on the first ring?" (Read the article
here.)

My staff and I pride ourselves on the level of customer service and knowledge that we offer our customers. We have taken our three generations of jewelry expertise and successfully moved it to the world of the Internet. We like to say that we offer the same service to our customers whether they live in our home town of Scottsdale, AZ, or anywhere in the world.

But, as Seth states, today's dilemma is, "Increasingly, the web makes pricing cutthroat. And service suffers, because it's expected for free."

Everyone knows that superior service is not free, it costs plenty to attract, train and maintain qualified individuals who not only know their stuff, but can successfully communicate and work with customers to help them with their needs. And, fine jewelry is not a simple widget-type product to work with, it's very complicated. You cannot take a person who was selling mens socks one day and move them into the loose diamond or custom jewelry design departments the next day.

So what is this level of service worth and how does it fit in with the 'cutthroat' nature of the web today? What is it worth to be able to get on the phone with a real, live, knowledgeable professional to obtain product information, to gain peace of mind about a major purchase like jewelry, or to troubleshoot an issue should one arise? I encourage you to give our customer service oriented online business a try and see for yourself what a difference good old fashioned customer service can make.

Joseph Schubach Jewelers expands its diamond offering
online with the Bridal Ring Builder program, an online
database of over 30,000 certified loose diamonds and a
collection of over 50 new, customizable engagement rings.

Now you can explore one of the largest inventories of loose
diamonds from the world's leading diamond cutters – and design
your own engagement ring – from the comfort and ease of your
home. And when you're ready for some expert help, the staff at
Joseph Schubach Jewelers will be there to answer any questions
you might have. We can even bring the diamonds into our office
for you to view and inspect prior to purchasing. The ease of
online shopping with the peace of mind of professional help,
it's just another way for you to have the diamond jewelry of
your dreams! Visit our website and start dreaming today!

While an early bird special usually refers to a late
afternoon meal at the local buffet, we’re using the idea as an
opportunity for you to save some money on a custom jewelry
design before the holiday rush starts.

Between now and
November 15th, 2008 save 1/2 on custom design fees. It’s a great
opportunity to save money and get your holiday shopping out of
the way ahead of time. So if you’re thinking about having a
special piece of jewelry made for your loved one this holiday
season, now is a great time to act! Call our custom jewelry
specialists today for assistance or visit our custom jewelry
page.

The price of platinum jewelry is falling and, actually, the metal is currently less than 1/2 price. Back in February of this year we sent a newsletter featuring the cost benefits of using alternative metals due to platinum’s high price.

Well, the price of platinum has now dropped from over $2200/oz earlier in the year to under $900/oz as of today. Now is a great time to take advantage of this unusual situation and have a platinum anniversary band, a platinum engagement ring or any other piece of platinum jewelry made. Visit our website or call us today for assistance.