Jewelry News

Jackie O was a fashion plate for her generation. So obviously any jewelry she chose weighs heavily at auctions – even if it’s not the real deal!

A three-strand pearl necklace belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis will be auctioned off as part of Bonham’s “Pioneers of Popular Culture” Sale on August 15th.

According to British auction house, Bonhams, the necklace Jackie wore in the 60s is made from champagne-colored pearls with an emerald and diamond sterling silver clasp, with an estimated price of $39,300 to $47,200.

Yet, insider sources are buzzing that Mrs. Kennedy’s neck candy is only worth about a few hundred bucks. The First Lady often chose to wear simulated pearls since she was prone to misplacing them, so it’s the Jackie O legacy that’s driving the price skyward.

Source: Jewelry.com

If 30 or 40 grand is out of your price range, consider our phenomenal freshwater price at a very un-auction price:

Single Strand Freshwater Cultured Pearls

Single strand freshwater cultured pearls, 17″ with 14kt yellow gold clasp.

8.5mm-9.5mm: Now $299
9.5mm-10.5mm: Now $399
10.5mm-11.5mm: Now $499

Fancy Colored Diamonds

You may or may not know that diamonds come in all of the colors of the rainbow, from reds and pinks to blues, greens and yellows. However, not all fancy colored diamonds get their color naturally. Below is an article explaining the color enhancement processes of natural diamonds.

COLOR ENHANCEMENT OF NATURAL DIAMONDS
TREATMENT OF DIAMONDS TO CHANGE THEIR COLOR HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1940’S. INITIALLY IT WAS DONE BY EXPOSING THEM TO RADIATION FOLLOWED BY HEAT TREATMENT (ANNEALING). THIS PROCESS IS SIMILAR TO SANITIZING FOOD PRODUCTS. THE RESULTING DIAMONDS ARE FREE OF RADIATION AND SAFE TO USE. THIS TREATMENT PRODUCES COLORS OF BLUE, YELLOW, GREEN, AND VERY RARELY PINKS AND REDS. WHILE THESE COLORS ARE PERMANENT, INDUSTRY TEST SUGGEST CAUTION BE USED FOR EXPOSURE TO TEMPERATURE ABOVE 300-400 C.
Since the 1990’s, the color of diamonds has also been altered by HPHT process (High Pressure High Temperature). Polished or rough diamonds (natural and synthetic) are processed in the lab under very high pressures and temperatures, mimicking conditions deep in the earth where diamonds are formed. Depending on the composition of the diamond the results could be colorless as well as yellow, green, orange, and very rarely pink and blue. Colors produced by HPHT are permanent and they have the same features as a regular natural diamond.
There are other methods of diamond treatment such as PVD (pressurized vapor deposit), a color coating scheme, and clarity enhancements such as lasering, [fracture filling] treating, or filling. Color treatment can be done on any synthetic or [natural/minded] diamond. In the US these processes are done under strict and safe conditions.    Article written by Cendico Diamond

It seemed like only yesterday we were watching grow up in the Oval Office. Now, she’s grown up and marrying a college beau.

Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky were married in an interfaith ceremony on July 31, 2010, at the Astor Courts Estate in Rhinebeck, New York. The estate was built by John Jacob Astor IV in the early years of the twentieth century, and sits on the Hudson River, a couple of hours north of New York City.Chelsea’s wedding jewelry included diamond earrings — each earring was made from two clusters of diamonds set to resemble small flowers. Her diamond bracelet repeated a single version of the floral setting.

Chelsea Clinton’s engagement ring is partially obscured by her bouquet, but the ring appears to be fashioned from a princess, emerald or Asscher cut diamond set in platinum (About Square & Rectangular Diamonds)

Chelsea’s strapless silk wedding gown was designed by Vera Wang, one of the couple’s 500 wedding guests. Chelsea’s mother, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wore a gown by Oscar de la Renta.

The floral appearance of Chelsea Clinton’s diamond earrings was repeated in the design of her diamond “tennis” bracelet.

Marc Mezvinsky, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and former U.S. President Bill Clinton pose during the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky at the Astor Courts Estate on July 31, 2010 in Rhinebeck, New York.

Photo by Barbara Kinney via Getty Images

source: About.com – Jewelery and Accessories

60-plus ct. yellow diamond in 18k gold

We just had to show you a picture of this beauty. It was a recent winner at the recent JCK Las Vegas 2010.

According to one of JCK’s correspondents:

The 60+ Carat Yellow

Sure, there were plenty of diamonds strewn around the Venetian, but only one reached jawbreaker proportions. Amir Goldfiner, owner of Rahaminov Diamonds in Los Angeles, proudly presented his diamond—a radiant-cut, 60-plus ct. fancy vivid yellow—for the first time at JCK Las Vegas.

“A stone like that is crazy,” he says.

The rough responsible for the rock weighed several hundred carats; one of Goldfiner’s cutters spent nearly a year whittling down the original mass to its current size and shape. (The stone is now set in an 18k gold ring.)

Yet Goldfiner is reluctant to divulge much else, like grade or exact weight.

“I want to maintain the mystique,” he tells JCK, alluding to a possible auction sale. “There are very few stones like it in the world.”

And the price for that kind of ice? If you have to ask… —Jennifer Heebner

We’re here to tell you that a piece like this can be yours – and no, you don’t have to be drippingly wealthy. Gemesis is a magnificent fancy colored gem that will knock your socks off. Consider a piece like this for our upcoming custom design contest (details soon!)

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.

No, we’re not talking about copper jewelry that turns green from oxidation. Eco-friendly jewelry is becoming an increasingly popular term in our world.

More and more people are become aware of the damaging effects of mining around the world. And many are opting for jewelry that has an “eco-friendly” status. But what does that mean exactly? Is your jewelry of a lesser quality?

From our website:

Are recycled metals as high quality as non-recycled metals?

Precious metals can be repeatedly recycled with no degradation in quality.

Gold and other metals are refined in order to remove impurities. Since gold and silver are elements, they are the same in the pure form, regardless of the source. There is absolutely no difference in the quality of the product you buy.

But there is a difference in how you feel purchasing recycled metals. It’s good to know that your jewelry purchase did not harm the ecosystem and you’re doing your part for this green planet!

Joseph Schubach Jewelers prides itself in our responsible, earth-friendly practices and a deep sense of community awareness. That means we care about the effect our business has on the planet.

In conjunction with the Harmony Metals program from Hoover and Strong, one of the greenest metal suppliers in the industry, we create pieces of jewelry that make you feel good on the outside and the inside!

Here’s a stunning example of an eco-friendly engagement ring made of 100% recycled material. Notice any difference? We didn’t think so:

This piece is made using 100% recycled metals and is proudly made in the USA. We strictly follow the Kimberly Process guidelines.

Eco-friendly Round Engagement Ring With Side Stones

You see the label all the time. Or perhaps you see it less frequently than you remember. But what does “Made in the USA” really mean when it comes to your jewelry purchase? What if your necklace is made in the US but the gems were imported from India (as in the case below)?

These latest rulings will give you a clearer idea (hopefully) on the real meaning of the label:

To illustrate the point, consider two example cases (loosely based on actual inquiries) addressed by the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) below.

Two inquiries on origin

In the first inquiry, a manufacturer’s representative asked the JVC if the company could advertise a white gold sapphire necklace produced in New England as “Made in the USA.” The sapphires for the necklace were cut, polished and imported as loose stones from India, but the findings and chain were from a U.S. source.

The second inquiry involved finished rings that were imported from Thailand, checked for quality control at their U.S. destination, then boxed and shipped to retail stores. The wholesaler asked if he was required to provide “country of origin” information on the rings by marking or other means.

Before you read about the outcome, it’s important to understand a little bit more about the prerequisites of a “Made in the USA” claim:

First, for a product to qualify as “all or virtually all” made in the United States, the final assembly must take place in this country. To justify a “Made in the USA” claim if foreign articles are used in the manufacturing process, they must be substantially transformed in the United States, resulting in a new article of commerce that has a new use.

Even if the article is substantially transformed here, if the resulting product is then assembled or processed further, outside the United States, the FTC will not consider that product to be one that is “Made in the USA.”

So what happened in the cases mentioned above?

In the first matter, regarding the necklace, the imported material–gemstones–will be combined with domestically sourced materials to make a necklace. While the final manufacturing process will take place in this country, the gemstones were cut and polished in India. For that reason, a qualified origin claim, such as “Made in the USA of U.S. and imported material” is appropriate.  Had the stones been sourced from India in rough form, then “substantially transformed” here by cutting and polishing, a “Made in the USA” claim for the bracelet would more likely meet FTC standards.

As to the second inquiry concerning whether the Thai-made rings need origin markings, the one-word answer is “yes.” The imported rings must be marked, or tagged, as “Made in Thailand” to comply with U.S. Customs law.

The JVC provided the inquiring jewelers with information about the relevant law and guidance as to country-of-origin descriptions for their products.

Joseph Schubach Jewelers has taken “Made in USA” seriously for three generations. Nearly 100% of our jewelry has been produced right here in the states.

From a marketing standpoint, celebrities and jewelry lines are a natural pairing. Jewelry lines don’t always get the attention they deserve, drowning in a sea of “other.” But bring a celebrity into the mix and suddenly, bam! The jewelry line in inextricably connected with the celebrity.

As this article points out, one bejeweled hands washes another!

What do Heidi Klum, Paula Abdul and Brad Pitt have in common?

They’re just a few of the stars who have partnered with manufacturers, to produce jewelry collections that let retailers dangle the celebrities’ names and images before an audience of fame-obsessed American consumers.

Jewelry manufacturers say partnerships with celebrities set them on the fast track toward a branded product. Instead of spending years on advertising and marketing, their brand gets instant name recognition.

“To go in the direction of branding, you have to look at all of the options out there,” says Chad C. Haggar, president and chief executive officer of Kristall Smolensk USA, which worked with American Idol host and former pop star Abdul on a jewelry collection that was launched last September.

The Innergy line, available at Sam’s Club stores, includes diamond charm pendants engraved with inspirational messages and priced from $250 to $500. Kristall Smolensk has several other celebrity partnerships in the works, but Haggar declined to reveal them before deals are complete.

“I think celebrities are kind of branding their name and associating their name with these products,” says Pascal Mouawad, president of Mouawad, which has collaborated with supermodel Klum on a jewelry collection for about three years.

By designing the collection, which includes about 100 pieces of fine jewelry priced from $300 to $80,000, Klum can offer her fans a product with more than just her stamp of approval as a spokesmodel. Klum is heavily involved in creating the line, and Mouawad provides the expertise in production and distribution.

“The collection is doing very well,” says Mouawad. “We’re building our distribution. It’s very well received.”

He attributes the success of the collection to three things: design, price and marketing.

In addition to her involvement in the design, Klum is extremely visible in the jewelry’s marketing, appearing in advertisements and at special events promoting the line, to help consumers make the connection between the products and her name and image.

A-list actor Brad Pitt partnered with Damiani for a fine jewelry collection after working with the designer to create weddings rings for himself and his wife, actress Jennifer Aniston.

“For us it has been both a personal and professional privilege to have the opportunity to work with such an outstanding talent as Brad Pitt,” says Giorgio Grassi Damiani, vice president of the Damiani group and president of Damiani USA. “He has a unique sense of style and, combined with his passion for design and architecture, he provides a very special perspective to the collections in which Damiani and he work together.”

One bejeweled hand washes the other.

Source: AllBusiness.com

Brad Pitt’s engagement ring to Jennifer Aniston. And remember, we can bring out your inner celebrity by designing a ring just like this, with your personal touch in mind:

You’ve heard the expression – all this glitters is not gold. Nowhere is this more true than this latest exhibit in London, showcasing some of the best of the best in fake jewelry throughout history:

“Brilliant Impressions: Antique Paste & Other Jewelry,” from June 15 to June 29 at S.J. Phillips, an antiques and silver dealer in London, is a charming, slyly subversive exhibition of 146 pieces of paste, “Vauxhall glass” and semiprecious jewels that tell the flip side of the story: How women with more style than means adorned themselves in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

“Each of these pieces that has survived is by no means run-of-the-mill,” said Diana Scarisbrick, a world-renowned jewelry historian who wrote the exhibition’s catalogue — to which Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue, provided a foreword.

“The majority of the pieces are from the 18th century, a very high point in jewelry design, and the pieces are set the same as you’d find with beautiful diamonds,” Mrs. Scarisbrick said.

Mostly sourced from an anonymous English collector, the false jewels in the exhibition attest to a tradition of craftsmanship and beauty to rival that of the genuine jewels from which they took their inspiration. They offer a powerful testament to the timelessness of certain styles of adornment, in particular, those that offer substantial looks at modest prices.

Many of the pieces in the exhibition would be indistinguishable from today’s statement jewels, including a Carmen Miranda-esque pair of girandole pink and white paste earrings that date to the early 18th century, and a dramatic bib necklace of bullet-shaped beads composed of French jet, the black glass version of the organic gem that once littered the shores of Whitby, in north-eastern England.

At their best, the pieces in the show feel pregnant with history, as with a late 18th century aigrette, or plume-like ornament, composed of chrysoberyl and tawny topaz discovered during Portugal’s mid-century foray into the mineral-rich Brazilian interior. At £20,000, or about $29,000, the aigrette, designed as a headdress decoration, is the exhibition’s most expensive piece. The oldest is a cluster pendant of rose-cut rock crystal dating to 1670.

“It’s the first exhibition of its type and quality that’s been done,” said Francis Norton, a director of S.J. Phillips.

17th century blue paste bow pendant from Kunsthandel Inez Stodel

Source: New York Times

We’ve discussed the gold selling trend a few times in the last few months. But trends, in their usual fashion, are always changing. Here’s a recent article that details some pertinent information regarding selling gold. Remember, forewarned is forearmed. With our 100-year-old business, we understand buying and selling gold in all its complexities and all economical climates. Contact us directly if you’re thinking of selling your gold.

With the price of gold near record highs, many are selling their gold chains and broken pocket watches at Tupperware-style parties or by mail to outfits like Super Bowl advertiser Cash4Gold.

That could be a sign of the times – people are desperate for cash – or a sign that gold has more room to run.

“Bubbles never blow up without the American investor class being overexposed to the item that’s in the bubble,” says Nick Zaharias, a consultant to hedge funds who put 30 percent of his family’s assets in gold. If gold were near a peak, people would be buying, not selling gold at house parties and hotel rooms, he says.

If you want to cash in, here are some ways to avoid the Golden Fleece.

— Know the price. Gold is bought and sold at some percentage above or below the spot price, which changes constantly and can be found at sites such as Kitco.com or Coininfo.com. The more gold you sell, the better price you generally get. The price you see advertised might be what the dealer is paying for larger quantities, so be sure to ask.

Standard gold coins such as the American Golden Eagle, South African Krugerrand or Canadian Maple Leaf contain 1 ounce of gold and generally have no “collectible” value beyond their gold content, but check with a reputable coin dealer to be sure.

Robert Mish, of Mish International Monetary Inc. in Menlo Park, says he pays about 1 percent over the spot price for one or two such coins or 2 percent above spot “for reasonable volumes.”

With jewelry, don’t expect to get what you paid. “The retail markup is substantial, and a lot of the value is in the design and craftsmanship,” says Morningstar analyst Paul Justice. “If you melt it down, you will lose a lot of the value.”

Gold dealers generally won’t pay you for stones, so remove them before you weigh or sell your jewelry.

Gold that is 24-karat is considered pure, 18-karat is roughly 75 percent gold, and 14-karat is about 58 percent gold. In other words, one ounce of 14-karat gold contains about 0.58 ounce of gold. You can estimate the value of gold using the calculator at gold.yabz.com/jewelry.htm.

Just because gold is stamped 14- or 18-karat doesn’t mean it’s real gold. There are various tests to see if gold is real. One hint: Pure gold is not magnetic. Check with a reputable jeweler to make sure.

— Shop around: “Usually you are better off dealing with an established brick-and-mortar place rather than companies that spend three or four days in a hotel room and disappear.

The established person is dependent on return customers,” says David Lazier, assistant director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s division of measurement standards, which enforces the state’s weights and measures laws.

In undercover sales, “We found a wide difference between what Company A and Company B are willing to pay. Sometimes you can say ‘I think it’s worth more’ and they will adjust the price,” Lazier adds.

Last summer Consumer Reports sold identical 18-karat gold chains and pendants to three mail-order outfits offering cash for gold and to pawn shops and jewelry stores in three states. “The cash-for-gold companies paid 11 to 29 percent of the day’s market price for gold; the other venues, about 35 to 70 percent,” it reported.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/14/BUFU1DUU7F.DTL#ixzz0qvocl3F1