Happy Stories From our customers

In honor of last night’s Tonys, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of Broadways’s jewelry trends. Where else do you get the showiest, most fun and flamboyant looks after all?

This headpiece certainly caught our eye. Not simply because of its historic beauty, but the ingenuity behind creating it. From the musical Anastasia (about the youngest Romanov princess) costume designer Linda Cho created this headpiece based on the look of the Russian kokoshnik (a traditional folk headdress). But even though the look is luxe, the price was just right:

According to News Observer:

“There’s a place called Earrings Plaza, a wholesaler near Koreatown,” said Cho, who is nominated for a Tony for her costumes. “All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

Now that’s creative and economical…something we certainly encourage when it comes to jewelry!

“All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

“Anastasia”

For the musical about the youngest Romanov princess, Linda Cho created this onion-domed piece based on the Russian kokoshnik, a traditional folk headdress. Pearls drape over the face like a curtain, and a veil cascades behind. Embedded in the piece are decorative fabrics and jewels, jewels and more jewels.

“There’s a place called Earrings Plaza, a wholesaler near Koreatown,” said Cho, who is nominated for a Tony for her costumes. “All the jewelry there is between $1 and $5 so I bought a ton of it and we sewed.”

We talk a lot here about “fire” and “brilliance” and “scintillation.” But it doesn’t mean much if the lighting isn’t complimenting your diamond. Consider it like a dance, where two partners (the light and the gem) work together to create the best performance possible.

A GIA researcher has this to say:

If you think of a diamond like “a series of mirrors reflecting its environment,” it can help you understand how light and location can change the way your diamond appears. When you look at your diamond, you are also seeing a reflection of the surrounding environment, including yourself.

You can test this theory yourself:

Hold the diamond at arm’s length and look at how bright it is and how the pattern of dark and light appears. Now, gradually bring it closer to your eye. By the time it gets very close, the area of dark pattern in the diamond has grown and is much more prominent.

So when purchasing a diamond, what’s the best way to test its overall appearance? We believe its best to look at it in the type of lighting where you’ll most typically wear it. Ultimately your choice of a diamond is a highly personal choice so there’s no definitive right or wrong. Check out the example below.

These diamonds display high, moderate and low brightness under fluorescent light. Photos by Eric Welch/GIA

If you’re like many women we know, you’re a big fan of neutral colors. And we get it: neutral shades are easy to pair with other neutral shades. And if you have a busy schedule, you just don’t have time to match colors when you’re on the run.

But your outfit might not be speaking as boldly as you’d like. It’s easy to drown in a sea of beige, leaving your fashion choices to come across as nondescript. And we know you’re anything but boring, right?

That’s where accessories come in (and yes, jewelry counts…yay!)

Wikipedia defines accessories as:

Fashion accessories can be loosely categorized into two general areas: those that are carried and those that are worn. Traditional carried accessories include purses and handbags, eyewear, hand fans, parasols and umbrellas, wallets, canes, and ceremonial swords.

Accessories that are worn may include jackets, boots and shoes, cravats, ties, hats, bonnets, belts and suspenders, gloves, muffs, jewelry, watches, sashes, shawls, scarves, lanyards, socks, and stockings.

Now, we know you may not have many ceremonial swords in your closet, but accessories cover a wide scope. And that’s where color comes in.

Review your closet and see where you could brighten up your wardrobe with accessories. As jewelers, we see an increasing trend in customers searching out brightly colored jewelry, including brightly colored gemstones. Consider a custom design piece of jewelry packed with color, for instance. That alone can take a so-so outfit to a sensational outfit.

So dare to add some color to your accessory world. Just a splash of it goes a long way!

The diamond market is an interesting barometer of purchasing trends and our economy as a whole. This latest report indicates that millenials are making their mark as well as single and/or married women who are “self-purchasing” diamond jewelry more frequently than ever (good for you, ladies!).

(IDEX Online) – Total diamond jewelry demand from US consumers increased 4.4 percent in 2016 to exceed $40 billion for the first time, according to industry insight data published today by De Beers Group.

While slower US GDP growth in the first quarter of 2017 is likely to have impacted diamond jewelry demand in the short term, the US has recorded five years of consecutive demand growth. US consumers now account for roughly half of all diamond jewelry purchases globally – a level not seen since before the financial crisis.

Although bridal diamond jewelry continues to be the foundation of demand in the US, more frequent acquisitions and a higher value of spend from single women helped drive demand. Meanwhile, self-purchase trends increased among both single and married women.

Fifty-seven percent of self-purchased diamond jewelry is acquired by married women, while a third is from Millennials. Retailers also reported high levels of consumer interest for multi-diamond pieces.

To be noted, consumers are paying more for their jewelry, opting for quality over quantity:

The data showed that consumers are spending more per piece on diamond jewelry, with retailers reporting an increase in the $1,000 to $4,999 category, De Beers claimed.

This confirms our tried and true philosophy: when it comes to jewelry, you get what you pay for. If you’re interested in a custom design piece that defines you, reach out to us and let’s talk dreams.