Happy Stories From our customers

Ads are often subjective. We’re used to hearing that one product or service is the best, the fastest, the cheapest, etc. But Zales is up against a lawsuit where those claims may be put to the test:

A federal judge in Ohio will weigh in Monday on a legal tussle with ramifications for the diamond world: whether the Zales jewelry chain should be allowed to advertise that its rocks are the brightest.

Sterling Jewelers Inc., a unit of Signet Jewelers Ltd., SIG +1.74% which also owns the Kay Jewelers and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry chains, has filed a lawsuit accusing Zale Corp. ZLC -2.63% of false advertising for claiming its Celebration Fire stones are the “most brilliant diamonds in the world.”

Sterling, based in Akron, Ohio, wants to force Zale to scrap a multimillion-dollar ad campaign as it heads into one of the busiest sales week of the year; on Monday, the judge will consider Sterling’s request for a preliminary injunction. The company also is seeking millions of dollars in damages from Zale, which is based in Irving, Texas.

The Federal Trade Commission allows advertising that makes subjective claims, according to an agency spokeswoman. But a spokesman for Signet, David Bouffard, said the brilliance of a diamond can be “systematically, reliably and scientifically measured” and shouldn’t fall under those protections.

Read more at the Wall Street Journal.

I have ALWAYS had reservation about buying a gem stones over the internet. I have seen thousands of offerings. Joe Schubach has been the only one that provided sufficient detailed information and personalized service to warrant a purchase from me. The skill in setting the stone was superb. Joe’s goldsmith left ZERO marks on the stones table and crown. Brilliant work. I would buy again with confidence.

JJ

Listen, we love romance here at Joseph Schubach Jewelers. It’s the reason we’ve been in business for over 100 years! But we also like to play devil’s advocate occasionally. Guest blogger Beth Mann came up with these 3 reasons not to propose over the holidays.

1. Holidays are stressful enough! Seriously, between overspending, strained family dynamics and your drunken Uncle Harold, do you really want to add popping the question to the mix?

2. Engagements should be their own “holiday.” Why not propose on a day that is meaningful to the two of you, like the day you met or the first time you saw Lord of the Rings together? Or if you truly want it to be a surprise, why not choose an arbitrary day, like, say, Arbor Day?

3. A Christmas memory to forget. And of course, there’s a chance she may say no (even to you, Prince Charming). From that point on, Christmas will be a constant reminder of the day your heart was crushed like a cheap tree ornament.

Of course, we say if you’re inspired to propose over the holidays, go for it. But be aware or it could be very ho, ho, horrible!

http://youtu.be/KrgNxqyQAAs

It’s that time of the year again. The bright lights, the dazzling outfits…and the sparkling jewelry. Jewelry often gets overlooked when dressing for the holidays, but what adds more sparkle to an outfit?

I found this easy jewelry cleaning  recipe in the Huffington Post that won’t take you long and the luminous rewards will be many!

Just remember: no toothpaste!

Here are a few suggestions for an at-home do-it-yourself cleaning that can really help brighten up your favorite jewelry items. This method will work on yellow or white gold or platinum jewelry set with most gemstones including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, tanzanite, amethyst, blue topaz and many others. Do not soak pearls, opals, onyx, emeralds or other soft gemstones, which may be damaged by the cleaning solution.

You need to give your jewelry a good bath in a diluted solution of water and a common household non-caustic cleaning solution.

In a small jar, mix about 1/3 parts household cleaner with 2/3 parts water. I recommend either Mr. Clean, Fantastic, 409, Windex or even one of those little jars of jewelry cleaner you get at the local store. The nice thing about those is they come with a little basket and a brush. If they contain some ammonia it’s OK, but bleach can react badly with some metals.

The trick to really cleaning the back of the stone and all the hard-to-get-at little nooks and crannies is to soak the item overnight. This gives the cleaning solution a chance to dissolve the built up “stuff” in all those hard-to-reach places. After your jewelry has soaked for several hours, place a wash cloth in the bathroom sink, close the sink drain and turn on the cold water. Hold the ring firmly (it will be slippery) over the wash cloth and rinse it in the running water. You can even use a wet toothbrush to poke at the open areas of your jewelry to help remove any loose remaining “stuff.”

Sparking and ready to go! Classic wire basket lever back earrings with Charles and Colvard created round Moissanite. $435