Happy Stories From our customers

Times are tough. Your big day may require a little…adjusting in order to fit a tight budget. Or even if budget isn’t an issue, your real focus may be on a great wedding ring but a bracelet on your right wrist might not be as important. Here are some tips from Glamour Online that will help you look your most glamourous without breaking the bank:

Stick to spots that no one will be scrutinizing. Some of your guests may want to see your new wedding ring. So lay off the faux stuff on your left hand. I totally rocked a stretchy rhinestone bracelet on my right hand that was $8 from Duane Reade, a chain of convenience stores in New York! From afar, it fit right in with the real jewelry (close up was a different story, but no one was eyeballing my right wrist!). Other areas that are safe for fakes: your hair and your ears.

Make pals with polish or a DIY remedy for tarnished baubles. Nothing reveals fake jewelry’s dirty little secret more than rusty or otherwise discolored spots.

Go for pieces that could be heirlooms. Vintage-style accoutrements have such a distinctive air, whether or not they fall into the real-jewelry category. If it goes with your wedding-day look, opt for some sparkle that seems ripped from another era.

Here’s some additional points from readers:

“If you’re blending real and fake pearls, take the real ones with you when you go shopping for the falsies. And if your dress has beading, rhinestones or embroidery, ask the shop to snip or sell you a few for color comparison.”

“I wore J Crew earrings and bracelets and the photographer asked me if they were heirloom! I am sure the vintage look helped but they were fabulous!”

“I really don’t care if people know what I’m wearing is “fake” or not. I have no problem whatsoever with costume jewelry–why pay all that money for something you might wear a handful of times?”

“My tennis bracelet and my solitaire earrings are real diamonds but I wanted to wear dangle earrings since I was wearing my hair up so my husband bought me CZ drop earrings, I took them apart, added o-rings, and slipped them behind my real diamond solitaires. No one could tell the difference.”

Here’s a moissanite and cubic zirconia piece that is finely crafted and perfect for couples on a tight budget:

Style 10310-

Save 40% Custom Created Moissanite Engagement Ring Wtih Pave CZ Side Stones

Custom created engagement ring with a 1.50ct (dia equiv) Charles and Colvard created round brilliant moissanite center and nearly 200 round cubic zirconia pave’ side stones in 14kt white gold, one piece only in ring size 7.

Save 40%! Use the coupon code below for discount at the end of the checkout process.

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Our Price: $3,295.00
Sale Price: $1,977.00

We just finished this yummy ring for a local client of ours. It’s new to the line, exclusive to us, and not on the site yet. If anyone wants to ooohhh and ahhhhh over it, give us a call and we’ll ooohhhh and ahhhhh with you!

We’ve shown it with a couple of matching wedding bands. Seems that having multiple wedding bands is all the rage right now. Also, multiple wedding bands make great anniversary and occasion presents!

As usual, you can have this ring made with any stone, metal and combination you prefer! Better photos forthcoming.

Joe and Beth,

I just wanted to thank you both for your help in picking out the right wedding band.  I was already happy with the engagement ring and you did it again.  Beth, you truly do have an eye for what looks best so both Janelle (my fiance) and myself want to thank very much.

Todd

We see your back for another Joseph Schubach jewelry lesson. We had a feeling you’d return. So boys and girls, today a quick introduction to Elizabethan jewelry, thanks to the people at Elizabethancostume.net.

Compared to the complex faceted cuts used on modern gems, the art of gem faceting in the 16th century was quite rudimentary. The common cuts of today’s stones were not in use in the 1500s, which can make finding authentic-looking jewelry difficult. In the 16th century most gems were cabochon cut, with a smooth, rounded top, or table-cut (a cabochon with the top cut off, creating a flat surface.) They were oval or square in shape.

For very hard stones, like diamonds, a pyramid-cut which created a pointed gem was used. Later in the century the hog-back cut was invented (beveling the table-cut gem around the edges to create what we consider the classic “emerald” cut), and around 1600 the rose-cut, which made gems glitter and sparkle more. There was, however, a great deal of complex gem-carving in the 16th century. Cameo carvings were popular, as were semi-precious stones carved into the shape of ships, women, and animals. Gems used in 16th century jewelry included the diamond, ruby, emerald, opal, topaz, and sapphire. Other hard stones, used for beads and cameos, included turquoise (called “Turkey stone”), carnelian, jasper, onyx, bloodstone, moss agate, chalcedony, crysoprase and sardonyx. Freshwater and sea pearls were both used.

In the 16th century, the goldwork of a piece of jewelry was as esteemed as the jewels it surrounded. The modern prong-setting for jewels was rarely seen. In the early 1500s the settings for jewels were often plain gold wrapped around the bottom of the gem, but after 1540 they began to become more and more elaborate, often imitating petals or acanthus leaves, sometimes more impressive then the jewels themselves.

Pearls were also an integral aspect of 16th century jewelry. They could be worn singly, in strands. They could be clustered in twos and fours and combined with goldwork to create elaborate billiments, necklaces or girdles. They could be sewn to clothing singly, set in elaborate goldwork settings, or used to decorate hairstyles. Goldwork, especially goldwork depicting a particular scene or item, was often enameled with colored glass. To moden eyes this tends to look “cheap” in comparison to plain gold and jeweled items, but it was very much to the taste of 16th century women.

Ann

The Client’s Letter:

Hi Beth and Joe

I took Friday off work to go to Cologne to pick my ring up from my aunt, and just wanted to let you know, that I have become an absolute magpie!!!

I love my ring, love the look, the feel, the stone everything. And the size is perfect!!

Thank you so much for working with me on this. I have already started telling friends and family about Schubach jewelers.

Thanks also to the goldsmith who did the craft work, and added their touch!

I have had a very good experience working with you, and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again if I had another “project”.

Best regards,
Nicolette

It’s happened to the best of: the ring went on so easily, then somehow, it doesn’t want to come off.

First, don’t panic. Fingers swell all the time for many reasons. Sometimes just waiting it out is enough. But if the panic gets the better of you, here are a few tips:

• Lather soap all over your finger. Put your finger under warm water. Pull on it until it slips loose.




• Envelop your finger from the ring up as tight as you can with clingy plastic food wrap. Grease up the ring and your swollen finger below the clingy wrap. Wait a couple of minutes then pull the ring and the clingy wrap at the same time.




• Spray window cleaner on the ring. This works better than lotion because it doesn’t damage the precious stones and leaves the ring shiny when you finally get the ring off your swollen finger.




• Wrap tape around your finger just past the ring. Leave the tape on for 30 minutes. Ice your hand while holding it above your heart for another 15 minutes. Take off the tape and spray window cleaner on your finger. Twist the ring around your finger while pulling it off.




• Take a piece of thick string and wrap it very tightly down to the ring starting from the top of your finger. Put the end of the string under the ring then pull up slowly working up over the top of the string.

Read more: How to Get a Ring Off of a Swollen Finger | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2069704_get-ring-off-swollen-finger.html#ixzz10q4sdWvW

Style 6861WB

Comfort Fit Wedding Band With Satin Finished Edges

14kt white gold comfort fit wedding band, satin finished with high polished edges.

Zales was a good example of a tumbling company during the last few years. Small signs and managerial changes show it may be holding it’s own and won’t be “pawned” any day soon:

Zale Corporation has signed a new agreement with Citibank to provide the private label credit card program at Zales, Zales Outlet and Gordon’s brands in the U.S.

The five-year deal, which goes into effect on October 1, 2010, replaces the jewelry retailer’s current agreement with Citibank which was scheduled to expire in March 2011. The agreement also provides an automatic renewal for two successive two-year terms.

Citibank cancelled a penalty owed by Zale for a shortfall in credit sales, and the new agreement reduced the annual minimum volume of credit card sales required by Zale from $600 million to $315 million. Citibank has also pledged to provide financial support for Zale’s marketing activities during the initial five year term of the contract.

Separately, Zale has named Theo Killion as chief executive officer (CEO) to permanently replace Neil Goldberg who stepped down from the position in January. Killion has served as interim CEO since Goldberg’s departure.

Killion joined Zale in January 2008 after serving in senior management positions at Tommy Hilfiger, Limited Brands, Macy’s East and the Home Shopping Network.

Source: Diamond.net

Hello, I just received engagement ring Style 9771-6.5mm from my fiance on Friday. I just want to let you know that I absolutely love it! It is so gorgeous, and I have received so many compliments! Could you please recommend some wedding bands that might go with it?

Thank you, Melissa

Engagement Ring With Side Bezel Accents