Happy Stories From our customers

So you just read the title and you’re sighing already. Spiritual power of gemstones? How is that possible? What kind of new-agey post is this?

But think of it: people do become deeply attached to a piece of jewelry. Many consider it their “good luck charm.” So maybe there’s some truth to it afterall. Take a read…wait. Let’s light a candle first:

Ahh…that’s much better. Nothing like a little ambiance:

Gem stones hold onto energies. It is this which makes them so helpful in magical tasks and healing. They act as containers for magical energy. This makes gem stones ideal as altar tools and charms for spells.

For healing, stones are willing to have disease transferred into them. They then hold onto it until it can be safely flushed away. Healing stones don’t need to be gem stones – river and lake stones work wonderfully.

This ability to hold onto energy also means that new gem stones aren’t “fresh.” They are holding energies from past owners, people who mined them, people who polished and set and sold them, and people who held them in the shop before you picked them up . . .

So take care to cleanse all new stones thoroughly before using them.

Popular Gem Stones And Their Meaning

	Amethyst	Healing on all levels – body, mind, and spirit. Raises vibrational frequency and protects against negative energies.
	Amber	Transmutes negative energy into positive. Bridges conscious self to the Divine.
	Diamond	Purifies. Amplifies thoughts and feelings – both positive and negative.
	Hematite	Grounding. Clarifies thought, improves memory, and calms anxiety.
	Lapis Lazuli	Deep wisdom and intuition. Opens the third eye and leads to enlightenment.
	Moonstone	Balances yin and yang. Enhances the inner feminine, and acceptance for yin attributes.
	Opal	Amplifies emotion, insight, and spontaneity. Very potent, and can cause difficulties with the wrong person. Each colour of opal has its own properties.
	Pearl	Pure mind and heart. Balances emotions and reduces stress.
	Quartz Crystal	Attracts, amplifies, and sends energy. Easy and safe. Useful for all kinds of healing.
	Rose Quartz	Balances yin and yang, restoring harmony after emotional wounding.
	Turquoise	Highly spiritual yet grounding. Uplifting to unconditional Love. Aligns chakras and opens heart.

Precious Metals

	Gold	Symbol of the Sun and the God, as well as purity of spirit and eternity.
	Silver	Symbol of the Moon and the Goddess, the soul, and the beauty of the Wheel of Life.
	White Gold	Symbol of the pure and eternal Light of the Divine, the union of Goddess and God in One, the Spirit manifest in physical for

Source: Wicca Spirituality

Dear Joe,

I felt compelled to write you re: one of your employees, Beth Nicastro. She is, without a doubt, FABULOUS! I have been dealing with her since last year and each and every time we have had to work together, she is nothing but professional, extremely courteous and always prompt to get back to me and keep me updated on the status of my purchase.

In short, Beth is a joy to deal with. I will definitely purchase more jewelry in the future from your store mainly because of her — besides the beauty and quality of the pieces I have already purchased — because good customer service (and, as far as I’m concerned, Beth provides PERFECT customer service!), is hard to find.

Many thanks,

WOW!!!!  Theres not much else to say!

Misty

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:

We fancy ourselves educators at Joseph Schubach Jewelers. Every week, we instill upon you yet another history lesson connected to the wide world of jewelry.

Of course, we don’t quiz you at the end (though we might – you never know) but we hope you’ll become more informed buyers of moissanite, Gemesis, diamonds, gold, platinum and all the other special gems and metals we have to offer.

Today, a very interesting history of the engagement ring, thanks to the people at Ancient Jewelry Facts.

Since at least 5000 BC, men and women have worn rings – on their thumbs, fingers and even toes.

Some rings have been purely decorative, seal rings and archers’ rings have had useful purposes, while a few have been thoroughly nasty specimens, harboring poison that turned a handshake into a deadly clasp.

The earliest written reference to rings as love tokens is in the second century BC, in works by the Roman playwright Plautus.

The practice of exchanging wedding rings, apparently common in Rome, was “Christianized” by the 4th century AD.An early example of an engagement ring featuring Eros, the ancient symbol of love.

By the 14th century, wealthy Europeans had their wedding rings set with precious jewels, somewhat like modern engagement rings, but it was not until 1477 that the diamond engagement ring as we know it came into being.

That year, the Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian I gave a diamond engagement ring to his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy. This first instance of a royal engagement ring fueled the European passion for diamonds, already aflame by the taste for fine jewels promoted by Mary’s father, Charles the Bold (1433–77).

As the dukes of Burgundy controlled Europe’s major diamond–cutting centers in Antwerp and Bruges, Charles’ encouragement of wealthy Europeans to buy diamonds appears to have a commercial side.

By the 16th century, it seemed no royal marriage was complete without a diamond ring. Mary, Queen of Scots, chose one when she married Lord Darnley in 1565 and in 1673, James II of England sent a diamond ring to Mary of Modena for their proxy wedding in 1673.

In 1839, Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a diamond ring as a memento of their first meeting, perhaps inadvertently setting the royal seal of approval on diamond engagement rings.

It was during the second half of the 19th century that the practice of giving two rings for the bride became firmly established.

Prince Philip carried on the royal diamond tradition when he gave his fiancée, now Queen Elizabeth II, an engagement ring made with diamonds from the tiara of his mother, Princess Alice.

Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon gave his fiancée a diamond engagement ring that he said was the same one his father gave his mother, and his grandfather King Olav gave to Queen Martha.

Not every royal lady has had diamonds in her engagement ring. The Queen Mother’s ring was sapphire and diamonds, as was Princess Anne’s. Lady Diana Spencer was given a £42,000 sapphire and diamond engagement ring by Prince Charles, while Sarah Ferguson received a ruby and diamond engagement ring from Prince Andrew.

However, Sophie Rhys–Jones took the more traditional line with a three-diamond ring when she became engaged to Prince Edward.

But for size, nothing comes close to the engagement ring Prince Rainier of Monaco gave Grace Kelly. She wore the 12ct diamond ring in her last movie, “High Society”, in 1956. In the film, Bing Crosby looks at the ring and quips, “Some stone, did you mine it yourself?”

A New Take on an Old Tradition - Style 9501M Tension Set Engagement Ring With A Round Moissanite And Side Diamonds

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

Moissanite is not the same as a naturally-mined diamond. It is a synthetic, lab-created diamond and not considered a fake. This differentiation is important to remember.

Listen, most of us would love nothing more than to give a big rock to our girl for that on-one-knee proposal. But most of us realize that’s financially difficult if not downright impossible.

So how do you broach the topic of buying a moissanite engagement ring with your wife-to-be?

1. Be honest. Don’t tell her its a natural diamond when it’s not. Trust us on this one – it could get you into some serious hot water later on, if she bothers to do some research.

2. Discuss your finances openly. Many feel that talking about the financial aspects of engagement is somehow…not romantic. Well, it may not be wine and roses, but it’s real. The way you handle finances together helps you understand very important lessons about one another. Your partner will respect that you honor her opinion and that you can discuss matters of import.

3. Visit a jeweler. Remember, a qualified jeweler can do a lot of the hard work for you!  He or she will detail the pros and cons of purchasing quality moissanite. The pros include a gem that is as durable and brilliant as a naturally mined diamond, the reminder that moissanite is in fact a diamond and that moissanite is an ecologically-sound and long-lasting alternative.

4. The rock size just grew! That’s right – all of a sudden a bigger stone is a possibility, which for many women is an exciting proposition. By choosing moissanite, shopping for  engagement ring can include a range of beautiful rings with a real “wow” factor.

5. Offer the option of an upgrade in the future. If you’re planning a surprise engagement, go for it! You can explain to her later that you’ve chosen moissanite for the reasons mentioned and if she’s unhappy with it, you can plan an upgrade when finances allow. Chances are, she’ll grow attached to her ring just the way it is…because it came from you. Really, isn’t that the most important part?

The idea here is to embrace the idea of buying moissanite. There’s no need to hide it, like a secret. In a day when naturally-mined diamonds are becoming a questionable prospect ecologically (mining is continuing to damage the earth and cause political disruption), moissanite is a smart, informed choice you can be proud of.

Style 9937-6.5mm

Contemporary Solitaire Engagement Ring

Contemporary solitaire engagement ring. Fits a 6.5mm round stone. (setting only, does not included center stone)

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