Happy Stories From our customers

Birthstones are a wonderful way to really personalize a piece of jewelry. If you’re giving that certain someone a jewelry gift, adding the “birthstone touch” makes it that much more special. Here’s a great list we found on Buzzle that not only details each month’s birthstone but the meaning behind it.

And remember, any custom designed jewelry we make can include the stone of your choice. Special orders do not upset us!

January Birthstone – Garnet
Garnet is similar to a ruby in appearance and is found in almost all colors except blue. A garnet has a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale. It has a very high refractive index, which is responsible for its brilliance. Garnet is found in abundance and is a much sought-after gemstone, for making fashion accessories. It is considered to channel faith, consistency and virtue to the people born in January.

February Birthstone – Amethyst
This is an extremely beautiful gemstone with brilliant violet color. It is said to possess miraculous powers and bring good luck during wars or hunts. It is also believed to ward off the evil spirits and keep them at bay. Besides, it also has medicinal and cleaning properties. The color palette of amethyst ranges from pale lilac to deep purple. Amethyst gives sincerity to the people born in February.

March Birthstone – Aquamarine
Aquamarine is found in myriad hues of blue, from pale yellowish blue to deep blue. Aquamarine is very hard and the hardness ranges between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale. The price of aquamarine is directly proportional to its intensity. It fosters feelings like sympathy, trust, harmony, friendship, etc.

April Birthstone – Diamond
Diamond is the most precious and expensive gemstone. It is most desirable as it is extremely luminous and rare. Color, clarity, cut and carat are the properties which rule the appearance and durability of a diamond. Diamonds symbolize true love, commitment and passion.

May Birthstone – Emerald
Emerald is a fascinating green colored gemstone, desirable for the people born in May. A fine quality emerald can be more expensive than a diamond, and hence was favored by kings and monarchs of the past. Emerald enhances clairvoyance, love and commitment. They are also said to possess healing powers.

June Birthstone – Pearl
Pearl is the only gemstone formed as a result of biological activities of living creatures. A pearl is used for making jewelery, since ages, due to its luminance and inner glow. It symbolizes beauty, love, happiness and wealth.

July Birthstone – Ruby
This brilliant gemstone is most famous for its fiery red color. It is responsible for bringing peace and prosperity. It also has certain medicinal and healing powers. It stands for blood, love, romance and passion.

August Birthstone – Peridot
A green gemstone, the peridot is rightly called the ‘evening emerald’, as it resembles emeralds in the glow of lamps. During ancient times, it was taken internally for curing asthma. It is considered as a symbol of power and influence.

September Birthstone – Sapphire
Even though blue is the only color associated with sapphires, they come in various other colors as well. They are one of the hardest, durable minerals. Sapphires render the qualities like clear thinking and wisdom, to the people born in September.

October Birthstone – Opal
Opal is available in almost every shade of each color. From translucent to transparent and milky white to dark black, opal exhibits all the colors of the rainbow. This vivid-colored birthstone is said to impart hope and harmony, to the people born in October.

November Birthstone – Topaz
Topaz is usually found in shades of yellow and brown. Topaz is believed to offer long life and fidelity to those born in November. It symbolizes beauty, splendor and joy.

December Birthstone – Turquoise
Clear blue Persian turquoise is considered as one of the most expensive and precious stones in the world. Turquoise brings very good fortune and prosperity to those born in the month of December. It also promises good health and peace for these people.

Birthstones are considered as lucky charms by many. Wearing the appropriate traditional birthstones can heal your body and soothe your mind. Birthstones are a great way of harnessing the cosmic power of planets and using it to enhance your living.
By Ashwini Kulkarni

We just received an email from our goldsmith of a piece that’s going out today. This ring was made in 14kt rose gold, and our goldsmith thought it was so pretty she sent over a quick picture for us to see.  We have to agree, it’s absolutely gorgeous in rose gold! It’s our style number 10137, which you can see here.

Rose gold versin of style #10137

(above) Gem-cut Moissanite

Moissanite is one of our favorite gems to work with here at Joseph Schubach Jewelers. Not only is moissanite ecologically-friendly, it allows our customers to experience that diamond-rich feeling for a fraction of the price.

What exactly is moissanite?

Mineral moissanite was discovered by Henri Moissan while examining rock samples from a meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in 1893. At first, he mistakenly identified the crystals as diamonds, but in 1904 he identified the crystals as silicon carbide.

Moissanite is not cubic zirconia. It maintains properties similar and often exceeding those of diamonds:

Moissanite is very hard to differentiate from diamond and can fool many gemologists. It does have many similarities. It is very hard at 9.25 (diamond is 10) and it is highly refractive with an index of refraction of 2.6 – 2.7 (diamond’s IR is slightly lower at 2.42).

So take a stroll through our Moissanite Gallery. Again, we’re particularly proud of the work we’re doing with moissanite. It’s a jewel for the 21st century, in our opinion!

If you want a custom designed moissanite piece, give us a call and an idea. We can make your moissanite dream come true!

(above) One of our favorite pairs of moissanite earrings

Round Earrings With Side Stones

Though the London exhibit is officially over, the photographs live on! The exhibition, “Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts,” which took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London several months ago, focused on the “the colonial years when the Indian princes, deprived by the British of their absolute rule, could concentrate on the decorative things in life.”

Pictured above is the Maharaja of Patiala, wearing a diamond and platinum parade necklace created by Cartier in 1928.

Pictured above is the Maharaja Sir Sri Krishnaraja Widiyar IV Bahadur of Mysore, 1906, by K Keshavayya.

Photo: N. Welsh-Cartier

Pictured above is the Watson Turban Jewels from mid-18th Century. A replica of this jewel is on sale in the Victoria and Albert museum shop.

“I have no use for bodyguards, but I have very specific use for two highly trained certified public accountants.”

– Elvis Presley

What can you say about Elvis and fashion? His tastes leaned toward the ostentatious to say the least. Some might say tacky and garish while others would say a perfect for someone billed the King of Rock and Roll.

And for a limited time, you can see the King’s wardrobe up close and personal:

“Elvis Presley: Fashion King.” The display, which opened March 1st, features about 200 of Elvis’ casual suits, customized shirts, hats, scarves, shoes and of course – jewelry.”We wanted to show people what it would be like to look in Elvis’ closet,” said Kevin Kern, public relations director for Elvis Presley Enterprises. “It’s almost like looking through a department store window.”

One stunning piece fans might recognize is the 16-carat diamond “TCB” ring Elvis often wore. The letters stood for his motto, “Taking care of business” and features a huge 11.5-carat diamond solitaire in the middle framed by two diamond lightning bolts. When he wore it while performing, Elvis would have to tape it to prevent fans from stealing it when he shook their hands. It cost about $35,000 in the 1970s, Kern explained to Knoxville.com.

The exhibit also features a multi-stone cross that cradles more than 200 quarter-cut diamonds. It was a gift from girlfriend, Linda Thompson, and has their first names engraved on it as well as garnets and emeralds – their birthstones.

For Elvis fans who want to TCB right on down to Graceland, those storied baubles and many more will be on display until March 2012.

Source: Jewelry.com

Sterling silver is a common alloy used in jewelry making. But a lot of myths surround sterling silver. Some say it tarnishes too quickly or that it’s not high quality.

Truth is, there are many different types of sterling silver and it’s important to know your facts before making a purchase. Sterling silver can be a great, affordable element to your jewelry collection, if you choose wisely.

1. When buying sterling silver, look for .925 silver. It is by far the highest quality of sterling silver you can buy. If it is. 925 silver more than likely you will be told that or it will be advertised as such. If it is not advertised that way, be sure to ask, as more than likely it is not.
2. When buying sterling silver you need to know that it is natural for it to tarnish. The process of air and oxygen exposure to silver tarnishing it is called oxidation. This can be prevented by keeping your silver in a plastic bag (like a sandwich bag), with a small piece of carbon paper enclosed. This will stop the oxidation process.
3. Buying sterling silver is easy and keeping it clean is as well. Be sure to buy a couple of polishing clothes and give it a quick wipe or two before you wear it just to add that extra shine. If you keep it in the bag with the carbon paper though, it should not need much polishing.

That’s the question Bob Waldrop of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association posed in regards to a gold and copper mine being developed in southwest Alaska near the world’s largest remaining wild sockeye salmon streams.

He’s not the only one:

Zale Corp. announced that it not only is boycotting precious metals from the Pebble Mine, but supports permanently protecting the Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale metals mining. The mine is situated near the headwaters of Bristol Bay on state land designated for mining.

“We believe gold should be mined and refined in a manner that protects both the environment and its inhabitants,” Gil Hollander, Zale’s executive vice president, said in a statement.

The Irving, Texas-based jewelry giant has 1,930 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. It had $1.8 billion in revenues in 2009.

Zale Corp. was accompanied by 12 other entities in a new wave of jewelry retailers and designers that have joined the No Dirty Gold campaign being promoted by conservation group Earthworks and partners. Twenty companies previously pledged to boycott Pebble, including Tiffany & Co., Helzberg Diamonds and Ben Bridge.

The more than 30 jewelers now opposing the mine represent more than $6 billion in annual sales.

Getting jewelry retailers and designers on board is important because jewelry represents more than 80 percent of the global demand for gold, said Earthworks’ Bonnie Gestring.

A number of jewelry companies, including Tiffany and Co., Ben Bridge Jeweler and Helzberg Diamonds, among others, have expressed disapproval for the project and vowed to boycott any gold mined at Pebble.

The survey, conducted by Anchorage, Alaska-based research firm Craciun Research, was conducted between May 18 and June 2 and sampled a cross-section of 411 residents living in six different areas around Bristol Bay.

According to the survey results, 79 percent of Bristol Bay-area residents strongly oppose (73 percent) or somewhat oppose (6 percent) the proposed Pebble Mine project.

Bristol Bay, Alaska

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

We don’t often think of the impact our current era has on our fashion choices. There are usually practical reasons why certain fashion trends come into being in the first place, such as economic or political climates.

Take this one expert’s opinion:

Millennial Trends

Consumerism is now centered on convenience, and the same goes for the jewelry market. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires are the safe choices in the jewelry case. Easy-to-wear jewelry trends are most popular in the form of necklaces, earrings and bracelets-a continuation of simplicity. But a few trends from each decade past still exist in today’s jewelry market.

The cocktail ring has arguably made a large comeback in recent years, flaunted in different social circles and age groups. Both faux versions and the real things have come to coexist in casual settings and ritzy locales.

While platinum still reigns in the precious metal world, yellow gold has been reborn in the 21st Century, replacing the white gold dominance of the Nineties.

It’s been a roller coaster ride of trends for jewelry aficionados over the last century. What will fill the jewelry boxes of the future?

If you’re looking for a classic piece, look no further. After 3 generations in business, we’ve seen it all but continue to carry pieces with lasting appeal. Our Classic Sweetheart Pave Necklace, for instance, is one of our big crowd pleasers.

Style 10119-4.5mm (1/3ct)

Classic Sweetheart Pave Necklace

Classic Sweetheart pave necklace with 1/5ct t.w. round brilliant stones set on an 18″ cable chain. Fits a 4.5mm (1/3ct diamond) round center stone. (setting only, does not include center stone).

De Beers Millennium Diamond

“The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is an object of intrigue and legend, certainly one of the great gemstones of the world. We are thrilled to present this icon of history—and gemology—to the public for the first time since it was displayed at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.”

– Jeffrey Post, curator of the National Gem Collection