Happy Stories From our customers

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

We like to affectionately refer to any ring where the stone size is greater than the ring size as a Barbie Ring (8ct center stone, ring size 4 for instance)! This one fits the bill nicely. It’s a variation of a piece in our Custom Jewelry Design Gallery. You can see the progress along the way to making this ring, the wax carving is below. This was for one of our European clients who wanted a very tall ring!

The inspiration from our Design Gallery

In the client’s words:

Dear Joe and Beth:

I received the ring today and I’m honestly still in a bit of awe by just how beautiful it is and how perfectly it came out.  It is TRULY, TRULY gorgeous – it’s got all the organic, subtle curves we wanted and overall. You guys just perfectly nailed that unique yet tastefully understated look.

I really can’t thank both of you enough for all the hard work that went into this.  More than that, I really appreciate the fact that you insisted that we go onto iteration 4 to get it exactly 100% right when we probably could have been happy with iteration 2 or 3.

I haven’t presented this to A yet, but probably within the next week.  I know without any inkling of doubt that she will be as amazed by this as I am!!  Thank you SO much again…and wish me luck!!

Several weeks later:

Joe and Beth:

I presented the ring to Anna right before we left over a week ago for the holidays; unexpectedly, she said she would “Have to think about it.”

OK, just kidding! She loved it as much as I did and we’re now officially engaged!! There wasn’t a big, flashy proposal – just an opportune moment when we were talking about what gifts we should get each other for Christmas and I mention that I actually had a gift ready for her! I think it definitely took her a couple of days to get used to having the ring on her finger: both for “being engaged” and because she was also taken by how beautifully it came out.

Joe and Beth were extremely helpful and took care to both understand the changes we wanted and the subtleties we wanted preserved. They helped bring the design to the exact form we envisioned. We can’t thank them enough!

Most of you remember mood jewelry, big in the 70’s and having bubbles of resugence over the years. Well, apparently, you shouldn’t eat them. Now I’m not sure what to do for lunch:

A Tacoma company is recalling about 23,000 “mood” rings and necklaces after they were found to contain high levels of lead.

The heart-shaped jewelry, marketed under the brand name “Love Tester,” was sold for about $4 each in retail stores from September 2005 through June 2010.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall, said some 19,000 rings and 4,000 necklaces are covered by the recall.

The jewelry poses a danger to young children, who can be harmed by the lead if they ingest it. No incidents or injuries from the jewelry have been reported, according the commission.

The products change colors when the user’s “mood” changes. The rings and necklaces were sold separately and mounted on round red discs printed with the words “Love Tester” and “Are you in the mood?”

D&D Distributing-Wholesale of Tacoma imported the products from China, the commission said. The jewelry was sold to small retail shops nationwide.

On its website, the company said it tests products at independent safety labs. A spokeswoman was not immediately able to answer why the jewelry was sold for nearly five years before the high lead levels were detected.

The company also was not immediately able to provide a list of retailers who sold the jewelry.

The commission said consumers should return the jewelry to the store where it was purchased for a refund or replacement product.

Source: Seattle Times

SICK?