Happy Stories From our customers

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

No, you cannot wear gold ETF – but if you’re lucky, you can buy some really nice gold  jewelry with the profits you make!

First off, a definition, according to Comparing Fashion:

The word ‘ETF gold’ stands for gold exchange traded funds. This is a gold market, just like the stock exchange. This concept was initiated in Toronto, Canada in the early 1990s. The concept was later adopted by the United States of America. Over the passage of years, it has now become a fully developed market of the world.

Gold has always been considered a safe investment, mainly because it’s held its value during economically trying times. There was a time when people owned gold in the form of bars or coins. But of  course, there were obvious problems with this – one good thief could wipe out all of your savings!

Gold exchange traded funds is a facility that has only gold as a standard asset. The exchange traded funds do not give substantial gold bars or coins to any person, but the financier is made a component of gold plagiaristic agreement and receives cash equivalent to the market worth of gold at the exacting time. It is comparable to owning shares in a corporation and receiving returns with the enhancement in their market worth. In a Gold ETF, gold is the only article of trade for trading.

Through Gold ETF, people acquire gold not in the physical intelligence but in terms of gold marketplace worth. A straightforward description of Gold ETF is an exchange traded fund that has stocks and finances in gold and trades on the foundation of these resources.

In a Gold EFT, gold is the only commodity for trading. Through Gold EFT, people buy gold not in the physical sense but in terms of gold market value. A simple definition of Gold EFT is an exchange traded fund that has stocks and funds in gold and trades on the basis of these funds.

So is gold a good investment for you? Talk to your financial investor first. In the meantime, check out our site for some gold jewelry which we guarantee will have endless amounts of payoff!

Below: Historical Gold chart is provided by Kitco.com

Chart: Central Fund of Canada

A recent study shows that indeed some purchases can boost your “happy” level. Experiential purchases – such as a vacation – often provide more happiness.

Luckily, at Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we believe purchasing jewelry is an experience – an ongoing one that continues to keep giving back to you.

Here’s the excerpt from Psychology Today:

Philosophers since Aristotle have claimed that experiences fulfill us more than material goods. To test this claim, a pair of psychology professors examined discretionary spending on material purchases (such as jewelry or clothing) and experiential ones (such as vacations or tickets to a concert). In a nationwide phone survey of 1,279 adults, respondents were much more likely to claim that a prior experiential purchase made them happier than a material one—57 percent versus 34 percent—even after accounting for differences in price.

Of course, some items—such as books or sports gear—are both material and experiential. And one person’s splurge may be another’s must-have. So the researchers simply asked respondents to think of purchases they’d made “with the intention of advancing their own happiness.”

Advance your own happiness with a jewelry experience today!

Our long time friend Francesca came to us to make a custom 18kt yellow gold wedding band for her and her husband Leo’s 50th wedding anniversary. She wanted an old world feel, something that looks used and worn, something heavy that feels nice to the touch and smooth to wear. Fran liked the way a pair of her earrings looked and thought they could be the inspiration for the piece that would signify their special day.

The wedding band in the image with the earrings was the original wedding ring that Fran’s father gave to her mother. This piece, of course, is extremely sentimental to Fran and her family. We can only hope that the ring we made for Fran will someday have a similar meaning to her family.

Have you thought of a family heirloom that you would like to create? If so, we would be honored to help you with this!