Happy Stories From our customers

Valentine’s day is just around the corner. If you haven’t gotten that certain someone that certain something, the time to act is now. We understand that Valentine’s Day can be filled with a good deal of pressure. But most of the pressure is about getting the right gift.

Our Keys of Love necklaces are guaranteed to please that special someone. And I’m not just saying that. One of our most important goals at Joseph Schubach Jewelers is choosing items that have a classic appeal. Our Keys of Love are Tiffany-inspired and extremely popular right now.

Symbolically, a Key of Love sends a special message that says, “We share something that is strictly ours. By wearing this key, you’ll remember what we have.”

On top of that, we have a Key of Love for every budget. That’s because you can choose the materials, whether it’s moissanite or diamonds or other diamond alternatives.

Take a look at our Gallery and find a key that matches your sweetheart. Why take chances this holiday? Play it safe and play it sweetly!

We know the Saints will get them…but did you know how much they cost? How much their worth? Their history?

Well, here at Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we’re here to fill in the blanks for you. Heck, we can make you your own Super Bowl Ring, made of moissanite or other diamond alternatives – if $5,000 is a little too steep!

The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the members of the winning team of the league’s annual championship game, the Super Bowl.

These rings are typically made of yellow or white gold with diamonds. They usually include the team name, team logo, and Super Bowl number (usually indicated in Roman numerals).

The NFL pays for the cost of 150 rings to the winning team, at roughly $5,000 apiece, depending upon the fluctuating cost of gold and diamonds. The winning team can typically present rings to whomever they choose, including usually, but not limited to: players (active roster or injured), coaches, trainers, executives, personnel, and general staff.

Some teams have also been known to give rings to former players, despite not having been on the winning roster.^[1] Teams can distribute any number of rings, but must pay for any over the 150-ring limit.

Many rings feature diamonds in the shape of the Vince Lombardi Trophy or a football. Some feature diamonds or gold in the shape of a team logo. Others illustrate the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won. Also, the rings are customized with the player’s name and uniform number.

Replicas of the rings for various years are popular collectibles, along with genuine rings. Dave Meggett is known to have placed his ring for sale on eBay. Two Super Bowl rings from the 1970 Steelers sold on eBay for over $32,000 apiece in mid-2008.^[2] Patriots safety Je’Rod Cherry raffled his ring from Super Bowl XXXVI in November 2008 to benefit several charities working to help children in Africa and Asia.^[3]

Go, New Orleans! You deserve a break!

As we saw at this 2010 Grammy award ceremony, people were ready to crawl out of the economy shell and be a little flashier.

None was this more evident than Beyonce’s hoop earrings (that must have felt like quite a relief to take off at the end of the evening):

Here’s what Sparkle Like the Stars had to say about the top jewelry looks for the evening:

1. Beyonce took home six Grammy Awards, including a Grammy for Record of the Year, and she accessorized her golden goodie with some killer diamond hoop earrings that went with her sequined silver dress. We love the hoops, though we’re sure that the critics will have a thing or two to say about the flashy frock.

2. Carrie Underwood wore a gorgeous gold gown for her performance during the show, and she accented the glamorous dress with pitch-perfect diamond jewelry. Our favorite piece was her glimmering diamond bracelet with a swirling design- though her engagement ring from hockey player Mike Fisher was a close second.

3. Sheryl Crow paired her simple brown dress with some gorgeous gold jewelry. The actress piled on the gold bangle bracelets on her left wrist that matched her large, golden pendant earrings. To balance the look Crow wore an emerald cocktail ring on her right hand.

The styles at the Grammys this year were decidedly a little more daring than last year, hopefully a small sign that our economic woes are slowly lifting and celebrities feel a little more comfortable “blinging” out.

Jewelry choice were chunkier and bolder, some with a decidedly futuristic slant.

As for the fashion, this experts sums up the top winners of the evening, including Lady Gaga’s celestial beast of a dress:

1. Beyonce– With the most wins of the night, the starlet is seen wearing a Stephane Rolland gown, Casadei Heels, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
2. Fergie– Fergie is stunning in a blue Emilio Pucci mini dress, Kwiat cuff, Jessica Robinson jewelry, Le Silla sandals, and a jeweled Judith Leiber clutch. Lately, I’ve seen Fergie in Emilio Pucci at several red carpet events. She surely is a fan of his and I’m sure he is of her. Maybe a collaboration sometime in the future?
3. Jennifer Lopez- JLo looks gorgeous in this silver chain Versace gown.
4. Mary J Blige– So happy to see her in some color and her dress is another unique cut-out neckline that I adore. The R&B star brights up the right carpet in a fuschia Gucci gown with a Gucci clutch, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
5. Lady Gaga– With Lady Gaga you wonder, “What is she going to pull of next?” She surely gave us an eye-popping look in this futuristic, Armani prive dress with towering, sparkly heels.
6. Miley Cyrus– Love her futuristic, rocker-chic style. Miley is wearing a short teal Herve Leger by Max Azria dress, Judith Leiber clutch, and gladiator sandals. Love it!
7. Pink– Now this is a change. Pink giving us old-Hollywood glamour? She looks amazing in a crystal-encrusted Tony Ward haute couture gown, Judith Leiber clutch, and Neil Lane diamond jewelry worth 2.5 million dollars. Wow!
8. Taylor Swift–  She brings extreme glamour in this shimmery blue Kaufman Franco gown, platinum and diamond jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz. I love the neckline of this dress!

Source: HotBeautyHealth

Nothing gives the world a better fashion indicator than a good award ceremony. Figure it this way: some of the top fashion designers in the world are recruited to dress celebrities. These people know what’s hot!

So let’s cut to the chase: what was hot and what was not at last night’s Grammys?

Lady Gaga, in her own fashion universe

Imogen Heap, Mary Poppins style

Pink, in a gray mood

Beyonce, giving flesh tone a whole new meaning

Miley Cyrus, in a marbled look?

Oh, Britney. A good friend would have stopped you.

Katy Perry – vintage goth

Tomorrow, we’ll take a closer look at some of the jewelry choices seen at the Grammys. Stay tuned!

Our Keys of Love pendant necklaces have to be one of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts of all time. Perhaps its because “love keys” are a hot fashion trend right now, worn by celebrities like Ashley Greene and Blair Waldorf :

Or maybe because Tiffany’s broke the ice with their pendant keys. (Frankly, we like ours much better!)

Our Keys of Love are affordable and adaptable. You can customize your key according to your every desire and every budget. If you want a certain stone studding your key or a different metal, we can tailor your necklace to give it that personal touch.

If you’re a little perplexed about the perfect gift for this Valentine’s Day, this gift is unique, sweet and personal.

Style 10362

Key of Love Necklace with Pave Set Stones

“With colored diamonds, it’s not about what’s beautiful to everyone else. It’s about what speaks to me and my personal sense of style.”

That’s what Randi Molofsky has to say, the author of “A Girl’s Guide to Buying Diamonds: How to Choose, Evaluate, and Buy the Diamond You Want.”

According the New York Times article:

Brown diamonds, better known by their more effervescent name, champagnes, were first offered to the trade in the early 1990s after a big discovery at the Argyle mine in Western Australia. Since they are small, marked with internal flaws and plentiful, they had only been used for industrial purposes. Retailers, the gatekeepers of the jewelry industry, disdained them.Years of training by the Gemological Institute of America had instilled in retailers the notion “that white was better,” said Elizabeth L. Chatelain, president of MVI Marketing, based in Paso Robles, California, which helped Argyle introduce champagne diamonds to the American market. “To retailers, these were off-color goods.”

Consigned to mass merchants, who sold them on the cheap, browns languished in the low-end market until the turn of the millennium, when opinions began to change and designers warmed to the idea of jewelry with the refractive brilliance of a diamond and the singular palette of a colored stone.

There was a bonus: At prices 15 percent to 25 percent lower than their white counterparts, champagnes were a bargain.

“It gave designers a way to do quite exuberant and elaborate diamond designs at a lower cost,” said Sally C. Morrison, director of the Diamond Information Center. “There are so many shades to create nuance and texture using browns. It’s a way to paint in color.”

What we can note from this article is that colored diamonds are seeing a well-deserved resurgence. They are affordable and reflect a personal style, plus the variations on what to do with a fancy-colored gem are endless.

“It’s been an interesting journey,” Mr. Le Vian said. “We’ve taken stones considered low quality and made them attractive to consumers.”

Take a look at our Gemesis page for some of our best and brightest:

Style GM1006

Yellow Cushion Cut Gemesis Ring With Pave’ White Diamonds

1.38ct deep fancy yellow cushion cut Gemesis diamond of VS clarity set into 18kt white gold single shank mounting accentuated with approximately .90ct t.w. round brilliant cut pave’ set diamonds.

Metal: 18kt White Gold
Stone Size: .84ct
Ring Size: 5 – 8

The Wittelsbach diamond, a 35.56-carat fancy deep grayish-blue diamond with a long history, was among the gems slated for auction at Christie’s “Jewels: The London Sale” last month. What was the asking price? Read on:

Officially known as “Der Blaue Wittelsbacher,” the diamond is one of the few that can claim 17th-century heritage.

In 1664, King Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) selected the diamond as part of the dowry of his daughter, Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-1673), upon her engagement to Leopold I of Austria (1640-1705), who later became Holy Roman Emperor.

The diamond subsequently became part of the Austrian and then the Bavarian crown jewels.

The diamond has been part of a private collection since 1964, and its appearance at the upcoming Christie’s auction marks its first offering to the international market in nearly 80 years.

“It is a great honor and a lifetime dream to handle a museum-quality stone such as the Wittelsbach,” said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe and international head of jewelry. “The appearance of a large blue diamond, among the rarest of colors, with a history that can be traced back to the 17th century and 300 years of royal connections will surely be a thrilling occasion for all collectors of exceedingly rare jewels and works of art.”

So what did the historic diamond go for? How about a record-setting $24.3 million! Recession? What recession?

“In the midst of these challenging times, we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond,” said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday’s sale.

The previous sales record was a mere $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995.

Source: National Jeweler

Jewelry Insider

The debate continues: when a consumer is informed about the very real ecological and political dangers associated with mined diamonds, will he or she purchase a diamond or choose a diamond alternative?

This recent study shows that slowly but surely, people’s minds are changing:

Paso Robles, Calif.–A new consumer survey conducted by MVI Marketing’s Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC) showed that a small but significant percentage of respondents have decided to snub mined diamonds, and an even greater percentage are planning to seek out “created diamond” alternatives.

According to a release from the JCOC, the council conducted a study called “Consumer Perceptions of Created Diamond Alternatives,” which was completed by 1,478 JCOC panel members between the dates of Dec. 26 and Dec. 31, 2009.

The study exposed survey-takers to some brief introductory information about the concerns surrounding diamonds and why those concerns have prompted some consumers to choose created diamond alternatives, including lab-grown diamonds and diamond simulants, instead.

“Mined diamonds are mined from deep in the earth,” a concept introduction provided to survey-takers said. “This has some environmentalists concerned about the destructive nature of mining and the chemicals used. Others are concerned about profits from illicit diamond mining being used to fund the purchase of arms in war-torn countries and contributing towards human suffering. Because of these issues, many people have opted for created diamond alternatives available in fine jewelry instead of mined diamonds.”

The JCOC release said that after learning about issues related to mined diamonds, a majority of respondents have taken actions that indicate they may be buying fewer mined diamonds in the future.

According to the study, 11 percent of those who participated said they have decided not to purchase or request jewelry crafted of mined diamonds.

Eight percent said they won’t give mined diamonds as a gift and 18 percent reported that they have made family or friends aware of the issues.

A total of 16 percent of survey-takers said they seek created diamond alternatives when looking for jewelry.

“Clearly consumers are becoming more aware of the challenges faced in the mining of diamonds,” MVI Chief Executive Officer Mart Hurwitz said in the release. “It is only natural for the consumer to consider man-made alternatives if their concerns about those challenges grow.”

Source: National Jeweler

Moissanite, in our opinion, is a phenomenal product – highly comparable to diamonds – and exceeding in some characteristics. We sell moissanite because we recognize this societal shift and the importance in finding a diamond alternative for people concerned with global issues.

Style 645MR

Classic Tiffany Style Round Moissanite Solitaire

Round Tiffany style solitaire engagement ring with Charles and Colvard created moissanite.

Ran across this great video of Jill and Kevin’s wedding. Looks like they had a lot of fun dancing down the isle! Check it out.

And, they have been gracious enough to use the publicity they’ve generated with this video to support the Sheila Wellstone Institute to help stop domestic violence. Check out their website.