Happy Stories From our customers

Many people walk into Joseph Schubach Jewelers, confessing they know very little about engagement rings. Of course, we're more than happy to help them through the process. An ill-executed engagement ring, well…could end up in a lack of an engagement!

So here, for your amusement (and warning!) are several photos of some of the worst engagement rings we could find:

Okay, now erase those images from your memory…please. And take a look at one of our decidedly non-ugly engagement rings…so you know the difference:

Cushion Cut Moissanite Ring With Pave' Diamonds And Six Genuine Sapphires

An interesting jewelry trend these last few years has been the "warming up" of colors contained within the pieces. These warm colors consist of many names but may include:

• scarlet
• tumbleweed
• dandelion

None of these colors are primary colors – they are secondary or tertiary colors.

Here's an example of a classic, warm-toned piece that can only enhance your wardrobe:

.99ct
deep fancy yellow cushion cut Gemesis diamond of SI clarity set into an
18kt white gold milgrain bezel pendant, featuring .05ct t.w. of bezel
set white diamonds on a delicate 18" cable chain.
 
Metal: 18kt White Gold

Gemesis cultured diamonds are becoming increasingly popular for a vast array of reasons but the main ones include extremely high quality, affordable price and ecological conscientiousness. The consumer of today wants to feel decked out in jewels but in a way that's in step with our time.

Gemesis began creating diamonds in its laboratories in the 1990's. According to Wikipedia:

Since then, the quality and craftsmanship of their product has steadily increased. We have a wide array of Gemesis diamond jewelry to choose from – or better yet, tell us what you'd like to create and we can make your dream piece for you.

Hand made "half moon"
chandelier earrings with 1ct t.w. Gemesis cultured diamonds in fancy
yellow or orange color, 1/4ct t.w. pave natural round diamonds and
1/2ct t.w. natural princess cut diamonds (1 3/4ct t.w.). Earrings
measure approximately 1.5" without the ear wire. 
 
Available Metal: 14kt White Gold, Yellow Gold And Platinum

From moissanite to Lucite, the focus of today's jewelry is big, bold and clean. A simple outfit can be accentuated in a big way with a statement piece that gracefully takes center stage.

"It's the jewelry that actually makes the look," says fashion stylist
Jesse Garza, co-founder of Visual Therapy, a New York wardrobe
consultancy, and co-author, with his Visual Therapy partner Joe Lupo,
of Life in Color: The Visual Therapy Guide to the Perfect Palette for Fashion, Beauty, and You!. Says Garza,

"I love a flattering, clean backdrop with a statement piece–a pop of color."

According to Forbes:

This year, the emphasis is on bold, chunky jewelry–a triple-strand of
big beads; a thick, geometric bangle; an oversized ring. Perhaps as a
reaction to tough economic times, precious jewels have been stowed
away, replaced with semiprecious stones such as lapis, pyrite and
quartz; and materials such as horn, resin and even Lucite.

"I think
today, to walk around with a stack of diamond bangles doesn't feel
right," Garza says.

His and Lupo's picks for great daytime jewelry:
chunky, midsized hoop earrings; wood cuff bracelets; and turquoise bead
necklaces.

Hand Made And Engraved Moissanite Ring With Yellow Sapphires And Pave' Diamonds

Hand
made/hand engraved platinum ring with a 4.50ct (dia equiv) Charles and
Colvard created round moissanite, 1/2ct t.w. yellow sapphires and 1/3ct
t.w. pave' diamonds. Also available with pink or blue sapphires.

One of our D.I.Y. Custom Design Jewelry contestants is already raving about the finished product. (Frankly, he was the mastermind behind it – we just did the legwork!)

You have a few more days to toss your hat in the ring, so what are you waiting for? Our contest allows YOU to choose the design and the material (from diamonds to moissanite to cubic zirconia, for instance.)

Since you choose the material, you ultimately choose the price. Just by entering, you receive a 50% discount on our design fees. And if you win? $500 toward your purchase.

~~~~~~

Here's last year's D.I.Y. Contest Winner:

If you are like me, you haven't thought much about where your necklace falls in relation to your neckline and how it can accentuate an outfit. I recently purchased a gorgeous moissanite pendant necklace but didn't think much about the way it worked on me, in relation to my size or my clothes. But there is an art to choosing the length of your necklace, depending on your wardrobe and your body type.

Here's some advice from the experts:

1. Consider the occasion. Opt for a simple, understated piece for daytime and a more precious or extravagant piece for evening.

We're pleased to announce that our D.I.Y. (Dream it Yourself) Custom Design Jewelry contest has been extended until May 1st. This contest is particularly dear to us, at Joseph Schubach Jewelers. Not only does it give you the opportunity to design your own heartfelt piece of jewelry but it gives us the chance to bring it to fruition.

It’s as simple as 1 – 2 – 3: 

1. You dream it.

You can have that piece of jewelry you’ve had your eye on. Just give
us a sketch or photograph or online image. If it’s just an idea
floating around in your head, talk to one of our skilled staff members
who will be happy to translate it for you at (888) 724-8222 or send us
an email along with any photos to support@schubach.com.

2. We create it – affordably.

Your jewelry dream can come true at a price you design as well! We
know exactly how to bring your dream to life cost-efficiently using
traditional and alternative materials: from moissanite to natural
diamonds; synthetic gemstones to those found in nature; from platinum
to palladium.

3. Save big!

Simply by entering, you instantly save 50% in custom design fees. In
addition, your creation is automatically entered into our 2nd annual
DIY Custom Design Jewelry Contest, where you could win an additional
$500, if your piece is chosen.

As we create your masterpiece, we’ll place it on our online Gallery
for your friends, family and site visitors to see. At the end of the
promotion, we'll hold a contest and the winning contestant will receive
$500 towards their custom purchase.

Our DIY Custom Design Jewelry Contest allows you to be the artist
that you’re meant to be. So give us a call at (888) 724-8222 or send us
an email to support@schubach.com and we'll help you get the piece of
jewelry you've been dreaming of!

Here’s last year’s winner, Courtney Semeniuk and his wife Nikki’s "Azure Dream"

Now get busy dreaming!

As wedding budgets continue to shrink and extraneous gift items become, well, extraneous, moissanite stands out as a viable, politically savvy alternative for jewelry choices as sales for this diamond alternative continue to increase amidst an ailing market.

One of the biggest pros, obviously, is the cost. Not only is moissanite less expensive than a diamond but more durable. It also has more “fire” – a term to describe the radiance and refractive quality of a gem.

Take a look at the example below:

                             Moissanite (on the left) with 2½ times more fire than diamond

Moissanite is also lacking in the stigma of other diamond alternatives. As the diamond mining process is experiencing more public scrutiny because of its political and ecological ramifications, moissanite is becoming a smart, politically correct alternative.

In other words, a moissanite choice isn’t simply based on affordability but consciousness.

Take a look at our vast array of Joseph Schubach Jewelers moissanite products. If you can’t find what you are looking for, we’ll be happy to create it.

At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we’re more than just jewelers, we’re artists!

Celebrity engagement rings come in all shapes and colors and sizes with only one thing in common: size! Now, where you average Joe and Jane can afford a replica of one of these over-the-top pieces (in moissanite or cubic zirconia, for instance), these people wear the real deal. (Though even celebrities feel the pinch of our latest economic woes!)

Here are some literally stunning examples:.

• Elizabeth Taylor, when engaged to her third husband, Michael Todd, wore a nearly 30-carat emerald cut diamond.
  

• Lady Diana Spencer wore an 18-carat deep blue oval sapphire circled by fourteen diamonds when she promised to become Princess Diana.
  

• Catherine Zeta-Jones’ nuptial promise to Michael Douglas was sealed with a 10-carat antique horizontal set marquise diamond.
  

• Despite the eventual cancellation, Jennifer Lopez’s finger sparkled with a 6-carat radiant shaped pink diamond while she was engaged to Ben Affleck, a stone reported to cost more than $3 million.
  

• Paris Hilton’s short-lived engagement was highlighted by the 24-carat emerald cut diamond ring.
  

• Donald Trump presented his bride-to-be Melanie Knauss with an overwhelming 12-carat emerald cut engagement ring reported to cost a cool $1 million.
  

Source: LovetoKnow.com

Lady Diana Spencer wore an 18-carat deep
blue oval sapphire

Jennifer Lopez’s 6-carat
radiant shaped pink diamond

Catherine Zeta-Jones
10-carat antique horizontal
set marquise diamond

If you don't have a rock star budget but want that same look, Joseph Schubach Jewelers can make your dream come true. Bring us a photograph or an idea and we can work together to make it happen.

Of course, jewelry seems like the first thing to go during a tough economic phase.

Zale Corporation announced in February that it planned to close 115
stores. Fortunoff, a prominent engagement ring source for generations, filed for bankruptcy in February. Even Tiffany & Company
reported that its profits in the fourth quarter dropped by more than 75
percent.

But that's the entire story. Entrepreneurs in the jewelry business and smaller businesses in general can actually thrive during trying times.

Jeffrey A. Carr, executive director of the Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at New York University’s
Stern School of Business, said entrepreneurs can thrive in recessions
because they can bargain more on fixed costs like rent and personnel.

Consumers are more willing to try out new brands when they have less
money to spend, he said.“When things are going well and you have
money, customers and consumers tend to get into patterns,” he said.
“There’s lots of reasons to start a business now.”
(Source: NY Times)

So not is all doom and gloom. As we watch big business and big corporations tumble like houses of cards, it could be the small businesses that really blossom now, as people are forced to think outside the box.

Check out our Moissanite Page which offers Charles and Colvard moissanite at the fraction of the price of a diamond. Do your part for the economy and good taste!