What’s Trust Got to Do With It? A Jewelry Repair Tutorial

It is inevitable, at some point your ring or jewelry will need service.  You’ve heard the stories perpetuated by the media: stone switching, shoddy repairs, and outright loss when people leave their jewelry for repair.  Like most things with the media, reports are exaggerated.  BUT, there are a few things you can do to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of, and make sure you get your jewelry back in one piece.

Here’s what you should know:

1. Choose a reputable jeweler for the repair.  Ask around for a glowing recommendation from friends, family, and people you trust.  If you really don’t know a local jeweler, check out the American Gem Society websitefor a referral.  The AGS is a jewelry non-profit trade organization that was founded to promote high ethical standards among jewelers, and member jewelers have to subscribe to rigorous standards and be tested each year on their knowledge and service.  There are AGS Certified Jewelers in most markets in the US.
2. Insist that they use a Take-In Form, and get your own copy/receipt.  The actual form will vary from jeweler to jeweler, but all should have the same basic information: your contact info; a description of the item; a precise description of the work to be done; an estimate for the cost of the repair; and A REPLACEMENT VALUE FOR THE JEWELRY ITEM that you both agree on.  This information protects all parties.  
3. Get a good faith estimate on the repair work.  Writing “Fix” on the repair envelope does not count as a good repair description.  If your diamond fell out and you need your ring sized, then the description of the work should read something like “reset enclosed clear stone, re-tip 3 prongs, and size up to a size 6+”.  You should get some sort of estimate, even if it’s a ballpark figure, in writing on your receipt.  Or if it’s very elaborate, you can ask that they call you with an exact figure before they proceed with the work.  Most jewelers will do a free estimate, so if you decide not to go ahead, there should be no charge to you (there are exceptions to that, especially if they have to ship it somewhere to get the estimate). 
4. Get a complete description of your jewelry on the Take-In Form.  Don’t be offended if the jeweler uses terms like “1 green square cut center stone with 6 clear accent stones in yellow colored mounting stamped 18k”.  You may know that this is your Aunt Harriet’s heirloom Colombian Emerald ring, but the jeweler doesn’t probably have the time or lab equipment necessary at take-in to determine the exact mineral content of the gems you are leaving.  Experienced professional jewelers usually use general color terms to describe it (if they describe it as an Emerald, and it turns out to be glass, they don’t want to be liable for replacing the essentially worthless glass with a $10,000 emerald).  But the color, size, shape and number of gems should be noted along with metal stamps, engravings, and any other distinguishing marks.
5. Have the jeweler show you specific characteristics of your jewelry so that you can identify it when you get it back.  The jeweler can map out your diamond’s inclusions (or lack of) so that you can both check them when you get it back.  They can show you your sapphire next to one in their showcase to accurately describe the color.  The point is for you to BOTH scrutinize your jewelry so that you know what to look for when you get it back. 
6. Agree on a replacement value.  This is part of the take-in form and a good jeweler will want that filled in.  It limits their liability, too, in case there would be a loss.  Take in an appraisal if you have one, or a receipt.  Even if the value is out of date, it’s a good starting point for the discussion.  If you really have no idea, then they can show you items they have in stock most similar to your jewelry to figure out a value.  Make sure you agree and sign off on it.
7. Trust your gut.  Make sure you feel confortable with the store and salesperson before you walk out of the store.  If something doesn’t feel right, or the jeweler doesn’t follow the above points, take your jewelry and walk away.

I hope this information is useful and helps to put your mind at ease when you leave your precious jewelry for repair!

Comment if you have any other suggestions or horror stories–we can all learn from them!

Example of Jewelry Repair Take In Form

Come on Spring: Fun, Fabulous Necklaces Under $500

I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but Spring seems to be taking its sweet time getting to us.  I thought it was time for a little pick-me-up without breaking the bank.  If you’re in the mood for something luminous, check out these necklaces that are meant to make a statement and lift your mood:

Under $100:

Pretty-in-pink Ruby cluster necklace from Catherine Weitzman:

Catherine Weitzman Ruby Seed Pod Necklace, $80 Retail

 

Natural wood and bone neck by R.J. Graziano would be a very affordable update:

R.J. Graziano Long Wood and Bone Necklace, $42.99 Retail

 

A lovely lavender glass necklace from Marc by Marc Jacobs:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Lavender Glass Necklace, $99 Retail

 

Kenneth Jay Lane long gold necklace, love the shimmery coins, should be just long enough to double up:

 

 

Kenneth Jay Lane Hammered Coin Necklace, $75 Retail

 

Rachel Leigh short golden nugget necklace has nice texture:

 

 

Rachel Leigh Golden Nugget Necklace, $58 Retail

I’m not normally a huge fan of Juicy Couture, but this necklace hits just the right notes with multi-chain layered look and a touch of turquoise:

Juicy Couture Layered Necklace, $98 Retail

From $100 to $250:

Very pretty Rachel Reinhardt “Cleo” Fringe bib necklace, sea green and seed pearl:

 

Rachel Reinhardt "Cleo" Fringe Bib Necklace, $131 Retail

Frothy Freshwater Pearl “Twist” necklace by Iridesse, love the colors (click through for larger image):

Multicolor Freshwater Pearl "Twist" by Iridesse, $225 Retail

Alexis Bittar “Klimt” necklace, just the right mix of texture , graceful, and still makes a statement:

 

Alexis Bittar "Klimt" Necklace, $195 Retail

 

Craving coral?  Here’s a well-priced necklace with just a touch of it (Btw, I love the stuff on this site, but Vivre doesn’t have enough details for the jewelry—length, materials, etc.):

Coral and Vermeil Necklace, $147.50 Retail

 

From $300 to $500:

I really like this artist’s aesthetic on Etsy.  This is her “Greta” necklace, with a lovely mix of Carnelian, shell, wood, pearls, citrine, and fossil coral crocheted onto gold wire:

Jraejewels "Greta" Necklace on Etsy, $352 Retail

 

Here is another one of jraejewels’ designs, a collar of woven semi-precious jewels: multi-hued freshwater pearls, seaglass, crystals and wood (OK, it’s over $500 but I like it so much I have to squeak it in, plus it’s REAL jewelry so you can justify it!):

jraejewels "Kate" Collar Necklace, $650

Here is a fine silver necklace with pearls and crystals, also found on Etsy.  Very pretty floral design:

"White Ophelia" Fine Silver Necklace, $375 retail

 

Jamie Joseph Labradorite pendant has gorgeous hues of blue/green/brown with an oxidized silver chain, you’ll have to click through to see the image: Jamie Joseph at Ylang Ylang.

Also, this Jamie Joseph pendant in ultra-simple White Onyx, also at Ylang Ylang.

Very nice Nancy Cohen necklace, I like the way the gems are drilled and mounted irregularly through the chain:

Nancy Cohen Peruvian Chalcite Briolette Necklace, $330 Retail

 

And finally, here is the reason that I wanted to do this post, after seeing this designer’s Spring Collection.  This is a silver, gunmetal and steel chain necklace with a bullet-faceted lemon quartz:

Gemma Redux Erin Necklace with Lemon Quartz, $398 Retail

And a very cool Mauve Quartz necklace that manages to be feminine and industrial at the same time:

Gemma Redux Mauve Quartz Necklace, $354 Retail

 

 What is your favorite necklace design this season?  Comment and let me know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do with Bernie Madoff’s Jewelry?

Bernard Madoff’s jewelry has turned out to be a star player in the unfolding drama of his giant Ponzi scheme.  First, prosecutors moved to freeze his assets in January 2009, since he and his wife shipped more than a $1 million dollars worth of jewelry and watches to friends and relatives (I think there were 16 watches, 4 brooches, an emerald ring and a couple of cuff link sets).  Now prosecutors are pursuing more than $2.6 million in Ruth Madoff’s jewelry and 35 watches and cuff links that belong to Bernard.  The sad fact is that this dollar figure is so paltry compared to the $170 billion they are seeking in forfeiture, it’s almost irrelevant.  Plus, I would bet that the $2.6 mil figure is replacement cost on appraisals, so there is NO WAY they are going to recover that amount in the secondary jewelry market.  This situation shows how jewelry has historically been a way to hold (or hide) wealth: it is small and extremely valuable, so you can easily transport (or UPS), and it always has some intrinsic value.

Speaking of the Madoffs and jewelry, there is another part of the story unfolding behind the scenes.  Remember how I wrote about How to Sell Your Jewelry?  I mentioned a company called Circa, a NYC-based jewelry-buying company that has offices in several major cities.  Turns out business is brisk there, with their office in Palm Beach, FL sending up regular shipments of old family jewelry that Madoff’s victims are having to sell to cover ordinary expenses.  Circa CEO Chris Del Gatto says in a New Yorker article that his company has to become “the priest and the rabbi, the psychiatrist” helping people liquidate their collections.  

 

Circa Jewels Advertisement, Courtesy of Media Space Solutions

Which brings me back to my original question to NY prosecutors:  What are you planning to do with Ruth and Bernie’s jewelry?  There’s Circa or other private brokers.  Or how about an auction?  I can see the Sotherby’s or Christie’s catalog cover now: “Own a Piece of Ponzi History”, or “Captured Gems: Jewels from a Felon”.  It’s probably better stuff than the seized drug dealers loot the traveling auctions sell at convention centers (diamond-encrusted pit bull on a 2 inch diameter chain, anyone?).  Hey, if you can’t recover the millions in your portfolio, you can at least own his engraved Rolex and show it around at parties.

Kiss My (Royal) Asscher…

…Asscher Cut, that is.  All jokes about the name aside, Asscher cuts have been making waves since the early 1900’s.  If you’re not familiar, the name refers to stunningly beautiful, modified square-cut diamonds.  They sort of speak for themselves, don’t you think?

Royal Asscher 3-Stone Ring

What is an Asscher Cut and what makes it special? 

Asscher cuts have a wonderfully rich history.  The Asscher brothers were diamond cutters in Amsterdam around the turn of the 19th century.  Their cutting house became quite known for their skill and precision.  In 1902, Joseph Asscher developed a variation of the classic emerald cut.  This new cut was square, versus the rectangular emerald cut, with proportionally larger blocked corners, forming an almost octagonal outline.  The bottom was scissor-cut with symmetrical parallel facets, ending in a single central point, instead of the standard keel-line of the emerald cut.  The symmetry of this new style, combined with the greater depth of the stone, resulted in such radiant brilliance that people were really dazzled.  The design was patented, and a number of Asschers were cut and set into the Art Deco style of the times until World War II. 

Platinum Art Deco Ring with Asscher Cuts, $32,000 Retail

A bit of Asscher history:

If the Asscher name sounds familiar, you might be interested to know that in 1907, Joseph Asscher cut the Cullinan, a 3106 carat rough diamond.  The largest cut diamonds from the Cullinan are part of the Crown Jewels of Britain.  Diamond cutting at the time was totally done by hand, and the first cut made had to be accurate to split the crystal atoms correctly, or the world’s largest diamond would become the world’s most expensive pile of diamond dust.  Legend has it that ol’ Asscher struck the first blow to cleave the stone (successfully, obviously), then promptly passed out.  (The family refutes that, but I’m sticking with it.)

A Note About Size and Quality of Asscher Cuts

Color can concentrate in the corner facets of this cut, plus you can see inclusions through the clear step facets, so I recommend going a little higher quality with this cut: G or higher color, VS2 or higher clarity (click here for a diamond quality overview).  If you are in love with an Asscher cut, you should know that they face up quite small for their carat weight due to their depth relative to their diameter.  If you have a modest budget, or you prefer a diamond under 1 carat, you really should see a mounted stone and try it on for size.  A “halo” mounting, one with diamonds micro-paved around the center stone, will add a lot of volume without the same expense of going with a much larger carat weight Asscher center stone.

 

Danhov ME2 Pave Diamond Mounting for Asscher Cut

 

Modern Asscher Cuts

Sometime in the late 1990’s, coinciding with renewed interest in estate-looking mountings and platinum designs (plus mentions in Sex and the City and celebrity wearers like Kate Hudson), consumers rediscovered the Asscher cut.  In 2001, Edward and Joop Asscher updated the design slightly, adding more facets and a slightly larger table to increase brilliance.  Now you can purchase authorized Asschers from Royal Asscher.  

Other diamonds are cut into a similar style.  They may not all have the actual “Asscher Signature”, but there are a lot of gorgeous modified-square brilliants out there, in some equally stunning mountings.  

Here is a beautiful 1 carat Asscher cut from Blue Nile, it’s a great balance of color/clarity for this cut (you can choose a mounting from their selection):

Blue Nile 1.01ct Asscher Cut, G color, VS1 clarity, $4677 Retail

Here’s an Asscher mounting to maximize bling:

Pave Split-Shank Setting for Asscher Cut

Lest you think I am only about $30,000+ totally beautiful yet unattainable Asscher Cut rings (see my fav-or-ite Asscher ring here), here is a relatively affordable .77 ct Asscher Cut  in a pave split-shank mounting by one of my all-time-favorite jewelry designers, Mark Patterson:

.77 ct Asscher Cut Diamond in Micro Pave Mark Patterson Setting, $8225 Retail

If you are into simple elegance, maybe a solitaire is in order:

Blue Nile Trellis Solitaire Setting with Asscher Cut Center

With their clean outline and sophisticated brilliance, Asscher Cuts manage to be very modern and very classic at the same time.

Make Your Mark with Personalized Jewelry: Charm Necklaces

People have always loved to declare their devotion with jewelry.  Engraved lockets have been around forever, and people have figured out ways to include initials on rings since Renaissance times.  I’ve noticed some interesting personalized jewelry lately, and thought it would be fun to show a few designers (thanks, Lauren, for suggesting this topic!).  Any of these would be great to call out someone special in your life, as subtly or obviously as you want!

One of the best known personalized jewelry designers is Heather Moore.  She has a collection of discs in silver and every color of gold, hand-stamped with initials, names or anything you want.  The whole collection can be highly personalized, there are little dangly jewels you can add, and keep collecting more to make it very much your own.  You can see the collection and start building your own set by clicking here.

Heather Moore Personalized Charm Necklace

 

My first thought was that her stuff is pretty spendy.  For instance, I built a necklace on the site with 2 small engraved 14kt discs plus a few jewels on a fine 14kt 16″ chain, and it was over $1500.  But after spending some time on the site and seeing some other designers, I am really loving her style and her company.  She’s truly an artist (there’s some info about her bio here), and I can see that in her designs.  It’s important to note that her designs are crafted in recycled precious metals.  If this is to commemorate your family, kids, or significant other, those things are forever, and so is her jewelry.  I recommend splurging, you won’t regret it!  You can also start small and build slowly, which can help.

A note about sterling silver:  this can be a less expensive option.  But think carefully about this.  Sterling tarnishes, so if you are not going to enjoy pulling out the silver polish occasionally to get into the grooved lines of the engraving, or you won’t appreciate the natural patina that happens over the years without the polish, I don’t recommend it.  If you’re talking about a sweet gift for your favorite girl friend, and you’ve got a limited budget, then go for it!

If Heather Moore’s style isn’t quite what you’re looking for, there are some other great options.  At the online retailer Max and Chloe, you can find several designers.  Here is Christie Martin’s 14kt disc engravable with up to 8 characters.  Not a bad value for $230, including the 16″ chain:

Christie Martin Charm Necklace, $230 Retail

 

You could also build a little collection of disks by Zoe Chicco in gold and/or sterling silver.  Not quite as customizable as Heather Moore’s selection, but nice.  For less than a $1000, you could have some gold and silver charms of various sizes on a 16″ chain.  Here’s an example of an oval shape that can be engraved with up to 5 letters:

Zoe Chicco Oval Charm Necklace, $435 Retail with Chain

If money is no object, there are plenty of diamond options as well.  Here’s a lovely little monogram in 14kt white gold and diamonds:

Kacey K Medium Monogram Personalized Necklace, $2035 retail

I also really like little initials, they could be worn singly or combined with engraved discs for a sentimental little touch.  I love this little lower-case font from Ariel Gordon:

Ariel Gordon Initial Personalized Necklace Charm, $300 Retail

On Etsy.com there are a few artists making personalized necklaces.  I really had to wade through a lot of listings, but I found this person making initials,and a seller called PeaceofMind is doing some sweet things here.   Jeneri Jewelry is doing custom sterling silver and gold-filled stamped disks for reasonable prices:

Jeneri Jewelry Silver Charm Necklace, $43 Retail

Speaking of reasonable prices, I found this designer of simple stamped discs.  If you just want something sweet and affordable, I think these are nice, especially the “Edison” font (for $28!!):

Mountain Girl Silver Charm Necklace, $28 Retail

Please comment if you have other designers to recommend!

How Do I Sell My Jewelry?

I have been asked this question a number of times in my career, and it always makes my heart squeeze a little.  There are many different scenarios where people might need to sell jewelry.  Maybe the engagement or marriage didn’t work out, sometimes there are financial hardships, or maybe someone inherited Aunt Harriet’s ring and just won’t wear it. 

This scenario exposes a dirty little secret of the jewelry industry–there is no secondary market to speak of.  The jewelers who work so hard to sell you something in happy times aren’t really set up to help you if things don’t work out.  This makes a difficult situation even harder. 

The first thing you should know is that YOU WILL NOT GET BACK WHAT YOU PAID FOR YOUR JEWELRY.  There are a number of reasons for this.  If you sell it to someone in the industry, they can buy it wholesale and are in the business to make a profit.  Jewelers can carry large in-house inventories on memorandum, where they only pay the dealer for it if they sell it.  If they do buy something, they can get 30, 60, 90 day terms to pay for it.  Or they can make a cash purchase for a percentage off the wholesale price.  To buy it from an individual, they have to pay you outright, take a fair amount of risk that the item is what they think it is (mountings can hide a lot of flaws), and hope they can turn it in the future.  If you sell it yourself to an individual, you need to make the price compelling enough for someone to pay you cash instead of financing it through a jeweler.  Keep in mind, too, that you may need to unmount diamonds and gemstones and put them into simple settings that appeal to most people.

In general, there is a direct relationship between the amount of time you are willing to wait and the amount of money you will net for the jewelry.  The faster you want to liquidate, the less you will get for the item.  I have compiled a list of possible options and the impact this makes on how much you will get.  I have listed the following options in the approximate order of least amount of time and effort on the seller’s part to more time/effort, but possibly greater return:

$ Pawn Shop/Jewelry Liquidator:  In general, this is the option of last resort.  You will get–maybe–10 to 20 cents on the dollar for what you originally paid if the item has more value in the labor, such as a cluster ring with a lot of gold.  You may net more if the item has a solitaire diamond at least 1/3 to 1/2 carat.  The pawn shop or liquidator is going to turn it very quickly for a little more than they paid for it (way below market value), which is why the price is so low.  But it’s very fast–in the case of a pawn shop you will walk out with cash/check in hand.  In the case of an on-line liquidator, such as Thingswebuy.com, you contact them on-line, they Fed Ex you a box/package, and they will let you know as soon as they receive it what their offer is.  A company that I have heard of that might be good for more important jewelry items is Circa, they have offices in several major US cities.  Not sure how much they sell, but there is also an entertaining little site called exboyfriendjewelry.com to check out.  Note: I have not personally vetted this or any other on-line liquidator/buyer, so I cannot fully endorse.  Do your homework and proceed with caution.

$$  Consign through a physical jeweler:  This could be through the jeweler you originally purchased it from, or another store in the community.  There should be a written agreement about how long they will have it in the case, the price they will try and get for it, the amount you will net from the sale, and the appraised value if anything should happen to it while in their possession.  This option can take an extremely long time: how motivated is the jeweler to sell your item, versus their own inventory that represents a major capital investment?  But the amount that you net might be closer to what you paid for it, especially if you bought it from that jeweler and they are compassionate about the situation.   

$$$  Sell it yourself:  This option probably makes some people’s palms sweaty.  It is not for the faint of heart, but this is the way you can get closer to your purchase price. 

1. The first possible audience is someone you know who might be interested: friends, family, colleagues, etc.
2. I do not recommend a newspaper ad.  It is expensive, no one reads ads anymore, and it could attract the crazees. 
3. Craigslist.  This is a totally viable option, but probably only if you live somewhere there is an active local site.  Craigslist is easy, it’s free, and it’s local.  If you have paperwork, such as a diamond lab grading report or an appraisal, list as many details from it as you can.  Try to take a good photo, it’s easy to upload.  Price it well–you need to make it enticing to buy it from you versus a jeweler (jewelers offer less risk, return policies, financing, etc.).  If you paid $5,000, price it at $3500 or 4000–it will be a good deal for the buyer and that’s a pretty good price to get back out of it.  If you really want to sell it and be done with it, 1/2 of the price you paid (NOT a fictitious appraisal value) is very compelling.  If you find someone who is interested in seeing it, my recommendation would be to meet at a bank.  It’s a public place, security is all around, you can show the item to the potential buyer (hey, you could even pull it from the safety deposit boxes there if the bank has them, further reducing your security risk), and if the interested party decides to buy it, you can verify their certified check funds before they leave with the jewelry.
4. eBay:  This option is trickier (and worthy of its own blog).  Going through the listing process if you’ve never sold on eBay before is not trivial.  There are listing and selling fees that can add up.  You are also competing against semi-professional dealers with slick offerings.  But you can get your item in front of a large potential audience who is actively looking for jewelry.  There are 2 options for eBay, auctions and Buy It Now.  Auctions are still their bread and butter.  They recommend starting the bidding low with no reserve, but if you really can’t go below a certain price, you can set a reserve price (for instance, you paid $5000 for a solitaire diamond ring, you want to get at least $2500 for it, so you can start the auction at $1000 but set a reserve of $2500).  Definitely go for a longer auction, 7-10 days.  You can also set a Buy It Now price that represents a fair value.  There is a TON of fraud on eBay, so what I recommend is using an escrow service to hold the funds until the buyer has a chance to view the jewelry.  

$$$$ Trade It In:  If you can trade in your jewelry, you will probably get the most value possible for very little exertion on your part.  For instance, if you bought an engagement ring for $5000 and things didn’t work out, maybe you want a Rolex for yourself.  Or perhaps you could hold onto it until you decide to get engaged again, and trade it for a larger, finer diamond.  You might even get the full amount the jewelry is worth if the item you’re trading for is for more money.  Even if you didn’t buy the original item there, if it’s a salable piece, a jeweler has more incentive to do this than the consignment route.  Again, you’re taking some loss in that you are not getting full value back in hand, but that is the reality of the situation. 

Jewelry DOES have lasting value, it can always be reduced to its precious materials and the value measured out.  The unique thing about jewelry is that the emotional significance behind it is harder to calculate.  Only you know what your jewelry is really worth. 

Have you ever had to sell a piece of jewelry?  What was your experience?  Please comment and share your story!

Virtual Purchase: 3-Stone Diamond Ring

What:  For this Virtual Purchase, I am focusing on a ring with 3 round diamonds: a center diamond that is larger, with proportionally smaller round diamonds on the sides, in white gold or platinum in several total weights (adding all the carat weights of the stones together, abbreviated as TW):  1/2 ct TW, 1 ct TW, and 2 ct TW.  I didn’t look at total carat weights less than 1/2 carat–spread across 3 stones, the individual carat weights are just too small, you are better off putting your whole budget into one diamond.

A little background on the design and significance:  3-stone rings have actually been around for a long time, they just didn’t have a name and specific jewelry category until De Beers decided to brand them a few years ago.  Some other jewelry items that people didn’t know they needed before De Beers told them they did are engagement rings (the 1948 campaign “A Diamond Is Forever” that lauched the modern-day concept of a diamond engagement ring), right-hand rings, “Journey” jewelry, anniversary bands.  I do think the 3-stone ring is beautiful and enduring.  The 3 stones represent your past, present, and future.  With this symbolism, a 3-stone could be presented as an engagement ring, or for a significant anniversary. 

Classic 3-Stone Round Diamond Ring from Costco.com

Where:  I looked for 3-stone rings anywhere I could find them at major retailers online:  Blue Nile, Costco.com, Amazon.com, Diamond.com, plus some others in the table below.  I had kind of a hard time finding very many already mounted options in my target quality range of G-H color, SI1-SI2 clarity, especially in 1/2 ct TW.

Here are the results of my research in table format and my picks for best quality/value/style highlighted, with more specific notes down below (if you need a 4 C’s diamond quality refresher, click here).  You can click on the retailer name to go directly to the ring featured:

1/2 carat TW 3-Stone Diamond Ring:
Company:	Mounting Metal:	Min Color:	Min Clarity:	Cut:	Price:	Price after discount:	Comments:
Jewelrycentral.com	14kt w and y	H-I	I1	Not spec	$    595.00		Best value for H/I1 quality, I1 clarity not great
Ice.com	14kt w and y	G	I1	Not spec	$    795.00		I1 clarity not great, there are better quality options
Classicjewelry.com	14kt w and y	H	SI2	Not spec	$ 1,014.00	$    861.90	My pick for H/SI2 quality. Good value with 15% off
Amazon.com	14kt w and y	H	SI2	Very Good	$    999.00	$    699.00	Was $699, best quality, but now not on sale
Blue Nile	18kt w	I	SI2	Not Spec	$ 1,200.00		Beautiful ring, price not great even with 18kt mtg
Diamond.com	14kt w and y	H	I1	Not Spec	$    795.00		Not competitive on price, especially for I1

 

1 ct TW 3-Stone Diamond Ring:
Company:	Mounting Metal:	Min Color:	Min Clarity:	Cut:	Price:	Price after discount:	Comments:
Jewelrycentral.com	18kt w	H-I	SI2	Not spec	$ 2,200.00		Nice design, best everyday price
Mondera	Platinum	G-H	VS1-VS2	Not spec	$ 3,500.00		Nice style, higher quality
Blue Nile	18kt w	H	SI2	Not spec	$ 2,450.00		Beautiful ring, good reviews on site
Amazon.com	14kt w and y	H	SI2	Very Good	$ 2,999.00	$ 1,609.99	Was 30% off of $2299, terrible price w/o sale
Diamond.com	14kt w and y	H	I1	Not Spec	$ 1,995.00		Lowest price option, but I1 lower quality
Costco.com	14kt w	I	VS2	Very Good	$ 2,499.00		Absolutely beautiful mounting, great value
Classicjewelry.com	14kt w and y	H	SI2	Not spec	$ 2,547.00	$ 2,164.95	My pick for H/SI2 quality, good value with 15% off

 

2 ct TW 3-Stone Diamond Ring:
Company:	Mounting Metal:	Min Color:	Min Clarity:	Cut:	Price:	Price after discount:	Comments:
Diamond.com	14kt w and y	H	I1	Not Spec	$ 5,495.00		Low price but it’s lower I1 clarity and 14kt
Costco.com	Platinum	I	VS2	VG	$ 7,499.00		Absolutely gorgeous, great value for quality
Costco.com	Platinum	I	VS2	VG	$ 8,499.99	$ 7,999.99	Good sale offer, fancy vintage-style setting

 

My favorite 1 ct TW 3-Stone Ring from Costco.com

Jewelrycentral.com:  This company comes up high in google search results, so I checked them out.  Prong basket settings for their 3-stone rings.  Not crazy about I1, better quality is out there for good value.  No specifics on the break-down of carat weight.

Ice.com:  Not totally sure about this site, I would have to order something from them to be able to completely endorse.  Ok value on a G/I1 clarity. 

Classicjewelry.com:  New site discovery for me, they say they are a NYC manufacturer in business for 25 years.  They have the usual 30 day return policy and a customer service 877#. They also have live chat and list their address on the site, which is a pretty good sign (some no-name sites you can barely find an “about us”). Can enter email for coupon code for 15% off anything over $500 http://www.classicjewelry.com/diamonds/jewelry/coupon.php . 

Amazon.com:  Sigh.  Amazon jewelry buyers, please read this and listen up: your price messaging is terrible.  This item was 30% off of $999 for Valentine’s Day, but not marked anywhere obvious on the detail page, I had to go through entire check-out to get final price.  The sale prices for the 1/2 ct and 1 ct TW rings were amazing, but the regular prices are NOT competitive, and that is usually where Amazon wins (price).  I like this style, with the square-edge clean band and stylish baskets.  Site navigation for this category is pretty good: from Jewelry category page, 3-stone left nav category takes you to page where the rings are grouped by mounting type/diamond quality and you can choose your carat total weight. 

Blue Nile:  Beautiful ring, probably worth buying if you want the 18kt mounting, but I think their prices should come down a bit in this economy (if they want to survive).  Great site navigation as usual, 3-stone rings have their own category in left nav.  Could build your own from their loose diamond collection if you want.  Carat TWs from .25 ct TW to 3.63 ct TW.  No break-down of carat weights of center vs. sides, which surprised me from this company.

Diamond.com:  Arrgghh!  This is a jewelry-specific site, but navigating is terrible: no 3-stone category and the refinements are not useful (how about refining by carat TW, maybe?).  I had to wade through pages of totally random rings to find the 3-stones.  Also, I don’t like that they don’t offer qualities higher than I1 for mounted rings: at I1 clarity you can see the inclusions, and unless your budget is really tight, SI2 is a better bet. 

Costco.com:  Really lovely mountings, different from the rest of the offerings here.  For someone who wants classic, but with a little twist.  For the higher clarity and relatively large center at .40, I think the 1 carat TW version is an excellent value.

Mondera.com:  I had to look really hard on site to find 3-stones.  Nice style and quality, but could only find a 1 ct TW option.  Not as extensive a selection as I thought this jewelry-specific site would have.

I Heart Valentine’s Day Heart Pendants

Heart pendants are one of those polarizing jewelry items: people either love them or they don’t.  I think they can be wonderful–good heart design does not have to be an oxymoron.  If they are done well, hearts can be beautiful and very romantic.   You are wearing a tangible symbol: someone loves you!

There are a lot of hearts out there.  For my edited list below, I had a few criteria I looked at carefully.  Graceful design.  Quality of execution (as far as I can tell online).  Integration of the pendant with the chain.  Value. 

Find yourself (or your gift recipient) in the descriptions below and see if cupid’s arrow makes its mark.

Purist: You value good design and want something enduring. 

You can’t beat Tiffany.  Elsa Peretti created THE iconic design, and it’s a good value in sterling silver, and possibly gold.  How else can you give the little blue box (and probably get a nice smooch) for $165?

Tiffany Small Heart Pendant, $165 Retail

Another nice Tiffany design, I like the rose gold with the silver:

Tiffany Double Heart Pendant w/Rose Gold, $675 Retail

 

Classic: You like simple, tailored designs and want something brilliant, but tasteful; sparkly, but not overwhelming. 

Lovely little piece from Blue Nile, it’s definitely a nod to Tiffany, but a good value:  

Blue Nile 1/4 ct Curved Heart Pendant, $420 Retail

Very sweet piece, love the pearl, and it’s a steal at $55:

Blue Nile Heart Lariat w/ Freshwater Pearl, $55 Retail

This should lay right in the hollow of the neck, like a little kiss:

Blue Nile Infinity Heart Pendant, $420 Retail

Sporty:  You want good design, but you don’t want it to get in the way of your active lifestyle.

This is clean and simple, I like the way it floats on the snake chain:

Platinum Diamond Heart Slide, $900 Retail

I like the bezel setting for these diamonds–no prongs to catch on anything, and it’s a clean look:

C. Gonshor Diamond Heart Pendant, $2895 Retail

 

 Downtown:  You’re a little bit rock and roll, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t a romantic:

I’m a big fan of this designer.  This is kind of spendy, but I bet it’s pretty substantial, and beautifully executed.  Very organic:

Wendy Brandes "Diana" Pendant, $5500 Retail

Inspired by the Illusionist, ingenous twisting mechanism allows it to go from heart to oval (PS, I think this is the one I would buy if I had my choice, I love the mechanics plus it’s got over 1 carat in diamond weight):

Wendy Brandes 18kt Sophie Pendant, $7500 Retail

Romantic: You are inspired by vintage designs and can’t get enough of delicate scrollwork:

Very pretty estate-looking design in white gold:

14kt White Gold Diamond Heart Pendant, $610 Retail

Romantic, yet kind of contemporary at the same time:

14kt White Gold Diamond Scroll Pendant, $1850 Retail

Bold:  You don’t mind making a statement with your jewelry, and you’ve never met a diamond that is too big. 

This is one of my favorites, love the puffed shape and the way the chain slides through, and the diamonds look like they are set nice and tight:

14kt YG Diamond 1.0 ct. Pave Heart, $1361 Retail

A heart that is not really a heart, big look for the $$:

14kt White Gold and Diamond Heart Pendant, $1149 Retail

Classic, gorgeous, CANNOT GO WRONG (other carat weight sizes available):

Blue Nile Platinum 2 Carat Diamond Heart Pendant, $3400 Retail

And the ultimate heart necklace, a one-of-a-kind by the design house Tacori (sorry the image is not so impressive, if you click through you can see it in all it’s gorgeousness):

Tacori Platinum and 18kt Pink Diamond Necklace, $145,000 Retail

 

Virtual Purchase: 1/2 Carat TW Round Diamond Stud Earrings

Several times a month, I am going to do a “virtual purchase” of a piece of jewelry.  I will  articulate a jewelry purchase scenario, and go through the decision-making process of what, how and where I choose to “purchase” the item.

What:  This week’s virtual purchase will be a pair of 1/2 carat tw (total weight) round diamond solitaire earrings in simple white gold mountings, with nice sparkle without overpaying for quality you can’t see.  While this is a popular size for diamond earrings, keep in mind that these will be smaller than you think–the 1/2 carat diamond total weight is spread across 2 stones, so each is 1/4 carat and the typical diameter is about 4mm each.  Click here for a neat little graphic from Blue Nile illustrating relative diamond size. 

Where: I am going to shop online at Costo.com, Blue Nile, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Diamond.com, Diamondstudsonly.com, and Union Diamond.  NOTE: unlike loose/solitaire diamonds, earring of this size won’t typically have independent diamond reports/certificates from the major grading labs.  I am only going to sites where I am reasonably confident that I would get the quality that is stated on the website.

Here are the results, click here if you need help on the diamond 4C’s terminology:

Company:	Mounting Metal:	Min Color:	Min Clarity:	Cut:	Price:	Comments
Amazon.com	18 kt	H-I	SI2	VG	$521.99	Excellent value, cryptic price messaging
Diamondstudsonly.com	14 kt	G-I	SI2	VG	$599.00	If they can deliver this quality, it’s a good option
Union Diamond	14 kt	H-I	SI1-SI2	NA	$600.00	If they can deliver this quality, it’s a good option
Blue Nile	18 kt	I	SI2	Good	$700.00	OK value, nice site, consistent quality
Costco.com	14 kt	I	VS2	Good	$799.99	Nice value for higher clarity, probably can’t see difference
Walmart.com	14 kt	I-J	I1-I2	NA	$499.00	Not comp quality, not recommended
Diamond.com	14 kt	H-I	I1	NA	$695.00	Not comp quality, not recommended

Bottom Line:  If I were purchasing for myself, I would purchase the Amazon.com pair.  They have the best quality/value ratio for the $521.99 price.  However, I don’t know how long the “sale” will last, so if they discontinue the sale price, I would recommend either the diamondstudsonly or the Union Diamond pair.  If you are really into higher clarity, the Costco pair might do it for you.  As with all jewelry purchases, it takes some research and legwork to compare, and it can get confusing for the lay person.  Not all diamond earring quality combinations are equal across different companies, as the table above shows.  Below are my notes about the specific details of the merchants and their offerings, and links to the exact pairs reviewed.

Costco.com:  Yes, their site is clunky–the refining browse structure is just awkward.  But their prices are usually very good, they tend to have nicer qualities, and are scrupulous about quality control.  They have a smaller selection than other sites, but they have a nice pair of 1/2 carat tw round diamond earrings set into classic 14kt white gold baskets, I color or better, VS2 clarity or better for $799.99.  I know from industry reputation that their cut quality is pretty good.  That price includes shipping, and the site says you can have them in 2-3 days.

Blue Nile:  Beautiful site, pretty intuitive to browse for earrings.  At Blue Nile, you can build your own pair of earrings by selecting matched pairs of diamonds and a mounting style of your choice, or you can choose from popular sizes/shapes already mounted.  The most likely pair of round diamond studs was 1/2 ct tw, I color or better, SI2 clarity or better, good cut, set into 18 kt white gold screwback settings for $700.  You can get them next day for free if you order by a certain time.  These are slightly lower clarity than the Costco pair, but at SI2 you are unlikely to see any inclusions with the eye, and you get better mountings for almost $100 less than the Costco pair.

Amazon.com:  If you click on Amazon’s Jewelry catagory, they have a “Diamond Stud Earring” heading in the left nav that takes you to this page set up with all of their pre-set diamond earring choices in popular shapes/sizes/qualities.  The round diamond stud earrings in 18k white gold basket settings with a regular friction back are H-I color, SI2 clarity or better, and very good cut (which will give you great sparkle) for $869.99 retail plus shipping, which doesn’t sound competitive with BN or Costco.  BUT, there is a sale of 40% off applied when you actually put the item in your cart and go through the purchase process until the final “submit”.  The final price is $521.99 which is an excellent value.  I don’t think shipping is free unless you are an Amazon.com Prime member.  But I find the whole pricing strategy to be odd.  These earrings have a $2380 retail, which is TOTALLY ridiculous!  Then they have their published discounted price of $869.99, which is high.  The final price of $522 is very good, but it’s not transparent and difficult to get to. 

Walmart.com:  Platinumgirl shops at Walmart for jewelry, you say?  Well, they are the largest retailer of jewelry in the US by volume, and this is a basic item, so I figure I should check it out.  The site is terrible–you can’t sort for size, quality, even shape.  I finally found a pair of 1/2 carat tw round diamonds, H-I color, I1-I2 clarity, in 14k white basket settings for $499.  These are in no way comparable to the other diamond earrings I found at other sites–I just don’t recommend an I2 for anything–and probably not pretty at all.  The Amazon.com pair is light years ahead of these and for not much more ($521 final price).

Diamond.com:  Surprisingly, since they are a jewelry-specific site, I find this site to be challenging.  For all the browse refinements in the left navigation, I still have to wade through a bunch of stuff to find the round solitaire 1/2 tw studs.  The closest I could come to the other contenders was this pair, at H-I color, I1 clarity for $695, in very un-appealing 14k white gold screw back settings.  I would not recommend this pair.  For the same price (or lower, in Amazon’s case), Blue Nile  and Amazon both have finer quality.

Diamondstudsonly.com:  I am giving this site a try, since it comes up at the top of Google search results.  You can sort of “build your own” by selecting diamond shape, mounting style and metal type, and diamond quality ranges.   I selected what we have been comparing: 1/2 ct tw, G-I color, SI2 clarity, very good cut in 14kt white gold basket settings for $599, with free Fed Ex 2 day shipping.  This is a good value.  Only drawback is that I’ve never ordered from them before and don’t know if they are being spot-on with their quality grading.

Union Diamond:  Since I found their selection and pricing very good on my virtual purchase of a 1 carat solitaire, I thought I would check them out for diamond studs, too.  The site is OK.  You can choose from a drop-down menu of mounting options, so I selected their 14kt white gold basket settings.  The detail page says 1/2 ct tw, H-I color, SI1-SI2 clarity for $600.  Free Fed Ex shipping is included.  If the cut is good to very good, this pair is right in the range of Diamondstudsonly.com and Amazon.com for pretty comparable quality.

Virtual Purchase: 1 Carat Round Diamond

Several times a month, I am going to do a “virtual purchase” of a piece of jewelry.  I will  articulate a jewelry purchase scenario, and go through the decision-making process of what, how and where I choose to “purchase” the item.

What:  This week I am looking for a 1.00 carat round diamond, loose.  My “customer” wants the nicest quality he can afford, but won’t go below 1.00 carat weight.  I am only going to look at diamonds with an AGS or GIA certificate so there is some confidence that I will get the diamond quality I’m expecting. 

Where: I am going to shop online at Blue Nile, Amazon.com, Diamond.com, and Union Diamond.

(The Gold Standard) Blue Nile:  I go to Blue Nile first.  I do a search for loose diamonds that can be mounted by a specific date (if you are more flexible on date, there are more results), 0.90 to 1.15 carat, Very Good Cut or better, I Color or better, SI2 Clarity or better.  There are 246 diamonds in my search result.  Now it’s time to refine.   I review this primer on diamond quality 4 Cs, so I know that cut is important.  I sort for that and find that only 2 of the 215 diamonds are Very Good Cut, the rest are Ideal or Signature Ideal.

I know that color is also important, so I sort for that next, high to low.  I decide that a D or E color, while beautiful, are much more expensive than the equally gorgeous F and G color, and that VS2 to SI1 clarity seems like a nice range.  So I check the compare boxes next to a few combinations of F and G color, VS2 and SI1 clarity, Very Good, Ideal and Signature Ideal cut, and hit the ”Compare” button at the top of the column.  It opens a new page with the diamonds listed side-by-side in a neat comparison format. 

I remove 3 diamonds right off the bat, due to medium to strong blue Fluorescence.  It doesn’t really affect beauty that much in faint to medium (and may make the diamond more attractively priced), but while it might actually help me out if I were purchasing an I or J (or lower) color, in a premium color diamond, it’s not that desirable.  The diamonds that are left range from $5300 to $8800–kind of a big price spread.  I rule out the 2 highest priced diamonds (over $8000), mainly because there is nothing significantly better about them than the others.  Wearing my Gemologist hat, I scrutinize the numbers for a while.  I ultimately choose a 1.09 ct F, SI1, Signature Ideal for $6783.  What tips me this direction is that it has a 60% depth percentage with a 56% table, so its diameter is going to appear slightly larger than the other top contender at 62% depth/55% table.  The actual diameter measurement is also slightly larger, but I know I’m not sacrificing beauty for that, because it’s a Signature Ideal cut with the certificates to show for it.  It wasn’t the cheapest, but it was right in the middle of the pack ($5300 low to $7600 high).

(The Mighty) Amazon.com: Now that I have a more precise picture of what I’m looking for, I head to Amazon.com (is there anything they don’t sell now?).  As an Amazon.com insider (see here to read more), I know that Amazon tries to be the lowest price in loose diamonds whenever they can.  At Amazon’s site, you can find their loose diamond/Create Your Own Diamond Ring selection on their Jewelry gateway page, or by clicking here. 

I adjust the sliders to find diamonds in the same quality range I used for Blue Nile, with a price cap of $10,000.  I figure out (through trial and error) that Amazon’s slider is not as sensitive as Blue Nile’s so I have to move the slider up to 1.25 ct in order to get diamonds over 1.00.  I get 631 results.  Their compare feature does not have the same level of detail as BN’s–there are no measurements or girdle thickness, you have to click through to the detail page for each stone to find out those details.

I found a great 1.08 F, SI1 ”Ideal” cut (meaning that the table and depth percentages fit into the Ideal range), that looked like a great value at $5775.  But closer inspection revealed that it said “Very Good” under the Polish and Symmetry comments, so it’s not technically the same as the Signature Cut Ideal from Blue Nile.  But if you weren’t so picky about that, it would be a great value.  Since the G, VS2 combination was $1000 more, I stuck with the F, SI1 quality combination.  The final diamond at Amazon that is most comparable to the BN diamond is a 1.07 ct F, SI1, Ideal cut for $6610.  I like the 55% table/61% depth combination, and it’s diameter is 6.6 mm, similar to the BN diameter of 6.7 mm.  If I wanted about the same factors, but was willing to go down in size slightly to 1.00 ct exactly, Amazon had a nice diamond for $5940, but the diameter is slightly smaller at 6.46 mm.   

(Disappointing) Diamond.com:  I couldn’t find a great comp at Diamond.com.  The closest I could find was a 1.03 ct, F, SI1, Ideal cut for $5908.  It is not as large, and had medium blue Fluorescence, which I rejected at the other companies.  The selection was dismal, maybe 4 diamonds that were even close.

(The Darkhorse Surprise) Union Diamond: Union Diamond seems to come up a lot in search engines, so I checked them out, too.  Closest comparable diamond: a very nice 1.06 ct, F, SI1, AGS-certified Ideal cut for $6435.  If it is as nice as the website says, it’s one of the best values I came across, especially if the company could verify if the AGS certificate identifies the diamond as a “000″ Ideal (Ideal proportions, Polish and Symmetry).  The only drawback is that I’m not as familiar with the company, so I can’t give a full endorsement without ordering something.

Final Diamond Virtual Purchase:the 1.07 ct F, SI1, Ideal from Amazon.com.  While any of my top three diamonds (my top pick from BN, Amazon.com and Union) would have been incredibly brilliant, I like the value proposition of the price in the middle ($6435 from Union Diamond, $6610 from Amazon, $6783 from BN), PLUS the safety/reputation of Amazon.com.  If I get some personal experience with Union, or hear from someone who has, then I might go with that option.

Bottom Line:  With certified diamonds, you can–in theory–easily compare all the factors online and then buy something that should be a beautiful diamond.  The reality is that it’s pretty confusing trying to sort through literally hundreds, even thousands of similar diamonds that all have tiny differences that seem to affect value significantly.  It’s important to remember that although it seems like there are so many details to consider, at some point it’s splitting hairs–if you are staying in a quality range of Very Good Cut, I color, SI2 and better, you will end up with a gem with plenty of sparkle.  I chose an Ideal, F color, SI1 as a gorgeous diamond quality with an excellent value proposition.  A lot of people think that a G, VS2 combination is an ideal engagement ring, but most of those diamonds were $1000 or more for that quality combo, and I prefer the higher color–you can’t see the difference in clarity at all from VS2 to SI1.

Of course, if you go to a reputable jeweler in your area, you could compare several qualities and see for yourself if there is a difference worth paying for.