Ever Wonder About the “2 Months Salary” Guideline? Check this out.

This may be tantamount to heresy in the jewelry industry, but I have never been a fan of De Beer’s 2 Month Salary guideline.  In case you haven’t ever heard about this, De Beers, in their ever-present marketing, delicately suggest spending the equivalent of 2 months of your salary on a diamond engagement ring.  When asked about this over the years, my response has been to spend what you think is appropriate for YOUR situation.  No two couples and circumstances are alike.  Do what you want.

So today I ran across this amazing pictorial representation of this recommendation (thanks, Woot!).  This artist has taken US Dept of Labor statistics for wages, figured out 2 month’s salary amounts, then assembled images of 9 rings in that dollar range for 20 professions (each piece of art is 8 by 10 inches).  Check it out:

"Anesthesiologist" Engagement Ring Image, Lee Gainer

Looking at the images, I find this so fascinating.  It appears that size does matter: it’s a reflection on your socio-economic status, and to some it is an indicator of how much your fiance really loves you.  This is a subtle, brilliant social commentary on when marketing and relationships intersect.  Thank you, Lee Gainer.  Check out the artist’s equally amazing installations of “the thought that counts” and “group therapy“.

"Welder" Engagement Ring Image, Lee Gainer

What do you think of the 2 months salary “rule”?  Useful guideline for engagement ring neophytes, or Evil Corporate Mandate?

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!

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

 

Designer Spotlight: Mark Patterson

Mark Patterson creates beautiful jewelry in colored gems and diamonds.  I worked with his designs for a number of years when I was with a couple of independent jewelers.  The first designs I fell in love with were mostly colored gemstones that were used with varying intensities and pave-set into designs that showed off the amazing graduation of color.  His wife, Josette, is a sculptor and you can really see that sensibility in the designs:

Mark Patterson Sapphire and Diamond Intensity Ring, app $4520 Retail

When I was a buyer of engagement rings, I was thrilled to find out that Mark was doing engagement ring and wedding band designs.  His engagement rings are mostly timeless designs with a slight twist that makes them special.  He uses pave diamonds and beautiful metal work to highlight the center stone without overpowering it.  Of his classic designs, I especially like the knife-edge setting, which is simple but sculptural:

Platinum Knife Edge Setting, app $3790 Retail

The split-shank design is comfortable, impressive and does a great job of emphasizing the center stone.  Shown here with pave diamonds, but also available plain:

Platinum Diamond Split Shank Setting, app $4050 Retail

While his engagement rings are simply gorgeous, you can tell that color is still his first love.  His newer collection, Samba, plays with the varying shades of colored gemstones in a very modern style that is still classic enough for fine jewelry:

Samba Ruby and Pink Sapphire Bracelet, app $9670 retail

His new 9 two 5 collection features large cabochon gemstones set into a mix of sterling and gold.  It is also pretty affordable.  I especially love the interesting combinations of colors, like this:

Kashmir Cabochon Rings, starting at $630

All of Mark Patterson’s designs are beautifully rendered.  You can find a retailer in your area by visiting his website, or call their studio at 866-221-6593.

The Road to Happiness is Paved in Diamonds

For at least the past 5 years, jewelry designers have been sneaking small diamonds into unexpected places on engagement rings.  I think it started with the vintage-style designers like Jack Kelege and Michael Beaudry, who used accent diamonds and hand engraving to create new Estate-looking rings. 

In the past year or so, it has reached a peak of covering basically every metal surface with glittering diamonds.  Driving this trend is customer’s desire for maximum bang for the buck, coupled with recent technology that has allowed very small diamonds to be cut with relative precision, and then be set in tiny metal beads, called micro-pave, where the surface is literally “paved” in diamonds.  Done well, it’s a stunning look.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Hearts on Fire

Amden Design

Erica Courtney Design

Norman Silverman Design