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JohnnyRnR posted:I've been out for meetings for almost two weeks, but it doesn't look like anyone has had any questions. Wow, those are lovely! Would you mind naming a ball park price for a necklace sized string of them, just for my curiosity?
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Jun 8, 2012 03:27
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Dead Pikachu posted:Also, what is the general consensus on moissanite? To get a ring within our budget (1k) we'd have to get a tiny diamond. The gemologist said we should consider moissanite because it's nearly impossible to tell the difference. Nobody would know it wasn't a real diamond. If she's cool with it and you're cool with it, go ahead and get moissanite. It looks just as nice as a diamond and you can get a much bigger look for the price. No one will ever call you out on it, and on the off chance they do, they're an rear end and their opinion doesn't matter.
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Jun 8, 2012 03:50
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My fiancee and I agreed on moissanite and it was a great decision. IMO you shouldn't think of it as a diamond simulant but rather as its own stone. For us, it was the same ballpark as you, with our budget, to get the setting we wanted we would have to settle for a smaller diamond of poorer quality. We got to thinking and realized that the reasons why we wanted a diamond were really just societal, the idea of a moissanite stone better aligned with our philosophy. And because it's 100% lab created at only one lab in the world, you know that there is no possibility of it being a conflict stone or other moral issues with diamonds. They look gorgeous, throw a lot of light, great fire, and yes they're more affordable, but not so much (like CZ) as to feel cheap. They're also are quite hard so they won't scuff like CZ will. Anyway, echoing a previous poster, if she knows that it is moissanite and that you're not trying to fool her, sure, go for it. Funny thing about "other people," we rarely tell other people what the stone is, and most are floored by it, and assume diamond anyway.
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Jun 8, 2012 06:21
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GrAviTy84 posted:My fiancee and I agreed on moissanite and it was a great decision. IMO you shouldn't think of it as a diamond simulant but rather as its own stone. I've been toying with the idea of buying myself some moissanite jewelry with similar thoughts. I can afford equivalent jewelry with diamonds, but I really like that silicon carbide is such a versatile material that has a bunch of industrial applications that are relevant to my interests (electronics and fast vehicles, mostly)....and also, somehow, it's pretty. Pretty neat.
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Jun 8, 2012 21:49
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Dead Pikachu posted:My fiance's getting my engagement ring done by a local gemologist, he said he'd only charge us how much it cost him to buy the stones/setting from dealers and only for the labor. Is this common? My husband got me a moissanite ring and I absolutely love it. No one (outside of a jeweler) would ever know it wasn't a diamond and I am complimented on it all the time. It also helps that at the time my husband worked at a jewelers and brought home several stones in a little baggy and let me just pick out the one I wanted.  We then sent the chosen stone to a place called Boone Rings (http://boonerings.com/) that specialized in the setting I liked, to get a custom tension-set ring in titanium with a platinum band.Here are the pictures they took before sending the completed ring:   It is so gorgeous and sparkly and absolutely stunning in light - I think the quality they said it has is called "fire". Whatever it is, I wouldn't trade it for any diamond.  if I had it with me right now I'd take a picture of it from the side, it's really neat how it's set (completely flush with the band on the top). EVG fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Jun 8, 2012 |
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Jun 8, 2012 22:57
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Yeah, "fire" is the dispersion of the light. Where as the amount of light thrown can be dependent on the quality of the cut, fire is a material property that tells you how "rainbowy" it is. One thing you probably notice is just how much it sparkles in the shade. For me, that is the coolest thing about it. Almost any gem can sparkle in the sun, but in medium lighting, moissanite just owns. Comparison of fire: Left is moissanite, right is diamond.  Edit: I've posted pics of it in here before but it was over a year ago now. In case anyone is interested and since we're sharing pics, here is her ring:  top down varna by gtrwndr87, on Flickr Full set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattmendoza/sets/72157626508555414/with/5624265136/ GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Jun 8, 2012 |
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Jun 8, 2012 23:03
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Well that settles it then! Moissanite looks pretty darn awesome. I'm actually the girl in this situation, so I'm definitely not a diamonds are forever type girl. We went to a store called Diamonds Direct about a year ago and it was awful. They spewed all the typical, "but you must get a diamond" nonsense. The gemologist has been nothing but helpful and he's admitted that diamonds are overrated.
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Jun 9, 2012 02:52
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Dead Pikachu posted:They spewed all the typical, "but you must get a diamond" nonsense. I hate this, why can't they just be happy you want to buy something special and not something they think is special? I am also a huge fan of Moissanite! We did a ton of tests on it last year in class (mostly trying to tell it apart from diamonds) and even side by side with diamonds I think it looks pretty awesome. Pinky Artichoke posted:I've been toying with the idea of buying myself some moissanite jewelry with similar thoughts. I can afford equivalent jewelry with diamonds, but I really like that silicon carbide is such a versatile material that has a bunch of industrial applications that are relevant to my interests (electronics and fast vehicles, mostly)....and also, somehow, it's pretty. Pretty neat. I am into that idea too. The idea that someone makes this thing that is so sparkly and full of fire yet has so many applications for real world things and not just "look at how much I am worth" is really neat. EVG posted:Here are the pictures they took before sending the completed ring: I go nuts for properly made tension set rings and that is by far one of my favorite tension set rings I have ever seen. TL;DR "Diamond" Stores are super annoying Moissanite rules for a plethora of reasons That ring is gorgeous.
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Jun 9, 2012 03:19
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I have been an avid Moissanite supporter for quite some time now. The stone is just flat out gorgeous. Good buy!
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Jun 9, 2012 05:13
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JohnnyRnR posted:I've been out for meetings for almost two weeks, but it doesn't look like anyone has had any questions. With semiprecious beads is there any reason you shouldn't just put them plain on a strand with a fastener for wear as a necklace? I know that pearls are usually knotted... Those are beautiful - I'd be interested in knowing more about them - price/availability/are you going to sell them on your site?
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Jun 9, 2012 06:51
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Diamond simulants all fall into a class all their own. If you like it, go for it. I think that with synthetic diamonds finally starting to be offered Moissanite might be phased out over time, but it will always be a great stone to use in very daring pieces that look great. Whenever there's a chance that a stone might fall out I always encourage customers to use Moissanite. Jesa posted:With semiprecious beads is there any reason you shouldn't just put them plain on a strand with a fastener for wear as a necklace? I know that pearls are usually knotted... I am planning to offer them. I'm just waiting on a shipment of necklace clasps and then I'll have them strung and put online. (They'll be in the $750-1,250 range depending on the size of the strand) The reason for using knots is to protect the beads from abrading each other. These are all temporarily strung without knots between each bead, but they won't be worn like this. For less expensive hardstone materials I don't use knots, but for anything soft, or very valuable, I always do. These will definitely have to be strung with knots to ensure longevity. I have another strand of opal beads in production now in a MUCH larger size. A round center bead of 20mm graduating down to 8mm. Magnificent ultra-fine material (and priced as much as a new Mercedes), and they look like a strand of pearls made from a rainbow. Unfortunately, I can't post the photo online since I have to protect the privacy of the eventual customer.
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Jun 9, 2012 16:22
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I've decided to go ahead and wind down the private store that I had put up for Ask/Tell. My business is changing, and rather than sit on these gemstones for another year I've decided to get them to people that can use them. Use coupon code GoingOnce in the cart to take 40% off your order. Everything can be discounted. I've also lowered the shipping costs by 50% (Flat $5 USA, $10 International). http://gemdirect.myshopify.com Password: goonpuppies I have greatly enjoyed answering questions in this thread over the last two years.
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Jun 19, 2012 03:43
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Thank you! I've been hemming and hawing over a garnet and this put me over the edge. My son was born in January and I was really hoping to get a piece of jewelry for mother's day but now I'll just create my own. Also because of this thread I've learned to find local jewelers so thanks.
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Jun 19, 2012 04:53
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Johnny I have a question since you mentioned the ebay gems were mostly fake. Did you mean fake as in lab grown? or fake as in just plastic? I was considering just getting some of the cheap stuff (I don't care if it's lab made. It just looks nice) and just having it in a small collection box just to have something nice to look at. Would you advise against this? I always find myself gawking over how amazing some of the gems look, and I'd always want to own a few wonderful looking ones to just hold and look at in the light.
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Jun 19, 2012 07:40
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You have two problems with eBay. I'd say that half of the gems sold on eBay are synthetic (lab made chemical copies) or simulants (glass) and the other half are natural but with undisclosed enhancements. An example of this would be ruby being sold as natural but in reality it is irradiated and pumped full of lead crystal, etc. If you're going to buy from eBay I would stick to synthetics or simulants. Fewer things can go wrong there. Thanks for the people that messaged me that the webstore wasn't working. There was some system maintenance this morning, but it's all fixed now.
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Jun 19, 2012 14:06
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Can you point me in the direction of a few sellers who would sell synthetics rather than things loaded with lead? I understand that synthetics are the best looking ones, but other then that I don't know how to tell them apart from the irradiated ones.
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Jun 19, 2012 15:25
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Thanks Johnny for all your help, and this is a perfect time! I'm opening up my own jewellery business here in Toronto as we speak and I will definitely be buying some gems from your online store. Will there be a way after this to get in contact with you about purchasing other gemstones after this is all said and done? Some of these gems are so beautiful, the pictures are amazing! I want that tsavorite garnet so bad.
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Jun 19, 2012 17:12
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That is awesome! Congratulations! It's always a big day to step out on your own. Hit me up at the sa-goons@brookheart.com. I'd love to hear more about it.
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Jun 19, 2012 17:51
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Thanks! I'll definitely send you an email once all the craziness of opening a business slows down :P But I did just send an order!  Any idea on shipping time to Toronto?
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Jun 19, 2012 18:08
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I'll get everything shipped out tomorrow. Shipping time to Canada should only be a couple of days, I think.
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Jun 19, 2012 20:35
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Johnny, that Tsavorite ring on your Johnny Brookheart site is something else. Gorgeous!
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Jun 19, 2012 21:23
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Aaah, hell, I've had my eye on that beautiful zoned sapphire ever since you opened the site, and at 40% off--heck, seems like I've already bought it! I love stones with zoning or inclusions. I personally find them so much more interesting than single-color stones.
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Jun 19, 2012 21:39
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JohnnyRnR posted:I've decided to go ahead and wind down the private store that I had put up for Ask/Tell. My business is changing, and rather than sit on these gemstones for another year I've decided to get them to people that can use them. Are you getting out of the custom jewelry business? I noticed a few weeks ago that the engagement ring designs had been dropped from your site; if it's not prying, I'd be curious to know what's changing. Open question: A friend of mine told me that she loves sapphires and likes silver jewelry, but has trouble finding sapphires set in silver. Apparently somebody had told her that the combination of sapphire and silver was hard to work with, and so a piece with those components would be more expensive than a comparable piece with a similarly priced stone. Is that true, and why?
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Jun 19, 2012 23:05
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^^^ I'm also curious what's changing!JohnnyRnR posted:I'll get everything shipped out tomorrow. Shipping time to Canada should only be a couple of days, I think. Great thanks! Some of the jewellery on your site is amazing. I love the work done by Anthony Lent.
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Jun 19, 2012 23:15
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Dotcom656 posted:Can you point me in the direction of a few sellers who would sell synthetics rather than things loaded with lead? I understand that synthetics are the best looking ones, but other then that I don't know how to tell them apart from the irradiated ones. Really sorry, but I don't keep in touch with anyone that handles those kind of pieces. I've tried to do some business on eBay and it almost always ends poorly. Pinky Artichoke posted:Johnny, that Tsavorite ring on your Johnny Brookheart site is something else. Gorgeous! It's one of my favorite rings. Funny story, but I've owned it three times. I've sold it to other jewelers twice only to later buy it back as part of a larger transaction. The nicest pieces you're always sad to see sell and happy to buy them back. Coca Koala posted:Are you getting out of the custom jewelry business? I noticed a few weeks ago that the engagement ring designs had been dropped from your site; if it's not prying, I'd be curious to know what's changing. Not too much is changing, but I'm trying my best to prioritize so I can serve my customers better. In the next month or two I'll be rolling out some very exciting new features on my website. A couple of things that no one else is doing, and I'm very excited about what is coming down the pipe. But preparations are requiring my constant attention so I've missed a couple of emails. (If I missed your email please email me again) I'm still doing engagement rings, but I'm working on our own collections. They aren't finished yet, but here are a couple working samples of solitaires and fancier mountings. And with the price of gold being higher than platinum I've made the decision to primarily work in platinum. Coca Koala posted:Open question: A friend of mine told me that she loves sapphires and likes silver jewelry, but has trouble finding sapphires set in silver. I think that most jewelers are afraid of the price points. Sapphire prices have been climbing steadily and many jewelers are just trying to make more affordable jewelry.
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Jun 20, 2012 03:50
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I'm a jeweler who has been working for only a year now, doing repairs and custom work at a high-end store. My question has to do with employers and notice one gives when you leave. I am not planning to leave, but recently a woman who worked in the front gave a month's notice (knowing that it would take that long to find and train someone). She was moving to another state with her husband who got a new job, and is not planning to work at another jewelry store. A week into this, she was fired, and my bosses told me that it was customary in the jewelry industry to give notice and have that be your last day. Is this true? It just seems strange and counter-intuitive. If you know you'll be leaving the day you give leave, that just gives you all the more opportunity to steal/mess with things/whatever without your bosses knowing to watch you. Not that I, or the woman in question, would ever think to do that.
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Jun 27, 2012 04:26
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It greatly depends on the house, but it is common. In this case they took her notice, and fired her a week later. The thought being that even if she was planning a heist on the way out the door the surprise firing would head it off at the pass. And to be honest, most employees phone it in once they give notice so it's usually best from a customer service standpoint to just let them go.
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Jun 27, 2012 17:51
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I really enjoyed reading this entire thread in the last few days. I learned a lot and now I feel more confident about shopping for an engagement ring! Does anyone have recommendations for jewelry stores in New Jersey, NYC or Philly? It would be a plus if they have a large estate selection, since I might go that direction.
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Jun 28, 2012 17:21
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VivaNova posted:Does anyone have recommendations for jewelry stores in New Jersey, NYC or Philly? Their estate stuff is here: http://www.goodoldgold.com/GOGstealsanddeals/ but they don't seem to update the website very often.
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Jun 29, 2012 04:26
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VivaNova posted:Does anyone have recommendations for jewelry stores in New Jersey, NYC or Philly? It would be a plus if they have a large estate selection, since I might go that direction. If you're in that area of NJ between NYC and Philly, then Gem Smith has a really good shop. The main floor is all a regular jewelry store, with a range of stuff, plus they specialize in custom work. Then the downstairs is another area the same size as the main showroom that is nothing but packed full display cases of estate stuff. I got some custom work done with them and it was a great experience all around. http://businessfinder.nj.com/422178/Gemsmith-Inc-Toms-River-NJ
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Jun 29, 2012 04:50
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This may be some strange rambling/whining bit of .. questioning, may even be suited for e/n (but I really don't want to go there if I don't have to).. ANYWAYS A bit of back story; I graduated from a 2 year jewellery and art design program in 2010. Since, I have worked at a designer's studio for about a year and a half (doing jewellery production), and had 1 month of doing jewellery repair at another location. The production-type job was fast and dirty. Which was all fine and dandy, but I honestly felt I wasn't learning or gaining any more skill (in a technical sense) than I had already acquired through my schooling. It was just too easy and mindless (hammering, sawing, filing, soldering, cleaning up castings- of copper, silver and brass. No real expensive materials) So I quit (twice). The first time I left that job was because I got a job offer from a guy who ran his own jewellery repair shop. I jumped on the idea. I was so excited to be able to do something challenging for a change, a chance to improve my skills as a jeweller. Well that kicked me in the rear end. Apparently I wasn't learning/gaining skill fast enough for this guy and he fired me. (Why would you hire someone knowing their skill level before hand? I went through 2 trial days with him and he seemed confident in my ability initially. Oh well.) I admit however, I really WASN'T on par with the technical level needed for that job. I explained to him that everything I was doing was new to me but I was very inclined to learn, and practice. Alas time is money and he fired me after a month anyways. I guess what I am really wondering here is what sort of job to seek out.. or what to do. I can't seem to find a job that is at the level I am looking for. Quick production line work is too easy, and jewellery repair is way too hard for my skill set at the moment. I'd love to be able to apprentice for a jeweller.. but does that even still exist in this day in age? Um.. I guess feel free to delete this post if it is not relevant to the thread! I guess a better question would be to the OP -> How did you end up in this line of work? How did you get your job?
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Jun 29, 2012 12:22
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Wrecking Ball posted:This may be some strange rambling/whining bit of .. questioning, may even be suited for e/n (but I really don't want to go there if I don't have to).. Apprenticeships do exist, I did one even before I started in a jewellery program. But it was unpaid *sigh* and the owner was a total douche. Although I was going from literally nothing so I guess he knew just how bad I would be. Sometimes I set up practice time trials, like i'll design something and then try and get it done as fast as I can with as much precision as I can. Keeps the fingers nimble!
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Jun 29, 2012 14:24
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Claes Oldenburger posted:Apprenticeships do exist, I did one even before I started in a jewellery program. But it was unpaid *sigh* and the owner was a total douche. Although I was going from literally nothing so I guess he knew just how bad I would be. Yeah I suppose I could try and grovel my way into letting someone take me on as an apprentice. I imagine the pay would be very low (or non existent) as you mentioned. Which would probably limit the time I was actually spending in their shop, as I am sure i'd need to work a regular job to make enough of an income to live off- making the rate at which i'd learn and improve at even slower!
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Jul 1, 2012 08:28
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I don't know where else to ask this, but I have some old sterling silver flatware (not a full set, unfortunately). I'd like to sell it to someone who needs or wants it as opposed to someone buying it to melt down. What's a good place to get a value on the pieces, and a good place to sell them?
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Jul 5, 2012 20:04
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Is it antique? It's kind of a weird category to be frank. If it's antique and/or from a known brand I'd suggest finding similar items piece by piece on ebay. It not antique/notable I'd probably do the same, except going by weight. See if you can find the hallmark stamp which might help you identify the maker.
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Jul 5, 2012 23:49
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Wrecking Ball posted:I can't seem to find a job that is at the level I am looking for. Quick production line work is too easy, and jewellery repair is way too hard for my skill set at the moment. This is a very common problem in the jewelry trades. You get out of school and you have just enough education not to get a job. Gemologists don't know how to actually value gems, and jewelry designers don't have the practical experience needed to work in a store shop. You may want to look into a followup program that specializes in only repair work, or one that specializes in bench technique. Continuing education is a big part of the game. I have heard great things about Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. http://www.revereacademy.com/ Desert Bus posted:I don't know where else to ask this, but I have some old sterling silver flatware (not a full set, unfortunately). I'd like to sell it to someone who needs or wants it as opposed to someone buying it to melt down. What's a good place to get a value on the pieces, and a good place to sell them? With silver prices being so high it's rare for sterling patterns to command a premium. 99% of it is simply recycled these days. I'm a buyer for either set. If you would send or post some photos we could help you track down the pattern. If rare there is a good chance it would be saved from the fire.
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Jul 6, 2012 02:15
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JohnnyRnR posted:With silver prices being so high it's rare for sterling patterns to command a premium. 99% of it is simply recycled these days. I'm a buyer for either set. If you would send or post some photos we could help you track down the pattern. If rare there is a good chance it would be saved from the fire. It's Gorham Buttercup from the 1950-60's. I should have mentioned that.
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Jul 6, 2012 03:20
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Hey Johnny, I'm not sure if you're still doing custom pieces or not, but I'm looking to get something for my little sister. She just graduated high school and turned 18, and I'd like to get her something nice, but not too expensive. I'd like to spend between $150 and $200 on it. There's so much in that webstore that I don't even know where to start, so if you had any recommendations I'd be glad to hear it. EDIT: I should have mentioned I want to get her a ring, preferably set in something that will last. I have no idea how feasible this all is, so if my budget is way too low let me know. Lawnie fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Jul 6, 2012 |
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Jul 6, 2012 04:08
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So some notable news today was that the price of precious metals is down and that it may have more to fall. My fiancee and I are planning on ordering our rings soon and (plat for her, gold for me) and I was wondering if this downtick and potential fall is something to worry or wait for when purchasing rings. With the timescale we're on, we have a few months, wedding is in mid Oct. Jeweler said they need 1 mo for her ring and 2 weeks for mine. Is this price fluctuation worth considering/worrying about or is it negligible?
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Jul 6, 2012 20:02
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I guess it depends on a few things. One is, is the jewelry/source you're considering even going to 'pass on' those savings? A lot of the bigs buy their gold in quantity quarterly at the price it was then, not the price it is now. A lot of them do adjust with the market though. That said, unless you're getting like a baller 10 gram ring I'm not sure how much benefit you'd realize. My guess is in your situation that this is a pretty 'normal' fluctuation that isn't going to have a long term impact on price (note I am not a gold trader/speculator). I think for you to be able to take advantage of this strategically prices would have to fall mid-May/End of June prices and actually stay there for a bit, e.g.: http://www.goldprice.org/gold-price-history.html
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Jul 6, 2012 21:35
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