|
I own a jewelry company, and it seems that it is quite a bit different from the store that Raz runs. I specialize in the things that may later wind up at Sothebys or in a museum. I deal with customers scattered around the USA, and I work solely via email and new customers must be referred by someone I know and trust. Since I come from a totally different background as Raz I'm going to chime in a bit just to give another perspective on some things. Monkey Lincoln posted:Irish gold is 9k, usually only used to make Irish wedding bands (Claddaugh rings), 10K is used to make most cheap jewelry 9k is very common in the UK. It is used for almost everything since that market doesn't use 10k and dislikes 14k. Monkey Lincoln posted:Marquise, pears, etc Monkey Lincoln posted:Then you have specialized colors... sickly looking stones referred to as "Chocolate", "Cognac", "Champagne" diamonds. This one belongs to a friend of mine; it's a beautiful brownish yellowish orangish diamond. I'd call it the color of a vintage Calvados.  Monkey Lincoln posted:Alexandrite - It starts at about $16,000 a carat for smaller stones, so don't worry because you'll never see one. Monkey Lincoln posted:Jade - Green glassy stuff from china. Come in 3 forms, Nephrite, Jadeite and Jade glass. Nephrite is expensive and not very common, Jadeite is what 90% of jade jewelry is made of, and Jade glass is when they grind up jade, mix it with glass and make cheap bracelets with it. Jadeite is much more valuable than Nephrite. The real distinction is between A-Jade and B-Jade. A-Jade is natural, and B-Jade is acid bleached and impregnated with polymers to artificially enhance the aesthetic. A-Jade of fine fine quality is often priced comparably with ruby. Monkey Lincoln posted:Eyeball it, and ask yourself if you like the color. That's all there is too it. Don't be talked into paying more for Ceylon or Burmese or Sri Lankan sapphires if you don't genuinely like the look any more. Sapphire value is significantly dependent on color, origin, and level of treatment. Many jewelers sell heated sapphire, lead crystal filled sapphire, and beryllium diffused sapphire as "natural untreated stones." You really have to do your homework, or deal with someone who does the homework. Even Blue Nile was sued for selling treated gemstones and failing to disclose the fact. Monkey Lincoln posted:The last pitfall is buying jewelry online. PriceScope isn't a neutral diamond resource. The "helpful friends" in their forums pay for the privilege of posting their suggestions. It is a business that exists to push new diamond buyers towards preferred vendors. I dislike their business model as it seems disingenuous.
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2010 06:07
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 2, 2024 13:59 |
|
|
printf posted:Wow. Is there any way to buy stones wholesale without that massive markup? It's kind of a fun academic question - but how much markup would you be happy paying?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2010 06:11
|
|
|
printf posted:Well as little as possible without having to go to Antwerp. Is there some channel that only jewelry stores can access? Yes, but the problem exists that you don't have a relationship with gemstone dealers. In a word, you don't know who you can trust to be honest, and the dealers don't know if they can trust you to pay them. Every jeweler has customers who try to sidestep him to save money, but most who get access to wholesale markets almost always lose a lot of money. I can give examples if you're curious. No one can deny that jewelry markups are high, but only because there is a significant amount of infrastructure, capital, insurance, and time invested in being a dealer or retailer. When I got into the business I assumed that selling diamonds would be a simple thing of sending packages out via FedEx, but it turned out to be much more involved than I ever expected. One thing to remember is that retail markups do vary widely. Some stores have high costs so they have to have customers paying higher prices. You'll pay more for a diamond in the NYC diamond district than you will in rural America (or online) because the NYC guys have higher rent to pay. There are some situations where diamonds and gems are brokered for flat rate commissions, but that is a different situation from a retail relationship. If you were buying a very large diamond (or a large collection of small stones) it isn't uncommon for us to work on a single digit commission rate. One common situation is where a customer will write a check once a year to top up an account for their year's purchases. Because I don't have to put up any of my own money while building things for them, and because these customers buy quite a few nice pieces every year, I can work on a very (very) low markup.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2010 20:16
|
|
|
Dienes posted:Excellent OP! Very interesting. The only advice I can offer you on ametrine is that the majority that you see is absolutely fake. Like, this is in no way a natural stone. I would guess it is either synthetic quartz that has been color treated. The vast majority of ametrine that you find on eBay is synthetic or chemically adjusted to change its color. One tip is that the color change is often very abrupt in synthetic pieces. But when you get a big natural stone it is absolutely stunning. This is a 100 carat fantasy cut piece that we are going to mount in a tiara someday. Notice how the purple creeps in from the points of the triangle. Color change in natural ametrine is very gentle. There are exceptions, but not many. 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 27, 2010 00:58
|
|
|
Residency Evil posted:So say I wanted a ring with one diamond in the center flanked by two sapphires. When ring shopping I should mainly focus on the stones, correct? The setting is something that I could pretty much get anywhere? It would be much easier (and cheaper) for you to find an existing ring design and let your jeweler fill it with stones. If you buy the stones separately you may not be able to find an off the rack ring that can take that combination of stones which would necessitate a custom mounting.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 27, 2010 01:09
|
|
|
It depends on the piece, honestly. I've also been known to lose a lot of money. ;-) I once had a big fancy sapphire deal go south that cost me $15,000. That was an unhappy month! I still handle engagement rings and all the usual jewelry on a special request basis, but I'm trying to build a business concentrating on fancy pieces.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 27, 2010 01:32
|
|
|
Lucidphoole posted:What should I pay for a Rolex Yachtmaster? On something like a Rolex you'll likely lose 70% of the value when you sell your hot new watch as an outdated used watch two years later. Bargain hunting is all well and good, but you may want to pay the premium to buy your Rolex from an authorized dealer (which means no discounts). Any number of jewelers and websites can get you the watch, for a big discount from list, but Rolex will not cover your warranty. And if your unauthorized dealer used nonstandard parts to repair anything Rolex will declare the watch a hybrid and refuse it as a counterfeit. But if you don't care about those things then you can find it for somewhere between $7,000 to $12,000 USD depending on which year you want and what dial. And be very careful buying a Rolex secondhand or through a side channel. Do your homework. There are private counterfeiters making fantastic one-off fake watches for $5k a pop. I've known many dealers who couldn't tell the difference until the movement was totally disassembled. If you're trying to impress kids at the yacht club then you should consider a Corum Admiral's Cup instead. If you want a watch to impress watch nerds you should consider a Patek Philippe.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 27, 2010 05:30
|
|
|
Sure, most independent jewelers make a large portion of their income from providing service. Repairs, engraving, etc.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2010 01:18
|
|
|
Stew Man Chew posted:I guess to tag another question on: what are your thoughts on synthetic diamonds and do you feel any I guess... threat? To your industry from the increasingly easy lab-fabricated diamond presence in the market? Synthetic diamonds currently aren't great. They're still expensive to produce, and limited as to what quality, colors, and size can be made. Eventually they will be fantastic, but that day seems distant still. (Also, many people, including some jewelers, think that all diamonds are synthetic. Some whisper about mysterious factories churning out diamonds by the bucket like the Russians did in the 1960's. Why else would all the diamond mines be located in such inhospitable places? These people tend to be Ron Paul supporters and have gold coins and bullets buried in their back yard. Diamonds have a bit of mystery to them so they breed a lot of conspiracy theories) Synthetic rubies and emeralds have been around for a hundred years, but we still sell the genuine article in large amounts. It isn't always just about the visual. Some customers buy for investments, some buy for status, and some buy just because they can. I need to get some work done, but I'll post some stories of "wholesale gone wrong" and photos of pieces we've done later tonight.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2010 01:27
|
|
|
lazerbeak posted:I work for Tiffany and having said that... when you buy from Tiffany your not paying for a few flecks of gold and a name; you're paying and getting a whole lot more... ITT, I tell you why you're wrong. First: "Top 4% of the world's diamonds"... All jewelers can claim this distinction if they only sell stones above I1 clarity and K color. Tiffany diamonds aren't any better than diamonds available elsewhere in the market. I shy away from diamonds with a "Good" cut rating, and with fluorescence. To Tiffany these diamonds are standard retail fare (I have seen many secondhand Tiffany engagement rings, with original Tiffany papers and receipts, with these types of diamonds). The "5th C" that Tiffany marketing likes to prattle on about is what the rest of the world calls "Make" If you look at a Tiffany diamond report you can see what "Tiffany Presence" actually is - The Cut, Polish, and Symmetry ratings from the diamond's GIA report. No great mystery there. Let's move to price - Have you compared Tiffany's pricing to the industry? I was recently offered a secondhand Schlumberger Bud engagement ring. It had a 1.7 carat diamond of fine quality in it, and was a very nice ring with all the boxes and original paperwork. If I were going to make a similar ring, with a better quality diamond and the best craftsmanship on the planet, my price would be under $30k. The customer selling the ring had originally paid $42,500 from Tiffany! $12,000 is a significant difference. However, if we're comparing Tiffany to the industry at large then I cannot fault the quality of their jewelry - It is built well. They use good craftsmen, good repair shops, and they take the time to do things correctly. But those same outside shops producing jewelry for Tiffany also make jewelry for me (and anyone else willing to pay them). The "Tiffany Quality" is available elsewhere from jewelers who charge less and are more pleasant to deal with. One reason my business has done well is because I speak honestly and openly with my customers. I don't try to hide behind insulting marketing methods like "Presence," and my customers respect the honesty and openness.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2010 16:50
|
|
|
A lot of people go into jewelry stores thinking that they want something pretty, but they're deathly afraid of getting ripped off. It sounds like this is your big question here. "How do I guarantee that I'm not overpaying?" This is where having a relationship with someone comes in handy. If your mom was a diamond dealer you could trust her counsel. Walking into a random jewelry store... probably not. If you are determined to shop in a local store then my advice would be: 1. Set a budget. Determine the exact amount you want to spend. 2. Go to 3-4 stores and tell them what you want. Then tell them the budget. 3. Take notes on what each store shows you. 4. Pick the one guy you like best, take in the other quotes, and ask him if he can match or beat the price. You get the benefits of both competition and the last salesman knowing that you're giving him a chance to impress you and close the sale. I've been to the Philly Row, and there are a few sketchy guys on that street. Definitely take your time and do your homework.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2010 18:23
|
|
|
lazerbeak posted:I notice you don't even mention having a return/exchange/repair policy. Personally, I feel that Tiffany died when Walter Hoving left. He was truly a man of vision, taste, and style. He was responsible for salvaging the Tiffany reputation by reinstating the quality that Tiffany lost. For a long time the company was a joke (1950's), but Mr. Hoving rescued the company from mismanagement and poor taste. Most stores provide lifetime cleaning and repairs. Most stores give 30 days no questions asked return policies. The things you mention are not special. Generally a diamond upgrade policy is a slick way of telling a customer "I don't want to pay you for your old diamond so we'll work a trade-in price into the cost of the new one." It's a lot like trading in your used car on a new one. For some of my customers I offer a 75% lifetime diamond buy-back guarantee, and I pay in cash not store credit. I'd love to see someone try to sell Tiffany a diamond back after 12 months. lazerbeak, it's obvious that you don't know anything about diamonds or the jewelry industry at large. If you did you would not be making the statements that you are.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 29, 2010 05:15
|
|
|
You really need to have the stones appraised to record the weights and measurements. Ask the appraiser to take microscope photos and to plot the inclusions on the photograph for you. With a clear map of the inclusions, and some knowledge of the facet pattern, you'll be able to identify your diamond. Many older diamonds that were described as Flawless or Near Flawless will still have features that can be identified easily under magnification. In the old days jewelers only used a 3x or 5x loupe and anything that looked clean at a casual glance was labeled Flawless. You can find a jeweler who will do the inspection while you wait and then mail you a letter of the results. This way there is at least a record of your diamonds, you didn't have to leave then with anyone, and good photographs for identification and matching later.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2010 05:58
|
|
|
Those prices aren't far from the realm of reasonable. My only concern would be to ask for the specifications of the sapphire beforehand. In natural stones I would be suspect about the presence of beryllium treatments to enhance the color - Many places won't clearly disclose gemstone treatments unless you push them. I would tell them that you want a pink sapphire with an AGL certificate, and will accept one that has been heated, but not color modified or fracture filled. Heating is an industry accepted gemstone treatment that deepens the color in most gemstones and is usually performed at the mine or before the gem is cut. It pays to ask the right questions. I was at a gem show recently and pressed an Italian dealer on the origin of his turquoise... in broken English he said "All good, no plastic, natural!" when in reality it had been acid washed and recolored with dye. Many overseas dealers like to blame failed disclosure on language barriers. ;-)
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2010 02:22
|
|
|
Fashion watches are not my forte so one of the watch nerds will have to answer this one. To make money on a $200 watch you need to sell a lot of them, and so most of those brands will be found in your mass market stores. Armani Exchange has a line sold through Macy's that is along the same lines as Skagen and Diesel. Swatch is also an option, or some of the Japanese watch brands are still new to a lot of people. If you want to step up to a finer Swiss watch without breaking the $1,000 barrier then I'd probably point you towards Christopher Ward, or more expensive but still a great value: Ball Watch.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 7, 2010 01:06
|
|
|
yt2005 posted:1. Does Stührling just make really shoddy watches, or was it just weird luck that the only two watches of theirs I've ever seen broke? I've never heard of this brand, and that in itself makes me wary.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 7, 2010 01:09
|
|
|
reborn posted:My biggest issue is deciding on a metal. Any of those rings will last for a lifetime at absolute minimum. Silver is not the best choice as it reacts to the oils in your skin and will oxidize and degrade over time. Meteorite is very hard to do well. If you're buying a meteorite band that doesn't cost $2k+ then you're probably getting a low grade piece that won't last. The best pieces are milled from a solid meteorite and have no seams. Titanium & Tungsten are in the same family if you're looking for a non-precious band. Both are serviceable if not particularly awe inspiring. Tungsten will be more expensive due to the current patent situation. Last year it was cheap, but the courts put a stop to that recently. White gold and Platinum are traditional jewelry metals and are able to be repaired, polished, engraved, and resized when needed. The main difference between White Au and Pt is a weight on the hand issue, and gold will stay shiny over the long term where platinum's natural color is a deep gray along the lines of a weathered tree.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 13, 2010 13:29
|
|
|
Foaming Chicken posted:Well, one of those stones has a cartel-sponsored campaign against synthetics, but I think you already knew that. According to reports from within the industry DeBeers already has the most advanced synthetic diamond machines. If mined diamonds ever become too costly to extract they'll switch gears and start producing synthetics. Currently synthetics are more expensive than natural diamonds. Very few people are out there selling Moissanite as diamond. I've never seen it misrepresented in retail as a diamond, but only sold as a diamond substitute.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2010 04:19
|
|
|
comaerror posted:I'd be interested to know what kinds of meteorites are used to make stuff. Since most meteorites are mostly made of silicates, I don't know if they'd be easy to work with. The iron-nickel type are harder to come by, but would make a lot more sense from a jewelry perspective. You're correct - most meteorite used in jewelry is the iron-nickel type from Gibeon. Very difficult material to cut and shape. Plus, the different Gibeon samples can vary greatly in quality and beauty. Some are gem quality and some are just junk.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2010 04:24
|
|
|
No, it isn't. The TV networks have been caught misleading consumers countless times. Treated gemstones sold as natural, shoddy workmanship, etc. The TV networks are the bottom of the barrel quality segment of the industry. Generally you can buy these kinds of things at low end jewelers for half the price. Little old lonely people love to shop on the TV, and this jewelry is cheap so they can afford to buy it often. Its their entertainment, and some see it as socialization. If asked many would tell you that the salespeople on TV are their friends. A jeweler friend of mine was brought a very large collection of TV jewelry to purchase from an estate. They had all the receipts showing original purchase prices. It was $250,000 spent over several years. My jeweler friend bought the entire lot for $5,000 and personally I think he overpaid. I bought a large gem collection from an estate and most of the gems were from HSN. A very lonely, very bored old man. By estimation he must have spent $50,000 on everything over time. There were one or two wearable pieces in there, but almost all of it was commercial quality junk. The value of the entire collection was only in the $400 range. JohnnyRnR fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Aug 20, 2010 |
|
#
¿
Aug 20, 2010 14:40
|
|
|
I wouldn't worry about price gouging. In fine jewelry it's very difficult to hit a $1,000 price point while providing quality, and it seems like they're balancing cost and value well.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 26, 2010 01:57
|
|
|
I'm pretty sure that the easiest method is going to be gilding, but it won't be very durable. Call Coat of Chrome. I read somewhere that they once gold plated a human spine. http://coatofchrome.com/
|
|
#
¿
Aug 29, 2010 04:29
|
|
|
Gold is gold, friend. Is it alloyed with the iron or was just melted on the anvil and scraped off? Anyone who buys gold should be able verify the purity and buy it.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 30, 2010 05:30
|
|
|
kimihia posted:I was spraying sodium hypochlorite solution and afterwards I noticed on my white gold ring there appeared to be spots of yellow gold, or perhaps even burnished copper. Should I be worried? How easy are these to polish off? How strong was the solution? Sodium hypochlorite is used in gold mining to remove pure gold from intermixed ore. I believe that what you're seeing is gold that has been leeched from the ring in small spots. White gold isn't actually white. It's yellow gold alloyed with other metals to give it a whitish appearance. And most times white gold is plated with rhodium to make it appear even whiter. I could be wrong, but I think you've just "mined" the yellow gold from within the greater alloy. If that is true then the ring is structurally damaged. You really should replace it as there are now microscopic cavities inside the ring that could lead to breakage.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 9, 2010 22:20
|
|
|
You should be A-OK. That damage doesn't look too bad at all. Just wear gloves next time!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2010 06:45
|
|
|
uberwekkness posted:On the Mohs scale of hardness, how soft is too soft for a ring that will be worn a lot? You really should stick to things with a MOHS rating of 6.5 or higher. You may have some eventual breakage with anything below a 7. Stones with a 7 or higher will be good for decades, but will eventually show wear around the edges as they are worn. But all gemstones will chip if treated poorly.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2010 06:48
|
|
|
Yes. For some reason customers don't think it improper to bring in jewelry covered in bodily fluids. It's amazingly gross, and I always wear gloves when handling customer pieces "so as to not damage your jewelry." The saddest jewelry disaster I know had no recovery. A customer went snorkeling and a barracuda mistook his wedding band for a small fish. The barracuda attacked, and he lost two fingers. Luckily he didn't die. Never wear jewelry when swimming.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2010 04:04
|
|
|
kimihia posted:Jeepers. What sort of bodily fluid? Anything that you can name. :-( Queen Of Spades posted:I was wondering if anyone could tell me about black diamonds? It seems they don't seem to have the same ratings normal diamonds have, and I was wondering what to look for. That price is fair for a black diamond of that size in a simple mounting. 99.9% of all black diamonds that you see will be clarity and color enhanced to give them an even jet black color. They originally started their life as a white diamond with lots of black inclusions or a diamond that was so white as to be opaque. They are not rated for clarity and color like other types of diamonds. The only things to look for on black diamonds are: Is the color even? Is the texture smooth. Now, there are natural black diamonds, but the prices for those are going to be much higher. They rarely have the jet-black appearance, and would tend to have a noticeable clarity with some inclusions on the sides adding the deeper coloration. I had a chance to look at a 50 carat natural black diamond last year. It was stunning. It's hard to explain, but it was the kind of diamond you see from across the room and instinctively know "that is something special."
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2010 21:44
|
|
|
Mr. 24601 posted:So does anyone here have an online store (or catalog) they can share? I trust the goons in this thread more than most. I own a jewelry company selling mostly engagement rings, diamonds & colored gems, and special request custom design piece. My ecommerce presence doesn't have much online beyond our ideal cut bridal and a few odds and ends that we sell regularly, but there is a contact form there as well. Feel free to send me a message and I can hunt down anything you might be looking for. http://tinyurl.com/28olvyn
|
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2010 07:44
|
|
|
To be honest: It really depends on the social circle in which you travel. They may be right or wrong, but these are facts of life. You've asked a loaded question as SA can be a hotbed of class warfare. Engagement ring diamond size is generally driven by social status. The engagement ring is oftentimes a signaling method for financial means. Large diamonds say "This woman is with a man who makes more money than you so don't waste your time trying to steal her." In most societies women are encouraged to be very competitive. As such, women often like to have a diamond on par (or larger) with the rings that their girlfriends have. One of the best clients a jeweler can have is a wealthy Arab with many wives. Once wife #1 buys a fine piece of jewelry the other wives in the household will attempt to out-do her with subsequent purchases. As far as expectations: The smallest size that generally looks significant on a woman's hand is .50 carats in a round brilliant. Other cuts will look smaller as round diamonds have the largest optical footprint. The standard "large" engagement ring is a one carat stone. If a full carat is out of the equation then a good middle ground is a .75 carat round brilliant. A lot of it depends on geography and age. Half carat stones are much more popular in rural areas as there are sensibilities to not be overly flashy. I've seen .25 carat stones be very popular in rural areas, too. Many socialites won't accept anything less than a 2 carat. I've heard of boyfriends being turned down on the proposal and sent back to the store to fetch a bigger diamond. The "money without wealth" set often want stones in the 3 carat plus range (but of lower qualities). Customers on their 2nd or 3rd marriage often want their diamonds to be 5 carats+ so they can show off their wealth. As far as prices... you're really better off establishing your budget and then going around to see what you can get for the money. Comparison shopping will teach you much more about diamond pricing mechanisms than I could communicate here. JohnnyRnR fucked around with this message at 20:50 on Sep 13, 2010 |
|
#
¿
Sep 13, 2010 20:48
|
|
|
I actually don't have any stories to tell. One of the things my customers pay for is discretion. I won't name customers or tell stories that could identify them. The only exception to that rule is I'll post references to customers who I've worked with on SA and have left a reference. Since they're already posting publicly for a reference it is ok.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 13, 2010 21:42
|
|
|
Prices for one carat diamonds... There are many clarity/color/make combinations so it can be very difficult to fix a standard price. It also depends where you buy it. Some retailers will have higher prices than others. Rounds will tend to be more expensive than fancy cuts. A one carat diamond of top clarity, color, and make can hit $30,000. A one carat diamond that has lower clarity and color can be had for ~$1,000. The top end is overkill for an engagement ring and the bottom end wouldn't make a good looking ring. Average price, ballpark, something like $6,000 for a very well made one carat round. It just really depends how you adjust things along the quality scale. One of the best ways to get a great looking diamond is to set your criteria as "clean to the naked eye." There can be beautiful I1 diamonds or ugly I1 diamonds - It all depends on the way that the inclusions "face up" in the diamond. I2 is one of the lowest grades on the scale, but we have a fantastic diamond with an I2 clarity that is clean to the eye. According to a spreadsheet the diamond should be ugly, but it's beautiful and only $2k.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2010 04:36
|
|
|
Missouri Fever posted:Oh my goodness, those owls are so neat! If you don't mind me asking, is there any special reason why this particular animal is used? (As in, if there's a certain connotation with owls in the past that lends it to being the subject of jewelry.) Thanks! The owl is used because it has traditionally had a connection to wisdom. As such it has always been a favorite of royalty (and their modern American equivalents). My goldsmiths make a menagerie of fantastic animals. Eventually we'll get photography done for everything. If you have a favorite let me know and I'll see if they have a design for one.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2010 04:55
|
|
|
Rootbeer Baron posted:It's like anything else, there are going to be beautiful Js and there are going to be less attractive Js, even within the perfect cut/polish range. I'd want to look at in person to be sure if it's good. But to answer your question, in a roundabout way, yes, J CAN look great if you get the right one. Rootbeer Baron is right on the money with this one. A color grade of "J" means that the crystal is a J color, but the face up view can be much whiter (like an H+ sometimes). It really depends on how the cutter oriented the diamond crystal when cutting, and you can't guess what it looks like. Sorry not to be much more help than that.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2010 02:41
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:My only thing is that it's got a lot of diamonds in it and I was hoping to cut costs and soothe my first world guilt by using either fake diamonds or lab-grown ones. What is the likelihood that we could get a jeweler to replicate the ring, and about how much would it save us? That is a very common design. I think we did two or three rings in a similar vein a couple years ago. The filigree under the basket is a unique design, but that's it. I would guess that almost any jeweler would have something similar in stock already. Just a rough guess, but you would save approximately $20 per diamond that you eliminated (Diamond + labor) so not that much. Small diamonds aren't too expensive; on lower quality goods like the ones in this ring it often costs us more for the labor than for the diamond. In pricing for a start to finish piece I'd agree with Monkey Lincoln, but say between $1,200 to $2,000 and that it mostly depends on the quality of the sapphire. Just for fun, you should call them up and ask if their sapphires are treated. They say "Natural AAA" but that is a long way from saying "Unheated & Untreated for Color and Clarity."
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2010 03:05
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:How can I look after a string of pearls? What's the best way to clean and store them? The best way to clean them is with a soft dry cloth. Some say to wash in soap and water, but I don't think so. If you are careful with your pearls then they will not need washing for many years. Give them a gentle rub and that will do it. Never let your pearls come in contact with cosmetics, lotion, or hair care products. They are porous and will absorb liquids. Don't wear them in harsh direct sun as that will tend to dry the luster from the pearls. For storage, store them in a cool dry place. Store them in the dark. I prefer for pearls to lay flat or hang on a neckform. If you throw them in a jewelry box or bag the silk knots between pearls will eventually kink up. jeffsleepy posted:My fiance's father just died, and she wants to melt down his wedding ring to make her own. No need to worry about the metals clashing. You won't be able to tell the difference. There is labor and design time to cast the old gold to new, but it won't be too expensive. Any jeweler can do it. You need to ask what the process is since many places won't use a customer's gold. This varies by each retailer. I personally do not do it simply because those old alloys can be finicky (and may be contaminated with things that release dangerous gas when burned). I will buy the gold from the customer and cast their design with recycled gold that has been refined and re-alloyed.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 21, 2010 15:28
|
|
|
The OP was listing prices on the high side of things. I don't know the guys at AfricaGems and the only info I can find on them is a BBB rating (which doesn't help). Sorry if that isn't much to go on.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 22, 2010 22:44
|
|
|
Voodoofly posted:I recently purchased my wedding band for my upcoming wedding. I really love the band, its 18k "grey gold." It's very possible, but I haven't heard much about the alloy, ever. Most likely your jeweler is a big fan of it and she's trying to encourage adoption in the USA. It sounds interesting, and I may take a look at it for a men's line. Voodoofly posted:So, I might have paid a little more than necessary on my band, but to help support her shop that is fine. On behalf of all jewelry people everywhere - Thank you. Goodpancakes posted:While I was in Turkey over the summer I collected some incredible Blueschist that I was considering turning into a pendant. I could probably produce a nice cut and polished sample how much would a local jewelry store be expected to finish? The sample seems rather solid and should probably be okay. However after cutting if it should need epoxy impregnation I don't imagine jewelers do that? Otherwise could I show up with a cut and polished slab and ask for a minimalist setting to create a pendant? A jeweler needs to have the finished piece of Blueschist. They typically sub out all of their lapidary work and if you're submitting a piece of rough there is no guarantee how it would come out. My advice would be to go ahead and slab or cab it out and then take it to a jeweler for mounting. I wouldn't want to ask a jeweler to epoxy stabilize a fragile piece - There is just too much that can go wrong. They can do it, but understand that there would be a possibility of fracturing. If you need a lapidary to handle the cutting and stabilizing shoot me a PM. I know several. eXile posted:what's your opinion on moissanite? Is it a viable alternative to diamond, to the naked eye? As a diamond simulant it isn't bad. Some Moissanite can tend to have a greenish tint to it, but overall it is a nice white material that is very durable. With Moissanite you really need to find one that it well cut. Unfortunately everyone calls their Moissanite "ideal cut" so there is no telling what it actually is until you see it (or know who is cutting it). Most Moissanite that I've seen is pretty. It has great dispersion and refraction. Another option might be a synthetic garnet called YAG. It is a very durable material, and was historically cut as a diamond simulant. It is typically polished by hand and these days is primarily used to repair old jewelry. It is also available in a variety of primary colors so you can do a lot of fun things with it. It's priced on par with Moissanite, but it definitely looks much more "diamondish" than Moissanite does. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yttrium_aluminium_garnet#Gemstone_YAG
|
|
#
¿
Sep 24, 2010 17:54
|
|
|
In refining you're taking a gold alloy and separating the impurities. So the 14k gold will be converted to 24k (with some loss overhead) and can then be re-alloyed to 10k, 18, etc.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2010 04:30
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 2, 2024 13:59 |
|
|
madlilnerd posted:Would it be possible to make jewellery out of Ruthenium? It's a platinum group metal. Possible? Yes. Do I know anyone who would be willing to do it? I would have to ask around. Unless there is a sentimental reason for using ruthenium I would encourage platinum or palladium. They will be much more predictable metals.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2010 16:58
|
|