Favorite Links and Jewelry Advise
USA - Electronic Wood Systems - my first website project
GolenGate.com: Rolex, Cartier - best source for truly authentic discount designer watches at near wholesale pricing. Reliable source that I have done business with before. Francesca has two stores in Miami Beach, Florida. We purchased my Cartier watch through her and received merchandise as promised with all appropriate certificates of authenticity, warranty, manual and genuine Cartier box in new condition. Wonderful!!
Disclaimer: As with any transaction over the phone or on the internet, always pay with credit card (NOT debit card!!) for your protection & guaranteed satisfaction (because you can call Visa, M/C, etc and have them put a "hold" on the charge to work out the problem if there is one).
Here's your free Diamond Shopping Lesson
(I used to work retail, and now I buy wholesale - you can too!)
The Diamond Source - Rappaport (wholesale) Pricing list - this is the highest pricing you should pay for diamonds. You have to shop your local diamond district for a dealer or call around. I think Portland is the only city in Oregon to have one (Downtown at 4th and Alder). Look in the yellow pages for dealers too.
Diamonds are weighed in carats. 100 points equals a carat or 1.00ct. 1.25ct is one point twentyfive carats or one and a quarter carats. 0.25 is twentyfive points or a quarter carat.
If you are buying a carat or larger, you will maximize your investment dollar if you buy sizes close to the next carat size but not at or over. For example, if you wanted to buy a 2 carat diamond, you will save money if you buy between 1.75 to 1.99 ct. The pricing differs per carat from 1.00 to 1.99 and 2.00 to 2.99. If you buy a diamond at the 1.75 ct weight, you'll pay the lower per carat price for 1.00 to 1.99 range rather than the higher 2.00 to 2.99 range pricing. The visual size will not appear dramatically smaller. In fact, I doubt you would be able to see a real difference at all. And you can tell everyone it is a 2 carat diamond. You should be able to get at least 20% discount off the wholesale prices (pricing at The Diamond Source link above) when shopping. Do your research and then find a dealer. Don't be discouraged if you get a "no" answer the first time. Move to the next dealer. Cash talks.
If you need a resource, I have a jeweller who takes care of me. He also provides outstanding quality custom-made jewelry (including precision-cut invisibly set diamonds!) at extremely reasonable prices. Email Lisa
If the diamond is the center stone for a ring, the minimum grading you should accept is "H" Color and "SI-1" Clarity (SI stands for "slight inclusion" - 1 is better than 2 or 3), and at least "good" symmetry in the cut. The "girdle" (edge of diamond) must be polished. If it's not, you'll be sorry. Costco is also an excellent source for diamonds. Only buy GIA Certified Diamonds for center diamond (side diamonds don't need to be GIA Certified unless they are larger - half carat and up).
Diamond earrings, necklaces and bracelets are another story. Again, I recommend Costo as they have grade minimums for ALL the diamonds they use. You'll see better diamonds in Costco earrings, necklaces and bracelets than most other retailers! (better than Zell Brothers and Bailey Banks and Biddle! No joke!). Don't buy any diamonds (even tiny ones) that are clarity of "I-1/2/3". They are heavily included and inclusions (flaws like black carbon, cracks, clouds, etc) are visible to the naked eye. You'll find these in cluster pieces, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They might look acceptable at the jeweller but take them home in real light and you'll regret it. And don't even think about how they'll look when they are dirty! Yuck!
Engagement Rings
If you're planning on proposing (congrats!!) and want to surprise her, try to get the size of her finger right. You might not know the diamond she wants (a round diamond is always safe), but you can make a good shot at the ring size (bigger is always better - too small and you can't put it on her finger and that's NOT romantic!).
Standard store size is a 6. That fits some thin women. Others will go up to a 7 or 8. (If you know her dress size, tell the jeweler and they can help you guess the finger size.) Can you find a ring that she wears? Know what finger she can wear it on and bring it to your jeweller. That would help a lot! You can always get the ring re-sized when you have a traditional solitaire mounting (only the diamond in a prong setting - no sides). You'll have something to propose with that she should be able to fit on her finger and make you both proud!
It's OK to let her know that she can go back to the jeweller to exchange for a different cut or whatever. You can work with your jeweller privately to let them pre-select options for her to choose from if pricing should be kept secret. Of course, your budget is always a concern. They'll love helping you keep your secret!!
How To Clean Your Jewelry
Keep your jewelry clean. You paid that much for it - don't ruin the appearance of your investment by not maintaining it. Pearls, opals, emeralds and silver have unique cleaning treatment that should NOT be confused with diamonds and gold.
Diamonds and Gold: 1 part ammonia to 4 parts water, soak for a minute, scrub with old toothbrush, rinse well. Or try Windex at full strength. Sometimes diamonds look better if you blow dry them on hottest setting. Rub the gold with a soft cloth to bring back shine. Jewellers can buff and clean for free if scratches, dirt and grime are really bad.
Pearls: Never get them wet!! Glue will fail on mountings and string will deteriorate and break! Wipe with cloth only. Replace string on strands every 5 years & make sure string is knotted between pearls (keeps pearls from rubbing and grinding the sides down flat! Also helps in case of string breakage.)
Opals: Very fragile and pourous. Only wipe with cloth or quick soap and water scrub, dry with soft cloth, No heat! Soak in mineral oil yearly to keep from drying out and turning white.
Emeralds: Even more fragile than opals. Not a stone to be worn on ring every day. Known to crumble or crack. Quick scrub with soap and water, dry with soft cloth. No heat!!
Silver: Tarnishes after time. Can remove tarnish with commercial products (use cautiously).