January 2008 Archives
Arm Revolution Cufflinks Gives You A Unique Serial Number!
We are just back from the Holidays and would like to introduce you to a new and interesting concept in mens cuff links which I just came across.
This radical change in men’s luxury accessories focusing on cufflink design, introduces a product uniquely engraved with its own identification number, which, once registered, gives its owner membership to the exclusive gatherings of the movement.
I'm really not even sure myself what this is all about....looks kinda weird if not a bit intriguing.
Check them out here.
What Precious Commodity Do Wealthy People Value The Most??
Hmm... well, I would say wealthy people value diamonds, jewelry and precious metal the most. After all, these are the surest symbols of a persons material success.
Well, think again.
The answer my friends, is TIME.
Yes, the most valuable and elusive commodity wealthy people desire above all else, is TIME, plain and simple.
Time is the ultimate luxury
For many wealthy people, the biggest luxury is having more time. Almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of all respondents believe their wealth has brought them more leisure time, while more than half of respondents believe that it has allowed them to spend more or better quality time with their family, the findings show.
More often, wealth brings people greater opportunities for how they spend their time. However, respondents in the higher wealth brackets also are more likely to say that increased wealth has brought them more stress, according to the report.
Buying time
Avoiding stress and saving time is encouraging more wealthy individuals invest in services that help them make travel arrangements, select and purchase clothes and household goods, as well as cooking and cleaning services according to the report. More wealthy people plan to make greater use of time saving services such as private jets and personal shoppers. They also want more services brought into their homes, such as a fitness trainer.
The use of private jets by the wealthy is also set to increase significantly around the world with over half of the respondents in the US and Canada (64 per cent), Italy (58 per cent), Singapore (56 per cent) and Portugal (51 per cent) planning to fly privately as they prefer this to first-class services on airlines.
Via: Barclays
Wear An Elephant On Your Finger! {Pics!}
Talk about interesting and unique jewelry!!
I just stumbled across this unique ring
This sterling silver cocktail ring features a CZ encrusted, pave coated pink elephant with gold detailing. Zoelle's body, head, and trunk are embedded with pink CZs over a rose gold hued base; her ears are outlined in clear CZs. Gold CZs laid over a gold hued base make a V down her back with a faux pearl on the tip of her trunk. That's one elegant elephant!
Diamonds Are Everywhere.
Designers have fertile imaginations and are constantly coming up with new ideas to showcase diamonds.
The latest concoction is "Diamond In A Glass".
Deidre Woollard of Luxist writes of a unique idea by Natascha Marx and glass artist Tobias Berger, that of diamonds that are suspended in glass to create Diamonds in Glass.
This idea can be extended to luxurious stemware, caviar dishes, napkin rings and ashtrays as well as jewelry items like rings and bracelets. There are two main types: the pure, which has the diamond in clear glass, or the black edition, where the backside of the diamonds is embedded in black colored glass and the diamond has the diamonds against black velvet effect.
The pieces are made of borosilicate glass which has a melting point of around 1200 ºC, (diamonds burn at a temperature of about 800 ºC). The glass blower introduces the diamond into the viscous glass mass and places it in the desired position.
These pieces are quite expensive with prices starting at about 1620 euros for a small glass.
You can see more of these creations at the Diamonds In Glass Website
I'm curious as to what Cut Quality, Color and Clarity diamonds are being used and if you can specify these as well as the diamond shape you want.
Check out the Cufflinks! My favorite!
Tiffany Classic Replica Engagement Rings With 4 Prong Head
With the incredible popularity of our Tiffany Replica Diamond Engagement Rings and settings with the classic 6 prong basket, we are now looking at creating our Tiffany replica rings and engagement rings with a 4 prong basket that would resemble the basket on our Tiffany Novo Replica Diamond Engagement Ring.
Hopefully the fusion of the classic Tiffany solitaire setting replicas, with the 4 prong basket will be equally popular.
We hope to be introducing this option in the very near future.
What Is A Royal Asscher Cut Diamond??
A few days ago on one of the popular diamond discussion forums, a consumer was asking whether there is a noticeable difference between the Asscher Cut Diamond and the Royal Asscher Cut Diamond Brand
I believe the answer (after the obvious marketing and "brand identity" "promotional differences") is not much.
Visually, a Royal Asscher Diamond has more of a distinctive "step" cut, with a pronounced and visually beautiful windmill effect, whereas many of the generic Asscher cuts do not exhibit these same parameters.
Indeed, one can easily find an unbranded Asscher cut diamond with similar specifications and proportions to the branded Royal Asscher Diamond.
In the final analysis, which diamond appeals to the individual consumer is a matter of personal preference.
Diamond Billionaire Buys A New House! {Pic!}
Like this house?
Well you cannot have this particular house, since it was just purchased by famous Diamond billionaire Lev Leviev.
However, if you work a bit harder you may find yourself in a position where you can actually buy something similar! ;-) ;-) ;-)
The Diamond & Jewelry Magazines I Read
I once got tagged with a question regarding the magazines I read.
I read many magazines for the purposes of keeping up to speed with the news, happenings and developments in the diamond industry.
Here is a collage of some of the magazines that come across my desk.
Project Never Forget. Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers
Is it possible to honor our fallen soldiers with jewelry?
The answer is yes.
Check out this website and you will cry.
Nuts and Bolts Wedding Rings
This interesting set of his and hers wedding rings, is a creation of jewelry artist Kiley Granberg.
Here is how she describes these wedding rings:
Wedding Bands
Brass, 24k gold plate, white zircon
Wedding Bands are about commitment. The inherent connotations are a huge part of the piece and, quite often, reveal themselves as a social or sexual comment.
The rings are constructed out of brass then plated in 24k gold. And although the stone is set into the men's ring, when screwed together, the stone actually sits against the woman's finger.
Hmm.....interesting.
Thanks Tamar!
$20,000 Diamond Studded Blackberry Case!
Have $20,000 to spend?
Check this out!
From Case-Mate comes this diamond encrusted case with 3.5 carats and 15 grams of gold that will give your BlackBerry Curve that blinged out look. It’s valued at $20,000!
Try checking your e-mails with all of this bling going on!
Via: ChipChick
Derco Fine Jewelers Files For Chapter 11.
With the recent bankruptcy filing of well known San Fransisco retailer Derco Fine Jewelers, I cannot help but wonder about what is actually going on in our Industry.
Derco owns and operates 3 diamond and jewelry stores in the SF area and has been a popular and reputable destination for many years.
The fact that they are one of several well known companies (diamond wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers) who have filed for Chapter 11 in the past few years, is yet a further indication of the evolving marketplace and vertical integration we are experiencing in the diamond industry.
Profits are shrinking, businesses are evolving, wholesalers are also retailers, B&M jewelers refuse to adapt, Internet jewelers are prostituting diamonds and jewelry, the diamond broker or "middleman" is a dead breed..and on and on....and on...
So what happened with Derco specifically?? Did they overextend themselves? Did they purchase too much inventory for stock? Not enough advertising? Not enough foot traffic? Not enough conversions?? Too much fat?? Bad New Years sales? Poor decisions?
Who really knows.
To be certain, the Chapter 11 filing acts an asylum and helps any company avoid the burden and fiscal responsibility of "owning up" to their financial obligations. However, in today's changing marketplace, dare I say it almost seems in vogue to declare bankruptcy!
So where does the salvation for our industry come from?
Is it in the traditional B&M jewelers? The Internet? The wholesalers who try and play both sides of the fence?
Are we supposed to focus on a niche and try to excel at providing quality services and products within that niche?
Do we develop close and mutually beneficial relationships with various wholesalers and manufacturers?
Do we strive to provide a higher level of customer service, information, value, and greater transparency?
Do we pray for divine intervention.
I would say the industry needs all of the above!
Get close enough and you become influenced.
Awesome Futuristic Watches!
Some of the most awesome looking (futuristic) watches that I have seen to date can be found right here.
I hope you agree.
This Diamond is Pretty As A Picture!
This saying is now a reality!
Gemory LLC announced that it has developed a process which permanently immortalizes your precious moments as photos on a diamond without harming it in anyway.
My Picture Is On This Diamond!
This new nanotechnology enables the inscription of high-resolution photographs on diamonds and other gemstones.
Gemory maintains that it is even possible to inscribe several photos side by side, thereby creating a perpetual album. The pictures are invisible to the naked eye, but can be seen on a special viewing device developed by the company called “GemmaView.”
To date, inscription technology has only enabled the inscription of letters or numbers on the stone.
Patricia Thornton, adjunct professor of management at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business stated: "The technology has many applications in a variety of markets, from consumer products to homeland security. This is a venture to keep your eye on."
Imagine! Give your gal a diamond engagement ring and when she looks at it, she sees YOU!
Do You Know How To Identify A "True" Blue Diamond?
The expression "True Blue" connotes the real thing, top quality, excellence, beauty, value, et al.
So too in the world of Diamonds. Blue Diamonds are very rare, beautiful, and highly expensive. So how do you tell the real thing from the fake? This has always been a difficult endeavor for Gemologists until very recently.
A research team has now found a method to identify a rare blue diamond. Their process, recently published in Geology is termed the 'diamond fingerprinting method'. The team includes a Penn State University minerologist, Peter J. Heaney, professor of geosciences, and researchers Jeffrey E. Post, Smithsonian's curator of gems and minerals, and Sally Eaton-Magana from the Naval Research Laboratory.
The team conducted its experiments at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington on the Hope Diamond. Blue diamonds are known to react with ultraviolet rays. They exposed the Hope Diamond to the rays and noted that the diamond glowed with a reddish-orange phosphorescence color for five minutes and the emitted rays were of varying wavelengths which thus became one Identification Marker.
In addition, these scientists noted the time span it took for the intensity of the phosphorescence to reduce by half. Their results indicate that a combination of these two Markers provide a unique fingerprint. Each blue diamond tested displayed a unique ratio of wavelengths of red and blue light and half-life of its phosphorescence.
Also tested were two synthetic blue diamonds and a treated diamond, which produced significantly different results from natural diamonds.
The importance of this new finger printing method to determine true diamond color are obvious and an important advancement in Diamond Identification and Gemology.
Congratulations!
A Gorgeous 9 Carat Emerald Cut Diamond Eternity Ring {Pics!}
We just completed this absolutely breathtaking Emerald cut diamond eternity ring today for one of our customers! The ring features 9.00 carats of hand selected emerald cut diamonds of exceptional cut quality, uniformity and beauty! The diamond color is F-G and the clarity VS!
Pictures don't do any justice!
How You Can Join Class Action Suit Against DeBeers.
Over the past several days we have received a considerable amount of mail from consumers asking whether they are eligible to also participate and receive compensation from the Trade Industry successful lawsuit against Debeers.
The answer is No. Consumers can file separately and more information as to how to go about it can be found here: Diamond Class Action Lawsuit
Good Luck.
A Belt With A Platinum Buckle For $18,000
Kale Miles is a small men’s-accessories company whose belts usually run $240 to $380. This one is $18,000. Kale Miles designer Kristina Pitaniello and co-founder Bill Miles were recently asked what makes their belt cost more than a car, or 400 times more than the $45 version from Banana Republic.
The bulk of the price comes from the buckle: It’s platinum, about seven-to-eight ounces’ worth. Currently, an ounce of platinum is $1555. If the price goes up or down in a day, that will change the cost of the belt.
It takes about three weeks for Pitaniello to make the buckle in a Boston workshop. Of course, no two are alike.
People who willingly spend 18k on a belt makes me wonder how much their trousers are worth!!
Guys! Listen To Your Radio and get advice on buying that Diamond Engagement Ring.
Anxious and nervous Grooms-to-be heard all they needed to know about how to buy an engagement ring last week during the American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories' 13-stop radio media tour.
The AGS Laboratories was created in 1996 and provides unbiased diamond-grading reports. It is one of the top diamond grading labs in the world. The lab currently issues a cut grade for round brilliant, princess- and emerald-cut diamonds. Cut grades for other shapes are due in the near future.
The tour, "Getting Engaged? Tips on Buying that Special Ring," covered how to overcome typical proposal blunders and how to read diamond-grading reports.
What diamond shape should I get? Setting? Platinum? White Gold? HELP!!
Hosted by AGS Laboratories President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Dallahan, the program reached an estimated 3.5 million listeners via nationally syndicated programs such as USA Radio National and Good News Broadcast National, and in locals markets including Atlanta; Chicago; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Kan.; Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Roanoke, Va.; and Tampa, Fla.
"The tour was an overwhelming success and a terrific opportunity to share the AGS Laboratories message with consumers," Dallahan said. "Many of the interviewers were intrigued by the diamond-grading process, so much so that the average interview lasted nearly 10 minutes, which just goes to show that even with all the information available to consumers today, there is still a thirst for quality information from reputable sources."
The media-tour interviews are now available online at How To Buy A Diamond Engagement Ring
Gold & Platinum Prices Scorching Highs! Will Diamond Engagement Ring Prices Follow?
Gold and platinum prices struck fresh record highs this morning as investors rushed once more to invest in commodities amid a very weak Dollar, rising Oil prices, and uncertain political conditions around the World.
On the London Bullion Market, gold surged to an historic $919.80 per ounce. Platinum reached an all-time peak of $1,634.50 an ounce on the London Platinum and Palladium Market.
The precious metals beat their previous record highs, of more than $900 for gold and just under $1,600 for platinum, achieved earlier this month.
At this pace, increases in the cost of gold and platinum engagement rings is inevitable.
Ladies: Is The Diamond In Your Diamond Engagement Ring "Real"?
Gals, you're probably thinking to yourselves, "What a dumb question! Of course it's real!!
HE LOVES ME!!
Well, in the majority of cases you are correct, the diamond is genuine. But now comes the results of a survey done by Harlequin Romance that finds 13 per cent of men would give their partner a cubic zirconium instead of a real diamond engagement ring, if no one would ever find out.
The report is based on a survey about secrets and telling the truth and questioned 3,000 adults between Sept. 26 and Oct. 31, 2007. More than half the respondents were Canadian.
Although not scientific, the survey is significant for identifying trends in romance, says Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. spokeswoman Heather Foy.
Some other interesting findings by the Survey:
87 per cent of men actually said they’ve had a crush on someone from work.
47 per cent of women had a crush on someone at work.
Almost every Atlantic Canadian man — 96 per cent of those who participated in the survey — said they had flirted with a colleague or supervisor, compared to 53 per cent of women.
Food for Thought.
Your Refund from DeBeers Diamonds Class Action Lawsuit Could be Peanuts
Or might buy you even less.
That's right. Payouts are expected to be small as the number of claimants is expected to be very high.
The settlement formula sets up a scale for determining the highest potential rebate a consumer could receive. For example, diamond jewelry that cost $1,000 to $5,499 would be eligible for a maximum rebate of 32 percent of the purchase price, with higher percentages for more-costly diamonds and lower percentages for less-expensive stones. On a $2,000 ring, that means you could get back $640.
The more people who apply for a rebate, the less each individual will receive.
That's because the consumer portion of the De Beers payout is capped at $135 million, minus up to 25 percent in fees owed to the many law firms that brought the multiple class-action suits between 2001 and 2004.
The figure looks even smaller when compared with the total value of the diamonds sold in the U.S. during the 12-year period covered by the settlement: about $294 billion.
Those of you that want to file a claim, go to this website for specific instructions and Forms:
File Your Diamond Claim Against DeBeers Here
Bottom Line is that expected payouts may very well be $5-10 dollars per claimant. Not even enough to get into a Movie. OUCH!
Google Celebrates 50 Years of Lego!!
After a completely hectic and draining day at the office, I need to pause for a humorous interlude!
Search Engine Roundtable covers Google's celebration of 50 years since the inception of the Lego company with this funky Google logo of the day!
Of course Google's obsession with Lego is well documented.
Heck, half of GooglePlex is covered in Lego and Lego related themes.
They seem to live vicariously through Lego!
These two Google founders are absolute geniuses.........who never grew up!
So who gets to laugh all the way to the bank?!
Russian and European Wedding Dresses of Yore.
We thought you would enjoy this article. My, how times and styles have changed!
Your Grandmother's Russian and European Wedding Dress Styles
Diamonds, Diamond Rings, And Stars Dazzle At the Screen Actors Guild.
With the Golden Globes running via press conference this year and the Oscars broadcast still in question, Hollywood's A-list swarmed the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards last night, dressed to impress in dazzling diamond "power" earrings, bracelets and right-hand rings.
Diamond power earrings, defined as large diamond studs, diamond drops and diamond chandelier earrings, were seen on numerous starlets, including actress Kate Beckinsale, in diamond stud earrings by Van Cleef and Arpels, The Sopranos' Edie Falco, in triple-drop diamond earrings by Kwiat valued at more than $250,000, and Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher, in diamond flower-pendant earrings by Neil Lane.
Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz, was seen in diamond cluster earrings, a vintage diamond and platinum bracelet, and a diamond and platinum flower brooch by Kwiat.
Marg Helgenberger in one of today's top accessory trends: super-large diamond hoop earrings.
Gold Roses and Gold Trimmed Roses, The Forever Rose and 24kt. Gold Roses!
We are now offering a beautiful collection of gold trimmed roses in many colors on our website!
The story of this gold dipped rose.
The Red Forever Rose is a 12 inch 24kt. gold dipped red rose which is selected at the height of its beauty and maturity. It is skilfully and perfectly preserved in a durable lacquer shell and then trimmed with a 24K gold finish (24kt. gold plated)!
There are more than 40 meticulous steps and five days of hand work applied by skilled artisans and technicians to complete each one-of-a-kind red rose. Our authentic gold dipped roses, makes the perfect gift for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Birthdays, Weddings, Christmas, or simply to say "I love you".
Each rose is beautifully packaged in a gold foil gift box with an accompanying gold ribbon.
The Psychology Of Luxury and The Perception Of Value
Pricing on the brain and the beauty of "branding" is an amazing phenomenon!
People do not just say they enjoy expensive things more than cheap ones. They actually do enjoy them more.
I have said for a long time that the intrinsic or inherent value of an item is the least significant arbiter of what it is actually "worth" on the open market.
I would say that the perceived value of any given item for an individual consumer accounts for about 80% of this persons purchasing decision.
The fact is, people are tremendously influenced by the "psychology of luxury" and its resultant impact on the perception of actual value.
EVERYONE loves a bargain. But retailers know that people will sometimes turn their noses up at a cheap version of a more expensive item, even if the two are essentially the same. That suggests something is at work in the mind of the consumer beyond simple appreciation of a product's intrinsic qualities.
This is exactly the reason consumers will opt for the incredibly expensive Hearts On Fire Diamonds instead of entirely comparable and equally beautiful diamonds (without the "name") at an absolute fraction of the price.
I was quoted in this recent article by Deidre Woollard of Luxist.com where she points to the perception of value as a result of an effective marketing strategy and brand image.
The something in question is expectation, according to research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Antonio Rangel of the California Institute of Technology. Dr Rangel and his colleagues found that if people are told a wine is expensive while they are drinking it, they really do think it tastes nicer than a cheap one, rather than merely saying that they do.
Rangel figured this out based on a unique an interesting test he performed.
Read about it here in The Economist.
Is Fortunoff Going Chapter 11?
According to a report today in Newsday the answer is Yes for this retail jewelry icon.
Observations from retail experts are that its Fortunoff, The Source stores are struggling to keep up its inventory. The red flags were obvious after the first of the month, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group in Port Washington. Fortunoff, which typically replenishes its post-holiday stock quickly and with the latest items, had large holes in its selection in its flagship Westbury store.
Overall, several Retail Jewelers have reported major problems this past Holiday Season.
1. Freedmans - Chap 11.
2. Omega - Chap 11.
3. Derco - Chap 11.
4. Zales - Reduced sales and store closings
5. Tiffany's - Reported only a 2% sales increase in the 4th Quarter, year over year.
The answer, my friend, is that Change is blowin' in the Wind.
