Many Jewelers issue Appraisals on the merchandise they sell at the point of sale. How helpful and valid are these Appraisals? If you lose your diamond engagement ring, wedding band, or jewelry or it is stolen and you file a claim how well will you fare with your Insurance company? Some issues to consider:

Jewelers’ conflict of interest in appraising the merchandise they have sold to you.

Assessing future replacement value vs. current transaction value.

A statement of value demonstrating items worth to whom, when, and under what circumstances.

Informative discussion now going on Here

We thought you would enjoy this article. My, how times and styles have changed!

Your Grandmother’s Russian and European Wedding Dress Styles

Friends,

I hope you are all well and that you enjoyed the Holiday!
We are back in full swing and busy with filling and shipping orders.

So how was your holiday season?

I just came across a fabulous website for any guy who is soon to be married.

GroomGroove.com offers pertinent and crucial information for all Groom’s to be.
From ideas for the marriage proposal, to choosing the perfect diamond engagement ring and wedding hall, you will find everything you need to know here.

What I love about this website, is the way the information is presented and the style in which the articles are written.

The website and articles manage to be fun, witty, and relevant at the same time!

Check it out.

Lest we forget Geeks are peoples too and they do get married.

What better way to celebrate at their wedding than with Wedding cakes that reflect who they are.

Here are three Geek wedding cakes that we recently came across:

Nintendo Wedding cake.

Super Mario

Star Wars Wedding cake.

The point here is that it’s not just about getting your gal this perfect engagement ring. To be sure, that stuff is important too. We all know how much symbolism lies in the gift of a wedding ring or wedding band. You only get engaged one time (we hope) and these stunning engagement rings play an integral role in this process!

Still, don’t forget the CAKE!!!
To some, this might be more important than the engagement ring!!!

May the force be with you so you don’t get indigestion.

The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (ADWC) has announced the sale of a 215-carat D-color diamond at the Letseng Diamond Tender to Belgian-based Omega Diamonds.

The stone, which comes from the Letseng diamond mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho, scored the highest average price per carat for a D-color ever tendered by Letseng at $38,000 per carat.

New owner Omega—a rough-diamond firm—stated that the gem was remarkable for its size and quality, adding that it will be a big piece.

“The shape is something that will be sweated over for months,” the company said.

ADWC spokesman Philip Claes spoke of the importance of having an important stone tendered in Antwerp.

“We continue to fully support such tenders as part of our ongoing efforts to facilitate the diamond trade,” he said.

Another major diamond from the Letseng mine, a historic 603-carat stone, recently sold here for $12.36 million, or $20,000 average per carat.

The mine is known for the size and quality of the diamonds it produces. It is jointly owned by Gem Diamonds (70 percent) and the Lesotho government (30 percent). Letseng Tenders are held monthly by WWW International Diamond Consultants.

The ADWC, formerly called HRD, is the umbrella organization for the Antwerp diamond industry.

Different Religions have their own unique Wedding Customs and practices which are handed down from generation to generation and add a unique and distinctive flavor to the ceremony.

Well, I’m not sure if “Geeks” can be considered a ‘religion’ but they do get married. How would you know if you were at a “Geek” wedding? Here are eleven signs to watch out for:

How Do You Know You’re At a ‘Geek’ Wedding?

Showing your love on Valentine’s Day is costly. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) 2007 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch for NRF, the average consumer will spend $119.67 on Valentine’s Day, up from $100.89 in 2006.

With 63.4 percent of consumers planning to celebrate the holiday, total 2007 Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $16.90 billion.

Men have historically been the big spenders when it comes to Valentine’s Day and this year is no exception. According to the survey, the average male is expected to spend $156.22, nearly double the $85.08 that the average female will spend.

Flowers remain a popular holiday gift, with 58.3 percent of men planning to buy their sweet heart some type of flower (vs. 52.3 percent in 2006). Men will also be showering their loved ones with cards (56.7 percent,) candy (42.9 percent,) an evening out (53.1 percent) and jewelry (27.6 percent.)

When it comes to showing that special someone how much you care, both men and women will hit the stores for the perfect token of affection. Popular gifts include cards (62.8 percent,) candy (48.4 percent) and flowers (36.7 percent.) In addition, close to half of consumers 45.3 percent) will treat their loved one to a special evening out.

No surprise, Approximately 25 percent of women surveyed indicated diamonds were on the top of their wish list.

Although more than half of women want jewelry as a Valentine’s Day gift this year, only 14 percent expect to get it, a new study by Jewelry.com finds.

But the survey also finds that many women (68.5 percent) would consider buying themselves a Valentine’s Day present this year. Almost half of those surveyed said they would buy themselves jewelry, and 54.5 percent said they would spend more than $50 on themselves.

None of the respondents said they want nothing for Valentine’s Day, but 18.4 percent of the 3,000 women surveyed expect to get nothing.

The study also finds that only 1.8 percent of those surveyed want a card, although 18 percent expect to receive a card.

Just a few shopping hours left for you procrastinators.

Haste can lead to accidents, so be careful out there.

Happy Holidays!