cataler blog

Questions to ask when looking for an honest jeweler.
John is in town on business, as he walks thru the “Diamond district” he spots a beautiful Princess cut diamond ring in one of the many windows on this particular block.
As John considers this ring for his upcoming engagement, a stream of questions floods him. Will she like it? Will she even say yes if she does like it? Is it a good deal? Is it good quality? Is this jewelry store reputable?
These are all legitimate questions, and not knowing the answers to any of them he has to rely on Tony, the storeowner. When he asks Tony these questions, Tony assures him that even if his fiancee does not like the ring, not to worry, he is buying it in the “wholesale district” and the price is so low that any jeweler back home will buy it for more than he paid, at least 40 or 50% more.
When John finally is down on one knee, he is delighted to hear the words “I will” After a few days his fiancee admits that she would prefer a pear shape for her center stone, as everyone now uses princess cut.
John takes the ring to a few jewelers in his area and is totally disappointed to find out that he can only get about one third of what he paid for it. The diamond quality and weight that Tony had quoted were almost accurate, but the ring was purchased at retail price.
Nevertheless, John thought Tony was a crook who misled him into buying the ring by making false claims about its value.
Is John correct in thinking Tony is a crook
According to The Federal Trade Commission, the guidelines in the United States, John would be correct. Deception of any kind is fraud, even when it involves only the future value or resale potential of jewelry. In fact when anyone sells jewelry for purposes of investment, they must inform the buyer that “appreciation or profit cannot be assured” and “no organized market exists for the resale of jewelry industry products by private owners”
Jewelers themselves helped write these guidelines for the jewelry industry. I, along with every other ethical jeweler in the United States support laws against fraud. We want to earn public respect and be regarded as people with integrity.
It seems today that when you ask a person about jewelers, 3 out of 5 has some horror story as how they, or a friend has had a diamond switched or has been lied to about the quality of a diamond or gemstone.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Jeweler
- How long have they been in business? If they have been there a few months their guarantees don’t mean anything.
- What kinds of services do they offer? Can they do repairs, are they done in house, can they do custom work.
- Do they have a Graduate Gemologist on staff? What other credentials does this store have? Can they do appraisals?
- What kind of return, replacement, and buy-back policies do they have?
- Do they have a microscope available to you? Can you look at their jewelry under magnification? Most jewelers without a microscope available to the consumer do not sell diamonds worth examining under magnification
- Are they willing to put their verbal descriptions in writing?
- When you are seriously interested in an item, are they making an effort to find it for you if they do not have it in stock?
- Do they have a range of qualities and or a good selection?
- Is their store “always on sale” with the same discount? If they have a never-ending sale they might mislead you with something else.
- Do you feel they are trustworthy? Is the store cold, or does it have a friendly atmosphere?
- Are they behaving professionally? Are they dressed professionally?
- Do they put down their competition? Are they voluntarily offering you a negative appraisal of the jewelry you are wearing? Competent jewelers do not need to resort to these tactics. They are insulting you as a buyer and they are also acting unprofessionally when they claim their jewelry is better or less expensive
- Are they interested in service? Some stores are friendly until you ask for a battery. Being a jeweler is not only about making money
If you are satisfied with what and how they have answered your questions, you’ve found a jeweler with excellent service. My advice to you is, establish a good relationship with them. There are good jewelers everywhere, the hard part is finding them when you need them.
–
Peter P. Lopez
diamond-engagement-source.com

Technorati tags: john jewelry questions ring tony

If you’re still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don’t really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.
February’s birthstone: Amethyst
Birthstone powers: Brings peace and calm to your life
Alternative Birthstone: Bloodstone
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February and the traditional anniversary gemstone for the sixth of marriage. Once considered more valuable than diamonds, this member of the quartz member occurs naturally as crystals within rocks. The stones are mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Zambia, Australia and in the mountains of Russia
American amethysts are mined in Maine, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Montana and Colorado. Amethyst from Maine is usually dark with North Carolina amethyst having a bluish tint unique to that area. Amethyst can lighten if exposed to strong sunlight for a long time. When heated to 550-560 Centigrade, the color changes to dark yellow or reddish brown. (They are then called citrines. These are more richly colored and more expensive then natural citrines)
Ideally deep medium purple with rose-colored flashes, amethysts generally range in hue from pale lilac to nearly black purple. Since purple has always been the color of royalty, amethysts abound in the ornaments of in the British Crown Jewels and in the adornments of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, as well. They have been found in ruins dating as far back as the ninth century, adorning royal jewelry, scepters, and crowns.
The intense violet hue of February’s birthstone appealed to early monarchs, perhaps because they often wore this color…as a symbol of their elevated position. Purple dye was once scarce and expensive, so it was reserved for the garments of royalty, and the color came to symbolize power and status.
Sobering Thoughts with Amethyst
The Greeks believed that whoever wore an amethyst or drank from an amethyst cup would not become intoxicated. In fact, the word amethyst is derived from the Greek word “amethystos,” meaning sober. In ancient Greece, the gemstone was associated with the god of wine, and it was common practice to serve this beverage from Amethyst goblets in the belief that this would prevent overindulgence. It was also claimed that amethyst had a sobering effect on those “drunk” on love’s passion.
Even today, amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors. In general, the gemstone is believed to be a calming, tranquil influence that symbolizes peace.
Amethyst and Prayer
Amethyst is symbolic of piety, spirituality, and a devotion to God. The rich purple gemstones are used worldwide to ornament churches and crosses used in religious ceremony, and they frequently found in the rings and on the rosaries worn by bishops and priests.
It is also believed that amethysts bring on pleasant dreams because they allow you to “channel” positive universal energy. As a result many people place an amethyst under their pillow before going to sleep at night to enjoy “sweet dreams” throughout the night.

Technorati tags: amethyst birthstone amethysts purple february