As a new member of the store I’ve been observing our customers – especially those who come in requesting to try on engagement rings. For some it’s a serious matter, spending energy in finding the right one for themselves or for their soon-to-be fiancé; making clear cut notes on the four most important factors in ring shopping: carat, cut, clarity, and color; and of course for some, the pricing of the ring.
When my fiancé and I were shopping around for my engagement ring, we made sure to take with us as much memories as we could. We got a bit discouraged as we couldn’t agree on the style of ring that we had liked; although he continuously reassured me that it was my ring and whatever I liked was the thing that mattered. I had to tell him time and time again that it was something that was going to be something both of us had to like– although I would be wearing it, I wanted him to look at the ring and enjoy it just as much as I did.
The hunt took a few days and endless internet searches – but we finally found the one. I had immediately gotten butterflies when I slipped it onto my finger (unlike any of the others that I had tried on). I knew it was the one.
Although our purchase was only a few short months ago – I still get the same butterflies every time I look at it that I had gotten the day he put it on my finger. A mix of our styles: a bit vintage and a little modern, my ring exemplifies the people we are. What more, not only do I love it as much as the day that I received it, but we have so many great memories that were created in the process.
So remember, when that day comes to always remember to enjoy the process – because after all, its the memories that are important.
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Just returned from 2 glorious days in Flagstaff! Originally, I didn’t want to go to avoid the holiday crowds but, turns out, no crowds because everyone thought Flagstaff was on fire. The only signs of a fire I saw was the huge helicopter flying overhead going home as the firefighters had put out the fire.
When we left Scottsdale, the temp was 114 F. When we arrived in Flagstaff, the temp was 70 F.
Late in the afternoon we went to check out a lava tube just past Snowbowl which was an experience in itself. When I was told about a lava tube, my thoughts went to diamonds all over the place (spewing from deep inside the earth thru the lava tube) and thought it would be a must see for the gemologist. I figured a tame tourist site in one of our national parks. With better directions from a manager at the local ski resort, who said “don’t forget flashlights”, we found the barely marked road and drove about 8 miles on an unpaved dusty road to arrive at a parking lot with about 8 cars in it.
Everyone piled out of the cars and grabbed all of the flashlights we could find. Before we hit the trail a woman walked by and advised us to bring coats. I had no coat so wore 3 t shirts and everyone else bundled up with sweaters, jackets and ponchos. About 300 yards into the woods we came upon a hole in the ground with a “kind of” rock wall around it and a few people sitting around.
There’s a bunch of boulders in the hole and you can see an entrance, of sorts, that you have to climb down to and thru to get inside the lava tube which is a cave. Pitch black, huge boulders, jagged rocks, ice and a temp of 35 F. I went anyway and had a great time exploring. On the way back I fell and broke the tip of my pinkie finger but, other than that, everyone else was fine and had a great experience. Highly recommend checking out this site.
Early today we took the chair lift to the top of Snowbowl. A bit scary but what a view. Saw snow there, too. I have no idea how anyone other than expert skiers can ski down these higher trails as it is close to straight down. Looks like it would be great fun in the winter.
The temp was in the low 50′s F at the top of the mountain (took a whiz in the highest benjo in AZ) and returned to Scottsdale where it was a balmy 101 F.
I highly recommend visiting Flagstaff this summer. A welcome relief.
I have been hearing a lot of horror stories regarding gold selling experiences people are having with companies and/or individuals wanting to buy their old or unwanted gold and silver items. With the price of gold reaching one high after another it is only natural for many different types to “jump on the bandwagon” of gold buying. Various types of “we buy your gold” companies and even barbershops are ready to buy your gold by mail, in hotel rooms, on the barber’s chair or even in front of your favorite coffee shop. Incredible offers are advertised daily such as SELL US YOUR GOLD AND WE’LL GIVE YOU AN ADDITIONAL $25 FOR EVERY $100 YOU GIVE US (they’re giving up 25% of their profit which is already more than a jeweler makes on the entire transaction), one of my favorites.
The buying experts are your local jeweler. This is where to go to sell receiving an honest evaluation and the best price provided by a trained professional, properly licensed by the city to buy. Going to someone other than a professional jeweler to sell gold jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, watches and coins is akin to going to a car dealer for open heart surgery. No basis in reality.
Going to a jewelry shop to sell your unwanted or broken items should be similar to Our Gold Testing Process:
1. We sort your gold according the gold karat content. Content is determined by using one of our gold testers which test by the use of acids.
2. Determing total weight per karat group (10K, 14K, 18K).
3. Check the quality and condition of any diamonds or gemstones contained within the jewelry or given to us loose.
4. Determine the price for any luxury watches.
5. Calculate the price for each karat group based on the current New York spot gold rate. NOTE: Gold coins are paid based on 24K price unless they are sealed with a certified MS designation. Calculate the value for each diamond and gemstone. Review all of the items to see if any can be resold in our estate section (after a refurbishing). Combine the totals for all of the gold, diamonds, gemstones, watches and any items for the estate case.
6. Write you a check for the total amount.
The entire process is done in front of you. Nothing’s going into a back room, for whatever reason. All in the open.
Please don’t be fooled by the fly by night gold buying companies popping up all over the country. Go to a jeweler.
This past weekend we attended the JCK Events Show in Las Vegas. Jewelers’ Circular Keystone (JCK) is the jewelry industry’s leading top publication and industry authority. JCK aims to bring buyers and sellers together, supplying the best products each month. Every year they have a series of events, and this year we visited the JCK Vegas show. There we visited with and talked to many suppliers. The show was a huge success! There was about 20,000 retailers at the show, which was a record high for attendance. In addition to the big name suppliers at the show, several celebrities made an appearance to support their lines or to browse the aisles. One of our personal favorite design houses that we talked with was Master Craft Jewelry Co., Inc based out of Lynbrook, NY.
At the show we purchased a new line to show in our store. The line is called “Just J“. This is a really fun, popular line that is all about making a statement. Their products are about LOVE & JOY. There are many different items in their gold and silver collection, including clip and ribbon charms. This line is much more than a fashion product. Their products are great to wear alone or to mix and match with other products (especially the ribbon bracelets!). The line is very fashionable and allows you to mix and match depending on your individual style. The jewelry is very unique!
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. -Bill Cosby
Show Dad how much you appreciate all that he does this Father’s Day. Here at Scottsdale Fine Jewelers we have a fine collection of men’s watches and jewelry. Whoever the special man is in your life that you are celebrating this June 20th, we will have that perfect gift for him. Do you have a vision of the perfect gift? We make custom jewelry too!
Hope to see you soon.
You’ve heard it plenty of times, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!” But was that always the case? Not quite. Today we value the gem’s durability and resistance and view it as a symbol of one’s everlasting and eternal love. Some engagement rings today stop people in their tracks, but years ago it was just a simple iron hoop that women wore when they were engaged. Many women received an iron ring as a symbol of their fiance’s love and affection. You most likely would see this during Roman times. It wasn’t until the 15th century that brides-to-be could look forward to a little bling or glam! During this time period brides started to wear gems, especially the diamond, on their ring finger. The discovery of more diamonds in the years to follow, especially during the 18th century, made diamond engagement rings more available. In addition to the engagement a second ring was given at the wedding ceremony; this ring is known today as the wedding band. Today, it’s estimated that about 80% of the engagement rings are diamond engagement rings. A token of one’s love which is everlasting, resistant, and timeless, the diamond today symbolizes much more than a little “sparkle” on one’s ring finger.
It’s wedding season! Something you may hear at the next wedding you attend or are a part of is the saying “Something old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something blue”, which is a good luck saying that dates back to the Victorian era. Many brides will make sure they have something of each on their wedding day. Although the saying is one of good luck, it is also a way to show the bride admiration on her wedding day.
Here at Scottsdale Fine Jewelers you will find a gift for any occasion. Yes, we have a fine collection of engagement rings and wedding bands, but we also have gifts for any special occasion. If you want to give or wear something new and meaningful this wedding season come by to see our many beautiful jewelry pieces! It will make that special day or occasion that much more memorable for you or your loved one. You just may find something NEW that you will want to give to the bride or let her BORROW.
Mention our blog and we will tell you the history of the “Something Old..” saying and what its meaning is!
The price of gold is at $1,211.70/troy ounce as I write this… close to the record high of last week and everyone is asking “should I sell my gold now or wait for the price to go higher?”. I do not have a crystal ball and will not attempt to predict where the price of gold is headed in the short, or long, term so I have been offering the following advice:
1. If you are considering going to anyone other than a jeweler to sell your gold, don’t sell!
2. If you are considering going to a jeweler to sell your gold, sell, if any of the following conditions are met:
- You need money.
- The items have bad memories. We’ll be happy to let you watch us melt your wedding ring if necessary.
- You do not wear the item anymore.
- The pieces are broken.
- The pieces are dental fillings.
3. Our Golden Rule: If you haven’t worn/seen it in 3 years, bring it in!
Did your 1st boyfriend ever buy you a gift? A token of his undying love for you, his first love. Maybe it wasn’t that serious but you may have passed a holiday or two together, in turn collecting these tokens and quickly stashing them away in your jewelry box.
It might be time to get those out!
A customer came into the store today, intrigued by the record breaking rise in gold prices, and inquired about the worth of a few items she no longer found a use for. We were happy to go through her pieces with her and after testing and weighing each piece we quoted the bunch at over $1,000.00. She hestitated for a moment, remembering where she recieved one of the rings from. She went on to tell us this story:
“My first boyfriend made gold teeth. I assumed this would be of high karat content because he used the extra scrap to make me this ring, etching our initals into the top and gifting it to me for a birthday. He still makes teeth to this day. We’re still in touch.”
Romantic? You decide.
Memories of your jewelry and the history behind each piece last forever. The high price of gold may not. Our customer decided to cash in her old gold and make new memories with Mom, “I’ve been meaning to take my Mom to London and this is just the cash I need to make it happen.”
We had a customer bring in an 8 KT yellow gold ring featuring, what she was told, a 2- 3 carat solitaire alexandrite. The stone was a delight to look at and exhibited fiery blues, reds and purples – all at the same time. No way was this an alexandrite, I thought, so out came the test equipment (never hurts to brush up) and determined the stone to be sapphire, synthetic.
What’s it worth? Not millions, but it sure looked like a million bucks and I, for one, would consider it a family heirloom if I received this ring from my grandmother.
I advised the customer what I thought was in her ring. Not sure if she accepted my findings and felt she left with mixed feelings about my indentification of the stone, possibly clinging to the belief she had a real alexandrite, so I thought a little blurb might help others who have a large alexandrite. If you have a large gemstone you believe to be an alexandrite, check to see if the color change is predominantly one color at a time. If you see 2 -3 colors at the same time, it’s not looking good. Now, consider the history of the ring donor. Did they hang out with the tsar? Did they have lots of money to buy Brazilian? If the answer is yes, go see a jeweler.
“Finely faceted alexandrites above one carat are thus among the most expensive gemstones in the world, rarer than fine ruby, sapphire or emerald.” – Source ICA Gem Bureau