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Pearl

December 15th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Guides

Few gems carry the elegance factor that a silky white pearl can offer to jewelry. Pearl jewelry boasts a sense of refinement, a truly classic look that is rivaled by no other gem. While it is considered to be a precious gem, it is not to be confused with gem stones because it is not a stone mined from the earth in the traditional sense. Instead, pearls are harvested from mollusks, shelled sea animals commonly known as oysters. This bounty of the ocean has brought us pearl jewelry, a standby for decades in a variety of cultures around the world that appreciate the unique beauty that pearls of all colors have to offer.

The pearl itself is formed within the oyster not from a grain of sand, as is commonly thought, but usually from some other irritant to the tissue of the shellfish. The tiny irritant causes the oyster to exude a liquid called nacre, the same fluid that lines the shell of the oyster itself. This iridescent nacre throws a rainbow of colors when turned in the light and it is this shell lining that is often referred to as mother of pearl. The application of the nacre is a long process that can take months or even years to form the gems that we see in pearl earrings or pearl necklaces. In the wild, it is very rare that a pearl of gem quality is formed and due to this, several tons of oysters would have to be harvested to find even a few pearls beautiful enough to be used in jewelry.

It should be noted that wild pearls are far more valuable than those which are farmed in the oceans or rivers. Different species of pearl producing oysters can be found in both freshwater or saltwater environments, but those harvested by oceanic oysters in the open seas are by far the most expensive. Farmed pearls offer an affordable alternative, but one would need to buy from a trusted source because an x-ray is usually needed in order to determine the difference between farmed and wild pearls. Sources for pearls include most of the major seas around the globe and countries that are known for collecting them include: Australia, Tahiti, Japan and China.

While these gems of the sea can come in colors such as yellow, pink, blue or black, white is the most commonly sought after because it is the most prevalent in nature and considered to be the most perfect. However, black is a very close runner up with wild black pearls from Tahiti being considered nearly priceless. Other indicators of value for pearls include their size, perfection of the surface, how round perfectly spherical they are, and how shiny the surface of the pearl is.

For those who can afford the high prices, wild pearls found in nature are definitely the wisest choice for a long-term investment and family heirloom. Those who have less to spend will find that farmed pearls provide a high quality alternative that is nearly as beautiful and definitely sentimental.

Diamond Jewelry

December 15th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Guides

When ancient people first discovered what we now know to be the diamond, they were shocked by the properties of this incredible gem. Its ability to scratch not only other gemstones, but metals, as well, made it a remarkable gem unlike any other. The other aspect of diamonds that made them so popular was their ability to ‘throw light’ out into the different colors of the light spectrum, giving them a property known as ‘fire’. This magnificent combination of durability and beauty quickly led to the stone being one of the most sought after on the planet and it remains so to this day. Very few gems can approach the diamond in value or cultural importance.

Since their discovery in India, diamonds have been seen as meaningful stones and attributed a great number of super natural powers such as protecting the wearer from evil spirits. Today, diamond jewelry is seen as a symbol of wealth and the tradition of the diamond engagement ring has become one that is very strongly held in the Western world. This tradition of a woman being given a diamond ring by her suitor has been with us since the 1400’s where it started in Europe, but rose to much greater prominence in the early 1900’s when De Beers diamond company ran ads to convince consumers that the diamond made the best romantic symbol on Earth.

When one is judging diamond jewelry, there are some crucial elements to understand that can help a person better determine the value of any given diamond. These elements are known as the Four C’s: carat, cut, clarity and color. All of these factors combined are what lead to an overall value of the stone so there is not one single value that is the absolute determiner of a diamond’s worth. The larger carats are more valuable because the carat represents the mass or size of the diamond and the clarity that is higher is also worth more because it means the diamond has fewer defects or impurities within the stone.

In terms of color, diamond jewelry can include diamonds of any color, but colorless diamonds are the most sought after with pink diamonds being next, but so valuable that they are beyond the budgets of most buyers. Since diamonds can occur in any hue of the rainbow, buyers have a wide range of choices and diamond jewelry can be authentic while displaying a range of colors. Cut, on the other hand, are a matter of personal choice and there is debate over which is the best. Round brilliant cut diamonds are currently some of the most popular, but cuts such as princess, pear, heart and briolette, also known as rose cut, are increasing in popularity, too.

When it comes to diamond jewelry, whether one wants diamond solitaire earrings, a diamond engagement ring or a necklace to dazzle the eyes, there are few choices that have quite the regal authority as a genuine colorless diamond. All throughout the world, people know that these stones are the most valuable of any gems so the level of respect for them is incredibly high.

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Bracelet of Ex-Business Mogel Bernie Madoff Being Sold to Benefit Charity

December 15th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in News

When the United States Marshals Service auctioned off an Art Deco bracelet owned by now imprisoned financier Bernie Madoff in an effort to help victims of one of history’s most notorious con men, worldwide jewelry buyer CIRCA bought it for $50,000 – double the value that it has been appraised at. Now the jewelry company is selling it and donating a portion of the profits to benefit two major charities, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation that it has supported for the past 7 years and Florida based Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation which lost $2 million by investing with Madoff himself.

Bernie Madoff has become one of the most despised men in recent memory after being discovered running what is purported to be the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, a criminal enterprise specifically designed to defraud investors. Upon his fall from grace, his estate was seized and is being gradually sold off to benefit the victims of his crimes. Since a large portion of CIRCA’s customers lost money with Madoff and were forced to sell their own jewelry to cover their losses, CIRCA’s CEO Chris Del Gatto has noted that the company felt obligated to do what they could to help the victims.

The bracelet itself is in the Art Deco style popular in the early part of the 1900’s and features large square emeralds set in a paving of diamonds.

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Marriage Proposal Focus of New Ivanka Trump Jewelry Line

December 6th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in News

Ivanka Trump, ex wife of world famous business mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, is the owner of New York City based Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, an innovative company that is stepping forward to offer more than just engagement rings. In an ingenious move, the company is stepping forward to take its business to the next level by offering not only a full line of products, but advice tailored to men who are planning to propose to the women of their dreams.

Speaking recently to the media, Mrs. Trump had this to say about her business’ latest plans, “We understand how challenging it can be for men to not only shop for a ring, but plan the perfect way to pop the question.”

A solution, it seems, is being offered in the form of a hotel getaway package to one of Donald Trump’s Trump Hotel Collection properties located in NYC. The concept of the New York Proposal Package is that the potential groom will receive a stay in one of these luxurious hotels along with the purchase of any diamond engagement ring from Ivanka Trump’s Bridal Bar. This offers customers an elegant setting in which they can conduct their proposal.

Clients who participate in the package will be offered either a single night’s stay at either the Trump International Hotel and Tower New York which offers a sweeping view of Central Park or, beginning February 2010, the new Trump SoHo New York, nestled in a highly fashionable district of the Big Apple. In addition to the hotel stays, the couples will be treated to a dozen long stemmed roses waiting in their room along with a bottle of complimentary champagne. Dinner that evening will be offered at either Trump SoHo’s Quattro Gastronomia Italiana or Trump International’s Jean-Georges restaurant, depending upon which hotel the client has chosen to make his proposal at. Dinners will include another bottle of champagne and the following morning, continental breakfast in bed will be provided free of charge.

The aim of the program is to acknowledge the high levels of anxiety that suitors experience in regards to proposing marriage and the uncertainty they face in finding an appropriate way to express themselves. The program seeks to make the proposal process fun for both sexes and educate men on the etiquette of a proper proposal that will create a memory to last a lifetime.

The Bridal Bar’s primary aim offerings are estate pieces and designs based on the more popular eras of history. Prices are rich, starting at $800.

Finding Personal Style in Jewellery is Simple These Days

November 13th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Guides

So many people would love to be able to know that they can find nice jewellery that is going to suit their needs and as a result, they will look all over the place to locate some nice fashions that are going to work for the kind of style that they would like to have, Most of us are not exactly experts in the craft of picking out the best rings and other kinds of jewelry and that is why we will often turn to other sources to be able to find the sort of jewellery that we really love. It is important to be able to have our own personal tastes and this is why so many people today go to great lengths to select the right kind of choice for them when it comes to getting the very best bargain that they can find. It makes sense to really get a good deal and this is one thing we can do to get a nice level of security in the way that we have chosen to adorn ourselves because just like in times long past, it is essential to show who we are through the things that we choose to wear.

This is why a custom solution is the most important thing for a growing number of people. One does not have to be all about fashion in order to get a solid understanding of exactly why it would be desirable to pick out the best types of fashion jewellery and because we are savvy about these things, we know that jewellery designers will give us the best possible value and create something that is unique and really does fit the image we have in our minds. It is the top choice of so many because it is so intimate and personal.