Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend

Diamonds, big or small shine and sparkle in a way that draws your eye. As Marilyn Monroe once said, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” As a girl, receiving your first diamond is a big deal. Mine was for my twenty-first birthday in a beautifully simple necklace. Many girls are too shy to admit that they in fact have been dreaming of their diamond wedding ring since they were very young. Come on girls, we all know you have that secret Pinterest board with thousands of variations of your wedding ring pinned! Diamonds are the most sought after item for jewelry consumers. But have you ever thought of where they actually come from?

 

 

Diamonds start their lives in a mine somewhere in Russia, parts of Africa or Canada. Next they are sent to wholesalers and distributors who price the diamonds and consult with their clientele to sell them to jewelry stores around the country. “I am a wholesaler, I get diamonds directly from the diamond cutters and I sell them to specific retailers I have relationships with” says Leon Well, a diamond wholesaler and owner of the company Weldiam out of New York City. Wholesalers used to depend solely on their relationships with their clients. They would build trust and personal relationships with their retailers in order to continue successful business. Today, Leon says, the competition in the diamond business has gone up and things have changed. “There was a time when personal relationships meant a great deal. Today diamond wholesaling is very impersonal there is very little loyalty and no need to develop relationships the way I used to” Leon says.

Leon is the middle -man between the diamond from the mine and the retailer. “There are probably four hands that touch the diamond before it reaches the consumer. First the diamond is mined, then it goes to the cutter who shapes and perfects the diamond, from the cutter it comes to me and other wholesalers, then we get it sold to a variety of retailers,” Leon says. When the diamond makes it to the jewelry store they are loose and on their own. They come in different shapes, sizes, and cuts including; princess, cushion, heart, oval, pear, marquise, radiant, and emerald. No matter what the size, the same amount of work goes into the diamond.

 

 

Diamonds are not known for being cheap, they are expensive because of the amount of time that goes into making them, shaping them and the amount of people who touch them. Willa Dickens, one of three owners of Iowa City jewelry store Herteen and Stocker discusses how prices of diamonds have fluctuated throughout the course of his 65-year career. “Prices have almost always gone up through my years in the business. There was a period of time where prices were greatly exaggerated, they jumped drastically then dropped back down.” Dickens explained, “It goes up based on demand. When I started 65 years ago a third of a carat diamond was $200 and todays its $1200 that’s quite a jump!”

Just as wholesalers build trust with their clients, fine jewelry sales associates work to build trust with jewelry consumers so that they know they are getting the best price. Mary Van Buer, a former fine jewelry buyer for Von Maur department store gives a better understanding of the benefits of a “brick-and-mortar” store versus an online store, “they are able to offer services after purchase. Customers in our store have the benefit of viewing and comparing several diamonds and their prices in one sitting before actually making a purchase. Purchasing diamonds online doesn’t give you that luxury, you are kind of just hoping and guessing.” Mary says, “along the same line, in the diamond world cheapest is not necessarily the best value – you usually get what you pay for.”

 

 

Willa advocates for brick-and-mortar jewelry stores because, “if you deal with a reputable merchant you can come in and have your diamond cleaned and checked at no charge. You might spend a little bit more on a diamond in our store but you are going to get more out of it.” Not getting to see the diamonds in person makes it difficult to know whether or not you can trust the piece of jewelry you are going to get. Fine jewelry stores that have been in business for many years have the ability to make clients for years, with the business of their children and their children’s children. “by giving good service you build friendships allowing those consumers to have the best possible jewelry buying experience,” Willa says.

Diamonds are special because they come in all shapes and sizes, they sparkle with intensity whether they are big or small. It is important to know all of the work that goes into a diamond before it reaches a person’s finger giving the owner a better appreciation for it. Because after all, diamonds are a girls best friend!

Thanks for reading this weeks post,

And as always,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

Giving Jewelry as a Gift

This holiday season as you are creating your list of gifts to get for loved ones (and yourself, lets be honest here ;)) remember that jewelry is always a welcomed gift by most. Here are a few tips I have on what to buy and how to go about it. Note: These tips feature both inexpensive jewelry and fine jewelry.

Most often as the gift giver you will be notified of exactly what the receiver desires. But, on the off chance they are not like me and you have nothing to go off of except for what it is they want here are a few tips on how to go about finding the right gift.

1. Etsy: If you haven’t figured out by now, I’m a pretty huge advocate of Etsy. The reason behind that is because if you have even a tiny idea of what it is you want to purchase jewelry wise, if you search it in Etsy you will be given so many ideas to help you decide what exactly to purchase. And often times you will find that the piece you end up purchasing is relatively inexpensive. Etsy in my opinion is the perfect place to go if you need inspiration for any type of gift.

2. DISCOUNTS: I don’t think I can say it enough discounts are everything! A good tip when buying/ shopping for more expensive jewelry is to look to department stores and see if you can get lucky with any of their last minute deals. Often times people like to be prepared and get all of their shopping done weeks before the holiday. While this is a smart idea, many of the deals don’t show up until the week before Christmas. This is the time these stores are ready to be rid of their holiday merchandise and you have the chance to get lucky on a more expensive piece!

3. Cyber monday: It is a little late to use this tip for this year but Cyber Monday deals are always THE best. Make sure if you are planning to buy something offline that you take complete advantage of this “national holiday.” In my own experience, I get email updates from sites like BaubleBar, Etsy and JewelMint, these sites send me deals daily. It would be wise to subscribe to their updates (you can always unsubscribe after the holiday).

4. eBay: eBay doesn’t always receive the recognition it deserves in my opinion. It is a wonderful place to look for items being sold by people looking to re-gift items that they received last year. eBay is definitely a great option if you are looking to purchase a more expensive item in a rather inexpensive way!

With the holidays looming it is time to start preparing (if you haven’t already) your gifts for friends and family as they will be doing for you! When it comes to jewelry I hope that I have given some good tips on where to get started with your jewelry shopping.

Happy Holidays and best of luck!!

Side note: my next post will be a super fun crash course in diamonds. So if you have an obsession with diamonds the way that I do you will want to be sure to come back here and check it out! (Pretty pretty please!!). 

Side note x2: if you were unaware, I have a twitter account to go along with this blog and it is just as fabulous! Check it out @jewelrygirlIC and pretty please give me a follow!

Happy shopping and Happy Holidays yet again!

And as always,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

My Jewelry wish list for Christmas

There are only three things on my jewelry wish list this year because in my humble opinion they are the only three things that any girls needs for Christmas:

Pura Vida Braclets:

I have been obsessed with these bracelets since I first learned about them for my jewelry for charity blog post. They are the cutest bracelet sets (or singles!). They come in tons of different sizes but they all benefit the same cause. I’m super into hand-made jewelry so any kind I can get my hands are is perfect for me! I suggest asking for their bracelet packs as a gift because those can be a little bit more on the pricier end of things. Better to make someone else spend the money than you! Plus your line to get your parents (or santa) to make the purchase is that they go to charity!

Ear pins (earrings for those of you who do not know):

I received my first and only pair of ear pin earrings for my birthday this past year. I AM OBSESSED! They are a super fun earring that in my opinion changes the earring game. You can get them in silver or gold or in different designs. On my list are a pair of gold hand hammered ear pins that I found on Etsy.

Initial Jewelry:

Finally, I am kind of obsessed with myself, well my name at least! And I love any and all jewelry with my name or initials on it. I also was graced with a pretty cool last name (Stahr pronounced “star”) so any type of jewelry with a star on it is fair game. This year I am asking for a pair of earrings with my first initial “A” and my last name “star” for the left and right ears. I am also asking for a necklace that I can place different initials on to change it up (but lets face it I will probably only keep the “A” on there at all times!).

 

These are the three special jewelry pieces I have asked for this Christmas, I am crossing my fingers to get them all but if I don’t my birthday is right around the corner so you get bet I will be asking for them then!!

 

Until next time, Happy Holidays

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

5 Jewelry Sites to be Thankful for

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up I thought it would be festive of me to create a post about the five jewelry sites that I am thankful for. So in the spirit of the season, here goes nothing!

 

1. 

 

Nordstrom: This is my go-to site whenever I am looking for inspiration, they have everything from costume jewelry to fine jewelry with watches and designers in between. I love that it is all organized into categories by type, brand and/or price. That way finding exactly what I’m looking for or simply browsing the site are made extremely easy. The most amazing feature that I am thankful for on the Nordstrom website is their wish list. If you have an account with Nordstrom (it’s free by the way!) and you see something you like but aren’t quite ready to add it to your cart simply place it in your wish list and it will be there until you are ready to make that purchase!

 

2. 

 

PuraVida: I have just recently discovered PuraVida and I could not be more in love! Each bracelet either in a pack or on its own features bright colors that adds the perfect pop of color to any outfit. The prices on some of their packs are a little bit high but since a portion of the proceeds goes to charity it makes hitting the purchase button a little bit easier. I am thankful for the Yoga Girl Pack on the Pura Vida website. It features four bracelets all of varying styles and beautiful colors. I just purchased that pack and have my eyes on a few others!

 

3. 

Baublebar: I am thankful for BaubleBar because of their emails. If I wasn’t signed up for their email notifications I would not have a clue about some of the amazing deals the site features regularly. BaubleBar features jewelry that is great for a wedding, night out with the girls, sorority formal or any other fun dressy occasion. They have rotating shops that they feature and a celebrity stylist every so often. Their jewelry is always changing but I am always bound to find something I like!

 

4. 

JewelMint: I am thankful for JewelMint because of the wonderful showroom they make for me featuring styles and types of jewelry I would like. It takes the extensive searching out of shopping for the perfect piece of jewelry. I am able to simply log into my JewelMint account, look at my showroom and make a choice from there. You may think it is annoying to create accounts on each new website you visit but in the end they really help you out by sending you emails of deals they have going on at the time. JewelMint is also great because it features jewelry (often the same piece of jewelry) in many different colors, that way you are bound to find something you enjoy!

 

5.

Etsy: I am thankful for Etsy because you are guaranteed to find something you like. Etsy is a wonderful last resort website because all of the items founds there are hand crafted or custom made. I use Etsy when I have searched and searched for a piece of jewelry I want and just cannot find it. Usually if I go to Etsy and search a little bit for the piece I want I come up successful.

The five sites listed above feature some of the best jewelry you can find (in my humble opinion). I am thankful for them because I look at them at least once a week and most often find pieces that I cannot seem to live without. I have talked about some of these sites on my blog before and I really hope you take my advice to visit at least one of these sites, I promise, you will not be disappointed! I hope you have enjoyed my five jewelry sites I am thankful for and for those of you celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving!!

As Always,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

 

 

 

How-To Clean Your Jewelry

This week I have created a video with a quick explanation of how to clean your jewelry!

Cleaning your jewelry is not a mandatory task, it is something quick and easy to do to give your jewelry that extra hint of sparkle! Everything I will be using today is a household item you probably already have (and if you don’t all the items can be purchased for under $5) so for us college girls it is a cheap thing to do!

To start, here are some things you will need:

—> A hand towel, a lint free paper towel, non-sudsy ammonia, dawn dish detergent original no scent, soft bristle toothbrush and an empty salsa jar with a lid, that way you can close the lid. *The salsa jar is a good idea in case you need to close the lid and keep your piece of jewelry safe inside or simply want to keep the solution to use later on.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to clean your jewelry quickly and easily:

Step one: Gather supplies,

Towel, lint free paper towel, non sudsy ammonia (sudsy ammonia will leave a residue on the piece of jewelry), dawn dish detergent original no scent (unless you want to smell like clean dishes every time you wear your jewelry!), soft bristle tooth brush and salsa jar with lid. For demonstration purposes, in the video I will be using a glass bowl, but if you were to do this normally a salsa jar with a lid allows you to leave the jewelry in the solution for an extended period of time and not have to worry about it getting damaged or bothered (as stated above).

Step two: make your solution,

Fill bowl ¾ full of warm water, add 2-3 drops of the dish soap and a dash of ammonia. Be sure to mix it all together with the toothbrush. Your solution is now ready for a piece of jewelry!

Step three: clean your piece,

Place jewelry item to be cleaned into the solution, let it sit for up to several hours depending on how dirty and the type of piece. Do not use this solution to clean pearls or plastic jewelry because it will do more harm than good.

**If you plan to use the solution for costume jewelry which you may do, I would suggest quickly dipping the piece or swishing it lightly in the solution and rinsing at once and then follow the remainder of the steps.

**It may also be wise to use the solution without the ammonia for inexpensive costume jewelry. The ammonia is a strong substance and could possibly damage the piece of jewelry more than clean it.

Step four: remove the piece,

After you have let the piece soak, remove the jewelry and place it on a towel. Take the toothbrush and softly dab at the under sides of the stone or through links of chain or bracelet. This gets all of the dirt and grime out of the chain and off of the stone. Be sure not to brush it as you would to brush your teeth.

Step five: rinse your piece,

Close the drain in the sink for this next step so you do not lose the piece down the drain. Run the cleaned piece under warm water to rinse it thoroughly. Place it on the dry part of the towel and pat it dry with the lint free paper towel. Some of your pieces you clean may require up to a half an hour to sit and air dry. This happens especially with chains from a necklace where the water could get trapped inside. Simply lay it on the towel, set the timer for a half an hour and when the time is up it will be clean and good to go!

Step six: finished,

The end! If you have followed each of these steps, you have successfully cleaned your piece of jewelry! Now put it on and enjoy the sparkle!

As always,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

5 Things to Remember When Traveling with Jewelry

Having jewelry with you on a trip is always a must! Here are a few tips to remember the next time you pack up your jewelry and head for a fun destination!

1. The safe in your room is always a good option
   1. Many people are uncomfortable using the safe in their hotel rooms because they may think it could possibly eat their jewelry or valuables up forever (at least that was something I have always thought). Until recently I had never used the safe in a hotel before but, I went through a situation where some of my valuables were taken and placed in another area of the room, not by me. From that moment on any time I stay in a hotel and a safe is available I use it. They are easy to deal with and save a lot of possible heartache later on.
2. Never put jewelry in your checked bag – it’s a better idea to carry it in your purse.
   1. This isn’t too much of a trust issue it’s just that your jewelry is better off right there next to you. That way you know exactly where it is at all times. This option also keeps your jewelry safe from damage, nothing can land on top of it and break it and you arrive at your destination with all of your jewelry items, big or small, fully intact.
3. Be prepared, don’t bring too much, don’t bring too little.
   1. Plan out your outfits with the jewelry to go with, that way you know you have just enough items to get you through the trip and you are not bringing too many miscellaneous items. Bring just the right amount of jewelry so that you have no other options than to wear exactly what you brought.
4. Make sure to always put your jewelry back in the same place at the end of the night.
   1. When you come back to the hotel each night and take off your jewelry, always make sure to place it in the same spot so that when you go to get it the next time you do not panic because it’s not there. I have experienced this with my mother one time on vacation. She took off her wedding ring and placed in a different place than usual. A couple of days later, she searched the entire room, alerting the hotel staff and police that this item was missing. Only to find it later on in a different place completely than she thought she had put it.
5. When packing, always separate your items.
   1. Separating your items into different baggies helps you in unpacking a clean set of jewelry rather than a huge tangled mess. It takes a little bit more time to put it all together and place it in a bag but in the long run it will save you time and keep your jewelry safe.

Following these 5 easy steps is guaranteed to help you travel with jewelry stress and hassle free. If you have any other additional tips about traveling with jewelry, feel free to leave them in the comments bellow!!

BTW: Here are a couple of links from Pinterest that will help you in deciding what to pack, how to pack and how to travel with jewelry:

– How to travel with jewelry

–How to pack jewelry when traveling

–Tips and tricks for traveling with jewelry

And as always,

Peace, love and jewels 🙂

More Information on Trends for the College Age Jewelry Lover

This weeks post is a continuation of the audio slideshow I posted last week. I continue following Ms. Alexis G. Puebla by showing off more of the amazing pictures captured of her jewelry and giving readers advice using her three outfits as examples. Enjoy!

The “Everyday” outfit

  This outfit is a version of something Alexis chooses to wear on a daily basis. The jewelry included in these pictures are what she calls her “everyday” jewelry, in other words, she wears the same pieces of jewelry everyday with almost every outfit. The “everyday” jewelry includes:

– her Alexis necklace: inspired by Carrie Bradshaw, Alexis received this necklace for her most recent birthday and she wears it everywhere.

– Michael Kors watch and bracelet: two of her most prized possessions, although she will admit the watch is usually worn because she thinks it fabulously fashionable not because she has a desire to constantly check the time. The two pieces go perfectly together and with all of her everyday kind of outfits.

– her Alex and Ani bracelet: This gold bracelet was a present from a friend and it fits in perfectly with her everyday jewelry. She wears it on her right wrist so it stands out separately from her watch.

– with two rings and a pair of earrings: the two rings are silver and gold respectively, that way they go with every outfit. The earrings she wears depend on the day, the outfit and her mood. In these particular pictures she is wearing her initial “A” earrings.

— Having a set of everyday go to jewelry makes getting ready in the morning much quicker and easier. Trust me when I say, take a page from Ms. Puebla’s book by setting aside some of your favorite pieces of jewelry that go together and you wouldn’t mind wearing everyday. It takes time off of your morning routine, and you will look great!         

The “Going out” outfit

This outfit is a version of something Alexis would choose to wear on a night out. The jewelry featured with this fun top and colorful skirt is simple but adds just enough to the outfit. The piece that complete this outfit include:

– A fun ring: the color of the ring fits perfectly withe necklace, bangles and top. Alexis said that her favorite thing to do is plan an entire outfit, jewelry and all as soon as she sees something she likes in the store. But she also finds pieces of jewelry she likes and knows that she can somehow fit it into an outfit she will make in the future.

– A set of bangles: these bangles are a perfect fit for this outfit but they can also stand alone. This makes them a versatile piece of jewelry which adds so much to a jewelry collection.

– A chunky and colorful necklace: this necklace not only goes perfect with the entire outfit but it can also add a pop of color to an otherwise boring colorless outfit. Similar to the set of bangles, this necklace is a versatile piece of jewelry.

–and a pair of stud earrings: stud earrings are the best kind of earrings because often times they come in packs with multiple variations of a stud earrings giving you plenty of jewelry opportunities.

— The jewelry is always the cherry on top of a perfect outfit to wear out at night. Nights out are some of the only times that we can have fun with the types of jewelry we wear. So my advice is to play around and have fun with the different colors and types of jewelry you wear. Just do go too crazy!

    

The “Date Night” outfit

This outfit is a version of something she would choose to wear on a date night out. It features a fun and flirty dress with gold pieces of jewelry. The jewelry that goes along with this outfit is simple to go with the simple style of the dress. They include:

– A set of blinged out bangles: These bangles, similar to the ones in the previous outfit can be worn together or separately. With a simple outfit such as this one, wearing them together gives the outfit a fun twist.

– A chunky ring: if you are only going to wear one ring with an outfit, you should make sure that it looks something like the one in the picture below. Big and attention grabbing. Having rings like these can really help to amp up the cute factor of an outfit, often times the ring is the missing piece to the perfect jewelry combination.

– and gold dangling earrings: These patterned gold earrings are such a fun addition to this outfit. Alexis enjoys changing up the earrings she wears with all of her outfits. Her most favorite thing when jewelry shopping is finding a piece of jewelry that would go perfectly with another piece of jewelry she already owns.

— This date night outfit is simple and easy to put together. It is an even better example of having fun with jewelry when the rest of your outfit is simple while also keeping in mind that sometimes less is in fact more.

                 

So the next time you head to your closet for an “everyday” outfit, a “going out” outfit, or a “date” night outfit keeps these photos, Alexis’ advice and my advice in mind. In my opinion the best part of putting together and outfit is choosing the different pieces of jewelry to go along with!

Until next time,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

Jewelry Trends for the College Girl: Alexis G. Puebla

This week, gain and inside look into a college fashionista’s jewelry collection. Miss Alexis G. Puebla is the true epitome of a trend-setter, wearing gold, sparkles and her beloved Michael Kors.

She gives me and my readers and inside peek into her collection which speaks to her motto that in fashion “there are no rules.”

Etsy: the best way to find customized jewelry

Knowing someone in the jewelry business and being a jewelry lover go perfectly hand-in-hand. Even better is knowing someone who can create and make their own jewelry.

It was January of this year and I was doing my usual daily Pinterest jewelry pinning when I stumbled across the cutest pair of pure gold earrings I had ever seen. With a few taps of the screen and one text message later my mother, working at Expressions Jewelers, was fully aware of my new obsession.

 

I drilled her with questions like where would be the best place to buy earrings like that? were they real gold? and how on trend were they at the time? Number one on my mind was where I could go to get my hands on that exact pair, or something just like it. The first place she suggested was Etsy. At the time I wasn’t too familiar with Etsy but I was ready to give it a try.

What I soon realized is that Etsy is a goldmine for anything customized. Anything you can think of and search will be there when you hit the “search” button.

(Spoiler alert: my wonderful mother and family friend combined to make me the most perfect pair of the earrings I had shown them for my birthday!).

Here is an example of the earrings I ended up with:

If you’re wondering where to find ideas for customized types of jewelry in the first place a great place to start in my opinion is Pinterest. If you search for something specific in the search bar on Pinterest often times an Etsy shop with items similar to your search will show up.

I find Pinterest to usually be my number one source of inspiration. I just take a peek at the site for a few minutes, pin a couple things and I’m already planning my next jewelry purchase.

How Etsy works:

1. type in www.etsy.com into your search bar.

2. either browse by category or type something in the search bar.

3. from there filter your search to find exactly what you are looking for.

4. when you find something you cannot live without, place it in your cart and either continue shopping or place your order.

5. You’re all done! Congratulations on making your first purchase on Etsy!

Here is a little look at what the Etsy homepage looks like from Google images:

Etsy is an e-commerce website focused on creating handmade items. Sellers each have their own stores located on the Etsy website. The site was launched for the first time in 2005 and has been gaining speed and popularity ever since.

Etsy is perfect for building and customizing your own personal jewelry collection but the site is not limited to selling just jewelry. They sell home decor, stuff for women, stuff for men, things for weddings and so on. Etsy is a wonderful jewelry alternative for those who do not have immediate access to a person that can make jewelry from scratch.

I highly recommend Etsy to anyone and everyone, the stuff you can find make perfect little gifts for Christmas, birthdays, and even weddings. Each and every transaction with Etsy has been a different experience for me. And as cheesy as it sounds, each time is better than the last.

Inspiration for pieces of jewelry can be found anywhere, you just have to be looking. Customized jewelry makes wearing jewelry fun because you know no one else in the world is wearing the exact same piece that you are. The next time you are on a Pinterest pinning spree (which we all know will be within the next few hours) search for some of the things you liked on Etsy. You never know what you might find! Good Luck!

And as always,

Peace, Love and Jewels 🙂

Part 2: Suzi Randone; Expert in all Things Jewelry

 

In part two of my interview, Suzi Randone and I discuss the benefits of buying jewelry from fine jewelry stores versus online jewelry stores and department stores. She speaks more specifically about the services offered in her jewelry store and the benefits of building relationships with jewelers.