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Friday, November 21, 2014

Lots of New Pearls and Gemstones

looping link yellow and white bracelet with green stones
18k yellow and white gold bracelet with chrome tourmalines
Thanksgiving is so late this year that it seems like the holidays are getting off to a slow start.  Well maybe not at Walmart where I think they started in July this year but for the rest of us it's hard to think about things like Christmas until after the turkey is consumed and allowed to digest.  But I'm hard at work again on the bench and my suppliers have been sending me some new merchandise which is why I'm writing this. 

My primary gemstone supplier and my opal/pearl supplier are always nice enough to send me some merchandise to put out for the holidays.  The goods all just came in this week and there are some outstanding things among them.  My opal/pearl dealer sent me five strands of stunning South Sea pearls.  One of the best strands is a silvery grey strand of full round pearls, graduated, measuring from 15 mm to 12 mm.  They are huge!  And delicious looking.  And as these pearls go very reasonably priced.  I also got in a strand of multicolor baroque pearls and some smaller rounds of assorted colors.  He is also letting me keep some beautiful boulder opals I had gotten in to show a customer (who bought a really spicy one) through the season. 

My primary gemstone supplier sent me an entire tray of sapphires in assorted colors, including a very gemmy cushion cut orange sapphire from Tanzania.  There are some beautiful purples and pinks as well and some of them are single stones and some are pairs.  They also sent me an assortment of other gem materials including tanzanites, zircons, orange garnets, aquamarines, Ethiopian opals and of course some of my favorite tourmalines in a variety of colors.

Even if you're not thinking of getting anything for Christmas this year, this is a great time to come in and see some more unusual gem materials than I normally have available.  That way you can get a head start on the next birthday present if nothing else! 

Anyone who comes in between now and Christmas and asks to see the cushion cut orange sapphire can get a $50 credit towards any custom work or case piece (and you can apply it immediately against a purchase).  So stop in and see what's new! 

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Please Don't Wait 20 Years

18k yellow gold ring with orange garnet and diamonds
A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a customer who was interested in getting a diamond ring from me.  He used to live in the area but now lives in New York State.  We started talking and it turns out that almost 20 years ago he cut out an ad that we had run in the Boston Globe.  Not only had he cut it out but he still had it (he emailed a picture of it to me so I could see what ring he was interested in)!  20 years ago!  About 10 years ago he had called and talked to me about the project enough that I had sent him out one of the Lazare Diamond pamphlets that I use.   But at that time I never heard back from him.  We spent a good couple of hours on the phone together over the course of two days and he finally decided on getting the ring with a 3/4 ct. diamond I had in stock here.  It was a very sizable order and trust me, I was thrilled to get it.  But the thought that it took 20 years to get the order I found extremely amusing!  Plus the fact that he had carried around the ad for 20 years was pretty astounding. 

But here's the problem.  I'm getting a little older these days.  Quite frankly I'm not so sure I'll be alive in another twenty years so I'm begging the rest of you, please don't wait twenty years from now to buy something from me that you see today!

The ring in the picture has a beautiful spessartite garnet in the center.  These stones have climbed dramatically in price recently but this is one I purchased just before the prices climbed dramatically so it's a good deal.  But this is the last stone I have at the old prices so if you wait 20 years, not only won't I have this exact ring but if I have one with a similar stone in it, the ring will cost you way more!