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People naturally tend to gravitate towards the underdog. This can be seen from the way all the underdog movies from Hollywood seem to do well as soon as they are released. There is this currently small but growing trend amongst the online shoppers where they are pulling for the underdog retailers over and above the giant retailers who they believe to be bullies. This is true for any ecommerce industry on the internet including everything from online jewelry to online storefronts for grocery items. Continue reading »

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A diamond mine located in Sierra Leone is all set to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. As per media reports, there will be an IPO for a diamond mine situated in the Koidu region of Sierra Leone. The diamond mine will be floated in Hong Kong in the latter half of the current year i.e. 2012. This is another listing in a series of luxury goods and diamond IPOs floated on the Hong Kong stock exchange designed to take advantage of the positive economic environment of the region. Continue reading »

In an economy that lacks excitement it is sometimes hard to find the right product to sell to make good money. When demand is down, you may be forced to sit on inventories that just take up shelf space. It is sometimes impossible to know what products are going to sell and when the right time has come to sell them. We hope that we can afford the raw material to make our products, while other times we are more concerned about our overhead costs. These are often fixed and do not fluctuate enough to afford in some cases. If we are not selling enough products we may not be able to afford to pay our employees or to buy the raw material that we need. We may find the perfect combination, but things change so often and so rapidly that it may be only for a very short time. One thing that seems to be selling well, even though many experts claim that no one is buying, is diamonds. The price of raw and polished diamonds keeps going up as demand keeps increasing. The basic principles of economics are at play when speaking of diamonds and this situation. Continue reading »

To make shopping for a diamond somewhat easier, you must dive into the world of diamonds and learn the language. The cost of a diamond is calculated on several factors, known as the 4 “C”s.  These are: color, clarity, cut and carat.  You should understand these factors in order to make the best and most educated decision prior to handing your money over to a jeweler.

The color is the hue of the stone.  The top color grades are much pricier than the lower grades because they let more light pass through it, making it sparkle more.  Most diamonds in lower grades still look gorgeous once mounted on white gold or platinum setting; this will help the diamond look whiter.
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The traditional gifts for February 14th have been a card, box of candy, flowers and maybe a stuffed bear.  The fresher options suggested to us by retailers today are much pricier:  lingerie, gift cards and jewelry.  Preferably diamond jewelry.  Many men will propose on St. Valentine’s Day and the average on an engagement ring is almost $6,000.   The economy is still sluggish but yet the total of St. Valentine sales for this year is expected to be at $15.7 billion.  Of that, 3.5 billion will be on jewelry alone.

Once you have selected that special piece, you will have to make sure that you protect it against damage, loss, jewelry theft and mysterious disappearance.  In a survey 1/5 of those participating have stated that they had lost an expensive piece of jewelry, more than ¾ who lost jewelry said it was not insured.  95% of those surveyed even admitted that they have not changed their insurance to include the newest piece in their collection.

Many have the impression that their jewelry is fully covered by their homeowner’s policies automatically.  The standard homeowners insurance will only over up to $1,500 on an average, but mostly around $1,000.  This is regardless of the items value or number of pieces and will never cover for breakage or loss.  Unless the loss is from fire, theft or something specifically mentioned in their policy, it would not be covered. More than half of all reported losses are partial losses, from a chipped diamond or lost stone.  They will also force policyholders to use jewelry replacement companies listed by them or to obtain several estimates to cover their loss. Dealing with a lost or damaged diamond or any other special jewelry is trying enough.

Get an appraisal, not only at the time of purchase. Jewelry valuations and inspections are important to protecting your property.  It is crucial to maintain current value, they protect against potential losses.   Also, jewelry values can fluxuate over time and you want to be certain that you have adequate limits of insurance.  That is also a great opportunity to you’re your jewelry professionally cleaned.

A good specialized jewelry insurance policy will include a statement offering jewelry repair or replacement for lost or damaged jewelry with items of same kind and quality at a jeweler of your own choosing.    A good jewelry insurance policy is well worth the cost and not as expensive as one might think.   Nobody would keep their house without proper insurance or drive a car without making certain it was fully insured, so why take a similar risk with an expensive item that is so easily damaged or lost?

Should you be considering buying a fine piece of jewelry for St. Valentine’s Day give yourself and the loved one a piece of mind and buy insurance.   If you should already have one, do not forget to include it in your existing policy.  It will make it easy to replace a cherished gift if you should have to go through the agony of jewelry damage, loss or theft.

If you have collected enough money to buy for yourself or for that special person a ring with a real diamond nestled within it then do you know if that diamond is real or just a poor cousin posing as the real thing? You need to know if you are getting a diamond or cubic zirconia for your money since the difference in price is enormous but the difference in looks is negligible.
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Diamond design has come a long way since the first cushion cut diamonds. Online, you can now find a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and many cuts that were actually quite impossible in the past. New advances in technology have made new designs with multiple facets or ideal cuts possible. Even 58 facets was considered an astounding number of facets for a diamond, but now one jeweler has managed to top that with a diamond with 98 facets.

Round Brilliant Echo Diamond

Robbins Brothers, a company that specializes in engagement rings, has revealed the new 98-facet cut that they have named the Echo Diamond. It has a standard round brilliant shape, the most popular choice in engagement rings, but with much more brilliance generated from the multiple facets. The minimum size for such a cut is a 1/2-carat diamond. This makes it an ideal choice for traditional brides who want to modernize the actual cut without modifying the shape of a classic diamond solitaire ring.
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A diamond might be forever, but unfortunately so are the myths that accompany this sparkling piece of compacted carbon. If you plan to buy a diamond ring or any other diamond jewelry for yourself or your loved one then you need to be aware of these myths so that you end up with a genuine diamond that draws gasps of admiration from viewers. Avoiding getting trapped in such myths will also help you to end up with a certified genuine diamond that has a precise cut and a high level of clarity and sparkle.

Here are five myths about diamonds that might have been ingrained into your mind.

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Buying a diamond can be a stressful endeavor as you don’t always know what you are getting for the large sums of money you are spending. The worst thing that can happen is that you do not get what you bargained for and you get ripped off by thieves who misrepresent their diamonds. It is essential that you educate yourself about the many areas to watch out for when it comes to diamond purchases. In many instances, sellers are anxious to sell their diamonds and may tell you things that are exaggerated about the diamond in question. If you know what you are doing, you can avoid these pitfalls and invest wisely in a well-priced diamond. If the deal is just too good to be true, it just may be a scam and you should watch out for it and avoid a purchase.

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The diamond industry has learned its lesson. People buying diamonds as a symbol of romantic love want to make sure that they aren’t supporting bloodshed and conflict on the other side of the world. That’s why the Kimberley Process has taken great pains to regulate the purchase and sale of diamonds, particularly from areas, like Zimbabwe, known to have a history of using diamond mining and diamond sales to finance warfare in their regions.

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