Sunday, June 30, 2013

How to Select Jewelry Wholesale

How to Select Jewelry Wholesale

Selecting jewelry isn’t hard, when you can see it 
and touch it. However when you purchase jewelry 
wholesale, you often won’t have this opportunity 
before making a purchase, since most of these 
purchases are made online or through mail order. 
This makes the selection process a bit harder. 

Start by reading all of the information that is 
supplied. Make sure that words like ‘gold plated’ or 
‘faux’ are not used if you are looking for genuine 
pieces. Contact the company and ask for more 
information if you are unsure about anything that 
you are reading as well. Make sure you are getting 
wholesale prices. Look for similar pieces at the 
online jewelry stores, or even at your local jewelry 
stores, and compare the prices. The wholesale 
price should be much lower.

Also check the refund and exchange policy of the 
business you are planning to purchase from. Make 
sure that there is a ‘no questions asked’ money 
back guarantee, or the offer of a 100% refund if you 
are not satisfied. If there is no refund policy, there 
should be no deal! You can find other jewelry 
wholesale from companies that do offer refunds 
and exchanges.

Friday, June 28, 2013

How to Price Your Jewelry Wholesale

How to Price Your Jewelry Wholesale

Pricing is an issue that many people in the jewelry 
business often worry about. However, there is a 
method that you can easily use, whether you 
purchase jewelry wholesale or make your own
jewelry. Pricing is very important. You don’t want 
to charge too much, because you won’t sell 
anything. On the other hand, you want to make 
sure that you charge enough to make a profit.

If you purchase your jewelry at wholesale prices, a 
markup of 15% to 30% is usual, and people will pay 
these prices. In the grand scheme of things, apply 
the 30% markup, and make that the ‘regular’ price. 
When you need to move merchandise hold a sale, 
and use the 15% markup price as the sale price. 

If you make your own jewelry, determine the total 
cost of the piece, including the cost of supplies, 
shipping, warehousing and packaging, then apply a 
15% markup. With the 15% markup, your jewelry 
will be priced at the wholesale price. If you sell the 
jewelry to the general public yourself, as opposed 
to selling it to retailers, apply the retail price, which 
in this case would be about 45% above your costs. 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

How to Open An Online Jewelry Store With Jewelry Wholesale

How to Open An Online 
Jewelry Store With Jewelry Wholesale

Opening your own jewelry store has never been 
easier than it is now. In fact, you can use the 
Internet to open your own online jewelry store and 
never stock a single piece of jewelry! In fact, your 
jewelry store could be open for business in less 
than a day – and the only thing you would need to 
do is market it! This is pretty much an instant 
business.

First, find jewelry wholesale suppliers. If you want a 
truly ‘hands-off’ business, find a wholesaler who will 
drop ship to your customers. This way, you never 
have to handle any of the stock. Here is how it 
works. You get your website set up, with an online 
catalog of all of the jewelry that you offer. You 
market that site to the public. Customers start 
visiting your site, and they place orders. You 
forward those orders to the drop shipper, and the 
drop shipper handles the rest! 

Most wholesalers will require you to pay for the 
merchandise before it is shipped. This shouldn’t be 
a problem because you will require your customers 
to pay for their orders at the time the order is 
placed. Of course, you charge more for the jewelry 
than the wholesaler charges you.

In most cases, you will be allowed to set your own 
prices. Look to see what the wholesaler charges 
you, including shipping, then add 15% to 30% to 
that price. This is what you should charge your 
customers. 

If you aren’t sure how to go about setting up a 
website, you can probably find a wholesaler who 
will provide you with a website. Most of these 
wholesalers charge a fee for the site, and your site 
will usually look like all of their other distributors. 
This should be your last option.

You may consider opening an eBay store. There is 
a fee for this as well, but at least your store will be 
unique. You can also bypass the eBay store and 
simply set up eBay auctions, which are very 
affordable for everyone. Make sure that you set a 
minimum reserve price for the jewelry that you are 
selling so that you don’t lose money, and make 
sure that the buyer pays all shipping costs and 
insurance.

Again, setting up an online jewelry store with 
jewelry wholesale is one of the easiest ways to start 
a business today. You can literally be up and 
running in a few short hours, and making money 
within twenty-four hours of ‘opening your doors!’

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

How to Make Your Own Jewelry Wholesale

How to Make Your Own Jewelry Wholesale

Making jewelry is not only fun, it is actually very 
easy. It just takes a lot of creativity, and a little skill. 
In fact, you could easily start your own jewelry 
wholesale company by making jewelry yourself.

There are countless books available with 
instructions and ideas for jewelry making. There are 
also numerous websites where you can learn how 
to make your own jewelry and get ideas. In the 
beginning, you will probably want to follow a few 
instructions or patterns until you get the feel for it – 
but eventually, you should let your creativity shine 
through and design your own jewelry.

You can easily purchase all of the supplies that you 
need for making your own jewelry wholesale through 
wholesale sources online. Buying in bulk will get 
you the best prices. You can buy cheap gems, and 
high quality gems as well. Everything that you 
could possibly need can be located through a 
wholesale resource on the Internet!

After you’ve made several unique pieces, you 
should show them to friends, family members, and 
colleagues. You will be surprised at how many of 
these people want you to make pieces for them as 
well! Just be sure to charge, and soon enough, you 
will have your very own thriving jewelry wholesale 
business – simply because you learned how to 
make your own jewelry wholesale.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

How to Make A Jewelry Wholesale Catalog

How to Make A Jewelry Wholesale Catalog

So you want to sell your jewelry? Well, selling 
jewelry wholesale is a big business, and you 
definitely need a catalog of your offerings! Making 
a catalog isn’t as difficult as you might think. First, 
you have two options: an online catalog or a print 
catalog. The choice is yours.

Overall, an online catalog is the least expensive 
way to advertise your jewelry wholesale company – 
but with all of the online jewelry stores and online 
wholesalers, it may not be the most effective way 
to make sales. A print catalog should strongly be 
considered for a direct mailing. 

If you make your own jewelry, you will need to get 
good pictures of the jewelry – preferably laid on a 
velvet setting. Black or blue velvet will bring out the 
jewelry the most. You can take these pictures 
yourself with a digital camera, or have a 
professional take the photographs. It is cheaper to 
do it yourself, of course.

Load the pictures up onto your computer, and use 
publishing software, such as Microsoft Publisher to 
design and layout your catalog. This may take a 
little time and patience, but it is much cheaper than 
having someone else do it.

Since you will need hundreds, if not thousands of 
copies of your catalog, your best bet will be to save
the catalog on a CD and take it to a print shop that 
can handle the job. This will cost money – 
especially since the pages need to be glossy and 
in color, and the catalog will need to be bound – 
but this expense will be well worth it if you will be 
doing a mass direct mailing.

In order to do a mass direct mailing, you simply 
find a reputable company who either sells mailing 
lists or does the mailing for you. You can actually 
request lists of mailing addresses where the person 
has expressed an interest in purchasing wholesale 
jewelry – or any other criteria that you set. In most 
cases, it is best to have the company handle the 
mailing for you. They will get the best rates on the 
mailing because they can use the bulk mail rate.

Make sure that you use a reputable printer, and a 
reputable direct mail company! This is an investment 
in the future of your business, and your jewelry 
wholesale catalog needs to be perfect in every way – 
and the mailing needs to go off without a hitch!

Monday, June 24, 2013

How to Find Jewelry Wholesale Sources

How to Find Jewelry Wholesale Sources

If you are in the jewelry business or thinking about 
getting into the jewelry business, you need to find 
jewelry wholesale sources. Finding these sources 
isn’t as difficult as you might think – they are 
everywhere, and if you have access to the Internet, 
you literally have the world of jewelry wholesale at 
your fingertips.

There are many wholesale company directories 
available online, but you really don’t have to 
purchase these to find the jewelry wholesale 
companies. Instead, use the search engine and 
type ‘jewelry wholesale companies’ or ‘jewelry 
wholesale suppliers’ into the search box. This is 
the easiest, and cheapest way to find jewelry 
wholesale sources. 

Start making a list of sources. You can do this on 
notepad or in a spreadsheet. Keep up with which 
company has the best prices on certain items, 
shipping costs, contact information, and any other 
information you may need in the course of doing 
business.

Don’t forget the online auctions, and remember that 
eBay isn’t the only online auction either! Keep your 
eyes open for great deals on jewelry, and make 
bulk purchases when you can.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

How to Find Boxes for Your Jewelry Wholesale

How to Find Boxes for Your Jewelry Wholesale

If you make your own jewelry or buy wholesale 
jewelry that is not in a box, you will need a source 
for jewelry boxes! Your customers will want their 
jewelry to arrive in nice display boxes that can be 
wrapped or presented to the person they bought 
the jewelry for. 

Boxes for jewelry can be found at wholesale prices 
all over the internet. Simply do a search in any 
search engine for ‘boxes for jewelry’ and you will be 
surprised at the results. You can even have your 
business name or logo printed on the boxes as 
well, for an additional cost.

When you shop for boxes to package your jewelry 
wholesale in, make sure that you buy in bulk for the 
best prices. Also make sure that you can return the 
boxes for an exchange in the event that the boxes 
are the wrong size, or for a refund if the boxes arrive 
damaged.

Don’t make the mistake of not shipping your jewelry
 wholesale to your customers in jewel boxes. This 
will make you appear to be unprofessional, or like a 
small time operation.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

How to Clean Jewelry Wholesale

How to Clean Jewelry Wholesale

There are many different brands of jewelry cleaners 
on the market today. Depending on how your 
jewelry is made, these products may or may not be 
safe for your jewelry wholesale! Before using 
jewelry cleaner, take a good long look at the jewelry 
and try to determine what it is made of.

First, any jewelry that has pieces glued on should 
not be soaked in jewelry cleaner. Instead, use a 
little Woolite mixed with water, and soak the piece 
for just a couple of minutes. Remove the piece from 
the mixture and dry it immediately – but gently – 
with a soft cloth. Use a soft toothbrush to gently 
scrub small crevices. 

Avoid soaking pearls! They may come from the 
ocean – but water from your tap may damage them. 
Simply wipe the pearl with a damp cloth, then use 
a polishing cloth to give it back its shine. Never 
soak any of your jewelry overnight. It isn’t 
necessary, and it may harm the jewelry wholesale. 
Again, it is important to know what gems are used 
in your jewelry, and how the piece was constructed 
before determining how you will clean it.

Friday, June 21, 2013

How to Buy Silver Jewelry Wholesale

How to Buy Silver Jewelry Wholesale

Silver jewelry is not only beautiful, it is very much in 
style these days. Silver jewelry compliments 
anything you wear, and it is usually less expensive 
than gold jewelry. There are many sources from 
which you can buy silver jewelry wholesale, but the 
Internet will offer you the biggest selection possible. 
After all – you will have the whole world at your feet 
– or fingertips.

As with any other jewelry, begin your search online. 
There are countless jewelry wholesalers online, and 
many of them specialize in silver jewelry. When you 
buy your jewelry from jewelry wholesale sources, 
you will pay a fraction of the cost that you would 
pay at a retailer’s place of business, such as a 
jewelry store.

When you purchase silver jewelry wholesale, make 
sure that you are purchasing sterling silver jewelry. 
Sterling silver is almost always marked with the 
numbers ‘925.’ This is the highest quality of silver 
that you can buy – wholesale or retail. Note that 
there is no such thing as ‘high quality sterling 
silver’ and ‘lower quality sterling silver.’ Sterling 
silver comes in one quality – sterling silver. The 
weight of the sterling silver used in the piece should 
be the determining factor in the cost, unless the 
item was hand-made, in which case it will cost 
considerably more than similar pieces that were 
not hand made.

Silver jewelry tarnishes – whether it is sterling silver 
or not. You must clean and polish your silver 
jewelry on a regular basis to help it keep its shine. 
There are many different brands of silver polish on 
the market that can be used to accomplish this. 
You should plan to clean your silver jewelry on a 
weekly basis.

Buying silver jewelry wholesale is the best way to 
go. Silver is already relatively inexpensive – even at 
wholesale prices. When purchasing such jewelry, 
the silver or quality of the silver is not what you 
need to concern yourself with – again, silver is 
silver, just make sure it is sterling silver. The 
settings and stones that are used in the piece 
should be your concern. 

You need to insure that the piece is solidly 
constructed, and you need to make sure that the 
gems used are not simulated gems – unless that is 
what you want. Of course, when real gems are used, 
such as diamonds, the cost of the jewelry will rise 
considerably. But as long as you are buying jewelry 
wholesale, the price will still be the lowest price you 
will find. 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale Online

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale Online

Buying jewelry wholesale online is quite easy, and 
most of the time, it is an enjoyable shopping 
experience. In fact, many people prefer this method 
of buying jewelry wholesale simply because they 
find a much wider selection at much lower prices. 
However, some of the buying public is still wary of 
online businesses. If this sounds like you, there is 
really no need for concern. Simply follow a few 
simple guidelines to ensure that you have a safe 
and satisfactory buying experience.

The first step is to be aware that there are indeed 
many con artists operating on the Internet – and 
they will happily take your money with absolutely 
no regrets. It is your responsibility to take all of the 
proper precautions to guard against this happening. 

First, find the jewelry wholesale that you are 
interested in buying. Make a note of where you 
found it, but do not make a purchase just yet – 
there is still much to be done. Take a look at other 
online wholesaler’s sites and online jewelry stores 
to see if you can find similar pieces. In most cases, 
you can. Look at the price differences. While the 
wholesale price should be lower than the retail price, 
you should use extreme caution if the price seems 
too low. Remember that old adage ‘if it sounds too 
good to be true, it probably is.’ 

After you have found the lowest price, read every 
detail you can find about the jewelry. Make sure 
that it is exactly what you want, in terms of 
authenticity. If you are unsure, don’t make the 
purchase until you do know for sure. Don’t be afraid 
to contact the company directly to ask questions – 
but don’t take their word for it either.

Check with the Better Business Bureau Online, as 
well as the BBB in the area where the company is 
located. You are checking to see if there have been 
any complaints about this business. If there have 
been, that information will be made available to you 
at no charge… and if there are complaints, you 
should avoid doing business with the company. 

Next, read the refund and exchange policy, as well 
as the terms of service and the privacy policy at the
website. This is all important information – and if it 
isn’t there, you don’t want to do business with this 
company. However, just because the information is 
there doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a 
legitimate operation – read the information carefully, 
and print it out so that you have a record of it.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale

How to Buy Jewelry Wholesale

Buying jewelry wholesale is really quite easy. The 
Internet gives you access to all of the wholesale 
jewelry companies you could ever need to make 
your selections, so you can buy exactly what you 
want or need – at very competitive prices. 

There is a difference between online jewelry stores 
and online wholesale companies. Online jewelry 
stores sell jewelry at retail prices, even though the 
price may be slightly discounted. Wholesale 
companies sell jewelry at wholesale prices – which 
of course are cheaper than retail prices. 

There are many sites where you can purchase 
directories of wholesale companies, but this really 
isn’t necessary. Just use a search engine like 
Google to find what you are looking for. If you are 
looking for an engagement ring at a wholesale 
price, for example, simply type ‘engagement ring 
wholesale’ into the search box – a whole slew of 
wholesalers who carry engagement rings will pop 
up in the search results.

Be aware that some wholesaler’s will only sell in 
bulk. Of course, if you just want to buy one 
engagement ring, you do not want to buy in bulk. 
But there are many companies that will sell just 
one item – you just have to look for them.

If buying online isn’t what you are interested in, 
consider joining a discount club, such as Sam’s. 
Here you will find jewelry at deeply discounted 
retail prices, which is the next best thing to jewelry 
wholesale prices – but again, the wholesale prices 
will be lower.

When dealing with an online wholesale company, 
you need to do several things. First, you want to be 
sure that you are buying the real thing. There are 
many companies out there that will advertise that 
their jewelry is ‘authentic.’ Read the sales copy 
very carefully, and educate yourself quickly. For 
instance, beware of words like ‘gold plated’ or 
‘realistic.’ This is an indication that the jewelry isn’t 
gold, or that stones are fake. 

Also find out if the company has a refund or 
exchange policy, as well as a 100% money back 
guarantee. This is important, and it will protect you 
if you find that you are not happy with the pieces 
you have purchased, or if they are of lesser quality 
than you expected. 

Also consider using eBay to find jewelry wholesale 
prices. Again, use caution. Check the seller’s 
feedback and ratings, and make sure that you are 
dealing with a reputable person or company. If the 
jewelry is an important piece, use the escrow 
service that eBay recommends – even if you have to 
pay the escrow fees yourself!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Exporting Jewelry Wholesale

Exporting Jewelry Wholesale

If you plan to export jewelry wholesale, you may 
need to find out if it is legal. First you must 
understand that sending just one piece of jewelry to 
another country is in fact ‘exporting goods.’ This is 
true even if the country is Mexico or Canada! No 
matter where it is going, if it is outside of the United 
States, or the country that you live in, it is 
exporting. 

You can find out if exporting certain pieces of 
jewelry is legal by calling the customs agency in 
your state, or by calling the United States Customs 
Office. Describe the jewelry and as well as the 
precious stones it contains, and tell them where it 
is being sent. They will be able to tell you if shipping 
it is legal, and what problems may be encountered 
at customs in the country it is being shipped to.

Take shipping costs into consideration, and make 
sure that your customer pays for that! Shipping to 
other countries can be quite costly, and if you pay 
for that shipping, you probably won’t realize any 
profits on the jewelry wholesale that you are 
shipping out of the country!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Dealing with Jewelry Wholesale Dealers Many people think that if they try to talk to a jewelry wholesale dealer that they will get better bargains. In the case of buying in bulk, they are absolutely right! Most jewelry wholesale dealers will offer you a lower price if you are buying in bulk – but if you are just buying one or two pieces, it really doesn’t pay for them to offer you prices below the wholesale price. Other than getting a good price, you want to make sure that you are getting quality jewelry. If you can deal with the jewelry wholesale dealer in person, you should. But in most situations, this will not be the case. Instead, contact the dealer by phone and talk to them. Establish a relationship, and keep that relationship on good terms at all times. As time goes by, you may be able to get even better deals from the wholesaler, and you can probably work out credit terms as well. Just remember that your jewelry wholesale dealer is a human being, and treat them as such. If you ever find that your dealer isn’t being honest with you, or is selling low quality jewelry, look for a new wholesaler.

Dealing with Jewelry Wholesale Dealers

Many people think that if they try to talk to a 
jewelry wholesale dealer that they will get better 
bargains. In the case of buying in bulk, they are 
absolutely right! Most jewelry wholesale dealers 
will offer you a lower price if you are buying in 
bulk – but if you are just buying one or two pieces, 
it really doesn’t pay for them to offer you prices 
below the wholesale price.

Other than getting a good price, you want to make 
sure that you are getting quality jewelry. If you can 
deal with the jewelry wholesale dealer in person, 
you should. But in most situations, this will not be 
the case. Instead, contact the dealer by phone 
and talk to them. Establish a relationship, and 
keep that relationship on good terms at all times. 
As time goes by, you may be able to get even 
better deals from the wholesaler, and you can 
probably work out credit terms as well.

Just remember that your jewelry wholesale dealer 
is a human being, and treat them as such. If you 
ever find that your dealer isn’t being honest with you, 
or is selling low quality jewelry, look for a new 
wholesaler.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Buy Jewelry Wholesale at Jewelry Shows and Expos

Buy Jewelry Wholesale
at Jewelry Shows and Expos

Jewelry shows and expos are great places to find
jewelry wholesale. These shows and expos are held
all over the world throughout the year, and no matter
where you live, a show will eventually be held near
you – probably within a days drive. In fact, if you live
near a major city or a convention center, there will
probably be several shows throughout the year that
you will be interested in when it comes to jewelry
wholesale.

One of the great things about these shows and
expos – aside from all of the gorgeous jewelry on
display and the fabulous prices – is the information
that is offered. These shows and expos often cover
entire weekends, and related seminars and
demonstrations are often included as well.

There is an entry fee for these shows and expos, in
most cases, but it is typically quite affordable. A
good way to find shows in your area is to visit
http://aksshow.com/home.jsp Another way to find
shows is to visit a search engine and type ‘jewelry
shows your home town’ into the search box, where
your home town is the town you live in, or a major
city near you.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Antique Jewelry Wholesale

Antique Jewelry Wholesale

Antique jewelry is typically very valuable, and 
purchasing such jewelry costs quite a bit of money. 
But then again, it is possible to buy antique jewelry 
wholesale as well – if you know where to look. 

Most people think that online auctions, such as 
eBay is the way to go. While this is true 
occasionally, you will usually find that the seller 
knows the value of what they are selling, and the 
price is quite high. There are other ways to find 
antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or below.

Keep an eye on your newspaper for advertised 
estate sales and garage sales. Typically, at these 
sales, the people holding the sale really don’t know 
the value of what they have. You can literally 
purchase hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of 
antique jewelry for just a few dollars on a typical 
Saturday morning.

It is important that you not look too closely at the 
jewelry when you are buying it. If the piece is 
valuable, you don’t want the seller to know how 
valuable it is! It isn’t your fault that they didn’t get it 
appraised – as you will as soon as you leave! Keep 
a straight face, keep your happiness and joy to 
yourself, and pay the fifty cents or two bucks that 
they want for the piece, get in your car and head to 
a trusted jeweler for an appraisal!

It is possible that the piece isn’t worth anything – 
but occasionally, you will stumble across some real 
finds! Even if the piece isn’t worth anything, if you 
make jewelry, you may be able to disassemble it 
for the parts. 

Finding antique jewelry wholesale is very exciting. 
In fact, spending those Saturday mornings at the 
yard sales and estate sales may even become 
addicting! Yard sales and estate sales – especially 
estate sales where grandchildren are not interested 
in their grandma’s old ugly jewelry are the best 
sources for antique jewelry at wholesale prices – or 
below wholesale prices.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some real find 
on eBay as well, so don’t discount it. Keep an eye 
on the jewelry categories, as well as the antique or 
vintage categories. When you do find something 
you want to bid on, make sure that the seller has a 
good reputation. If the piece is very expensive, use 
the escrow service that is recommended by eBay. 
Also talk to the seller quite a bit to be sure that you 
understand exactly what is being advertised!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Where Diamonds are Mined

Where Diamonds are Mined

Argye mine located in the Kimberley region 
in the far north east of Western Australia. 
Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world’s 
largest single producer of volume of 
diamonds.  However, due to low proportion 
of gem quality diamonds it is not the value 
leader.  It does produce 90-95% of the 
world’s supply of pink diamonds.   

Diavik is also owned by Rio Tinto, located in 
Canada it is a very large mine.   It is located 
north of Yellowknife and south of the Artic 
Circle on an island.  The island is connected 
by an ice road.  It is also an important part of 
the regions economy employing more than 
700 people and producing more than 8 million 
carats annually.

Ekati diamond mine is owned by BHP 
Billiton and located south of the artic circle 
in the Northwest Territories of Canada.  
The Ekati is Canada’s first operational 
diamond mine.     Diamonds mined here 
are sold under the Aurias trade name   
Authenticity is verified through Canada
Mark service.  CanadaMark service is also 
owned by BHP Billiton Diamonds, Inc.

Baken diamond mine is located along the 
lower Orange River in South Africa.  It is 
owned and operated by Trans Hex.  The 
average size stone for 2004 was 1.29 
carats.   In 2004, this mine produced a 
78.9 carat D color flawless diamond that 
sold for more than 1.8 million dollars (US), 
as well as a 27.67 pink diamond that was 
sold for over 1 million US dollars.

Merlin is the second of only two diamond 
mines in Australia.  No longer operating it 
was owned by Rio Tinto and sold to Striker 
Resources, who has explored the 
possibilities of reopening the mine.   

Orapa is the world’s largest diamond mine.  
It us located 240 Km west of 
Francistown.  The mine is owned by 
“Debswana” which is a partnership 
between DeBeers and the government of 
Botswana. This mine operates 7 days a 
week.  It maintains pre primary and 
primary schools for its employee’s children.  
There is also a 100 bed hospital and game 
park.  This mine began production in 1971 
and is the oldest mine owned by the 
Debswana Company.

The Premier mine located in Cullinan, South 
Africa produced the largest gem diamond 
ever in 1905.  The Cullinan Diamond 
weighed 3,106.75 carats.  This mine also 
produced the Golden Jubilee diamond 
which weighed 545.67 carats.  This mine is 
owned by the De Beers Company and was 
renamed The Cullinan Diamond Mine in 
2003 in celebration of its centennial.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

What Are Dirty Diamonds?

What Are Dirty Diamonds?

A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough 
diamond, or a diamond that hasn’t been 
cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are 
uncut and unpolished – hence, they are dirty. 
But that type of dirty diamond will soon be 
cut and polished and sitting in a beautiful 
jewel box in a display case. Then someone 
will purchase it, and before long, it will 
become a dirty diamond once again.

Diamonds become dirty. When you wash 
your hands with a diamond ring on, soap 
scum clings to it. When you put on hand 
lotion, it gets grease on it. Shower with your 
diamond earrings or necklace, and again, 
you get soap scum. In one short day, your 
brand new diamond could be dirty!

Purchase an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner the 
same day that you purchase your diamond 
jewelry, and use it every single day, without 
fail. The clarity of the diamond changes 
when the diamond is dirty – it loses its 
sparkle. By taking one minute each day to 
clean your diamond jewelry, you can avoid 
this, and your diamonds will never be dirty!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Insuring Your Diamonds

Insuring Your Diamonds

Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought, 
planning, and shopping around. Diamond 
insurance isn’t like purchasing car insurance. 
It is quite different. Depending on the state 
that you live in, there are basically three 
different types of policies that will cover 
diamonds, and all insurance policies that 
cover diamonds are considered Marine 
type policies. 

The first type of insurance policies for 
diamonds is an Actual Cash Value policy. 
If the diamond is lost or damaged beyond 
repair, the insurance company will replace 
the diamond at today’s market value, no 
matter how much you paid for the diamond 
to begin with. This type of insurance policy 
for diamonds actually is not that common.

The most common type of insurance for 
diamonds is Replacement Value insurance. 
The insurance company will only pay up to a 
fixed amount to replace the diamond that was 
lost or damaged beyond repair. This does not 
mean that they will pay that amount – it means
 that they will pay up to that amount. In most 
cases, the diamond can be replaced at a 
lower cost. 

The third type of coverage offered for 
diamonds is Agreed Value. This is 
sometimes called ‘Valued At.’ This type of 
coverage is very rare. In the event that the 
diamond is lost or damaged beyond repair,
 the insurance company simply pays you the 
amount that you and the company agreed 
upon. This is the best type of insurance to 
have, but it is rarely offered. If you can’t get 
Agreed Value coverage, Actual Cash Value
coverage should be your next choice.

Your rates will be determined by the value of 
the diamond, the type of coverage that you
select, and the area that you live in. If you live 
in an area with a high crime rate, you can 
expect to pay more for your diamond 
insurance coverage. It is important to 
remember that insurance agents are not 
qualified jewelers, and jewelers are not 
qualified insurance agents. It is best to get 
a certificate for your diamond, and to 
provide the insurance company with a copy 
of that certificate. This leaves the insurance 
company less room for arguments over the 
actual value of the diamond.

Don’t rely on separate coverage to cover 
your diamond. For instance, if you diamond 
is stolen from your home, it is probably 
covered on your home owner’s insurance 
policy – but the diamond probably won’t 
always be in your home, and once it leaves 
your home, there is no coverage.