Working with clients is actually the hardest part. You need to get a picture in your mind that matches the picture that is in their minds. Never construct the piece while they are watching – this is in effect teaching them how to do it themselves, and you will probably lose a customer. Never let them know just how easy it is! Talk at length with the client. This is the only way that you can design custom jewelry that matches
their likes, dislikes, and personality. If the piece is to be a gift for someone else, ask lots of questions about that person, and if possible, meet them in person yourself. Remember that uniqueness and exclusivity are the key to making this type of business successful – but great communication with the clients is vitally important as well.

Many clients will want you to make custom jewelry wholesale using stones or gems that they already have. They may even want you to just enhance a piece that they already have. Before you start doing this, make sure that you have the skill and qualifications necessary to do this work. You do not want to destroy a client’s beloved jewelry! Make sure that you ask about the history of the piece, and find out what special meaning that piece holds for your client as well. Of course, you will purchase the pieces that you need to make the custom jewelry from wholesale resources. Just make sure that you are buying quality parts – and look for sources for unique jewelry making supplies as well – imported pieces are great sources for uniqueness. You will have to quote your client a price before you start, so be careful here. You don’t want to lose money. Once you’ve quoted a price, deduct 15% to 30% from it. Think of the remainder as your ‘budget’ when buying supplies to make the custom jewelry .

Source : http://www.jewelry-thailand.com

Getting Started

There are two things you need before you start buying diamonds:
1. A thorough knowledge of the diamond market
2. Where to obtain reliable appraisal services
The latter is especially important. Any appraisal of certified diamonds should be undertaken by an independent agency that has no connections to or interest in the wholesaler or retailer who is offering the diamonds for sale in which you are interested.
This may require a bit of detective work. The problem is that the world diamond market is controlled by a relative handful of corporate and international banking interests. However, it is well worth your while to find such appraisal services so as to insure that your interests are protected when buying diamonds.

The “Four Cs”

The laboratories that analyze diamonds for sale examine these gems for four different objective characteristics:

* Carat: this is the weight and mass of the gem, equal to .2 grams.
* Cut: the way the stonecutters have shaped the gem, i.e. “round” or “square” and how well this has been done
* Clarity: this looks at any internal flaws, such as a “cottony” appearance within the gem
* Color: certified diamonds can range in color from crystal clear to dark amber and even black.

This analysis is done prior to the actual appraisal, but is an important part of the process.

The Appraisal

While a lab report is based on objective, observable criteria, an appraisal is more subjective. The purpose is to determine the market value of these gems, primarily for the purpose of insuring them.
So - how much will you pay when buying diamonds? This is what the appraisal will determine.
Some cuts are more valuable than others. Princess cut diamonds, which have grown tremendously in popularity over the past thirty years, are the product of a unique cutting method developed in 1979 by a Los Angeles jeweler. These gems combine elements of “round” and “square” cuts; the princess cut diamonds results in the lowest amount of waste, so the diamond retains more of its original mass and weight.

These are only a few of the issues that should be kept in mind when buying diamonds, but they are the most important.

Author: Charlie Ivan

Most people, even trained gemologists, cannot tell the difference between diamond and CZ, with the naked eye. Moreover, to the untrained eye, CZ looks identical to a good quality diamond. However, under closer inspection, CZ appears to have slightly less brilliance (or sparkle) than a diamond, and more fire, or flashes of color. CZs were originally developed by the Russians, for their space program. They were developed as an alternative to diamonds that were used in the optics of their lasers. CZs have a refractive index, dispersion and hardness so close to a diamond it’s uncanny.
So what are some key features that can guide you in telling the difference between diamond and CZ? Do keep in mind, though, in order to accurately distinguish the two gems, gemological equipment such as microscope, or loupe, must be used for testing and verification. to start, let’s take a look at the hardness factor: Did you know CZ ranges between 8.5 to 9.0 on the Mohs’ hardness scale whereas diamond, one of the hardest materials known to man, is rated 10, lying at the top of the hardness scale?
Furthermore, glass (or sand) is rated approximately 5 to 6 on the hardness scale, therefore, dust and dirt will not scratch CZ. Indeed, CZ can scratch glass just like regular diamonds, making it more resistant to chipping.

One great difference between diamond and CZ is weight. CZs are heavyweights in comparison to diamonds; a CZ will weigh approximately 1.75 times more than a diamond of equivalent size. So basically, a piece of CZ the same size as a one-carat diamond weighs about 1.75 carats. Well…isn’t that interesting?
Contemporary production of CZ is virtually flawless, whereas diamond usually contains impurities and inclusions, or have some sort of defect, be it a feather, included crystal, or perhaps a remnant of an original crystal face (e.g. trigons). In regards to color—more precisely, the lack of color—only the rarest of diamonds are truly colorless, as most have a tinge of yellow or brown to some extent. By comparison, CZ in most cases can be made entirely colorless, equivalent to a perfect “D” on diamond’s color grading scale.
Also, under close inspection with a loupe, the facet shapes of some CZs appear different from diamonds. Both gems disperse light a little differently. Dispersion is just a scientific term for the breaking up of light into its spectral colors. With a dispersive power greater than diamond (0.060 vs. 0.044), the more prismatic fire of CZ can be seen by even an untrained eye.
Dispersion occurs based on the gem’s refractive index. In this case, refractive index simply indicates how much a beam of light will bend, based on the direction in which it is traveling when it passes between two materials of different optical densities (such as between diamond and air; or between CZ and air). Being that CZ has a refractive index of 2.176, compared to a diamond’s 2.417, diamonds are therefore said to be brighter than CZ. Another difference between the two gems is that CZs are thermal insulators—meaning, they reduce the rate of heat transfer—whilst diamonds are among the most efficient thermal conductors—meaning, they allow heat to easily pass through them. Without testing the gems’ heat conductivity, it can be difficult to tell them apart.
Remember, it is a 50/50 guess to identify a gem by visual inspection; it is not a scientific method of authentication. That is why even certified and degreed gemologists use gemological equipment for testing and verification. You will also be glad to know that CZs are not only durable and inexpensive, but just like diamonds, they come in any color of the rainbow, making them even more desirable.
There have been many instances to see if jewelers can tell the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia, just by examining the gems with the naked eye. Over and over again, it was inconclusive; jewelers could not tell the difference just by looking at the gems. So you can now understand why the difference between diamond and cubic zirconia rests in the price, and in the mind…

Author: Pennybest.com

Jewelry refers to ornaments worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. Jewelries worn symbolize the events, the culture, quality and the temperament of the wearer. For instance jewelry, particularly made with precious materials, is generally considered valuable and desirable and the rest are less expensive and are called costume jewelry. It can also be symbolic, as in the case of Christians wearing a crucifix in the form of jewelry, or, as is the case in many Western cultures, married people wearing a wedding ring. Whatever be the reason or events bridal jewelry needs extra attention.
Bridal jewelry can include old piece of jewelry that had once been owned by his mother, grandmother, or past brides in his family or can be from the collection of new or both can be used judiciously. Antique jewelry that has been passed down to brides in the family from generation to generation would reinforce a sense of family, tradition and continuity in a wedding ceremony. And if the bride prefer to go for the latest jewelry then there are thousands of bridal jewelry stores, both the Internet e-commerce sites and bricks-and-mortar stores, offering a dazzling array of accessories to make the bride shine on her wedding day.

And what can add additional sparkle on the wedding ceremony more than a diamond? Diamonds are ranked by four characteristics: cut, carat (weight), clarity, and color that determine the worth of a diamond. Watch out for the better-proportioned facets that are responsible for the sparkle. Carat is another important characteristic feature of a diamond. A carat means 100 points and 5 carats make a gram. And the last is the clarity. The color of the diamond ranges from D-X for white and yellow diamonds but one can also find green, pink, red, blue and brown diamonds that are usually treated to bring the variety. Not to be duped while making a purchase for the diamond jewelry and get the true value for your money does not overlook the fine print. Diamonds are sometimes filled with glass to camouflage the inclusion and make them appear clearer which can be damaged by heat, ultrasonic cleaning, and by re-tipping. Store your diamond jewelry with precious care because they are brittle and get damaged if handled roughly.

Author: Gina Nell

The Ancient Egyptians are known to have worn decorative beaded necklaces and Cleopatra is probably one of the original wearers of what we now call costume jewelry. In more recent times the people of the Germanic and Slovak regions became highly skilled at developing intricate patterns in glass beads. However, bead work used in costume jewelry is not only limited to glass.
A large variety of materials are traditionally used to make beads such as jet, wood, amber, gemstones, pottery, ceramic, metals, horn, coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and pearls. Some modern materials such as plastics, nylon and even polycarbonate variants are also used to make beads. Costume jewelry can be antique, period, or contemporary and there are many collectors of every style of costume jewelry. Venetian glass pieces of costume jewelry are particularly collectable as well as being extremely popular for people to wear.

Cleaning costume jewelry is extremely simple but needs to be done on a regular basis to prevent tarnishing. Simply use a mild detergent mixed in water to keep your costume jewelry in good condition. It is important not to soak the jewelry and to make sure that you dry it thoroughly before storing it. You can buy anti-tarnish paper for wrapping your costume jewelry in before you put it away for long periods of time but regular cleaning is the best defense against tarnishing. The tarnishing of costume jewelry is typically caused by the metal reacting with the atmosphere and oxidizing.
Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who are unable to wear costume jewelry next to their skin. This is because of their sensitivity to the metals used. It is important to make sure that anyone that you are buying the jewelry for is not allergic to nickel or copper, especially with pierced earrings. Costume jewelry may look beautiful and, especially in the case of contemporary pieces, be reasonably priced but it is not suitable for everyone to wear. For many people a piece of costume jewelry may be the first jewelry that they have worn and it is important to look out for signs of a reaction, especially after extended periods of wear. Often people will not show a reaction if they wear the jewelry for a short amount of time and this can be an ideal way to avoid any possible discomfort. You can also buy a special coating that you apply to the back of the costume jewelry to protect the skin from having direct contact with the metal.

Author: Alice Riley

The beads that we tend to think of as traditional beadwork are called seed beads ‚ because of their small size they resemble seeds. These beads were used in early beadwork ‚ the work of the Egyptians.

The Egyptians used a type of bead called faience beads. Our seed beads today are made of glass, but Egyptians were using beads long before the invention of glass. Their faience beads were made from quartz particles fused together. A glaze was applied over the quartz. The beads were then woven or strung into a variety of jewelry and clothing.

Beaded necklaces were found in the tomb of King Tut. Other beaded items in his tomb were a pair of slippers he perhaps wore as a child and a hassock. It’s unusual for ancient beadwork to survive since it was strung on cords made from leather and cloth, which tend to disintegrate with age. We are fortunate to have these few examples to give us a perspective on the history of Egyptian beading.

Some religious texts from India refer to beads being woven into hair and into horse’s tails. These references were recorded around the 9th century BC. And beads were also widely used throughout Asia in ancient times. There were beaded items found in temples in Japan that date back to 800 A.D.
Early beads were fashioned from shells, ivory and stone. Early Egyptians valued the beads according to the stone that was used to create the beads. Different stones were thought to have different properties.

Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful blue stone, was believed to protect the wearer’s health. This stone was often fashioned into beads, as were carnelian, feldspar, amethyst, turquoise and jasper ‚ many of the same stones we use today.

Glass was introduced as a component of beads around 1480, when Venice began drawing glass tubes and turning them into beads. Once the technology for pulling glass tubes was invented, it was easy to suddenly produce thousands of beads, all uniform in size, color and shape.

Modern jewelry and beading certainly benefits from the advances made in the production of beads, but there’s no doubt that even today, an individually handcrafted bead can be the star attraction of any beading piece.

Author : Felicity Walker

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.

Pearls hold a timeless and classic elegance and catch everyone’s eyes towards them. Here is a list of different ways you can use pearl bridal jewelry on your wedding day:

Pearl Necklaces

Basically, pearl necklaces are divided into six different lengths: choker, collar, princess, opera, rope and matinee. Usually, a pearl choker is 14 to 16 inches long and stays at the collar-bone. The classic length of this pearl choker makes it the perfect jewelry for brides. This goes very well with the bridal gowns or any other wedding dress. You can wear your pearl choker necklace with your semi formal dresses also to mark your presence in the crowd.

Another pearl bridal necklace is the pearl collar. It is usually 10 to 14 inches long and made up of at least three strands of pearls. This pearl collar necklace goes very well with bridal gowns with plunging neckline, strapless or a V-neck. This adds immense beauty to the bride’s make over.

If you are looking for a necklace with the length of 17 to 19 inches, you can go for the pearl princess necklaces. These types of pearl necklaces are famous for their versatility, as they look very amazing with every type of bridal gown. You can also make combination of different pearl necklaces. For this, you can combine, matinee pearl necklace with your small and light weighted pearl necklaces. Usually, the length of these pearl matinee necklaces is 20 to 25 inches long and they look terrific with high necklines.

There are several other options available for brides in pearl necklaces. The opera pearl necklaces are 27 to 36 inches long. These types of necklaces are to be wore with high necklines or wrapped into double strands. The opera pearl bridal jewelry is very famous among all the leading fashion designers as it gives very sophisticated look. Besides these, pearl rope is the option if you want to wear even heavier pearl wedding jewelry. Normally, pearl rope necklaces are 40 to 72 inches long. These can be worn by with every type of bridal dress.

Pearl Earrings

Wedding and bridal jewelry is incomplete without earrings. You can add pearl stud earrings to match with your pearl necklaces so as to look lovelier. These add amazing look to the beauty of the bride. These are simple looking earrings but match very well with the wedding gowns.

The price range of pearl bridal jewelry totally depends on its weight and quality. However, if you compare pearl jewelry with any other metal jewelry, the rates of pearl are much cheaper than any other metal like gold, silver or platinum. Moreover, they are a priced possession; something you will never regret of owning!

Author: Dave Page

A lot has changed over the years but the wholesale jewelry and gift shows are continuing to generate increased sales. Exhibiting at wholesale gift shows is still the best way to get your product noticed. Buyers from all over the country come to the gift shows looking for new products and suppliers. Even if you come away with just sales leads, they are targeted and with a few follow-up calls you will make the sale. You are showing your product to a targeted market that has been established for decades. People go to wholesale jewelry and gift shows to place orders and see your products first hand. Even the best photos cannot sell your product as well as you can.

 
Most whole sale buyers still find ordering online intimidating. At wholesale gift shows buyers see the product, touch the product and time and time again they order the product. They feel confident that they will be able to sell your products. The sale becomes more personal in a world that every day becomes more impersonal; there is nothing better than making the sale face to face. Buyers associate your product with you. The relationships that you build at the gift shows will continue for many years. New customers are referred by existing customers. There is no better compliment than word of mouth advertising.

While online marketing opens the whole world for your wholesale products, it is still very important to have a continued presence at wholesale jewelry and gift shows. The majority of your orders and re-orders will come directly from your participation in wholesale shows. Continue your online efforts to support your existing customers while at the same time work on attracting your targeted market from around the world.
Author: Jennifer Hisir

Some people dedicate a lot of time and energy into driving to many antique stores, but they only have a few options at each store. If you want to save money and find a true vintage ring, eBay is the easiest and most affordable place to look.

So, many of the collectors are buying and selling eBay vintage diamond rings. eBay has been proven to be a great place to buy and sell antique and vintage products, because the items are available to people all over the world. The customer base is much larger than trying to sell a vintage diamond ring in a small antique store downtown.

You don’t want to spend your money only to find out that the seller sent you a fake– so request the paperwork with the ring. The seller can send you a certificate of authentication from a jewelry store or an appraiser, that certificate will give you the piece of mind that you are purchasing a high-quality item. If you are planning on buying an eBay vintage diamond ring, make sure that you are purchasing a real product.

The best feature about purchasing eBay vintage diamond rings is that you have so many options available. There are many vendors that offer a limitless amount of styles– you can find rings from every time period imaginable. Also, the are rings within many different budgets and price ranges, so you can still buy one even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend.

Author :Sydnie Vawdrey