Diamonds in Tyler Texas

Diamonds in Tyler Texas

By: Scott A Gates

            Wow, this is not easy. There are like dozens of places to buy diamonds and fine jewelry in Tyler. I mean you have big names like Kay, Zales, Gordon’s, and Helzberg as well as all of the department stores like Sears, Dillard’s and Macy’s plus a ton of independents like Jims Jewelers, Susan Robinson, Gold and Diamond Exchange and the list goes on and on. My goal here is to help give you some suggestions and guidelines to go by when making that big decision of what, where and when.

            First off keep in mind that on store does not have better diamonds that another, just better selection and price. A stone with a SI grade is no different from Sears to Kay. So you need to think not just about the stone but the whole piece. Look at craftsmanship. Look at type of metals used to build it. Is the setting gold or platinum, how thick is the shank? Look for warranty. If I loose a stone will they replace it? If I bend a mounting prong or break a shank can they fix it in house or does it need to be sent out or can they do anything at all. If you do get a warranty does it travel? With Kay, if you buy a piece here in Tyler Texas and you move the warranty goes with you and any Kay nation wide can look it up on the computer, not a problem. Remember if you buy from a local “family owned” store you will need to go back to them for warranty repairs.

            You know the old saying “you get what you pay for” definitely applies with jewelry. If you see a good looking piece for just $99.00 regular $149.00 at your local jewelry dealer and its in all the adds and all of you friends have one then chances are that its mass produced, which probably means its not very good quality. Don’t be blinded by the bling, pay attention and choose a piece that will last. What’s an extra hundred dollars now if it means not having 50 repairs over the next year? Remember, gold is expensive and the higher the karat the more it will cost, but it’s worth it. The world’s money exchange system is based on gold. Hint, it won’t loose value. As far as settings, my opinion is all about platinum. Platinum is very strong yet still pliable and is ideal for mounting stones in. Gold is a very common metal to mount stones because it’s easily worked. Well, it’s easily broken as well.

            Obviously sales are a good time to buy and get a better price but there are better times. Try looking out of season. Jewelry season is the two weeks before Valentines Day, Mother’s day and from Black Friday until New Years. The rest of the time the stores are usually slower and more willing to give you a better deal. Never take price shown on to tag for anything. Trust me, as a previous assistant manager to a major jewelry store they always have the ability to give some sort of discount. In my personal experience I have received up to 35% on diamonds, 50% on gold, 25% on semi precious and 25% on watches. Don’t be afraid to ask. Look for customer appreciation days or special shows. Look for odd colored tags. If all the tags are white but you find a pink one, chances are it’s a closeout and it has big discounts.

            Think of all the time and effort you put into buying a car and just remember you will have this piece of jewelry a whole lot longer. Take your time, look at quality, look for discounts, ask about warranties, look at in house financing and don’t be cheap. If its worth spending the money on then it’s worth putting the time in. Keep a level head, don’t be blinded and do get excited. Remember all of your choices and visit them. Good luck and happy shopping.    

Choose The Right Cut

Choose The Right Cut
By Scott A Gates

 With all of the choices of different cut diamonds on the market today, it’s not always that easy to choose the right cut for the right piece for the right woman.  Not only should you pick the right stone for the right piece you really need to keep the woman in mind. Keep in mind the diamond should compliment the person that’s wearing it.

 Round, marquee and princess are the 3 post popular cut stones on the market today, but there are an enormous variety of different cuts. Yes, some of them are more expensive but, the more detailed the cut and the more time spent on the cut the more it will cost. The heart cut is a very popular seasonal cut and not really all that expensive. Keep in mind the larger the karot the more it will cost. Baguette is an extremely popular cut but not as a center stone, they are primarily an accent stone. Be careful with these as they are very fragile. Cushion, emerald, trillion and the tear are a few other incredible cuts but usually very expensive.

 Think about what you would wear to hide or divert attention with clothing, the same concept will work for jewelry. If you’re a small person, thin, short fingers then a marquee ring would not compliment. It would make the hand look thinner. The same goes for a round stone on a thick finger. Always remember that jewelry pieces are accents, they may be beautiful on there own but they should enhance the beauty and elegance on the person wearing them.

 Most stores do and all stores should have a gauge for you to see how large a good proportioned stone should be. Take proportion into consideration when choosing a stone. Just because a diamond has a large surface area and looks big doesn’t mean it has the proper depth. For instance if a marquee or a princess cut diamond is cut to look big without proper depth the corners and edges are prone to crack and or break. Remember, even though diamonds are the hardest mineral on earth, you can’t always predict the pattern of inclusions or “feathers” in the stone. Feathers, which are almost spotless to the untrained eye are the largest cause of breaks and cracks. And even though it’s rare, the same goes with depth verses surface area.

 Just think about this, diamonds are not cheap. And even though they may be beautiful in the case it doesn’t mean they will look the same on skin. Take your time, consider the options and buy not only what you want or like but what fits and complements you. Diamonds can be remounted but never recut, and they will not grow, so do yourself a favor and take your time, try on a lot, use a mirror and don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all the whole point of a sales person is to consult you, not rush you. Happy shopping.

The Perfect Diamond

The Perfect Diamond
By Scott A. Gates
Is there such a thing as a perfect diamond? Everybody has there own opinion of what makes the perfect stone, is it color, cut, is it clarity or a designer cut. Its common knowledge that every jewelry dealer has there own “perfect” stone and thinks there’s is the best. Remember “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and all diamonds are forever.

With the issue of color you need to take into consideration that diamonds do come in almost every color, called fancy. Most people say that a clear stone with absolutely no color and no inclusions is perfect. But what about pink diamonds or blue diamonds or black or canary or champagne colored stones. By the way, Mother Nature has a way of putting more “perfection” into a stone than man could ever take out. Some of the most expensive stones in the world are colored like the Hope Diamond or the Dresden Diamond. I personally feel that a red diamond would be perfect. Why do you think you rarely see fancy stones in the stores? It’s because must retailers can’t afford to keep this kind of inventory on hand, so they all push the most common color, white.

Cut, this is a huge subject because not only are there the common cuts like round, marquee and princess, there are fancy cuts like cushion, heart, emerald and trillion just to name a few. But it doesn’t stop there, we also have designer cuts like the Leo and the Radiant Star and the Celebration Diamonds.  It is true that the more facets a stone has the more light it will reflect, as long as they are cut at the proper angle. The refracting light or “fire” is that shine or glimmer that catches your eye. It can create the illusion of red or blue colors in a white or clear stone when properly done. At the same time it can also distract your eyes from some of the characteristics of that particular stone.

With the clarity of a stone you should think of an inclusion or characteristic in or on the stone the same as you would with freckles or a birth mark on a person. It doesn’t make them bad or ugly, just unique. No two stones will ever have the same markings, so they naturally identify themselves. With a stone graded an “F” in clarity, you don’t have any identifying characteristics and you will need something like a laser cut I.D. number on it. (Most certified stone already have this).  Keep in mind that most stones you will find in retail stores will not be an “F”, most bill be between an “I” and a “VS” and with a good cut must inclusions will not be extremely obvious at first. I believe a perfect stone should have some sort of distinguishing markings.

All in all you should remember that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and just because it cost less doesn’t mean that it is any less perfect of a stone for your particular occasion.  There is a different cut and color for every piece and for every place. Perfect is whatever you want in each different piece of jewelry you wear. Just remember to buy what you like and don’t let pushy sales people try to tell you that one is better than another just because of color or clarity. Happy shopping.