What do you think of this?  Selling a diamond engagement ring for that cheap!

I hope the new owner returns it to them!

Summertime calls for bold jewelry. However, it is important to protect your jewelry during these warm summer months. Here are some simple tips that will keep your jewelry sparkling all summer long:

Remove all jewelry before going into a hot tub or swimming pool. The chlorine can damage and discolor metals such as gold and platinum and can slowly erode the finish and polish of gemstones.

Remove all jewelry before entering salt water as it can have the same effect as chlorine on your fine jewelry.

After wearing your fine jewelry, wipe it down with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. This will enhance the jewelry’s luster and will ensure that it is clean before storage.

Remove all jewelry before showering, cleaning, applying lotions, and sunscreen. These products cause a film to form on your jewelry, making it appear dull and dingy.

Store your jewelry in a clean, dry place.

Keep your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or in a box with compartments and dividers to prevent pieces from scratching each other.

After the season, take it to a reputable jeweler and have it professionally cleaned to maintain the luster and sparkle of your precious baubles.

The information above comes from the Jewelry Information Center.  The original post can be found here.

Fathers Day is less than two weeks away.

NO TIES THIS YEAR!

Give Dad something that he really wants!

Stop by our store to see what great gifts we have for Dad.

Harry Winston is celebrating its acquisition by the Swatch Group in a big way as it purchased a pear-shaped, D color, flawless diamond of 101.73 carats for more than $26.7 million Wednesday at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels Sale.

Billed by the auction house as the “perfect diamond,” the price paid set a world auction record for a colorless diamond. The diamond (which sold for $254,400 per carat) has been renamed by the luxury jewelry and watch retailer as “The Winston Legacy.”

“The acquisition of ‘Winston’s Legacy’ underscores the brand’s continued commitment to perfection and quality at the highest level. A stone of this caliber and rarity is the perfect continuation of Mr. Winston’s legacy as the King of Diamonds,” Nayla Hayek, the new CEO of Harry Winston said in a statement released by the Swatch Group.

Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewelry, Christie’s Switzerland and Americas, added: “Harry Winston acquired the most perfect diamond ever offered for sale at auction, ‘Winston Legacy,’ continuing the tradition of buying and selling only the very best, a trait of the founder Mr. Winston himself.”

The diamond was the top lot in a sale that fetched a record-breaking $102.1 million, selling 86% by lot and 93% by value, the highest result ever for a various-owner jewelry auction at Christie’s. It included several world records for diamonds, pearls and sapphires. A total of 20 lots sold above $1 million with 147 buyers coming from 31 countries across five continents, Christie’s said.

Among the other notable purchases at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels Sale, are:

* A 19.88-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire, named “The Star of Kashmir” sold for more than $3.4 million, or $175,202 per carat, breaking the world auction record for a per-carat sale of a sapphire.

* A single strand of natural pearls measuring from 13.7 to 10.4mm sold for more $8.4 million, setting a world auction record for a single-strand natural pearl necklace.

* Drop-shaped natural pearl ear pendants of 261.66 and 216.37 grains sold for more than $2.4 million, setting a world auction record for a pair of pearl ear pendants.

* A 1.92-carat fancy red diamond sold for $3.2 million, setting a world auction price for a red diamond.

Quite often we have people asking us for a ‘choker’ chain, when they actually are thinking more of a ‘collar’.  With all of the different lengths of necklaces available, we wanted to provide you with a simple guide that shows you what each of the various lengths of necklaces is called.

Best Wishes,
Susan Harrison