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Ok, so I don’t think I am dropping a bomb on anyone when I say the economy is a little rough right now. So naturally, it is a little unnerving when faced with the idea of purchasing an engagement ring. In the past, the “rule” has always been 2 months salary. I have never been one to follow the rules, and now is as good a time as any to depart from them if you find yourself in uncertain economic territory.
Do not worry, your options are still many… Fortunately in this day and age, there are many solutions that both you and your intended fiance will be relieved to know about.
1) It’s ok to purchase a synthetic diamond – hey, you don’t have to worry about whether it is a blood diamond or not and you can always replace it with a natural diamond down the road. And with the advance of technology, there are lots of top quality options – there is moissanite, which is silicon carbide, diamond hybrid which uses diamond to produce it, manmade diamonds – same or similar chemical make up of a natural diamond except that it was made in a lab. All of these options are significantly less than the cost of a diamond. For comparison a 1ct diamond G in color, SI1 in clarity usually sells for around $8000.00 (usually less if buying online). A 1ct moissanite runs about $500.00. A diamond hybrid or man made diamond 1 ct in size is about $250.00 or less.
2) An increasingly popular and symbolic option is to go with a colored gemstone. Rubies, sapphires, and spinels are just a few of the possibilities. They tend to be very durable and suited for everyday wear. Many of the colored gemstones have symbolic meaning that you may find appropriate as a symbol of your eternal love. Or maybe you just want a splash of color. Be sure that if you are considering a colored gemstone you ask your jeweler if the stone you want would stand up to daily wear. Some colored gemstones just aren’t cut out for a ring that is worn most all of the time.
3) Another trend that I am seeing more of is purchasing an ornate diamond band with lots of smaller diamonds in lieu of a large diamond. Many smaller diamonds cost less than a large diamond even if the total diamond weight is the same. The Beverley K Collection offers many unique and stunning designs. And, in fact, you can stack multiple bands for a truly amazing look (and you have gift ideas for birthdays, anniversaries, etc…).
4) If you are still planning on getting a real diamond, a good money saver is to avoid the “magic sizes”. Instead of a 1 carat stone, ask for a .90 carat. To the naked eye, the size difference is quite subtle, but you will be pleasantly surprised by the money you can save. The same is true for a 1/2 size – go a few points lower and your savings will be significant.
5) Buying a smaller diamond with the intention of a future upgrade… many jewelry retailers offer a trade up program so when you are ready to purchase a larger stone, you can trade in your smaller one for a credit towards a larger diamond.
Hopefully, we have provided ideas and solutions for you. Please feel free to contact Elizabeta Jewelry (service@elizabetajewelry.com) if you have any questions , would like to shop our online store, or would like to discuss other options. Elizabeta Jewelry offers all of the options listed above.
Peace and Greenness! 
www.elizabetajewelry.com
Elizabeta Jewelry is gearing up for some major changes to our website. We hope that by the time summer is in full swing, we will be finished. In the meantime, everything will continue to function normally.
Ok, now that I have gotten that out of the way, here are some ideas we wanted to share for May… Blue is the color we are featuring this month. Blue represents trust, loyalty, and balance. Some blue gemstones include sapphire, blue zircon, blue topaz, aquamaring, iolite, and some tanzanite. If you mention our blog, we will give you 10% off of our already low prices on any blue gemstone – contact us for a price. Deep blue sapphires are a great alternative to diamonds for a center stone in an engagement ring as they are durable as well as stunning. Here is a little bit more information on the symbology of the sapphire:
Sapphire means blue in Greek. The blue goes from dark blue almost black to pale blue. The finest blue sapphires are a strong blue. The star sapphire is very valued. Sapphires of colors other than blue are always referred to with the color. There are pink sapphires, yellow sapphires, violet sapphires, green sapphires and clear sapphires. Today most sapphires are mined in Australia.
It is said a necklace of sapphires will cure a sore throat.
The sapphire was called the “Stone of Destiny”. Sapphires contribute to mental clarity and perception. They can promote financial rewards.
The sapphire is the symbol of heaven and joyful devotion to God.
Sapphire is associated with Aquarius, Virgo, Libra and Capricorn. It is the birthstone of September and has been the birthstone of April. Sapphire is the symbol of Saturn (dark blue) and Venus (light blue).
“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” – Gaylord Nelson, former governor of Wisconsin, founder of Earth Day
Happy Earth Day!
Starting today and going through the end of April, we are offering a 10% discount on all Beverley K and Mark Schneider engagement and wedding rings. In addition, we will make a donation to plant 25 trees in the tropical rain forest for every ring that we sell this month.
Peace!
You can help to Plant a Billion Trees. Yes, a billion.
Tropical forests help serve as the lungs of the Earth to regulate the atmosphere and stabilize our global climate.
That’s why we just launched plantabillion.org in support of our on-the-ground effort and science-based campaign where one dollar plants one tree.
The Plant a Billion Trees campaign launched by The Nature Conservancy is working in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil to restore 2.5 million acres of land by planting 1 billion trees over the next seven years.
The Atlantic Forest is considered one of the world’s most endangered tropical forests — only 7 percent of this once vast landscape now remains.
Explore the forest with our interactive map highlighting some of the 23 species of primates, more than 1,000 species of birds and over 20,000 species of plants that call the Atlantic Forest home.
At just a dollar a tree, there has never been a conservation project of this scale that’s ever been so within the world’s reach.
Please join with us to help reach this goal and tell your friends about plantabillion.org today.
Thanks a billion! Sue M. CitroSenior Digital Membership Manager: The Nature Conservancy
Elizabeta Jewelry wants to help plant trees. For every ring (valued at $500 or more) we sell in April, we will make a donation to plant 25 trees!
March Specials
15% off of purple gemstones – iolite, amethyst, tanzanite, spinel, purple sapphire, and lavender chalcedony.
Somewhere between the passion of red and the calmness of blue lies the mystery of purple. Those with a passion for purple are creative and spiritually in tune with life. As a combination of red and blue, people who pick purple as their favorite can be balanced, yet exciting or steadfast yet vivacious. Those attracted to softer purples such as lilac and lavender describe themselves as refined and romantic. Express your royal nature with effervescent purple gems like amethyst, iolite, and tanzanite. Relax into sensual pastel hues with pastel Purple Sapphire or Lavender chalcedony. Unleash your inner Goddess by adding purple gems to your wardrobe.
Here is some useful information on popular purple gems:
Amethyst is February’s birthstone. Early Greek legend, and its purple wine color, associated amethyst with Bacchus, the god of wine. Other legends led to beliefs that amethyst gems kept their wearers clear headed and quick witted. Russia and South America is where most amethyst can be found. It ranges in color from pale lilac to rich purple. Amethyst is a 7 on the Moh’s Hardness Scale, and it has good hardness. The safest way to clean amethyst is with warm soapy water.
Iolite gets its name from the Greek word for violet. And Iolites shades range from cool shades to dark blue and violet. It is transparent to translucent and pleochroic – this means that it shows different colors from different angles. From some angles it can look colorless, gray, violet, or yellow. This optical property allows the gem to act as a strong light polarizing filter, a feature that Viking navigators found useful. Iolite is a 7-7.5 on the Moh’s scale and has fair toughness. It is best to use warm soapy water to clean this gem.
Tanzanite is a relatively new gemstone that first turned up in 1962 in Northern Tanzania. Tanzanite is often heat treated to achieve colors that include light to dark violetish blue and bluish purple. It is a special-care gem for 2 reasons: sensativity to thermal shock and the potential for cracking. Tanzanite is best in jewelry pieces that won’t be too exposed to accidental bumps – such as earrings or pendants. It is a 6-7 on the Mohs scale and the toughness is fair to poor due to potential cracking and thermal shock.
Some other purple gems that I will discuss in another blog are purple sapphires, purple spinel, and lavender chalcedony.
When shopping online for an engagement ring or other jewelry, you may be faced with an overwhelming number of options… Elizabeta Jewelry offers personal jewelry consultation to help you narrow down your options and come up with an engagement ring or special jewelry piece that symbolizes your intentions. Whether you are looking for a specific diamond, searching for a vibrant colored gemstone that represents your love, comparing the costs of your options, shopping for a diamond alternative, wondering what type of metal is best for you, or just deciding on the perfect design, we can make your shopping experience fun and easy. Even if you end up purchasing someplace else, we would be happy to offer any advice or suggestions if you are seeking something personalized and sentimental. Please check out our website (http://www.elizabetajewelry.com/) or send us an email (service@elizabetajewelry.com) if we can help. And if you don’t know how to tell your significant other what your likes and dislikes are, let us know and we will keep them in mind when your special someone contacts us to make a purchase.
While diamonds are beautiful and symbolic, they do carry a heavy price tag. Many couples struggle with justifying such a large expenditure on such a small object. And if the price tag isn’t enough to scare you, the origin of the diamond can be shrouded in dubious mystery. If you have seen Blood Diamond or heard of conflict diamonds, you know what I mean. The African diamond trade has long been used to finance civil war, hence the term “blood diamond.” At Elizabeta Jewelry, we offer alternatives that will ease your apprehension and save you some serious money. Our diamonds come from suppliers that are in compliance with the The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) which imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’. And for every diamond we sell, we donate a portion of the sale to http://www.conflictneutral.com/, a registry for charitable donations to counter the negative effects of diamonds.
But if you still aren’t convinced that diamonds are for you, we have some very attractive and practical options. Elizabeta Jewelry offers a vast selection of colored gemstones in every shape and size. Many couples are using colored gemstones today as they are rich in symbolism and color. And of course, most of them are a fraction of the cost of a diamond. There are certain considerations, such as hardness and toughness to consider if you are putting the stone in an every day ring. If you have any question as to what gemstone would be best for you, please post a comment to this blog.
Another increasingly popular option is moissanite. It is silicon carbide that was originally discovered at a meteor crash site. Now it has been manufactured in sizes large enough for jewelry. It’s fire and luster surpass that of the diamond. However, moissanite isn’t completely colorless; it is usually equivalent to an H or I colored diamond (which are some of the most common diamond colors in jewelry). It isn’t quite as hard as a diamond; it rates 9.25 to diamond’s 10 on the Moh’s Hardness Scale. The cost is quite attractive and is usually about 1/5 to 1/10 the cost of a diamond.
Diamond hybrids, also known as amorphous diamonds are man-made and “composed of a multitude of tiny diamond crystals all aligned together*”. They tend to be equivalent to an F or G colored diamond (colorless to near colorless – very good). They are also flawless in clarity. Hardness is rated a 9 on the Mohs Scale. This option too is far less expensive than a diamond.
So if you aren’t comfortable with the price and reputation of the diamond, there are lots of great options to chose from that will offer all the beauty of a diamond.
Please check back periodically for information on selecting the right engagement ring, wedding bands, diamonds, gemstones, diamond alternatives, and lots of other jewelry related stuff. Or if you have a question for us, please ask and we will get back to you with an answer.