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Showing posts from 2008

Tri-Color and Two-Tone Gold, what are they?

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A recent email from one of our visitors asked me to explain what " Tri -Color Gold" means (as in our Flower Hoop Earrings shown here), and it occurred to me that a lot of folks may wonder about that, as well as "Two-Tone Gold". So here is an overview of what these terms mean--but first, an overview of gold colors. Pure 24K gold is of course a beautiful deep gold-yellow color. But, pure gold is too soft to be used in solid form for most kinds of jewelry--for instance, a ring made of pure gold would be too soft to hold up under continued wear on your finger. It would easily get squashed and scratched in everyday use. In addition, with pure gold trading at around $900 to $1,000 per ounce (the highest prices in history), pure gold jewelry is too expensive for most folks. All gold jewelry is therefore mixed with other metals to make it stronger and more economical--mixing metals together is called "alloying". When alloyed, the deep yellow of pure gold can be c

Platinum Power

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Platinum has gotten a lot more expensive in the last year, but it's popularity as a jewelry metal continues to hold up--that's because folks consider platinum jewelry an investment, as well as a statement of lasting value! We have added some new platinum items which are still quite affordable so you can buy very nice pieces in the $300 to $800 price range, which make excellent Christmas gifts for that special person! For example, you can purchase our Platinum Passion Cross Pendant (pictured) along with a specially priced platinum chain for a total cost which is under $500. Remember, whenever you buy a pendant or locket from us, you are offered the option of purchasing a selected pendant chain which is discounted an additional 20% from our regular, low website price! Just click the button that appears on any of our pendant or locket item pages, and you will be presented with choices which match the metal of the item you are purchasing. If you do not see a chain you like in ou

Ash and memento pendants

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We occasionally have a customer ask us if they can place the ashes of their loved one, or soil from a special location, into one of our lockets. The answer to that question is, unfortunately, that we do not recommend it. This is because a locket is not designed to contain such granular materials--there is usually a small gap where the two portions of the locket meet, and any material such as ash or sand will quickly escape through that opening as soon as the locket is worn. And, when the locket is opened, more of the material would be lost. But, we do carry pendants which are specially designed for just such uses. For example, pictured here is our Silver Heart Ash Memento Pendant , which is a solid sterling silver vial in the shape of a heart, accented with yellow gold plating. Because it is solid, it is also engraveable, allowing a short name or date to be inscribed--we can perform the engraving for you, just specify and order it on our website from our Engrave Your Jewelry page. T

What is my ring size?

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We strive to make it as easy as possible for you to determine the size of the ring which you order from Viridian Gold. We use standard ring size dimensions that are commonly used in the United States, so you can be assured of a compatible sizing system even if you have your ring finger measured at a local jeweler, or if you already know your ring size. But remember, the ring size of the same finger on your left and right hands will almost certainly be different--usually the dominant hand is a little larger in ring size. So, how can you find your ring size? One way is to download our Viridian Gold Ring Sizing Guide from our website--it is a PDF document, and you should print it as actual size (do not "shrink to fit") on regular 8.5" X 11" paper. It will give you tips on how and when to figure out your ring size, or the ring size of a loved one. You will also find a chart of circles which correspond to common ring sizes, so you can place an existing ring on the

Jewelry for the walking dead?

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I guess it's just too easy to poke fun at fashion-show models, because apparently some designers like to pick their models from the local morgue. This is no Halloween party photo, this is actually from a fall runway collection of a designer who outfitted his models with (appropriately) costume jewelry. I just had to share it with our readers. The " Bridezilla " ring in one of my previous posts would probably compliment her style quite well! Click the picture for a larger version.

Onyx jewelry for men

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Black Onyx, that mysterious deep black gemstone that is so popular in men's accessories, is available in many styles in our store! Accessories in this style go well with formal attire, of course, but also blend with any clothing color scheme--so they make for a quality gift for any occasion. Even though onyx comes in many colors, folks just tend to think "Black" when they hear onyx. For instance, our Sterling Silver & Black Onyx Cufflinks , #9047 , pictured here, are a dramatic combination, offering the contrast of the whitest metal known to man, with the blackest gemstone! Yes, silver really is the whitest metal--that is why it is used as a backing for mirrors. Stainless Steel also makes a great masculine setting for black onyx, such as our Black Onyx & Stainless Steel Link Bracelet , #9085 . It's even available with genuine 14K yellow gold accents as our #9084 Onyx & Stainless Steel Link Bracelet with Gold Accents , as shown in the picture. These items,

Religious Designer Wedding Rings

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We have recently added some really beautiful new religious wedding rings to our store--check out these stunning two-tone, Carved Cross Wedding Rings  with a design which is at once both ancient and timeless.  They are comfort-fit style, meaning the inside of the ring is slightly rounded (inside round) to make the ring easier to slide over the knuckle and also more comfortable over the years.  The ring pictured here is also available in a White Gold Carved Cross Wedding Ring, #1052  as well as our  the reverse two-tone, our #1069 , where the cross pattern is yellow gold and the rest of the ring is white gold. Both of these rings feature a repeating Maltese cross style design. Another attractive cross design is our Cross/Circle Comfort Fit Wedding Band, #1070 ,  in which the design is "diamond-cut" into a matte-finished white gold surface.  The contrast between the reflective edges of the recessed crosses with the non-reflective ring surface make for an especially elegant look

Now you can get beautiful Promise Rings at Viridian Gold!

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Guys have always wanted to give their girlfriends some piece of jewelry to show their commitment to the relationship. And, when the couple is ready to take the Big Step, that event is traditionally accomplished with a diamond engagement ring. But what about a relationship that isn't quite to that point yet? Well, that is where the promise ring comes in, and more often than not, it is a diamond promise ring. We have recently added a collection of Diamond Promise Rings to our website to help you find that special, beautiful ring which says "I Promise!" A great example is the popular 14K White Gold Intertwined Hearts Diamond Promise Ring #1303 shown here. It's affordable, too, because we understand that this purchase is just not the same magnitude as an engagement ring would be! The diamonds in our rings, by the way, are not cheap, "dirty diamonds" that you find in department store jewelry. These are quality, white, good clarity stones that are worthy of a ri

What to look for when buying a traditional wedding band

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First, we are using the word "band" to mean a simple ring which has little or no adornment. Like, for example, our traditional high-polish (shiny!) Gold Domed Wedding Bands , which are also available as genuine Domed Platinum Wedding Bands . A simple rule of thumb: When you buy a plain wedding band, you are paying for the weight of the gold or platinum. So how can you compare wedding bands when you don't know the weight? You can't! That is why we always tell you the weight of the precious metal in our jewelry--many Internet stores don't even tell you how much gold or platinum is in your ring, so it makes it impossible to tell if you are getting a cheap, thin ring. Even if their price is similar to ours, and the rings look similar, there is no guarantee that the ring is the same weight! And, remember that the weight will increase with the size and width of the ring, so you should expect to see a different weight as those factors change. What about the style of the

Check out our new military jewelry!

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Looking for something for that loved one who is in the military, or whose spouse is? Some of our newly-added military jewelry might be just what you are looking for! The Military Cross Collection , #5501 is available in both 14K Gold and Sterling Silver. There is a version of the cross for each of the branches of the armed services: US Army, which is a two-tone design, and all-yellow gold designs for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Navy. And, these designs are also available in more-affordable Sterling Silver. Our American Flag Dog Tag Locket, #5089 is available in either 14K Yellow Gold, or Sterling Silver, pictured here. The locket will hold two photos, and could also keep a lock of hair or some other memento of the loved one. Remember, whenever you order a locket or pendant from Viridian Gold, you can add a chain at a reduced price! Just click on the green "Add a Chain" button above the item's description.

Divorce rings?

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No doubt, for a handful of people a divorce is a freeing moment, and a cause for celebration. But, this is not the major emotion felt by the majority of those who experience this life-changing event. Divorce is the second-most stressful life event for an adult, scoring a 73 on a scale of 100 in the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale (the most stressful event, at a score of 100, is the death of a spouse). Since the wedding ring is the symbol of the union with the spouse, the removal of that ring is also symbolic of something now missing. Many people elect to replace the wedding ring with another ring which also holds symbolic meaning, using it as a constant reminder of hope which works against feelings of despair. At Viridian Gold, we do not have any rings that are specifically "divorce rings", but some of our customers have apparently considered some of our rings to be good for that purpose. Recently, a friend of ours in another state ordered the Filigree Rope Cross Ring, #1403 in th

Ask us about custom jewelry!

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Recently, we had a phone call from a customer who was interested in our beautiful 14K Gold Ginkgo Leaf Brooch . She said that she had one exactly like it years ago, but it had been stolen. Except, hers was a pendant and not a brooch--that is, it had a bail in the back instead of a pin. Could we modify our #6007 to make it into a pendant, she asked? Absolutely! Our expert jeweler removed the gold pin and used it to form a bail on the back of the stem of the leaf, as the customer had requested. As usual, a photograph just cannot do justice to such a beautiful and delicate work of art as this piece, but, still, click on the picture to see a larger view of this lovely brooch! So, the moral of this story is: If you see any jewelry item that you wish you could modify, please give us a call! Wen will be happy to discuss this with you, and provide you with a detailed quote for any modifications. That is because we are a full-service jewelry store, not a "drop-shipper!" Every item we

Renewing vows at the Edna Theatre

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Wow, this is the kind of story that really makes my job a lot of fun! Tuesday of last week, we had a phone call from some folks in tiny Edna, TX who wanted to purchase a pair of our Gold Christian Cross Rings, #1001 . They were to celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary in a special way that they did not tell me about until later! So, after we answered lots of questions that they had, they placed their order and we fixed up their rings for them, sizing them with the specific sizes they requested (13-1/2 for him, 6-3/4 for her), and shipped them out. This afternoon, they called to tell me that they received their rings on Saturday, and really liked them, and that they had renewed their wedding vows last night (Sunday). Where did they renew their vows? On the stage at the Edna Theatre where they had their first date! This theatre closed in 1977, and is now being restored to it's former glory. The neon sign has already been completely restored, and was re-lit in a special ceremony on

Yummy Chocolate Pearls!

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Well, they DO look good enough to eat, but since these are real pearls which are dyed a rich chocolate brown, they really would destroy your teeth if you tried to eat one! Quality cultured pearls make up our new Chocolate Pearl jewelry pieces. Each pearl shows its rich lustre through an equally rich chocolate hue--our 6-foot long Chocolate Pearl Rope Strand, #2040 , combines darker brown color pearls with other earthy hues of golden browns and tans! Yes, you read that right--it is 72" long, so it can be looped several times for a dramatic look, especially when paired with matching 14K Yellow Gold Chocolate Pearl Lever Back Earrings, #4360 ! We have also added a more subdued, but still beautiful, matching 14K Yellow Gold Chocolate Pearl Station Necklace and Bracelet, #2106 . And these pearls make a great addition to your jewelry box, because they are great for blue-jeans casual occasions, as well as casual-dressy and all-out glamour ones!

Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry

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Most of us who are over 30 know someone who has suffered from breast cancer, the second most common cause of death among women in the US after lung cancer. In fact, in the US, women have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. To call attention to these serious statistics, many survivors of breast cancer, or friends of those afflicted, choose to wear jewelry carrying the symbols of the fight against this tragic disease. We have recently added some new items to the Viridian Gold Awareness and Causes collection , available in both 14K gold and sterling silver, which call for awareness of breast cancer. The pink ribbon has become the world-wide symbol for breast cancer awareness, and is the basis for new additions to the our store. For instance, the Pink Sapphire Awareness Brooch, #6004 , is constructed of pink 14K gold, and covered with radiant pink sapphires. Our 14K gold Fleur- de - Lis Breast Cancer Awareness Lapel Pins, #6013 , can be worn by men or women t

Emerald? Yes, but......

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From time to time I will be writing about jewelry quality, or lack thereof, with actual examples from my files of jewelry items which illustrate quality issues. For this post, I have selected an emerald and diamond ring which was part of an evaluation shipment we received from a potential supplier. This supplier, by the way, was rejected because even though most of their jewelry items were of acceptable quality, there were quite a few that just don't make the grade, in our opinion. So we figured that if the supplier was OK with sending us this kind of junk, then there was no way we could trust them! Anyway, this item illustrates several important points to look for in a gemstone ring. First of all, the emerald is genuine, but it is absolutely terrible in quality. "Clean" emeralds (that is, gemstones with few internal flaws, or inclusions) are very rare nowadays, so they command a high price. This particular gemstone is completely "occluded", that is, it is opaqu

What is a "Charm Pendant"?

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We have recently added quite a few highly-detailed family-oriented gold charm pendants to our store. These are actually small pendants, and are fitted with a pendant-like bale. But, because they are approximately 3/4" square, they can also be worn as charms on one of our charm bracelets or charm-holder pins . There are quite a few "message charm" designs, which communicate sentiments of affection for Mom, Grandma, and Sister, as well as general heart-shaped designs! And, we also have some special Children and Teen Charm Pendants , suitable for expressing friendship, parental and Godchild relationships. The charm pendant can also be worn around the neck on a pendant chain, making a beautiful necklace suitable for all ages! Since these are also considered pendants, their purchase qualifies for a 20% discount on one of our select pendant chains--just click on the button on the item's description page.

Tarnish-resistant sterling silver?

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In an earlier post, I discussed the care of sterling silver jewelry. Here, though, I wanted to expound on the virtues of a common modification of sterling silver--rhodium plating. For years, rhodium has been used to plate white gold items to make them even whiter--the plating does not change the gold content. In fact, rhodium is many times more expensive than gold, and even more expensive than platinum, on a weight-basis! Since sterling silver is white, but tends to tarnish, the rhodium plating, which is also white, serves to block the oxygen in the air from attacking the silver (which is what causes tarnishing). One example of a rhodium-plated piece is our Sterling Silver Friendship Heart Necklace, #2064 , which includes a sterling silver chain. But, not all sterling silver items will benefit from rhodium plating, because sometimes the patina that the tarnish lends to silver is highly desirable, especially when it is allowed to darken the recesses of a design in a piece of sterling si

Diamond Purity Rings

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We have recently added some beautiful new rings to our collection which couple the cross and heart symbols as a dramatic statement of a woman's committment to abstenance prior to marriage. One of these, our Diamond Purity Ring, #1390 , displays a beautiful budded cross in which is contained a heart. Within the heart glitters a tiny diamond, symbolic of the life of the Spirit within it. A similar ring, our Diamond Hearts/Cross Purity Ring, #1421 , can also be paired with a matching pendant. For more chasitity and purity ring styles, in both silver and gold, see our Religious and Purity Rings section!

Late Gift? Let us send an E-Card for you!

It happens a lot here at Viridian Gold--folks sometimes do not place their gift order in time for their recipient to receive it in time for the special occasion. This Mother's Day, for instance, we had several orders that did not get delivered in time for Mother's day, just because they were placed too late! So, we created a brand-new, free feature to help with this problem! If you place an order with us for a gift, and you want the recipient to know that the gift is coming and when to expect it, then be sure to use our new E-Card service! Just go the Viridian Gold E-Card page and fill in your name and the recipient's email address, and put the E-Card item into your shopping cart along with your gift. When we receive your order, we will use your information to complete the E-Card along with the expected date the gift will be delivered, and email the E-Card to your recipient. It will cost you nothing extra! Your recipient must have an email address for this to work, of cou

More Memorial Pendants

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A while back, I introduced you to a couple of our memorial pendants, and now we have added more of them! Our Small Gold Memorial Tear Pendants are elegant in their simplicity, with the symbol of the tear and the rose. They are available in both yellow (pictured) and white 14K gold, as well as affordable sterling silver. Another unique 2-piece memorial pendant is our rhodium-plated sterling silver "A Tear to Treasure" Pendant . This comes embossed with a moving quotation from Isla Paschal Richardson: "Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you. I loved you so--'twas heaven here with you." The Cubic Zirconia stones are mounted in a separate, open-design, tear-shaped pendant attached to the same ring as the larger solid pendant which contains the quotation. You'll find these, and other beautiful pendants, in our Religious and Family Pendants section !

New Birthstone Jewelry

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We've just added some cool new birthstone jewelry items to our store! You can select birthstones to add to the jewelry, and even have laser-engraved names added on the Heart Charm Pendants ! The Mother's Key Brooch pictured here is priced as fully populated with birthstones (imitation variety). You just have to pick the colors for each location--the heart-shaped handle of the key is for the birthstone of the mother, and the center stone at the end of the key is for the father's birthstone, surrounded by the children's birthstones. The Birthstone Heart Pendants , pictured below, can be populated with a specific number of birthstones, up to six, as shown in the diagrams on the item page. You can choose from lots of other designs on our Birthstone Jewelry page! And, if the process of setting up the stones and locations is just to complicated for you, feel free to call us and we will be more than happy to walk you through the process.

Wide rings and skinny rings...

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If you have ever clicked on our Ring Sizing Help link, and/or ordered our $2.00 Ring Sizing Kit , you may have noticed that we recommend ordering one size larger in wider rings. So, what is a "wider ring" anyway? A great example would be the wider styles in our Domed Gold Wedding Bands . In our ring size kit, the "rings" that you can try on are about 3.5 mm wide, so that could be a big difference compared to, say, a 7mm band. So, why do you need to order the wider bands a little larger? It's because the ring must slide over the knuckle of your finger, and the knuckle is wider than the rest of the finger--but that is good, because it keeps the ring from slipping off the finger (unless the ring size is too large)! The wider the ring, the more it must compress the skin that surrounds the knuckle as it passes over it. A narrow ring does not have to compress as much skin. This is one reason why many rings are "tapered", that is, the bottom of the ring is na

Hollow Jewelry: Cheap or smart?

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Gold prices, like crude oil, have skyrocketed--see my previous post. One way that jewelry manufacturers have attempted to address this is by making some jewelry designs that use less gold. For instance, we carry lots of crucifix pendants, and one of these, our Byzantine-style crucifix, #5441 , is made with a unique, hollow construction. The front of the crucifix carries an intricate design, and the back is flat, with a delicate, "engine-turned" finish. But, the pendant only weighs just over 2 grams in the 1 5/16" size. If you compare this with some other cross and crucifix pendants we carry, you will notice that it is lighter in weight than some other styles that have similar dimensions. That's because this crucifix is hollow--if it was solid, it would probably cost about twice as much! You see, a piece of jewelry that is labeled "14K Gold" must be 100% 14K gold--it cannot have any other metals as part of its construction. So, if the inside of this crucifi

What's happening with Gold prices....

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When you are in the jewelry business, you have to keep up with the price of gold, because the majority of the items you sell are affected by that. And, lately, gold has soared in price. Why is that? Mainly because the US Dollar has declined in value as compared to other currencies, especially the Euro. And, the price of crude oil has been rising steadily. Coupled with the shaky US economy (according to some folks), these trends cause investors to run for cover and put their money into something that they feel will have lasting value--Gold. As you can see from the chart (courtesy of Goldprice.org ), gold has tripled in value over the last 5 years, and since September of 2007 it has risen about 50%! You can click on the graph to get a larger view. Gold prices have receded in the last couple of weeks after peaking at $1000 per ounce, but it remains very high compared to historical levels. Don't be surprised to see it resume an upward trend in the near future as crude oil continues to

What is an "illusion" setting?

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Diamonds are just plain beautiful! Let me qualify that statement, though: GOOD diamonds are beautiful. Just because a stone is actually a diamond, that fact alone doesn't make it beautiful, or valuable. That's why the old "4 C's" are so important when describing a diamond. A 1-carat diamond can vary in price from $10,000 (for a VS-clarity, E-color) to $1,000 (for an I2-clarity, J-color). You can see that quality is absolutely the most important factor to understand when buying a diamond--it's what determines a diamond's beauty. So, it really is better to get a smaller stone that is of higher quality, than to have a big "rock" that is off-color and/or full of black and grey specks! If you want to buy a good quality diamond, but can't afford anywhere close to that amount, what should you do? One approach is to have it mounted in a setting which shows off the diamond by making it appear larger than it really is. The light that is collected an

How to buy jewelry online

I recently wrote an online article, Buying Jewelry Online? Here Are 7 Checkpoints To Make Sure You Don't Get Ripped Off! , which describes some common failings of online jewelry stores. You should not have any problem finding reputable online stores, but it is amazing to me how many fly-by-night stores there are out there! So, if you are new to this market, please read the article (click on the title to go to the link) and hopefully it will help you avoid some of the worst offenders. But, some of our otherwise reputable competitors are nevertheless guilty of shady practices when it comes to advertising "sale" prices. If the store is a member of the Better Business Bureau, they must not advertise fake sale prices. In other words, the advertised "original price" must be the price at which the merchant actually sold the item before, and the "sale price" must be temporary, just like a real sale would be. This is one reason why you do not find the BBB seal

Debit Card "bank holds"

Sometimes we have customers who are surprised at the way banks handle their online debit card purchases--it is very different from a credit card transaction! When you place an order using a debit card with us, or with any online store, your bank immediately puts the entire amount of your order on hold. You cannot spend that money, but it does not mean that we have your money! So, if you cancel your order or make a change to your order which changes the original order amount, the bank "hold" for the original amount will still be present in your account! This is because the bank has no other way of making sure that the funds are available when the online merchant actually "charges" your card, and we don't do that until we ship your order (unless it is a custom order). This is only a problem when customers cancel or change their original order. If you use a credit card, a similar thing happens, but it only affects your credit line. If this happens to you b

How are rings sized?

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In an earlier post, I talked about ring sizing but did not go into details about how that is done. So, here are a few highlights. Most rings are manufactured in a standard size, but it is not exact. The majority of rings are made for women, in a nominal size 6. If a specific style for a man is offered, it will usually be a nominal size 10 (recently, some manufacturers have begun using 7 and 11 as nominal sizes). If you require a size 8 in our Diamond Heart Ring, #1357 , for instance, it will have to be "sized up" by 2 sizes from a nominal size 6. Sizing up, for most ring styles, requires that the jeweler cut the ring's shank, open the gap, and insert more metal. The metal must then be soldered to the original ring and smoothed and polished so that the modification is invisible. If the ring is 14K gold, then 14K gold is used for both the new metal insert and the solder, so that the ring is still composed of all 14K gold. If the nominal size 6 ring was required to be a si

Engraving the old fashioned way!

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We offer our customers an engraving service--many of our items can be engraved, such as rings, crosses and other pendants. But there are some restrictions because of very practical considerations. For instance, some pendants may be "hollow" on the back, meaning that its surface is not flat, but is molded in such a way that the back is concave (this is done to reduce the amount of gold used to make the pendant, thereby keeping the cost down). Or, the size of the item may be too small for engraving-- gold wedding bands , for instance, need to be no smaller than about 3mm to leave room for readable text! Usually, if an item can be engraved, we will state this in the description, but if you have a question, please feel free to call or email us! Some items, such as lockets , do not have flat surfaces and are easily dented by too much pressure during the engraving process. So, using a computer-controlled engraving machine would probably damage most lockets! That is why all of our

Omega Chains: Flexible or Inflexible?

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Ever wonder about the types of Omega Chain that we describe on our website? Well, here are some answers: Omega chain comes in several types--there's reversible omega (it's cross section is a "flattened oval", white gold on one side and yellow on the other like our 6mm #7124 shown here), flexible omega (it's round and "soft", flexible like a snake chain) and " round omega " which is round also, but more stiff than flexible omega. Then there is " solid, or domed, omega ", which is really a round omega that has been flattened into a crescent cross section, so that the top is domed and the back is concave. Round, domed and reversible omega chain are by design rather stiff--they form a circle when worn around the neck, rather than drooping down the chest like a pendant chain. Some domed omegas can even be "graduated", meaning they are wider at the front, and narrower at the back of the neck where the clasp is. You can hang a pend

Just call or email to get special service!

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Normally, we tell our customers that they should allow up to 5 days for custom-sized rings, but sometimes they just can't wait that long! We had a California customer call after 5:00pm two days ago, and he needed a "stand-in" ring because he was planning to propose on Friday (today)! Apparently, he was experiencing some unforeseen delay in purchasing a diamond ring (from another jewelry store) because of the rarity of the colored diamond. But, he needed a nice ring so he could propose! He had selected the white gold Joined by Christ Wedding Band, #1018 , and needed it shipped immediately. He preferred a size 5 1/2, but the quickest we could get that one to him (because it required custom sizing) would have just cut it too close, so I suggested he purchase a size 6, which is a stocked size for that item. And, though we prefer to not do this, we also arranged to have the ring and gift box shipped overnight directly from our supplier. He got it on Thursday, in plenty of tim

Dear Abby and diamond rings: What affects cost?

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Today "Dear Abby" had a letter from a woman whose fiancé had given her yellow gold jewelry, which she does not like--she is asking if it is OK to return it because she has always preferred white gold. For some reason, her finacé got the impression that he could save money by buying yellow gold instead of white gold! I was trying to figure out how that could be possible. One possibility is that his jeweler was pricing the white gold stuff higher than yellow gold--however, most pieces at Viridian Gold, if available in both colors, are priced the same (there are a few small exceptions). Is there maybe another reason, other than just pure fraud on the part of the fiancé's jeweler? Well, you probably already know that for a gold, diamond solitaire engagement ring, the biggest cost swinger is the diamond itself (unless it is a very small diamond). And, diamond cost goes up as the quality goes up. One big measure of quality in a diamond is its color. It is well-known in the jewe