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Showing posts from 2014

Why are larger diamonds so much more expensive?

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A customer who recently requested a quote for an upgraded diamond on one of our engagement rings had a good question.  He wanted the 1/4 carat diamond in the standard ring to be replaced by a 1/3 or 1/2 carat stone of the same quality .  My quote to him for both sizes showed the 1/2 carat diamond costing much more than he expected, given my quote for the 1/3 carat one.  He asked why the larger diamond was so much more. You would think that the 0.5 carat diamond would be about 1.5 times more expensive than the 0.33 carat one, right?  After all, 0.5 is about 1.5 times 0.33.  But, in actuality, the 1/2 carat diamond costs us over 2.5 times what the 1/3 carat costs us from our diamond supplier!  So, even though we don't mark up the larger diamond as much, we still have to sell it for a lot more than the smaller one. The other problem is that upgrading from a 1/4 carat to a 1/3 carat is a small jump, and our supplier's cost/carat is about the same for those two sizes.  So

Online Ratings: Is rating the seller or the item more important?

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When you shop for items online, what is important to you?  Perhaps you have noticed that many online stores show "customer" reviews of individual items. Some items that you shop for online need to be scrutinized to see if they are going to perform the way you expect.  For instance, if I buy an electronics device which is complex, say a disc drive for my computer, I want to make sure that it hooks up and works as advertised, and that it does not fail in the first few months of use.  So, it is helpful to see what people say about that.  But, a hugely problematic issue with individual item ratings on most websites, is that they are so easily faked.  There is no safeguard to prevent anyone, including the seller, from posting a number of positive reviews of a particular item. But, for many purchases, the quality of the seller is more important than reading an individual's personal opinion about a particular item: Does the seller honestly describe the items they sell on

The "Illusion Setting" explained

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Many of our diamond rings at ViridianGold.com are made with a special type of mounting for the diamond, called an illusion setting .  This type of setting was created to enhance the appearance of the diamond mounted within it.  The diamond is surrounded by a white gold "platter" which contains ridges to catch and scatter the light into and out of the diamond.  The prongs of the setting may be spaced to hold the platter as if it were a larger stone (with the diamond mounted on another set of prongs within the platter), or the prongs may support the diamond within the platter as shown at left. The first type is used in our  Diamond Solitaire Engagement Rings #1229  illustrated below. The intention of such a design is to highlight the beauty of the diamond--a poor-quality stone will actually look worse in an illusion setting!  Diamond pricing is directly proportional to the quality of the diamond , that is, its color, cut, and any impurities embedded within it (called in

Hollow/Tubular, v.s. Solid Wedding Rings

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Because the price of gold has gone up so much in the last 5 years, we are seeing more gold jewelry that uses techniques to reduce the gold content of the piece, and thereby lower the cost.  One recently resurrected concept is the manufacture of wedding bands which are hollow on the inside.  So, your ring will look exactly like a solid ring, but it will weigh much less, and therefore cost less!  But.... Hollow rings, sometimes referred to as tubular, or "Silk Fit Ⓡ", cannot be re-sized like a solid ring.  And, because they are hollow, they can be easily dented in normal use.  Once dented, they cannot be easily repaired, if at all.  And, they may not even cost less... For example, I found a size 10, 14K white gold "Silk Fit Ⓡ" band on eBay, listed for $170.  The gold weight is listed as 1.2 grams.  Our 14K White Gold Comfort Fit Gold Band in a size 10 is shown on our website today as $239.00, and the gold weight is 3.1 grams, over two and a half times more gol

The Christian Jewelry Shop now part of ViridianGold.com

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The Christian Jewelry Shop website was created by us in 2007 to feature rings, wedding rings and pendants of interest to Christians. We have decided to close that site, and redesign ViridianGold.com, our main site created in 2005. Back then, our main site did not have much "religious jewelry" on it. However, over the years we have added all of the items that used to be on Christian Jewelry Shop, along with many more, in all price ranges, in our Faith and Family section. You will find many more Christian items now, such as our Sterling Silver, Ichthus Fish Ring , shown above, which carries the ancient symbol of early Christianity. Other jewelry now available are numerous children's religious items, such as our Child's Pearl Cross Necklace , in yellow 14K gold, including a 15" gold chain (also available in white gold). As always, you get free shipping, and you can have many items engraved, as well has have our rings custom sized to your specifications.

Gifts for Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

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Looking for that perfect gift for those special members of your wedding party?  At Viridian Gold, we are pleased to offer a selection of gifts to honor your bridesmaids, maid of honor, best man and groomsmen. Make your selection from affordable items of pearl jewelry, sterling silver jewelry, and non-jewelry gifts, such as small jewelry cases.  For pearl gifts, we suggest our Freshwater Pearl Station Necklace and Earring Set #2092 , pictured on the left, or our Pearl Bracelet #3036 , which is available in six, pearl color combinations.  For sterling silver bridesmaids' gifts, two of our most popular items are designer Deborah Birdoes'  Friendship Heart Necklace #2064  and our Sterling Silver Diamond Heart Locket #5168 . You may also choose from a selection of sterling silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  Charm bracelets, such as our Sterling Charm Bracelet #3073 , make wonderful bridesmaids' gifts, or view our   CZ Drop Earring and Necklace Set #2179 .

Crosses for Children

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We have recently added a number of small crosses which are ideal gifts for children.  These crosses include a 16" yellow-gold-filled chain at no charge.  Options are offered for 14K gold, 14" chains, as well as other lengths, and these can be selected when you order the cross. For instance, at left our  Child's Budded Cross Necklace  is available in 14K yellow or white gold and is 9/16" tall -- is perfect for a baptism gift.  A colorful alternative is our Child's Dedication Cross , at right, which is made of sterling silver, with a blue or pink enamel interior.  It includes a 14" sterling silver chain, too. See our Children's Religious Jewelry page for a huge selection of cross pendants and necklaces, as well as earrings, in both sterling silver and 14K gold.