Jewelries on a Budget: Cheap But Neat!

A nice piece of jewelry can brighten up your entire day. It can bring together an outfit and make you feel great. Paying a lot for that piece of jewelry however, doesn’t make you feel very good. There is a lot of variation in the jewelry industry, and prices can fluctuate greatly between vendors. Your job as a bargain shopper is to find the best quality pieces at the lowest prices. Here you'll find a few tips to get you started in your bargain jewelry hunting journey.

When looking for a good piece of jewelry, you need to understand what you are looking at. Read up on the 4 C’s of diamond grading, as well as the terminology for gold and silver rating. This knowledge will help you find the best jewelry deal possible. Don’t get hung up on brand names. Often times, you are paying more for the name itself not the piece of jewelry. Pay special attention to the picture of the piece of jewelry. It should have adequate lighting and give you a good idea of what the piece looks like in person. Ask about the companies return policy, in case you find that the piece is not what you thought it would be.

Whenever possible, try to shop at a discount jewelry store. The quality is often the same as a name brand store, but the prices are significantly lower. Look online for a list of discount jewelry vendors, or try your hand at a closeout site. If a company is going out of business, they will sell their inventory to a closeout site, in order to make some of their money back. The closeout site then offers the products at very deep discounts. You can try overstock.com for deals on just about anything that you can think of. For an even better deal try going to an online coupon website. You can find coupon codes for a variety of different stores and items. You may be surprised at what you find! Be weary of auction sites when buying jewelry. Many of the sellers are unfamiliar with jewelry terms, and can mislead you into buying something that isn’t right. Ask plenty of questions before committing.

Buying jewelry on a budget has never been easier. With a huge assortment of discount websites, you can find anything and everything at less than the retail price. Imagine how much more your budget will allow, since you are saving so much money!

Choosing Your Very Own Unique Wedding Band

You’re in the market for your wedding rings. You've put a lot of thought into them, and you don't want the plain bands everyone else is wearing. You want something different, more unique. Here’s some ideas to toss around.

You can have custom bands done by a jeweler. You could pick a theme that’s important to both of you. Or you could just choose a style and design you both like. When you choose your jeweler make certain he is creating a one of a kind set for you and then disposing of the mold. Otherwise, your unique bands won’t be unique for long. Choose a design and style that fits your likes and lifestyle. It will give a hint of your personality and make your fashion statement!

You can choose a different mix of metals. Titanium has become very popular, as has stainless. You might find something a little different in these metals. They won’t be truly unique, but they won’t be common either. You can also choose from white gold, platinum, gold, sterling, and a host of mixes.

Celtic bands have become very popular, offering a host of various celtic knots. Dragon bands have also gained popularity. There are some very unique and unusual Celtic Bands on the market. They are works of art with plenty of history tied to the designs.

Engraving on the bands has become very popular. In the past one might engrave something on the inside of the band, but these days inscriptions are being engraved on the exterior as well.

Wanting to engrave them, but don’t want them to say the same old thing you always see like your wedding date, or I love you. Then come up with your original saying or inscription. Something that is important to you.

Here are a few more unusual inscriptions you might want to consider. Amor VIncit Omia, latin that means – love conquers all, Now & Forever, From This Moment On, Mon Coeur est a vous French – my heart is yours.

If your looking for something funnier try – Nonrefundable, All sales final, Or I can’t return him/her I lost the manual. Something simpler, try your wedding date with your initials, how about the title of your wedding song, or the title of your favorite song, My best friend, Love is Eternal. Symbols work nicely also.

Uniqueness depends on you as a couple. By this time in your relationship you know what is special to both of you, so choose a theme and go with it!

Affordable Jewelry for Everyone to Enjoy

For centuries sparkling, beautiful jewels have been THE sign of wealth and luxury the world over. Wearing quality jewelry makes just about everyone feel special and look better. Jewels have had such a long and lasting importance in our world that we give them as a sign of our most treasured possession -- a long-term relationship.

Increasingly, wearing fine jewelry can be a noticeable sign of your success and achievement. Walk into a business meeting wearing an eye-catching ring, bracelet, or watch and your stature immediately rises as perceived by those around you. Your ideas seem more important and your power to prevail increases.

Centuries ago only Kings and Queens could afford jewels. Even in recent years, only the well-healed could afford a nice selection of quality jewels.

You could expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $5,000 for a nice piece of jewelry. That meant either wiping out your retirement account or making monthly payments, sometimes for years.

Today all that has changed for the better. Recent changes and discoveries in the jewelry market have made wearing fine jewelry more affordable than ever in history. Gold rings with genuine stones can now be purchased online and elsewhere for well under $100. I recently found a genuine white gold diamond ring for just $129.99.

Another option that is used today to keep the costs affordable is to use a sterling silver base and coat it with gold. Prior to this method, the only affordable jewelry was to use sterling silver but it had the disadvantage of tarnishing. This new method offers many advantages. It does not tarnish because it is gold plated, it is more beautiful than sterling silver and it is certainly more affordable.

Those kinds of prices put fine jewelry in a whole new light. For many of us, the $100 to $150 range falls into the realm of an easy purchase. You can buy it just because it makes you feel good without having any impact on your budget.

New much lower jewelry prices mean you can have a different style or color of jewelry to go with each of your suits. You can have a several-piece collection of similar designs to go with each of your favorite dresses.

Perhaps even more important, it's easy to give nice jewelry as a gift, even if for no other reason than you were just thinking how much you value the recipient.

Repairing Jewelries

If you're into jewelry making business, then you definitely need to know how maintain and repair these jewelries in case something goes wrong. If you can offer your clients free or discounted repair service, you will find that you have better customer relations. Even better if you could offer guarantee your pieces and offer free repairs for a specified period of time after the sale. This is a good business strategy and it will set you apart from many of your competitors.

Repairing jewelries may not be as hard since you're the one who made them on the first place. The repair that is needed is probably the simple replacement of a piece on the jewelry, such as a clasp or replacing a stone that has come lose. This type of work can usually be done quickly, and at very little expense. However, in order to offer a business with good service, you may need to repair jewelries that weren't made by you. In this case, you need to learn some jewelry repairing skill, and you need to purchase some jewelry making or jewelry repair tools. These tools are very small, and they were specifically designed to make or repair jewelry. For the most part, these tools are very inexpensive.

One piece of equipment that you will need is a magnifying glass that stands on its own, allowing you to use both of your hands. You also need very good lighting that can be pointed directly onto the jewelry that you are repairing. Both of these are essential if you want to do a good job, and avoid eye strain at the same time.

You will need some jewelry supplies as well, such as extra clasps, chains, and possibly even gemstones. Of course, you don’t want to keep too much of this on hand, as you may never use any of it…so use your best judgment here.

If you're selling jewelries that aren't made by you, instead you get them from a wholesale jewelry company, find out if they offers guarantee services. If they do, then it will be good news for you. If not, things could get a little tricky since factory manufactured jewelries need more sophisticated tools to repair. Try to find someone that offers repairing services for these kind of jewelries and you could calculate the repair fees before you decide on a price for a piece of jewelry.

Be creative. And most importantly, think about what you could do in order to provide good wholesome services to satisfy your clients.

Jewelry for All Occasions

Nowadays it seems everyone is getting body piercing. Belly chains, belly rings, nose rings, ear rings, and other rings are common today. If you like sexy and stylish the online shopping market offers a variety of body jewelry including the “Double Thong Sterling Silver Bali and Hematite Barefoot Sandals” anklets. If you have multiple body-piercing then you may enjoy a “Swarovski Crystal and Faux Pearl Bali Choker/Nipple Chain.” The chain starts as a necklace and crosses down between your breasts, over to nipples, and centers down to the pit of your belly.

Toe rings are also common pieces of jewelry today that provides an exotic sex appeal. Sterling silver toe rings, with special designs can give a sex appeal, and a stylish affect. If you are looking for body chains, belly chains, anklets, toe rings, rings, earrings, and other types of jewelry for all occasions, it makes sense to shop online. Some of the best prices for jewelry are available online. Even if you are looking for Tongue Rings, you can get a good deal at most stores online. If you are looking for great deals, sexy or casual jewelry, shopping online can make your adventure a rewarding event.

The World Wide Web has a wide variety of jewelry to choose from, and offers the best prices on the web. Regardless of the occasion or the need for jewelry, online shopping is easier for selecting the right piece. Everyday a couple is married. If you are searching for that wedding band in the “traditional metal bands,” (also known as the gold bands), or if you prefer diamonds, shopping online is the choice for you. If you prefer the shiny look the “1/10” Carrot “Diamond Chevron Band in 14K White Gold” the ring is available for less than $300. The elegant piece of jewelry is shiny, and has diamonds that circle half way around the ring. Other rings are available for less, while others cost more; it depends on your tastes, style and budget.

The advantage of buying jewelry online is that some of the online stores offer payment plans, making it more convenient for your jewelry need. Jewelry adds style to your everyday or occasional events. Classical jewelry, streamlined, or comprehensive jewelry can make the most of a wonderful or dull moment. Having the right necklace with a perky outfit can set an opinion off right when going for a job interview. Bracelets, rings, and other jewels can also add a charm to your appearance. If you are searching for that special gift, you might want to take a look at the variety of engravings available. Many online shopping stores sell engrave able bracelets, rings, watches, and more, and you get choices between sterling silver, gold, and diamonds. White Gold is also available at many of the online jewelry stores offer an added appeal to all occasions. Whether you are searching for sexy, casual, stylish, or traditional, shopping online is where it is at.

Starting Out on Custom Jewelry Business

If you have a great sense of style and creativity, you should consider constructing quality custom jewelry for individual clients. If you are good at it, you will find that you have customers calling you over and over again to construct special pieces for them, or as gifts for others.

Making custom jewelry is not so hard. Again, you need a sense of style and creativity but the skills and knowledge needed to make jewelry are very easy to master. The object is to make your pieces unique and exclusive. When a client wears your jewelry, they should wear it knowing that there is none other like it in the whole world!

Working with clients is actually the hardest part. You need to get a picture in your mind that matches the picture that is in their minds. Never construct the piece while they are watching because this is in effect teaching them how to do it themselves, and you will probably lose a customer. Never let them know just how easy it is!

Talk at length with the client. This way you will know what they like and dislike and their personality which could help you to design a piece that suits them. If the piece is to be a gift for someone else, ask lots of questions about that person, and if possible, meet them in person yourself. Remember that uniqueness and exclusivity are the key to making this type of business successful. However, great communication with the clients is equally important as well.

Many clients will want you to make custom jewelry using stones or gems that they already have. They may even want you to just enhance a piece that they already have. Before you start doing this, make sure that you have the skill and qualifications necessary to do this work. You do not want to destroy a client’s beloved jewelry! Make sure that you ask about the history of the piece, and find out what special meaning that piece holds for your client as well.

Of course, you will purchase the pieces that you need to make the custom jewelry from wholesale resources. Just make sure that you are buying quality parts and look for sources for unique jewelry making supplies as well. Usually imported pieces are great sources for uniqueness. You will have to quote your client a price before you start, so be careful here. You don’t want to lose money. Once you’ve quoted a price, deduct 15% to 30% from it. Think of the remainder as your ‘budget’ when buying supplies to make the custom jewelry.

Buying Beads for Jewelry Making

When purchasing beads, you must be very careful. You don’t want to end up with beads that are not worth a thing to you. Selecting beads takes a lot of thought and I'm not talking about plastic beads that children use to make jewelry. I mean the higher quality ones used to make grown up jewelries.

Avoid cheap plastic beads. This may be suitable for some pieces, but it isn’t very durable or very flattering, for that matter. Instead, buy glass beads or Lucite beads. These beads are very sparkly and pretty. They do not have that ‘cloudy’ look of plastic beads.

Inspect the beads for imperfections if possible. Beads that are ‘lopsided’ simply won’t do. Beads that are chipped, broken, or scratched are useless. Don’t purchase these beads no matter how cheap they are. You wouldn't want your jewelry to turn out looking like a broken pieces, right?

Most beads are sold in bulk. In this case, you probably won’t have the opportunity to inspect each beads. So ask about the exchange policy. Will you be able to exchange the beads that are less than perfect? Some company may not have this kind of policy. In that case, make sure you buy from a trustworthy seller or one that has a good reputation.

Making and Distributing Your Jewelry Catalog

So you want to sell your jewelry? Well, selling jewelries is a big business, and you definitely need a catalog of your offerings! Making a catalog isn’t as difficult as you might think. First, you have two options: an online catalog or a printed catalog. The choice is yours.

Overall, an online catalog is the least expensive way to advertise your jewelry company – but with all of the online jewelry stores and online wholesalers, it may not be the most effective way to make sales. A printed catalog should strongly be considered for a direct mailing.

If you make your own jewelry, you will need to get good pictures of the jewelry, preferably laid on a velvet setting. Black or blue velvet will bring out the jewelry the most. You can take these pictures yourself with a digital camera, or have a professional take the photographs. It is cheaper to do it yourself, of course.

Load the pictures up onto your computer, and use publishing software, such as Microsoft Publisher to design and layout your catalog. This may take a little time and patience, but it is much cheaper than having someone else do it.

Since you will need hundreds, if not thousands of copies of your catalog, your best bet will be to save the catalog on a CD and take it to a print shop that can handle the job. This will cost money – especially since the pages need to be glossy and in color, and the catalog will need to be bound – but this expense will be well worth it if you will be doing a mass direct mailing.

In order to do a mass direct mailing, you simply find a reputable company who either sells mailing lists or does the mailing for you. You can actually request lists of mailing addresses where the person has expressed an interest in purchasing your jewelries or any other criteria that you set for that matters. In most cases, it is best to have the company handle the mailing for you. They will get the best rates on the mailing because they can use the bulk mail rate.Make sure that you use a reputable printer, and a reputable direct mail company! This is an investment in the future of your business, and your jewelry wholesale catalog needs to be perfect in every way – and the mailing needs to go off without a hitch!

Buying Jewelry as Christmas Gift for Your Girlfriend

Christmas is around the corner and it's that time of the year when you men got to go out there, face your fear, and do some shopping! There are tons affordable jewelry gift ideas any of which could be a good Christmas gift for girlfriend or lucky girl out there. The trick in buying jewelry for your special girl is in finding something that she likes. Do know that it's easier than it sounds. But with the right tips you may find it enjoyable and rather satisfying.

This may sound incredibly obvious to you, yet it needs to be said... Pay attention to the jewelries that she wears. Some of you might have the illusion to be spontaneous and tried to pick jewelry to your own liking. Although it is a sweet thing to do, it may not be a perfect gift for her. You don’t want that, don’t you?

If she wears gold, buy gold. If she wears silver, buy silver. I promise you that she's not wearing anything that she doesn't like, unless it's something you bought for her last Christmas. Figure out if she prefers jewelry that is very fancy and ornate, or simple and understated. Is there a pendant or earrings that she wears everyday, or saves for special occasions? These may seems petty but it’s the best clue there is out there to help you pick out that perfect gift.

One more piece of advice: Don't buy a ring as a Christmas gift for girlfriend unless you’re planning to propose. Now, that would be a nice move isn’t it? One ring for 2 special occasions, Christmas and getting engage!

Tips to Sell A Diamond

There are many reasons why you may want to sell a diamond that you own. Perhaps you’ve gotten divorced, or you are strapped for cash. The reasons why don’t really matter – getting the best possible price is what counts! The way to obtain the best price for the diamond is to not be in a rush. Slow down, and carefully consider all of your options – there are many.

First, have the diamond appraised. In fact, have it appraised by two or three jewelers to get an accurate idea of the diamonds value. Tell the appraiser that you want the Rapaport Value. This is the wholesale value of the diamond, and it basically tells you the highest price that you can sell your diamond for. If your diamond has no certificate, you should consider getting a certificate from GIA. This may help you get a better price for the diamond as well.

First, try to sell the diamond yourself, to people you know. Friends and family members may be interested. If you don’t have any luck with friends or family members, you should turn to outside sources. Absolutely avoid pawn shops! A pawn shop will only offer you about 10% of what the diamond is worth! Also avoid offers of selling the ring on consignment. There are many things that can go wrong, and there is no shortage of diamond scams – even in well known jewelry stores.

If the diamond is important, you should strongly consider auctioning it off through one of the famous auction houses, such as Christie’s or Sotheby’s. If it isn’t what is considered an ‘important’ diamond or a high-end diamond, you should try to sell it to an individual using classified ads, or even eBay. However, selling to an individual that you do not know could put you in danger – especially if the diamond is worth a lot of money.

Your final option should be a jewelry store. It is vital that you not let your diamond out of your sight while in the jewelry store – you might find that the diamond you walked in with is not the same diamond that you walk out with! The jeweler will try to tell you that your diamond is of poor quality or low weight. Inevitably, there will be some problem with the diamond. This is where your appraisal and/or certificate will come in handy.

If the jeweler is fair, they will offer you between 60% and 80% of the value of the Rapaport Value. Do not accept anything less than this. Again, do not let the diamond out ofyour sight until you have been paid for it.

Guides for Buying Diamond Online

With all of the potential for scams concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable! However, you actually can purchase diamonds online, without any problems – as long as you are careful.

First, think about your reasons for wanting to purchase the diamond online, as opposed to making a purchase from a local jewelry store. The most common reason is price. Due to low overhead costs, online jewelers and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices. However, you must be careful – sometimes a price that is too low is a sure indication of a scam.

One of the best things about purchasing online is the unlimited selection. When shopping offline, you are limited to the selection in the stores in your general area. Online, there are no limits. But again, you must use a great deal of care and consideration before handing your money over to someone that you cannot see and have never met!

Before shopping, learn as much as you can about diamonds – especially cut, color, clarity and carat weights. When you are knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once you know more about diamonds, you will be ready to start shopping.

Take your time. Don’t purchase the first diamond that you see that interests you. Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale. Do some comparison shopping to find the lowest prices. Once you have found thelowest price, start doing your investigation. You know about diamonds, you’ve found a diamond that you love, and you’ve found the lowest price – but you are still quite a ways away from actually purchasing that diamond!

Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as professional jewelry associations that they belong to. View and print the seller’s return, refund, and upgrade policies. Also inquire about additional services, such as settings and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do a search for customer reviews on this particular company around the Internet. Alsocheck with the BBB Online to see if there have been any complaints.

Ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD, EGL or AGS. You should see this before making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable escrow service for high dollar diamonds – preferably one that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession. The seller sends the diamond to the escrow service, and you send the money to pay for the diamond to the escrow service. The escrow service has the diamond appraised, sends the diamond to you, and sends the money to the seller. This is the surest way to protect yourself…again, make sure that you use a reputable escrow service!

Benefits of Bonded Diamonds

Before you start shopping for diamonds, consider dealing with a bonded jeweler. Bonded jewelers sell bonded diamonds, and there are very few bonded jewelers in the world. In fact, out of all of the jeweler’s in the world, only about 5% of them are bonded. Buying a bonded diamond will cost more than buying a non-bonded diamond, but when you look at what you get with the bonded option, you will see that it is well worth the extra expense.

First, bonded diamonds have a buy back policy for the life of the diamond. No matter how long you have had the diamond, you can take it back to the bonded jeweler and sell it back to him or her, for a 100% refund. If a jeweler does not offer a 100% buy back guarantee, for the life of the diamond, then you should take a closer look at the diamond to see what is wrong with it.

Bonded diamonds also have a breakage policy. If the stone breaks or chips, the bonded jeweler will replace it with a new one – one time. No jeweler would ever offer such a policy on any stone that was not 100% natural, so just the offer of such a policy should give you piece of mind concerning the quality of the diamond. Bonded diamonds are natural and untreated.

Bonded diamonds increase in value, with a fixed appreciation rate that is designed to keep up with inflation. This means that a diamond that is worth a certain amount of money today will be worth more in the future, as the price of diamonds continues to rise. This generally does not apply to buy backs, however. It typically applies to trade-ins.

Alternately, by purchasing a bonded diamond, you are protected against the possibility of a market crash. If a market crash occurs, the value of diamonds will drop. However, the bonded jeweler guarantees to refund you the difference between what the diamond is now worth and what you paid for it before the market crash.

It may be difficult to find a bonded jeweler in your area, but if you can, this is who you want to deal with, as opposed to dealing with an un-bonded jeweler. Specifically tell the jeweler that you are only interested in bonded diamonds. You can find a bonded jeweler in your area by using various online resources, or by calling the local jewelry stores.

Buying jewelry wholesale and setting up your own online jewelry store... Sounds fun!

Opening your own jewelry store has never been easier than it is now. In fact, you can use the Internet to open your own online jewelry store and never stock a single piece of jewelry! In fact, your jewelry store could be open for business in less than a day – and the only thing you would need to do is market it! This is pretty much an instant business.

First, find jewelry wholesale suppliers. If you want a truly ‘hands-off’ business, find a wholesaler who will drop ship to your customers. This way, you never have to handle any of the stock. Here is how it works. You get your website set up, with an online catalog of all of the jewelry that you offer. You market that site to the public. Customers start visiting your site, and they place orders. You forward those orders to the drop shipper, and the drop shipper handles the rest!

Most wholesalers will require you to pay for the merchandise before it is shipped. This shouldn’t be a problem because you will require your customers to pay for their orders at the time the order is placed. Of course, you charge more for the jewelry than the wholesaler charges you.

In most cases, you will be allowed to set your own prices. Look to see what the wholesaler charges you, including shipping, then add 15% to 30% to that price. This is what you should charge your customers.

If you aren’t sure how to go about setting up a website, you can probably find a wholesaler who will provide you with a website. Most of these wholesalers charge a fee for the site, and your site will usually look like all of their other distributors. This should be your last option.

You may consider opening an eBay store. There is a fee for this as well, but at least your store will be unique. You can also bypass the eBay store and simply set up eBay auctions, which are very affordable for everyone. Make sure that you set a minimum reserve price for the jewelry that you are selling so that you don’t lose money, and make sure that the buyer pays all shipping costs and insurance.

Again, setting up an online jewelry store with jewelry wholesale is one of the easiest ways to start a business today. You can literally be up and running in a few short hours, and making money within twenty-four hours of ‘opening your doors!’

Pricing strategies for selling jewelry

Pricing is an issue that many people in the jewelry business often worry about. However, there is a method that you can easily use, whether you purchase jewelry wholesale or make your own jewelry. Pricing is very important. You don’t want to charge too much, because you won’t sell anything. On the other hand, you want to make sure that you charge enough to make a profit.

If you purchase your jewelry at wholesale prices, a markup of 15% to 30% is usual, and people will pay these prices. In the grand scheme of things, apply the 30% markup, and make that the ‘regular’ price. When you need to move merchandise hold a sale, and use the 15% markup price as the sale price.

If you make your own jewelry, determine the total cost of the piece, including the cost of supplies, shipping, warehousing and packaging, then apply a 15% markup. With the 15% markup, your jewelry will be priced at the wholesale price. If you sell the jewelry to the general public yourself, as opposed to selling it to retailers, apply the retail price, which in this case would be about 45% above your costs.