We all have old and broken jewelry that we never intend to fix or wear again. There it sits, cluttering up your jewelry drawer or jewelry box, appearing to be worthless. Here is a nice surprise! Old and broken gold jewelry is like cash in your pocket! It is common practice today to get cash for gold jewelry.

Gold has always been the standard by which money is based and despite fluctuations in its value, gold has been consistently the top valued precious metal in the world for thousands of years.  Just because a gold serpentine chain that you wore in the 80’s is kinked and missing the clasp doesn’t mean it has no value. Getting cash for gold jewelry will show you just how valuable it can be.

Sell Your Gold for Cash Today

There are a variety of stores and brokers who give cash for gold, including jewelry stores, pawn shops and some precious metal brokers. While gold brokers may offer top dollar for the highly valuable metal, many have no interest in giving cash for gold on jewelry whereas pawn shops and jewelry stores are likely to have high interest. Shopping around for the highest bidder can offer you the ability to increase the amount of cash for gold you might receive.

Pawn shops will typically buy broken and out of fashion jewelry and fix it up for resale. Some highly damaged pieces, such as that kinked serpentine necklace, may not sell to many pawn shops for the simple fact that it cannot be easily repaired. Pawn shops are all about turnaround so many won’t want to invest in costly repairs for little return. If you choose to use a pawn shop for your transaction, if at all possible, don’t take the first offer. Get several estimates from different pawn shops so you can find the best place to make the most cash for gold.

Jewelry stores are the ideal place to get the most cash for gold. While mall jewelry stores are not in the market for your broken jewelry, family owned or home town jewelers will love to take it off of your hands. Generally, a jeweler will purchase your tired old jewelry and melt it down to create a fresh new piece that will sell for top dollar. It’s a win-win! You get cash for gold on jewelry you will never wear again and the jeweler can make a penny or two, also!

In a world filled with chaos and life’s distractions, it’s often hard to remember the little things. We have our careers that take up much of our time, school activities for our kids, after-hours business meetings and get-togethers with friends. It seems as if our days get filled with so much “stuff” that we neglect the person most important in our life…our romantic partner. Valentine’s Day is over but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a little time to gift this person something romantic…just because. Custom designed jewelry is all the rage these days. What is it, you ask? It is designing a piece of jewelry from an idea in your head and making it come to life.

Design Your Own – Gabriel Mountings

Many family-owned jewelers have artisans employed that are trained in custom designed jewelry. And contrary to popular belief, it is not nearly as expensive as it used to be. In the past, custom designed jewelry was painstakingly slow. You had an idea, you gave it to the jeweler, the jeweler drew it on paper and attempted to create the piece you had in mind. Oftentimes, it would take many revisions before the piece was perfect. This created long wait times and could often become very expensive based on how many revisions were needed. Today, that has changed.

Today, computers have made the job of custom designed jewelry much easier. You work with your jewelry artisan to create a 3-dimensional image on a computer. You are able to see the piece as the computer creates it and make changes to the image before the piece is ever created. It allows you to have full knowledge of what the custom design jeweler will be creating and give you full disclosure of what will be created for you. This frees up time…and money. You may still have to wait a few weeks for the piece to be delivered to you, but more often than not, the piece is perfect on the first try.

Does your wife thrive on simplistic or vintage? Is she classy or flashy? Know her tastes and styles and get in to your nearest custom design jeweler and create the piece of her dreams. Nothing says love like an original piece, created by you with love, when she least expects it. “Wow” her with a custom designed jewelry piece and watch her smile light up your world when she opens it.

Christmas and New Years have long passed. Valentine’s Day memories are fading quickly. How do you go about keeping the romance that the holidays produced going? Simple: remember that romance needs no holiday. A tried and true way to keep those romantic flames blazing is by creating unique and affordable custom design jewelry.

Surprisingly, custom design jewelry is far more affordable than most think. Often by using old and tired jewelry, you can create a fresh, new piece that will thrill the love of your life and spark up that romantic feeling without breaking the bank. You know she’s got broken gold necklaces and a few gemstone rings she has mentioned turning into new jewelry. Why not surprise her with a sparkling pair of gemstone earrings, made from the jewelry debris cluttering her jewelry box? But, how do you go about that. It is far more simple that you think.

Find a trusted and capable jeweler. Generally custom design jewelry is not something that the chain jewelry stores that you find in the mall can do, so look into family owned and operated shops in your city. They are far more likely to have the artisan capable of creating your custom design jewelry. Also make sure that the jewelry store you choose has the capability of melting down the metals you plan to recycle.

If you don’t have your own ideas for the custom design jewelry, (after all, you’re not a designer or a jeweler), trust your jeweler to show you some of the designs that you might like. Also, be sure that the pieces you plan to use in the custom design jewelry are comprised of the quality metals you want in the new piece. Again, your jeweler can help you determine which will work best.

The most important aspect of creating custom design jewelry from old, broken and forgotten pieces is to be 100% sure that the old pieces are just that…old pieces and not heirloom jewelry passed down but not worn. It may be a bit tough to keep the new piece a surprise if you need to ask but if you don’t ask, you could make a mistake that will definitely affect your hopes for romance.

Bottom line, if you want to keep the romance alive all year round, custom design jewelry is one of many ways. The best idea is show your love on a daily basis, gifts of jewelry or not.

As you watch your children grow, you take photos, make videos and create as many lasting memories as possible. You can easily create memories for those children that they will never forget by marking their milestones with gifts of teen jewelry. Here are just a few ideas:

Teen Jewelry – Initial Pendant

You received her baby ring from your mother on the day she was born. Of course, as an infant, your precious daughter never wore the ring but you have it, still in its box hidden away in your sock drawer. Next week, that “baby” is turning thirteen, which is a huge milestone in her young life. Why not visit your local jeweler and pick out a nice gold chain necklace for her to wear, with the baby ring as a pendant? She’s a responsible young lady and would truly appreciate a sentimental piece as her first piece of teen jewelry.

If your son or daughter are nearing the biggest birthday of their lives, their Sweet 16, there are many changes about to happen. Here comes the driver’s license and a newfound freedom that you’ve dreaded for years. But this is a milestone for your children. Mark the memory for them with teen jewelry. Your 16-year old son would certainly appreciate a designer watch that you secretly hope will keep him on time for curfews. And your daughter’s first pair of diamond earrings will have you in her good graces for months!

Those examples are just that…examples. There are many varieties of teen jewelry to choose from that will mark your children’s milestones and likely be one of the more precious gifts you give. You don’t have to break the bank by buying expensive pieces as there are plenty of choices of perfectly affordable teen jewelry. Many young men appreciate a valuable ID bracelet or plain gold chain bracelet. Many young women will be thrilled by gemstone earrings or the first of many charms for a charm bracelet.

These are your children. You know what they have liked so far in life so be sure to take that into consideration when shopping for teen jewelry. If you son is into music and loves to “bling” it out, he may be game for CZ teen jewelry, a more affordable but valuable substitute for diamonds. Your daughter is active in sports and not likely to fully appreciate the more “dainty” jewelry. Be sure to choose the right teen jewelry for your teen and it’s likely they will never forget it.

With the holidays right around the corner, some of us are struggling to find the perfect gift that will bring a smile to the face of that one grumpy family member. Jewelry could well be the answer you’ve been looking for. Men’s jewelry is more popular than ever and has become the gift of choice for many people with hard-to-buy-for men in their lives.

Amidon – Gifts for Men

For the man about town, a set of affordable gold cufflinks will finish off his high class look, add just a touch of “bling” and show the world that he is in control. The sports nut is sure to appreciate a tie clasp with the logo of his favorite team. And that is just the beginning. You will be surprised and pleased by the variety of affordable men’s jewelry at your local jewelry store.

While some men do not wear jewelry on a regular basis, that doesn’t mean that a gift from a favorite niece or nephew, or even from a sister can turn that guy around to accessorize. Many men limit their jewelry wearing to only a wedding band so keep in mind that a more subtle statement with jewelry is in line for this fellow. A simple bracelet or necklace may be the perfect bit of men’s jewelry that will bring a smile to his face.

Another very popular choice for giving affordable jewelry to the man who has everything is a bit more personal: a personalized ID bracelet expressing a personal message from you. ID bracelets have evolved over the years and have become the ideal accessory for a man who isn’t a frequent jewelry wearer. He will appreciate the sentiment and be touched by your thoughtful gift.

Men’s jewelry has grown into its own in the past few decades. The days of low cut satin shirts, cheap gold chains and disco music is over. (Thank goodness!) The bold pinky ring has given way to tasteful men’s rings that express a bit of personality. Today’s man can accessorize with class and style without looking overdone. A subtle bracelet, a tasteful chain necklace or for the young hipsters, a pair of impressive CZ stud earrings may turn you into the favorite gift giver of the season!

When your mother handed you the most valued jewelry piece in her collection, her mother’s gold heart-shaped locket, tears flowed from your eyes. For decades, your mother has told you the story of the day she was given the locket, and how only weeks later, your grandmother passed on and your mother has cherished the piece since. You clutch it close to your heart, looking deeply into the eyes of your aging mother as she tells you to take great care of the family heirloom. You tell her there is nothing you will care for more. In the back of your mind, your thoughts turn to your own daughter, and a future gift.

Heirloom Quality Jewelry at Amidon Jewelers

While you have a tradition started by generations before you, anyone can turn a valued piece of fine jewelry into an heirloom piece. Certainly, we’ve all heard about antique pocket watches passed on from generation to generation, and many families continue to use engagement rings and wedding bands worn by an ancestor, but any valuable, fine jewelry can become an emotionally valuable and cherished heirloom.

Wedding sets are a very popular choice for many people hoping to create a generational heirloom. Women’s diamond engagement rings and wedding bands right alongside men’s wedding bands can easily be passed along to increase the meaning of an engagement and wedding. Passing an engagement ring to a daughter or son when the time comes is a long standing tradition in many families around the world. In fact, many brides and grooms claim that, as they exchanged rings, they felt the presence of the long passed relatives who had worn the wedding rings for a lifetime.

Valuable timepieces, pocket and wrist watches, have long been traditional heirloom pieces. While pocket watches have lessened in popularity in the past few decades and wrist watches have become more of a fashion statement than a functional timepiece, the value of antique and family heirloom watches continues to increase. Many jewelers offer maintenance and watch repair services to keep that family heirloom ticking for years to come.

Brooches and pins are more popular jewelry items often passed from generation to generation. Through history, many high end jewelers and artisans created such pieces with heirloom hopes in mind. In today’s market, you can find the same type of unique and valuable brooches and pins that will serve well to begin your own tradition.

How are diamonds graded? What exactly makes up the final price you pay at the fine jewelry store? Well, it all comes down to a simple and easy to remember formula – the 4 “C”s of Diamonds. These carry over in some ways to the grading of other gemstones – even pearls – but when we talk about diamonds in relationship to the 4 “C”s, we are talking about a very specific way of exploring production and perfection quality.

4 C’s of Diamonds

Color refers to the hue of the diamond. Chemically perfect diamonds are without hue and translucent, creating the stunning and glamorous shimmer we associate with these stunning natural miracles. However, colored diamonds – while many are synthetically heat treated to produce outlandish and brilliantly unnatural shades of reds and blues – can be even more valuable than diamonds without hue, depending on the type. Pale pink diamonds are extremely rare and highly valued, for example, because their natural impurities are so rare.

Cut refers to the facets of the diamond itself and the shape that it takes, which is all determined by the way in which it is cut and how many planes are carved into the stone. When diamonds are set into specific band settings, they have to be cut in a way that allows them to stay still and safe. Loose diamonds can be inspected more adequately in relationship to cut because all angles are easily visible.

Carat weight refers to the mass of the diamond, or, to put it simply, the amount of diamond you are dealing with. The more diamond, the better, although size and weight is not a hard and fast rule when it comes to value. A very impure diamond with visible surface scratching with certainly be worth less than a smaller and chemically perfect piece.

Lastly, we need to talk about clarity. When we are talking about clarity in reference to diamonds, what we are referring to is the surface scratching, cloudiness, and overall impurities found on the diamond itself. The more visible these impurities are, the more that those impurities will have an effect on the overall value on the diamond. Some impurities can only be seen under extreme magnification, and won’t weigh as heavily. Some are highly visible and detract from the value significantly. It all depends on the diamond.

The 4 “C”s of diamonds is important to understand for anyone who loves precious gemstones and wants to know more about them.

What are wholesale diamonds? If you have been looking to purchase your diamonds on the internet in hopes of producing something unique through the use of custom settings and loose diamonds, you may have come across this term and wondered exactly what it means. We are going to break down what a wholesale diamond is and help you understand exactly what it is that you are paying for when you purchase your loose diamonds through a wholesale fine gemstone retailer.

Learn more about buying Diamonds

Wholesale, in its most broad definition, is about the purchase of large quantities of an item that is then charged free of tax. Purchasing an individual loose diamond, even from a wholesale retailer, is not a wholesale purchase. Therefore, it would not be tax free. This is the simplest and easiest way of describing and understanding what happens when you are buying from a wholesale retailer.

There is something to be said about buying in bulk, though. If you are looking to buy and resell gemstones, or if you are working on a special diamond encrusted project piece, this might be exactly what you need in order to get the quantity required for your work. In fact, the majority of individuals who buy diamonds wholesale are looking to resell their pieces later on in order to make a profit, which is only possible when buying in bulk and getting those savings.

If you are looking to customize a single engagement ring, though, this is not the best route. Wholesale is not synonymous with tax free, and if you confuse the terms you will end up with a lot of money spent on a lot of extra fine gemstones. Since sales are often final or as is, especially when it comes to things purchased through the web, you need to be careful and absolutely certain by the time you hit that ‘buy’ button!

If you are looking at wholesale diamonds but what you really want is something more affordable, you are not looking for wholesale diamonds. This is specific to bulk purchases. Talk to your fine jewelry provider or gemstone retailer about exactly what it is you are looking for and define your budget strictly. This will lead you to finding the best price for the quality and size that you are looking for, especially if you are considering any cutting, shaving or modification of the diamond itself.

My son is graduating college

Professional Jewelry Services at Amidon Jewelers

this fall, and I have been searching to find him the perfect gift. It is more than just a present of “Congratulations.” You see, his father passed away several years ago, and so for most of his childhood, it has just been the two of us. I know it has been a struggle for him, watching his friends grow up differently than he did, and I wanted to somehow let him know how special he was. That was when I remembered the watch.

The men in my husband’s family had never been the type to wear fine jewelry. They certainly appreciated it, and my husband had a fantastic eye for finding the most beautiful pieces, from the diamond engagement ring he proposed with to the pearl necklace he surprised me with on our tenth anniversary. The one piece of jewelry that was important to the men, however, was a watch that my grandfather-in-law had gotten as a gift many years ago. It had been passed down from father to son, and my husband had worn it proudly.

After the funeral, I put it away with so many other things I couldn’t bear to look at. Remembering it now, I went up to the attic and started searching through the boxes. It was a bittersweet occasion, as many smiles as there were tears, and eventually I found the watch. Unfortunately, after all this time packed away, it had stopped working. I wanted my son to have this watch, but I didn’t want to give him a broken gift.

Talking with a girlfriend, she mentioned that the last time she had been downtown, she saw that the local jewelry store offered watch repair. I was cautious, because the watch was so old, it might be impossible to find someone who knew how to fix it or know where to get the parts. The repairman had the proper tools for the job, and even before he opened the case, he told me the story of the manufacturer, the history of this model, and, most importantly, that he could fix it.

I picked it up today and it looks and run beautifully. I can’t wait to give it to my son, a gift from both me and his father.

If you are in a serious relationship you would like to take to the next level, then you will inevitably need to shop for engagement rings. There comes a time in just about every single man’s life when he wants to marry the girl he is dating. He may not realize it right off the bat, but he will eventually come to terms with the fact that he needs to spend the rest of his life with this special lady. Getting married is a big step in anyone’s life, so you better think long and hard about this decision and not let anyone influence it.

Some things to discuss before you pop the big question to her: marriage. If she is not on the same page and does not want to ever get married then you can go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief. No guy should ever propose with an engagement ring to a girl he is dating if they have not discussed the future. If there is no future together, he will feel a bit awkward when he drops to one knee and gets rejected.

Gabriel & Co. Victorian Engagement Ring

Religion. How can you be in a relationship if your significant other does not celebrate Christmas and you love that holiday? If you decide you want kids on down the road, you will be at odds when it comes to the way you raise them. This will only result in arguments and huge decisions not being made since you are on such opposite pages. If you are the kind of person who shops on Black Friday and take advantage of the Christmas sales all over your town and online, then you could certainly argue over this holiday. Since most people celebrate Christmas, it kind of takes over every public building across the United States.

Kids. You must agree on whether or not you want kids before you go out shopping for engagement rings. If one of you does want them and the other does not, you should not get married. It really is as easy as that. When it comes to the big things in life like Black Friday shopping, Christmas and kids, you should definitely be on the same page with one another.