Every year we get to go to jewelry shows where we do our inventory purchasing. We usually go to one in Chicago and one in Las Vegas. I always go to the one in Las Vegas (which is awesome), but this year I went to Chicago. I LOVED Chicago!! Not only was the show phenomenal, but the city, the people, the food, the shopping, everything was amazing! I cannot wait to go back and do some more exploring.

The show is an amazing place that consists of learning new things, networking, and doing some shopping for new inventory! We spent our mornings in seminars and our afternoons looking for fantastic new pieces to bring home. The new lines we picked up will be featured in the next few blogs, so stay tuned!

Ok, I know the picture on the left isn’t that exciting… But that’s what the show floor looks like. The floor is lined with booths of every different kind of jewelry you can imagine. The picture on the right is a favorite of mine. How cool is it that you can see and touch so many different types of stones in one little area? Gemstones anyone?

We were honored to be one of America’s Coolest Stores in one of the jewelry industry’s most renowned magazines, Instore (also the host of this show). In this picture Lisa is on a panel with 3 others discussing customer service.

I’m not even kidding when I say this is one of the BEST restaurants I have ever eaten at!!! We literally had lunch here everyday. The view is incredible, the food is SO delicious, and the people were the kindest! It’s called Riva on the Navy Pier.. if you’re in Chicago check it out, and try the Crab Cake sandwich! ps. The fries were spectacular.

For fun we shopped the Magnificent Mile (which was truly magnificent)! We came home with some goodies. The weather was not so nice almost the whole time, but finally, on the last day the sun was shining! So Lisa and I went on the Ferris wheel, and were able to see gorgeous views of the city!

Last picture.. We’re outta here Chi-City! Thanks for the good times!

All in all, the trip was great! Stay tuned for those new pieces of jewelry… There are some FANTASTIC picks! And also, stay tuned for pictures from the Las Vegas show…

(guest blogger Sabrina)

One of my favorite things about jewelry is the way it can make a statement – even with just one item! I’m more of a “wear one piece at a time” kind of girl, but I love to wear really big, bold jewelry… especially rings. Organic gemstones, bold colors, glimmering diamonds, or unique gold styles… the options out there are endless and can suit any personality. Or even a different personality every day  :)

These eye-catchers can be worn on any finger, but I find an index finger ring adds a great flair to any outfit. A great ring can also be an easy way to add a pop of color to an all black outfit.

I was inspired by some of the super funky estate pieces that we received recently. Totally bold and original, these stunners would not go unnoticed on any hand! Here are a few of my absolute faves. Which ones do you like?

Diamonds diamonds diamonds!! Who wouldn’t want to have a diamond as their birthstone? I was born in October, so my birthstones, being opal and pink tourmaline, are not exciting for me. I dislike both those stones. I’ll take anything with diamonds though! (What woman wouldn’t?) Diamonds are timeless, historic, rare, brilliant, elegant, beautiful…

It is one of the hardest substances known to man. It takes billions of years for nature to form them. The journey from the diamond to your hands is long and laborious. So when it’s finally in your possession remember that it’s beauty and elegance is truly unmatched!

How do you choose a diamond?

There are four primary guidelines used to evaluate every diamond: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight.

Cut:

When many people think of cut, they probably think of the shape. This is partially correct. The cut does refer to the shape, but it also refers to the proportions of how the diamond is actually cut. This means each individual cut, or facet, on the diamond. A diamond’s overall proportion, size, and placement of its facets will play a large part in how the diamond is actually ‘cut’. All of this can affect how much light will be captured and reflected in a diamond. AGS, which is the American Gemological Society (a diamond grading laboratory) has a number scale they use to explain the cut of a diamond. It goes from 0-10, 0 being the highest cut (equivalent to ideal) and 10 being the lowest (equivalent to poor).

Color:

The color of a diamond is going to determine how naturally white it is. With the exception of fancy colored diamonds, white diamonds are what people want. There is a scale that is used to help in determining the color of a diamond. The scale uses the alphabet starting with the letter ‘D’  for colorless and ending with the letter ‘Z’. The higher in the alphabet, the more yellow the diamond is.

Clarity:

Clarity is going to determine how many or how few inclusions and blemishes a diamond has. These tiny inclusions or blemishes can alter how brilliant a diamond is, and will thus affect its value. The clarity scale begins with Flawless and Internally Flawless (F or IF) followed by Very Very Slight (VVS1 & VVS2), Very Slight (VS1 & VS2), Slightly Included (SI1 & SI2), and lastly, Included (I1, I2 & I3). Any diamonds that are in the Included range (I1, I2 & I3) will have inclusions visible to the naked eye.

Carat weight:

The carat weight is a unit of measurement. It measures the diamond by weight. There are 100 points in a 1 carat diamond, or 1.00CT. A 50-point diamond is equal to 0.50 carats (0.50CT).

Remember, these are just guidelines. What one person finds beautiful in a diamond will vary from what another person thinks! On that note….

We do have a selection of loose diamonds in store. Our inventory of loose diamonds is here on our website, so you can use the information you’ve learned in this article to help you choose the perfect diamond for you. If you are looking for something specific, or something that is not listed in our inventory, please let us know. We can bring different stones in for you to look at. Happy searching!

March’s birthstones are Aquamarine and Bloodstone. One of the few months that has a stone for each guy & gal.

Aquamarine, meaning ‘Ocean Water’ is just as it sounds, a refreshing blue stone. Aquamarine varies in color from a pale light blue to intense deep blue. With blue being a favorite color among many, it’s nice that there are variations in the color to appeal to anyone and everyone! I personally love seeing Aquamarine set in white gold, especially with diamonds to complement the pretty blue. Check out the Aquamarine & Diamond halo style ring in white gold below…

Bloodstone is from the Chalcedony family, which means the stone is formed from a number of fine grained micro crystals. This gives the stone more of an opaque look. It also has speckles of Jasper on it which are the red spots. With such an evocative name it offers a very masculine appeal. This stone looks spectacular in a square top ring, and gives it a very classic look!

Guest Blogger Lisa 

Tungsten Carbide is becoming more and more popular for men’s rings.  This very durable metal is actually a super hard form of glass.  They start out as a fine powder.  The powder is combined with a chemical binder so that it can be formed into a soft, putty-like substance.  The tungsten putty is then placed into a mold and fired at extreme temperatures- resulting in preformed shapes that undergo an extensive grinding and polishing process.  The result is a ring that can be worn aggressively and still maintain it’s luster without scratching.

Tungsten Carbide rings are extremely hard and very durable…however, they are not indestructible.  They can break, crack or even chip if struck with enough force.  All Tungsten Carbide rings sold at Canadian Jewelry Exchange have a Lifetime Warranty against damage.  If you manage to damage the ring or if you lose a diamond, the manufacturer will replace the ring free of charge for as long as you own the ring.  The Lifetime Warranty also covers you if you require a size change – if your finger size changes, the manufacturer will exchange your ring for the new size you need – free of charge.  The only thing you are responsible for is the shipping costs (which usually work out to $50 as these are returned to the USA). 

Take a look through the Tungsten section on our website. There are all kinds of styles, from modern to traditional, with diamonds and without.  Plenty to choose from and all with the Lifetime Warranty.

The birthstone for February is Amethyst. They vary in color from a light lilac to deep plum. I find this stone has so much depth and richness. One of my favorite combinations right now is purple Amethyst set in Rose Gold. I think it adds a youthful, fresh twist to the ring that your grandma might’ve worn The second combination I love is setting Amethyst with cognac colored accent diamonds.

Guest Blogger Mark

When most people first come in they are nervous because they have never gone through the process of selling jewelry before. Some haven’t even been in our store before, and they are uneasy. So I try to put them at ease, and remove any feelings of pressure to sell. Educating the client in a kind and realistic way is important so they understand all of their options – sell, trade or consign. We want the client to understand that the choice is entirely up to them, whatever they feel is best for them!

Some items are salable and some are not, so I price them separately to make that decision easier. Honesty is imperative. The client needs to know the truth, and that’s what we’re here to do.

I like to make it personal, so I tell them it’s a family owned business, and that my wife sometimes gives me a hard time. I also like to tell my clients about cool pieces we get in, and that we work with gold miners. People tell me “You have the COOLEST job!”.

When people do their research, they realize they’ve come to the right place, and that’s important to me. I enjoy what I do, but the best part, the part that gives me the most satisfaction is when people come in again and ask to see me specifically. That shows me I’ve done my job, and done well by them. They trust us, and they’re confident to come back!
 
I tell them, they don’t keep me here ‘cause I’m gorgeous!

Sparkles Sparkles Sparkles!!! That’s what we’re all about for our nails this month. I got gold sparkles on mine, and Sharon got silver sparkles. We’re trying to convince the rest of the girls to get colored sparkle nails too, but no one is biting… yet! (I’ll get ‘em though)

Sparkle nail polish + a statement gemstone ring = The ‘hello lover’ affect! (We know we all want that)