What Jewelry Stores Don't Want You to Know About Their Pricing

In the U.S., jewelry is weighed in grams. Some jewelry stores display the actual weight of each piece, while others do not. Some jewelry stores that don't display the weight say that "fine jewelry" is not sold by weight like products in a supermarket.

The real reason they do not display the weight is because the easiest way to make gold jewelry cheaper is to use less gold and make it lighter. But the problem with using less gold is that the jewelry will usually be weaker and more likely to bend.

How can knowing this pricing secret help you make better decisions when buying jewelry?

Whenever you shop for precious metal jewelry, the first thing you should figure out is the price per gram.

The average prices we have found at the mall are

$28 per gram for 14k gold
$36 per gram for 18k gold
$3 per gram for silver
$75 per gram for platinum.

Knowing the price per gram will help you compare apples to apples. It's easy to compare prices for two gold bracelets if they are the same weight, style, and quality. But this is hardly the case.

Most jewelry stores have very similar items that differ greatly by weight and price. So in order to compare apples to apples, you must find the price per gram at each store. As long as the quality and style are similar, the store with the lower price per gram is always a better value.

Negotiating with salespeople based on price per gram will let them know that you're a knowledgeable jewelry buyer who cannot be duped.

The price per gram concept also applies to diamonds. All diamonds over $1000 should come with a GIA certificate rating. When comparing two diamonds of the same rating, the lower price is always a better value.

Jewelry Trade Secret #1 Summary:

Weight of jewelry determines value.

Retailers purchase precious metal jewelry priced per gram, and so should you.

In order to compare apples to apples, always figure out the price per gram.

Eugenia Bivines' Wholesale Jewelry Connection is an online store that offers beautiful, affordable gemstone jewelry and fashion accessories, with low prices on wholesale swarovski crystal, discount jewelry, rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches and pendants in sterling silver and gold. Eugenia says, "All our items are dependable, quality products. We provide quality jewelry at wholesale prices."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugenia_Bivines

The History of Jewelry from Egypt

Ancient Egyptians are very well known all over the world for their remarkable jewelry, especially the ones discovered from the period of the Middle kingdom’s reign. Egyptians started manufacturing jewelry during the Badari and Naqada eras from natural materials, such as stones, wood, and then becoming more sophisticated, made of pealed bones or braches, and starting to paint them with various substances. Their purpose was primarily religious and symbolic, often being a bit extravagant and were being worn by women and men alike. The most common symbol that was found from the ancients is the “Ankh” which was meant to represent eternal life. Some of the other symbols include the lotus flower, the falcon and the human eye, representing the healing process.

The art of jewelry-making started to flourish with the start of the Middle Kingdom, when pharaohs decided to express themselves better through gold objects. Egyptians started to master the technical methods of cutting semiprecious and precious stones with a sleek accuracy. Because of the regular missions to Nubian regions as well as Eastern Desert ones, Egyptians became more and more sophisticated in stone sculpturing, bringing from these regions not only gold, but silver, turquoise and agate as well. Pharaohs and high representatives of the ancient Egypt took to the tomb a large series of jewelry pieces like crowns, wreaths, rings, ear-rings and imposing necklaces, which were all placed on their mummified bodies. As a particularity, the vest that ancient Egyptians used to wore around their chest, has not been seen anywhere else in other ancient civilizations. It was made of pure gold, and sometimes surrounded with other precious stones. Ancient Egyptians used to make the vest even before the gold era, making it from other materials that they used to color in golden shades to make it look like gold.

Around Christianity period, and the time that followed, most jewelry were made of cheaper materials, but all incrusted with Christian symbols such as crosses, pigeons, a branch leaf, and the ancient Ankh sign. After the arrival of Islam in Egypt, men were prohibited from wearing jewelry, especially ones made of gold. However, they were allowed to wear silver ones. Not a lot of the ancient jewelries were recovered, since the artifacts were brutally ravished by thieves and the amount of gold from the ancient tombs was stolen. Still, what remained are true works of art and they are cherished at their real value, as should.

Copyright 2005 Jason Bibb

For more history and information on Egyptian jewelry please visit http://www.egyptian-gifts.com

How to Choose Your Diamond Wedding Ring

A favorite activity of everyone getting married is the incredible fun of going through a wedding ring selection process. But there are so many things to consider - and sometimes it can turn into a nightmare.

I've got to be honest here, everybody secretly wants a monster stone in the most beautiful setting possible. Do most women get it? No, not really. A perfect, flawless 3K diamond (or bigger) isn't realistic for most. Getting married involves a lot more than a flash ring which is going to have to be paid for and, of course, the bigger it is, the longer it's going to take to pay for it.

Like most young girls, you may have spent a lot of time dreaming of the perfect diamond wedding ring. Hopefully, you and your fiance decided to shop for rings together, or you have informed him of what you like. You will wear the wedding ring for a significant amount of time and it only makes sense that it's something that you like. If your knowledge of diamond wedding rings is limited to size, it's a good idea that you obtain more information before you make your wedding ring selection.

Consider some alternatives like "Loose or Set".

When most people think of a diamond wedding ring, they often think of a stone that is already set or mounted. You can actually buy a diamond only and choose a setting later. Why would you do this? The cost. When you shop for loose diamonds you will notice that diamonds are available in various sizes and shapes, including oval, round, and marquise.

Now let's say you are pretty much indifferent to the shape, but you might want to consider your hands. Certain styles complement certain types of hands. A good guide is to match the shape of the diamond to the hand. Do you have long, narrow fingers? Then an oval-shaped diamond or similar elongated style diamond for your wedding ring would probably work for you. Round diamonds usually are considered a good choice for most hands.

Now, what about the setting.

You really need to carefully consider the setting when shopping for a wedding ring. Should you choose platinum or yellow or white gold? Yellow gold is the setting that most people choose for their wedding ring. It is typically less expensive than platinum or white gold. But if you do choose a yellow gold wedding ring, be careful that you don't choose a higher quality just because you think it is better. As the quality of yellow gold goes up, the softer the metal becomes. A wedding ring set in 24k gold will be less resilient to scratches and more malleable than a ring that is set in 14k gold.

Platinum is by far the most expensive and most durable of the trio. White gold is a good choice for a wedding ring setting if versatility is important to you. White gold tends to go with everything.

White diamonds are by far the most popular. Did you know that you could buy a pink diamond? Diamonds are available in other colors, but these are typically more expensive. Second to the classic white diamond is the yellow diamond. When shopping for your wedding ring you will actually find more of these than any other color of diamond.

OK, now the big one - consider the cost.

Your budget probably carries the most weight in your wedding ring selection. A wedding ring featuring a diamond can cost as little as $100 and as much as $1,000,000. In general, the amount of money you can expect to pay for a diamond wedding ring will vary according to the type of stone and the setting. The more carats (that is the bigger the single diamond or the more smaller diamonds there are in total) a wedding ring has the more it will cost. Diamonds set in platinum will cost you the most. You can, however, spend much less on a wedding ring set in 14-carat gold. You can balance the cost by buying a wedding ring with a high number of carats and set in a less expensive setting.

Ultimately, you have to carefully consider your budget and your future. There is no single answer that will suit everyone. Some have the enviable pleasure of being able to buy whatever combination they most desire. For most of us, however, we need to begin our married life by using smart and careful selection to make sure our diamond ring not only suits and satisfies us, but also doesn't stress our finances.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

Richard writes on a variety of subjects for his own and other sites. If you're interested in great information and articles all about weddings be sure to visit Elena's Completely Weddings at http://Completely-Weddings.com

What Jewelry Stores Don't Want You to Know About Their Pricing

In the U.S., jewelry is weighed in grams. Some jewelry stores display the actual weight of each piece, while others do not. Some jewelry stores that don't display the weight say that "fine jewelry" is not sold by weight like products in a supermarket.

The real reason they do not display the weight is because the easiest way to make gold jewelry cheaper is to use less gold and make it lighter. But the problem with using less gold is that the jewelry will usually be weaker and more likely to bend.

How can knowing this pricing secret help you make better decisions when buying jewelry?

Whenever you shop for precious metal jewelry, the first thing you should figure out is the price per gram.

The average prices we have found at the mall are

$28 per gram for 14k gold
$36 per gram for 18k gold
$3 per gram for silver
$75 per gram for platinum.

Knowing the price per gram will help you compare apples to apples. It's easy to compare prices for two gold bracelets if they are the same weight, style, and quality. But this is hardly the case.

Most jewelry stores have very similar items that differ greatly by weight and price. So in order to compare apples to apples, you must find the price per gram at each store. As long as the quality and style are similar, the store with the lower price per gram is always a better value.

Negotiating with salespeople based on price per gram will let them know that you're a knowledgeable jewelry buyer who cannot be duped.

The price per gram concept also applies to diamonds. All diamonds over $1000 should come with a GIA certificate rating. When comparing two diamonds of the same rating, the lower price is always a better value.

Jewelry Trade Secret #1 Summary:

Weight of jewelry determines value.

Retailers purchase precious metal jewelry priced per gram, and so should you.

In order to compare apples to apples, always figure out the price per gram.

Eugenia Bivines' Wholesale Jewelry Connection is an online store that offers beautiful, affordable gemstone jewelry and fashion accessories, with low prices on wholesale swarovski crystal, discount jewelry, rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches and pendants in sterling silver and gold. Eugenia says, "All our items are dependable, quality products. We provide quality jewelry at wholesale prices."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugenia_Bivines

The History of Jewelry from Egypt

Ancient Egyptians are very well known all over the world for their remarkable jewelry, especially the ones discovered from the period of the Middle kingdom’s reign. Egyptians started manufacturing jewelry during the Badari and Naqada eras from natural materials, such as stones, wood, and then becoming more sophisticated, made of pealed bones or braches, and starting to paint them with various substances. Their purpose was primarily religious and symbolic, often being a bit extravagant and were being worn by women and men alike. The most common symbol that was found from the ancients is the “Ankh” which was meant to represent eternal life. Some of the other symbols include the lotus flower, the falcon and the human eye, representing the healing process.

The art of jewelry-making started to flourish with the start of the Middle Kingdom, when pharaohs decided to express themselves better through gold objects. Egyptians started to master the technical methods of cutting semiprecious and precious stones with a sleek accuracy. Because of the regular missions to Nubian regions as well as Eastern Desert ones, Egyptians became more and more sophisticated in stone sculpturing, bringing from these regions not only gold, but silver, turquoise and agate as well. Pharaohs and high representatives of the ancient Egypt took to the tomb a large series of jewelry pieces like crowns, wreaths, rings, ear-rings and imposing necklaces, which were all placed on their mummified bodies. As a particularity, the vest that ancient Egyptians used to wore around their chest, has not been seen anywhere else in other ancient civilizations. It was made of pure gold, and sometimes surrounded with other precious stones. Ancient Egyptians used to make the vest even before the gold era, making it from other materials that they used to color in golden shades to make it look like gold.

Around Christianity period, and the time that followed, most jewelry were made of cheaper materials, but all incrusted with Christian symbols such as crosses, pigeons, a branch leaf, and the ancient Ankh sign. After the arrival of Islam in Egypt, men were prohibited from wearing jewelry, especially ones made of gold. However, they were allowed to wear silver ones. Not a lot of the ancient jewelries were recovered, since the artifacts were brutally ravished by thieves and the amount of gold from the ancient tombs was stolen. Still, what remained are true works of art and they are cherished at their real value, as should.

Copyright 2005 Jason Bibb

For more history and information on Egyptian jewelry please visit http://www.egyptian-gifts.com

How to Choose Your Diamond Wedding Ring

A favorite activity of everyone getting married is the incredible fun of going through a wedding ring selection process. But there are so many things to consider - and sometimes it can turn into a nightmare.

I've got to be honest here, everybody secretly wants a monster stone in the most beautiful setting possible. Do most women get it? No, not really. A perfect, flawless 3K diamond (or bigger) isn't realistic for most. Getting married involves a lot more than a flash ring which is going to have to be paid for and, of course, the bigger it is, the longer it's going to take to pay for it.

Like most young girls, you may have spent a lot of time dreaming of the perfect diamond wedding ring. Hopefully, you and your fiance decided to shop for rings together, or you have informed him of what you like. You will wear the wedding ring for a significant amount of time and it only makes sense that it's something that you like. If your knowledge of diamond wedding rings is limited to size, it's a good idea that you obtain more information before you make your wedding ring selection.

Consider some alternatives like "Loose or Set".

When most people think of a diamond wedding ring, they often think of a stone that is already set or mounted. You can actually buy a diamond only and choose a setting later. Why would you do this? The cost. When you shop for loose diamonds you will notice that diamonds are available in various sizes and shapes, including oval, round, and marquise.

Now let's say you are pretty much indifferent to the shape, but you might want to consider your hands. Certain styles complement certain types of hands. A good guide is to match the shape of the diamond to the hand. Do you have long, narrow fingers? Then an oval-shaped diamond or similar elongated style diamond for your wedding ring would probably work for you. Round diamonds usually are considered a good choice for most hands.

Now, what about the setting.

You really need to carefully consider the setting when shopping for a wedding ring. Should you choose platinum or yellow or white gold? Yellow gold is the setting that most people choose for their wedding ring. It is typically less expensive than platinum or white gold. But if you do choose a yellow gold wedding ring, be careful that you don't choose a higher quality just because you think it is better. As the quality of yellow gold goes up, the softer the metal becomes. A wedding ring set in 24k gold will be less resilient to scratches and more malleable than a ring that is set in 14k gold.

Platinum is by far the most expensive and most durable of the trio. White gold is a good choice for a wedding ring setting if versatility is important to you. White gold tends to go with everything.

White diamonds are by far the most popular. Did you know that you could buy a pink diamond? Diamonds are available in other colors, but these are typically more expensive. Second to the classic white diamond is the yellow diamond. When shopping for your wedding ring you will actually find more of these than any other color of diamond.

OK, now the big one - consider the cost.

Your budget probably carries the most weight in your wedding ring selection. A wedding ring featuring a diamond can cost as little as $100 and as much as $1,000,000. In general, the amount of money you can expect to pay for a diamond wedding ring will vary according to the type of stone and the setting. The more carats (that is the bigger the single diamond or the more smaller diamonds there are in total) a wedding ring has the more it will cost. Diamonds set in platinum will cost you the most. You can, however, spend much less on a wedding ring set in 14-carat gold. You can balance the cost by buying a wedding ring with a high number of carats and set in a less expensive setting.

Ultimately, you have to carefully consider your budget and your future. There is no single answer that will suit everyone. Some have the enviable pleasure of being able to buy whatever combination they most desire. For most of us, however, we need to begin our married life by using smart and careful selection to make sure our diamond ring not only suits and satisfies us, but also doesn't stress our finances.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

Richard writes on a variety of subjects for his own and other sites. If you're interested in great information and articles all about weddings be sure to visit Elena's Completely Weddings at http://Completely-Weddings.com

What Jewelry Stores Don't Want You to Know About Their Pricing

In the U.S., jewelry is weighed in grams. Some jewelry stores display the actual weight of each piece, while others do not. Some jewelry stores that don't display the weight say that "fine jewelry" is not sold by weight like products in a supermarket.

The real reason they do not display the weight is because the easiest way to make gold jewelry cheaper is to use less gold and make it lighter. But the problem with using less gold is that the jewelry will usually be weaker and more likely to bend.

How can knowing this pricing secret help you make better decisions when buying jewelry?

Whenever you shop for precious metal jewelry, the first thing you should figure out is the price per gram.

The average prices we have found at the mall are

$28 per gram for 14k gold
$36 per gram for 18k gold
$3 per gram for silver
$75 per gram for platinum.

Knowing the price per gram will help you compare apples to apples. It's easy to compare prices for two gold bracelets if they are the same weight, style, and quality. But this is hardly the case.

Most jewelry stores have very similar items that differ greatly by weight and price. So in order to compare apples to apples, you must find the price per gram at each store. As long as the quality and style are similar, the store with the lower price per gram is always a better value.

Negotiating with salespeople based on price per gram will let them know that you're a knowledgeable jewelry buyer who cannot be duped.

The price per gram concept also applies to diamonds. All diamonds over $1000 should come with a GIA certificate rating. When comparing two diamonds of the same rating, the lower price is always a better value.

Jewelry Trade Secret #1 Summary:

Weight of jewelry determines value.

Retailers purchase precious metal jewelry priced per gram, and so should you.

In order to compare apples to apples, always figure out the price per gram.

Eugenia Bivines' Wholesale Jewelry Connection is an online store that offers beautiful, affordable gemstone jewelry and fashion accessories, with low prices on wholesale swarovski crystal, discount jewelry, rings, earrings, necklaces, brooches and pendants in sterling silver and gold. Eugenia says, "All our items are dependable, quality products. We provide quality jewelry at wholesale prices."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugenia_Bivines