Diamonds Galore At Beckhams Party

David & Victoria Beckham hosted a pre World Cup party at the weekend and diamonds were the order of the day.

David Beckham was wearing his signature Diamond Earrings whilst Wayne Rooneys fiancee, Collen McLoughlin, wore a Diamond Necklace worth £125,000.

Other big names that turned out for the bash included Tom Cruise, Liz Hurley, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Elton John, Ewan McGregor and Ray Winstone.

Designing Your Own Engagement Ring

Another very happy customer satisfied today with an Emerald cut single stone diamond engagement ring. Not satisfied with the traditional style of setting, this customer had designed his own, my job was to turn his sketch into the final ring.

Designing your own ring is simpler than it sounds. Even though it is a little more expensive than choosing an existing design, the result is a unique hand-made design. When a person has an idea of what they are looking for, sketches or similar images are given our in house jewellery designers who will produce their own sketch of what the ring (or other jewellery item) would look like. A couple of side profiles ensures that the customer receives a good idea of the design.

Once agreed, the designer produces the jewellery. It is then sent for hallmarking, the stone is set and then a final polish.

In this case, the customer was very happy with the engagement ring and commented that it looked better than he could imagine. Proposing is a nerve racking experience and the quality of our manufacture helped assure a positive response from the lucky girl!

(Engagement ring specification: Hand made Platinum cross-over ring, set with a single emerald cut GIA certified diamond (0.90ct) I colour and VvS2 clarity. From start to finish, this project took 10 working days).

Expert Jewellery Advice

There is no doubting that the internet has changed diamond jewellery retailing as we have known it. The huge amounts of information available at your fingertips has resulted in a highly transparent market place and intense competition. This is good for the consumer in the short term, but what are the implications for the jewellery industry in the long term?

I'll give an example. A couple looking for a diamond engagement ring. Traditionally, they would visit their local jeweller who would listen to their requirements and using the jeweller's expertise would find a suitable purchase. Nowadays it is common for a couple to go to their local jeweller and tell them what they are looking for instead of relying on the jeweller's expertise. This is because the couple have most probably spent a few hours on the internet and thus have been exposed to cut-throat competition and plenty of hard sell.

The point is that the internet is a wonderful tool, but, it is also a dangerous tool! You can gain plenty of information and convince yourself that you have learned all there is about diamond jewellery, however, you would probably be wrong.

Being familiar with technical terms and gradings means nothing without the knowledge and experience of how to apply them. A diamond that you would have totally dismissed based on information that you have learned about on the internet, may actually be the perfect diamond for you and your budget.

Most online diamond retailers are not much more than internet developers looking for a product to sell on their websites. All too often I see diamond retailers (online and traditional) resorting to misrepresentation in a bid to offer a product at a lower price than possible.

My point is this: Leave the decisions to the professionals! It is impossible to learn in a few hours what it takes a jeweller years to learn with hands-on experience.

We, at thediamondstore.co.uk, have the best of both worlds; your own online jewellery expert. With over 150 years of expert diamond jewellery knowledge and experience on our team, we offer guidance and recommendations to all who ask. With our 30 day money back guarantee, you are able to view our products in the comfort of your own home secure in the knowledge that you are in safe hands.

Feel free to ask for our friendly advice, we are only too happy to help, we know what we are talking about! Contact Us Here

Online Jewellery Sales Increase At Amazon

The jewellery section of Amazon.com has announced that their sales rose by more than 100% during the first quarter of 2006. This is an interesting sign for jewellery as across the board Amazons profits fell.

The increase in jewellery sales could in part be down to the time of year (Valentines) but it could also be down to the fact that more and more people are comfortable buying their jewellery online.

For selling mass produced jewellery Amazon aren't bad but with a staggering 58,000 styles and designs of jewellery in their catalogue it's difficult to see how they can provide "that something special" experience for buyers, especially at the mid - higher end of the jewellery range (£200+) where many buyers have questions about the jewellery that they are buying.

Price points for Amazon jewellery start at around $25 and exceed $10,000.

Their website: www.amazon.com