2011年10月25日星期二

Understanding the Concept of Jewelry on Consignment

A Jewelry on Consignment Program is built for stores with little to no experience in fashion jewelry to "get their feet wet" through a no-hassle, low-commitment method of business. Consignment locations enjoy the luxury of having our quality products to resell at a zero-commitment of cash.

To understand the concept of Jewelry on Consignment, let's discuss the differences between consignment versus wholesale purchases:

1. Consignment: The wholesale distributor selects the goods for the store owner and determines the amount to be assigned to his/her store. Wholesale: The store owner selects the products they want and the amount they want to buy.

2. Consignment: Consignment price includes a profit share for risk of inventory and obsolescence.

Wholesale: The store owner pays the list wholesale price for the goods that they want to buy thus giving them more profit margin.

3. Consignment: All inventory are the property of the Jewelry Wholesaler and may be required to abide by its policies and procedures. Stores will be required to perform at a certain level. They usually reserve the right to remove their products from consignment locations without cause. Wholesale: Stores own the products free and clear, and are able to do whatever they please.

All jewelry wholesalers require that you submit an application and wait until the approval process is done. The application will ask basic information such as Company Name, Address, Phone/Fax numbers, email address, years in business, aprox. yearly sales, and a valid credit card. The business requirements are usually a minimum SQ FT of retail space and some years in business.

Once your account is approved, you will be required to sign a contract as well.

Gold Jewelry - Know What You're Getting Before Purchasing Gold Jewelry

Everyone has shopped for gold jewelry at some point in their lives. Depending on where you shop, you may have been bombarded with a variety of decisions; yellow, white, green, rose, gold-filled, gold-plated, vermeil, 10 kt, 14 kt, 18 kt, and on and on. Most of us have wondered what the difference is in all these gold choices.

Gold Filled is cheaper in price because it is not solid. Most jewelry items involve a base metal, usually brass, that is coated with a thin layer of real gold. It is mostly used in cheaper jewelry items, unfortunately it is often used in Children's and Baby jewelry because it is less expensive. The majority of people do not want to spend top dollar for a bracelet that a baby or child will only wear a few times before out-growing or losing. This can be extremely dangerous, however, due to the inclusion of cheap base metal ingredients such as lead, that are often used in jewelry items to cut costs. Buyer Beware. Although this type of jewelry is fine for adults, be careful when buying for Children twelve and under.

Gold-Plate and Electroplating is exactly how it sounds. A very thin plate, or layer of gold is usually electroplated onto a base-metal object. The plating is very thin and will likely wear off completely after worn for a period of time. This is the type of jewelry that usually turns your skin green. Needless to say, you are usually wasting your money by buying jewelry of this type. In addition, the base-metal is usually suspect for inclusion of lead.

On to the question of karats. Pure gold is 24 karats, but since it is very soft and malleable, 18kt, 14kt, and 10kt is most commonly used for jewelry. 10 karats consists of ten parts gold and fourteen parts of a metal alloy, usually brass. 14 karats is fourteen parts pure (58%) and ten parts alloy, and 18 karat is eighteen parts pure (75%) and six parts metal alloy. The higher the number of karats, the softer, and more pure the gold is.

Gold also is available in a rainbow of colors to choose from. White-Gold occurs when either zinc, silver, or nickel is added to pure gold. Green-Gold is yellowish with a subtle hint of green, and happens when pure gold and pure silver are combined. Rose-gold is pink or red in color, and is caused by the addition of pure copper. The more copper is added, the pinker, or redder it is. Rose-gold is also known as Vermeil, pronounced 'ver-may'.

Now that you know the difference between the terms commonly referred to when shopping for gold jewelry, you will be able to better assess the cost for the item. Beware when shopping for Baby Jewelry [http://www.bebeclaire.com/jewelry/pc/Baby-Jewelry-c47.htm] or Children Jewelry, due to the common practice of disreputable manufacturers adding lead to the base metals in gold-filled and gold-plated jewelry. The time taken in selecting and saving for a quality piece of gold jewelry is time and money well spent.

Guide for the Perfect Wedding Jewelry

You must wear your jewelry and not have the jewelry wear you, at least on your wedding day this should be the case. But what happens with most weddings is that the bride is so excited and pumped up to look the best she's ever looked, jewelry and make up seems to take up importance over everything else and your jewelry might just outshine you which is not the ideal situation on your own wedding.

The rings, for example are very important pieces of jewelry on your wedding. The wedding ring is obviously coming and you need to remember its importance when you are dressing up for the wedding day. The wedding ring should be the centerpiece jewelry of the day and in order to keep it that way you should also make sure that your hand and fingers aren't already covered with jewelry. Either wear some things very elegant and simple or nothing at all and those should be enough for your hands.

When you are choosing the other pieces of jewelry for the wedding make sure that they all go well with your wedding dress. If you are wearing a white dress, pink stones on your necklace would just be a suicide on your part. So you need to make sure that the dress you are wearing goes well with the jewelry you select and most of all your dress should not be overpowered by your jewelry. There is nothing as beautiful as keeping it simple.
Your skin tone and your hair should also be maintained in a way that will go well with the jewelry you are wearing. Try and keep everything as simple as possible. Avoid any kind of jewelry on your feet, for instance diamonds on your shoes etc would only take attention away from the wedding band and your dress itself which is not your ultimate goal.

Pearl Jewelry - A Timeless Fashion Statement!

Pearl Jewelry with its exquisite classic outlook has always fascinated women all over the world. Because of their natural and lustrous appeal, they are always alluring and glittering. Pearl jewelry has a long history. People in ancient Greek civilization used to wear them to promote marital bliss.

Pearl symbolizes happy marriage and that`s why in many countries pearl jewelry is considered as ideal wedding gift. Many celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana have made them a style statement for them.

Once considered as traditional wedding attire, today pearl jewelry is the latest fashion statement due to its delicate and elegant outlook. With in the changing time, Jewelry manufacturers give a modern twist to make the traditional jewelry look more chic and stylish.

Even though they are of best quality, it`s hard to find natural freshwater pearls these days because of their scarcity. Hence the other alternative is cultured freshwater pearls. Cultured freshwater pearls that are easy to produce and easy to find too. Currently they are the popular fashion statement for their trendy and stylish looks and easy as well as affordable availability in a variety of styles, sizes and colors to dazzle the eye.

Cultured freshwater pearls are produced from mussels that live in rivers, ponds, and lakes rather than in the ocean. They have a unique characteristic of striking arrangement colors. Starting from beautiful, natural pastel white, this jewelry is also available in milky cream, pink, yellow and orange colors.

The variety of colors, shapes, sizes, makes this cultured freshwater pearl jewelry most fascinating. Women these days prefer to adorn matching pearl jewelry with their dresses. Starting from casual to party wears this modern pearl jewelry go very well with most style of dresses. Because of its easy matching qualities, it is popular attire of women both in boardrooms as well as ball rooms.

Even teenage girls prefer wearing it because of its chic designs and availability in a wide array of colors. It is available in different price range. Normally the price of pearl depends upon its size. Bigger the size, higher is the pearl value. Small size pearls can fetch more value because of its exceptional quality.

As Pearl is a very soft and delicate material, the pearl jewelry requires special care. It should be saved from scratching and should be stored carefully preferably in a velvet cloth-clad jewelry box. Standard cleaners can degrade the surface of pearl; hence it is always suggested to wash it with specific pearl cleaner.

Regular wearing can have a negative effect on the luster or sheen of pearl jewelry; hence it is a good idea to wipe them down with a damp cloth after you have worn them.

Also keep them away from your hairspray, perfumes makeup and other chemicals. Try not to wear them in hot and humid weather, as your body sweat can have a negative effect on the surface of pearl jewelry. Proper maintenance and care of them will make it last for ever.

Apart from being a symbol of purity, virtue and modesty, pearls are real organic gems on this earth. If diamonds are forever, then pearl jewelry with its lustrous appeal is a timeless fashion statement and will always be in style.

Pearl jewelry is one of the best gifts you could give to your loved ones. However while buying them you should be careful about imitation pearls. Always choose a reputable brand and make sure you double check the pearl quality before buying your pearl jewelry!

2011年10月24日星期一

Is the Market For Diamonds Going Up Or Down?

Things like mines closing down, government relief being extended to Indian diamond cutters, diamond scrips moving downwards, and the like will hog the news; and the feeling is that the diamonds market is on its way down.

With the recession fully upon us - not just in the America, but almost in every country across the globe, things might seem pretty bleak on paper.

However, there is also a surprising under current happening in these times. Page two of Google search results will take you to the best and most reputed diamond retailing portals, and the happenings there are pretty amazing. There are press releases from leading online diamond portals mentioning sales of over a million dollars - and we are not talking about monthly sales, those are way beyond - there are single purchases of tens of thousands of dollars on those sites! So, it gets us to wonder - where has the recession gone then?

That is the wonderful thing about shopping online. It is not that people do not have money to spend on luxuries. It is that the spending has become much more controlled and more thoughtful. Gone are the days (temporarily of course!) of splurging without thought. Luxuries such as diamonds and gold jewelry are pushed to the end of the lists, but they are as important as any other item on it.

Think about it - birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions happen even during the recession, don't they? But when the purse strings are drawn tight, money does not flow as easily, and hence customers look for places where shopping can be done at a lower price - without compromising on the quality; and that place is online.

Statistics show that there has been a sudden increase in the amount of money being spent online, and that is partly thanks to the global recession. With malls and stores closing down, and with tons of layoffs happening in the retail field, the onus to deliver is on the online sales industry. eBay shows a lot of traffic every single day, and the number of conversions also are very healthy!

Coming to our title, is the market for diamonds going up or down?

Actually, the market for diamonds is on its way up. Though there are diamond guilds showing a slowdown in global sales, there is a whole new market being created thanks to the online diamond retailers. People who thought that diamonds were out of reach all these days are suddenly realizing that they too can get into the diamond ownership exclusive club. For instance, there are gift items on Diamonds On Web, which start from about $ 120! If you can get a piece of jewelry studded with certified brilliant cut diamonds at around the price, people naturally will gravitate towards them, won't they? And that is exactly what is happening. Though there is the recession and all this depressing talk going around with layoffs by the thousands and salary cuts by the millions, engagements and weddings are still happening, aren't they? And when there is an engagement or a wedding (which are occasions that demand a very special ring), how can there not be a diamond present for the occasion? Since jewelry stores might be out of reach for a lot of people, online jewelers are becoming the perfect replacement.

And buying jewelry online is a win-win situation, as the prices are way lower than those at your local specialty jewelry stores, and the range available online is absolutely unmatchable by the jewelers outside. With all the warranties and guarantees in place, getting an engagement ring (or any other kind of jewelry) online is a decision that is easily taken. The next time you have a special occasion coming up (which should be pretty soon), log on to one of the internet's leading diamond retailers, and you will see why the popularity is on the rise.
Now you tell us, is the market for diamonds going up or down?

Start a Jewelry Business - How to Call a Store Buyer

So you're thinking of moving into selling your jewelry wholesale. Congrats! I made a fortune selling wholesale to over 100 accounts across the country. It was a liberating experience to know that my line was in beautiful and prestigious stores such as Hallmark, Cracker Barrel, the Smithsonian, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Tuesday Morning and a hundred other Mom and Pop gift stores of every shape and size. But it all started with one store and one phone call.

Starting with just the local gift stores, galleries and tourist spots in your area you can get a hang of how it's done. Stores owners are, for the most part, receptive to looking a new line of handmade gifts or jewelry that can make them money. But just walking in to their store unannounced is a bad idea. Store owners are very busy people that have only small windows of time to look at a line. Just walking in will interrupt the customers already in the store and the owner or buyer will probably not even be there. You must call ahead.

Making a simple phone call to the store and asking if the owner or buyer could put some time aside to review your line works like a charm. The least busy time to call and the most likely time the owner will be there is around 10 am, just after they open. They get calls from major manufacturers all the time, so be sure to mention that you are a local artist with a handmade line that their customers would love. The words "handmade" and "local" is a plus for store owners. They know their customers love local, unique items and it's something that the big manufacturers can't claim to have.

If the store owner agrees to see your line, set up an appointment to visit the store at a time where, again, they are not busy...between 10 and 11 am, just after they open. Bring order forms, brochures, samples of your jewelry and displays and dress nicely. You don't have to a professional salesperson to be successful. You just need to have something beautiful, that they already do not carry, at a price point where they can make money. It's a pretty simple formula that can lead to big business.

2011年10月22日星期六

Vintage Jewelry Components

The jewelry elements that you use such as beads and pendants do not always have to be new. Occasionally that vintage feel makes your jewelry much more enticing. Don't be afraid to venture into non-traditional sources when it comes to these.

Garage sales are some sources that you can check out. It is not weird for folks to sell pieces of their broken jewelry and chances are that you could buy them for inexpensive. Use your brains to mix and match the pieces that you bought or you could even use them along with other things that you already have in your component collection.

The things that you find in garage sales will most frequently be old ones so you might even find an antique bead or pendant which will just need a bit of cleaning to bring back its old beautiful shine. Infrequently houses would have collective garage sales and this is an excellent chance for you to scout more potential finds.

You could possibly find old costume jewelry from your garage sale visit. While these by themselves might not be as good as what you am considering, you can still mix them up with some fine quality beads to give it that special look. Plastic beads, for instance, look really good with silver bracelets. Experiment on mixing and you'll have a more flexible collection.

Beads and pendants are not the only parts that you can find from old jewellery. It's more than likely that you will find clasps from damaged accessories and you can reuse these for your new creations. Just ensure that they're still working. You may also work with old strings and old earring fittings.

Garage sales are not the only potential source of jewelry parts. You may even find some in your own house. If you're like me, you would have bits of old jewelry scattered around waiting for you to fix them one day. Well they do not need to wait for that day anymore ; you can just reuse them to make new ones. There's a reason you were holding on to those pieces in the first place ; it might be that beautiful pendant or those unique beads. You might even ask your mom or even your gramps if they have some old jewelry scattered around.

So don't overlook the prospects of old jewelry. It is often fun to mix the old with the new and see what you can produce out of them.