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In times of rapid change, constants lend comfort to our lives. Since ancient times, jewelry has been one of the most popular gifts to give and to receive, and it still ranks among the top gifts as a universal, particularly pearls and birthstones. Jewelry ranks just beneath flowers as the gift that says “I love you,” and it ranks just above flowers as a gift to convey that the recipient is someone special. A gift of jewelry delights the recipient and evokes a genuine smile.

It’s the Style

It’s not the price; it’s the style that determines whether your gift of jewelry is received in the same spirit in which it is given. To give jewelry that delights, match the gift to the recipient’s style. Jewelry is one area where you cannot give a gift that you would love to own. Your idea of a fashionable bauble may be another’s idea of junk. Is the intended’s style casual or more formal, traditional or contemporary? You wouldn’t give a Swatch watch to your great-grandmother any more than you would give a diamond tennis bracelet to your Goth niece. Select a compatible style and your gift will stand out among the recipient’s favorites and ensure that the gift never finds its way to the regifting closet.

The Many Faces of Pearls

Any woman over the age of 30 appreciates a fine strand of pearls. They’re elegant, timeless, and suitable for most occasions. Think back to your favorite old movies; most leading ladies wore pearls at some point during the movie.

Pearls are the only gemstone created within another living organism. Natural pearls are grown without any human intervention when a speck of sand or other irritant lodges itself inside an oyster. Deteriorating environmental conditions have rendered natural pearls all but obsolete.

Cultured pearls have quickly filled the void. The only difference between a natural pearl and a cultured pearl is that human intervention is required to place the irritant inside the oyster shell. By controlling the size and shape of the irritant as well as the environmental factors, cultured pearls guarantee greater quality control. You’ll find pearls in many hues ranging from white South Sea pearls to black Tahitian pearls, and covering a lot of territory in between: pink, green, blue and ivory.

Freshwater pearls sport a combination of interesting shapes and hues not usually found in saltwater varieties. Freshwater pearls come from Chinese rivers and lakes where the Hyriopsis cumingi mussels can produce 50 pearls at once. They are usually less expensive than saltwater pearls, but no less elegant than their saltwater counterpart.

Birthstones

Precious and semi-precious gems linked to birthdays date as far back as the 15th century. Unlike today, early birthstones were linked to the signs of the Zodiac instead of to calendar months. Almost everyone appreciates a birthstone, and it shows that you actually put some thought into the gift. Many people believe that wearing their birthstone protects them and brings them good luck. When giving a birthstone as a gift, think beyond rings to bracelets, pendants, earrings, pins and chokers.

The chart below contains the official modern birthstones, as established in 1912 by the National Association of Jewelers. Some birthstones have many legends associated with them; you’ll find a brief summary below. This official list applies only to the United States. Several other birthstone lists exist, such as the mystical birthstones, which originated in Tibet and the Ayurvedic birthstones, which originated in India.

Month Birthstone

January Garnet

-Associated with blood, garnet provides victory, protection from injury and health and brings constancy

February Amethyst

-Said to have been worn by St. Valentine, amethyst signifies spirituality and sincerity

March Aquamarine

-The stone of serenity and courage, also associated with water

April Diamond

-Banishes evil, promotes goodness, improves financial situations - the world’s favorite precious gem also signifies pure and eternal love, innocence

May Emerald

-Brings harmony, the stone of life and renewal, love and success

June Pearl

-Purity, chastity and modesty, health and longevity

July Ruby

-Devotion, integrity and success - contentment

August Peridot

-Dignity, success and fame - married happiness

September Sapphire

-Clears the mind and brings prosperity and clear thinking

October Opal

-Happiness, beauty, love, magic - hope

November Topaz

-Brings wisdom and strength of mind, fidelity

December Turquoise

-Good fortune and prosperity

Enclose a card with the gift explaining the meaning of the birthstone. While most people know their birthstone, few know the significance attached to it.

If you want to give jewelry as a gift, but you’re at a loss for what to give, pearls and birthstones provide two safe options that are sure to please and make a lasting impression.

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for jewelry and jewelry gifts. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

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Using Jewelry as a means of creating revenue should not be overlooked by any serious-online-entrepreneur. Why? Read on…

I am often asked why I got into the jewelry industry. Easy answer to that one… “Do you know a poor Goldsmith”?

Seriously though, the onset of e-commerce revolutionized the trading of precious stones, gold, and most of the other raw materials that are combined to produce jewelry. To a large extent pricing was previously controlled by diamond merchants like De Beers and retailing by jewelry chain stores charging top-dollar for a mediocre product. Online trading changed all that. Mining companies found that they could deal with manufacturers directly and luxury jewelry became more accessible. What didn’t change was the consumers’ perception of the value of high-end jewelry.

Unless you are into silicone chips, there is no other item I can think of that offers such a high level of turnover in relation to the size of the item*, as jewelry. This potentially means a very profitable product that it is easy to handle, you don’t need huge storage facilities or complex packaging systems. If you want to, you can set up a multi-national empire in a one bedroom apartment.

If you “buy clever” (which I hope you will, after reading this) you will be able to store a months inventory in a small to medium sized safe. Added to that, very little can go wrong with say, a diamond ring after it is sold and warranty claims are therefore minimal.

So what do I mean by “buy clever”? Well, as a rule of thumb, your buying price for any item should be no more than a tenth of the market price.
e.g. After researching the market you find that the average sale price for a 10K gold ring is $100.00. You then need to find a source that sells something similar for $10.00.

Can it be done? Yes. Are there sources online that offer a 900% lift? Yes. Where do I find them? Sorry but I can’t divulge that
information, it’s down to you to do the research but I assure you they are there and can be found online.

The above points, added to the quite phenomenal margins attached to jewelry, make this product group a very interesting and viable proposition.

In the meantime, here is a snippet of information to consider. A relatively expensive item of jewelry for a small local jeweler would be in the region of $20,000.00, the production cost for that very same item is around $500.00. I am not saying that you are likely to earn $19,500.00 on single items but this does illustrate the potential.

*The “en tremblant” flower brooch by Bulgari, 1958, which achieved $1.1 million (1998) in auction at Christies, is an extreme but good example, further examples can be found on the Christie’s web site.

About the Author:

Steve Blanchard established Jewelrysearch in 1991. Jewelrysearch is a market research company specializing in the Jewelry industry. Visit their web site http://watches-n-jewelry.com for more information on the Jewelry industry and in particular online jewelry stores.

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Whether you presently own a retail or web based business and are looking for an additional profit center or you are thinking of starting a business, jewelry is a “no-brainer” choice for a proven product category. The buying public, (particularly women) never tires of jewelry as the choices in color, materials, finishes and styles are endless and innovations are continual. Every generation reinvents jewelry for itself in much the same way that it reinvents music and fashion. Styles change but the basic facts remain the same. If you are a seasoned professional, please consider the following a refresher course. To the new comer, use this information as a foundation for your ongoing jewelry education.

The Facts About Gold Jewelry

The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.

The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.

Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you don’t see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.

Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.

Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.

Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.

Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com

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