Today is a quick post, but I just wanted to share this A-MAZE-ING vintage star sapphire and diamond ring in platinum that we have recently acquired as part of an estate. I cannot stop looking at it. It is pretty crucial that someone awesome buys this. :-)

Star sapphires are unique stones. They have a domed top referred to as a a cabachon cut. When the star sapphire is viewed directly from the top a white star appears in the center. Very special stone.

We rarely take in full estates at Diamonds Direct, but we decided to take a chance with this one. The collection is very eclectic and I am like a kid in a candy store with these pieces.

Keep Sparkling!

Kristina

Almost every day at Diamonds Direct, we are asked for tips on keeping jewelry looking as sparkly as possible. Here are five easy ways to keep your fine jewelry looking great for many years to come.

1)      Give your jewelry a break! I know, I know. Your engagement ring is gorgeous. But it is hard work being on your finger all the time. We recommend taking your engagement ring off before you go to bed every night. Have a place in your home where you always leave it so there is never a “where did I take off my ring?!” panic moment. I leave mine in my jewelry cleaner every night so it is clean and perfect in the morning.

2)      Lotion is not your diamond’s friend. The biggest enemy of a sparkly diamond is lotion. We live in a crazy climate and lotion is a necessity most days. When you moisturize take your ring off and let your skin dry before putting it back on. Think of it like this…if you cleaned your window and then pressed a freshly lotioned hand on it, it would leave a cloudy hand print. Same thing applies to your sparkly diamond.

3)      Be aware of your movements. Women like to fidget. Believe me, I am the worst! Many of us are tappers. We tap our feet, we tap our pens, we tap our rings…! Every time your jolt your ring by tapping it on a hard surface, you are wearing away the gold or platinum. Over time, you could even loosen your diamond- especially if you have small diamonds set into your mounting! This also applies to wearing your jewelry during physical activities, such as yard work, weight lifting, tennis, etc.

4)      Make your own jewelry cleaning solution. I am not a fan of buying the pre-packaged jewelry cleaning solution. It seems like a waste of money to me. When I clean my own jewelry at home, I mix equal parts ammonia and water. Then I leave my jewelry to soak in it over night. Right before I leave every morning, I take it out of the solution, give it a quick scrub from all angles with a soft bristle toothbrush, rinse it and pat it dry with a towel. Clean jewelry every day!

5)      Leave it to the professionals at Diamonds Direct. We love seeing you so why not let us do the leg work? We do not charge anything to inspect and clean your jewelry. Plus, we love catching up on what our customers are up to. If your ring requires any extra TLC, we can let you know and get to work on it immediately. If everything looks good, you can rest easy knowing a professional has given it the thumbs up.

Keep Sparkling!

Kristina

In Minnesota, we have a lot of pride for our state. Recently, I have had several requests for custom made pendants shaped like the state of Minnesota. So I wanted to share a little information about my current project.

I am working with my goldsmith to create a few “state pride” pieces in sterling silver. These will be simple but straightforward designs that really scream how much we love our state. Of course, these custom pieces will be available in 14 karat white and yellow gold, but starting out in sterling seemed like a great idea.

Some of you may not know this, but Diamonds Direct is also the exclusive jewelry designer for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders. We designed the “MVC” logo and have worked with them on their custom pieces for several years. Since beginning that, we have also started doing the design work for the Minnesota Timberwolves Cheerleaders and Minnesota Swarm Lacrosse Cheerleaders. We love our Minnesota sports teams! Now if only the Twins would get a cheerleading squad….

Keep Sparkling!

Kristina

Things have been busy here at Diamonds Direct! Normally things slow down in January, but 2012 has been good to us even four weeks in! We have working on several custom rings and a few custom pendants. We’ve also seen an increase in the number of people getting engaged during the cold winter months. All of this is good news and we are thoroughly enjoying the projects.

I have a lot of friends and a lot of them are single ladies. This is good news for me because it means future engagement ring business. It also means I have spent a lot of time listening to the girls let me know what the want ‘someday’ when they meet the right guy. Whether it is engagement ring styles, diamond studs, a gem stone ring, a nice chain…anything! So here is my question- why do you have to have a man to buy these things for you? My fiancé has bought me a couple pieces of jewelry and I love them, but I have bought myself several pieces of jewelry which I love as well. Of course, it is very special when you are presented with an engagement ring…or any piece of jewelry for that matter! There is something about picking out a piece of jewelry for yourself that is very personal and satisfying. When I moved back to Minnesota three years ago, I decided to buy myself something to symbolize this new chapter in my life. I purchased the most beautiful natural blue sapphire ring I have ever seen. To this day, I am in love with it. I think a big part of why I love the ring so much is because I bought it for myself.

Another idea if you want a nice piece of jewelry for yourself is to recycle! Do you have some old jewelry pieces that you no longer wear? Do you have anything that has been handed down to you by a family member? At Diamonds Direct, we have the ability to work with any existing stones you have. We actually love it. There is something exciting about taking something that is getting no use anymore and making it into a new amazing piece you can wear all the time.

Here are some examples of pieces we have made over the past few years using customer’s existing stones:

Until next time...

Keep Sparkling!

Kristina

Well, the holidays are over. We are pulling down our cheesy store decorations. Putting away the Dean Martin Christmas collection. The twinkle lights are still up along France Avenue, but the holiday window displays are all slowly disappearing. Another year ends and another year begins.

The end of a year is a time to reflect. At Diamonds Direct, we are no different. The end of a year symbolizes a lot for any business- especially a business that sells luxury goods. We are happy, grateful and humbled to say that our sales in 2011 were up substantially from 2010. Since the economy has been so wishy-washy the past few years, this sparks our enthusiasm and makes us feel like we have ‘weathered the storm’. This feeling would not be possible without an amazing customer base and awesomely loyal customers. We have been doing business since 1981 and have seen lots of interesting times, but none as challenging as the recent years. We have watched several small jewelry businesses around us close their doors, but we are still here! Doing business the way we always have. No paid advertising. Referrals, insurance claims and repeat business only. Not spending money on advertising all over the place, creates a smaller overhead which turns into saving for our customers. We continue to be ‘snobby’ about quality, but not about price. This way of doing business has always set us apart and now we feel it is what has saved us.

Perhaps I am being too optimist that things are looking up, but I don’t really see a reason not to be optimistic. There are plenty of people out there being plenty pessimistic for all of us.

2011 was the holiday season filled with engagements. Not only engagements, but over the top proposal stories! I will be starting to compile some stories and photos for all of your “ooohhhing” and “ahhhhing” needs.

Happy New Year from all us at Diamonds Direct. We truly appreciate your support and loyalty!

Keep Sparkling!

Kristina