Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with jewelry

Where to find my craft supplies in Chicago?

Teira — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:53:35 -0800

Anyone know any Chicago retail locations for jewelry supply and electronic components? Second City Filter...ers! (What exactly do you guys call yourselves?)

I'm really feeling the pain of not having a Fry's Electronics 5 minutes away anymore, even if their service was horrendous. I'm having a bit of trouble finding a fry's/old-school-radio-shackish kind of place here in the windy city (all the current radioshacks just seems to exist to sell iPod docks). While I am aware I can just order bulk from DigiKey, I really do prefer not paying shipping, shopping locally, and being able to pick and choose in person.

In addition, I've just gotten started with jewelry making, and am wondering where I can get various findings, raw silver and whatnot without the ridiculous markup of consumer-oriented shops like Beadnik's.

Bonus points on both if they're anywhere near the CTA at all. I'd really, really rather not trek into the suburbs, not owning a car and whatnot.

Ring shopping for the big M

Gilbert — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:58:53 -0800

How much should I pay for an engagement ring? I'm ready to pop the question. I've shopped around a little, and I think I have a decent lay of the engagement ring land. My question is this; where do I draw the line on how much gets spent on engagement? I want to make a big splash, but I also want a nice nest egg for upcoming stuff (bridal bands, honeymoon, etc.). Is there a good guide on this? I want to make good impression, but I'd like the post-engagement to be just as good as the presentation of the rock.

What's this on my grandfather's ring?

mrbill — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:57:56 -0800

Is there any significance or meaning to the bust / sculpture on this ring? I got the ring in the contents of a safe-deposit-box that belonged to my grandfather, along with a bunch of old pocket watches and some Masonic jewelry (watch fob, etc). It's clearly a man's ring, as it fits my big fingers.

It looks like some sort of knight as far as I can tell (sorry for the picture; I did the best I could).

Any ideas what the carving on it might be?

How can I sell these vintage gold watches?

twiggy32 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:36:15 -0800

What's the best way to sell vintage gold watches? I have a 10k gold-filled Omega watch appraised at $900 and a 14k white gold Omega watch with 8 small diamonds appraised at $2800. Both are vintage ladies watches. I am looking for the best way to sell them that will bring in the most value and not result in me getting scammed. I have looked through previous threads, but they are either New York-specific or simply advise selling them for scrap. Since they are very small watches, I don't think selling them for scrap based on weight would bring anywhere near their value. Are there other options to sell these watches? Is eBay a good idea or a bad idea? What can I realistically hope to get for these watches? I'm in Arizona if it matters.

How much will it cost to get my rings rhodium dipped?

geeky — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:41:54 -0800

How much will it cost to get my rings rhodium dipped? And where should I go? I've had my engagement ring and wedding band (white gold) for a few years now and they're both losing their silver color. I'd like to get them professionally cleaned and re-dipped in rhodium. How much should I expect to pay (ballpark)?

Also, where should I go? Unfortunately both the jeweler we bought the rings from and my favorite local jeweler have moved / gone out of business. Will your average retail jewelry store do this sort of thing, or should I find a local business with a jeweler on site? Do they normally ship rings out for rhodium dipping?

Thanks! :)

How to prevent cheap jewelry from changing color or rubbing off on your skin?

jacquilinala — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:07:03 -0800

How do I prevent cheap metal jewelry from tarnishing? I have a couple of necklaces that I adore, and while they weren't dirt cheap, they are not made of the finest of metals. They have changed color somewhat - are brassy in places, and one looks almost like it could be rusting? - and I would like to recoat them. Is this possible? Someone once told me I could use clear nail polish to prevent this from happening, but that seems like it would just flake off and/or look ridiculous. I'd like to prevent the metal from changing color and from rubbing off on my skin - you know, like green mark that a cheap ring will leave on your finger, gross!

Ideas?

Can this ring be saved?

pyjammy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:33:54 -0800

Can my unusual eternity band be resized? I have an unusual wedding band - it's an eternity band (diamonds all the way around) but it's like a vine, with open spaces and curling leaves. It looks very much like this ring. Actually, here is a picture of my ring.

Since having my babies in December, my knuckles are larger and my ring won't fit anymore. It's not so much a question of fat fingers, but bone. So I don't have much hope that it'll fit one day. I'd guess that it needs to be at least a half size larger.

Is there any way to get it resized? Or am I going to have to have it made into another piece of jewelry? (And if so, what?)

Is there any hope that my knuckle will shrink? The babies are six and a half months old now - I'd have thought I'd be back to normal by now. Well, my fingers, anyway.

Avoiding getting ripped off in a market filled with experts, salespeople when you're a novice.

Poleris — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:05:17 -0800

How do you avoid getting ripped off in the jewelry market when you're not an expert? I was recently introduced to the jewelry market after deciding to get my SO something special. I know almost exactly what I want. But I was hoping to spend somewhere closer to $1000 than $100.

My main question is revolves around the concern that (like real estate) this is an expert's market. How do I make sure that I'm not getting ripped off when I know nothing about jewelry? There is a huge range of prices for things that look the same to me. I'm sure to an expert there are real differences, but it is all just confusing to me. I just want to fork over my money!

I see a couple of options for me:
* Stick to brand names and get what I want custom-made. Hope that they don't rip me off.
* Spend a lot of time shopping around and most likely not finding what I want.
* Ask for advice! (What I'm doing here.)

I'd appreciate if you could give me advice on what to do in this particular situation, but general advice would also be great (and would probably help myself and others in the future).

Men, what would set your hearts aflutter?

n'muakolo — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:30:01 -0800

What is the male equivalent of jewelry? My boyfriend is making a big sacrifice for me, my job, & our relationship and I would like to give him something durable, valuable and sentimental to express my thanks. In a similar situation years ago he gave me earrings and a necklace, and I still treasure them and when I wear them I think how sweet it was that he gave me that jewelry to express his thanks. I want the exact same thing for him, but not in the form of earrings and a necklace.

A watch might be the obvious choice, but he has a decent one and doesn't wear it now that he has a cell phone on him all the time. We've talked about fancy watches, and he doesn't really seem interested. He's not the kind of man who wears jewelry, so I can't get him a ring or necklace or something. He recently got himself a new wallet, so that's out.

I know there are a kagillion "gift" questions on AskMe but I didn't find this one answered.

Bonus points for links to an actual item for sale!

Custom Bracelet Design in Toronto?

mutantdisco! — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:17:43 -0800

Where in Toronto can I find someone who can make this custom bracelet? I want to create a bracelet with a 6 word message, where each word is engraved on a separate disc/oval and the entire bracelet is connected together by links. Here is a good example of what I mean, but I'm looking for someone or somewhere that can make it a little bit more flashy and customized for a smaller wrist.

Does any one have any recommendations for someone around the Toronto area who can create a custom bracelet like this?

Where can I find a special ring?

AaRdVarK — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:44:45 -0800

Does anyone know where I can find this ring? (Ideally, in San Francisco) My wife and I haven't worn wedding rings for awhile. Previously, we started with cheap silver rings we'd buy form streetside vendors. We'd lose them and pick up another set. I'd like for us to get back in the ring wearing habit. I know what I'm looking for, as I've seen it once or twice before, but I'm having the hardest time finding it. I've seen one here. You can't see it in that picture, but it's kind of a lead pewter ring that's got a hammered texture. It also had a few tiny diamonds embedded in it in a random pattern. It was beautiful and really evoked this feeling of stars in the sky. While I've seen rings at Etsy like this one, this one, and this one which are all close as far as texture goes, but I can't find anything that has the embedded diamonds. Has anyone seen such a ring, and if not, I'm in San Francisco for the next week, so do you know where I might try going to have the best luck finding one?

Thanks!

Looking for a jewelry repair store in Toronto.

The Card Cheat — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:50:10 -0800

Can anyone recommend a jewelry repair business in Toronto? (more inside) My uncle died last summer and left a ring to me. It's a plain gold ring with three emeralds set into it, one of which has fallen off. I'd like to get it reattached, so if anyone could direct me to a reputable jewelry repair business here in Toronto (anywhere in the GTA, although close to downtown would be best), I'd appreciate it.

Rings on her finger and bells on her toes

Polychrome — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:54:20 -0800

Please help me find this ring! I love this ring but not the price. Do any of you know what I would call this sort of style when looking for it (my google searches of "edwardian ring" and "edwardian filigree ring" are just not cutting it) or where else I might find something similar? Short of printing out the picture and dragging it to every jeweler in town (Indianapolis), I'm not sure how else to find something similar to this.

Buddha cuff links; where are you? Help me replace family heirlooms!

xz — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:04:05 -0800

When I was a boy, my father's father passed away. He had been a medic in the Navy in WWII, stationed in Australia, and also spent time in Hawaii. Among the few things we inherited from him were a pair of Buddha cuff links. They were mother-of-pearl (or similar) images of the sitting Buddha, done in frieze style. They've been stolen. If I recall correctly, they were mostly square and fairly flat, maybe 1/4 inch. I had been very close to my grandfather and had always hoped that one day I'd get to wear those cuff links and honor his memory.

Of course, some ass broke into our house when we were away and only stole the little box of bits and pieces my grandfather had left us. They left the stereo and camera and jewelry; they only took the financially invaluable but emotionally precious heirlooms. Jerks.

In the twenty years since then, I've been keeping an eye out for a set of cuff links like the ones my grandfather had left us. I've looked online and in jewelry shops in Asia and Australia and everywhere else I've been. No luck at all.

Has anyone seen anything like this?

need JUST a ring box

Salvatorparadise — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:42:44 -0800

need a nice jewelry box for an engagement ring in Columbus, O. Bought an antique engagement ring, but it didn't come with a box and I want to pop the Q tonight! target didn't have any. Just want at nice looking ring box to put it in. Where could I find one? Most places seem to sell just boxes with rings in them! I'm willing to use something for a ring box that is nice looking but not technically a ring box...

On buying a nice watch . . .

aladfar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:36:34 -0800

On buying a nice watch: if I go with a local jeweler, the watch I'm after will run me about $900. If I go with an online retailer (or trust someone on the forums at timezone.com) I can get it for $400 - $600. Aside from the cost difference, what are the pros and cons of each? The watch in question is a 40mm Oris BC3 with a rubber strap.

Like Sundance....but not

dreamphone — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:29:07 -0800

Who else makes jewelry like that found in the Sundance Catalog? I'm looking for an online source for women's jewelry--mainly rings, small earrings, and necklaces--like that sold by the Sundance Catalog, <$100 range. (I have nothing against Sundance, I'm just looking for more options.) As indicated by the price range, I'm not looking for any precious metals or stones, just well-made, creative, casual (silver) jewelry with or without semi-precious stones.

Engagement Ethics Optimization: Estate Jewelry / MYOR

lalochezia — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:41:11 -0800

Buying an engagement ring. Advice wanted on a) Estate Jewelry: recommendations on how to buy & not get ripped off. b) Make-your-own-ring workshops: how to get a good used diamond. c) recommendations for both of the above in the LA / SoCal area. My sweetie wants a diamond ring for her engagement. I want to give her one. I would like to avoid Tifffany, Big Box stores and even (gasp) Blue Nile. I'd either like to make my own ring or buy her an unusual used one.

I'd like to either

i) Buy her Estate Jewelry: it's more unique, doesn't contribute significantly to the demand for new diamonds, and considering the value of diamonds drops precipitously after being used, should provide a good deal.

How do I get a good deal? How do I avoid being ripped off? Does anyone have any good recommendations from PERSONAL experience in Southern California with used/estate jewelry?

Alternatively

ii) There are workshops (in SF and NYC) where you can craft your own engagement ring with your own hands: they provide eco-gold and tuition and you provide the stone.
Does anyone know whether there is a similar person/organization who runs a workshop like this in SoCal? (google fails me on this count)? How would I go about buying a used diamond for this process?

I have seen the many questions on AskMe before, but none address the points above. Please: no all diamonds are evil spiels. No non-diamond gems. No new natural diamonds. If anyone can show me white synthetic diamonds that are indistinguishable from the natural stuff, go right ahead. I know her ring size and I know her taste: we've looked at rings together & have pictures of ones she likes.

I've made my peace with buying some compressed carbon. I just want to perform an optimization on the nature of the transaction to maximize my ethics within the framework of buying a Rock.

I'm popular. Just not in North America.

913 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:38:13 -0800

What are some fashion trends that are popular everywhere else but North America? It can range from clothing to apparel to jewelry.

An example would be the yellow Livestrong bands that blasted North America but didn't really have much of an effect on the rest of the world.

Searching for a heart of glass

killerinsideme — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:46:01 -0800

I'm desperately trying to find a particular jewelry designer online. The medium is primarily blown glass. I'm 80-85% sure I saw an ad for her (I think it's a her) designs in the back pages of BUST Magazine a couple months ago. A lot of what she has on her website is blown glass heart pendants - some with black glass "stitching" around the edges holding them together - generally a pretty tattoo/rocknroll aesthetic. I've looked around on etsy, but no dice. I have googled to no avail. I'm ashamed to ask the hive mind for shopping help, but I am, as I said, desperate. Rest assured, if I have learned nothing else from this, it is "buy it when you see it." Or at least bookmark it.

Where to get high end jewelry magazines in NYC

AnyGuelmann — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:34:04 -0800

I need those expensive, imported jewelry magazines. Where do I get them in NYC? I have googled over and over, but I keep getting those crafty beading jewelry magazines. What I need are high end, real jewelry publications like Vogue Gioiello, Vicenzaoro or Schmuck.

Are there any specialised bookstores in New York where I could buy these magazines individually? I don't want to commit to a yearly subscription.

Alternatively, a place outside New York where I could get them by phone or online would be ok too.

Help me get the wedding ring we want at a fair price.

tkolstee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:27:56 -0800

Help me negotiate on an engagement and wedding ring. We have things picked out and are being given multiple options on the center stone, which is a ruby. I have no clue about what's fair or what to expect. My fiancee and I are getting married in June. We went to a jeweler who came highly recommended and we managed to find a perfect set for her (the selection of men's rings wasn't what we were looking for, and we ended up picking out my ring from another place). The set consists of an engagement ring with space for ~1ct. diamond and smaller stones already set. We're having a wedding band custom-made to fit the contours of the engagement ring.

For the center stone, instead of a diamond, we're looking for a darker ruby (I keep hearing them use the word Burmese if this helps). We really have our hearts set on this particular type of stone, and my ring will also have a darker ruby in the center. To fit the space, apparently we would need a 1.2 - 1.3 ct stone to make up for the difference in density.

I've been given an approximate figure of $1700 for the ring without stone, $1500-2000 for the custom band, and the rep is currently looking at our options for rubies. So far she's gotten a couple of numbers back from all but one dealer she queried.

High-quality, 1.25ct ~$4400
High-quality, 1.33ct ~$5500
Slightly-lower quality 1.2 and 1.25 ct stones: ~$3000

I realize that we're looking for a more expensive stone by going for the darker colors. I'm fully capable of paying the full price we're seeing so far for ring, band, and one of the $3000 stones, but want to make sure I'm getting a fair deal. Is there a cheaper option and what am I sacrificing? Is the sacrifice something that we'll notice or will it only affect the value of the ring? What should I say and how should I deal with the jeweler's rep to ensure that we all get what we want from this? What should I be looking for in the stone other than what I've mentioned?

Neither me nor my future bride are picky, but she does appreciate nice things, and I want something really nice for her. The less I spend on this, however, the more we can spend on the wedding without starting off our new lives in too much debt.

Thanks for any help you can provide. I expect a callback from her today on this, since she's expecting that the other dealer will be calling her with more pricing options.

Help me sell the family jewels.

spitbull — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:32:52 -0800

(Posted for a friend:) Appraising and selling jewelry in NYC . . . My siblings and I inherited 10 pieces of jewelry which we'd never wear. The jewelry (gold, pearls and a diamond) was appraised for insurance in 1980 and valued at $24K. Is it worth getting a second appraisal from an outside party before dealing with potential buyers? The original appraiser suggested that the value would be about the same today and thought we shouldn't waste money on another appraisal. But because of tax implications doesn't it make sense to get a written fair market value appraisal first--which would help ensure we don't get ripped off? Also, any suggestions for buyers of silver objects (serving plates/utensils) and coins in New York City would be appreciated. I don't want to go the e-bay route but would love to free up my closet space.

Jewelry

octomato — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:18:04 -0800

Where to get jewelry appraised in NYC? Need to get my jewelry appraised in the Manhattan area. Preferable a place that's open late or even on the weekend. Also, I understand some places charge you a percentage or a fee. I prefer fee.
Thank you!

Help my engagement and wedding rings get along!

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:56:06 -0800

Is there a name for the ring you wear between a mis-matched engagement ring and a wedding ring that serves to adapt the round form of one to the flat form of the other? Where do I get one? In San Francisco, preferably. Bonus if the jeweler specializes in vintage pieces. I have a beautiful vintage filigree engagement ring that looks something like this (well, mine is prettier!). My mother has generously offered her mother's wedding band as the complement to it. It looks more like this. So the two pieces won't stack flat against each other because the engagement ring has a bulge in the middle whereas the wedding band is flat. I know I've seen these sort of "adapter" rings before. They are worn between two rings and have one curved side, in the reverse of the curve of your own ring, and one flat side. This middle ring fills in the gaps between the two and makes the two sit together nicely. What is this called and where do I get one? I'm assuming there needs to be some degree of customization but I don't even know what to ask for.