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To
shop online or not?
These days, when we are all doing some amount of online shopping, it’s
worth asking whether it’s always the right way to go. I do have clients
express surprise that anyone would buy jewelry online, as it is such an
emotional, visual and tactile purchase, but many people do so.
Sometimes the results are good, sometimes not. Here are some things to think
about:
Most
jewelry purchases, especially diamonds, are best made by comparing one
item to another. When looking for a diamond for an engagement ring, for
instance, you make your best decision by being able to look at two or
three diamonds side by side in various lighting conditions to see which
one is the prettiest. That may sound elementary, but it is true that
diamonds have different “personalities,” and differences may be seen even
in two diamonds of identical sizes and quality grades. Our job is to explain
the grades and values to you; then your job is to select the gem which
“speaks” to you the most. The only way you can compare several diamonds
side by side with online purchases is to purchase all of those gems at
once, with the option of returning those you don’t want.
When
purchasing a diamond, you must have the option of being able to examine it
under magnification. And this doesn’t mean just a hand-held loupe, it
means a gem-grading microscope. It is not fair to expect you to purchase a
diamond using tools you are not familiar with. We will always encourage you
to look at your diamond under a DiamondScope.
Remember,
you are purchasing a gemstone with fire and beauty, not a grading report. It
is the diamond on the finger which will elicit the “wow!” reaction, not the
piece of paper. You must be able to look at that diamond and compare it
to others before you purchase it.
Colored
gemstone grading can be subjective, and the choice can be very personal. When you come
into our store, we can show you the ranges of colors available in various
gems, explain how the sometimes subtle differences in colors affect prices,
and allow you to make your choice based on which color appeals to you the
most.
Workmanship
and durability can be very difficult to discern without in-person
evaluation. When you look at a selection of jewelry in our store, we can
show you how to determine various degrees of workmanship, which has
everything to do with durability and long-lasting satisfaction, and help
you make the best choice based on your budget and the way the jewelry will
be worn.
If you
are buying jewelry for yourself, it can be very important to be able to
try a piece on. Jewelry in the case, or in a photo, can look very
different on your finger or on your wrist. Having the ability to try on a
number of different styles can help you determine what styles are
flattering to you.
Jewelry
can be a “blind” purchase. If you are like most people, you know a little
bit about jewelry, but possibly not enough to know what makes one piece
worth $5000 and another piece, similar in appearance, only worth $1000. You
want to be able to look an expert in the eye and ask what makes it worth a
particular price. Our experienced staff can do this, and can answer your
questions about value, durability, style, and authenticity. We can also
help you plan for future purchases, so you create a coordinated jewelry
wardrobe rather than a collection of mismatched items.
We will
take trade-ins. You may have jewelry items you do not wear, for any number
of reasons. We are always happy to let you know what kind of trade-in value
you might receive.
Shopping
locally rather than online helps your community at home. Locally-owned
firms like ours support our communities in innumerable ways, from donations
to countless community schools and organizations, to participating in local
civic and business organizations, to providing jobs, to collecting sales
taxes, to support our local schools and public agencies.
And
finally, buying jewelry for an important occasion can be an emotional
experience and deserves to be honored for that emotion. Selecting the
jewelry itself should be part of the occasion you are celebrating, and
the personal connection you make with the expert in the store can be an
important part of the whole celebration. We know how to provide
suggestions, how to guide you through the selection process, and how to
make it a fun, rather than scary, experience.
Online
shopping can indeed be a convenience. Next time you consider shopping
online for jewelry, however, give a local store like ours a call and see
if we can make that purchase just as convenient and much more fun for you.
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Sparkling
Jewelry For The Holidays
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Are you planning to attend many holiday parties? If so, be sure to bring
your jewelry in to any of our stores so we can clean it for you. Even
if you have a home ultrasonic cleaner, bring it by. Our cleaning machines
are stronger and will always do a slightly better job. In addition, we
will check the settings to make sure all is secure, something we are happy
to do any time for no charge.
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Holiday Watch
Fair!
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Be sure to stop by our stores the weekend of December 9 and 10! We are
hosting our second annual holiday watch fair. The largest collections
will be at our Stanford Shopping Center store, where we will have
expanded collections of all our major watch brands, including Breitling,
Cartier, and Baume & Mercier. In addition to our own on-staff
experts, we will have representatives from these companies available to
answer your questions and show you the special features of the watches we
have, and we will be offering special pricing throughout. If you
are considering a watch as a holiday gift, this would be the weekend!
Saturday –
Sunday
December 9 & 10
**Sunday, Stanford store only
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Palo Alto
Businesses Honored
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Last month we were pleased to be one of the Palo Alto businesses honored
for our longevity by the Palo Alto History Museum and Palo Alto
Historical Association. These groups identified over 60 local businesses
which have been in business for 50 years or more. If you are from Palo
Alto, you will recognize some of the names: Palo Alto Sport Shop and Toy
World, Stanford Electric, University Arts, Roller Hapgood & Tinney,
and even Stanford Shopping Center. And December 4 we will be further
honored to receive a Proclamation from Palo Alto’s Mayor, Judy Kleinberg,
recognizing our own 75 years in business. This all sounds
impressive, but what does it mean to you, our customers? It means that
every day, for 75 years, we have been re- earning your trust and confidence.
Our customers are smart, and can easily recognize if we are not
treating them with fairness and integrity. It means that you can have
confidence in the fact that we will give you good advice, show you
quality jewelry, answer your questions honestly and, perhaps most
important, make a sincere attempt to correct any mistakes.
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Holiday 2006
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DETAILS
Holiday
Shopping Intelligence
How often have you wandered into a jewelry store in December, intending
to find that perfect gift, only to be stumped by the variety of
choices and an inability to know which is the right one? It’s very
frustrating, isn’t it? You might end up picking something out almost
at random, just because you are running out of time, but knowing inside
that you did not give the selection, the careful thought you would
prefer.
How to
avoid this kind of stress? Sit down with one of our associates and
make a plan for building a jewelry wardrobe. Let us give you
suggestions which allow you to build a collection of pieces which
will coordinate with each other, suit many different occasions, and
provide the recipient with years of enjoyment. Here’s how it can work.
First,
get some kind of idea of what your wife or girlfriend or partner already
has in a jewelry collection. Note which items are worn often; this can
indicate a style preference. Then come in to see us. Once we hear a
little bit about the recipient (tall or short, fair or dark, classic or
avant-garde) we can give you suggestions which will work with the jewelry
already owned. Not only that, we can make suggestions for items which you
can find in the future which will coordinate with what you have already
purchased. We will keep a record of what you have purchased so we can
help you build on that wardrobe.
You
can also make plans to upgrade the collection in the future. Diamond earstuds
which look fine today can start to look small in a few years. The
original earstuds may normally be traded up to a larger pair. The same
goes for other wardrobe basics, such as pearl strands, diamond tennis
bracelets, even diamond engagement rings. Overall, this kind of
well-planned approach to jewelry buying makes sense financially as well,
as you know in advance what you need to plan for.
You
might also suggest that your wife or significant other come in to the
store to look at our collections and fill out a wish list card. This way you
know you will be selecting something guaranteed to be liked.
Our
goal is this: to make your jewelry gift-giving as easy and stress-free as
possible. As we work with you, it is not unusual to be able to handle
future wardrobe additions with a simple phone call, knowing we will
select the right item from the list, giftwrap it, and deliver it to your
door. We’ll do most of the work; you get all the thanks!
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