Gem & Jewelry Industry

Written by Yvonne Raley

Filed under

antique gemstones, burma ruby, cabochon, cleaning jewelry, restoration, restoring, rose gold, victorian

Making New Out of Old: Restoring Antique Jewelry

Apr 28, 2013

Written by Yvonne Raley

I’ve been infatuated with antique jewelry lately. It has a delicacy and detail that you don’t find very much in the mass produced styles of today. Last fall I started collecting and converting antique stick pins, and a month or so ago I began looking at rings. But working with antique jewelry can be challenging. Here’s an example of how I refurbished an old Victorian ring.

Finding antique...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Outsourcing: What you Can – and Shouldn’t Do at Home

Apr 15, 2013

Written by Yvonne Raley

I produce an average of 20 items of jewelry per week, and if you assume that one item takes an hour, you can do the math of how long it takes to make everything from scratch. If you then add the time to make listings, photos, convos, pack orders, shop for gems and supplies, it adds up to this: not gonna happen. Not even if I quit my full time job. Which I love.

So I do what most people do who...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Making a Melt: Selling Gold Straight to a Refinery

Mar 31, 2013

Written by Yvonne Raley

When you sell gold on 47^thStreet, there are two ways to go. You can sell at any one of the small gold dealers (or the larger ones), or you can go straight to a refinery that melts it for you. Prices are often in the same neighborhood, but when you have scrap that’s not identifiable, or that you suspect is thickly plated over silver, or lots of individual pieces that would have to be tested...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Guest Blog: The Search for a Classic OEC

Mar 19, 2013

Written by Yvonne Raley

Guest Entry by Anya

If you read Yvonne’s entry on Vintage diamonds – OMCs (Old Mine Cuts) and OECs (Old European Cuts) – you will have noticed that she called them the only “truly rare” diamonds on the market today. That is because diamonds with this type of cut are no longer mass produced. Old-cut aficionados like me have to get creative to find the perfect stone. Here are some tips on how to go...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Jewelry Insurance

Jan 22, 2013

Written by Yvonne Raley

I’ve been wanting to write about this topic for a while. I often get asked why I don’t have insurance when I refuse to set a customer’s stone because - as I explain – I’m not insured for it.

The hard truth is I can’t afford it, and most people I know on 47^thStreet can’t either. Jewelry stores have insurance because (I think) they’re required, but this does not apply to gemstone dealers and small...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Payment Plans: Tips for Small Business

Dec 08, 2012

Written by Yvonne Raley

Large department stores seem to be able to offer these amazing payment plans. They're interest free, with no money down, payments stretched out till the end of the world (and I don’t mean December 21^st), and you can return your purchase up to 12 months, even if you used it. I’ve often wondered how businesses can afford that sort of thing, but the answer is probably obvious: the costs have...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Gem and Jewelry Care: Do’s and Don’ts

Sep 16, 2012

Written by Yvonne Raley

This is probably a long overdue blog entry. I talk so much about gems, but never about what you should and should not do once you receive the jewelry I make for you. This tip sheet has the basics.

1. Adding Shine: Use a polishing cloth. But you need a good quality one, like SunshinePolishing Cloths from Rio Grande. They feel a little waxy, not just like cloth. You can rub fairly hard for a...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Are Gemstones Ethically Sourced?

Aug 30, 2012

Written by Yvonne Raley

Even though I don’t get this question a lot, since I teach ethics, it stands to reason that the ethical sourcing of gems would be a concern of mine. And it is. But if we consider the question carefully, it is obvious that even if we could all agree on what “ethical sourcing” meant in this context, it doesn’t take much thinking to realize that the demand to only use ethically sourced gems is nearly... Continue reading

Written by Yvonne Raley

Idar Oberstein - Round Two

Jul 06, 2012

Written by Yvonne Raley

As many of you know, I went back to Germany (and also Italy) for part of June and July, visiting family and taking a much needed break from work and jewelry. But what would a trip be without at least a little gem shopping? So I made another appointment with the Sri Lankan in Idar Oberstein who sold me those awesome spinels last summer.

This time I took my dad along for the ride. Ulterior... Continue reading

Written by Yvonne Raley

On the Value of Value: Retail Appraisals

May 19, 2012

Written by Yvonne Raley

I’ve heard it time and time again when people show me their valuable jewelry: “this ring was appraised at…,” followed by a nice high numerical figure. “Cool,” I say. Politely. While secretly rolling my eyes. Why? Because those appraisals, most likely, are too high. They are done for insurance purposes and calculate full replacement value, or close to it: the amount the insurance will pay you... Continue reading

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Posts & Pages

Gem & Jewelry Industry

Making New Out of Old: Restoring Antique Jewelry

Outsourcing: What you Can – and Shouldn’t Do at Home

Making a Melt: Selling Gold Straight to a Refinery

Guest Blog: The Search for a Classic OEC

Jewelry Insurance

Payment Plans: Tips for Small Business

Gem and Jewelry Care: Do’s and Don’ts

Are Gemstones Ethically Sourced?

Idar Oberstein - Round Two

On the Value of Value: Retail Appraisals