CAN WE TALK TOURMALINE?!-JEWELRY REPAIR, JEWELRY APPRAISAL

 

Bi-coloured Tourmaline crystal, 0.8 inches lon...

 

With October well underway its time to talk about October’s other birthstone, Tourmaline.  First off Tourmaline is actually a group of gemstones and not just one species like corundum is with the only difference is color.  All tourmalines share the same crystal structure.  Tourmaline crystals grow in long crystals with a triangular cross-section.  The crystal structure makes for not only very large and elongated stones but changes in the formation process can affect color.  This is known as color zoning.  These combinations are called bi-color or parti-colored (three or more).  Most stone cutters really like to take advantage of this when cutting the stones.  Some can show even color splits so that they are half and half or mostly one color with a bold stripe of a second color.  Some are so striking in color blocking they remind me of a Mark Rothko painting. Another form which is quite popular is called watermelon tourmaline.  A pink tourmaline is surrounded by green tourmaline while they are forming so when the stone is sliced it looks like a slice of watermelon.

Some of the more popular colors of tourmaline are Chrome tourmaline which is a bright green color.  It gets its name from the element Vanadium.  Schorl is midnight black, and was once fashioned in mourning jewelry.  Paraiba tourmaline is highly prized because it is a bright electric blue and the highest quality rival in price with sapphires and emeralds.  Rubellite is known for its hot pink color.

While tourmalines are found all over the world the most variety comes from Brazil.    At Raymond Lee Jewelers we have a wide variety of tourmaline jewelry to show you.  We also have access to fine tourmaline if you would like to have something custom made or if you need your tourmaline jewelry repaired or a  jewelry appraisal please feel free to call me, Richard your south florida jewelry guru.

Engagement Ring Shopping in Florida?

engagement ring

Engagement ring shopping! Nothing is more exciting or more nerve racking for a man. Especially when you consider that most men don’t have a “deep” knowledge of the jewelry industry and we are targets for retail jewelry shops. It’s easy to sell us a “decent” ring while charging us for an “incredible” ring.

In my experience, when a man goes shopping for jewelry he should always take a woman with him. Someone who knows the taste of your girlfriend and will be able to accurately and confidently help you select the perfect ring for that knock-out punch (so to speak) during your proposal. After all, if the ring is ugly or too small or something, you are tainting the most special moment in her life! Yikes!

So grab a friend, mom or sister and head out to a jewelry store where you can see and touch the merchandise. If you’re in Florida, come to Raymond Lee Jewelers in Boca Raton! We LOVE being a part of your love life’s history and cherish the opportunity to help with selecting your engagement ring.

Raymond Lee Jewelers

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Florida Pawn Shop?

Florida Pawn Shop for Jewelry

Florida Pawn Shop Alternative – Especially for Jewelry

We can never say it as good as you can. So here’s a random review from an internet forum:

“Never say Never! I needed just under 2000 dollars, so I set out to get a loan. But I have very average credit, so my bank acted like I was a leper and all but showed me the door. I called a couple of other local “lending institutions” and pretty much either got the same response or really didn’t like the terms they offered.

Just when I thought I was going to have to look up someone in the mafia and get a loan the ‘old school’ way, I was putting on my jewelry and had an epiphany! Secured loans are difficult at the bank, but they are much easier at a pawn shop. But not just any pawn shop. A jewelry store that also deals with secured loans was where I wound up going. Get this, I have a very old, gorgeous ring. I couldn’t have sold it for two thousand dollars it looked so bad, but I paid few dollars to have it cleaned and “restored” and suddenly it was good enough to secure a $2,000 dollar loan!!! So take that, bank! I went to Raymond Lee Jewelers in Boca Raton. I consider them my new Florida pawn shop! ”

Raymond Lee Jewelers

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Look Fabulous In Black By Wearing Raymond Lee Jewelries

Raymond Lee

 Jewelry that is worn during the day is a lot different that jewelry that is worn during the evening. Daytime jewelries are more casual looking and they also cost lower than nighttime jewelries. Jewelries can do wonders on your look whatever your out fit is. A plain black dress for example, can be worn whenever you want to, but when you add a nice piece of Raymond Lee jewelry; it can look more elegant, making it a nice elegant wear. By wearing some striking jewelries, you can stand out from the crowd. You could also pt on a pair of over sized, dangling earrings for a simple, yet dazzling look.

Or you can also choose to wear a birth stone piece to add more interest to your black dress. Vintage jewelry are a unique choice if you want to look a bit distinct. Pearls and white jewelry are simple yet elegant as well.

Reblog: How to Take Care of Your Luxury Watch

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Many people spend thousands of dollars for their luxury watches, but just like any other expensive item, it is always a good idea to take care of it. Here is some advice on taking care of your watch.

Quartz and mechanical watches: These type of watches should be serviced every three to five years. Quartz watches, however, may need to be returned to authorized agents as batteries typically last about two years.

It is wise to have a water-resistance test carried out every year to ensure that your watch is properly sealed. Water damage to the mechanisms of the movement can be detrimental, and very expensive to fix. Don’t let it happen!

Read this article in its entirety:

Omega Watch Repair | Ebel Watch Repair | Concord Watch Repair | Bertolucci Watch Repair Tag Heuer Watch Repair Raymond Weil Watch Repair | Rado Watch Repair | Movado Watch Repair | Swiss Army Watch Repair
Louis Vuitton Watch Repair | Breitling Watch Repair | Baume Mercier Watch Repair | Tissot Watch Repair | Mont Blanc Watch Repair | Longines Watch Repair Coach Watch Repair | Piaget Watch Repair | Patek Philippe Watch Repair Panerai Watch Repair | Chopard Watch Repair | Rolex Watch Repair | Cartier Watch Repair | Bell Ross Watch Repair | Van Cleef and Arpels Watch Repair

Reblog: Jewelry Terminology: What is an Alexandrite?

Learn More Here

Of all the stones used in jewelry the alexandrite might be the most rare; even more rare than a diamond.  It was named after the Russian tsar Alexander II who was alive during the 1800’s.  The very first alexandrite crystals were found in April 1834 in the Urals.

The alexandrite will show both red and green which happen to be the official colors of old imperial Russia.

Read this entire article:

It is our sincere intent to educate and enlighten you with the fascinating world of jewelry. We hope our blogs do that ~ Also, did you know that we not only sell to, but purchase jewelry from our customers. Here’s some examples of what we are looking for:

Florida Jewelry Store Home Audemar Piguet Watches Sell Bvlgari Jewelry Sell Cartier Watches Sell David Webb Jewelry Sell David Yurman Jewelry Sell Patek Philippe Watches Sell Roberto Jewelry Sell Van Cleef Arpels Jewelry Sell Van Cleef Arpels Watches

Reblog from Jewelry Industry Information Blog: “How to Take Care of an Automatic Watch”

Automatic Watch Repair

The invention of the automatic watch brings out the best and worst in watch companies.  The best companies like Rolex and Patek Philippe manufacture their own automatic movements and stand by them to be the best.  Other high end luxury watch companies like Breitling, for the most part, do not manufacture their own movements, they buy them from someone else.  But no matter how they find their way into watches, automatic movements need watch repair.

There are three popular types of watch movements: automatic, manual wind, and quartz.  Even though quartz is presumed as the most accurate, an automatic movement is more desirable by collectors because of the craftsmanship that must be used.  Automatic movements incorporate all the same functions as a manual wind with the addition of a rotor that turns the mainspring with movements of the watch itself.

Since an automatic watch is constantly moving, then not moving, then moving again it suffers from wear and tare.  Just like a car automatic watches require watch repair from time to time.  A common misconception is automatic watches should run forever with no repairs.  This simply is not true.  Even the best watches need fixing… Read this entire blog.

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Here, at Raymond Lee Jewelers, it seems we are in a constant state of growth and expansion. As our presence grows on the web we are meeting new and loyal customers from all over the world. In an effort to more thoroughly reach out, we have been quietly growing our site. We are constantly adding more unique and specific content to assist in our future customers finding us. It seems the more we grow, the better our service becomes and the more versatile and broad our inventory becomes.

Here’s an example of our growth… We have invested in our watch repairs equipment and state of the art machinery and this allows us to serve more people with a greater degree of technical precision and perfection. Because of that, we have now put up web-pages with specific content for some major brands of watch. Here’s a list of some of those pages:

Sell Bvlgari Watches | Sell Zenith Watches | Sell Vacheron Watches | Sell Roger Dubuis Watches | Sell Piaget Watches | Sell Panerai Watches | Sell Omega Watches | Sell Jaeger LeCoultre Watches | Sell IWC Watches | Sell Hublot Watches | Sell Harry Winston Watches | Sell Graham Watches | Sell Glashutte Watches | Sell Girard Perregaux Watches | Sell FP Journe Watches | Sell De Grisogono Watches | Sell Corum Watches | Sell Chaumet Watches | Sell Chanel Watches | Sell Breitling Watches | Sell Bedat Watches | Sell A Lange & Sohne Watches | Sell Breguet Watches | Sell Blancpain Watches | Sell Van Cleef and Arpels Watches | Sell Cartier Watches | Sell Patek Philippe Watches | Sell Audemars Piguet Watches |

Richard Resnik Your South Florida Jewelry Guru!

As an integral member of the team at Raymond Lee Jewelers, this is the first of what I hope will be many articles for you that will be both informative and entertaining. I will talk to you about the importance of having current appraisals for your insurance company.  I will show you how to give new life to your old jewelry.  I will tell you about colored stones, both exotic and the usual suspects.  I will share with you new advances in technology that allow us to be more creative.  I will also keep you up to date with what is hot in Hollywood as well as South Florida.  Keep checking in and if you have any questions about any of the subjects discussed or would like to suggest one feel free to email me at Richard@webuybigdiamonds.com.

Things to know when shopping for a diamond engagement ring

Image by D.NEA via Flickr

Questions about this blog? 1-800-329-4367

A Raymondleejewelers.net blog

If you are like most guys, you know its hard to select a diamond engagement ring. Some guys pick on there own and other couples pick it together. Whatever you choose to do it is important to know what you are looking at. Obviously diamonds come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. Some people choose to get more bang for the buck (bigger diamond, lesser quality), and others choose to get a smaller stone with a higher quality. When shopping for any quality its really important to compare apples to apples.

That is what brings me to certificates.

Diamonds can come with no paperwork, can come with certificates and can come with appraisals. These are obviously all very different.For starters, I don’t suggest buying a diamond with no paperwork period. As far as certificates are concerned, there are hundreds of companies that certify diamonds and jewelry. Only a few are trusted sources. This is what I mean when I say “compare apples to apples”. If you are looking at a 1ct diamond with a G.I.A certificate in one store and find the same quality 1ct diamond in another store with an E.G.L certificate, chances are the E.G.L. should be a lot less expensive. An uneducated consumer would jump on the less expensive.

However, if both certificates say the stone is an F VS1 only the G.I.A. is held to the highest standards. E.G.L. can be a few colors and a clarity off thus it should be less expensive. Labs that have grading standards that I agree with include G.I.A. and A.G.S. I could get into a lot more detail here but you can also call me with any questions and I will post more in the near future on the topic.

The last item on the list are appraisals.

Appraisals are totally different from certificates, don’t get confused. An appraisal is written by an independent and is only an opinion. Its not at all the same as an appraisal. Like I said before, please call me at the store with any and all questions anytime.

Questions about this blog? 1-800-329-4367

A Raymondleejewelers.net blog

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Check back soon, as this feature was just added Sept. 21 2009.