Making Jewelry Wholesale - How to Find Birthstones

Many of the jewelry wholesale pieces that you
make will include birthstones, and purchasing
birthstones is not always cheap. Therefore, you will
need to find jewelry wholesale sources for
birthstones that you can afford.

Everyone loves jewelry with their birthstones in it.
This type of jewelry makes perfect birthday gifts, as
well as Christmas gifts. Some birthstones, such
as opals, are quite inexpensive, while others, such
as emeralds, rubies, and diamonds are very
expensive.

One option is to purchase simulated stones. These
stones are not real, and it is important that your
customer be made aware of this. However, some
customers will want the real deal! Again, you need
a source for real birthstones.

The Internet is the perfect place to find birthstones.
There are numerous jewelry wholesale outlets that
do business online. Because there are so many,
prices are usually rock bottom. Make sure that you
make sure any company that you do business with
is legitimate, and that the gems you buy are quality
birthstones!

Also make sure that you know exactly which stone
is required in the piece that you are making. Each
month actually has different gems that represent it,
depending on which tradition you are following.
Verify the exact stone that is wished for with the
client before making a purchase!

What Are Dirty Diamonds?

A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough
diamond, or a diamond that hasn’t been
cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are
uncut and unpolished – hence, they are dirty.
But that type of dirty diamond will soon be
cut and polished and sitting in a beautiful
jewel box in a display case. Then someone
will purchase it, and before long, it will
become a dirty diamond once again.

Diamonds become dirty. When you wash
your hands with a diamond ring on, soap
scum clings to it. When you put on hand
lotion, it gets grease on it. Shower with your
diamond earrings or necklace, and again,
you get soap scum. In one short day, your
brand new diamond could be dirty!

Purchase an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner the
same day that you purchase your diamond
jewelry, and use it every single day, without
fail. The clarity of the diamond changes
when the diamond is dirty – it loses its
sparkle. By taking one minute each day to
clean your diamond jewelry, you can avoid
this, and your diamonds will never be dirty!

Where Diamonds are Mined

Argye mine located in the Kimberley region
in the far north east of Western Australia.
Owned by Rio Tinto, this mine is the world’s
largest single producer of volume of
diamonds.  However, due to low proportion
of gem quality diamonds it is not the value
leader.  It does produce 90-95% of the
world’s supply of pink diamonds.  

Diavik is also owned by Rio Tinto, located in
Canada it is a very large mine.   It is located
north of Yellowknife and south of the Artic
Circle on an island.  The island is connected
by an ice road.  It is also an important part of
the regions economy employing more than
700 people and producing more than 8 million
carats annually.

Ekati diamond mine is owned by BHP
Billiton and located south of the artic circle
in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
The Ekati is Canada’s first operational
diamond mine.     Diamonds mined here
are sold under the Aurias trade name  
Authenticity is verified through Canada
Mark service.  CanadaMark service is also
owned by BHP Billiton Diamonds, Inc.

Baken diamond mine is located along the
lower Orange River in South Africa.  It is
owned and operated by Trans Hex.  The
average size stone for 2004 was 1.29
carats.   In 2004, this mine produced a
78.9 carat D color flawless diamond that
sold for more than 1.8 million dollars (US),
as well as a 27.67 pink diamond that was
sold for over 1 million US dollars.

Merlin is the second of only two diamond
mines in Australia.  No longer operating it
was owned by Rio Tinto and sold to Striker
Resources, who has explored the
possibilities of reopening the mine.  

Orapa is the world’s largest diamond mine.
It us located 240 Km west of
Francistown.  The mine is owned by
“Debswana” which is a partnership
between DeBeers and the government of
Botswana. This mine operates 7 days a
week.  It maintains pre primary and
primary schools for its employee’s children.
There is also a 100 bed hospital and game
park.  This mine began production in 1971
and is the oldest mine owned by the
Debswana Company.

The Premier mine located in Cullinan, South
Africa produced the largest gem diamond
ever in 1905.  The Cullinan Diamond
weighed 3,106.75 carats.  This mine also
produced the Golden Jubilee diamond
which weighed 545.67 carats.  This mine is
owned by the De Beers Company and was
renamed The Cullinan Diamond Mine in
2003 in celebration of its centennial.

Synthetic Diamonds

The first synthetic diamonds were produced
by General Electric in 1954. A synthetic
diamond is basically a rock that has the
durability, refractive index and hardness of
a natural diamond – but it is made by man.
A synthetic diamond should not be
confused with stimulant diamonds, such as
glass, cubic zirconia, or moissanite.

Although the technology for synthetic
diamonds came into play in 1954, no
synthetic diamonds were ever seen on the
market until the 1990’s. This was due to the
fact that it took many years for General
Electric to produce a synthetic diamond that
could compare with the quality of a natural
diamond – and when they figured out how to
do it, they found that it cost more to produce
a synthetic diamond than it did to mine and
cut natural diamonds.

Finally, a small company by the name of
Gemesis Corporation figured out a way to
produce synthetic diamonds that were of the
same quality as natural diamonds, at a
cheaper price. Today, Gemesis produces
synthetic white diamonds, and colored
diamonds as well. These diamonds sell for
about 1/3 of the cost of a natural diamond,
but there is a shortage of them, and they are
hard to find. In fact, it seems that synthetic
diamonds are rarer than natural diamonds!

Insuring Your Diamonds

Insuring a diamond takes a bit of thought,
planning, and shopping around. Diamond
insurance isn’t like purchasing car insurance.
It is quite different. Depending on the state
that you live in, there are basically three
different types of policies that will cover
diamonds, and all insurance policies that
cover diamonds are considered Marine
type policies.

The first type of insurance policies for
diamonds is an Actual Cash Value policy.
If the diamond is lost or damaged beyond
repair, the insurance company will replace
the diamond at today’s market value, no
matter how much you paid for the diamond
to begin with. This type of insurance policy
for diamonds actually is not that common.

The most common type of insurance for
diamonds is Replacement Value insurance.
The insurance company will only pay up to a
fixed amount to replace the diamond that was
lost or damaged beyond repair. This does not
mean that they will pay that amount – it means
 that they will pay up to that amount. In most
cases, the diamond can be replaced at a
lower cost.

The third type of coverage offered for
diamonds is Agreed Value. This is
sometimes called ‘Valued At.’ This type of
coverage is very rare. In the event that the
diamond is lost or damaged beyond repair,
 the insurance company simply pays you the
amount that you and the company agreed
upon. This is the best type of insurance to
have, but it is rarely offered. If you can’t get
Agreed Value coverage, Actual Cash Value
coverage should be your next choice.

Your rates will be determined by the value of
the diamond, the type of coverage that you
select, and the area that you live in. If you live
in an area with a high crime rate, you can
expect to pay more for your diamond
insurance coverage. It is important to
remember that insurance agents are not
qualified jewelers, and jewelers are not
qualified insurance agents. It is best to get
a certificate for your diamond, and to
provide the insurance company with a copy
of that certificate. This leaves the insurance
company less room for arguments over the
actual value of the diamond.

Don’t rely on separate coverage to cover
your diamond. For instance, if you diamond
is stolen from your home, it is probably
covered on your home owner’s insurance
policy – but the diamond probably won’t
always be in your home, and once it leaves
your home, there is no coverage.

How to Sell A Diamond

There are many reasons why you may want
to sell a diamond that you own. Perhaps
you’ve gotten divorced, or you are strapped
for cash. The reasons why don’t really matter
– getting the best possible price is what
counts! The way to obtain the best price
for the diamond is to not be in a rush. Slow
down, and carefully consider all of your
options – there are many.

First, have the diamond appraised. In fact,
have it appraised by two or three jewelers to
get an accurate idea of the diamonds value.
Tell the appraiser that you want the Rapaport
Value. This is the wholesale value of the
diamond, and it basically tells you the highest
price that you can sell your diamond for. If your
diamond has no certificate, you should
consider getting a certificate from GIA. This
may help you get a better price for the
diamond as well.

First, try to sell the diamond yourself, to
people you know. Friends and family
members may be interested. If you don’t have
any luck with friends or family members, you
should turn to outside sources. Absolutely
avoid pawn shops! A pawn shop will only offer
you about 10% of what the diamond is worth!
Also avoid offers of selling the ring on
consignment. There are many things that
can go wrong, and there is no shortage of
diamond scams – even in well known
jewelry stores.

If the diamond is important, you should
strongly consider auctioning it off through
one of the famous auction houses, such as
Christie’s or Sotheby’s. If it isn’t what is
considered an ‘important’ diamond or a
high-end diamond, you should try to sell it
to an individual using classified ads, or even
eBay. However, selling to an individual that
you do not know could put you in danger –
especially if the diamond is worth a lot of
money.

Your final option should be a jewelry store. It
is vital that you not let your diamond out of
your sight while in the jewelry store – you
might find that the diamond you walked in
with is not the same diamond that you walk
out with! The jeweler will try to tell you that
your diamond is of poor quality or low
weight. Inevitably, there will be some
problem with the diamond. This is where
your appraisal and/or certificate will come
in handy.

If the jeweler is fair, they will offer you
between 60% and 80% of the value of the
Rapaport Value. Do not accept anything less
than this. Again, do not let the diamond out of
your sight until you have been paid for it.

How to Care for Your Diamond

Caring for a diamond takes more than
occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever,
but they can be damaged if you are not
careful. By learning how to properly care for
your diamond, you will ensure that your
diamond is indeed forever.

First, you should take your diamond jewelry
to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the
mountings and prongs that hold your
diamond in place. Have him make any
needed repairs. This will prevent your
diamond from falling out of its setting and
becoming lost.

Diamond jewelry that is not being worn, or
diamonds that are loose should be stored in
a fabric lined jewel case, or in a jewelry box
where it can be kept separate from other
jewelry. Each piece should have its own
compartment. This will keep diamonds from
becoming scratched, and it will also keep
your diamond from scratching other jewelry
as well.

Remove your diamond jewelry when doing
physical work. Diamonds can be chipped
and scratched easily. Also avoid allowing
your diamond to come into contact with
bleach or other household cleansers – this
can damage or change the color of the
settings and mountings, and it may even
irreversibly change the color of the
diamond!