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Natural Versus Lab-Grown Diamonds
Diamonds grown in a lab? The latest jewelry industry trend is making some waves, but what do you need to know before jumping in? Lab-grown diamonds have been around since the 1950s, but have only gained popularity in the last 20 or so years. Let’s explore the pros and cons of natural or organic diamonds and lab-grown ones.
Natural/organic diamonds take billions of years to form under extreme heat temperatures and high pressure. Lab-grown diamonds, which are also known as man-made diamonds, engineered diamonds or cultured diamonds, are grown in a laboratory setting using processes that duplicate the conditions under which diamonds develop naturally. Lab-grown diamonds can be formed in six to ten weeks and have the same physical, chemical, and optical properties as mined diamonds because they are created from the same material as natural diamonds. Specialized equipment is needed to distinguish between natural and lab-grown diamonds.
So why might you want one or the other?
- Natural Diamonds
- Pro: They have sentimental value as they are harder to come by, have historical significance and are works of art created by the earth.
- Pro: They have lasting monetary value due to being more rare and their value increases with time.
- Con: Natural diamonds are more expensive than a comparable lab-grown.
- Con: There are ongoing concerns over environmental and humanitarian repercussions of natural diamond mining processes.
- Lab-grown Diamonds
- Pro: They are an excellent value and you will be able to maximize your budget.
- Pro: They have fewer defects due to the laboratory environment.
- Pro: They are a responsible choice since they are not mined.
- Con: They will keep the value you paid, but will not gain value.
- Con: Resale value may be just pennies on the dollar.
Ultimately, both are a good choice based on your priorities. Stop by Bridgewaters and we can help you determine whether a lab-grown or a natural diamond is the best fit for you!
Gold as an Investment Option? Bring on the Gold Bars!
When you hear about buying gold, do you automatically picture large gold bars? If yes, you are not alone! Actually, gold bullion is any form of pure, or nearly pure, gold that has been certified for its weight and purity. This includes coins, bars and other forms of gold of any size.
While it is fun to think about owning a very large gold bar, it isn’t really practical. However, buying gold can be a good investment and can help diversify your portfolio. Many investors buy gold as a hedge against inflation or political unrest because gold doesn’t always fluctuate when other types of assets do. Additionally, a portion of your portfolio held in commodities like gold helps to lower the overall risk to your portfolio.
Gold can be purchased in different size coins or bars, for example, 1/10 ounce, ¼ ounce, 1 ounce, etc. And recently, the value of gold has increased. If you are thinking of buying gold to diversify your portfolio, stop by Bridgewaters and we can help you learn more about this investment option.
The Journey of Jewelry Redesign
So many of us have jewelry just sitting in our jewelry boxes for a variety of reasons. Maybe they were gifted to us or handed down through family and they just don’t suit us. Rather than just letting them sit, wouldn’t it be great to have them redesigned into something that fits our style and that we will wear?
The journey of the ring above is a great example of creating a new piece with treasured items. The wedding band was divided into two and each piece shaped into an infinity symbol, the symbol of something that is unlimited, endless, without bound. The two infinity symbols were connected, making a ring and the pearl was added.
Here at Bridgewaters, we love to help create jewelry pieces that match your style so that the gems and metals you have gain a new life and become pieces that you want to wear! Once you have identified a piece or pieces that you are ready to reimagine, contact us to set up an appointment. Check out our blog on Freshening Up Your Jewelry Box for more tips on redesigning jewelry.
Wedding Jewelry Tips
You’ve planned everything, from the dress to the guest favors and now it is time to consider accessorizing your wedding look. Our best piece of advice is to include pieces that are a reflection of you and make you feel confident and beautiful.
As you begin thinking about jewelry for the big day, you’ll want to include the dress and how you will wear your hair. Here are some tips and things to consider:
- How to match your dress style and neckline?If your dress is understated, consider statement jewelry to bring a bold look. With a more detailed dress, keep jewelry low key. With a v-neck dress opt for a pendant, while strapless look great with chokers and shorter necklaces to draw attention to your smile.
- What metal matches your dress?For a white dress, platinum or silver will look beautiful. For ivory or champagne, gold jewelry will enhance the warm tone and creamy look. For a blush dress, try rose gold to coordinate with the soft pink of the dress.
- What gems will shine with your dress?If your dress is crystal-embellished, a diamond necklace or earrings will complement the sparkle. Beaded wedding dresses look beautiful complemented by treated freshwater cultured pearl earrings or a pearl necklace.
- What pairs with your hairstyle?An updo is a perfect opportunity to showcase statement pieces like hoops or drop earrings. Wearing your hair down might pair best with studs. And don’t forget to match your jewelry to your head piece.
- Working on your something old, new, borrowed or blue?Jewelry is a perfect fit here, whether something new you’ve bought yourself, a borrowed piece from a family member or a piece handed down through generations.
Stop by Bridgewaters and let us help you put all these tips into action and find you the perfect wedding jewelry. We even offer bridal jewelry on loan to make it even easier. With three different options, you are bound to find one that is perfect!
Fun Facts about Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air! And our favorite love-inspiring holiday, Valentine’s Day, is right around the corner. Are you one of the 52% of Americans who will celebrate Valentine’s Day? Either way, read on for some really cool facts about it!
- As mentioned, only about 52% or over 136 million Americans plan to celebrate and those that do budgeted $192.80 in 2023, up 9.91% from 2022. Overall, consumer spending was $25.9 billion, up 8.37% over 2022.
- Consumers aged 35–44 spend the most of any age demographic on Valentine’s Day at an average of $280.
- 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year.
- What is shopped for?
- 57% shop for candy,
- 40% shop for cards,
- 37% shop for flowers,
- 21% shop for jewelry.
- Facts about Valentine’s Candy:
- Conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are most popular.
- $2.2 billion was spent on Valentine’s candy in 2022.
- During Valentine’s week, 58 million pounds of chocolate and candy are purchased.
- Facts about Valentine’s Flowers:
- 30% of all holiday flower purchases are for Valentine’s Day.
- About 250 million roses are grown each year just for this holiday. 83% of consumers who buy flowers purchase roses.
- Facts about Valentine’s Jewelry:
- While only 21% shop for jewelry, it is the category where the most is spent at $5.5 billion in 2023.
Are you looking for a great gift idea for those you love? Stop by Bridgewaters and let us help you find the perfect gift!
Let’s talk Sterling Silver
Are you a fan of silver jewelry or maybe you are interested in acquiring your first piece? Then let’s talk SILVER!
- Silver is one of the seven metals of antiquity known to prehistoric humans. The other metals are gold, copper, tin, lead, iron and mercury.
- Silver is less expensive than gold as it is more abundant and less difficult to mine.
- Most silver jewelry is made with sterling silver which is an alloy of silver which is 92.5%s silver and 7.5% copper. The copper makes the silver harder and more durable and able to be used to create jewelry.
- All sterling silver pieces are marked and stamped with a .925 or an abbreviation of “sterling” to let you know it’s real.
- Copper does cause sterling silver to tarnish more easily, but it is easy to clean. Check in with our staff for recommendations on how best to remove tarnish.
- Tarnish can be held at bay by wearing your jewelry as it will rub against skin, clothing, etc. and remove some of the tarnish. You would also take your jewelry off when showering, swimming or using cleaning products. Keep your jewelry out of the open air to avoid them gathering dust and grime.
Sterling silver jewelry can be styled any way you like, just like gold and, as it is more affordable than gold, you can add more pieces to your collection! Stop in to Bridgewaters to check out some sterling silver pieces and let us help you find your new favorite piece!
Jewelry: The Sparkly, Fun and Festive Gift
While the holidays are supposed to be joyful and magical, they can also be stressful. Finding just the right gifts for loved ones can be stressful. Luckily jewelry can be the answer to all the stress, no matter who you are buying for!
Jewelry is the perfect gift for so many reasons. First, jewelry is sparkly, fun and festive just like the holidays. Second, with all the holiday parties, your recipient can show off their bling all season long! Third, fine jewelry is forever and can be passed down to children or grandchildren bringing all the associated memories with them. Plus the variety in jewelry, from necklaces to earrings to rings, different metals and gems, can be customized based on the person for whom you are buying.
To help you find just the right piece for your friends, family and loved ones, check out these holiday jewelry trends for 2023:
- Delicate designs for all jewelry types are in. Think thin chains, tiny charms for necklaces or bracelets.
- Nature inspired pieces are hot! Leaf shaped pendants, floral designs or seashells make a statement.
- Brightly colored gems stun. Vibrant emerald green, ruby red, and blue sapphire will keep your recipient in the spotlight.
There is still time to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Stop in to Bridgewaters and let us help you get back into the magic of the holidays!
The Traditional Gem of December – Turquoise
Blue is the color of December, at least as far as birthstones go! Blue topaz and turquoise are both gorgeous gems – we have written about them both here and provide more details about blue topaz here. Let’s check out more fun details about turquoise, which is the traditional December birthstone.
- Turquoise was one of the earliest gems mined, between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago.
- The name turquoise means “Turkish Stone” as it was originally imported to Europe from Turkey. The name comes from the French word for Turkey since it was believed that the mineral originated there.
- The most desirable color of turquoise is a strong sky blue to “robin’s egg” blue. The value decreases with the increase of green hue, lightening of color, and mottling.
- Turquoise is the only gemstone to have an official color named after it.
- Turquoise is the gemstone for the 11th wedding anniversary.
- Tibetans revered the gemstone as a talisman of good fortune. To this day, turquoise remains to be the most prized gemstone in Tibet.
- Turquoise is sacred to many Native Americans and was often used as a shaman’s stone, which were stones believed to have strong metaphysical properties for spiritual growth.
- With a Mohs rating between 5 and 6, turquoise should be handled carefully and stored separately from other harder gemstones.
If you are looking for a great gift for a Sagittarian, turquoise is a true bargain – beautiful and affordable! Stop by Bridgewaters for all your holiday shopping needs!
Thanksgiving Reflections
The end of the year is a favorite time of ours here at Bridgewaters. We love to see all the fun and festive things going on from Halloween with kids in cute costumes, to Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie and the beauty of fall colors and, finally, to our December holidays with the scent of pine and sound of ho ho ho, the festival of lights and celebrations of African heritage. It always feels like a time of year to take stock, reflect on the past year and start to think about next year.
When we think about the past year, we are overwhelmed by all the fun we had celebrating our 140th Anniversary. What comes to mind is the support and love we felt from you, our customers, throughout the year. From cupcakes and cocoa to tasting wines and beers to our scavenger hunt, you came out and joined in! We hope that you enjoyed it all as much as we did.
And so, as we move closer to the end of another amazing year, we want to take a moment to share how thankful we are for each of you – for supporting us, for trusting us to help you find the right gifts, new pieces for yourself and to care for your existing jewelry and gems.
Our Thanksgiving wish for you is fun with family, friends and loved ones, a perfectly cooked turkey and a delicious slice of pumpkin pie with just the right dollop of whipped cream. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 25 for Small Business Saturday!
Topaz, the Rainbow Hued Stone
Those born in November have a choice of birthstones, the beautiful topaz which comes in a rainbow of colors or the yellow, gold or amber citrine. We’ve written generally about both stones here and about citrine here. Let’s focus on the gorgeous topaz today.
Topaz come in various tones and saturations of blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple. Colorless topaz is plentiful, and is often treated to give it a blue color. Imperial topaz refers pink topaz, named in honor of the Russian Czar when found high in the Ural Mountains in Russia in the 17th century. The pink stone was so rare, every specimen found was automatically owned by the Royal Family.
There is no definitely answer for how topaz received its name. It may have been named after a small island in the Red Sea which was named “Topazios” (this island is named Zabargad today). Topaz was never mined on Tapazios, but peridot was and the two were confused throughout history. Alternatively, some scholars believe the topaz was named from the Sanskrit word topas or tapaz which means “fire.”
Over the centuries, topaz has been thought to protect against enemies, to give strength, and to protect against spells and magic. Today, topaz is associated with friendship, loyalty, and faithfulness. Blue topaz is the gem of the 4th anniversary and Imperial topaz is the gem of the 23rd anniversary.
With so many reasons to gift topaz, stop in to Bridgewaters today to find the perfect color and setting!