Storefront on Jeweler's Row in Philadelphia

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Selling Your Diamond

One of the many redeeming qualities of diamonds are their lasting value.  Diamonds are extremely durable, so a diamond that was purchased decades ago may still be in pristine condition and therefore still valuable in the re-sale market.  Diamonds with laboratory reports are the most desirable to a jeweler since they are not guessing the on the weight and quality of the stone, especially since most diamonds offered for re-sale are already mounted.  However, most jewelers are still interested in buying uncertified diamonds from their customers if the stone fits in with the jewelers typical inventory.  

The motivation for a jewelry to purchase diamonds from the public is highest if they can pay less than their usual wholesale cost.  For this reason some jewelers will offer two prices for a diamond, a liquidation price and a consignment price.  The liquidation price is usually lower than the wholesale value of the item, for which the jeweler is willing to pay immediately to purchase the diamond outright. A consignment price is an average wholesale price that the jeweler agrees to pay you for an item left with them for resale.  This is the best way to get the most value for your diamonds, assuming you don't need the money right away or you are not in any hurry to sell them.  A jeweler will pay more on consignment since he is not outlaying any of his/her own money for the diamond.  It may take some time before the item sells, however, the customer can always accept the lower liquidation price, or take it back from the jeweler and try their luck elsewhere.  

Sydney Rosen Company is ALWAYS interested in partnering with our customers to sell their diamonds.  We offer both consignment and liquidation prices, and we will do whatever we can to get you the most value for your stones.  There is never an appraisal charge to examine stones you are interested in selling.  Click on the link below for more information or to inquire with us about selling your diamond.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Internet Shopping

In todays "Information Age" diamond shoppers are doing a lot of research before actually walking into a jewelry store.  Aside from brushing up on the 4 C's they are also researching prices for items similar to what they are hoping to eventually buy.  While many different websites offer to sell diamonds and engagements directly online, it is a blind item that not many consumers are comfortable purchasing sight unseen.  Prices for internet diamonds are often significantly lower than at traditional retail stores because their is no added benefit of actually seeing the merchandise before making a purchase decision.  Furthermore, the majority of these websites do not actually own the diamonds they are selling!  They are simply a marketing source for diamond dealers around the world to list their diamonds so they can sell them at very small profit margins without having to lift a finger.

Here at Sydney Rosen, we offer the same price advantage as internet stores with the added customer service to go along with it.  Our Diamond Search allows you to choose diamonds that are available to be viewed "in-store" before making a final purchase.  You are still able to purchase direct online from our website, however, we offer you the option to see the merchandise before hand and pick our brains at the same time.

Click on the link below to begin searching our database of over 40,000 diamonds to pick the perfect stone for you bride to be.  Diamonds with a "dot" in the far right column are available to be viewed in-store.

Diamond Search




Monday, June 10, 2013

Our History

It has been a while since I discussed the over 65 year history and philosophy of the Sydney Rosen Company.  So here's a little reminder written by his sons Steven and David...

THE SYDNEY ROSEN COMPANY: The Family Business
Our father, Sydney Rosen, started his jewelry business in a tiny second floor office on Jeweler’s Row in Philadelphia. Just a desk and a safe. It was 1947. Peacetime in the nation’s first diamond district.

Our father was not formally educated. But he had a "Masters Degree" in life. It was said that our father was as polished as a finely cut diamond, a true gentleman. And a pioneer. People would walk up to his tiny store and get a fascinating lesson in diamonds — a rare experience in 1947. His philosophy, “If it’s not a good diamond, it’s not a good deal” established The Sydney Rosen Company, and in 1955, he opened his first storefront.

Back then, I don’t think our father could ever have imagined selling engagement rings and fine diamond jewelry via the Internet. Too impersonal. Our father was a people person. He bought and sold millions of dollars in diamonds by
looking someone straight in the eye and listening to the sound of his voice. No contracts. Just a firm handshake. A man was only as good as his word. Our father's word was as good as gold.

In the 1950’s and 60’s, our father developed close ties with diamond cutting houses in Antwerp, Belgium, renowned
for producing the world’s most brilliant gemstones. Sydney bought direct.
About this time, our father said to my brother Steven and I, “I think you boys need a little responsibility. Why don’t you come down to the store?” And so our education began. We learned at his side, observing the consummate teacher, and worked hand in hand with diamond cutters, polishers, jewelry designers — the whole vibrant community of Jeweler’s Row craftsmen.
Thirty years later, Steve and I are Graduate Gemologists. And like our father, we’re still on the showroom floor with our customers every day. The diamond cutters in Belgium, Israel and New York are not only suppliers, but friends. Generations of families have come to The Sydney Rosen Company to say “I do.” and “I’d do it again.” It’s a family business in the truest sense, built on special relationships. That's how we want our venture into e-business to continue.

We've designed SydneyRosen.com to build trust and confidence. Every diamond in this site has been carefully chosen by my brother and I, and all are independently certified. All the information you need to make an educated purchase online is right here — satisfaction guaranteed.
And yet...when you’re ready to make that once-in-a-lifetime purchase, we'd like you to call us. If possible, come to our showroom — the largest and most beautiful on Jeweler’s Row. We may be old fashioned, but we like to meet our customers, and know that the diamond ring you’ve chosen is right for you. And we think you might like to know the folks you’re buying from.  We’re always happy to answer questions, and welcome your suggestions about how our site could serve you better.

Because like our father, Steve and I know that our business is built on trust.

Thanks for your confidence.

David Rosen, G.G., GIA, ASA
Steven Rosen, G.G.,GIA, ISA
Proprietors, The Sydney Rosen Company
Proud Members of the American Gem Society



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Color in Diamonds

Let's begin the first true summer month with a brief discussion of color in "white" diamonds.  Most people think of diamonds as being colorless, but the vast majority of them actually have a slight tint of yellow or brown.  This comes from minute impurities in the diamonds carbon crystal structure.  Due to this characteristic, gemological laboratories classify the "whiteness" of a diamond on a alphabetic scale from D to Z.  True "colorless" diamonds are classified as D, E, or F color and are rarer in the marketplace and thus the most expensive.  Diamonds classified as G, H, I, or J color have a slight tint of yellow that is difficult for the untrained eye to see, and thus are classified as "near colorless".  These diamonds are still white enough to satisfy the majority of diamond shoppers, and their prices are much more reasonable.  Many "faint color" diamonds labeled K, L or M can appear white under certain lighting conditions, however, shoppers often can see a noticeable tint of color, and thus prefer whiter stones for engagement rings and wedding bands.  Advances in gemological grading have made these lower color stones less desirable and thus they are mostly used in lower quality jewelry.  Older family diamonds often fall in this lower color range, since the technology for grading color was more lenient earlier in the 20th century, and thus resulted in larger slightly off color diamonds.   Diamonds below this range are often used to cut "melee" or very small diamonds used in fashion jewelry like pendants and earrings where the quality of the stones is less scrutinized.   

You can read more about color in diamonds by clicking on the link below.