Who Gets The Ring

When I heard this morning that Kris Humphries (NBA player and former future Mr. Kardashian) is planning to auction off the 20 carat diamond engagement ring gifted to ex-fiance Kim, it brought me back the old debate of who lays claim to the ring when engagements are called off?

One side of the argument would claim that regardless of whether the couple was ever married, the ring is still considered a gift, and therefore should remain the possession of the person to whom it was given. Others would argue that without a binding contract of some kind the ring could still be considered property of the purchaser, and should be returned so that this person can attempt to reconcile the value of his/her purchase.

The case of Kris and Kim is obviously a unique one.  They were only married for 72 days and the relationship was ripe with controversy, mainly the reported tens of millions of dollars the couple made selling the rights to cover their extravagant wedding ceremony and party.  More pedestrian couples usually do not have such controversy surrounding their separation.  

Unfortunately there is not established "rule of thumb" as to who gets to keep the ring in broken engagements, and matters such as this need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.    Some breakups are civil and the purchaser of the ring is happy to let their significant other keep the ring or vice versa.  Others are messier and cause serious drama at the end of a relationship, both monetary and emotional.

Either way, it is important to keep situations like this in perspective.  Broken engagements are not a happy time for any parties involved, and the best course of action is generally the one that will lead to both parties leaving the relationship on good terms.  They say love conquers all, but when it doesn't we hope that cooler heads will prevail.

That being said...Visit us online if you are looking for an engagement ring!  

Sydney Rosen Company

Cushion Cuts: Antique versus Modern

Hello Again.  I took a little break from the blog for Labor Day/Rosh Hashanah, but now i'm back with a new topic to discuss...Cushion Cuts!

The Cushion Cut is one of the most popular fancy cuts of diamond in todays engagement market.  I attribute it mainly to the trend of "vintage" style rings made popular by the likes of Tiffany's, Tacori, and Cartier.  

However, some girls today truly want an "antique" engagement ring, which typically contain old mine and old european cut diamonds that lack the precision, symmetry and light performance of modern diamonds, but have an appeal all their own.  Older cushion cuts have a bulkier more "artisanal" appearance that show off the fact that they were almost all cut by hand.  Girls with these rings are typically attracted to the more understated appearance of these stones, and want a ring because of the way it makes them feel, as opposed to something more brilliant to show off.  

On the other hand (pun intended) some girls like the look of older cut diamonds, but still want the sparkle of a modern brilliant cut diamond to show off their engagement.  Modern cushion cuts are faceted using laser technology, so they can obtain the perfect symmetry and light performance desired by the modern bride.  These diamonds, when set in antique style mountings with engraving and filigree, satisfy the desire for something old AND something new in an engagement ring.  

There are plenty of gorgeous antique cushion cuts still in the marketplace today, and thousands of carats of modern cushions are being produced every year.  This trend is certainly here to stay, so search our inventory to see a selection of cushion cuts today!

Diamond Search

Check the box marked "Cushion" to limit the search to only cushion cuts

3 Things To Keep In Mind When Looking At Diamond Grading Reports

If you have shopped for a diamond in the past decade, you have probably realized that there is a big difference between "Certified" diamonds and "Uncertified" diamonds.  Pretty much every diamond for sale in a typical retail store will have some form of laboratory report or certification with detailed information regarding the stones quality.  Only older diamonds or diamonds purchased from estates tend to be uncertified, and this is mainly because they are not cut to meet modern industry standards. This does not mean that these older diamonds are not valuable, they simply would be given low "cut" grades by today's standards and are therefore more marketable as authentic "antique" diamonds than poorly cut modern stones.  

This being said, diamonds that ARE certified by a gemological laboratory still need to be judged with an educated eye to avoid misrepresentation.  Here are 3 areas to keep in mind when looking at diamond certificates to avoid being misled: 

1.  What laboratory is the certification from?

There are many different laboratories that issue Diamond Grading Reports.  The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society Lab (AGSL) are generally the most accurate reports. These organizations are the originators of the color, clarity, and cut scales that the entire industry uses and therefore grade to the highest standards.  Other laboratories such as the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) and International Gemological Institute (IGI) use the same nomenclature as the GIA but do not grade to the same standards.  Therefore, diamonds given grades by the EGL and IGI will typically given lower grades if graded by the GIA.  This confuses many shoppers who see two diamonds with similar weight/color/clarity that are significantly different prices because one is GIA and the other is EGL.  In reality, the EGL graded diamond is much lower quality than stated, which explains the difference in price.  

2.  Plots 

Most diamond grading reports (especially those for diamonds 1 carat or larger) will be accompanied by a plot of the inclusions in the diamond.  Regardless of who issued the report, these plots ALWAYS look a lot worse than the inclusions in the actual diamond.  Some websites list their diamonds with a PDF file of the grading report, and many shoppers will eliminate certain diamonds simply because the plot lends them to believe the diamond is more imperfect than it probably is.  As a rule of thumb, plots do not do many diamonds justice and I would recommend that anyone looking for a diamond see the diamond in person if possible, because plots often do not tell the whole story.  

3.  Polish/Symmetry/Fluorescence

The most important aspects to pay attention to on a diamond grading report are the 4 C's.  Carat Weight, Color, Clarity and Cut.  Cut grades often requires a little extra attention since different labs grade cut differently, but in general anything called "Excellent" or "Ideal" should be a nicely cut diamond.  However, there is a fifth category called "finish" which details a diamonds polish (how perfectly each facet is polished) and symmetry (how perfectly the facets are arranged).  These qualities of a diamond are usually invisible to the naked eye, and should NOT affect a purchase decision if they are do not meet excellent or ideal standards.  A diamonds proportions (cut) are far more telling of a diamonds overall brilliance than it's finish. 

 Also, fluorescence gets a bad reputation in the diamond industry, mainly because it is not disclosed.  Many diamonds (especially yellower diamonds) have blue fluorescence under UV light.  From my experience, 99% of diamonds with faint to medium blue fluorescence do not look noticeably different in most lighting environments.  Only diamonds with "Strong" or "Intense" blue fluorescence would ever have a noticeable blue tint in direct sunlight, so do not poo poo any diamond with some degree of fluorescence if everything else about the diamond meets your expectations.  

I hope this helps anyone shopping for a diamond to keep their head in the right places.  We currently have GIA and EGL graded diamonds listed on our website for anyone interested in seeing the comparison.  Click the link below to visit our Diamond Search.  

Diamond Search

Myanmar Gem Trade

If you have followed the news this past spring/summer you probably heard something about Myanmar (formerly Burma) slowly opening its borders to western media and culture.  The country has long had trade sanctions and other penalties imposed upon it from the west due to human rights concerns stemming from the nations long standing military government.  The past year has seen a weakening of this government, and rapid growth in the civil rights movement leading to strong hope that the country to soon rejoin international trade with the rest of the world.   Myanmar's gem trade is a particular area of interest since this is one of the industries most associated with human rights issues.  The country is a historical hotbed for rare gemstones like Sapphire, Ruby and Jade, much of which has been unable to be exported due to United Nations imposed trade sanctions.  Thousands of carats a year still make it out of the maligned nation through illegal smuggling but this does not benefit the country's economy and thus is inhibiting their growth.  This past week president Obama extended these trade sanctions on gem imports from Myanmar, further putting pressure on the country to either meet international expectations about their social and political issues, or risk another setback in the country's reintroduction into the international community.

You can read more about this week's news here....

U.S. updates Myanmar sanctions to maintain gem import ban

Shop for Ruby and Sapphire three stone rings on our website here...

Design Your Own Three-Stone Ring

What's in a shape?

Everyday I am constantly struggling with the problem of  what shape diamond to show specific shoppers.  It is easy when a customer comes in with a particular shape in mind, but if they are clueless, the natural tendency is just show them round diamonds.  This is fine for someone who is looking for a classic style such a solitaire, but sometimes you need to ask the customer "what type of girl is is your girlfriend?".  If he responds with anything other than "simple" it might be more beneficial to lead him in the direction of a fancy shape diamond.  Some girls, even the "simple" ones might prefer something with a little unique flare.  Recommend an off the beaten path shape like a Radiant or Asscher cut.  You might even want to show him some shapes that today's shoppers perceive as old such as Pears and Marquise.  This is a great way to unload some older merchandise on a consumer who hasn't made up their minds yet.  For you all you know he/she could see the beauty in something that isn't necessarily "IN" right now.  It is true that the round diamond is the safest bet, but you should not just assume that every girl who hasn't made up her mind about the cut of diamond she likes is just looking for something classic.  She might just be waiting for the right salesperson to show her something unique that really wows her!  You can visit our website www.sydneyrosen.com to learn more about the different shapes of diamonds.

Diamond Search

Jewelry News Stories

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Sydney Rosen Company

Bling of the Week

I've started a new weekly post!....just not here.  From now on I will be posting "Bling of the Week" on our Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram pages.  Every week I will pick one of the gorgeous pieces available for purchase here at the store and feature it online.  You can call the store for information about pricing and availability.   Anyway...here are some pictures of what I've posted so far:

Check back weekly on Facebook, Instagram @sydneyrosencompany and Pinterest to see more!  As always, you can see our usual online merchandise on www.sydneyrosen.com