Vanilla Girl Designs

Fashion, Jewelry, Gifts, and Diamond Rings

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Which Diamond Jewelry Store Has the Best Brand?

April 29, 2011



The answer is a resounding, NO!” The truth is, diamonds are one of the few products that simply cannot be “branded.” When a Diamond Jewelry Store and its employees are operating in integrity and ethics, they will be the first to tell you; even though there are different cuts and shapes, different grades, and different values placed on each and every diamond in existence, no diamond is specific to any brand anymore than a jewelry store can brand gold.

Can you answer this question for me? How does a person or company brand gold? C’mon, how would you differentiate your 18 carat gold from my 18 carat gold? Will your 18 carat gold have more purities or less impurities than my 18 carat gold?

You get the point? 18 carat gold is 18 carat gold. Diamonds operate under the exact same principle; contrary to popular mis-belief, diamonds simply cannot be branded. Why am I harping on this issue of branded diamonds? Because we hear from too many diamond buyers who over paid. Essentially, they got ripped off! They were convinced they were getting specially valued branded diamonds from either a Diamond Jewelry Store retailer or a custom jewelry designer and boy were they hood winked!

Some people will tell you that branding is actually based on who owns the diamond at that time. For example, following that logic, if Tommy’s Jewelry Store or the Helzberg Diamond Jewelry Store owns the diamond, then it is supposedly their perspective brand. By now you and I know that, that’s nonsense.

The largest diamond dealer in the world, De Beers is smart enough to know that they can’t brand a diamond; not even with their internationally recognized name.

Even if a highly acclaimed and well-known diamond cutter such as Clarence “Whitey” Koop or Mr. Leo Wins cuts a diamond, it still cannot be branded by them as a Koop Diamond or a Win Diamond. So basically, when it comes down to it, diamond brands mean absolutely nothing at all. Store brands mean something in terms of integrity, customer service, pricing and the authenticity of the diamonds.

Don’t make the costly mistake of allowing any jeweler, sales person or dealer to persuade you into paying an exorbitant price for a diamond because they claim it belongs to a specific brand of diamonds that are more expensive than regular diamonds. This is a bit of trickery used by unscrupulous jewelers when they know that they are dealing with people who don’t know much about diamonds. Remember that diamonds are not actually branded unless Mother Nature has her own brand!

How to Take Care of Your Pandora Jewelry



Pandora Jewelry is like a story-telling book. It tells of the taste and style of the user, and becomes more valuable when loved ones gift you with charms and beads to add to your Pandora bracelet, or necklace. It gives a certain sentimental value because it creates a piece of jewelry whose parts come from people close to you, and whose story is yours.

But just like any other thing in this world, each goes through inevitable wear and tear. Although Pandora bracelet can last (or even surpass) a lifetime, one should always practice care for your Pandora piece of art.

Here are some ways you can take care of your Pandora jewelry:

Use lukewarm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid. Then with a soft toothbrush, clean off your Pandora jewelry gently. The toothbrush is excellent because it can reach the jewelry patterns that are hard to clean. When you find your piece to be very dirty, just continue soaking it under lukewarm water with a drop of dishwashing liquid. The rinse off thoroughly.

For pearls, never submerge them in water or clean them using any cleaning agent. It can cause damage to the pearl. Just use a soft cloth to wipe off the dirt. Never expose your Pandora jewelry to harsh, strong chemicals. They can have an ugly effect on your piece. Take note that oxidised silver and pearls are highly susceptible to damage.

Rubber can also bring bad effects on your piece. Be sure your bracelet, earrings, or whatever Pandora piece you have will not come in contact with rubber, such as rubber bands, rubber containers, etc. You may bring your Pandora piece to the place or shop where you bought it, as these usually provide cleaning services, and more tips on how to handle cleaning for your Pandora jewelry

All About Online Jewelry Stores

April 27, 2011



Buying jewelry from a jewelry store is nowadays akin to highway robbery. In a matter of moments, we end up spending an extravagant amount. Burning a hole in your pocket is inevitable if you are thinking of buying jewelry. Jewelry is an item of luxury but it is something all of us have to buy at one time or the other. Moreover, buying and owning jewelry also serves as an excellent investment and none of would mind that. However, it may be worth it, but we cannot help wondering whether a place exists where jewelry is available at cheaper rates. We can certainly rejoice now thanks to them that help us save almost 75 percent on the retail price. However, this does not mean that there will be savings of 75 percent on each item. Nevertheless, you can get excellent jewelry at much lower prices. These are no fraudulent sites and neither do they have any other hidden agenda. The reason for the lower prices is simple enough.

Why Are They So Much Cheaper

These online jewelry stores are far cheaper than the retail stores that we generally visit for buying jewelry because of lack of overheads. They do not have multiple outlets to take care of. They do not have to pay rent or take loans for shop space. Costs incurred on salary of staff or assistants are less. Expenditure on insurance for security purposes is nil. All these overheads have a bearing on the prices of jewelry sold in a retail store. However, an online jewelry store has no such costs to recover. Consequently, they manage to sell jewelry at far lesser prices than their retail counterparts.

You also need not worry about delivery charges for the jewelry being overwhelming and negating the discount. Most online stores have nominal charges and if you buy something over a certain amount the delivery cost is dissolved.

Also online stores do not add sales tax to the price of jewelry. Even a small percentage of tax on the already high jewelry prices can cause an irreparable dent to your budget. This is another reason why buying from an online jewelry store works out cheaper.

The Advantages

The advantages are few but they translate to so much more. Firstly, for the amount spent at a normal retail jewelry store it is possible to buy a far better piece of jewelry in an online jewelry store. This means that people could buy jewelry that would have previously been outside their budget. On the other hand, if you buy something similar to what you liked in any other retail jewelry store, you can save a substantial amount.

You can also take your time to pick and choose what you want. You will have a complete catalogue in front of you and no sales staff to deal with.

Another advantage is that haggling with sales personnel can be avoided. Generally speaking, sales people at retail jewelry stores size up clients based on dress and attire. Such differentiation can be avoided in online jewelry stores.