How to find the perfect diamond cut- Part 2

Hello there! Finally, Part 2 of how to choose your diamond cut is here! Let's not get into the excuses (work, kids, the JCK Las Vegas show, life, the Fifa World Cup etc.) but I have been one busy lady lately. Don't fret, I didn't forget about you out there. Now this article is about more "fancy" cut diamonds that you may or may not have considered for your engagement ring. I really thought I could make it short, a part of me really believed this, but then I realized there are so many cuts out there! The term "fancy" cut is a jewelers term for "not round or princess cut". That's pretty much it. We jewelers are a simple folk, and try to keep things pretty self explanatory. As you might imagine, a "fancy" cut stone will also usually be more expensive. They are harder to find because they are not as in demand as a round brilliant or princess cut is. So lets jump in shall we!

Radiant Cut 
I love love love a radiant cut diamond. This is also known as a modified princess cut diamond. It is more rectangular. So basically its a rectangular princess cut. It's a nice change, and if you want to be unique, but not too crazy out of your comfort zone, this is the cut for you.

It can often be confused with an Emerald cut diamond. The difference between the two is how the diamond is cut, facets and such. A radiant cut has many more facets, giving it a more brilliant sparkle, like a Princess cut diamond.

Emerald Cut

Now an emerald cut diamond has a cut known as a step cut. It looks like long facets that step up like stairs. This results in a very unique shine, and it is beautiful. There are a few negatives to a step cut.

1. The lack of facets won't hide any flaws that are natural in a diamond. An inclusion can almost be magnified if there are not too many facets to distract your eye.

2. Since you cannot hide an imperfection, you will want a flawless (or as close to flawless) stone, hence being way more expensive than a stone that may have a flaw but is not noticeable. 

3. For this same reason your stone will always need to be cleaned. A step cut is not a friend of soap and lotion.

How awesome is this Blue Diamond?? There's your something blue!

Cushion Cut

http://www.modernjeweler.com/web/online/Diamond-Gem-Profiles/Cushion-Cut-Diamond/2$282 

Another favorite of mine, and I am still trying to get my hands on a good one, is a cushion cut. This is known as the jewelers cut. For a long time this cut was only known by jewelers, but I think when the antique jewelry trend hit, more consumers became aware of this awesome cut. Now everyone, and their stylish mothers, wants a cushion cut. Let me give you the low-down on this hot cut. So to explain it simply, this cut diamond looks like a princess cut with the ends cut off. That's not the scientific explanation, but its the best way that I describe it that really paints a picture for people who have never seen one.

http://www.ascotdiamonds.com/blog/index.php/cushion-cut-diamonds-antique-brilliant-and-modified-brilliant-cuts/

This cut has a few negatives.
1. The way the diamond is cut, the point at the bottom of the diamond is really deep and fat. The problem with this? A lot of the weight of the stone is on the bottom, and it looks a lot smaller when it is set. If you were to look at a round brilliant cut that was 1.00 carat versus a cushion cut that is the same weight, the round brilliant will look WAY larger.
2. This results in you wanting a larger stone, which in turns means you will need to spend more money.
3. This cut is in such demand, it is harder to find, and when you do find them you may be paying a premium for it.

If money is no object, and you want to be on trend, then honey we found the cut for you!

Marquis Cut

Ahh the Marquis cut diamond. This cut is not really in style right now, but you know it will come around again. Your mom, or aunt who got married in the late 70's or 80's was totally rocking this cut, set in yellow gold of course. It was the princess cut of its day. Although, just like high waisted jeans and jelly shoes, the reign of the marquis cut diamond will live on. Maybe you received your mom's first wedding ring, the one she had before she upgraded to a 2.00 carat Princess cut, and you want to wear it for sentimental reasons. This cut can for sure be modernized in a halo setting or worn simply as a solitaire and pair it with a fun wedding band, or even play with it in a 3 stone setting. A diamond is a diamond, clean it up, find a new setting, and make it your own.

Heart shape

For all you romantics out there, this is the perfect cut for you. This is defiantly a fancy cut, and it takes a very fun hearted girl to wear this cut. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeve, you wear it on your finger as a huge diamond.

Pear cut

This cut has its moments of popularity, and it's making a splash again. I personally have a soft spot for a pear shape. The most classic, and I feel flattering, way to set a pear shape is in a 3 stone setting with two trillion (triangle cut diamonds), or with Baguette cut diamonds, and even smaller pear cut diamonds! A Pear cut will elongate any ladies finger, and looks great on everyone. If you are going for a large Pear cut (2.00ct and up), then I feel this looks best on ladies with longer fingers. When the stone is too large, and its long and pointy, it will obviously take up a lot of space. If you have short fingers, this will just make your fingers look smaller.

Who needs a diamond? Emerald is a beautiful and unique way to show your personality in your engagement ring.

How to make your mother/wife/grandmother proud on Mother's Day

Happy May everybody! I can't believe April just flew by. Between business trips, baby Gymboree classes, and Easter, this month was gone in a blink of an eye! What is even scarier is that this means Mother's Day is right around the corner. It's less than a week away people, how does this always happen? Wasn't I just planning Valentine's Day gifts?? Don't be worried, I am here with 5 amazing jewelry Mother's Day gifts that can go for any budget and will please any mom. These are all things that I would love to get, this is my second Mother's Day (yes, I had my first Mother's Day while I was still pregnant) so I'm a pro.

1. Gemstone ring/bracelet/necklace

This is the #1 jewelry style that we are asked to make around Mother's Day. Usually people order a "mother's ring", which has a mix of birthstones of all her children in one ring. Sometimes the father and mother's birthstones are also included, but that is all up to the design. This is also a fabulous gift idea for grandmother's! Combine all of her kids and grand kids birthstones into one fabulous ring. It is always a hit, and you can always get all the kids and grand kids to chip in and really make an awesome piece of jewelry.

Now if you want to get creative, its fun to apply the same concept to make a mother's pendant or bracelet. Put all the birthstones of the kids into a necklace or bracelet. It's that simple.

2. Initials charm bracelet

Sticking with the personalization theme, I'm loving anything with initials. Initials of your children, your husband and yourself, all hanging from a delicate gold bracelet. Simple, easy to wear, and custom made for you and your family. I have seen this done many ways. We can either go very glam with diamond pave initials, or more casual, almost rustic and organic feeling, with round disks with an initial engraved on it.

Side note of why I love charm bracelets. A charm bracelet is always growing and changing. So at any holiday or after a special event, you can always commemorate the occasion with a gold charm. This is fantastic for the mom who has everything.

3. Stackable birthstone bands

One more personalized family jewelry idea, I promise its my last. A thin band that is only the birthstone of each child. So if you have 3 children, you need 3 bands (as well as a medal! 3 kids must be exhausting) each band with the birthstone of the month each child was born in. Also, if all of your children are born in April, you have 3 diamond bands you lucky duck. Now this can be acquired over time. Maybe every Mother's day after a new child is born the mother gets a shiny new ring? After being pregnant and giving birth to your child, jewelry is most defiantly called for.

4. Statement necklaces

This is a look that I am so happy to see as a trend. Big, huge, colorful necklaces are in! And in such a big way. There isn't any woman that this look doesn't look good on. Every age woman can pull this off, its not just for the hipsters of the world. A statement necklace can jazz up a boring sweater, spicy up a little black dress, or add a pop of color to a white button up shirt.

Making the statement. Check out more at
http://blog.choisr.com/lustworthy-statement-necklaces/ 

5.  ANYTHING WITH DIAMONDS

This is pretty self explanatory. Does she already have a mother's ring? Then something with diamonds. Anything with diamonds. The guy who said "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" has life figured out, and probably a very happy wife. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out, just an amazing jeweler ;)

*For prices or any inquires on anything that you see here, email me at elissasommers@gmail.com

Finding your perfect diamond cut Part 1

Happy April, everybody! If you are lucky enough to be born in April, then you my friend have the pleasure of having the diamond as your birthstone. You are the only people who actually like their birthstone! Lets not mention this to November, October, or August babies (topaz, opal, and peridot, respectively). Honestly, if done right, all of these gemstones are stunning! But its the start of April, and we want to talk about diamonds.

Now, if you are in a serious relationship and your future mate for life is giving you all sorts of hints that you will be acquiring a new engagement ring, you probably have done some research about what you want. OR lets say you have a very serious relationship with your cat and you are a girl who does her research WAY in advance just in case you run into Chris Evans at a Starbucks, fall in love, and he whisks you away with his super strong Captain America arms and takes you straight to a jeweler. A girl needs to be prepared ;) 

Lets break it down. Part 1 is going to just cover your basic cuts. I will go into fancy and more unique cuts in another post. I started writing about all of these cuts, and it was very long. Super long. Imagine running into a friends ex, and trying to detail every single moment to your girl friend in an email. Yeah, that long. I can talk about diamonds for days. 

We have to start with the round brilliant cut. The most popular cut of diamond, ever. I don't think I'm exaggerating. I'm sure there is a pie chart out there proving my point, but you will just have to take my word on this for now. It's timeless, classic, and the most flattering on almost everyone. 

If you like the look of the round brilliant but want to be a little more unique, go for an oval diamond. It will give you an illusion of looking larger than a round brilliant of the same weight. Who doesn't want a diamond that looks larger, but costs less because it weights less? Hello! Win win diamond situation here people. Hence, the rise in popularity with this cut. I have an oval, so you know it must be cool. 

Princess cut, for all you princesses out there. If you like sharp edges, modern lines, and square things (yup, I just said square things) you will love a princess cut. I didn't do a very good job describing that did I? Who needs a reason WHY you like a certain cut? Do you like how it looks? Then there you go!

With all of these cuts, you really need to try them on to know for sure that it will be the right diamond for you. It's similar to looking at wedding dresses. I see this everyday. A beautiful girl comes in with only one ring picture in her mind that she has been dreaming about, finally gets a chance to see it in person, tries it on, and...hates it. I see her excitement crumble, and disappointment set in. 

Stay tuned for part 2! Part 2 will have more fancy cuts, aka: cuts you probably haven't given a second thought about or have no clue about. This is what I'm here for :) 

Again, if you find any of these rings irresistible, email me for more details
elissasommers@gmail.com 

Spring time jewels to get you in the spring state of mind

Its Spring! We have longer days, nicer weather, lollipops and rainbows. Actually we have none of that. I live in Southern California, and its hot one day and rainy the next. This indecisive weather pattern will continue until June. I have friends who live on the East coast and they can tell me it sure as hell its not lollipops and rainbows yet, more snow and coldness. But who cares? All the retailers and magazines are pushing bikinis and floras on us, so I guess we have no choice but to go with it.

So what are the big trends in fashion and jewelry to make us feel more "spring-y"you ask? Pastels, flowers, and prints. This goes for your nails, to your pants, and your jewelry. Lets start with the jewelry, naturally! I have always loved Turquoise, especially for the summer. Looks amazing on a white eyelet sundress and can glam up your little black dress. We just made these drop Turquoise earrings that will work on every lady. Not too much bling, not too long, and appropriate for all ages.

Natural Turquoise and diamond earrings, 0.50cts of diamonds.

 They even make these orchids look more even more fashionable. These are simple enough not to over power your look, but will get every one's attention. What a unique way to wear your "something blue" for your spring time wedding? Turquoise is such a versatile stone, easily dressed up or dressed down.

Natural Peridot, 4.0ct, and diamond, 0.75ct, ring. 

If you are looking for a pop of color to wake you up this spring, look no further than Peridot! This is the August birthstone, and pretty much every single August baby I have ever met hates peridot. I don't blame them, all they have ever seen is the milky pale (excuse my language but this is the only word I can think of to properly describe the color) pee-pee green color that the mall jewelry stores carry. The peridot in my photo is much darker, richer, and has a life to it. Set in a beautiful pave diamond halo setting, its a modern way to show off this magnificent peridot.

Continuing with the green theme, lets take nails. I am the kind of girl who spends an eternity choosing my polish at a nail salon, with every bare nail covered in a different swatch of polish. This time around I caught a quick glimpse at this color and I knew it had to be mine. It just screams spring time polish! I'm currently sporting the adorable pastel OPI polish by the name of Gargantuan Green Grape.

http://www.iknowallthewords.com/2012/01/notd-greener-shade-of-pale-comparison.html

I was a little nervous to try it, but it is so pastel that it plays as neutral.Very lovely color, and works on all skin tones. I would probably add some gold glitter somewhere, either on the base of the nail or all over one random nail, because I need my nails to be blingy too. Its a problem, I know. You should see my kitchen table after craft night with the girls, glitter EVERYWHERE. Somehow it always ends up on my husbands eyebrow or something. Adorable? I think so. Husband doesn't seem to share the same sentiment.

So embrace spring with these pops of color. Even if you are currently under a snow storm, or a gloomy rainy day, when people see your pastel polish and your pop of color gemstone ring they will be reminded that its spring somewhere and to think warm thoughts.

*If you are interested in purchasing any of the jewelry on my page, please e-mail me elissasommers@gmail.com 

Story of your life, in diamonds

Are you married? Do you have kids? Yes? Awesome, this article applies to you. Are you single? Do you have work or other successes in your life that you are proud of? Perfect, because this article is for you as well. I am talking about stackable bands people. I love this look, so much so that I am sporting it. I like the idea of wearing all my bands together to make it look like I have one giant custom piece of jewelry on. The best part of this "trend" is that it tells a story. A band for every child (this is what I'm going for), a band for every milestone in your marriage, a band for every new big account you landed (look at you Miss. fancy business mogul you), or a band for every time you walked into a jewelry store and found an adorable band that you just couldn't live without. Whatever the story of your life that you want to celebrate, this is a creative and fabulous way to commemorate that.

These are my personal stackable bands that I wear everyday. Ok lets start from right to left. 1. My wedding band 2. Engagement ring 3. Anniversary band (10 years together and 3 years married anniversary)/ Push present 4. Not my ring...yet... Look how good it looks with all my other bands! This picture is promptly getting sent to my husband.

You can go about this many ways. Three bands, two bands, five bands! Go nuts! I would probably say that once you start getting too close to your knuckle, and can no longer bend your finger, you have gone to far. Also don't be afraid that all the bands do not match. PLEASE make them all different styles! This is what makes the look work. If you do all three pave bands, it will still be lovely, but will defeat the purpose of the look of rings that you collected over time. Here is one photo that I just stumbled upon Pinterest (my addiction btw, you will find me pinning at all hours of the day).

http://relaxdeco.com/2013/12/01/engagement-ring-wedding-band-a-band-for-each-childs-birth-each-different-and-unique-love-this-idea/

See how she has four different bands, all different styles and one is even sans diamonds (gasp!), but this is fabulous. Also, if you are not in the mood to sport your giant rock, you could just wear the bands alone. Who are we kidding, we all would wear that beautiful emerald cut diamond everyday of our lives if we owned that bad boy! Stunning!

You should not limit yourself to all one color of metal either. Go all yellow or all white, or mix and match with some rose gold. If you want to have some color stones in there as well, go for it. Are you sensing a pattern here? Be bold! Don't be afraid, and be adventurous. Try something like this..

Yellow, with white, AND rose gold? Love. 

My goal is to get one for every child I am going to have. When I have more children, I will keep you posted on my ring collection. Until then, have fun with this trend and mix and match. When you invest in nice, good quality pieces, they will last you a lifetime and will each represent a great moment in your life. 

Antique engagement rings and why you should rock these old rocks!

My all time favorite trend in jewelry at the moment has to be antique jewelry. I'm talking OLD stuff. Cameos, old mine cut diamonds, pearls that have turned a beautiful yellow/gold color from years of perfume and hairspray. I can't really call it a "trend" because we all at one point found an old broach or pendant at a yard sale or our mother's jewelry box and wore that vintage find with pride. However, the "antique" trend is making its way into Bridal jewelry. Once brides get a hold of it, Pin 50 of the same ring on their "Future Mrs." board on Pinterest, its officially a trend in my book. Who am I to judge? My original dream engagement ring was inspired from an Edwardian era Platinum and diamond ring. Did I get it? Well, not really. My husband came in the store while I was on vacation with a dear friend, and he picked out a beautiful ring. He proposed, 3 months after he purchased the ring BTW, which is a crazy long time but I had already waited 6 years, what was another 3 more months haha. So he had told me I can make the ring I wanted. We made the ring, it was beautiful, but I didn't want it. It wasn't the ring that he picked. It wasn't the ring that he brought his mother into the store to help him choose, not the ring that my father showed him, not the ring my youngest sister had to keep secret for 3 months from me. The ring was made, but it wasn't for me. Maybe on our 10 year wedding anniversary we will design something together. I guess I'm all sentimental like that. 

Anyways, lets talk about some of my favorite antiques that we have. I have photos! These two are both Platinum and have old mine cut diamonds and are both very old. We are thinking some time around the 1940's. When I say "Old mine cut" diamonds, this is referring to the way the diamond was cut. Both a brilliant cut (a modern cut) and an old mine cut both have the same number of facets, 58, but the old mine didn't follow any uniformity in the cutting like they do today. One side of the diamond could be thicker than the other side, the facets might not be the same size or symmetrical to its opposite side. This creates a very unique look, something that I always am looking for in a piece of jewelry. If you want to learn more, check out this great article from a trade magazine, Rapaport Magazine. 

So consider an antique ring for your engagement ring! It will be unique, and has a story to tell. Even better yet, if you have a family ring that is being passed down to you, have it restored instead of trading it in. Its a lovely way to remember a family member, and to keep the jewelry in the family. 

Earring cuffs, and the average woman

Are you looking to spice up your earring routine, but feel you are not hip enough to pull of this trend? Why not?! I say that if anyone tries hard enough, they too can pull off this trend like any hipster (minus the Cosby sweater and high wasted acid wash jeans. No one should have to try to pull that look off. Its called laundry day). This is a such a versatile trend, and you can wear it everyday or for a special occasion. This is also a great look for woman with short hair. A great example of short hair and the earring cuff was beautifully displayed by Lupita nyong'o at this years Oscars.

She is exquisite isn't she? Don't we all want to chop off our hair now, but who are we kidding? Look at that bone structure! She has on these amazing yellow gold and diamonds cuffs. Honestly, if the diamonds were not so big, you could wear this everyday. It can easily replace your hoops, or dangling earrings. 

Now if you don't have the guts/the bone structure to cut off your hair, no worries, you too can rock this style. 

Sandra Bullock, can we take a moment to just admire how stunning she looks...are we done? Need more time? Ok me too :) She is beautiful, a great actress, and an all around cool girl who we all want to hang out with. Sandra, because we are on a first name basis apparently, is a style icon. She has been rocking the pulled to one side, look at my amazing earring cuffs look for awhile now and I simply love it. This is a great look that most woman with medium to long hair can pull off, and it works for most ages as well. 

I have been dying to try earrings like this, and I am currently working on making some for our store. I am converting a pair of dangling earrings into this cuff style. Check back in the next day or so, and I will have updates and photos. I also want to make more in silver and possibly turquoise. Ohh, that would be fun for summer! Ok, this is going to be a fun project. 

Well hello there people of the internet

This is my very first blog post, and I'm super excited! I want this to be a fun blog that will be a place you can come to learn about jewelry, fashion, motherhood, makeup, and silly cat photos (of course). A little about me. I am the eldest of 3 girls (its a good thing our father is a jeweler). I am married to my best friend, whom I met in high school but didn't start dating until we started college so I don't think that makes us high school sweethearts but either way, we have a love for each other that is more than I ever thought I was going to get in this lifetime. We have an adorable little boy, whom we have declared to be a genies (he will be the next Einstein, Hemingway, or Seinfeld one day, I'm sure of it). I am also a jeweler! Amazing right? I'm not the "I purchased a beading kit from Target" kind of jeweler (not that there is anything wrong with that) but I am the real ruby, surrounded by real diamonds, set in real gold, made by a real hand kinda jeweler. I have a degree from GIA, and BS in Business from UCR, as well a degree of "Watching and learning from my dad and uncles" my entire life. The good ol' fashion way a jeweler was made, by apprenticeship.

I run a retail and wholesale jewelry business in Southern California WITH my family. Do I deserve a medal, yes. Is there an honorary Nobel Prize for working with your family, and not having a break down...I sure hope so. All joking aside, we are a huge family that loves each other very much and the jewelry business.

Ok enough about that, lets look at some diamonds shall we?