With Mother’s Day right around the corner we thought an infographic guide to each month’s birthstone would help. This year, beat out your siblings’ gifts (or that cheesy card) and bring your “A-game” with Gemstone jewelry for the mothers in your life.
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Categories: Brilliance, Education, Gems
The word ‘brilliance’ brings to mind images of great quality, sophistication, and even magnificence. As a premier online diamond retailer, we have done our best to live up to our name. Known for our top-of-the-line selection of diamond engagement rings and finely-crafted customized jewelry, we always take pride in the quality and sophistication of our products. We have taken this love for true quality to the next level by purchasing over $150,000 worth of casting and production equipment to meet the steadily growing demand for custom diamond jewelry.
Creating exquisite and elegant engagement rings not only requires human expertise, but also state-of-the-art equipment to produce elite quality jewelry. At the heart of our new production equipment is the Indutherm MC100V casting machine. The Indutherm MC100V, which casts in platinum, palladium, gold, silver and stainless steel, is a compact casting machine equipped with a latest generation induction generator that allows optimum performance. The vibration casting technique ensures better form filling, which creates casts with densities that are greater and more consistent, higher elasticity and greatly reduced porosity. This creates durable, expertly finished jewelry. Also, the MC100V is designed to reach temperatures of 2,000 Celsius very quickly, which means the machine can help save energy while operating at a greater capacity.
Efficiency and environment-friendly traits of the MC100V, helps us achieve consistent high quality products and deliver elegant pieces every single time. The MC100V not only speeds up the production process, but also allows us to keep our entire jewelry production in-house, ensuring that all items are made in the USA. As a result, production costs are cut which allows us to sell retail and customized jewelry at more affordable prices. To learn more about our wonderful retail diamond engagement ring selections as well as our customized jewelry service, visit Brilliance.com.
Categories: Custom Jewelry, Education, Engagement Rings
Victoria Secret’s lingerie model, Miranda Kerr, has been selected to wear the 2011 Secret Fantasy Treasure Bra at the Victoria Secret Fashion show which airs November 29th 2011. The Fantasy Bra is adorned with precious jewels and diamonds and is valued at $2.5 million.
This exquisite bra, designed by London Jewelers exclusively for Victoria Secret, contains about 3,400 loose diamonds and precious gems–all handset in 18K white and yellow gold. Two loose diamonds, more than 8 carats each, as well as two yellow diamonds, more than 14 carats each, serve as the bras tassel which hangs down the center. All of the loose diamonds (over 143 carat total weight) and precious gems were handset onto the Victoria Secret Gorgeous Push-Up Bra and took jewelers roughly 500 hours to complete.
The Fantasy Bra will be available for purchase October 21st in the 2011 Victoria Secret Christmas Dreams and Fantasies Catalog.
Categories: Diamonds
We are excited to announce our newly launched page on Facebook. With almost 3,000 likes in the past week we are quickly becoming a place on Facebook to discuss industry news, diamonds, engagement rings, and all types of jewelry. Join the conversation today by going to the Brilliance.com Facebook page!
Categories: Diamonds
Brilliance has recently joined the growing number of jewelers and retailers who support the Golden Rules; a set of social, environmental and human rights criteria pushing for more responsible mining of gold and other precious metals. The Golden Rules by Earthworks focuses on the protection of the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development.
Gold-mining, while a lucrative industry, poses a great risk to the environment and may create serious human rights issues, especially in third-world countries where they are abundant. The ecosystem where a mine is located can be severely disrupted by its presence; gold is also traditionally a very dirty metal to mine and process. In addition toxic chemicals are used to extract gold from the earth, which are often dumped into pits and waterways, poisoning the ground and water supply. Ultimately, gold mining damages the quality of life for organisms around the mine, and the damage is often left behind for the host country’s government to clean up after a mine closes.
In Third World countries mining is often coupled with human rights issues. Gold can be mined in very dangerous conditions by workers who have few protections and rights. Moreover, the land in which a mine is situated in is often seized from the indigenous peoples that reside in them, leaving them homeless, with nowhere to go once their native lands are taken from them.
“We’re really glad to be a part of the No Dirty Gold (campaign)”, says Jonathon Ohayon from Brilliance. “We’re always looking for new ways to contribute to society and it’s the right thing to do. A diamond engagement ring symbolizes a future couples’ hopes and dreams. It’s something you build a relationship on and not something that they should feel guilty about.”
“We would like to encourage other diamond and jewelry retailers to join the (No Dirty Gold) campaign as soon as possible,” added Jonathon. “Consumers can also show their support by patronizing businesses which sell ethical and environmentally-conscious jewelry.”
A product of the combined efforts of two organizations, the Mineral Policy Center and the Oil & Gas Accountability Project, the Earthworks organization also seeks to reform government policies, improve corporate practices, influence investment decisions and encourage responsible materials sourcing and consumption through nationwide campaigns such as No Dirty Energy, Recycle My Cell Phone, Save Bristol Bay and Mining Reform Campaign. Click here to visit the Earthworks official website.
Categories: Brilliance, Jewelry, News
Drop shipping is a method of delivery in which a customer purchases a product online with a merchant, but the customer receives the product directly from the manufacturer. This method has gained popularity recently, particularly with the advent of online diamond shopping – websites like Bluenile.com or Jamesallen.com use this method extensively to save money on shipping expenses. While this setup can be beneficial to smaller retail shops, internet-only storefronts, and catalogue-based sales, it is quite risky for customers purchasing loose diamonds online.
Many online diamond retailers boast they have 70,000 to 100,000 diamonds in their database, but truthfully, none of those retailers own the diamonds in question, much less have them in stock – or have even seen them. Thus, the quality of the stones cannot be guaranteed. In this scenario, the customer is grossly disadvantaged – some retailers have mistakenly sent loose diamonds that don’t match diamond reports once taken to a gemologist.
Although we now provide all consumers with the highest quality jewelry, engagement rings, and loose diamonds, we originally started out as a diamond wholesaler, selling diamonds to local jewelry retailers. As more consumers began purchasing diamonds online, Brilliance.com was created as a means of offering certified diamonds at the same competitive prices we’d always offered as wholesalers.
At Brilliance we don’t drop ship loose diamonds. Rather we receive every diamond into our offices and keep tight quality control by having each one visually inspected prior to shipment by our Master Gemologists. Customers can browse our selection in a pressure-free, convenient environment online, and can be confident in the quality of their purchase. Additionally, visual inspection can be conducted by our diamond and jewelry experts to verify appearance and quality before a purchase is even made.
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds
A rare pink loose diamond was purchased by jeweler Laurence Graff on November 16, 2010. The “fancy intense pink” diamond weighs 24.78ct. Graff named the pink diamond “The Graff Pink”. Graff paid double for the pink diamond than he did for the blue 35.56ct diamond in 2008, which was named the “Wittelsbach-Graff” diamond. Graff, who competed with four other bidders, shocked everyone when he bid $46,158,674, which is the most anyone has ever bid for diamonds before. Harry Winston last sold the jewel 60 years ago, however the current seller decided to remain nameless. Graff re-cut the blue diamond that he bought in 2008, which stirred much controversy for altering such an exquisite piece. Sotheby’s revealed that there is a small imperfection on the pink diamond, which cannot be seen by the naked eye and may receive clarity grade of “internally flawless” after it’s re-polished. However, it is unknown yet whether Graff will alter the pink diamond as well.
With Wedding Season approaching, more and more couples are looking for ways to have the wedding of their dreams while still keeping costs low. The price tag on the average American wedding has dropped by nearly a third from 2007, down from $29,000 to $20,000. The good news is, you don’t have to resort to a cash bar or homemade food to stay within your budget.
Collected from wedding experts and party planners, here are some tips to help you make your budget wedding:
Don’t say “Wedding”
When you call vendors for quotes, let them know you are planning an event or party, but don’t specify that it is a wedding. Florists, bakeries, reception venues, photographers, and other vendors often add a 25-30% mark-up to their prices when they know you’re inquiring for a wedding.
Reporters at a Boston television station called 11 venues to get quotes for a wedding reception. When those same venues were called for quotes for a retirement party on the same day, 8 of 11 had a wedding mark-up; one venue raised their quote from $65 to $90 per person.
Vendors will also offer only their most expensive options to those they know are planning a wedding. Ask the reception venue for all of their menu options, and explore cakes that aren’t specifically marketed for wedding events. If a florist notices your diamond engagement ring and starts suggesting that exotic flowers be imported, ask what local, lower cost options they offer.
Choose a restaurant for the reception
When you eat at a restaurant, there is no rental fee or surcharge for your table, chairs, napkins, glasses, silverware, and table décor. The price of the meal includes everything necessary for the dinner, and the same applies when purchasing a meal for 200 people. Plus, there are no transportation and setup fees, and parking is usually free, making your favorite restaurant the perfect place for your budget wedding. In fact, restaurants have focused lately on catering towards special events and making it affordable for the hosts.
Schedule it right
If you are flexible with your dates, avoid the traditional “Wedding Season” when scheduling the event. Vendors sometimes add a surcharge to provide services at weddings held during the months of May, June, and July. Additionally, venues will always charge more for an event held on a Saturday than an event held on a Sunday or a weekday.
Avoid stores that cater to bridal couples
It may not seem romantic to purchase your cake, wedding favors, or flowers at wholesale stores like Costco, but they provide the same services offered for a premium at specialty bridal stores. You can also avoid those premiums by choosing micro-vendors, like artisans and craftspeople, who sell things like bridal accessories and invitations directly to couples. To save on the wedding dress, brides have turned towards less traditional white garments and dresses that can be found at regular retailers and cost in the hundreds, instead of going to boutique bridal dress shops and paying in the thousands.
Shop online
Shopping online gives brides planning a budget wedding access to many more purchasing options than shopping locally. Almost anything needed for a wedding can be found online, from wedding invitations to wedding favors to a bridal dress, often at lower prices than at brick-and-mortar stores. Couples looking to save on the bride’s engagement ring and the couple’s wedding rings can turn to an online diamond retailer like Brilliance, which offer the same quality jewelry as traditional retailers at 30-50% lower prices.
Categories: Brilliance, Education, Engagement, Jewelry
Thirty nine round cut diamonds are pave set in this white gold diamond engagement ring setting, accenting your choice of center diamond. 3/8 carat total diamond weight.
$1,050
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