The Top Drawer

Antique Styles
For people who are not fortunate enough to have heirloom engagement rings in their family, pieces that are handmade using styles from generations past also provide historic  reverence.  A vintage ring is sometimes made with filigree designs, highlighting a period’s characteristics (Edwardian, for example), and have attention to detail that one would find more often when these styles were contemporary.

Bezel Settings
A lipped metallic ring keeps a diamond safely in place on bezel rings and make sense for women that are on the go.  An added bonus is that the setting makes  the stone look larger, while also holding it firmly in place.

Engagement & Wedding ring combination
Often these rings have many small diamonds which sparkle brightly around a platinum or gold band.  With the emphasis on more stones, they are higher on glitter and lower on cost than the traditional separate engagement ring with a large stone.

Personalized Engravings
This can be as simple as the date of a wedding or as detailed as a phrase from a song or poem.  If you intend to have a ring engraved by hand, do so weeks in advance.

Colored Diamonds
We’ve mentioned before on The Top Shelf that color is very in with all types of jewelry this year.  Expect to pay a significant premium on colored diamonds due to their scarcity.  These are favorites with celebrities.

As investments in Real Estate and stocks continue on a downward spiral, many are realizing that a girl’s best friend may also be her best investment.  Very high quality diamonds and other gemstones have a lot of investment appeal if one takes into account global trends in the coming years.  The fact is that wealth is being distributed more widely in our global world, but at the same time mines are being depleted of fine quality stones.

Antoinette Matlins is the author of “Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide.”  She says “The cost of the finest emeralds has increased approximately 75% over the past 2 years, rubies about 70%, and sapphires over 60%.”  She notes that wealthy individuals in the Middle East and China are increasingly interested in purchasing top quality gemstones, and their habits go a long way in explaining why prices are moving up.

Investing in gemstones requires a tremendous amount of expertise.  Stories of tourists trying to buy gems from individuals near mines in places like the Golden Triangle in Thailand are infamous.  Scores of people have been swindled while outside their home countries because they think their hobby or amateur knowledge is good enough to identify quality when buying from individuals at seemingly immense discounts.

If you want advice on what gemstones are most likely to increase in value, ask one of the experts at Firenze.  Test our salespeople’s knowledge and you’ll see they are some of the most educated in New York when it comes to high-end gemstones.  Our reputation comes from our genuine commitment to each and every person that approaches us for advise.

Rosy Blue, an industry leader in the world diamond market, said that growth in sales to the Gulf Arab region increased by $120,000,000 last year. This is a 57% increase over 1996. For this year, the firm is looking grow $250 mm.

Most people know the (UAE) is a rising star economically, particularly Dubai city. In an age where China and India take the spotlight for the massive size of their growing economies, smaller countries and regions can get overlooked. The UAE economic story is remarkable from every angle. The Emirates’ luxury goods sector is expected to grow to $100 billion by 2010. It is the market for diamond jewelry that is clearly most responsible for the rising sector.  “Diamond jewelry sets are particularly important to the region,” DTC Gulf Markets marketing director Jonathan Chippindale says. “In addition to being unique to the Arab world, sets represent a 55 percent value share of all diamond jewelry sales there and, at an average price of $6,000 per diamond jewelry set, they signify an important growth area for the Gulf market.”

Much of the increase in disposable income is due to the dizzying heights crude oil prices are maintaining. Diamonds have a premium over gold in the Dubai emirate state, as consumers believe they make better investments.

In just eight days, the largest diamond to be seen in any worldwide auction will be offered by Cristie’s “Jewels: The Hong Kong Sale“. It is expected to sell for over $6,000,000. It was cut from a 460 carat rough to create the 101.27 carat stone, was given an F color rating by GIA, and is internally flawless.

It is a telling sign that the gem is being sold in the region where economic growth is moving at a massive pace. “Only 3 colorless diamonds of over 100 carats have ever appeared at auction, all sold in Geneva.” says Francois Curiel, Christie’s Chairman of Jewelry. The May 28 auction will sell 345 lots and is expected to achieve in bring revenue of $56 million.

In 1993, a National Jeweler’s study discovered that over forty percent of consumers planned to buy a diamond that was at least one carat.  A year later, a large study sponsored by Conde Naste showed the average cost of a wedding ring was $3,576, amounting to sixteen percent of what an average couple spent on their wedding.  More recently, DeBeers’ found that four of five brides are given diamond engagement rings.

The diamond engagement ring finds its origins with the marriage of Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. In modern time, It was unusual to find diamond rings prior to 1870.  From that point on, and initially because of large discoveries in South African mines, diamond jewels became increasingly popular until the Great Depression caused a huge drop in the numbers of marriages.  DeBeers was the driving force in making diamonds hugely popular, and their success landed just after the end of World War II.  Their moto, “A Diamond Is Forever” is still a mantra for why diamonds are such an important part of a marriage as we move beyond 2008.

Heirloom style rings are always well liked, but the intensity of their popularity is new this spring . These rings typically have intricate metal settings with diamond detailing. We’ve seen a big spike in their sales, and this is also reported industry wide. Color engagement rings are hot, with gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, and beryls being the most popular. Amethyst and peridot are popular with all types of jewelry and match well with the colors of spring clothing.

Diamonds shine particularly strong this spring. The right diamond draws character from its environment. The style now is to have large quantities of diamonds in rings to create a potent sparkle. The added quantity also serves to boost the size of the center stone, or, at a minimum, make it look larger.

We are delighted to announce the launch of The Top Drawer. You will notice a different approach to our blogging as compared to many other eCommerce jewelry sites. Ours is not the equivalent of an offline product sales catalog. Rather, the goal is to give you a new perspectives and education on the world of jewelry. Posts will direct you to relevant products and information on our shopping site when it is complimentary.

A small number of posts will specifically highlight news about our website and we will announce important news related to the company. The Firenze Jewels story will be interesting to new and existing costumers. It’s one that date’s back to 1937. Mostly, The Top Drawer will contain news, advice, photography, as well as insights on the lighter side of jewelry’s place in society.

Today’s websites break the boundary of traditional relationships between merchants and customers. With the new “social web,” often referred to as Web 2.O, the conversation is now two ways. The web of yesterday was brochure-ware that may have allowed for purchases, but was not dynamic or interactive. People expect online jewelers will update their sites frequently with fresh, timely information. Good websites today listen carefully to what their costumers tell them they’d like to see or learn.

We’re known for our service and the time we spend growing relationships with customers off-line. We hope our blog postings will set us apart online as we bring you news you can use on a regular basis.