The Top Drawer

2009 Miss America Trades Crown for Emerald Cut Engagement Ring

On the night before she had to turn her crown over, 2009 Miss America Katie Stam was given another beauty to take its place – a stunning emerald cut engagement ring. Taking her final walk on stage as Miss America 2009, newly engaged Stam is prepared to walk down the aisle this fall.

Stam’s fiancé Biran Irk proposed to the beauty queen on Friday during a fundraiser gala. Katie told the news agencies that she has been dating Brian for nearly three years and that he’s one of her greatest supporters.

“I started hyperventilating because I was so excited,” she told People.com about the proposal. “He dropped down on one knee and he said ‘I love you so much. Will you be my Miss America forever?’”

It’s with great pleasure that we officially announce the completion of the first phase of a redesign to our website www.FirenzeJewels.com. More than simply an aesthetic improvement, the new site was built from the ground up with cutting edge features that effectively showcase our ever-growing inventory and provide you with an enhanced diamond jewelry shopping experience. Some highlights you’ll find on the new site are:

• “Real-time” product sorting allowing you to refine each jewelry type by attributes such as style, gemstone and price. A similar feature can also be found through our diamond search to help you sort through over 30,000 G.I.A. and E.G.L. certified loose diamonds.
• A “virtual loupe” that effortlessly allows you to inspect a piece at any angle.
• Gift Finder section that compiles many new features throughout the site in order to help you find the perfect gift for any occasion.
• Special Offers section with sizzling deals on diamond fashion and estate pieces.
• Streamlined shopping cart that makes purchasing a breeze for both domestic and international customers.

Along with the many new changes, you’ll also find our new Winter 2009 collection. Stay tuned for more dazzling things to come!

      Continually expanding our presence within the social media community, Firenze Jewels is pleased to announce the launch of our new official Facebook Fan Page!  Become a fan to get instant updates on special offers, store events or details on new arrivals.  If you are curious about the latest designer jewelry trends or simply want to connect with others that share your passion for diamond jewelry then feel free to share your thoughts here.  Your feedback is always welcome and as New York Diamond District leaders it helps us strive to offer you the best service possible.

Click the button to visit our Facebook page.

Valentine’s Day Diamond Heart Shaped Pendants and Jewelry

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we would like to feature our collection of diamond heart shaped pendants and other heart shaped Valentine’s Day jewelry gift ideas that have caught the eye of buyers in our showroom. The current availability of each piece is listed below. Please note that you must first inquire for a price quote on some of the unmarked designer pieces. Others marked unavailable can always be special ordered. Click on the image for further details. Happy shopping!

Ever found that perfect diamond engagement ring you’ve been looking for, only to find out that it’s quickly been sold to another determined buyer? Looking to warm your wife’s heart on that upcoming special occasion with a stunning piece just released by one of the world’s top jewelry designers? Perhaps you are the fashion forward, tech savvy, diamond jewelry aficionado who strives to stay abreast the latest designer trends? If so, then Firenze Jewels invites you to join us on our new spot on Twitter.com/FirenzeJewels. Be the first to instantly get a sneak peak on the most gorgeous jewelry pieces from top designers around the world days before they are added to our showroom for public display. See them right as they come in and are measured and photographed by our by our e-Commerce staff.

Not familiar with Twitter yet? Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging site that allows its users to send and receive other users’ updates (also known as tweets) through the website, SMS text messaging, RSS feeds, instant messaging or other means. Whether it’s a close group of friends, a non-profit organization or a media outlet like CNN, millions of people use Twitter to instantly deliver, receive and talk about breaking news right as it happens.

Come follow us on Twitter and let us know what you think of the latest pieces or ask us any questions, we look forward to hearing from you!

As the summer days come to a memorable end and the crisp fall weather makes its way through the coming weeks, jewelry colors and designs begin to heat up! Expect traditional warm tones in jewelry designs and stones to become a hot staple for most wardrobes this season and well into 2009.

Some trends becoming more popular among designer jewelry aficionados are statement accessories. Whether it’s a stunning cuff bangle bracelet or a gorgeous diamond necklace, one eye catching piece will be enough to create a dazzling signature look.  The “less is more” approach is definitely in right now.

Designer jewelry lovers have a lot to look forward to this coming season, there’s many surprises in store!

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.