Friday, January 9, 2009

Protecting Your Diamond Jewelry

While your diamond may be gorgeous and sparkly, it’s not indestructible. I spoke with Elle Perron, diamond sales associate at Mervis Diamond Importers, to get the scoop on how to keep your beautiful diamond jewelry looking like it does now.

Another diamond is the most likely source of damage for your diamond. Avoid this by keeping all diamond jewelry in separate containers. Although all your jewelry being in one place may be convenient, it’s the most common source of dings, scratches, and chips.
“When you go to the gym, you have to be really careful,” Perron said. Rings bumping metal bars or stones smacking against equipment are common sources of jewelry damage, so take off your baubles before breaking a sweat.

It’s also important to make sure diamonds don’t clash on the hand. This happens mostly when a diamond engagement ring is worn next to a diamond wedding band. If they’re not set flush, the diamonds on each ring can chip each other, Perron said. That’s why Mervis salespeople make sure rings purchased to be worn together fit perfectly to avoid damage.


Diamond Ring

Your diamond’s setting isn’t invincible either. Although platinum is one of the most durable metals used in jewelry, it doesn’t play well with chlorine. You should take off any platinum rings while swimming In a pool or working with bleach. A damaged setting is less likely to hold your diamond in place, increasing the odds of loss and breakage.

If you do somehow manage to cause harm to your jewelry, it’s important to take it to a reputable jeweler right away. Mervis Diamond Importers employs a jeweler in-house, ensuring that any repairs made will be done by a professional who isn’t under contract to anyone else.

Matching your setting to the diamond is very important. Diamond is hard enough that it will work loose from a substandard setting. Spending thousands of dollars on the perfect diamond then putting it in a cheap setting is a lost diamond waiting to happen.

“We never sell a setting that won’t match the diamond,” Perron said. “We’d rather lose a sale than sell a setting that doesn’t match the ring.”

Quality settings are very important. Perron told me about a diamond set in platinum that met a lawnmower. The setting was damaged but fixable, and the diamond survived without a chip. Without a quality, well-made setting, the ring would have been completely destroyed and the diamond likely would have disappeared, she said.

Finally, whatever you do, don’t do this to your diamond ring or earrings.

By Ted (not Zed) Sawchuck
Article Source : mervisdiamond.com

Do I Need Diamond Ring Insurance?

If you have to ask whether or not you need diamond ring insurance you probably do. There's something nagging you in the back of your mind saying "this thing's just too darn valuable to have it stolen or misplaced!" And you're right. While you should never look upon your diamond jewelry as an investment, there's no harm in being smart about covering things you're spending a fair amount of cash on, and diamond ring insurance can go a long way toward easing your concerns. There are a few things to consider, however.

Diamond Rings

Diamond ring insurance is usually found as a rider to most homeowners or renters insurance policies, at least in the US. Many insurance companies won't bother, but most of the larger ones will. There are basically three types of diamond ring insurance: Actual Cash Value, Replacement Value, and Agreed Value. Actual cash value replaces the ring at current market rates, either higher or lower than you paid for it. This coverage is rather rare. Another rare form of coverage but the most desirable, is Agreed Value. This is where you and the insurance company agree on the value, and that is the amount you are compensated in the event of a loss. The most common type, and the policy that most people are sold is Replacement Value. This is where the insurance company replaces your ring at the lowest cost they can negotiate. This is sometimes much less than the amount the ring is insured for. This is an area to be careful. Always insist on an independent appraisal, as you don't want to be paying premiums for a ring appraised at $15,000, and then have it replaced for $3000.

Make sure your diamond ring insurance covers you when you travel, and for most normal occasions. I've seen policies that only covered the ring in the house, causing problems when it was lost or stolen outside the home. All is all, diamond ring insurance isn't difficult to obtain, just keep these guidelines handy and you'll be able to buy some piece of mind!

Article Source : Ezinearticle.com
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