Pretty upset with local jeweller

As per my post on A genuine case of mistake. To cut the story short, here goes:

I bought a set of bracelet ($198)and earrings ($108) that cost me $306 for a gift from this jeweller chain that has a store at IMM outlet (see scanned copy of receipt).

However, as per their brochure, both hard copy and soft copy downloaded , the price of the ear rings shown on the brochure shows that the pair of earrings is going at price of $98. Refer to picture:

I understand for items that contain diamonds, this slight price variance can be due to the diamond size being different, or the quality of the diamond differing.

But for this case, both items do not have any diamonds set into the pieces.

Even though, it is only a slight difference, I find that it is misleading to the public. Who knows what other prices could be different from what they advertised!

What's worst is that I have not even heard from them since June 26th, the date which I have sent the email to them! I am deeply dismayed they are a member of The Singapore Service Star , which is an accreditation scheme that seeks to recognise and promote businesses that deliver good service and exhibit sound business practices!

A genuine case of mistake?

Well, the title for this post is because, recently, I was buying some gifts for my colleagues farewell party. Stepped into this shop belonging to a local jewellery retail chain, looked at some options they had, and made the purchase.

However, when I went back home, I realized that there was a difference in pricing - between what I was charged and what was advertised in their promotional material!

Sent an email out..

Awaiting their reply...

Shall see if their service levels are as good as what they claim and even endorsed by the Singapore Service Star!

Dropped Ring

Recently, I nearly lost a ring that slipped off my fingers while I was clearing my rubbish.

Thank god, I discovered it in time!

A trip to Singapore Mint

A trip down to Singapore Mint today!

Loads and loads of coins from Singapore and around the world:

Horse coins:

Gold coins:

Medallions from Singapore:

Coins from the Euro:

Lucky auscpicious gold ingots with numbers:

DIY 'Resize'

I am quite pleased with myself as I managed to 'resize' the ring I got from the Metropolitian Museum of Art.

It was a tad too tight initially...

So with the aid of a pair of pliers, jewellery polishing cloth, I managed to stretch the ring just a wee bit so that it could accommodate my fingers.

After the 'resize':

Is a certificate forever??

Being on several mailing list by several jewellers, I recently got this advert with a huge, screaming slogan that read: "A Certificate is Forever - Accept no substitutes"

Diamonds are the only precious gems with a clearly defined, internationally recognized evaluation process that allows for independent verification. The value for each individual gem can therefore be retained.

As creators of the 4Cs and the International Diamond Grading System™, the G.I.A. is known for unbiased, scientific information that has guided Diamond buyers for generations. It is regarded as the "Supreme Court" of Diamond grading. G.I.A. certificates add to the liquidity of your Diamond and should be accompanied with every purchase you make. Accept no substitutes.

At XYZ shop, we always provide G.I.A. certificates. This report gives the most technologically advanced Diamond evaluation possible. It is a unique blueprint of your Diamond’s attributes, and illustrates an indisputable record of its quality - thereby providing the world’s most comprehensive analysis of a Diamond.

What puzzles me most is that how can a certificate be forever???

Another smart marketing ploy? While it can be true that in today's technological advanced era, back ups of such certificates can be stored easily on a server, and accessed can be granted 24/7, we should not forget the fact that gradings of a diamond is done as of the point when it was sent to the lab, and over time, due to frequent wear and knocks, there could be little stress fractures that form within the stone and are generally classified as inclusions. Diamond is the hardest substance on earth, but it is not unbreakable!

Finale: Singapore International Jewellery Show 2008

Heavy rains did not deter the crowds from attending the last day of the Singapore International Jewellery Show 2008. Perhaps the lucky draw also played a part in getting people down to make their purchases.

I went down for the second and final time! Going around the exhibition, many exhibitors saw me as a familiar face...

Anyway, went down to my favourite display store, Far East Gems & Jewellery to get more stones as well as to get a quotation for a pair of custom made cufflinks!

Here's my stash of the day:

5 pieces of colour change garnet with a total carat weight of 0.99 carats.

Note the difference in colour under different lighting conditions!

A pair of Maili garnet with a nice yellowish green colour, total weight 1.3 carats!

This piece below, is not mine, is for a friend for her kind consideration!

Field Report on Singapore International Jewellery Show 2008

This entry is a field report on the Singapore International Jewellery Show 2008 that is being held at Suntec City Convention Centre from 21st - 24th August 2008.

The show was great; many local jewellery chains like Lee Hwa, Soo Kee, SK, Goldheart, D'meyson, Tianpo, On Cheong showcased their newest collections.

Even "lesser knowns" in the industry showcase their collections like the company, CHJ Jewellery Pte Ltd, that showcased their trendy jade and semi-precious gems range:



Jade is probably getting a new image makeover with trendy designs to attract a younger crowd.

Far East Gems of Singapore was also there, and they were promoting their range of courses as well as collection of stones:


GreenCity Pte Ltd, a company based in Singapore, showcased their art pieces totally designed of tumbled stones and crystals:


The foreign players of the industry were also present. Particulary strong in the area of loose gemstones were the traders from Sri Lanka:
There were also many amber traders displaying their wares:

My personal stash of the day are as follows:

Jelly opal carving of a spider:

Jelly opal carving of fish:

Amber with reverse carvings:

Carat vs Clarity

Would you prefer to have a bigger diamond or to have one with better clarity?

I was earlier at this no frills diamond jewellery store in Singapore and overheard this sales promoter with her sales tactic of getting a big diamond that is over 1 carat is good, cos it has good resale value. But when I took a look at the diamond, gosh, it was so flawed!

Firstly, it does not have any certification by any independent laboratory.
Secondly, the inclusions were horrible! You could see them in the tablet without any magnification at all!

Does size really matter when purchasing a diamond since one of the 4Cs in selecting a diamond happen to be carat?

To me, when purchasing a colourless diamond, it is important to make sure that clarity is not compromised when size is the factor one looks for. As it would be pointless to have a big diamond with inclusions that will affect the fire and scintillation of the stone.

However, when selecting fancy diamonds, size can be seen as the predominant factor, since coloured diamonds are rare, and any diamond that has fancy colours would be rare, thus size of the diamond would be proportionate to its price! Inclusions on the other hand, would be more of providing the finger prints of the diamond as to where the diamond was formed, under what kinda conditions!

Therefore, when purchasing a diamond that you intend to have good resale value, always make the decisive choice, remember that not all diamonds will have resale value.. its only the cream of the crop that will outshine the rest!

Good luck~

The truth about fluorescence in diamonds

Fluorescence - What is it? What the Big deal?

To the uninitiated, fluorescence is just another bombastic word used to describe a characteristic of a faceted diamond.

Was at a local jewellery shop today in Singapore, which is famous for selling low end jewellery when I overhead a sales person promoting a strongly fluorescent diamond as something very rare, that shows a blue colour even in a pail of water.

Now, this is so wrong, as blue is the complimentary color to yellow, the most common tinted color in diamonds, blue fluorescence can make yellowish diamonds look white or colorless. However, that does not make it valuable in high quality stones as there might be some oiliness in the diamond...

So is it ethical for the shop to promote fluorescent diamonds as valuable since what they sell are not graded independently and just labelled as 'commercial graded diamonds'? Buyers please be more aware of this when you step into any store!

Bezel set ring with missing stone!

One of my 3 stone bezel set rings had a missing stone today...

Was washing my hands today when I realised it...

Moral of the story: Never wash your hands in a sink!!!