Victoria’s Secrets

Ladies! Is your jewelry box, like most people’s, cluttered and unorganized? Cleaning it up is easier than you might think, and it’s important! Storing your jewelry properly will help it will last for generations to come. Organizing it properly will also allow you to see it all so you can wear it more regularly. Let me share with you some simple ideas for making your jewelry box a worthy home for your precious items:

Don't jumble your jewelry.

Always store your jewelry in a clean, dry place, protected from dust. Keep it in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or a box with several compartments and dividers. If you use ordinary boxes, wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper. This keeps your jewelry free from tangles and will help keep it from tarnishing. Many jewelry boxes don’t have enough compartments, and your jewelry gets jumbled together. Look for a box with many little compartments instead of a few larger sections.

Separate your everyday jewelry.

Jewelry that is worn often – like your watch, wedding ring set, a favorite pendant and earrings – can be placed apart in an accessible smaller box or tray. Find one you like so it can be left on top of a dresser. Many women don’t wear their beautiful pieces of jewelry because they overlook them or getting to them is difficult. Keeping jewelry in sight will help you find what you need and remind you of what you have. (Keep in mind, however, that a secure safe is still your best bet for your high-value gems and irreplaceable heirlooms.)

Hang it up.

Among the organizers available to buy are hanging clear plastic ones with numerous pouches. These organizers are a great way to keep your earrings separate and visible. Put one pair of earrings in each pouch to ensure that the posts will not scratch the other earrings. Hang it on the back of your closet door or even in your closet, as long as it’s in full view.

Making use of these simple tips will give your jewelry box a makeover and ensure you will be able to enjoy your jewelry for years to come. 

For a limited time, when you make an appointment with us to bring in your entire jewelry box so we can professionally clean your items for free, we’ll also help you organize your jewelry with complimentary baggies!

Best wishes,

Victoria Mattar

October’s Birthstone: The Opal

The gemstone of the month is one of our favorites, the magnificent opal, full of fire and a rainbow of different colors. Most fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts of Australia, where their origins are the stuff of myth and legend. Aborigines believe the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all humans, and at the very spot where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow – the birth of the opal.

Opals are distinguished by their place of origin and color. There are dark or black opals, white or light opals, milk or crystal opals, boulder opals, opal matrix, “yowah nuts” from Queensland, and also Mexican and fire opals. Opal variations are practically unlimited. They all show that unique play of colors, except for fire opal, which due to its transparency is nevertheless also considered a fine opal specimen. Opals lacking the typical play of colors are simply named “common opal.”

Up to the first half of the 19th century, opals in jewelry were relatively rare. It was in the era of Art Deco that opals became popular for use in jewelry design, with artists of the time preferring them because of their subdued charm, well suited in combination with enamel, another very popular material of those days.

One unique characteristic of opals is their high water content - usually between 2 and 6 per cent, but sometimes even more. This can cause them to become brittle if stored in a dry place or exposed to heat over a long period of time. When dry, opals can turn pale and show fissures. Therefore, opal jewelry should be worn as often as possible, for the gemstone will receive the needed humidity from the air and from the skin of its wearer!

Almost 95 per cent of all fine opals come from Australian mines, with remaining five per cent mined in Mexico, northern Brazil, and also in Idaho and Nevada. Recently the stones have also been found in Ethiopia and in the West African country of Mali.

The best cut to bring out the play of color in a fine opal is a round or oval cabochon, or any other softly domed shape, depending on the raw material. Only the best qualities of fire opal are suited to faceting. Opals’ value is not only determined by the body color, transparency, and factors based on place of origin; it is also important if the stone is transparent, translucent, or opaque.

The most important criterion for determining the price of an opal, however, is the color, play of color, and pattern. If the color red appears when looking through the stone, all the other colors will also appear. The thickness of the opal layer is considered, along with the beauty of the patterning, the cut, weight, and finish. Finally, the total impression or “wow factor” will be decisive in determining how much you will pay for your opal. RGC has a large selection of opal jewelry designs. If you are interested in a valuable specimen, we can advise you, because it takes a real expert to know about the many criteria that determine the price.

Look for our New Logo and Website!

Our team is working hard on a brand-new website that will be filled with useful information and a more efficient design to help you with all your online needs and questions. Along with the website is a great new logo design you can already see on this page. Keep an eye out for those and connect with us online:

Become a Fan on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

We’re building an online presence and will be making special offers and announcements, so help us spread the word!

Simon Says...

The gold market has reached another all-time high, with a good chance that it will peak another level before the end of the year. With this in mind, it’s a good time to start your holiday season shopping for gold, whether in fine jewelry or in gold coins and bullion.  Gold is a common currency that is traded worldwide, and that’s why in an uncertain economy the only thing that trades up is the gold and precious stones market. Please contact me with any questions you might have about either buying or selling gold. Here at RGC, I can serve you as a licensed dealer for the buying and selling of precious metals and stones, adding another trusted service to serve your needs. 

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Best regards, 

Simon Mattar

We Are A-List Winners for the 4th Year in a Row!

Thank you to everyone who voted for us to win first place in the “Best Jewelry Design” category on KGTV’s A-List for the fourth consecutive year! We know this is a sign of your faith in us to consistently deliver great customer service, unique and beautiful designs, and good value to all our customers. We are grateful for your continued support and will work harder than ever to deserve it!