Think Outside the Little Velvet Box this Valentine’s Day

Gentlemen (and ladies too)—why not consider a creative alternative to the little jewelry box this Valentine’s Day? If you put your mind to it, you can present your loved one with a gift of jewelry in an original way.

Here are some ideas for ways to present fine jewelry as a gift:

—Arrange the jewelry item inside a box of fine chocolates.

—Nestle a pair of earrings into the petals of a single rose. Gold looks beautiful in a red rose, while silver or platinum pop against pink petals.

—Drape a chain with pendant or a bracelet around the outside of a bottle of fine wine or champagne.

—Jewelry in a small drawstring bag can be slipped into your loved one’s pocket (or purse), for a lovely surprise later in the evening.

—Choose a larger box from an unrelated item and carefully wrap the jewelry in layers of tissue paper or bubble wrap to hide inside. It might look like a toaster, but it turns out to be a lovely bracelet or pendant.

—Present her with a teddy bear or other stuffed animal wearing the necklace or bracelet.

Some up with some ideas of your own—the sky’s the limit. With a little creative thinking, both you and your loved one will be delighted with your Valentine’s Day gift and the little box can wait for another day.

Victoria's Secrets: Break Out Your Bling

As San Diego custom jewelers, we sometimes hear this comment from our customers, whether they’re ladies or men: “I have some wonderful pieces, but where on earth can I wear them?” Do you ever find yourself looking at a one of your larger or more glamorous San Diego custom jewelry pieces and thinking, “It’s too good to wear out just to dinner and a movie,” or “How many months is it until New Year’s Eve comes back?” Well, relax. Your pal Victoria is here to tell you there are more than just a few occasions that warrant pulling out your best San Diego custom jewelry.

Impress Your Friends

Generally, other women generally tend to have a keener eye for nice jewelry than most men do. Look at occasions like bridal showers, girls’ nights out, and even spa getaway weekends as a chance to wear some of your most beautiful and valuable pieces around people who will appreciate them. Even in the daytime, some well-chosen, beautiful San Diego custom jewelry pieces can make your outfit stand out.

Hang with the Artsy Crowd

Events like fashion shows and art gallery or museum openings are a perfect excuse to bring out your most unusual, trendy, or cutting-edge pieces. If you’ve ever been to a contemporary art gallery reception, you know no outfit or San Diego custom jewelry is too over-the-top or outrageous for that crowd. Take a look at online events listings to see what might interest you, like the opening of a retrospective of artist John Baldessari’s work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, coming up on February 4. At just $10 to attend, this event is sure to feature a fascinating cross-section of art fans who will appreciate your funkiest pieces.

Looking Good While Doing Good

When it’s time to bring out the really big bling, nothing beats a charity gala, where the cream of San Diego society turns out to pony up for a good cause. The ticket price for some of these events may be steep, but look at it this way: you’re doing your part to help out, and most of it is tax-deductible. And where else will you have the chance to flash the multi-karat stones without feeling the tiniest bit self-conscious?

Here are just a few charity events coming up:

• 103rd Anniversary Charity Ball, Spectacular San Diego, January 21, 2012, at the Hotel Del Coronado, benefiting Rady Children's Hospital Trauma Center. The oldest charitable event in San Diego requires formal attire and features an elegant wine reception, dinner, entertainment, and dancing, at $250 per person.

• “Rendez-vous with Mozart at Versailles,” on January 22, 2012, a fundraising soirée at the Westgate Hotel to support Mainly Mozart. Champagne, costumed musicians, a concert of Mozart's music, and an exquisite French buffet, at $275 per person.

• If you’re a fan of soaring arias, San Diego Opera's Opening Night Gala is the social event of the season, with Richard Strauss’s masterpiece, Salome, on January 28, 2012. This is the biggie -- $1,250 per person includes an evening of celebration, dinner, and dancing at the US Grant Hotel, as well as tickets to the opera performance in the best seats. Trust us, you’re not going to see more bling anywhere.

• If those are too rich for your blood, consider the 2012 Red and White Ball on February 11-12, 2012. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the San Diego Delta Foundation present “An Evening of Elegance” at Paradise Point Resort, supporting educational advancement through scholarships for students throughout San Diego County. Tickets are $75 per person.

Don’t be shy, and don’t push those beautiful big pieces to the back of the jewelry box. Look for occasions and places to wear them proudly, and add to your San Diego custom jewelry collection that will last a lifetime!

Best wishes,

Victoria Mattar

Simon Says…

2011 is here, and it’s a great time to look into your jewelry box to see which pieces are outdated or haven’t been worn for a while. Bring them in for us to evaluate, and we’ll transform them into a new piece for you. The newest addition to our services is Rock N Gold Estates, reconditioning new and vintage estate jewels and fine watches of good quality and great value. We are seeing more clients every day who want to use existing jewelry they’re not wearing any more as credit toward purchasing custom-designed new or vintage jewels, allowing them to clear the miscellaneous scraps out of their jewelry boxes and fill them with unique quality pieces. Let’s set a time and we’ll see what will best fit you in 2011!

Happy prosperous new year, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

January’s Birthstone: The Gorgeous, Glowing Garnet

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s perfect that January’s birthstone is the glamorous garnet, the gift of love. Due to its relative abundance compared to other precious stones, the garnet is significantly more affordable and makes a great gift.

One look at the deep red seeds at the heart of a pomegranate fruit explains why the word “garnet” comes from the Latin word “granatus,” meaning “grain” or “seed.” This name was given to the garnet because of its close resemblance to the succulent pomegranate seed. 

First mined in Sri Lanka more than 2,500 years ago, the garnet is also found in Africa, Australia, India, Russia, South America; and in the United States, in Arizona and Idaho.  Although most commonly known as a red gemstone, it does come in a variety of other hues, including muted yellows, vibrant oranges, rosy pinks, lime greens, and violets—a virtual rainbow of colors. This diversity is due to unique combinations of elements within each particular gem, such as iron, calcium, and manganese.  

Archaeologists have found primitive garnet jewelry among the graves of lake dwellers, dating the early use of this gemstone to the Bronze Age. But not all garnets are of gem quality. Garnet is also a very effective abrasive and is used commercially for grinding and polishing, for example in garnet-coated sandpaper for industrial use.  

Beliefs about the garnet’s extraordinary capabilities have abounded through its history, changing over time. Up until the 18th century, many soldiers wore garnets in the belief it would help heal their wounds. The red varieties, which can show as much fire as the rubies, were thought to influence the way blood flows inside the body. It was also said that garnets changed color when the bearer was facing danger. They promote love and protect the house from fire and lightening. The orange, yellow and green gems helped increase sexual capability and energy.

This gemstone is formed over millions of years at very high temperatures and enormous pressures in the Earth’s crust. For this reason, the garnet is very though. However, it can still be damaged if you are not careful. Make sure you do not expose your garnet to sudden temperature changes, hot steam or acids. To clean it, use warm water or ultrasounds at our shop.

The garnet is traditionally considered the protective gem of journeyers. A gift of garnet is thought to be symbolic of love and the desire for a loved one's safe travel and speedy homecoming. Contact us today to see the beautiful garnet pieces we have available, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

November’s Birthstone: The Fabulous Topaz

November’s birthstone is the fabulous topaz, a word that comes from Sanskrit and means “fire.” Citrines, which look similar to yellow topaz and possess similar qualities, are often also considered November’s birthstone.

The topaz is a clear, hard mineral stone found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Russia. It occurs in a wide range of colors including red, orange, peach, pink, gold, yellow, brown, and clear (sometimes confused with diamonds). The more intense the color, the more valuable the stone. Naturally pale to medium blue topaz can also be enhanced by irradiation to produce a more intense blue color. Although topaz is a very hard gemstone, it can be split with a single blow and should be protected from hard knocks.

During the Middle Ages, topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. The Greeks believed it had power to increase strength and to make its wearer invisible, while the Romans believed it had power to improve eyesight. The Egyptians wore it as an amulet to protect them from injury.

In medieval times, it was also believed that topaz would bring wisdom to its bearer, which explains why it was so common to give topaz jewels to heads of state, ambassadors and other officials. It is sometimes called "Imperial Topaz" because red and pink topaz gems were used in the jewelry of the 18th and 19th century Russian Czarinas. The most famous topaz was originally thought to be a diamond: a 1,680-carat colorless topaz known as the "Braganza Diamond," set in the Portuguese crown jewels. 

The ring in Hans Holbein’s famous portrait of King Henry VIII is definitely a topaz, since no other stone with these colors would have been worthy enough for a king at that time. Today the topaz is worthy of becoming a treasured gift for your loved ones with November birthdays, or at any time of the year. Ask us about some of our beautiful creations featuring topaz or citrine today!

Simon Says...

Rock N Gold Creations has been in business for 18 years and we’re still rocking, with our new logo and website along with Facebook and Twitter accounts which will allow you to get all kinds of insights into what we’re doing and the jewelry industry, and to share us with your friends and family. Recommending our sites to your friends is the best way to show them why you voted us “Best of San Diego” for the fourth year in a row, and to take care of any of their jewelry needs.

I’ve been in the industry for more than 21 years, and even with the still-uncertain economy, the holiday season is around the corner and this is the time of year when we all really need to think of our family, friends, and what life is all about. It’s a time to be together and show each other that we are placed on this earth to live life to its fullest and learn what our true values are. By giving the gift of a unique designed piece of fine jewelry, you will show your special person the meaning of life and bring them special enjoyment of the season. We have created many special pieces of fine jewelry for our clients that have been treasured for a lifetime.

Best regards,

Simon 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!

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!

Vote For Us!

Our fantastic customers (that’s you!) have helped us win the “Best Designer Jewelry” category in 10News’s A-List awards for the past three years in a row! We are nominated again this year and we’re counting on you to help us win again!

Our regular customers know there are many reasons to vote for Rock’n Gold Creations: our years of experience, our expertise, our friendly personalized service, our amazing selection of new and estate jewelry, and our commitment to the customer at every step, to name just a few. In the weeks to come, we’ll share some great reviews we’ve received from happy customers. Don’t wait – click now to vote!