Simon Says…

If you’ve made the decision to have a piece of San Diego custom jewelry designed for yourself or a loved one, you want to know you can trust the person who will design and create it for you. At Rock N Gold Creations you have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we are an award-winning San Diego custom jewelry business, GIA certified, BBB approved, and chosen year after year by the public as the best custom jeweler in San Diego. I’m eager to put my years of experience and skill to work for you, to give you the pleasure of creating and owning a piece of unique San Diego custom jewelry that will become a part of you and your family.

Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Simon Mattar

March’s Birthstone: the Brilliant and Beautiful Aquamarine

Picture the brilliant blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and you’ll understand why March’s birthstone is named the aquamarine—from the Roman word “aqua,” meaning water, and “mare,” meaning sea, this pale blue gem does indeed resemble the color of seawater. The ancient Romans believed that the aquamarine was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea, having washed onto shore from the jewel boxes of sirens. Early sailors wore aquamarine talismans, engraved with the likeness of Neptune, as protection against dangers at sea. 

This association with water led to the early belief that the aquamarine was particularly powerful when immersed. Water in which aquamarines had been submerged was used in ancient times to heal a variety of illnesses of the heart, liver, stomach, mouth and throat. Aquamarines were also used to reverse poisoning and to aid in fortune telling. 

The aquamarine is a member of the beryl family, a mineral that crystallizes within large-grained igneous rocks on the earth’s crust. As long as 2,000 years ago, beryl was used to correct vision, and it continues to be used today in the manufacture of eyeglasses. It is a very hard mineral, making the aquamarine a durable gemstone for use in jewelry. 

Aquamarine varies in color from clear blue-green to a light sky blue. The majority of aquamarines, unlike other gemstones, are flawless. The largest deposits can be found in Brazil, but other sources of aquamarine are in China, India, Australia, Africa, and the United States. 

The hardness and durability of aquamarine make it a fine gemstone, and its light blue or aqua color makes it a fine choice when the harsher colors of some other gemstones would overwhelm or distract from an outfit. Its typical delicate color allows it to be used in a larger stone where its beauty can be impressive.

Aquamarine jewelry is associated with beauty, honesty, loyalty, and happiness. A gift of aquamarine symbolizes both safety and security, especially within long-standing relationships. It has even been said that the aquamarine reawakens love in a tired marriage, so if you want to bring back that spark in your partner’s eyes, you might consider this gem as an anniversary gift!

Simon Says

I see many clients each month who come in for us to clean and inspect their jewels. Sometimes they’re proud to tell us they have not taken off their wedding rings for years. That means they are wearing pieces with a lot of bacteria and dirt on their skin that can sometime cause a rash or even skin loss around their fingers. They may even think they’re allergic to their ring, while most often it is the bacteria from lotions, soaps, dirt, foods, etc. that is stuck inside and on the surface of their jewels. Not only is this unhealthy, but it dulls the shine and beauty of the ring. Why would you spend thousands of dollars on the most significant symbol of your lifelong commitment, only to let it get dirty and battered year after year?


We have a step-by-step procedure to see what is the issue, the first being cleaning and inspecting the jewelry. This necessity of maintenance is very important, and once we remove the ring we do a thorough cleaning and inspection of the piece or pieces. We make sure all stones are in a secure setting; sometimes we catch some stones that are about ready to fall out from natural wear. The setting can be repaired at a much lower prince than replacing the stone if it fell out and was lost. After the inspection and repairs, we do a complete refinishing, if needed, to make the jewels look like new again, for more years of enjoyment. 


To keep your beloved jewelry pieces in tip-top shape, especially the ones you wear every day, we recommend you return within three to six months. Regular maintenance will keep your jewels looking new and reduce the chance of bacteria growing back to irritate your skin. This necessity of maintenance service is at no charge to our clients for the cleaning and inspection, and we never charge for refinishing our own custom-made pieces. 


Sincerely,
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!

Simon Says...

With the gold market poised to break another record, this is a great time to bring in your jewelry and precious items for us to evaluate the treasures your jewelry box holds. We can advise you to either re-design or repair your items, or we will pay you to recycle the ones you no longer wear. Analysts say that even at current levels, investors in gold have already made a profit of approximately 7.92 percent, and that investor desire for gold will remain strong and support higher prices. If you’re in the mood to invest, we have a good assortment of estate pieces at a great value for you or some one you know to enjoy! So Simon Says let’s rock your jewelry box by bringing it into our shop so we can do a free evaluation and cleaning for you!

What’s Up, Doc? Carats, Karats, and Carrots

When you’re shopping for jewelry you’ll often hear the words “carat” and “karat” tossed around, and it may seem like they’re interchangeable. But if you pay attention you’ll see that one type of carat – spelled with a C – refers to the weight of diamonds and other gemstones, while the other type – spelled with a K – refers to the purity of gold.

Diamonds and other gemstones are weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams, about the same weight as a paperclip. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points. For example, a 50-point diamond weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values depending on the other members of the Four C’s: Clarity, Color, and Cut. The majority of diamonds used in fine jewelry weigh one carat or less.

The karat, on the other hand, is a measure of the purity of gold alloys. Karat value of gold (or platinum) is determined using the following formula: the mass of pure gold or platinum in the material divided by the total mass, then multiplied by 24. Therefore 24-karat gold is fine (99.9%), 18-karat gold is 75% gold, 12-karat gold is 50% gold, and so forth. This is why the higher the karat value, the more yellow the gold looks. When you buy a piece gold jewelry, the karat value is usually stamped somewhere on it.

The word “karat” comes from the Greek kerátion, “fruit of the carob,” as carob seeds were originally used as weights on precision scales because they were thought (wrongly) to have a uniform weight. In the past, different countries each had their own karat, roughly equivalent to a carob seed. In the mid-16th century, the karat was adopted as a measure of gold purity.

As for carrots… well, those are probably in your refrigerator right now, and including them in your diet will help ensure you have sharp enough eyes to enjoy the brilliance of your carats and karats!

Victoria’s Secrets: June is Wedding Season!

Getting engaged or designing wedding bands? Here are some tips for designing the ultimate personalized ring:

1. Inspect the jewelry he or she wears to get a sense of your beloved’s ring personality. For example, does she like to make a bold jewelry statement, or would she be happier with a more discreet design? Would he want a stone incorporated into his ring or just a plain band? Decide if you want the ring to incorporate an element of cultural significance or to have a certain sensibility (to look Asian or antique, for instance) to help narrow your quest. Also be sure to scope out rings people are wearing at work or as you go about your daily life; when you see one you like, make a note of it or even a sketch.

2. If you want to create something totally original, with your own custom design, the toughest part is pinpointing what you want the ring to say. It can be tough to translate emotions into a concrete form. Work with what you know: Try writing a paragraph -- or make a list of adjectives -- that describes how your mate makes you feel or his or her traits that inspire you. If words elude you, look for graphic imagery that does the job: a Mondrian painting, a soft romantic coverlet, earthy waves, or stars. Reference the list or image when browsing through ring designs.

3. Start the process early; allow six weeks or more for delivery of the ring once ordered, but there is also finalizing the ring’s specs, which may require some back and forth communication, not to mention the extra time it takes to hand-assemble a ring and to inscribe the inside, if desired.