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The opinions expressed herein are secretdiamond.com's opinions and do not represent anyone else's or any other company's views in any way.
© Copyright 2009
Engagement Rings Christmas Sale
Starting Dec 8th and going until Dec 31st. SecretDiamond.com is having it’s annual Christmas Sale. Save up 5% on any and all engagement rings, engagement ring sets, as well as diamond stud earrings in any carat size. Surprise your girlfriend this Holiday Season with an engagement ring and it will be a Christmas she’ll never forget. Even a second diamond ring for your wife, or an irresistible pair of absolutely eye clean diamond stud earrings. Remember Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for shipping, so the sooner you order the safer you’ll be! If there’s an engagement ring design you absolutely have to have and it’s not on our site, send us a picture, give us a call, and 99% of the time we can recreate it for you at an even cheaper price than for what you saw it for on any other website.
Hurry Sale ends Dec. 31st. 2009.
Insurance For Engagement Rings
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After receiving a call from one of our customers the other day, we thought it was important to post a blog about insurance for engagement rings. Well it just so happens that this customer of ours had a beautiful wedding day, only to wake up the next day with the engagement ring gone from his hotel room. It turns out that their wedding day was very hectic (as all wedding days are) and the bride decided to take her engagement ring off for a short time and leave it in their hotel room. After all the dust had settled from the exciting wedding day, the bride went to put her engagement ring back on her finger. Unfortunately her engagement ring was no where to be found. After a couple of hours of searching everywhere for it, they concluded that it wasn’t in the hotel room anymore. They called the police and made a report, but could not prove that it was stolen, let alone who stole. They have since concluded that it was one of the cleaning staff at the hotel that came into their room and stole their engagement ring. But again, they couldn’t prove it. Now at least they were feeling a little bit better when they remembered that they had purchased insurance for their engagement ring. However the saddest part was that they would never be able to replace the actual engagement ring that he proposed with. But at least it was covered under insurance. (Or so they thought)
Immediately they called their agent to describe what had happened and place a claim for their loss. You can only imagine their surprise when they were told that the enormous loss they had just suffered was not even covered under their policy. Not only was their engagement ring stolen, but their insurance company was not going to cover it. (talking about adding insult to injury!!) It seems that their insurance company had some fine print in their policy that referred to this situation as a “MYSTERIOUS LOSS”. It seems that since they could not “Prove” that their ring was stolen, and could not “Prove” who did it, the insurance company said that they were not responsible for honoring this claim. Now this new couple that was planning on starting their new life together has to buy a new engagement ring all over again. I have to say that at Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we feel for them and we are doing everything we can to get them an even nicer engagement ring this time around and we are helping them with an even lower price. But even with our help, they are still out thousands of dollars, and the ring he proposed with.
The point to this story is that although we love selling you engagement rings, we don’t want you to have to pay for them twice. Not only should you always buy “insurance for engagement rings” but you should also due your homework and get the best policy you can afford. It’s bad enough that your ring could be lost or stolen one day, but to have to pay for it all over again is something you should not have to do. Check with your homeowners insurance agent about insurance first, and GRILL them with every question you can think of about what is covered and what is not. ( I would also ask them about “MYSTERIOUS LOSSES” too )
After you check with your insurance agent, then check around for a better policy if there is one, and maybe even get a better price. Another company that you can check with is www.JewelersMutual.com. Give them a call and see what they can offer you and see if it’s better. The old way of insuring your engagement ring (Homeowners) may not always be the best way. Engagement Ring Insurance is very affordable and no-one should go with out it. The pricing at www.JewelersMutual.com for engagement ring insurance is 1% per thousand dollars insured. So if your engagement ring cost $4,000, your insurance will only cost about $40 per year. That is cheap “peace of mind”.
SecretDiamond.com is having it’s Fall Engagement Ring Sale. All Engagement Rings, Engagement Ring Sets and Stud Earrings are a massive 10% off. Not Some, but ALL. The sale will last until October 6th at midnight. You will see significant decreases from $100 to $4000 and higher! All of our engagement rings are custom made to order, which makes each ring that much more special. With Christmas and New Years coming up, you can assure yourself that if you order and SAVE today you will definitely be ready for the big holiday season. If you have any questions we encourage you to call our knowledgeable staff at 651-263-5121 / 7 days a week, or send us an email.
SecretDiamond Engagement Rings Sale
| 3.50 ctw. Round Diamond Engagement Ring |
Channel of Love 1.35 ctw. Diamond Engagement Ring |
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| CTW – 1.38 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes Our Sale Price: $3,599.10 |
CTW – 3.50 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes SEE VIDEO!! Our Sale Price: $6,119.10 |
CTW – 1.35 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes Our Sale Price: $3,329.10 |
Engagement Ring Trends
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Are you searching for the latest "Engagement Ring Trends" and new ideas for your engagement ring? Choosing an engagement ring is a personal choice that will almost certainly require a lot of different decisions. The choices are almost endless such as what shape do you want your diamond to be? What type of metal is best suited for your taste and your budget? Are you looking for a simple solitaire diamond engagement ring or a very detailed design with an antique or vintage style. Many engagement rings worn today may even have gemstones such as Emeralds, Topaz or Aquamarine accents. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your engagement ring except what you like and what you want to spend.
There is a common theme that an engagement ring should cost 2-3 months of the groom’s salary. This may be true for some new couples, however we see it go a lot higher than that with some couples, and a lot less for others. We advise that you not spend more than you can comfortably afford in any situation. You don’t want to enter in to a new marriage with money troubles if you can help it, especially considering how often money problems can cause trouble in marriages. That leads us to our first engagement ring trend.
With today’s difficult economic conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many couples to get married. People still meet and fall in love, and then may want to get married eventually. However it’s a well known fact that weddings can be very expensive. When you add up the cost of the engagement ring, the wedding and the honeymoon, it’s no wonder that couples are looking to spend less money wherever they can. Studies have concluded that the average amount of money spent on engagement rings has declined over the past decade or so, and is predicted to decline even more in the future. Exactly why is anybody’s guess. I believe that it maybe for a couple of reasons. #1 is that it is very easy to spend less on an engagement ring when you buy it online. It used to be that only jewelry stores sold engagement rings and could charge as much as they like. They really had very little competition except for a few other local jewelry stores. If each jewelry store kept their prices high, each jewelry store owner would make more money. I often hear from many jewelers that have been in the business for many years about how good the old days were. The days when they had their way with the consumer and unloaded any diamond they wanted for just about anything they wanted to charge. Huge mark-ups and huge profits. Almost like they were doing the newly engaged couple a favor. These old-timers long for those days, but they know things have changed for good with the internet. That is why many small independent jewelry stores are going out of business. They just can’t compete with the new way of buying diamonds. The internet makes saving thousands of dollars on your engagement ring entirely possible with all of the competition out there. And you will certainly have many more styles of engagement rings to choose from. The 2nd reason for people spending less on their engagement ring is just simply the economy. People’s average salaries are not keeping up with inflation. And then of course there are the lay-offs. Gone are the days of working for a company for 35 years and retiring at 62 or 65 with a full pension. Many workers today may not be able to retire at all. And even if you are working for a stable company, it just seems that it’s getting harder everyday to get married, buy a house and raise children, and still have money left over for your retirement. I know many couples that are in a 2 income household with good careers and still have trouble making ends meet. So whatever the reason may be, the trend is that people are spending less on engagement rings than they did before.
Another "Engagement Ring Trend" is White Gold Engagement Rings. Without a doubt, white gold is sold at least 5 to 1 over yellow gold engagement rings, Platinum Engagement Rings & Palladium Engagement Rings at our diamond company. And just like Yellow Gold, your engagement ring can be made with 14K or 18K white gold. There are probably a couple of reasons for this trend. The first reason is because white gold tends to keep your diamonds looking whiter. A Yellow gold ring can give a little bit of yellowish tinge to your diamond in some cases. Years ago, yellow gold was the metal of choice for diamond engagement rings and just like all things in fashion, it tends to be cyclical. White gold was invented after the 1st world war and ever since then, white gold and yellow gold rings have rotated in popularity. However at least for the last 5 years or more, white gold has stayed as the most popular choice for engagement rings. Platinum is also a very popular choice for it’s naturally white properties, sturdy makeup, and hypoallergenic properties. However platinum is too expensive for many couples and some of the engagement rings that we offer would just be too heavy in platinum. Palladium is the newest metal for engagement rings and is quickly becoming a very popular choice. Like platinum, Palladium Engagement Rings are naturally white and hypoallergenic. They are also about 12% harder than platinum diamond rings. The only draw back to palladium is that not very many companies know how to work with it, so you might have to send it back to us for maintenance, repairs and re-sizing if needed. With all things considered, white gold is still the most popular engagement ring metal of choice, and I seeing it staying that way for the foreseeable future. Just remember that any white gold engagement ring will need to have it’s rhodium plating redone periodically to keep it looking white. Palladium and platinum will not require that maintenance procedure.
The shape of the center diamond is another part of an engagement ring that is subject to trends. Years ago, Marquise shaped diamonds were very popular. Then there was a time that Emerald shaped diamonds were popular. Round diamonds have been very popular, because they are the most sparkly when cut properly. However the diamond shape that I see being the most popular today is "The Princess Cut". At times, we sell more princess cut diamonds than any other diamond shape, including rounds. There is no doubt that round brilliant diamonds have always been the top seller, but Princess cut diamonds have got to be right up there. I don’t know if it is just the name "Princess" (what bride doesn’t want to be a princess on her wedding day?) or if it’s because many women are just sick of seeing round diamonds everywhere. I do think there is a little bit of mystique to the Princess name in a diamond that dates back to her childhood fairy tales, but I could be wrong. So to recap. Round diamonds have always been popular and remain so today, but The Princess Diamond is certainly the newest engagement ring trend in diamond shapes.
The last thing that I see as a trend in engagement rings is the style and design of the engagement ring. Just like round diamonds, Solitaire diamond rings have always been popular and remain so today. I also see them being very popular for many years to come. A big advantage to a solitaire engagement ring is that you are not spending very much money on the engagement ring setting itself (unless it’s platinum) and you will have more money available to spend on the actual diamond itself, if you wish. Solitaires also require less maintenance because you don’t have a bunch of little diamonds (micropave diamonds) that can come loose or fall out. However antique style or vintage style engagement rings are super hot today. Just like all things in fashion, antique style and vintage style rings are coming back around in popularity. The only difference though is that the last time antique style or vintage style engagement rings were hot, they were the real thing. They were not antique style or vintage style back in the early 20th century, they were just a new engagement ring. Many people would like to buy an antique engagement ring, but there are a lot of potential drawbacks to them, so they opt for a new engagement ring with an antique style. However many antique engagement rings are handed down from generation to generation and are worn today by many new brides. Antique or vintage style engagement rings will almost always have milgrain and/or filigree details and possibly micropave diamonds incorporated in to their design. An antique style engagement ring can literally be a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design. They can truly be one of the most beautiful engagement rings that you will ever see, however you will usually pay have to more for them.
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A famous national jewelry store chain that sells a lot of engagement rings and goes by the name of The Shane Company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this past Monday 8/31/2009. It also appears that the famous voice of the commercials on the radio, Tom Shane himself, is the largest unsecured creditor.
The company filed papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Denver. The jewelry store chain is based out of Centennial Colorado and listed it’s liabilities & it’s assests at between $100-$500 million dollars in the documents that they filed with the bankruptcy court.
Just twenty of the largest unsecured creditors of The Shane Company are owed as much as $26 million dollars according to a court filing. Located in the diamond district of New York, Dison Gems is owed $4.7 million dollars and is listed as the largest unsecured creditor of the jewelry company.
But a late filing revealed that Tom Shane (The President, CEO, Chairman and the company’s famous voice) is owed the most money. Tom Shane has loaned The Shane Company approximately $20 million dollars during the past couple of years, according to the court filing.
It is estimated that Tom Shane owns approximately 70 percent of the jewelry store chain. The rest is owned by a series of trusts created to benefit his children.
It was stated by the company’s attorney that the current economic conditions as well as the declining retail market for the companies luxury jewelry, has left the company strapped for cash. The company hopes to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the end of the year.
"The severity of this past holiday season dramatically impacted existing liquidity requiring the company to seek this bankruptcy protection," Tom Shane said in a written statement. "I am confident that this action will guarantee that our customers will continue to enjoy the top-notch service, expansive selection, and unbeatable prices that they have enjoyed since the days of my grandfather."
The Shane Company currently operates 23 stores in 14 states and was founded in 1971. The company advertises that "Now you have a friend in the diamond business.” It claims that customers pay “no middleman markup” because the company buys its diamonds and precious gems directly from the cutters throughout the world.
Tom Shane is the third generation in the Shane family to be involved in the jewelry business.
The board and shareholders of The Shane Company decided on Jan. 7 to authorize the Chapter 11 filing, according to a document filed with the court.
Shane Co. has about 6,000 creditors, including about 750 secured lenders, vendors, consignment creditors and landlords, and about 4,600 customers. The company filed a motion with the bankruptcy court seeking approval to: process credit card payments, honor the company’s warranties, guarantees, upgrades and gift cards. The company would also like to be able to continue its layaway program.
The Shane Company stated that approximately 70 percent of the purchases that occur in its brick and mortar jewelry stores and the company’s online jewelry website, are made with credit cards or debit cards. On average, the company says that it pays approximately $243,000 a month in credit card processing and other fees.
With one exception (Pearls) The Shane Company provides a lifetime warranty on it’s jewelry and engagement rings. The jewelry store chain also offers an "upgrade policy" that allows customers to return any jewelry made of gold or platinum and set with diamonds, rubies or sapphires. In order to take advantage of the upgrade policy, a customer must purchase another item of at least double the cost. The company will then offer a full credit of the original purchase towards the new piece of jewelry.
Shane Co. also said it had outstanding obligations As of Dec. 27 2009 the jewelry store chain stated that it had approximately $260,000 of outstanding obligations through its gift card program and the gift cards carry no expiration date. The jewelry store chain also said it’s holding $3 million dollars in deposits for the "Layaway Plan" for approximately 4,300 customers.
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