The New Custom Design: Why CAD beats Hand-carving

A revolution is has swept across the custom jewelry industry. Several years ago getting a hand-carved wax might have been a normal occurrence. These days, however, CAD (Computer Aided Design) is king and the benefits it brings can really make the custom design process simpler and easier. Though there is a certain charm to a hand-carved wax, CAD can get you the same or better end product, with more flexibility to boot.

CAD starts out, amazingly enough, on a computer. Since computers have made almost every other aspect of life simpler, why not jewelry design? Using specialized software, a ring can be crafted in a matter of minutes, depending on the complexity. For instance, a simple eternity band or solitaire ring will take very little time, and the accuracy afforded by the CAD software ensures that your ring will be perfect. Since your design exists in the computer, much like a popular 3D movie, it can rendered into a photo-realistic depiction so you can see just what you ring will look like, complete with sparkling diamonds.

At this stage, changes can easily be made, whether you would like to add features, or change the size of the diamonds. Then another image can be produced and you can have a look at your design and decide if its ready. Once your happy with the product, a special and very expensive machine called a laser cutter will be used. The CAD designs mathematical description of your ring will be uploaded to the cutter, and it will use precision lasers to cut a wax for you. At this stage, the wax isn’t much different than a hand-carved wax, save for the method of its production.

Say at the last minute you want another change, you want a bigger diamond, for instance. The hand-carver would need to start from scratch and create a whole new wax. A CAD designer can go back to the computer model, make the change and pop out a new wax. You will most likely save time, and when you see the finished product you will appreciate the precision of CAD.

If you are interested in a piece of custom jewelry, please give us a call. We will help you through the process and narrow down the exact ring that your mind’s eye desires. With the help of CAD technology, we will be able to show you our progress at every step to keep your mind at ease and ensure your buying experience is fun and exciting.

What to get for the Woman who has everything?

So you’ve bought your loved one an engagement ring, wedding band, maybe some earrings, a necklace, and perhaps even a bracelet. Her jewelry collection is absolutely filled with diamond jewelry, and you’d like to buy her something stunning. You start to consider your options, and how much they might cost. Does more diamonds and bigger diamond have to be the answer?

No, to put it simply, it doesn’t. Many people forget the beauty and brilliance of colored stones. Keep in mind, I’m not talking about colored diamonds, which depending on the color can be exorbitantly expensive. Colored stones such as sapphire, tourmaline, and tanzanite can not only save you money, but they can look absolutely out of this world.

There are so many options when it comes to colored stones, its easy to get confused. The best way may be to use your loved one’s birth stone, or just figure out their favorite color or look. If you want it to be a surprise certainly you can find a way to determine their desires without letting them on.

In future posts, we will discuss various stones, colors, pros, and cons. We will also discuss the importance of cut to colored stones. Many think that its not so important for the lowered priced colored stones, but the difference between the richness of the color in the stone can be very large. Meanwhile, look forward to a colored stone inventory on the site, that will allow us to help you with beautiful custom pieces with beautifully colored stones for a fraction of the price of a diamond.

Dollars vs Diamond Weight

Obviously, the easiest way to explain diamond weight is to say, “Bigger is Better!” To some degree that is completely true. I doubt I could find one person who, when given a choice, would choose a smaller diamond. Of course quality should factor in, but there is something alluring about a big shiny rock that manages to short circuit its way into hearts and minds of many women (and probably men) that makes cut, clarity, and color take a back seat. That being said, there is a very fragile relationship between weight and price. Double the weight will equal much much more than double the price. So, how do we resolve that age old problem? How do we get a large diamond to quench our loved ones diamond thirst while keeping our wallets in check?

You have a few options when it comes to size, meaning, there are certain ways to go bigger and save some cash. Not all of these ideas are necessarily recommended, but we reserve your right to choose exactly what you want. One of the biggest secrets stems from the way diamonds are priced. There is a price list released monthly, that prices out various size groups and separates between round and fancy cuts. Right off the bat, a fancy cut diamond (princess being one of the most popular) will be 20%-30% cheaper. That means you can get a bit more size for the buck if you so desire, but you must also take into account that different shapes also appear very different in terms of size.

Secondly, a 0.99ct diamond will cost less than a 1.00ct diamond. The difference may not be life-changing, but it can allow you to save a few bucks if its important. It may be the case that there just isn’t a diamond for you, for example, you may be interested in a 1.03ct round, and you may try, but not be able to find a similar stone under 1.00ct. In this case, it makes sense to spend the extra and get exactly what you are looking for, rather than settle for less.

This last trick is definitely not recommended, but we tell you for two reasons. The first is for the sake of diamond education. We believe that the more you know the more comfortable and satisfied you will be with a purchase. The second is to make sure your aware of this effect, so that an unscrupulous diamond dealer doesn’t woo you with an inferior stone. The main ingredient of this effect is table. A large table will make the diamond appear larger (we might call this a larger “spread”) at the expense of brilliance. It might look nice and big, but upon closer inspection and comparison to a diamond with a better (smaller) table, the difference will be obvious. That being said, it is your diamond, and if you like the look of a big spread, be sure to mention that.

Hopefully you’ve learned a bit about diamond size, its effect on price, and ways it can be manipulated. Please call us at 312-920-0075 or email us with any additional questions or comments.

Fluorescence

One of the lesser known traits of a diamond is fluorescence. One of the main reasons that this trait is often overlooked is because it rarely effects the appearance of the diamond in normal lighting conditions. Fluorescence is actually the visible light emitted from a diamond exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays. This can make fluorescence a seemingly invisible trait, much like the UV rays themselves. Despite its hidden nature, fluorescence can affect the price of the diamond, and in certain cases it can impact the appearance of the diamond.

Fluorescence is actually made up of two separate grades, an intensity (from None, Very Slight, Slight, Faint, Medium, Strong, Very Strong) and a color (most often blue, in rare instances yellow, white, or another color). That being said, when looking at the fluorescence of a diamond, the intensity is the most important factor.

As stated before, there are instances in which fluorescence can affect the normal appearance of a diamond. The effect can best be described as ‘cloudy, hazy or oily’ and it will appear in certain diamonds with a fluorescence intensity in the ranges of Strong to Very Strong. Luckily, this very rarely occurs, and depending on taste certainly individuals have expressed a preference for a diamond with Medium to Strong fluorescence.

We hope that this information proves helpful in your diamond search. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to give us a call at 312-920-0075.

Holiday Raffle 2009 Winner

We would like to congratulate Oscar Hernandez on winning the Gale Diamonds Chicago holiday raffle. He will receive a $200 Morton’s The Steakhouse gift certificate.

We would like to thank everybody else that participated and we wish you luck for the future.

The raffle was only open to current and former customers, but based on its success, we may have more in the future and open them to all website visitors. Please come back so you can check out new specials, events, and contests.

Have a Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

Best Regards,
Mike Gale

Not all diamonds are treated equal – Clarity

Most people know about the 4 C’s if they are shopping for diamonds. If they don’t, any honest jeweler will teach them the basics. What many jewelers won’t tell you, is that there is more to the 4 C’s than you might think. What we are going to do, is let you know the real story on the 4 C’s, so that you can feel confident when diamond shopping. We will start this series with lesson on the lesser known aspects of Clarity

A popular clarity for someone looking to save some money is SI, which stands for Slightly Included. One can choose between SI1, and the slightly inferior SI2. However, a GIA certified SI2 stone and an EGL certified SI2 stone can vary. Each has its own slighly different methods of calculating clarity. At Gale Diamonds, we only carry GIA certified diamonds, because the EGL certification is often less strict, which can make its various grades less meaningful. A stone sent to both labs will often have higher grades from EGL, and for this reason we choose to trust GIA.

Another item to consider is how exactly the clarity grade is determined. To simplify, a grader looks at the size, amount, location, and type of inclusions. Since no two diamonds are the same, among SI2’s there will be a variation in how the diamond looks. Certain types of inclusions appear black, and are the least desirable. Others may appear cloudy or whitish, making them less noticeable due to the nature of the diamond.

As they saying does “Location, location, location…” When viewing diamonds make sure the table (or top flat face) of the diamond is relatively clean. This is the most visible and important part of the diamond, especially when set in a mounting, and a diamond with a clean table will always look more brilliant. You should also note that we have used SI2 in these example since these issues are the most prominent in this class of diamonds, but they can apply to nearly all clarity grades.

Armed with this information, you can make a better decision when shopping for diamonds. If you view SI2 stones, make sure they don’t have any obvious inclusions that will hamper the beauty of the diamond. At Gale Diamonds, we always hand pick stones for exceptional clarity. You can be assured that your diamond has been viewed through the loupe at 10x magnification to ensure that it doesn’t have large black inclusions or a dirty table. We will even teach you how to view the diamonds yourself and show you the inclusions and demonstrate that we have selected an exceptional representation of its clarity grade.

Since all diamonds are not treated equal, we highly encourage buyers to “meet” their diamond before buying. In the internet age this practice is losing out to convenience, but now that you know better we hope that you find a jeweler that can meets your needs. We have been in the business for 20 years, and we have the experience to make your diamond buying process fun and easy. Your education into the fine points of selecting a diamond will also help you appreciate your purchase and feel confident that you are getting your money’s worth. If you have any other questions, or if you would like to set up an appointment, call us at 312-920-0075. You can also send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you and hope you have found this information useful.

Happy Holidays

We would like to take this time to wish everybody a happy holidays. We hope you have a wonderful season, and we look forward to hearing from you.

We would also like to thank our customers we have served throughout the years, and those that have been gracious enough to refer their friends and family. We truly appreciate your patronage and hope to serve you in the future.

As the weather takes a turn for the cold, please stay warm and we hope the holiday cheer helps to that end. Give us a call for any holiday needs, whether its rings, earrings, or a necklace. We will accommodate your request and make sure to get you your jewelry in a timely manner. We have a selection of finished in house pieces, including a wide variety of earrings. They make a great gift, and they can be viewed on our earrings page.

If nothing on the site suites your tastes please call soon so we can custom make you a beautiful piece in time for the holidays.

Best Regards,
Mike Gale

Welcome to the Gale Diamonds Chicago Blog

We would like to welcome you to our online home. We are still working hard to make our new site as informative and comfortable as possible. Please bear with us during this transition period.

Before you leave don’t forget to…

• …check back periodically for new blog posts featuring diamond education, jewelry fashion trends, new engagement ring designs or specials deal, and other fun and interesting posts.
• …browse our selection of pictures of custom designs that have been created for our customers on our designs page. It is a great resource when you aren’t sure what you would like in a ring. We will periodically update the page with colored stone items, necklaces, new pieces, and other jewelry.
• …take a look at our loose diamond selection. If you do see anything interesting, give us a call, and you can arrange an appointment to see that diamond and others similar to it. We truly believe that you should see a diamond in person before buying, so we don’t recommend trying to pick a diamond blind from our website. Give us a call so we can help you out.
• …get an idea of earring price ranges for matched round and princess diamonds in different qualities. It will be designed to reflect the current prices one can expect to pay for a particular pair of stones. If your interested, we can cherry pick a beautiful matched pair for your specific request.
• …see the interesting items available for purchase on our specials page. Check back for unique items, great bargains, and special items for special occasions.

Thank you for visiting the site, and keep checking back as we are still in the process of improving the site for the best and most fulfilling user experience. We would also love to hear your feedback, click here to send us a quick email or call us at 312-920-0075.

Best Regards,
Mike Gale