Blog Wexford Jewelers

Custom Challenge XVII

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:28:00 -0700

“Just make me something pretty.”

The elderly lady was one of my spunkiest customers to date. Her eyes sparkled with dry wit, and her touch on my hand was kindly.

“What kind of pretty?” I asked, laughing, “Swirly pretty? Floral pretty?”

She shrugged and grinned at me,

“You’ll do fine. I know I’ll love it.”

Rarely do clients put their complete faith in my design capability. Most people have an idea, a thought or a stone for a basis, or at least a size reference. I appreciated her confidence in me, but felt completely at sea at to where to start.

A few days later she stopped in and dropped off four earrings. Four lost mate earrings- three diamonds of varying size and one dark sapphire.

“Can you use these in it?” She asked, “And use the same stone as you did in that ring you made me.”

Now I had something to go on! We had completed a swirly aquamarine ring for her late last fall, and I could now make a matching pendant. We soaked the ear posts overnight in the ultrasonic cleaner, melted the tiny amount of gold down, and measured the stones for setting size. Toni found a pear shaped aquamarine that would match the previous stone, and I fished some round wax rod out of my extruded stock: 14, 16 and 18 gauge.

A few hours later, some twisting, rolling, and bending later, and we had a wax ready to cast. Within a week, the metal was poured, the pendant (along with a dozen other custom pieces) was filed and polished and ground down and ready to set. Emily laid out the stones in front of her, selected the proper cutting burs, and worked her magic.

It did turn our pretty, and it matched the ring very well. Our customer loved it, and was happy to make use of some mismatched earrings that had lain in the jewelry box for years.

What kinds of things do you have sitting around at home that you’d like to use? A lost diamond earring that would make the perfect pendant? A broken gold chain that has enough metal for a thumb ring? Your grandfather’s garnet cufflinks that just might be the perfect earrings?

Send us photos of your stuff and your ideas, and see what we can make a reality! If you happen to be in the Northern Michigan area someday, stop by the store and have a chat, look around… get inspired!

Custom Challenge VIII

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:15:00 -0700

It was winter and the snow fell thick and silent around the store. We were up to our ears in custom work, but never too busy to turn away one more.

A woman came to us with a pile of scrap gold and a sapphire. She wanted a ring made for her daughter, a nurse here in Cadillac. Because of the physical demands of nursing, a high setting or multiple prongs can be very obstructive and even dangerous to patients. Our challenge was to build it securely, while making sure that there was nothing to catch, snag, scratch, or tear. The ring also had to be built heavy to withstand daily wear and tear.

We melted down her gold, added fresh, and set the stone low into a heavy bezel:

The diamonds were set deep into the band on the side, protecting them from future wear and tear. European corners added weight, stability, and style to the band:

The ring finished out beautifully, and there’s another generation or two of wear left in that setting!

Have a favorite stone ring that needs new life? Want to see your old yellow gold wedding set converted to white gold? Email us!

Custom Challenge XV

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:28:00 -0700

What does one do, exactly, when one has multiple stones to put into a design? When you have sapphires, diamonds, and an errant garnet? What about when you have several stones larger than the rest?

Well, if you’re obsessive compulsive about math, your brain sorts the stones out into a pattern. If the number of stones happens to be easily divisible by four, you have a square just begging to be carved!

The garnet that belonged to the customer wound up being too abraded to use, so we found a lovely cropped-corner square to fit in the center, and this entire necklace just came together with ease and grace.

Pardon us if we’re just a tad proud of it…

This pendant was cast in 10k white gold and strung on a lovely squared anchor link chain. The customer loves it.

Have a pile of oddball rings that need some creativity applied to them? Email me!

Hands and Knees and Tiny Spiders

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:13:00 -0700

It’s different from down here. Customers’ voices travel oddly across the room, trickling down to where I kneel on the pale green carpet. I hear a woman laugh and tease her husband that she’ll take ‘one of each, please!’

I smile and continue to crawl slowly in a circle, searching. Another voice comes oddly to my ears, a man asking about our ring sizing practices. Kathryn’s calm voice answers softly, inaudible to me from my post below my desk.

I poke at the molding with tweezers, then gently brush my hand over the surface of the carpet, tricks that I learned many years ago. The molding will occasionally burp forth a lost stone, while the hand brushing routine can often make a stone jump up in the air. You must have quick eyes to catch the sparkle, then follow it down to its new resting place.

It’s just one little diamond, barely worth my time here on the floor. But its almost peaceful here, quieter than four feet up, less distracting than my vantage point from the chair. I bend my head further down and peer into the shadows, flicking a flashlight over the tufts of carpet.

A tiny spider, no bigger than a grain of rice, is crawling complacently along the bottom edge of the wooden desk trim. I ask him if he’s seen a 2 millimeter princess cut diamond, but he isn’t interested in material things.

A sapphire, small, dark and navy blue, twinkles up at me from a crevice in the desk. I dig it out and put it where it belongs, alongside many other similar stones. We try to design our workspaces without crevices or nooks, but they manage to turn up anyhow, and they often swallow up tiny important bits of work! This missing diamond is not worth more than about $20, but it is one of a matched set, so replacing it becomes more than money.

The diamond should sparkle white against the carpet- we picked this color specifically to contrast with nearly anything we could drop on it! You see, jewelry making is not always a glamorous and fun job- sometimes we have to spend a bit of time in humility, on our hands and knees, searching intently for an object smaller than a fingernail clipping.

It’ll turn up, eventually. I found another stone to fit the spot for now, and the next time I drop one, my ear will follow the tiny ‘tick-tick-plip’ of the stone hitting the plastic chair mat and bouncing. Maybe I’ll find it, maybe I won’t. Maybe the diamond from today will be found, and the ruby from tomorrow will lie buried in the carpet or under the air compressor, resting until the next time…

And maybe next time I’m down there, on my hands and knees, I’ll find my spider friend again and we’ll sit and listen to the customers talking and the traffic driving past on Mitchell Street.

Its always worth it

jason@wexfordjewelers.com (Jason Nichols) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:37:00 -0700

For the past 13 years we have been using a track light system for illuminating our jewelry, and this track system consists of roughly (thirty) 75-watt flood lights. Being in an age where energy costs are up, and spending almost $4,000 a year on just the cost of running the track lights, (not to mention running the air conditioning to cool the building down due to the heat of the lights) we had to make a change.

After researching all of our options, we decided to replace the lights we are currently using with LED lights. I was skeptical at first, seeing that these LED lights only had an output of 300 lumens per light, as opposed to the 750 lumens per bulb we were used to, so I ordered only 2 lights. Plus they were $56.00 each, which seemed quite expensive for a light bulb. But let me tell you, it was the best $56 I could have spent. The light output is amazing, the color is beautiful, there is absolutely no heat radiating from the lights, and best of all, each light only uses 7 watts and outputs no heat!

Yes, that’s right, 7 watts - no heat. So overall we will be saving roughly $3,600 a year, ($300/month) on just lighting alone! Not to mention decreasing our carbon footprint on this earth.

Now being a parent of 3, (soon to be 4!) I have adapted my thinking into trying to make every situation an object lesson. So to me, the object lesson is this. Most of the time, if something costs a lot, chances are it is a quality product and will last a long time. I would like to compare that with our jewelry. I know we don’t have the cheapest jewelry on the internet, but I will guarantee that our product is a quality product, and you as the customer will walk away not feeling ripped off, but with the feeling that you have made a good decision. You have gone the extra mile, you have spent the extra dollar, and you have gotten a superior piece of wearable art.

The Times, They Are A Changing

michael@wexfordjewelers.com (Michael Christenson II) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:33:00 -0700

Like the Bob Dylan song, titled a little like this post, times are changing; not only in life and on the streets, but also on the internet. No longer can you have just a web page with a generic shopping cart, throw a bunch of money at some ad campaign, and expect to be an instant hit.

And it isn’t all about the money any more either. People actually want to interact. They want to befriend, become knowledgeable of, and feel a part of the sites they are interested in. Ultimately this does run over in to e-commerce. But I would hope that businesses would realize by now that they need these relationships as much as the people want them.

It is with that in mind that I have been developing sites for big names for the last few years. I am devoted to helping web visitors build friendships, relationships, networks, and knowledge bases wherever they can. As soon as possible.

One of my main goals with Wexford Jewelers is to help build a community around jewelry, for and by those who are interested in jewelry. I feel the weight of this task daily. I have to constantly balance store software needs and user needs.

Well there is one need that has tipped that balance towards the users; our navigation. Even though our site is very new we feel like we haven’t got the navigation down right yet. It’s extremely hard to keep a clean look and have a lot of functionality at the same time. The struggle is to keep the site as uncluttered as possible, so that the jewelry will stand out and be the main attraction.

Here are four things that we are doing immediately.

We are moving the wishlist; I’m not sure where yet but that room needs to be usable
We are adding a collection browser in the wishlist’s place
We are subcategorizing all of our main categories
We are adding filters such as a color bar to select items by their color or ranges of colors

We feel that that will greatly improve our navigation. Then I can go on to funner things. For instance moving this blog on to the main site, adding user profiles, comments, ratings, item galleries, friends list, and full real wishlists (multiples). I have a ton of things that I want to include on the site. For a three person dev team this all takes time. We will get there, eventually.

Until then thanks for hanging in there.

A Good Discipline

michael@wexfordjewelers.com (Michael Christenson II) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:20:00 -0700

For weeks one could see me storming about my family stating “write a blog post!”, “We need more blog post.”, “people have read everything and want more. write a blog post” etc.

I need only to open my mouth to hear “I know, I know …” or “I’ve really been meaning to”. I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing my voice by now. But what have I written lately?

My excuse was I’ve been writing the code, designing, etc. I guess we all have our reasons. So it’s time for me to shut up and follow my own advice.

So here’s my new discipline. One blog post a day will be written to our blog minimum; seven days a week. If there is none by others near the end of the day, then I will definitely be writing one. I’ll warn you in advance, they may not be the best. They most certainly won’t be as good as Peanut, pffttt-fwap, or even The do’s and don’ts of jewelry. But I will write them anyways. Unfortunately I don’t have the story skills of Sarah, Jason, or Emily. But I will do my best.

Meanwhile, I think of my code as a type of story best expressed in the final product, a website or an application; just as our designers and jewelers express their story in various gems and noble metals.

So please watch our story unfold over at the Wexford Jewelers. You can experience it best by registering as I am getting ready to introduce more user features in the next few weeks.

New Designs for Wexford

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:50:00 -0700

2007-2008 has been a time of change for Wexford Jewelers. Not only have we completely revamped our landscaping, we just painted our building! We’ve stared at mottled orange & brown brick for so long, the soft gray structure sitting at the corner of Mitchell & River Streets is almost unrecognizable!

Add to that new paint inside, new concrete sidewalks (at least on two sides of the building), a new design studio inside, a new and huge repair/finishing shop, this new and awesome website, and this place seems suddenly like a lovely chrysalis, a shining butterfly emerging from a dusty cocoon.

I will post photos later of the new paint job/garden/sidewalk. The painters are not quite done as of this morning, so I want to put pics up when its at its best!

Meanwhile, here are some of our latest designs for you to peruse:

What you see above is the result of over-caffeinated inspiration. I almost pity my sister Emily, who had to set all those tiny lil stones once I cut the pilot holes. But she had a big grin on her face while she applied that texture, so I know it wasn’t all painful!

Here we have a knuckleduster in spectralite. Spectralite is the unsung hero version of labradorite, a lovely shimmery gemstone with the rainbow inside of it. This stone had mysterious shades of orange inside the blue, so we set orange and blue sapphires beside it as accents. Although the internet pictures can never give it full credit, this stone has incredible chatoyancy, flashing different colors as you roll it. I don’t know why people bother to make fake stones when there are so many gorgeous real ones…

Citrine in yellow gold is always nice, add a vivid red-orange sapphire for accent color, and you have warmth and excitement. This ring has that all going for it, as well as a treasure box diamond tucked away in the side for good luck.

Our men’s collection is growing, and we promise we will build a category just for these rings on the website very soon! Meanwhile, be inspired by this glossy, gorgeous ring with a bold diamond accent. I know most of you guys are more or less allergic to diamonds in your rings, but we figured that if we put them in sideways and subtle, maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much!

Last but not least, welcome our first Fairy to a soon-to-be-growing Mythology collection. While this one is cast in sterling silver with diamond accents and mirror finish, this Fairy is available in different metals, with or without stones, and with an antiqued, satin, or sandblasted finish to show of the undulating curves.

We love jewelry. We obsess about it, dream about it, talk about it when we should be enjoying other aspects of life. But it takes an obsession to make it worthwhile, and we think that shows in every tiny detail that we put into our jewelry.

Your jewelry.

Feedback welcomed…

Do's And Don'ts of Jewelry Maintainence

emily@wexfordjewelers.com (Emily Nichols) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:56:00 -0700

Over the years, I have repaired every kind of jewelry there is. And it was brought to me in every possible condition. In doing so, it has taught me a lot about how to properly maintain my precious, not so easy to replace, baubles. I am now passing on a practical list of do’s and don’ts for you read, and implement. If properly maintained and checked, your jewelery will last for generations to come.

DO’S:

Do get your jewelry regularly checked by a jeweler. Every 6 months to a year.

Do take off your rings every month and clean them, if not by a jeweler, then yourself. A solution of hot water, Windex, and a couple drops of dish soap, works wonders. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes, ( no longer ) then brush with an old soft toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly in warm water, and dry with a soft cloth.

Do a self check on your jewelry pieces often. Look at the prongs holding the stones in your rings. Check for any that have worn off, bent or or broken off. Look at the bottom of your rings. Check to make sure they are not thin or bent. Look at the clasps and rings holding your chains, bracelets, and anklets together. Check to see that they are thick and sturdy, and in good working condition. Look at your earring backs. Check to make sure they are straight and not thinned out. Make sure the bails and rings holding your charms and pendants are thick enough to keep wearing on your chain.

Do store your jewelry properly when you are not wearing it. Hang chains and bracelets, so they do not become kinked or tangled. Seperate rings and other pieces so they do not scratch each other.

DON’TS:

Do not use tooth paste to clean your jewelry, no matter who told you. The floride in it will wear down and scratch the metal.

Do not wear your rings to garden in. The dirt will wear down and scratch the metal.

Do not wear rings while housecleaning. If you must, make sure you protect them by wearing gloves that cover them. Many cleaning agents have harsh chemicals that can break down the structure of precious metals which can lead to breakage, and or leave a dark tarnish on them. Chlorine is especially harmful to gold and silver, so try to take off your jewelry before entering swimming pools or jacuzzi’s. Perfumes, lotions, hair products ect… also have chemicals that can leave a dark tarnish on precious metals.

Do not lick your rings to get them off of your fingers. Besides being completely disgusting, it is a health hazard. Just like the underside of you fingernails, rings can trap harmful bacteria that should not be ingested.

The Words, They Run Out...

sarah@wexfordjewelers.com (Sarah Christenson) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:10:00 -0700

Its Friday night. I’m sitting at home after a hastily-prepared but tasty meal. My children are clambering over my legs and putting questionable things into my hair. My feet ache- not from standing in one place all day but from walking back and forth throughout the store, balancing on one foot while a customer regales me with stories, and constantly getting up and down to answer the ding of the door.

Its been a busy week, as usual. I’ve changed your watch batteries, sized your watch bands. I’ve drawn sketches for you- sketches of rings and pendants made from your mother’s diamonds and your old high school class ring. I’ve listened to you tell me about how your hands swell in the morning, how your chain snags your hair in back, and how your watch gives you a callous right there. I’ve replaced necklace clasps with magnetic clasps for your arthritic hands. I’ve shut my office door, listened to short story podcasts, and created magical things that will show up in the cases within the next few weeks.

I’ve flipped through catalogs of parts, listing elaborate numbers for tiny and simple items like jump rings and birthstones. I’ve signed for the boxes, bantering with the shipping carriers. I’ve talked to the newspaper ad guys, the billboard ad lady, the radio ad lady. I’ve turned most of them down, because our budget is just stretched right now. But I’ve done it, hopefully, kindly enough that they don’t lose heart at their job.

I’ve smiled. I’ve laughed at your jokes, made commiserating noises at your misfortunes. I’ve negotiated. I’ve called potential employees on the phone while reading resumés.

But mostly, I’ve talked. And talked. And talked some more. I’m sick of the sound of my own voice. I’ve talked about chain link styles and management practices and the color of crystal opal vs boulder opal. I’ve talked about job requirements and my kids and your kids and those tiny little diamonds in your wedding ring and why they will cost more to set than they are worth in dollar value. I’ve explained rhodium plating and silver alloy and gold tarnish (it can happen!) and the rising price of gold and why platinum makes a bad wedding band and how could we possibly charge more now for a watch battery than we did five years ago.

And now I sit and stare at a blank blog page on my computer screen. I have no words left. They are all gone, and so is my brain at this point in time. I read a children’s book to my three year old just now and I didn’t even catch onto the plot until the last page. Thankfully, she had it figured out.

The words that were allotted to me for the week have gone home in the ears of my dear and lovely customers. Some customers are maybe not so dear, but most I adore. And now those customers will have reassurance about their particular piece of jewelry, their place in life. I hope that I have touched lives in a positive way, because that is why we choose retail when we choose it for a career.

All of my words are gone. I’m sorry that I don’t have much to write about tonight. This being retail, I will get up tomorrow and go back into the store, hopefully with a new stash of friendly and helpful and maybe even wise words. I’ll keep some strong words in reserve in case anyone gets cheeky or pushy. And since its a shorter day, I’ll have more words leftover for my children and my wonderful husband when I come home in the afternoon. And we’ll sit on the beach with a popsicle and I’ll think about my second fledgling novel or my daughter’s looming haircut and I’ll restore my word reserve.

Monday will come around, and there will be more watch batteries and ring sizings and broken necklaces and possible engagements. I’ll smile and nod and listen and laugh. And again, I’ll talk.

And maybe when I’m done with it all, I’ll have a few words left over for you guys, for this blog page.

Until then, thank you for reading. And thank you for understanding. I have exactly four words left now: Good night. God bless.