The world has witnessed a great amelioration in every walk of life. On one front, people have become very much cautious about the quality of the product when they have to spend a grand on it and on the other hand, they need everything to be up to the mark, fulfilling all of their requirements, especially when it comes to wedding items. Every aspect of wedding has seen an alarming change with the advancement in the wedding decoration, cuisines served on the occasion, selection of the wedding dress and at a higher front, the ring designs. Nowadays, the design work has laid foundation of higher expectation of people in getting the best and out of box designs of their wedding ring. Either the bride and groom go with the latest fashion or they make their own design and get it done by some professional jewelry designer. Adding to this, there are number of ways to decide on the type of ring that you want for your wedding. The first and foremost thing is to choose the metal type – Gold, silver, platinum, as per your taste or as per the fashion being followed these days. The second thing that follows is to get the size of your ring checked so that you can make the best decision on the basic design of the ring – diameter, breadth etc. This will further help you in choosing right design elements like: stones, symbols, etc for you final wedding ring. Moreover, there are number of online stores, which offer a great variety in wedding rings / bands likeApples of Gold, where the biggest attractions are the silver wedding bands. Here, Plain Silver Bands, Gold & Silver Wedding Bands and Silver Engagement Rings are the most preferred categories of silver wedding bands where a person can get his or her personalized wedding ring incorporating elements like different organic leaf patterns, engraved Solomon song , cross symbol, antique style etc. Besides, some jewelry stores provide an option to put online orders where you can check the design as well as the price of the rings on the website and then you can make the best decision. ...read more

The world has witnessed a great amelioration in every walk of life. On one front, people have become very much cautious about the quality of the product when they have to spend a grand on it and on the other hand, they need everything to be up to the mark, fulfilling all of their requirements, especially when it comes to wedding items. Every aspect of wedding has seen an alarming change with the advancement in the wedding decoration, cuisines served on the occasion, selection of the wedding dress and at a higher front, the ring designs. Nowadays, the design work has laid foundation of higher expectation of people in getting the best and out of box designs of their wedding ring. Either the bride and groom go with the latest fashion or they make their own design and get it done by some professional jewelry designer. Adding to this, there are number of ways to decide on the type of ring that you want for your wedding. The first and foremost thing is to choose the metal type – Gold, silver, platinum, as per your taste or as per the fashion being followed these days. The second thing that follows is to get the size of your ring checked so that you can make the best decision on the basic design of the ring – diameter, breadth etc. This will further help you in choosing right design elements like: stones, symbols, etc for you final wedding ring. Moreover, there are number of online stores, which offer a great variety in wedding rings / bands likeApples of Gold, where the biggest attractions are the silver wedding bands. Here, Plain Silver Bands, Gold&Silver Wedding Bands and Silver Engagement Rings are the most preferred categories of silver wedding bands where a person can get his or her personalized wedding ring incorporating elements like different organic leaf patterns, engraved Solomon song , cross symbol, antique style etc. Besides, some jewelry stores provide an option to put online orders where you can check the design as well as the price of the rings on the website and then you can make the best decision.     ...read more

This month our Gem Star is the Opal, birthstone to all our October babies. The name "opal" originated from Sanskrit «upala» which means "jewel". There are two variety: precious opal, which shows flashes of color or iridescence, depending on the angle of viewing and light; then there is common opal whish is often opaque and displays no iridescence. The iridescence of precious opal is caused by the way the structure, or regular arrangement of tiny silica spheres, diffracts light.  Did you know?  Coober Pedy, a small town in northern South Australia with population of 3,500. Located in the Australian outback, Coober Pedy is hundreds of kilometres from the nearest settlement but the town is known as the opal capital of the world because the most precious opals are mined there. Read more about the four famous Opals by visiting our website at: http://www.jewelsquestcustomdesign.com/monthly-gemstar.html Opal has many healing properties, it reflect the mood of the wearer but also encourages independence resulting in higher confidence in one self. It is known to treat fevers and infection and purify the blood and kidneys. ...read more

Diamonds were first discovered in India thousands of years ago, and since have been one of the world's most coveted gem in history. For a long time diamonds were only known to kings, today they remain still a substance that has great value and desired by many. The word diamond comes from the Greek adamas, in Roman it was called diamas meaning "the unconquerable". How strange then to see diamonds to be the ultimate gift a woman is given by the lover who wishes to conquer her heart. Diamonds are indeed magical.... read more  ...read more

Jewels Quest Receives 2009 Best of Thousand Oaks Award U.S. Commerce Association's Award Plaque Honors the Achievement WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Jewels Quest has been selected for the 2009 Best of Thousand Oaks Award in the Jewelry Stores category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA). The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties. About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising. The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America. SOURCE: U.S. Commerce AssociationCONTACT:U.S. Commerce AssociationEmail: PublicRelations@us-ca.orgURL: http://www.us-ca.org ...read more

If you were born in August you're in luck as it is assumed that the semi-precious gemstone Peridot brings good luck to the wearer. If you're going through hard times, either on personal matters or financial ones, wealth and prosperity is also attached to this gemstone's powers. So if you're feeling blue, reach for the green. The bright lime green gemstone set on a ring, earrings or necklace will surely encourage you to wear outfits that will compliment the stone and liven up your spirit consequently. The Peridot color is fresh and very appropriate to celebrate a fun and light Summer season. One of the few gemstones to occur in one color though you will see many tints, from yellow green to the most valuable dark olive green. Peridot is a relatively soft gemstone with a hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and therefore a better choice for pendants and earrings rather than bracelets and rings that get more easily scratched up during normal wear. Ancient Hawaiians believed Peridot to be the tears of the Goddess Pele. In ancient Rome, Peridot was called the "evening emerald". In medieval times, Peridot was used to decorate churches, at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, you will find over two hundred carat size stones in the Shrine of the three magi. When I think of Peridot, I think of Egypt where it was mined. Today Peridot is mostly found in China and Sri Lanka, as well as Burma and Arizona. So if you are an August child you should consider this often overlooked gemstone. If your searching for a Thousand Oaks Jewelers, we're here to help you find that special peridot piece, or maybe you have the stone already, we can create a unique setting for it. ...read more

Getting ready to shop for that diamond ring? It is important to do your homework before purchasing a diamond, Knowing the four C's of Diamond is a good start... so what are the 4 C's? Diamonds are graded in four properties which will determine its cost and value. And these four C's are: Cut, clarity, color and last but not least carat (which is the weight). 1) Cut: Cut is referred to two aspects of the diamond, its shape ( round, oval, square, pear etc ) and also its facets ( round diamonds, for example, are usually cut with 58 facets.) The number of facets and quality of the cut is what makes light reflect back to the eye of the viewer. The more facets on a diamond, the more light is reflected. When cut properly, the diamond will sparkle more. Also you should know that diamond cuts are measured by the table percentage. A good table percentage is between 55-60%. Studies have shown that table size, crown angle, and pavilion depth have a dramatic effect on a diamond’s appearance. 2) Clarity: Clarity ranges from flawless (perfect) to I (included). The clarity will play a big part in the cost of your stone. Flawless: perfect inside and out Internally Flawless: may have minor blemishes on the outside V VS1, V VS2: have very very small inclusions. V VS1 inclusions can only be seen through the pavilion. V VS2 inclusions are more visible. VS1, VS2: have very small inclusions. VS1 inclusions are harder to see than VS2. (most commonly purchased) SI1, SI2, SI3: have small inclusions (most commonly purchased) I1, I2, I3: have inclusions visible to the naked eye 3) Color: Colorless or near-colorless diamonds are the most precious. The majority of diamonds contain slight traces of yellow or light brown when viewed under a jeweler’s loupe, but to the naked eye may appear colorless. The value of a diamond can boost by a single increase in color grade. "Colorless" or "rare white" diamonds are of color grades D, E and F. Diamonds of color grade D are very rare, and extremely valuable. In nature, diamonds can also occur in shades of red, pink, blue, green and deep yellow - These are called "Fancy diamonds". 4) Carat: Here you will learn the size and weight of your stone. Let's go over the point to carat. 100 points = 1 carat (1ct). 50 points is therefore = 1/2 a carat (1.5ct). The larger the carat the more expensive the stone. Keep in mind, however, that a diamond which is 1.90ct can be far less expensive than a 2ct diamond yet the size visually can be nearly unnoticeable. Larger diamonds are both rarer and more desirable and therefore the value will increase in sharp jumps, combined with the color (how white is the diamond?) The clarity (how visible are the inclusions?) and the cut (shape and facets of diamond that determine the reflection) will all bring a certain value to the stone, each property is important, some will choose a larger stone of 1ct and sacrifice on the clarity, others will prefer a near flawless but smaller stone, how you choose your stone will determine its value and final price. ...read more

Our first blog entry on Merchant Circle. It's Good Friday and things are a bit slow but we have several appointments today.   We need to gather all new merchandise for inventory. Beautiful new diamond jewelry pieces in two tone golds and intricate designs of which photos must be taken, and each photo then must be close cut in photoshop to eliminate any unwanted background, it's a lot of work. They must be ready for display on our website by next week. Other than a number of jewelry repairs, we're working on three custom pieces which are in progress. The 3D file for one custom pendant has been sent to the milling machine early this morning. The milling machine creates a wax model that will then be cast in gold. The men's ring is cast and is waiting for the setter to set the stone, he hasn't arrived yet. There is also a diamond pendant that's almost complete, he needs to work on. Our watch repairs are on time :)The coffee is brewing, the store is swept clean, the showcases are set, our store cat has sat down at his usual spot and the open sign is placed.We're set for the day. Welcome to another day at Jewels Quest.  ...read more

Classophilia  reduced all prices on these authentic Venetian, handmade art pieces. The Maestro's of Murano, Venice, Italy create high quality glass art for the consumer who enjoys something a little different and most certainly unique. These affordable glass art pieces have amazing color variations through the glass and really come to life under restaurant lighting in the evenings and of course in the sunlight they dazzle. You are invited to view the beautiful pieces 24 hours a day atClassophilia Take note that imitations abound and be wary of "Murano Style" jewelery which are made in Peru or China and just can't compare to the Veneitan mastery. Your feedback is encouraged and welcome. ...read more