06-30-2011
At BOMI, we always strive to stay on the cutting edge of fashion trends. We uncover these trends by keeping current with industry media releases, fashion periodicals and trade show offerings.
One of the hottest trends in the past year has been focused on high end sterling silver jewelry. Silver prices have increased ten-fold in recent years, but sterling silver pieces continue to be an affordable alternative to karat gold jewelry.
Bomi is now showing an exquisite collection of high fashion silver with beautiful enameled finishes. Once only available in high end jewelry, enameling involves the fusion of a special powdered glass to metal surfaces. The glass can be applied using several different techniques, but all methods require high temperature application in order to liquify the glass.
The artisan creates the many varied colors and levels of transparency by the addition of metal oxides. He must pay close attention to the temperatures to obtain the desired look to the glass.
06-27-2011
Pearl is the birthstone for June and one of my personal favorites. A pearl is considered to be an organic gem, a gem from the sea. It is one of the gems that is barely manipulated by man, as it is customarily only drilled.
Natural pearls are created when a foreign body, such as sand or a parasite enters the pearl oyster. The oyster reacts by coating the irritant with layers and layers of nacre, giving the pearl it's beautiful luster.
Over 95% of pearls sold on the market today are cultured. Cultured pearls form in warm, shallow waters when a small pearl or shell is surgically inserted in the oyster shell. Cultured pearls that are formed in seawater are referred to as "Akoya" and command a higher asking price than cultured freshwater pearls. South Sea pearls and Tahitian pearls are the most rare and valuable of the pearl varieties.
BOMI has two cases full of beautiful, timeless pearl jewelry that never goes out of style!
05-31-2011
Well it's time again for one of the biggest events in the jewelry industry the JCK show in Las Vegas
BOMI's acquisition team will be beating the bushes for wonderful things. People from all over the globe convene for this event...if it's not here, it isn't anywhere!
Michael Killian and Susannah Florencio will be representing BOMI at the exposition. The high security event brings current trends to life, introduces new products and establishes a watermark for current gem prices. We are pumped, and we can't wait to show you what we find!
05-28-2011
Rhodium Plating & White Gold
If you are the owner of a piece of white gold jewelry, specifically a white gold, diamond engagement ring, I am sure you have been informed that your ring will need to be rhodium plated at some point in the future. Well, what exactly is rhodium plating and why does one have to do this to their jewelry? I'll tell you!
Gold is an element, a precious metal, and it is always yellow. There is no natural, unaltered form of gold that is inherently white. As a result, a natural white alloy, most commonly nickel, is added to alter the color and give you white gold. With time, the natural yellow color of gold will wear through and give your piece a dull, yellowish look. However, that is not the entire reason for rhodium plating your jewelry.
Rhodium, like gold, is also a precious metal that is naturally white in color but when stressed it can become brittle therefore it is not used to make rings. However, rhodium is stunningly shiny, almost a mirror-like white, which makes it perfect for plating white gold. Its brightness greatly enhances the look of any white gold piece of jewelry and makes any diamond look bigger and brighter. Unfortunately, rhodium can only be plated on and therefore it will inevitably wear off and require replating.
I feel it is safe to say that on average one will need to rhodium plate their jewelry every 1-2 years. However, there are several factors that can significantly alter the life of rhodium plating. The two primary factors are: if the piece is worn on a daily basis and/or if it is worn with another piece of jewelry causing extra friction. Rings tend to suffer the largest amount of wear and receive a lot of contact, especially a women’s wedding set, ultimately making them the most common pieces of jewelry to be rhodium plated. Some other factors to keep in mind are the color of the underlying gold, the quality and thickness of the plating (a good jeweler will know how to apply high quality plating) and, to some extent, a person's body chemistry.
Years ago, white gold was not rhodium plated but today most is. No, your jewelry does not have to be rhodium plated but it is hard to resist that beautiful glow and sparkle rhodium emits. So the next time you look at your engagement ring and notice a yellowish tint, you will understand what is occurring and know exactly what to do.
05-25-2011
New Web Site
Well, after a few false starts, BOMI is just about ready to launch it's new web site!
We tried a couple of approaches the past few years that featured black backgrounds and themes. Although the site was very attractive, the feedback we were getting was that it was too dark for such a happy subject matter.
The new site features new products and even staff profiles. We also have enabled a secure system of e-commerce, that will enable customers to purchase on-line items with just a few mouse clicks. Those of you who know web site also know that they are a constant work in progress and, certainly, we will be no exception. You can expect to see more item added daily after the initial launch.
You can reach it at bomigems.com , bomigrelick.com or bomijewelers.com (plus a few others!) Please check it out next week!
05-18-2011
Tourmaline
Emerald is the birthstone for May and has quite a bit of customer awareness. I would like to take a minute and write about a lesser known green gemstone called Tourmaline.
Tourmaline crystals are grown in a variety of colors, but green is regarded as the classic tourmaline color. Even among the green tourmalines there is a broad spectrum, ranging from yellowish green, olive green and brownish green. The most rare and sought after tourmalines are blue-green. A distinctly blue-green variety of tourmaline with extraordinary vividness is called Paraiba.
Paraiba tourmalines are exclusive to a single mine in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. The discovery of this precious deposit was as recent as 1989 by a man named Heitor Dimas Barbosa. He and his assistants worked tirelessly through the 80s digging in the hills looking for something completely different. When they finally brought a handful of these crystals up into the daylight, they were a radiant turquoise color that so far people had only dreamed of.
The elements usually responsible for the beautiful coloring in tourmalines are iron, manganese, chrome and vanadium. Paraibas are completely different, owing their splendid color to copper and manganese. When Paraibas are cut and faceted they scintillate a "fire" and appear to glow intensely from within, even when there is very little light. This is why their color is sometimes referred to as electric or neon.
05-11-2011
Jewelry Commodity Prices
| It’s certainly been an interesting time to be in the jewelry industry! Precious metal prices have changed the face of the industry as well as the inventory mix in stores. While gold prices hovered at $450/ ounce for years, prices are now at historic highs of $1500+/ounce. To the consumer, it means that what was a $250 wedding band is now closer to $800. Talk about sticker shock! The run-up might not be over. In 1980, gold prices shot up to $900+. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $2000 in 2011 dollars. Platinum prices have also quadrupled in the past 10 years. |
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Very recently, industry wide, the prices of diamond melee have increased by nearly 30%.The term “melee” is an industry term that refers primarily to diamond parcels in which each stone weighs .25 ct. or less. This increase was precipitated by drastic rise in rough diamond prices.
2011 has also seen quite dramatic price increases in certified diamond goods. This is seen as a “catch up” for increases that were held off during the recent recession.
So…there you have it!
No one in the industry is immune to these increases, but at Bomi we have a big advantage….our buying team.
Principle buyers, Gary Grelick, Mike Killian and Susannah Florencio are recognized industry professionals with 80 years plus of combined buying experience. We are to the jewelry business what “American Pickers” is to the history channel!
We can spot value from a mile away!
You can count on us to continue to bring you the best values the market has to offer.
05-04-2011
Multi-colored sapphires
When you think of sapphires, if you’re like most people , you are thinking “blue”. But did you know that sapphires come in virtually every color? All the stones pictured , green, white, black, blue, orange, yellow are all sapphires.
Sapphires occur in nature in multiple colors, but these colors can be altered or intensified by various treatments. These include heat and diffusion treatments. Some sapphires are so beautiful in their natural form, that they don’t require any treatment. These untreated stones are highly prized and can be very pricey.
All sapphires are members of the corundum family. Red varieties of corundum’s are called rubies. This special form of “sapphire” will come at a higher cost.
Susannah Florencio and Mike Killian, the main stone buyers at Bomi, employ their expertise to hand select each sapphire in our huge inventory.
Stop by soon to take a peek at beautiful selection of fancy sapphire jewelry in gold as well as sterling silver.
