Value in a Nutshell
The real factors of value are: 1) the amount you spend; 2) the fulfillment of a want or need; and, most importantly, 3) the degree of personal fulfillment over time.

We can use these factors for determining the value of just about anything. Is a $0.75 cookie a better value than a $1 apple? Well, it’s certainly cheaper. Over time, however, the nutritional properties of the apple and how it benefits your whole body likely make it the better value.

The Value of Jewelry
Jewelry is a unique commodity in that it has an inherent global monetary value. Society values precious metals like gold and platinum, as well as gems like diamonds and sapphires. These factors build in a lasting sense of monetary worth over time. That a ring lasts longer than, say, a sandwich, also brings a sustained value to jewelry.

Perhaps, the one factor that increases the value of jewelry more than any other, however, is the sentimental attachments we bring to it. Do you have your grandmother’s antique wedding ring? Would you ever sell it? Do you have your daughter’s baptism or christening pendant? Would you sell that? Of course not. We don’t sell these things because the value they have has nothing to do with their price. And that’s why using cheap as a synonym for value is more of an advertising trick than an actual representation of value.

True Story
I have a seven-year-old daughter who just loves kitty cats. When she was just five, I brought home this diamond cat pendant for her. She loves it. She takes very good care of it, keeping it in a safe place so that it won’t get lost or damaged. She doesn’t wear it every day, only for special occasions like family gatherings or school pictures – you know, the times when little girls want to look and feel special.

We sell that pendant for just $99 at SuperJeweler. We think that’s a pretty affordable price for this particular pendant. What I had not taken into consideration at the time, however, was just how attached my daughter would become to this pendant. To see such a young girl show such responsibility and affection for it is something that also brings me happiness. And you can’t put a price on that.

This is the Way We Give Jewelry
Jewelry is not like chocolate or a sweater where the price can often be the first factor. After all, you wouldn’t give her a piece of jewelry she didn’t like even if it was free, would you? Instead, the first thing we consider is what she likes. When we find the styles we are looking for, we then try to find those styles within our budget. The ultimate goal when giving jewelry is to wow her as soon as she opens the box, then have her be wowed again, over time, whenever she wears it. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a piece that she wears only on special occasions or a piece, like an engagement ring, that reminds her every minute of every day how much she is loved. The right piece of jewelry truly is priceless.

SuperJeweler: Value Jewelry
At SuperJeweler, we take all of these factors into consideration and work hard to offer you a wide array of choices so that you can find the perfect piece. We also offer jewelry at a wide range of prices because, while price might not be your primary consideration, it will still always be a consideration.

Valentine’s Day is approaching quickly. We know it’s a very popular jewelry day. So whether you are shopping for engagement rings, diamond heart pendants, or any other piece of jewelry for Valentine’s Day, SuperJeweler has the jewelry you are looking for … at a real value.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you: The Best Christmas Jewelry Commercial Ever.

SuperJeweler is an American company that is so proud to have an American workforce, but also to offer the best deals we can to the American public and beyond. We also recognize and honor the sacfrices that have been made by American veterans. Theirs is a sacrifice that can never be repaid, but it can be recognized.

In honor of Veterans Day, on Wednesday, November 11, 2009, we will be offering a very special deal in our Deal of the Day section: Our Purple Heart Pendant for just $49.

If you are on the SuperJeweler email list, you also know that we sent out a special email sale in honor of Military Family Appreciation Week. The sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform are just one type of sacrifice. Families of the enlisted also make a sacrifice. And while we are so proud those who serve, the families who support them also deserve recognition for the sacrifices they make, too.

One of the ways we honor those currently enlisted and their families is by offering free shipping to APO mailboxes. We figure that you come to SuperJeweler.com because we have fair prices; we wouldn’t want you to have to spend the difference on shipping your purchase halfway around the world. So we do it for you.

With the holidays afoot, and so many loved ones far from home, we just want you to know that you can buy men’s diamond rings, engagement rings, diamond earrings, or whatever from SuperJeweler, and we’ll cover the shipping costs for you.

Here’s the skinny:

Enter SuperJeweler’s Big Twitter Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win 1ct Diamond Hoop Earrings valued at $749!
Enter SuperJeweler’s Big MySpace Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win a 3/4ct Diamond Butterfly Ring in Two Tone 14k Gold valued at $899!
Enter SuperJeweler’s Big Facebook Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win the item of your choice from SuperJeweler.com!
Enter SuperJeweler’s Big Bloggers Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win 1/2ct Diamond Stud Earrings valued at $295!

With four new ways to win from SuperJeweler, this is going to be a November to remember. Keep in mind, however, that all of these contests end on Wednesday, November 25, 2009. So don’t wait to enter. Just follow the links above and you are on your way.

Is November great, or what?

The way it works is simple.

You can choose from eight (yes, EIGHT) different styles of matching wedding bands. Then you can select the type of metal you want, such as white gold or yellow gold in different karat options. You can select the widths for each ring, starting at 2mm. And you can choose the ring sizes. You can even set different values for the mens wedding band and the womens wedding band.

The best part of the new SuperJeweler Matching Wedding Bands creator is that, when you have picked the wedding bands you want, you get a 5% discount for purchasing a matching set!

That’s right. You get to create your own matching wedding bands and get a discount for doing it.

If you or someone you know is in the market for wedding bands, the timing could not be better. Check out our matching wedding bands now and start saving today!

Here are just a few of the most common questions (and answers) when it comes to buying the perfect piece of jewelry.

Q: If you have larger features, should you wear smaller pieces of jewelry to create an illusion of smallness?
A. No. Wear jewelry that is scaled to your size. Wearing pieces of jewelry that are too small or too large create a comparison effect, not a complementary effect. You want your jewelry to look like a natural extension of yourself. Wearing jewelry that is scaled properly will do just that.

Q. Can the right earrings contour your face?
A. Yes. If you have a well-defined chin, you can minimize it with gemstone earrings set close to the ear. If your face is rounded, you can add the illusion of length with diamond earrings that have some drop to them, like journey diamond earrings. If you have a longer nose, try larger earrings, but ones that do not outline the earlobe.

Q. Should you avoid wearing rings if you have ugly hands?
A. No. Keep in mind, the degree of attractiveness in any part of the body is always subjective. Most times, we are our own worst critics anyway, right? Take an objective look at your hands and be honest with yourself; are your fingers more like sticks or sausages? Are your palms narrow or squared? Ask more question like this, and stay honest in your answers. When you have a good objective sense of your hands, pick diamond rings that share the same characteristics as your hands/fingers. Remember, you want your jewelry act as a natural extension of your person.

Q. Is it okay to mix different types of jewelry?
A. Absolutely. The key, as we have mentioned, is knowing your features and what will work with them. If you are choosing pieces that will complement your features, you can mix and match because you’re features are the point point of reference from which other pieces have been selected. So, if you want to wear emerald gemstone jewelry with pearls, you can.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you are shopping for jewelry and you should find that you are more satisfied with your selection. And keep coming back to the SuperJeweler Blog; we’ll be offering up tips and tricks like this from time to time.

Now there is a new way to buy jewelry. It’s called One and Done from SuperJeweler. Here’s how it works.

Each day, we scan our inventory reports and find a list of items for which we only have one left in stock. Then we take an item from that list and mark it way down and put it on our One and Done page. As soon as it sells, it’s gone forever!

What does this mean for you? First, it means that you get another way to save money on some great jewelry; everybody loves that part. It also means that, every day, you have a new chance to get an item that has been a customer favorite. After all, there is only one left, right?

With the holidays coming up soon, everybody is looking for a deal. And every day, One and Done will feature new engagement rings, diamond earrings, fine gemstone jewelry, and more. Many of the items featured will be less than $100. It’s the perfect way to get something special for that special someone … especially if that special someone is you!

Check out SuperJeweler’s One and Done page now, bookmark it, and come back every day!

The ring that the 32ct emerald cut diamond sat perched upon was formerly owned by Leonore Annenberg, billionaire philanthropist. To put 32 carats into perspective, the diamond was the size of a walnut. A WALNUT. In fact, the 32ct diamond was flanked by two other diamonds that were about 1.5 carats each – not too small in their own right.

On her 90th birthday, Annenberg treated herself to the mammoth ring. It didn’t show up in a beautiful blue box; rather, it was delivered by armed guards to her home in Rancho Mirage, CA.

We don’t normally use this space to talk about other people’s jewelry. The fact is, however, we can do this because we don’t have any 32ct diamond rings in stock. And you probably don’t have $7.7 million to drop on one.

We do, however, have 32 1ct diamond rings in stock at SuperJeweler.com. (Well, actually we have more than that, but we had this theme thing going, you know?)

This is especially important this time of year. Any jeweler you talk to will tell you that Thanksgiving weekend is a VERY popular time for proposals. It’s usually when families are together and the groom-to-be has the opportunity to talk to his future father-in-law. It’s also the time when she can show here ring to her friends and family. If you are reading this post right now, it’s likely because you, or someone very close to you, is getting close to an engagement.

One of the biggest benefits of shopping with an online jeweler, such as SuperJeweler is that our selection goes much deeper than you will find at a mall store. While, on the surface, an engagement ring may seem just like a diamond solitaire and a ring, when you break it down into diamond cut, diamond weight, the type of metal, sizing, etc., having choices matters. And, of course, pricing matters, too. How many other jewelers do you know who would dare to offer clearance engagement rings?

If you have already been looking for engagement rings, you have no doubt also explored bridal sets and wedding rings. Because bridal sets and wedding rings (or wedding bands, if you prefer) get into more design options, it is even more important that the decision be made with input from the bride-to-be. Think of it as a opportunity to learn about more than just the bridal set or wedding ring you are looking for, but a way to know what might make a good jewelry gift in the future. It also sheds light on tastes in general, (i.e., classic versus modern, simple versus complex).

Some men can be a little detached from the wedding planning process, opting to let the bride create the wedding she wants. Still, being involved and sharing in the wedding jewelry process provides insight into why she loves the things she does. And these are lessons that will last as long as those diamond rings.

We’re hopeless romantics at SuperJeweler. We want you to have the perfect engagement ring (or bridal set, or wedding bands). And we hope that you put SuperJeweler on your list of places to shop for engagement rings…together.

So, just what are these different types of gold?

The karat count of gold is an indicator of the level of purity of the gold. The most pure gold is 24k gold. If you find an item that is 24k gold, it is 100% gold. The lower the karat of gold, however, the less gold it contains. For instance, 14k gold contains 50% gold. A breakdown of types of gold looks like this:

• 24k gold = 100% gold
• 22k gold = 91.7% gold
• 18k gold = 75% gold
• 14k gold = 50% gold
• 10k gold = 41.6% gold

So, the big question is: If it’s not all gold, what is the rest of it?

Remember when you learned about alloys in your high school chemistry class? That’s exactly what any gold less than 24k gold is: an alloy. (Refresher: An alloy is a compound of 2 or more metals.). In jewelry, alloys are formed with gold and, usually, copper and/or silver. In white gold, nickel is also commonly used.

What does all that mean anyway?

Well, it means a few things. As a rule, the higher the karat grade, the more the piece of jewelry will cost. That doesn’t mean, however, that all 24k gold jewelry will be expensive. In fact, SuperJeweler.com carries this lovely 24k Gold Overlay Natural Heart Shaped Leaf Pendant for just $39.95. At the other end of the scale, 10k gold will mean more affordable jewelry. With the economy what it is these days, more jewelers are increasing their stock of 10k gold jewelry so that customers have more budgetary choices. SuperJeweler.com carries dozens of promise rings in 10k white gold, for example.

As a jewelry seller, we want our customers to be as knowledgeable about what they are getting as possible; that starts with know your types of gold.