Wedding Planning and Accessories

Valentine's Day gift idea – pink gold rings.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and jewelry makes a great Valentine’s Day gift. But instead of the same old earrings, necklaces or bracelets, why not give the sweetheart in your life a little something different? You may want to consider a ring made with pink gold.

Pink is the color of passion and love. And a pink ring stands out from the rest of the ordinary jewelry that’s out on the market today. Whether it’s a pink wedding band or just a pink token of love, a pink ring shows a loved one that you think they are unique and special.

Ask your jeweler about ordering a pink ring for your Valentine’s Day gift. You can even visit a Novell wedding band retailer for help as well.

The Jewelry Book is a great way to research jewelry.

Are you looking for jewelry ideas, but not sure what the quality brands are? Or just don’t know where to start (aside from the local mall store)? Try reading the latest issue of The Jewelry Book.

The Jewelry Book is available to view online as a high quality PDF or in a Flash interactive version. If you see something that you may like, you can easily print out a page and deliver it right to your favorite jeweler. Sometimes The Internet can be a cluttered place to look for jewelry, so The Jewelry Book is a great place to start.

Here is more information about The Jewelry Book, and links to some of the top jewelry designers (from Novell’s wedding band blog):

 

Now online - the Winter 2010 issue of The Jewelry Book

View the newest edition of The Jewelry Book in an
interactive Flash format or as a PDF download.

Highlights include:

Made in America - A new way to think about Made in America.

Sholdt Design - In 2010, Sholdt celebrates seventy-five years of classic, made-in-America design.

Hofmeister - In a world of less-than-perfect service, Indianapolis-based Hofmeister Personal Jewelers is an oasis of excellence.

The Jewelry Made in America Gallery - See designs created by manufacturers and designers that can proudly say that their jewelry is Made in America.

Feel free to visit our featured designers and links:

Alex Sepkus| Atara| Bachendorf's Jewelers| Centurion

Charles Krypell| Christopher Designs| Gem Platinum| Hofmeister Personal Jewelers

Hoover and Strong| Jack Kelege| JB Star| Jeffrey Daniels | John Buechner

Katharine James| Lieberfarb| MCR Gems| Novell| Novell Platinum| Platinum Guild

Precision Set| Rudolf Friedmann| Sholdt Design

Calling all brides and grooms (free bridal show news).

Looking to attend a bridal show, but don’t have the time or maybe even the money to spend right now? Well, you can have a bridal show experience without leaving the house! All you need is a computer and a high-speed connection, and log on to the new wedding website WeddingandHoneymoonExpo.com.

On March 20 – 21, future brides and grooms will be able to chat with wedding experts, attend virtual seminars and panel discussions, and “walk” a virtual bridal expo floor. You can register for free, but first make sure that your computer meets the show’s system requirements.

Those who sign-up also will be entered to win one of two 5 days trips at Superclubs, and a wedding gown by Demetrios.

Crap! More winter!

Just when you think that spring might come early this year, a little critter named Punxsutawney Phil tramples on your dreams. It turns out that this world famous groundhog has indeed seen his shadow this year. No early blooms. No green grass in March. Darn it!

It’s okay. Little Punxsutawney Phil isn’t doing this on purpose. He just sees what he sees, and the rest is up to Mother Nature.

From Yahoo! News:

“Punxsutawney (puhnk-suh-TAW'-nee) Phil has emerged to see his shadow before chilly revelers in Pennsylvania, meaning winter will last another six weeks.”

“German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.”

Read more…

 

 

Ask the Wedding Ring Guys: Is tungsten too expensive?

 

Question: My friend Jack was married last Spring, and he was given a tungsten wedding band by his wife since he works with his hands all year long. Now it is my turn, and I find some tungsten wedding bands for $200-$300, but heard that tungsten should not be that expensive. Any advice? (Rich T. from Roselle Park, NJ)

Answer: Be a savvy shopper, and keep looking around. To be really honest with you, many tungsten bands are imported from China and may be terrifically overpriced. By taking the time to do pricing research, you may be able to find quite a deal. Although I do not work with tungsten wedding bands directly, I understand why men like them since they feel pretty neat and look cool as well. But there is a protected patent associated with most tungsten wedding bands on the market today, although JC Penney just won a court battle to sell its own tungsten products. So you may get a great deal at JC Penney if there is one in your area. You can even buy a tungsten wedding band at JC Penny’s online website. They have a 6mm tungsten wedding band for $49.99. You can’t beat that!

Rick Mulholland, Marketing Director for Novell Design Studio (Rahway, NJ)

Ask the Wedding Ring Guys: Can a titanium wedding ring be sized?

First question for the Wedding Ring Guys!!!!

 

Question: I am thinking about buying a titanium wedding ring. Can a titanium wedding ring be sized if I gain weight years from now? (John from Mystic Island, NJ)

Answer: Hi John! Unfortunately, titanium wedding rings can not be sized. However, check to see if the website or jewelry store has an exchange policy should you need a different size down the road. You might even be inspired to hit the gym or stay away from those all-you-can-eat buffets just to be sure that you never really gain any weight!

Rick Mulholland, Marketing Director for Novell Design Studio (Rahway, NJ)

Have a Wedding Ring Question? Ask the Wedding Ring Guys.

Are you currently shopping for a wedding ring, engagement ring or bridal jewelry in general, but just don’t know where to start? If so, then Wedding Planning and Accessories, an online wedding resource dedicated to almost everything needed for a bride or groom’s successful wedding day, may have a solution that is right for you. The blog’s new feature – Ask the Wedding Ring Guys – will aim to help clear up any and all confusion that consumers may encounter while shopping for the wedding rings, engagement rings or even any jewelry item that can be seen in stores or online. Have a question? Just ask the Wedding Rings Guys!

E-mail any and all questions and inquiries to asktheweddingringguys@gmail.com. 

Who Are the Wedding Ring Guys?
The Wedding Ring Guys are jewelry industry professionals that are happy to answer any and all questions about diamonds, metals used for wedding rings or jewelry, particular design styles, trends, online retailers and more. Their goal is very simple – to offer accurate and unbiased information to consumers who may need assistance when buying jewelry of all types. And if a question should be out of their range of expertise, the Wedding Ring Guys will track down an industry professional to ensure the correct answer. Those who contribute to the Ask the Wedding Ring Guys feature will be credited as well, so you know where your source is coming from. After all, a properly educated consumer is the jewelry industry’s best customer.

More about the Wedding Planning and Accessories Weblog
Wedding Planning and Accessories was launched to help lesser known products and services gain exposure to the already crowded world of wedding planning. So far, the wedding weblog has highlighted Novell custom wedding bands, LiMoTraveler.com reservation website, Cures by Avancé beauty products, Fantinel Prosecco (a sparkling Italian white wine), and new wedding songs by artists Jacqui Naylor and Chapman. Please visit Wedding Planning and Accessories for more unique wedding-related articles.

Jessica Simpson – wedding ring and jewelry designer.

I have recently been seeing a lot of blog posts about Jessica Simpson getting involved with jewelry. This does not surprise me. After all, no matter what the economy is like, people still get married. So it's easy to see why a celebrity would get into the wedding ring business. Heck, a C-list celebrity like Jessica Simpson could probably make a fortune selling affordable jewelry on QVC or HSN.

However, it does strike me as funny that she would design not just fashion jewelry, but wedding rings as well. A young divorcee with an additional failed (and high profile) romance is designing wedding bands? As Spock would say – “it does not seem logical.”

Good luck to Jessica and her jewelry endeavors.

Related and source articles:

Jessica Simpson Wants To Design Wedding Rings?

Jessica Simpson to Design Wedding Rings?

Jessica Simpson to Design Wedding Rings

Jessica Simpson to Design Wedding Rings - Hollywood Buzz

Jessica Simpson's Next Venture: The Wedding Ring Business?

A bridal bye-bye to In Style Weddings!!!

Time Inc. has announced that In Style Weddings will not longer be in publication. For a niche industry such as bridal, this is not good. This is actually very bad. Why? Well - let me tell ya!!!

When most consumers conduct their initial research on the Internet, they are met with online retailers that for the most part sell very similar products. Some of these sites are very good, but many might not be. If you are an individual that is in search of information and only information about wedding bands and engagement rings, then you must turn to blogs and bridal magazines to do so. Or just show up to your jewelry store of choice and hope that the individual behind the counter is an expert. And as similar to the online retailers, many jewelry store employees are well informed and educated, but many are not. Hopefully you can find a store that has properly trained and educated individuals that can correctly explain the differences between platinum, palladium, gold, titanium and tungsten. Most consumers buying jewelry have a blank slate – they don’t really know much about what they are buying. So if they are exposed to bad information, then they can only accept what they learn as truth.

For those individuals that choose to travel to Barnes and Noble, Borders or their local bookstore of choice, there will now be fewer publications to choose from. With less bridal magazines, the consumer will have only exposure to the brands that advertise with what is left. At this time, most bridal jewelry manufacturers are not search engine savvy and rely on the wedding books to earn their traffic. Now whether they realize this or not is another issue all together!

According to TheWeddingReport.com, the amount of weddings is not decreasing despite the economy. An average of nearly 2.2 million couples need wedding bands and that number will continue to rise. So the audience is there. What is not there is a glut of jewelry advertisers. Most manufacturers cut advertising and marketing when things go bad and hope to weather the storm. They don’t just reduce or better target their spending – they most likely eliminate it or come pretty close to do as such. As an industry professional, I can only shake my head. The handful of smart and savvy companies are actually strengthening their position and therefore strengthening their selling point. Whether it is true or not, there is a general school of thought around the “jewelry industry campus” (from the retailers prospective) that if you don’t advertise, then you may not be a brand to reckon with. Sometimes this is true, but sometimes this is not. And quite honestly, there is too much of a “sheep” mentality in the jewelry industry. When one major brand lessens their visibility, then others will most likely follow.

Now I fully understand that a lot of companies need to cut advertising to stay in business. That is a reality. But many others have been doing well for years, and just never really properly allocated the 5% of their gross sales that they probably should for proper advertising and marketing. When times are good, then you can easily get away with it. When times are not so good, then a swift downward spiral can start, continue and be very difficult to stop. And everyone looks to each other and asks – “what happened?” To me, that’s like saying the Titanic sunk because the weather turned a little bit cold. There was a set course, there were warning signs that went unnoticed or unheeded before it was too late, and then there was a disaster. Now that the water is flooding the hull of the jewelry industry’s ship, hopefully there’s a way to stop the sinking, and at once repair and redirect the ship.

The jewelry industry reacts to the 60 Minutes story about gold.

Last week, NationalJeweler.com posted the story – “Prepare for 60 Minutes conflict gold piece Sunday.” And instead of mainly showing concern or even a little compassion towards the problem, a few comments complained that the amount of gold mined in Congo is just a small part of the overall picture, so in essence the question was – “what’s the big deal.”

Hold on a sec! A week ago, there was much more passion and outrage about the so-called tungsten monopoly than there is about a story that illustrates the violation of human rights and even rape or death of local citizens. While the jewelry industry is chock full of educated professionals that are caring and concerned about many mining issues, many of the comments next to the article show indifference towards the plight of the citizens living in the region of Congo where gold is being mined. Here are some highlights:

•“The fact that .0010 percent of the world's gold comes from the Congo obviously doesn't come in to play for these cheap shot journalists.”

Well sure. Unless you are one of the people whose life is affected or ended because of what’s going on in that area. As someone else commented – “If Nike was manufacturing gold running shoes, (then) you better believe that there would be a HUGE outcry about this issue by now.”

•“Fact is that the gold producing industry (miners and refiners) do not want gold to be traceable, mainly because of costs. They state is cannot be traced, which is incorrect - gold ore can be traced from individual seams (if not mine sites) and refiners are able to separate refining from mines and from recycled sources. But unlike diamonds, which have taken the steps of the Kimberley process and a certification system, the gold industry will not invest. So let's hope this TV program shakes them up.”

That was actually a good comment. And nice to see. But this one send me for a loop:

•“It seems every year the media, or the movie makers strive to find "something" to get at the retail jeweler. Once again, here we go at the holiday season with some idiot issues that really don't affect much. I have concerns about the .02% people affected, but really??? Can we just have a good season one time?”

You got it, Mr. Jeweler! Why worry about reforming an industry as much as possible so you can have a good holiday season? To me, that is just scary. One of the Real Men of Genius.

I am not 100% sure, but I don’t think there are the same issues associated with platinum or palladium. It will definitely be interesting to see if an association like Platinum Guild has a response to the story or a marketing strategy to help illustrate the humanitarian side of mining of their metal.

Stay tuned.

Were people killed because of your gold jewelry?

On November 29, 2009, 60 Minutes aired a story about the conflict and human rights issues associated with gold that is mined in the Congo region of Africa. A story like this is always shocking. Americans often buy products without thinking of their source of origin. If the price is right, and Wal-Mart or Best Buy is giving me a great deal, then I’ll take it!

Here are some key facts to consider:
• Gold and other minerals are funding the deadliest war since World War II.
• More than five million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Years ago, the jewelry industry banned the trafficking in so-called blood diamonds, but the same hasn't happened with gold.

Watch the How Gold Pays For Congo's Deadly War segment.

As a ten year employee in the jewelry industry, I must say that this issue may be overlooked (at least in my circle of colleagues). With all of the fuss made about “blood diamonds” a few years back, which may or may not have died down considerably depending on who you are talking to, consumers and professionals alike really need to examine all of the jewelry-related issues that affect other parts of the world and humanity in general. There is a lot of buzz about “green” or recycled gold. But perhaps an additional question should be brought to the forefront as well – did anyone die or are they living under horrible conditions so you can have a gold wedding band or piece of jewelry? If Nike was manufacturing gold running shoes, you better believe that there would be a HUGE outcry by now. Hopefully this will raise concern about the source of gold that is being purchased. It will also be interesting to see how the people that mine platinum and palladium position their metals against this story and issues.

Heck, this might even create a new tagline for alternative metal products - "nobody was killed during the making of this titanium wedding band!" But who knows if this is a valid statement anyway!

Thinking about buying a tungsten wedding band?

The landscape for tungsten wedding bands in the jewelry industry may be changing.  A federal court in Texas has dismissed tungsten carbide ring king Trent West's patent infringement lawsuit against J.C. Penney Co. For the past few years, the tungsten used in a tungsten wedding band has been controlled by mainly one company, and therefore creating an un-American monopoly. Since 19% of all wedding bands sold are tungsten wedding bands, consumers need to know all the facts about tungsten before they make their wedding band purchase. It is also a good idea to read the comments from jewelry industry professionals that are located on the lower left-hand side of the web page. I am willing to bet that not many consumers know tungsten’s full story.

Read highlights from the tungsten wedding band article on Novell’s wedding band blog.

The State of Alternative Metal Wedding Bands

I guess that I can understand why almost any individual would want a wedding band or wedding ring made from tungsten, titanium or even Scott Kay’s latest creation – SK Cobalt. They look cool and sleek, so a guy that is REALLY manly could buy one and not feel like he is wearing jewelry. But while I am not sure if Scott Kay’s wedding bands can be sized, I know for sure that tungsten and titanium can not. I suppose that since these materials tend to be affordable, then this may not be an issue. But as I noticed on WeddingBee.com’s message board, many consumers seem to have fallen in love with the concept of tungsten as a wedding band. But keep in mind that many tungsten wedding bands have a very high mark-up compared to what it the actual manufacturing costs are, so do you research and shop around. Personally, I have to figure that a wedding band should be made from a precious metal just from due to the fact that it is symbolic of love and love should be precious. Plus you can refinish precious metals like platinum and palladium over and over without it losing much mass. To me, THAT sounds like the best deal of all.

Just in case you missed this, over on You Tube  there is a video of Scott Kay demonstrating how precious metals can bend, but tungsten will shatter under the right conditions.

Coming soon: The Jewelry Made in America Initiative.

TransWorldNews.com recently featured an article about a new movement in the jewelry industry – “Jewelry Made in America.” The Jewelry Book, with assistance from American wedding band manufacturer Novell Design Studio, will feature over a dozen of America’s finest jewelry creators. Brands such as J.B. Star, Lieberfarb, Ritani for Julius Kline, Sholdt Design and others are featured in a special product layout highlighting each company’s most stylish jewelry designs. During these tough economic times, many companies have turned to relying on importing inferior products fabricated from overseas vendors simply to lower their overall costs. In the process they have often sacrificed quality and service.  The jewelry industry’s best customers – the higher-end chain stores and top independent jewelers – are ultimately paying the steepest price with less-than-great finished product, disappointing customer service and long and often costly delays.

Along with the recent buzz about tungsten’s monopoly, “Jewelry Made in America” could not have come at a better time. It’s time for American consumers to stand up and get better value for their money. Buying jewelry can be very confusing, so we really need to think about where our next (or even initial) big jewelry purchase comes from. It all is apart of being socially responsible. Many people talk about be “green” or how “green” they live, but not everyone open talks about social responsibility.

Tungsten wedding bands and wedding rings’ UGLY truth.

Tungsten wedding bands and wedding rings are becoming extremely popular. Although typically targeted for a man’s product, newer ladies’ designs are starting to hit the market as well. But the tungsten that is used in that wedding band or wedding ring is probably imported from China when it could possibly be mined even more at North American locations. Tungsten also is suspected to be used to counterfeit gold bars because of its similar density and structure. Nice!

Please - before you buy that tungsten wedding band or wedding ring, you really should learn more about where tungsten comes from and what it might be used for. If anything, we should support a movement to mine tungsten in places other than China to help weaken this monopoly. Having options is always a great thing. Everybody talks about being “green,” but this is another form of social responsibility as well. Buying a tungsten wedding band or wedding ring could help facilitate things that are indeed unethical and even against the law. Let’s put our money where our mouths and hearts are, and not where imported Chinese tungsten is!!!!

Read more about tungsten and breaking the tungsten monopoly.

Also learn about many of the common metals that are typically used for wedding bands and wedding rings – tungsten, titanium, platinum, palladium and gold. While you are there, feel free to download the free brochure about choosing the right metal for your wedding band.

And while we’re on the subject, did you know that it is possible to shatter a tungsten wedding band or wedding ring? Wedding band manufacturer Scott Kay demonstrated that while precious metals will bend (and therefore can be restored to their original shapes and finishes), a tungsten wedding ring can break under the right conditions. If it shatters while on a finger, I suppose that has got to hurt. OUCH! Watch the video below.

Oh, what a feeling! Platinum is a feeling.

Being a big fan of platinum, I really like the new direction for Platinum Guild’s new advertising campaign. Platinum really is a superior metal for jewelry. Yes, I know – your jeweler told you that platinum scratches too easy. Or your cousin said that platinum is too expensive, and white gold is much cheaper.

Look – platinum is a naturally white metal that pretty much keeps its mass when scratched. The metal is actually only moved or displaced, so a platinum piece of jewelry can be refinished over and over. And like that top-of-the-line sports car that you had your eye on, platinum has a lot of benefits, so paying a little more is definitely worth it in my opinion.

The copy from the ad captures platinum’s overall value very well:

“I didn’t choose platinum. My husband did. He wanted everything about our rings to be perfect. Over the years I’ve realized how glad I am that he chose so well.”

“These rings have been through moves and kids and an art career. Time only makes them more lovely. To me, the character that platinum acquires is part of the attraction. Only things of true quality age that way.”

It says it all - platinum is lasting. Through raising kids, careers and even a recession!

Bridal Guide agrees – stressful times calls for CURES (by Advance).

Wedding publication Bridal Guide Magazine recommends that future brides pamper themselves with Cures by Avancé Stress Relief Sea Bath. And with summer coming to an end, a little reminder of the sea is not a bad thing! I have posted about the Cures by Avancé product line before, and really believe in the quality of their beauty aides and in the philosophy of its parent company DePasquale. You may have caught a glimpse of one DePasquale company – New Jersey beauty school Artistic Academy – in an episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Caroline Manzo's daughter graduated from their cosmetology program.

NJ beauty school fights breast cancer!

Help Artistic Academy make a difference, make history and make strides against breast cancer! Make a donation or just help spread the word - every little bit helps.

Click here to pitch in!

As featured on Digg, Mixx and Trans World News blogs.

Dancing down that wedding aisle.

I found this on You Tube. You don’t quite see an entrance to a wedding ceremony quite like this. Even the older people in the audience are getting into the groove. The reception must have been the best ever!

Taking advantage of 9-9-09 as a wedding day!

I guess that you can file this under “Only in Los Angeles!” Nine eager couples were married during nine minute ceremonies at where else - the 99 Cents Only store located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood on September 9, 2009. Each of the nine ceremonies were presided a non-denominational minister, although I am surprised that they didn’t go all the way with having nine ministers all together. Each couple was allowed to bring nine guests. 99 Cents Only supplied each couple with a wedding cake, drinks and fruit after the ceremonies. If you look at Los Angeles Times slideshow of the 9 weddings event, you can see actually consumers blending in with the festivities. Now if someone was really thinking, everyone would have received free passes to see the movie "9." For a 9:09 showing.

Press release: Marketing Jewelry’s “Made in America” Selling Point

The following is featured on Trans World News, an online news resource and social community:

With the difficult challenges of the current recession affecting business, it’s time for the jewelry industry to highlight a “Made in America” selling point. Qualified manufacturers are welcome to join the “Jewelry Made in America” initiative. But act quickly!

Times are tough all over. Just look at today’s news headlines or watch the news and it is easy to see. And the future of jewelry that is made in America is at a critical juncture!  It is through our initiative, “Jewelry Made in America” that we can insure the continuation of the fine history of American design, craftsmanship, and service that should make us leaders in our industry worldwide for generation after generation.

During these challenging economic times, many companies have turned to relying on importing products fabricated from overseas vendors simply to lower their cost. In the process they have often sacrificed quality and service.  Our customers -- the better chain stores and independent jewelers -- are ultimately paying the steepest price with inferior finished product, disappointing customer service and long and often costly delays.

There is a dire need for us to unite in one advertising voice promoting the pride and master craftsmanship of the American jewelry manufacturer. Although jewelry is generally thought of as being strictly a luxury item, approximately 2.2 million American couples* need wedding bands and other bridal-related jewelry each year. Buying jewelry that is made in America can help bridge the gap to the stronger economic times that are down the road. However, keep in mind that the phrase “Made in America” alone is not enough of a deciding factor. As creators of fine jewelry, new levels of standards should be met and the definition of “Made in America” really should be that buying an American made product means buying the absolute best.

Why is “Made in America” Important?
For the month of June 2009, Google Adwords keyword tool shows that over 200,000 Internet searchers looked for information pertaining to the keywords “American made.”  An additional 30 million consumers searched for the term “jewelry.” However, there currently is a little relevant or real information pertaining to jewelry that is made in America. This actually presents a great opportunity for companies to literally create a new category to help gain advantage against other competitors that can not say that their goods are American made. With a glut of information clogging the Internet, publications and airwaves, a “Jewelry Made in America” initiative can easily make your company stand out from others in your same category. It is, in fact, an additional and often overlooked selling point.

Criteria for Participation
To be involved with the “Jewelry Made in America” initiative, designers and manufacturers should be able to say that their promoted product line or merchandise is designed and assembled domestically by American-based craftsmen, and not imported from overseas or fashioned using labor from sources outside of the country. Products that are just finished in the United States do not qualify. While we understand that the raw materials may only be available from overseas resources, the emphasis of this project is about American workmanship and overall quality.

Promotion of the “Jewelry Made in America” Initiative
Jewelry designers and manufacturers taking part of the “Jewelry Made in America” initiative will be eligible to supply material for the following:

• Inclusion in the initial “Jewelry Made in America” product gallery (with companies providing their own product shots), which will appear in an upcoming issue of the jewelry trade magazine The Jewelry Book.
• Should you care to advertise in The Jewelry Book, the rates are as follows:

- $1500 for a 1/2 page
 - $2500-$3500 for a full page
- $4000-$5000 for a 2 page spread

• Product features and company profile included on a "Jewelry Made in America" themed website. Promotion for this website will include regular Google News headlines linking to this site, and outreach to various social media resources.
• Product features on a "Jewelry Made in America" themed blog.
• Product features on a "Jewelry Made in America" Facebook page.
• Possible co-promotion with several “Made in America” websites.

Interested parties may contact rick@novelldesignstudio.com directly for further information.

*According to TheWeddingReport.com.

Jewelry advertising that’s entertaining and engaging.

 Here’s a jeweler has a great – and very memorable – approach to “spreading the word” about their store. Philadelphia’s Steven Singer Jewelers uses a sense of humor along with somewhat campy tactics to stand out from the rest of the jewelry stores in his area.

Here’s an excerpt from JCKOnline.com:

"Singer is a longtime advertiser on the Howard Stern radio show, and one of his first promotions on the show was the ‘Size Matters’ campaign. Playing on the obvious sexual overtones, the campaign had fun with a central message of impressing a woman with a large diamond. ‘If you want Tiffany's, we're not it,’ says Singer. ‘We like to make jewelry stores fun and less intimidating.’"

Having listened to Howard Stern for many years, I always got a big kick out of the ways Steven Singer deployed his marketing actions that would lead to actually engaging the potential customer with the overall message. Yes – I did laugh out loud and remember the “Size Matters” campaign from years back. The entertainment value does offer a level of engagement that’s miles ahead of interruption marketing that exclaims “BUY ME!”

Traditional marketing such as print advertising is the way to reach yesterday’s customer. Engaging the customer in some way, whether it is through laughter or telling your message with a story instead of “on sale now,” is the way to reach the customers of today and tomorrow. I mean – there is a place for all types of marketing, but relying on what worked ten years ago alone might not be such a good idea. I would even bet that the Steven Singer approach might even be somewhat recession-proof and positions his store ahead of those whose advertising tactics are more humdrum or ordinary!

Read all of “Philly Jeweler Takes Fun Seriously.”

Breitling introduce iPhone app for new watch.

Another jewelry-related company enters the world of new technology. Breitling, a Swiss watch manufacturer, has released an application for the iPhone and iPod Touch designed to provide a nicely detailed, highly functional presentation of its latest chronograph, the Chronomat B01. Breitling joins the largely generic jewelry company Stuller as being the only jewelry companies to embrace this new form of advertising. Surely there will be others to follow. Keep your eyes open. Or iPhone in your hand.

Read the more about Breitling’s iPhone app at NationalJeweler.com.

“Jewelry Made in America” initiative begins.

Let the “Jewelry Made in America” games begin. American wedding band manufacturer Novell Design Studio, in co-operation with jewelry industry trade publication The Jewelry Book, has launched the beginning stage of their “Jewelry Made in America” initiative to help raise awareness – and also raise the bar – for jewelry products that are fashioned by America-based craftsmen. This project will highlight a variety of jewelry manufacturers from around the country.

This is a very important theme to remember in these tough economic times. While a lot of what is imported for jewelry is much less expensive, there may be an issue of quality. It’s also important to recall that once upon a time, the term “American made” meant a higher quality product. This is a time to analyze exactly what “Made in America” should mean, and aspire to reach a better standard.

An upcoming edition of The Jewelry Book will include a product gallery for American-made jewelry products. The issue will also include a thoughtful and very original article by Novell’s Bruce Pucciarello, which will illustrate the demise of the true meaning of “Made in America” as it began with the auto industry, and bled into jewelry making as well.

Stay tuned!

Palladium is affordable, but that’s not its only benefit!

Titanium-Jewelry.com, a leading online retailer of men’s wedding bands, tungsten rings, titanium rings and unique contemporary jewelry, has just issued a press release entitled “Palladium: The Affordable Alternative to Platinum.” While I am a big fan of palladium and also many of the precious metals used to manufacture bridal jewelry in general, I am not so sure that I agree with the tone of this article.

At this point, you may wish to read “Palladium: The Affordable Alternative to Platinum.”

Palladium is another choice besides platinum, and in my opinion the article positions palladium as something to purchase instead of platinum largely because of the price point.  When I hear the word “alternative,” I just think of “instead of.” Or in this case, what jumps out at me is that I should buy palladium strictly because it is similar to platinum, but cheaper. And the affordable aspect should win every time!

This is just my opinion on the subject of palladium vs. platinum. I appreciate Titanium-Jewelry.com’s effort to raise awareness for palladium. But all that screams to me is the affordable issue, and sometimes in the jewelry industry, the easy sale is what jumps out in front of many other quality selling points.

Here’s how I position the common precious metals used to make engagement rings, wedding bands and wedding rings:

• Platinum is the premium metal that should last a lifetime. It loses little mass over time, so it can be refinished to look like new over and over.

• Gold is really your only choice if a yellow precious metal is your style. And keep in mind that white gold is not naturally white, so it will turn yellow over time. Sometimes this will occur sooner rather than later. And when you scratch gold, you lose metal mass.

• Palladium is a better choice over white gold if platinum is not an option.

Picture a person walking into a Mercedes or BMW car dealership that is very interested in a top-of-the-line model with all of the bells and whistles. But the dealership employees all say – “You don’t want that. Try this lower-end model. It’s very similar, and cheaper.” The individual walks out with what could be viewed as a lesser quality car, and the dealership makes less money. Typically when purchasing a car, a consumer looks at many options and makes a choice based upon what fits into their personal scheme.

In general, the jewelry industry at large likes to use the terms “brand,” “brand awareness” and “brand experience.” A brand is a name, trademark or particular qualities connected with a product or company producing a product. Most people in the world can picture a Coca-Cola in their mind as a dark, refreshing carbonated beverage with a crisp taste. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, but the jewelry industry tends to water down the branding concept to the lowest common denominator.

I firmly feel that it’s more important to present the benefits of each metal, and then let the consumer make the choice that is right for them. When you shove the price point factor up front, the average consumer won’t always understand if the market value dramatically rises sometime down the road. Platinum and gold were both much more affordable than they are today. Palladium was much more expensive ten years ago.

I strongly urge any consumer who is considering buying an engagement ring, wedding band or wedding ring to research all of the choices that are out there, and make their decision based upon overall benefits. In these times, we all have economic issues. But it still does not mean that as consumers we can not make educated buying decisions.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Can 250,000 wedding website visitors be wrong?

Below is an example of my domain traffic for one of my wedding band websites – www.novelldesignstudio.com. I inherited a domain name that has no keywords, and the website that was ultimately designed is database driven, which has its limitations. Bridal web traffic for most manufacturers is primarily advertising driven. However, due to the economy, my visibility in the main bridal books is the lowest that it has been in five years.

Thanks to blogging and online press releases, I have been largely able to keep increasing my web traffic without many of the search engine optimization techniques. The website does have some static pages that rank organically, but there are not a lot of them. Overall, I am proud that I can say that my traffic is increasing while my ad spending is decreasing.

Keep in mind that the wedding band industry is very niche, and most manufacturers’ websites are buried by the sheer numbers of online retailers. Only one wedding band company, Benchmark, has consistent and high ranking visibility across Google, Yahoo and Bing. I don't get a million unique visitors a month, but I get enough qualified consumers to keep my retailers happy.

Thanks for letting me pat me on my back! I now return you to your regularly scheduled wedding blog.

Summary by Month
Month
	Visits	Pages	Files	Hits
Aug - 09*	20693	319503	779067	1148886
July - 09	24379	362654	839540	1237379
June - 09	23545	365946	870932	1270423
May - 09	21830	373001	840811	1235789
April - 09	20352	441296	931560	1366028
Mar - 09	21272	499065	1016797	1557680
Feb - 09	19137	509490	1037670	1597233
Jan - 09	20005	552437	1118752	1697042
Dec - 08	16344	373804	758965	1159591
Nov - 08	18131	429008	812455	1251645
Oct - 08	19022	456966	819701	1294429
Sept - 08	17702	478984	853456	1336991
Totals	242412	5162154	10679706	16153116

*Up to August 27, so the monthly average is incomplete.

As seen on Trans World News website.

“The Mind of a Male Wedding Blogger,” a news release about the concept behind Wedding Planning and Accessories, is currently featured on Trans World News. Trans World News is a cool little online news and community resource that’s best described as an up-and-coming powerhouse of both mainstream and non-mainstream information.

Read the article “The Mind of a Male Wedding Blogger.”

Yes – I am on Twitter.

 Well, I just reached my 100th posting on Twitter. All of these “tweets,” and I am just wondering what it’s really all about. It’s fun. I like the idea of being able to get a short message out in a rapid manner. But is it really having – or going to one day have – an impact? I really can't say.

I have about a dozen followers on Twitter. Most of my links come to this blog or something wedding related. While my following is not HUGE, it is kind of fun knowing maybe someone has found a brand that they normally would have bypassed, or that something that’s been tweeted could influence a decision in some way. I am comfortable having my small little group, and I guess such a little number means less stressing about the need to constantly “wow” them with what I consider interesting information.

So – if you want – follow me on Twitter. It doesn’t hurt! I promise not to buckle under all the pressure.

Visit some of the finest independent jewelers in America online.

When shopping for jewelry, you can sometimes get ideas found on websites for jewelry stores throughout the country. Here’s a list of over 275 jewelry stores that are located from coast-to-coast. One may be in your area, but most probably are not. But that does not mean that you can discover something new or fresh on one site, and then bring it to your local jewelry retailer that you may work with already. I just love to surf the different sites and take in each store’s perspective. While mall stores such as Zales or Fred Meyer all have their place in the world, I often find the smaller jewelry store to be more “hands on” and creative.

AB Milkin Co.
Abracdabra Jewelry/Gem Gallery
Adco Diamond Corp
Adolf Jewelers
Albert's Jewelers
Americus Diamond (Austin)
Americus Diamond (San Antonio)
Arthur's Jewelers
Astrein Jewelers
Aurum Studios
Austin's Jewelry
Bachendorf's Jewelry
Bachman Jewelers
Barclay's Jewelers
Bargar Jewelry
Barmakian Jewelers
Baron's Jewelers
Barron's Jewelers
Barry Jay Jewelers
Barsky Diamond Importers
Barton Clay Jewelers
Bay Hill Jewelers
Bay Jewelers
Becky Beauchine Kulka Fine Jewelry
Bella Designs
Ben Garelick Jewelers
Black, Starr & Frost
Blacy's Fine Jewelers
Blanquart Jewelry
Boone & Sons
Borsheim's Jewelery
Boston Bijoux
Brock's Jewelers
Bruce Webber Precious Jewels
Bruce Watters Jewelers
Buchroeder's Jewelers
Calvin's Fine Jewelers
Castor Jewelry
CH Premier Jewelers
Charleston Alexander Jewelers
Chong Hing Jewelers
Churchwell's Jewelers
Clarkson Jewelers
Coast 2 Coast Jewelry & Watch Repair
Coffrin Jewelers
Colavita Jewelers
Coleman Jewelers
Continental Diamonds
Copeland Jewelers
Cowardin Jewelers
Crawford's Jewelers 
Creations By You
Custom Goldsmith
D. Geller & Sons Jewelry
DJ Bitzan Jewelers
D. Cole Jewelers
Dari's Jewelry
Davalle Jewelers
Dave Schneider Jewelry
Freedman Jewelers
David Clay Jewelers
Day's Jewelers (Maine)
Delton Hayes Custom Jeweler
Dem's House of Diamonds
Designers Circle Jewelers
Diamond Boutique
Diamond Cutters
Diamond Cutters International
Diamond Exchange
Diamond Room
Diamond Shop
Diamond Source
Diamonds by Filice
Diamonds Direct of Alabama
Diamonds R Forever
Direct Diamond of OK
Direct Jewelry Outlet
Dodson's Jewelers
Dominic's Fine Jewelry
Don Basch Jewelers
Dransfield Jewelers
EB Horn Jewelry
ER Sawyer Jewelers
Egon A Erlinspiel
Eliopulos Jewelers
Elizabeth Gregory Jewelers
Elsa Jewelry
Enhancery Jewelers
Falkenberg's Jewelers
Firenza Jewelers
Flaherty Jewelers
Forest Jewelers
Fourteen (XIV) Karats
Frank Adams Jewelers
Fredrick Jewelers
Freilich Jewelers
Frost & Co.
Fuenfer Jewelers
Galacia Fine Jewelers
Garland Jewelers
Gaumer’s of Red Bluff
Gause & Son Jewelers
Gem Gallery
Gemological Trading Corp.
Genesis Diamonds
Given Gold Jewelers
Glitters Fine Jewelry
Gold Casters
Gold Rush Jewelers
Gold N Designs
Goldworks Design Mfrs
Grace Jewelers
Gregg & Co.
Gregg Helfer Private Jeweler
Gregory's Fine Jewelery
H&A International Jewelry
Harwin Jewelers
Haye's Jewelers
Henderson & Co. Jewelers
Herzog Jewelers
Hiller Jewelry Co.
Hollingsworth Jewelers Gallery
Homan's Goldsmith
Hurst Diamonds
Icing on the Ring
Image Gallery
International Diamond
Iridium Jewelers
JF Options
J Lewis Jewelry
J Anthony Jewelers
J Howard Jewelers
JA Meyer Jewelry
Jackson Jewelers
Jade Galore Jewelry
Jaffe Jewelers
James Free Jewelers
Jamie Hood Jewelers
JaRose's Unique Boutique
Jay Yontef Diamonds and Jewelry
Jeff Karl Jewelers
Jeffrey Design
Jewelry Art
Jewels That Dance
Jim Murphy Designs
Joe Escobar Diamonds
Joe Tonos Jewelers
Darakjian Jewelers
John Franklin Jewelers
John P Keuhn Gemologist
Joseph Gann Jewelers
Julia's Fine Jewelry
Kassab Jewelers
Kenny G & Co.
Kent Jewelers
Keshelle Jewelers
Kimball's Jewelers
Kimpel's Jewelers
Kit Kuhn Jewelers
K-Jon's Jewelers
Klos Diamond Center
Komara Jewelers
L Wilmington & Co.
Larry Schmitt Jewelers
Larson Jewelers
Laudon Photographic Arts
Lewis Jewelers 
Linas-Fairchilde
Long & Co. Jewelers
Long Jewelers
Lumar Jewelers
M Been Jewelers
M Mazzoni Jewelers
MRT Jewelers
Mark Peter's Diamond Designs
Marshall's Jewelers
McGuire Jewelers
Melting Point
Michael Anthony Jewelers
Michael's Creative Jewelery
Milke Jewelers
Mitchell's Jewelry
Monarch Jewelers
Montclair Jewelers
Moore and More Jewelry
Morgan's Jewelers
Morris Jewelers
My Son the Jeweler
NT Ferro Jewelers
Nagi Jewelers
Nazar's Fine Jewelry
Nelson Coleman and Sons
Neustadter's Jewelers
Neves Lawrence Jewelers
Norris Jewelers
Northampton Coin & Jewelers
Northern Light Gems
Oak Park Jewelers
Obsession Jewelers
Olympic Jewelers
O'Neal's Jewelers
Parry Jewelers
Pat Scott Jewelers
Patronik Designs
Patton's Fine Jewelry
Paul's Jewelry Designs
Persona Jewelry
Personal Touch Jewelers
Peter & Co. Jewelers
Peter J Germano Jewelers
Philmat Jewelers
Platinum Jewelers
Polacheck's Jewelers
Prata Jewelers
Premier Fine Jewelers
Prescott Miller Jewelers
Prestige Jewelers
Princess Cove Jewelry
Princess Jewelers
Quest Fine Jewelers
Quinn's Fine Jewelry
R. Bruce Carson Jewelers
Rainbow Jewelers
Reimer Jewelers
Reis Nichols
Reuven Gitter Jewelers
Richter & Phillips
Roberson's Jewelry
Robert & Gabriel
Robin James Jewelers
Rock's Fine Jewelry
Roman Jewelers
Romantique Jewelers
Rone Regency Jewelers
Royal Jewelers
Salomon Jewelers
Sam Dial Jewelers
Samuel Gordon Jewelers
Sausalito Jewelers
Sawyer Jewelers
Security Jewelers
Shane Co.
Shelle Jewelers
Shuler's Jewelers
Siebke & Hoyt
Simaof
Simone's Jewelry
Smith's Jewelers
Snyder Jewelers
Solomon Brothers Fine Jewelers
South Hills Jewelers
Spitz Jewelers
Stanley Brown Jewelers
Stephen Allen Jewelers
Steve Quick Jewelers
Steven DiFranco Jewelers
Steven Singer Jewelers
Sulliva's Jewelers
Tapper's Jewelry
The Diamond Broker
The Gem Gallery
The Perfect Ring
Thom Gregg Fine Jewelry
Thurber Jewelers
Tobin Jewelers
Tracy Zeller Jewelery
Tulip Jewelers
Vail Creek
Village Jewelers Boutique
Vinhas Jewelers
Walter's Jewelry
Whitby Jewelers By Design
William's Jewelers
Willow Glen Jewelers
Wilson Diamonds
Windsor Jewelers
William H Diller Jewelers
Zadok Jewelry

 

Virtually try on a ring with new iPhone application.

Stuller, a Louisiana-based jewelry company, has introduced its new iPhone application. A consumer can take a picture of their hand and virtually try on a diamond ring. The picture can then be shared through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. However, keep in mind that the diamond ring can only be purchased through a participating Stuller retailer.

As I just commented on NationalJeweler.com, this iPhone application is very interesting to see, and in some ways surprising. After all, sometimes the more traditional portions of the jewelry industry (i.e. manufacturers, suppliers) are slow to embrace something that’s so cutting edge. But since today’s consumer must be engaged instead of just preached to, I predict that this will be a very powerful tool. Out with the old and in with the new! Stuller has the advantage of being the first to have an iPhone application. I am also curious to see who else follows into this territory, and how soon it will happen.

Read more about Stuller’s iPhone application on NationalJeweler.com.

Stuller’s iPhone application has also be recently mentioned on Engagement 101 Magazine’s Wordpress blog.

Today's economy impacts wedding entertainment choices.

Gigmasters.com, the Internet's #1 entertainment booking service, with the largest database of client-rated performers in North America, just released the first ever analysis of the impact that today’s economy has on their choices for wedding entertainment: Apparently budget conscious couples are spending 8% less while choosing more non-traditional performers. Their emphasis is on value, variety, more intimate settings, and increased research before a final decision is made. While a large traditional wedding band might cost around $10,000, the average cost of a deejay is about $549. Gigmasters.com has booked wedding entertainment for 13,029 couples since January, 2008.

Visit Gigmasters.com to book your wedding entertainment.

Read more of “Economy Impacts Wedding Entertainment Choices.”

Don't lose your wedding bands or wedding rings (like these people).

It seems that people lose their wedding bands and wedding rings quite a bit, and this unfortunate event seems to make the news. I guess in this bleak economy, any good news is worth reporting just to keep your mind off of the really bad stories. Here are a few recent headlines:

Dumpster diving for wedding rings

Rosa's Cafe seeks woman who lost wedding ring

Wedding ring found in sea after 16 months

Woman recovers wedding ring she lost at restaurant

$55,000 ring and owner reunited

How much would you pay for your dream wedding band?

When thinking of music for your wedding, have you ever thought about having your favorite band performing their most famous hits at your wedding? Well, if you are a Rolling Stones fan, that’s going to cost you quite the bundle!

According to East Coast Radio’s Just Plain Darren, hiring The Rolling Stones will set you back about 8 million. So the next time the guy on the radio announces the Mega Millions jackpot, you better break out a dollar and get to the nearest 7-11.

Read the entire article.

Platinum-palladium combination wedding bands should be catching on!

An article about Wright and Lato’s recently launched wedding band website reminded me about a very unique wedding band product that has yet to really catch on.  A few years back, this wedding band manufacturer (located in Rahway, New Jersey) designed a group of wedding bands that utilizes both platinum and palladium together. All wedding bands in Wright and Lato’s PGM Collection are created with a palladium base and platinum is used more for accents or additional decoration.  Because more palladium is used, the price point is very reasonable. It’s interesting to note that I have yet to see any other wedding band company using this combination to this degree. But who knows? That may have changed or will change in the near future.

I am a HUGE fan of platinum, and I definitely feel that palladium is the better choice over white gold when palladium is not an option. And PGM Collection wedding bands have captured both worlds. It would have been easy for Wright and Lato to just have created these designs in all palladium, but the utilization of platinum can remind consumers of the premium metal’s availability. You can order these wedding bands in all platinum if that’s what you are looking for. It’s such a great option.

Please visit http://www.wrightandlato.com/pgm.php to download the free brochure for PGM Collection wedding bands.

I really believe that this overall concept is pretty amazing. It’s now up to the most forward-thinking retailers to catch on as well. If presented with the correct facts, PGM Collection wedding bands will be a hit.

Excuse me, but is this your wedding ring?

State police stationed in Northampton, Massachusetts are looking for the owner of a yellow gold wedding ring that’s been stored at their barracks since 2001. Inscribed on the inside with the initials “L.M.A.,” the wedding ring was found at a nearby rest stop. It would be kinda nice if we could all harness the power of social media to help spread the word about this lost wedding ring, and find the individual that finds “L.M.A.” so meaningful. Now THAT would be a great wedding ring story!

Read the whole lost wedding ring story at MassLive.com. And find it in your heart to post this story to your Facebook. Who knows? It may have a happy ending.

Wedding band flushed down toilet is recovered.

Here’s a quirky little wedding band story from last year.  A woman’s two year old daughter flushes her wedding band down a toilet, and the Public Works Department of Piscataway, New Jersey recovered it using the latest technology. They have a camera to help infiltrate the tons of poop coming down to the sewage treatment plant – whew knew? So don’t swallow anything with a credit card number on it. It probably would have been more dramatic if the wedding band belonged to one of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. And the last line of the story is the best!

Read the original story at NJ.com.

Just another wedding planning website?

The wedding publication Inside Weddings just sent me an e-mail to tell me that their new website has launched, and their wedding website experience is one that I just don’t want to miss. Promising a fresh new look and in-depth wedding coverage, the new InsideWeddings.com is like any other wedding website in that it has a nice design and lots of information to offer. Is it earth shattering or ground breaking? Not exactly. But as an additional resource – it definitely should be put on any bride’s or groom’s list. Here are some article titles:

Matching Music To Your Wedding Style

Modern Invitation Rules

Confessions of a Former Groom

I like the fact that they have an article on music that doesn’t just list popular wedding songs. And that also there is a feature from the groom’s point-of-view. All-in-all, InsideWeddings.com is nice to visit, but they should come up with something different to engage the visitor even more - maybe something like hosting live chats or a video conference/webinar with a wedding expert.

The Jonny Mogambo Band - a Denver wedding band - rocks the house.

Are you planning a wedding in the Denver area? And have yet to book a wedding band? I just came across this article currently being featured on TheDenverDailyNews.com.

Apparently, the Jonny Mogambo Band is the cat’s meow for Denver-area wedding bands. A Denver Daily News employee attended the recent wedding for the publication’s Assistant Editor Peter Marcus and his wife, Barbara. They thought that the Jonny Mogambo Band “rocked the house.”

In the music industry, wedding bands are typically considered the lowest of the low, and often rightly so.

But on occasion, a group like the Jonny Mogambo Band plays a wedding reception and gets everyone — including the reclusive uncle — out on the dance floor to shake their stuff, elevating the festivities to a whole different level. It doesn’t hurt that Mogambo and his talented backing band aren’t just a wedding and private party band; the legitimate talents play original music, too.

However, when it came a wedding in Breckenridge earlier this month, Mogambo gave attendees exactly what they wanted, combing Johnny Cash, Talking Heads and Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti,” among many other bands and songs.

“I think we play a different array of music and we play it well,” said Mogambo. “We’re not anywhere close to a cheesy wedding band … People appreciate having a band that does a large amount of stuff and also has some originals and originality to them.”

Read more at TheDenverDailyNews.com.
 
By the way – I disagree with the story’s first line. The musicians I know that play in wedding bands work more than others that perform in many original and cover bands. The pay is much better as well. It sure beats playing four sets and having to split $400 in four different ways. Playing in a wedding band may seem less than sexy, but it puts more money in your pocket. And better food in your belly!

Artistic Academy is Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

   

Charity always begins within the heart, so I thought that it was definitely worth highlighting the current efforts of New Jersey’s Artistic Academy (a DePasquale Company). In this case, you might actually be able to say that charity begins with hair!

Artistic Academy is – as the company puts it – “not your ordinary beauty school.” Having personally toured its campus, the best way that I can sum up the Artistic Academy experience is just by saying that it offers all the benefits and frills of a high-end beauty school education while being affordable. I noticed that the school’s setting and atmosphere is more professional and much nicer than the few other schools that I have researched. If Artistic Academy sounds familiar, then that’s because you may recall seeing it on The Real Housewives of New Jersey (one of the wife’s daughter actually graduated from the school). So if the effects the economy has you considering a career change, and you live in Northern New Jersey, you may want to take a tour.

Artistic Academy is currently raising awareness for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Below is information from the official web page announcing the school’s involvement, and you can donate or volunteer to help with just a click of a button.

Artistic Academy is proud to support the American Cancer Society in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.  Artistic Academy understands the importance of making a difference in the world both professionally and personally.  "Be the Change...Choose to Make a Difference", is Artistic Academy's motto.  We have chosen to make a difference regarding breast cancer with Making Strides, and want to invite you to do the same.  Please assist us in helping to wipe out breast cancer in our lifetime.  Join us for a most inspirational day of unity and hope with thousands of walkers with one common goal. 

Only a cure for breast cancer will do....Nothing Less!

Click here to donate or volunteer.

Wedding bands featured on a newly re-launched website - WrightandLato.com.

A few months ago, wedding band manufacturer Wright and Lato re-launched their corporate website WrightandLato.com. The site features wedding bands made in traditional precious metals like platinum, palladium and gold, but also highlights some new alternative metal designs as well.

Below is a guide to some of the more interesting wedding bands made by Wright and Lato. American wedding band manufacturer Novell Design Studio acquired the fifty year old company about three years ago, and applied their customization capabilities to update Wright and Lato’s wedding band manufacturing process. Click on the links to go to the highlighted wedding band’s detail page to see a high resolution picture, and to learn more about each item.

Find an authorized Wright and Lato wedding band retailer for all pricing and manufacturing questions. And be sure to keep in mind that just because you see a metal in gold, then you can also get it made in platinum or palladium. "Customization" means that almost all of their precious metal wedding band styles can be made in different metals, widths and finishes.

Wedding band C2954/6GW - a hand chaste gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4358/7GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4371/6GW - a carved gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4397-6GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4443/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4450/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4453/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4623/6GW - a hammered gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4653/7GW -a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4654/7GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold

Wedding band C4876/7GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4878/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4879/7GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4884/7GW - a gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band L4801/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band L4803/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band L4804/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4222/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4476/7GW - a carved gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band L4809/6G - a wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7912/5GP - a platinum wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7917/6GP - a platinum wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7921/6GP - a platinum wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7922-5GP - a carved platinum wedding band that is 5mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X2001/6GQP - a unique platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well. 

Wedding band X2003-7GQP - a carved platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2004-7GQP - a carved platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2005-7GQP - a unique platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2006-7GQP - a platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2007-7GQP - a platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2008-7GQP - a platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X2009-7GQP - a platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band C4660/7GWA - a diamond gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C1700/5GW - a hand chaste gold wedding band that is 5mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C3023/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4479/6GW - a hammered gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7920/6GP - a hammered gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4479-6G - a wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4360-7GT - a two-tone hammered wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X2000/6GQP - a platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band C4686/6GW - a gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/2GW - a white gold wedding band that is 2mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/4GW - a white gold wedding band that is 4mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/5GW - a white gold wedding band that is 5mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/6GW - a white gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/2G - a yellow gold wedding band that is 2mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/4G - a yellow gold wedding band that is 4mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/5G - a yellow gold wedding band that is 5mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C4898/6G - a yellow gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7501/7G - a titanium wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7504/7G - a titanium wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7505/7G - a titanium wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7521/6G - a titanium wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7523/6G - a titanium wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C7534/7G - a titanium wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can also be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band C75703-7G - a black titanium wedding band that is 7mm wide, and features a cable inlay.

Wedding band C75704-9G - a titanium wedding band that is 9mm wide, and has a satin finish.

Wedding band C75700-7GSS - a stainless steel wedding band that is 7mm wide and has a black center.

Wedding band C75701-8GSS - a stainless steel wedding band that is 8mm wide. This wedding band also features a rose colored finish with a cable inlay.

Wedding band C75702-8GSS - a stainless steel wedding band that is 8mm wide.

Wedding band C75800-8GC - a ceramic wedding band that is 8mm wide, and features an orange carbon fiber inlay.

Wedding band C75801-8GC - a black cermaic wedding band that is 8mm wide.

Wedding band C75802-8GC - a black cermaic wedding band that is 8mm wide, and features a high polished finish with a carbon fiber inlay.

Wedding band X4245/7GW - a braided gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4301/6GW - a braided gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X2002/6GQP - a braided platinum-palladium combination wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in all platinum, palladium or gold as well.

Wedding band X3123/5GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4051/7GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4181/7GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4195/6GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4222/6GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 6mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Wedding band X4378/7GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold

Wedding band X4441/7GT - a two-tone gold wedding band that is 7mm wide, and can be specially created in platinum, palladium or gold.

Real housewife Bethenny Frankel graces cover of Engagement 101 Magazine.

I guess even real housewives find true happiness, because Bethenny Frankel is in love! The fan-favorite housewife from The Real Housewives of New York City, and author of The New York Times bestseller Naturally Thin, tells all to Engagement 101 about the “skinny girl” diet craze and her great relationship with Jason Hoppy. The wedding and engagement magazine's new issue hits the newsstands by the end of August.

Engagement 101’s celebrity lifestyle issue aims at bringing the luxury of celebrity lifestyles to the real world. Today where the economy has a looming affect on everyone’s lives, the celebrity lifestyle issue provides affordable and reasonable alternatives to having the perfect engagement without having to make sacrifices. This issue proves that anyone can be a star! 

Engagement 101 Magazine is the first and only medium that targets men and women who are thinking of getting engaged. In addition to the print magazine, Engagement 101 has an active web presence that includes blogging, social networking, a web TV series and more. Currently, the online Engagement 101 community is now at 1,000,000 visitors and counting!

Disclaimer – I picked the above information directly from Engagement 101 Magazine’s recent press release to formulate this post. I tried to think of words that would best describe this publication, but in the end decided that their words – and their passion – better captures the essence of Engagement 101 Magazine.

Planning a backyard wedding? "Your Americana Wedding Guide" offers some tips.

Here are some tips for planning your do-it-yourself (DIY) or Americana-themed wedding. Everyone likes a backyard wedding – right? I find that these weddings have more character and a more personal touch than those held at most wedding halls. Save a few bucks and add your flair to your very own backyard wedding. After all, you are only supposed to have one wedding, so make it count.

Your Americana Wedding Guide

Inspired by road trips, county fairs, and good old-fashioned rock and roll, here's a wedding planning guide to capturing the spirit of your timeless American romance.

Read the entire article “Your Americana Wedding Guide.”

Re-designed PreciousPlatinum.com hightlights Novell wedding bands and engagement rings.

Platinum is the pure, precious and premium metal that lies close to this blog’s heart (if that is indeed possible). Any time I can help “spread the word” about platinum, I am always happy to help out in any way that I can.

Platinum Guild International, the jewelry industry’s leading authority on platinum wedding bands, wedding rings and engagement rings, has recently re-launched their consumer website - PreciousPlatinum.com. The newly redesigned site not only features cutting-edge updates to many of PreciousPlatinum.com’s most popular online components such as the Design Gallery, but now also features brand new innovative tools to help retailers and designers reach their target consumer and ultimately grow their businesses.

PreciousPlatinum.com highlights many well-know designers and manufacturers of bridal jewelry, and also includes several of American wedding band company Novell’s wedding band and engagement ring designs. Some of these wedding band and engagement ring styles are:

Brand new platinum and diamond engagement ring with a matching platinum wedding band for her.

Platinum engagement ring with matching platinum wedding bands for him and her.

Please visit an authorized Novell wedding band retailer to learn more about their platinum designs.

Please help create awareness for children with Xeroderma Pigmentosum.

Okay. So the wedding is over, and your life is getting into full swing. And for most brides and grooms, eventually the idea of children comes into the picture. While we all hope and pray that everyone’s children will be born happy, healthy and live a long and normal life, unfortunately many will not. With this in mind, a very rare condition affecting hundreds of children in America, and thousands worldwide, recently got my attention.

Yesterday, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi was a guest on WFAN’s Mike Francesa sports radio program. Mr. Girardi was speaking very passionately about Xeroderma Pigmentosum, an unusual genetic disorder that does not allow the skin to properly repair itself from exposure to UV light sources. Children afflicted with Xeroderma Pigmentosum – or XP – must avoid sunlight all together. A lot of their time is spent indoors and out of sunlight’s way, but they can venture outside at night after the sun is down. And on July 24th, the Yankees hosted children with Xeroderma Pigmentosum at a night game against the Oakland A’s to help raise awareness of this condition (the Yankees won 6-3 – by the way).

A summer camp created to host children with Xeroderma Pigmentosum from all over the world has existed since 1996. The Camp Sundown Retreat House in Craryville, New York, offers a unique night camp program which gathers families and scientists from around the globe to share support, recreation, information and friendship under the safety of the stars. However, due to a lack of funds, the camp had to be shortened from its normal length of eight weeks to just two this year. Therefore, families with a child afflicted with Xeroderma Pigmentosum will unfortunately be lacking the complete Camp Sundown experience.

The current economic condition has impacted many America’s spending ability in many, many ways. But what struck me was that because of this recession, charitable fundraising is something that is also heavily affected. And while we all truly need to save a buck or two during these times, imagine if you were a family that needed Camp Sundown as a resource. Therefore, I am reaching out to readers to please be aware of Camp Sundown’s needs, and please, please, please help out in any way that you can. Xeroderma Pigmentosum – like any disease – is a horrible affliction. But because it only affects a few hundred American children, it’s not getting the attention that it deserves. But should this overall inattention mean that these families should suffer or be forced to miss a key part of their life? I don’t think so. And hopefully you agree.

To learn more about XP and Camp Sundown, please visit www.xps.org/campsundown.htm.

Learn how to help Camp Sundown through your own fundraising efforts.

Michael O’Connor offers men wedding band advice on GroomsAdvice.com.

Michael O’Connor, the “go to” source for bridal jewelry trends in America, recently was a guest blogger for GroomsAdvice.com. Mr. O’Connor gives some very practical advice for choosing the right metal and design for your wedding band or wedding ring selection. As it turns out, all the research that most men do on the 4 C’s in order to pick out the right diamond for an engagement ring doesn’t help a man much when picking out his wedding band or wedding ring. Therefore, it’s necessary to be familiar with the common metal choices, as well as some variations related to the design of a wedding band or wedding ring, and then make a truly education decision. I agree 100% with Mr. O’Connor’s article. As I always say – an educated consumer is the jewelry industry’s best customer. Now if I can only get more jewelers to agree! Just kidding.

Here’s a highlight and key philosophy behind this article:

“When purchasing anything you wear it is important to keep in mind two things: where you will be wearing the item and how you will be wearing the item. Male wedding bands are no different.  You need to remember that you will be wearing it: 1. As a sign of your important commitment. 2. With everything that you choose from the time you put it on. 3. Every day, for life. Therefore it’s important to choose wisely from both a style perspective and a materials perspective.”

Read all of “What Do You Know About Wedding Bands” on GroomsAdvice.com (Groom Wedding Blog by TheManRegistry.com)…

NPR's "All Things Considered" asks listeners to submit worst wedding song selections.

The NPR radio program All Things Considered asked listeners to submit the least appropriate selections that they have actually witnessed for wedding songs. Such choices have been “Send in the Clowns,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling (!),” and “Just a Gigalo (!!!!!!!).” And a reader comments about the common selection of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” which is not really an ode to love, but a declaration that the singer is crazy for loving the other person. Yowzaa! I am surprised that “Like a Rolling Stone” didn’t make the cut! And where's Metallica's "Fade to Black?"

Read “The Least Appropriate Wedding Songs Ever”…

Jewelry retailers (and their brand) are disappearing - what's next to take their place?

So - where are you going to buy your wedding bands and wedding rings? This AOL.com article about disappearing brands highlights a few longstanding established jewelry retailers that have gone "bye-bye." Does this mean that the Internet will finally be a channel for jewelry that will go into high double-digits for market share, and push out even more jewelry stores out-of-business down the road?
 
From AOL.com:

"Consumers are buying less bling these days, as the recession forces them to cut back on spending on baubles. In the last year, jewelry-retail bankruptcies have been on the rise. Those that couldn't emerge from bankruptcy and had to close down include Fortunoff, Whitehall Jewelers, Friedman’s, and Christian Bernard."

What brides and grooms are saying about wedding bands, engagement rings and more.

Modern Jeweler recently featured stats shared by The Knot.com about engagement ring, wedding band and wedding ring purchases. Over 9,500 brides and grooms were surveyed to relate their experiences when purchasing their bridal jewelry. Here are some of the most interesting – yet basic – findings.

• 60% of brides’ wedding bands have diamonds (BLING!).
• Only 15% of grooms’ wedding bands have diamonds (not so BLING!).
• 33% of grooms’ wedding bands are comfort fit, as opposed to only 14% for the brides
• Only 15% purchased wedding bands that match.
• 70% of brides opted for white gold bands – and white gold is not naturally white (say “hello” to my little friend “Rhodium”)
• 15% of the women surveyed bought platinum! This is down from 30% just a few years back in 2005.
• 40% of the men bought white gold wedding bands (down from 47% in 2005).
• Approximately 33% of men’s wedding bands and wedding rings are created from contemporary metals.
• 19% of all men’s wedding bands are made from tungsten.
• Only 7% of the grooms bought a platinum wedding band (down from 24% in 2005).
• 56% of the brides feel knowledgeable about the metal options available for bridal jewelry.

Only 7% bought a platinum wedding band! Get outta town! Well, the market price of platinum is higher now than it was in 2005, but not twice as much. More like a few hundred dollars more. But there was a time in between that platinum was over $2000 per ounce. Holy platinum cow! As of this post, platinum resides in the $1100 range per ounce, but gold is only $60-$100 less at times. So for just a bit more, you can get a naturally white platinum wedding band.

And as far as only 56% of the brides feel knowledgeable about the metal options available for bridal jewelry, I feel that this number should be much, much higher. Look at it this way – a wedding band, wedding ring or engagement ring can be for most a major purchase. It may even be a significant luxury purchase. Consumer behavior dictates that people tend to do a lot of research on cars, houses, fine wines, wardrobes, and even the MP3s that they buy from iTunes. But only 56% of the brides surveyed feel secure discussing their metal options? Once again, I will say it – consumers need to be educated about their metal options for wedding bands, wedding rings and engagement rings before they enter a store to make a purchase.

To learn more about The Knot’s survey, read What Brides Say About Rings....and You. It has a retail slant, but it’s very educational.

Platinum jewelry buyer’s guide on PreciousPlatinum.com.

 

Do you need some addition help understanding platinum and what it’s about? PreciousPlatinum.com has just developed a brand new online platinum buyer’s guide section dedicated to demystifying platinum. Learn all you need to know about the qualities associated with platinum, what to look for in a platinum ring, different types of platinum designs, proper budgeting for purchasing platinum bridal jewelry, and much more. It’s you one stop shopping for all of your platinum educational needs. And a must read for before you make a trip to the local jewelry store. PreciousPlatinum.com’s platinum jewelry buyer’s guide is also available as an easy to download PDF, so you can brush up on your platinum facts even if you are not online.

Visit the platinum jewelry buyer’s guide on PreciousPlatinum.com.

 

Some more thoughts about jewelry made in America.

For the month of June 2009, Google Adwords keyword tool shows that over 200,000 Internet searchers looked for information pertaining to the term “American made.” Yet there are not enough results about “American made jewelry” to even show an estimate as to how many people searched for it. Globally, the keyword tool shows that approximately 590 individuals search for “American made jewelry” in a month. Overall, I am extremely disappointed that there really isn’t a strong association between “American made” and “made in America” to the term “jewelry.” And “jewelry” is searched millions upon millions of times a month. Yet there’s little interest in finding out if there’s jewelry that’s made in America.

Believe me, it’s not that I am against they idea of imported luxury goods as a whole. If there is a demand, then there must be a supplier and an American retailer is making hopefully money. However, I do feel that it’s necessary to support our American craftsmen that are struggling right now. And while many imported pieces of jewelry are most likely of the generic variety, I still think that my fellow Americans should take a good hard look as to where the jewelry they are purchasing was manufactured. When it comes to jewelry, I firmly believe in American craftsmanship. Yes – it’s nice to save a few dollars on wedding bands, wedding rings and many other jewelry items. But we need to pay it forward regarding our own industries and economy in general.

Just a thought.