Buying gold jewelry for your store can be a complicated business. It is important for you to do your research so that you can avoid the traps that await you as a wholesale gold jewelry buyer. It is to your advantage to take the time effort to know what your customers want and compare the different price points being offered.

Start by making a customer profile: what type of designs, styles and price points they prefer. It is wise to keep the current popular trends in mind when you are buying your inventory, this can help you to attract new customers as well as give your current customers new gold jewelry designs to consider. If you are new to the gold jewelry business, and do not have an established clientele, you can begin with a combination of classic and contemporary designs for broad market appeal. Selecting yellow, rose or white gold jewelry in 18kt, 14kt and 10kt grades will give you a range of sales opportunities.

In your pursuit, you will no doubt come across a gold jewelry vendor who uses the strategy of "wholesale to public". This may sound tempting, but according to the Lanham Act, in the section that deals with federal trademark/unfair competition rules, those who make these types of claims by stating a false or misleading description of fact as to the origin of there goods can be held liable in a civil action.

In addition, gold jewelry vendors should be aware of the FTC Guideline that clearly states: "retailers should not advertise a retail price as a 'wholesale' price. In other words, they should not represent that they are selling at 'factory' prices when they are not selling at the prices paid by those purchasing directly from the manufacturer."

Dealing with unethical vendors can also damage the reputation of your business, because you may sacrifice quality for a low price. But your customers rely on your judgments when making the selections that they eventually purchase and once a complaint of substandard goods from a dissatisfied customer is made, it can be very difficult to re-establish their trust.

By definition, a wholesaler is a person who deals directly with the manufacturer. This assures you of quality; you will be able to get the information and support your need because they are in constant contact with the gold jewelry source. A reputable gold jewelry wholesale business also has a reputation to protect and will work with you until you are satisfied. When your select your gold jewelry wisely from a reputable source, it is easier to set your price point reasonably. Using this practice can win over the most skeptical customers, even those who may feel that retail gold jewelry is overpriced.

Another point to remember is that your main competition for the gold jewelry customer can be found in abundance on the Internet. When a customer enters your store it offers you the opportunity to make their real-world buying experience unique, satisfying and rewarding in a way that the Internet cannot offer.

A little bit of history

Although body piercing jewelry was not popular until about 20 years ago, it actually has a very long history. In ancient Egypt, only the royal family had the right to have body piercing. In fact, only the Pharaoh at that time had belly button piercing, any other people with a belly button ring would have been executed. For Egyptians, body jewelry was a way of embellishing the beauty of human bodies. On the other hand, around 2000 years ago, as mentioned in Bible, body piercing jewelry was very popular among nomadic tribes as a sign of wealth. Also, the roman warriors used to get nipple piercing as a sign of strength and virility. However, in the last 400-500 years, body jewelry has been restricted to mainly ear piercing until the last two decades.

Choices of metal
There are many choices for the metal used to make body jewelry. Since piercing could be in sensitive and delicate area of the body such as lip and tongue, the material has to be biological inert to prevent corrosion and infection. Common metals for making body jewelry are surgical steel, titanium, niobium, platinum and 14kt and 18kt gold. The primary reason for the above metals to be popular with body jewelry is that they are hypoallergenic and are absolutely safe to wear. Sterling silver body jewelry is not recommended because would tarnish and some of them contain nickel, which some people are allergic to. It is recommended to use surgical steel right after the piercing during the healing period to allow a faster healing process and minimize the chance of infection.

Types of body jewelry

Since the resurgence of body jewelry, many types of body jewelry became available in the market. The common body jewelry categories are navel rings, lip and tongue labrets, nostril rings, eyebrows barbells, ear plugs and nipple rings. In fact, the piercing technique employed by most of the body jewelry store is so mature and safe that you can put body jewelry wherever you want!

Fashion vs. Fine Jewelry

A decade ago, body jewelry was a symbol for rebellious and hip youth. Nowadays, however, it is a common trend just like earrings. This is shown by the fact that many celebrities are wearing them and the number of body jewelry piercing stores in the shopping mall is constantly increasing. This is a major fashion trend which we are now at the beginning of. As body jewelry becomes mainstream accessories, the style and quality are expected to improve tremendously. Body jewelry with natural semi-precious stones such as topaz and peridot are currently available in the market, soon body jewelry with gold and genuine diamonds will be as popular as diamond stud earrings. In fact, 14k and 18k gold body jewelry are good choices for gift to someone who are already part of this fashion jewelry trend resolution since they are truly precious and fashionable at the same time.

Copper does not rust, but it stains easily and water makes black spots on it. Soot in moist air reacts with the metal to produce a green deposit called 'verdigris'. Clean off verdigris and dirt by rubbing hard with a paste of powdered chalk and methylated spirits on a soft cloth. Use a fine steel wool on stubborn areas, but beware not to scratch your antique piece in the process. The final stage of polishing is to use a metal polish - a soft cloth buffing wheel on a power tool gives a deep shine, but over large surfaces, polishing by hand with a soft cloth achieves a finer finish.

Clean a brass antique by washing it in detergent, then rubbing it with a solution of 1-heaped tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Clean the old polish and dirt out of engraved brass with a solution of ammonia on a toothbrush, then with detergent and finally with clean water. Immerse badly corroded brass in a strong warm solution of washing soda for a hour, then wipe or brush the antique piece. If all the corrosion does not come off, repeat the process. Brush the stained parts with a glass brush, obtainable from a jewellers' supplier. Rub off spots of corrosion with scouring powder on a cloth or, if they are bad, with fine steel wool. Here, also, one should be very careful not to damage the antique with excessive rubbing. If scratches cannot be prevented then polish with a paste of whiting - a finely ground chalk obtainable at DIY shops. Dirty brass handles and fittings on antique furniture should, if possible, be removed before being cleaned. Otherwise, cleaning with polishes and lacquers will surely damage the wood.

Metal polish, a soft cloth and hard rubbing produce the best results on both metals and of course, the likelihood of damaging your valuable antique this way will be significantly reduced. Delicate engravings might be rubbed away using metal polishes so in this case, vegetable oil on a cloth and some extra rubbing will be a better option to bring it to a shine. On deeply engraved antique pieces, use a medium-soft toothbrush to get metal polish into all parts, then with a soft brush inside a duster to get it out. Finish with a soft cloth.

There is no substitute for the sheen obtained on copper and brass antiques by regular polishing, but clear lacquer, obtained from DIY and art shops, saves much of the work. Because lacquer goes cloudy in cold weather and picks up dust in the atmosphere, it should be applied in a warm dust-free room. Spray or brush the lacquer on to the metal and, if it eventually starts to crack or break up - acetone will remove it. If an antique has been mended with soft solder, paint on a coloured lacquer to match or approximate to the true colour of the metal. Do not apply lacquer to a mended spot if the antique is 'raw', this will make a brighter patch that may not match the original sheen.

Dents in copper and brass antique pieces are best removed by pressing the metal against a short length of wood, shaped at one end to fit the curve of the damaged article. Press and rub against the shaped end until the dent is removed. Hammering is not advisable, although hammering with a 'planishing' hammer from the inside against a leather cushion is a professional method. Fractures in brass and copper antiques can be mended by soft soldering but cast brass is heavy and hard soldering or brazing makes a much better job of such joins.

It's no surprise that palladium has been given a resurgence in popularity since its fall from grace after the end of the second world war. Due to the extraordinarily high prices of gold and platinum, jewellers are being forced to find alternatives at a price point that appeals to the consumer.

Palladium joins the ranks of Titanium and Zirconium to become the next designer metal due to its ease of workability, value for money, bright white colour and the craving of the public for something different.

With a density lower than platinum, palladium lends itself to designs where weight is an important factor, for example earrings and necklaces. Bolder designs become more affordable and comfortable to wear and the ease of stone setting benefits many pieces.

Casting palladium does not present much of a problem to casters familiar with working platinum. Although the melting temperature (1552°C) is nowhere near that of platinum, it still requires a highly controlled process in order to produce good consistent quality castings and it is advisable to treat it as you would platinum.

Palladium should not be marketed as a competitor to platinum. If it must have an equivalent then perhaps it should be compared to 14K white gold with the added advantage of a brighter white colour and the lack of need to rhodium plate, which, incidently, is the single biggest complaint from the public about white gold when ugly yellow patches start to appear where it was once bright white. Imagine your joy as a retailer not having to see the disappointed look on your customers face when they appear in your shop clutching an item of jewellery that needs replating.

It does truly seem that this time palladium could be here for some time yet.

Today there is a wonderful opportunity in wholesale cubic zirconia jewelry from the current marketplace trend; consumers are turning more to this synthetic gem because the quality has improved tremendously. It has always been well known as a substitute for diamond, due to its high hardness and great fire, now it is established as a gorgeous gem in its own right.

Cubic zirconia is a beautiful synthetic gemstone that is durable, inexpensive and now even comes in many fashionable colors, making it even more attractive. Many cubic zirconia jewelry buyers have been turned off by the diamond marketplace, as more diamond mines open, the prices of diamonds continue to decline, making it a less than attractive investment today than in times past.

It is because cubic zirconia jewelry has earned the reputation as the most realistic simulator of a diamond and is inexpensive to produce, it has become the target of many manufacturers looking to make a quick profit. Creating wholesale cubic zirconia jewelry with substandard stones or cheap metal settings. This defeats the whole purpose of why consumers buy cubic zirconia jewelry in the first place; because they want the look of real diamonds. Good quality diamond jewelry would never be mounted in 9 carat or even 14 carat gold.

Real diamond jewelry is almost always set in 18 carat gold, sometimes platinum. When you are buying wholesale cubic zirconia jewelry that can look realistically like diamond jewelry, look for a real diamond mount, that set the stones properly. When cubic zirconia jewelry is mounted in this manner, to the naked eye, they are impossible to tell apart from diamonds. It is important to keep your customers in mind when you are making your wholesale cubic zirconia selections.

When you are shopping for wholesale cubic zirconia jewelry make sure you check for quality in its main features. Its hardness: it ranks 8.5 on Moh's Scale of Hardness and a white streak. Starting with weight, a 6.5mm cubic Zirconia is equal in size to a one-carat diamond and actually weighs about 1.75 carats, about 75% heavier than a diamond. In terms of brilliance, cubic zirconia has slightly less sparkle than a diamond and more fire or flashes to color. And purity, cubic zirconia is flawless whereas a diamond usually contains impurities and inclusions, but cubic zirconia is softer and more brittle than a diamond. Cubic zirconia's refractive index of 2.176, compared to a diamonds 2.417.

Bear in mind that many people are buying cubic zirconia jewelry for its own beauty and attraction, not looking for a diamond substitute at all. This reality creates an even stronger motivation for seeking out quality wholesale cubic zirconia jewelry. By taking the time and effort to test the quality of gemstones and ensure that the metals used in the settings are compatible, your profits will increase, your customers will be happier with their purchases and they will have an incentive to return to you for the next time they are ready to buy cubic zirconia jewelry.

Adorning the body with gold is a sensual experience. Gold jewelry for body piercing is extremely popular today, a revival from a long history from the earliest humans on earth. Whether your interest in body piercing stems from the desire to be fashionable, as a status symbol or to heighten your sexual enjoyment, popular demand has increased the number of piercing studios and choices in gold body jewelry.

Today’s body piercing evolved from different cultures across the globe. This ancient art could well be the most widely practiced form of body adornment. It was also practiced by the Romans who saw nipple piercing as a sign of courage, in addition to using them to attach their cloaks. The Kama Sutra from classical India depicts scenes of genital piercing. We find evidence of ears, lips and hands being pierced in South America, Africa and Borneo.

Today body piercing artists have taken this heritage and combined it with modern hygiene and piercing techniques, creating new types of piercings such as the 'diath and rook' invented by Eric Dakota. The most notable change in the nature of body piercing came a few years ago when fashion world models strutted the catwalk with navel and eyebrow piercings, creating a new wave of general public interest. This opened up a new realm of possibilities for people and confirmed to those already in the know the wide extent of the practice.

Practical Guide to Body Piercing

When you decide to have any part of your body pierced, remember that this is more than fashion, it involves your health. It is wise to keep these points in mind:


* The piercing studio should be registered, check for the appropriate permits and certificates.

* The person who performs your body piercing should wear gloves, protective clothing, hair covering and should wash their hands before they pierce you.

* All instruments should be sterilized and all surfaces, including the floor are smooth and wipe able.

* Only disposable needles should be used, with all dressings (gauze, cotton pads) and gold body jewelry sterile packed.



Piercing Guns

The gold body jewelry used with ear piercing guns are not ideal for piercing for several reasons, first being that the guns cannot be sterilized because they are made of plastic and would melt in the sterilization unit. Second, they do not provide a clean, surgical cut, the jewelry is forced through the tissue, causing extensive trauma, because the ends are rounded, not sharp. Piercings done in this fashion are slow to heal and there is an increased risk of inflammation and/or infection.

After Care

Piercings done with the proper equipment usually take from six to eight weeks to heal at which time the jewelry can be changed without any problem. Quality aftercare of your piercing has a great impact on the amount of time your body needs. Healing is one thing, it takes much more time for the pierced skin to adjust and be accepted by your body. After the initial change, is it s a good idea for the jewelry to be left in the piercing at all times for at least the first six months but a longer period is better.

One of the world’s most popular gemstones, Amethyst is classified today as a semi-precious gem. However, from pre-biblical times in ancient Mesopotamia, right up to the European Middle Ages, Amethyst was regarded as a precious gem. During the latter part of this period Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby and Amethyst were attributed the joint title of the five ‘Cardinal Gems.’ Amethysts inclusion into the ‘Cardinal Gem’ set was due to the association made by Pharaohs, Kings, and of course Cardinals, who all held Amethyst’s purple color representative of the highest echelons of society.

By today’s standards the color purple is commonplace, and is easily bought as tincture and paint from any local hardware store. However, prior to the wonders of modern science purple dye was the single most rarest nuance available in nature. According to the Greek philosopher and tutor of ‘Alexander The Great,’ Aristotle: “In it’s purest form it possesses a value ten to twenty times its weight in gold!”

Legend has it that the first purple dye was discovered by Herakle-Melqart (city god of Tyr) who was walking along the Levantine shoreline with the nymph Tyrus. His dog found a Murex snail and devoured it, which left a beautiful purple color around the dog's mouth. Tyrus saw the color and told Herakle-Melqart she would not accept his courtship until he brought her a robe of the same color. So he collected the Murex shells, extracted the dye, and tinted the first garment purple.

The Levantine coast where they walked was an area that today encapsulates the city of Sur in modern Lebanon, known in pre-biblical times as Tyr. For thousands of years, this part of Lebanon was known as Canaan or Phoenicia, which literally translated meant ‘The Land Of Purple.’

Although the earliest purple dyes were found in Minoan pottery glazes on the island of Crete, circa 1900 B.C., Phoenicia and its principal city of Tyr were the first to exploit the Murex’s purple dye commercially. Tyrian texts mention the Murex’s dye as early as 1600 B.C., from where it became Tyr’s principal source of income for 100’s of years. It is from this geographical origin that we get the name ‘Tyrian Purple.’ It should be noted that by today’s standards the ancient purples, known as porpora, were more red than purple. They varied from a fiery red, to viola and an almost red-black.

The Murex dye industry proved to be so lucrative to the Tyrians that the shell was adopted as a symbol of Tyr appearing on their earliest coinage alongside their city god, Melqart. Over the course of time, and through extensive trade networks stretching from Babylonia, Egypt, Persia, and Rome the Murex’s highly coveted dye became synonymous with wealth and an exotic trade rarity reserved for the rich.

Of all countries that Phoenicia was to trade the Murex dye with it was Italy who would become her most loyal customer. The Phoenicians first traded in Italy with the Etruscans, a society of artisans particularly skilled in the art of jewelry fabrication. However, it was with the creation of Imperial Rome by Romulus in 753 B.C. that the Murex’s purple dye began to be synonymous with power, wealth and position.

Pliny the Elder, author of the world’s first Encyclopedia in the 1st century A.D. wrote: “I find that, from the very first, purple has been in use at Rome, but that Romulus employed it for the trabea…” The trabea was similar to the toga, and decorated with purple stripes. There were various kinds of trabea; one was completely purple and sacred to the gods, another was purple and white and was the royal robe worn by kings such as Romulus and later Tullus Hostilius. Pliny continues: “As to the toga prætexta (a toga bordered with purple, worn by magistrates and free-born children) and the laticlave vestment (a purple badge of the senatorial order), it is a fact well ascertained, that Tullus Hostilius was the first king who made use of them…” From this use as a status symbol in early Imperial Rome it was a matter of time until purple assumed another moniker, ‘Imperial Purple.’

Hundreds of years later, with the demise of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the Byzantine Empire, the usage of ‘Imperial Purple’ and ‘Tyrian Purple’ had been strictly reserved for nobility and the church. By the fall of Byzantium in 1453 the Murex shell had all but vanished, and in 1464 the Pope Paul II introduced the ‘Cardinal's Purple,’ authorizing the use of cochineal insect to dye cardinals' and archbishops' robes instead. The ‘Cardinal Purple’ of the cochineal was much closer to what we call purple than the Murex’s ‘Tyrian’ or ‘Imperial’ variety, and led to our modern interpretation of purple being a mixture of red and blue.

From this point in time onwards Amethyst, echoing the same purple coloration, became a regular feature in the ornamentation of Rome’s holy men, worn as rings and amulets as a sign of pious virtue. It is from these various associations that Amethyst, with its emblematic colors of the Roman Catholic Church, took its place amongst diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald as a ‘Cardinal Gem.’

A layman would say that you should spend two month’s salary on buying an engagement ring. But, the confusion is from where & how to start? Buying an engagement ring is a piece of cake; buying a good one is a little trickier.

A diamond engagement ring could be one of the biggest purchases you’ve ever made. It is both a financial and an emotional investment for the lifetime. It doesn’t stand as a symbol of your undying love only-- it will also tell her that you care enough to choose only the best. And we know how hard a decision it can be.

This is where we can help...

To get her to pick the ring of her choice would be the easiest way but, will you want to miss the pleasure of surprising her? Just recall if she ever shared her preferences regarding style of the ring or type of diamond with you. If not, a short tutorial is here to help you. With this, you’re sure to find a perfect ring that she will like.

The diamond plays the most significant role in a diamond engagement ring. So its always advisable to have some education before you look at your diamond. A diamond’s value is determined by four factors called it’s 4Cs. (Cut, Carat, Color & Clarity)

Cut – Cut determines brilliance of a diamond. Each diamond shape has its own set of guidelines for what makes a Premium or Good cut. The most popular and commonly preferred shape for diamonds is the round brilliant cut. A traditional woman will always like this shape. Another much loved shape is the princess-cut or square. It best fits those modern women who want a blend of class & style.

Carat – It is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. Each Carat is divided into 100 parts called 'points.' A 1 carat diamond has 100 points, a ½ carat diamond has 50 points so on. Although 1 carat diamond is a popular choice but you can always go for bigger diamonds of 2 or 3 carats, depending upon your budget.

Color & Clarity - the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is, other factors being equal. There is diamond color grading system which uses alphabets from D through M. Diamonds with a color grade of D, E or F are most colorless; G, H, and I are near colorless. Picking a diamond from the color grade of G, H, I is a good idea as it looks white and beautiful to a naked eye & has a good value.

Clarity refers to how much clear a diamond is internally. The fewer and less obvious the inclusions, the more valuable the diamond. There is a clarity grading scale; F-IF (flawless), VVS1-VVS2 (very-very slight inclusions), VS1-VS2, SI1-SI2 & so on. I recommend that you select an “eye-clean” diamond – where inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. But if you’d rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, go for SI1-SI2 clarity. If you want better clarity yet budget conscious, choose a diamond with H or I color.

Finally, decide upon the type of metal you want your diamond to hold in. Gold has always been a desired metal, but platinum is getting popularity these days. It’s purity, beauty & luster perfectly compliment diamonds and it’s durability & strength ensures that your engagement ring will last a lifetime. As I told earlier that gold is the most popular option and is available in 14K & 18K and in both yellow & white colors. If you want the look & beauty of platinum while staying in budget, go for 14K white gold.

No matter what diamond engagement ring you buy, as long as it's given with all your love, your bride-to-be is sure to love it. Good Luck!