Shop and compare this holiday season, we will appraise the 70% off items that you find in other stores. Orloff Jewelers, your family owned jeweler for more than 50 years.

It is also believed to originate from Egypt and referred to as “gems of the sun,”  since they would shine brilliantly under the desert sun. Early Egyptians  used peridot cups to drink out of in hopes to be closer to the Goddess of nature, Isis. Early people even used peridot for medicinal purposes to help with asthma and heart conditions. When crushed and placed under the tongue, it was believed to ward off evil spirits and bring courage.

Many also believed that the “emeralds” worn by Cleopatra, were actually peridot gems that were one of Cleopatra’s favorites stones.

Give the gift of vitality signifying strength in any relationship with a peridot gem. Show that special someone your loyalty and faithfulness with this beautiful gem.  Peridot also makes for a perfect 16th wedding anniversary! Take a look at some of these gift ideas that will have your special someone dazzling in the sun.

We would love to hear which is your favorite and your feedback with your thoughts on peridot gems!!

Let’s start by having some background about rubies.

The most precious rubies come from Burma, now known as Myanmar located in southeast Asia.  Rubies are also known as the mineral Corundum which is one of the most durable minerals. On the Mohs scale, the ruby places a hardness of 9 which is second the diamond.

Now, let’s get to the most important quality: the color. Rubies can come in different shades of red ranging from a deep red to a purplish red. The most popular and sought out shade is called “pigeon blood-red.”

The color is deep and the glow is intense to the naked eye.  The color is so deep and rich that it radiates romance.  When out looking for that perfect ruby, look for that pigeon blood-red to show the love and devotion from within your heart.

Above are some of the most popular cuts for all precious gems.  Th most popular cut that shows the true beauty of the ruby is the cushion cut. Choose the ruby that expresses your feelings for that special someone and find out just how capturing this gem is.

We love your feedback, let us know what you think of rubies!

Eminem and Dr. Dre                                             Tom Hanks

Justin Bieber                                                   Prince Harry

These watches are known for their durability and their tough high-tech style.  There are different styles along with a great selection of colors. The “G” in the name stands for gravity and it is promised to withstand high drops, have a 10 year battery life, and 200 meter water-resistance.  Primarily designed for sports, military, and outdoor oriented activities because of their superior resistance and stopwatch like features. G-Shock is also for the ladies….

America’s Next Top Model winners Jasleen and Eva, Rihanna

Tell us which one is your favorite and whether you want to see them at Orloff jewelers!!

Do the slippers on the left look familiar? Harry Winston’s ruby slippers inspired by The Wizard of Oz have 4,600 rubies and are estimated at 3 million dollars. These strappy sandals on the right are by the designer Stuart Weitzman and have 642 Burmese rubies at an estimated 1.2 million dollars.   Talk about making a grand entrance!!

To some ancient cultures, the ruby was known as the “king of  gems” representing integrity, devotion, generosity, romance, and courage. It was also thought to cure blood diseases and to ensure good health when crushed to fine powder and placed on the tongue. The English royals would have mainly rubies on the crowns used in the coronation the new kings and queens. It was  thought to represent good fortune when rubies were worn on the left hand.

That makes it a great engagement ring! The ruby does represent romance and devotion equaling everlasting love!!  The ring pictured above as an example is a 2.72 carat Burmese ruby with diamonds on a 14k white gold ring. Burmese rubies are the most scarce and sought after gems for their superior clarity, hue and saturation.

Want more fun ruby facts?! Check out these fabulous expensive rubies that are out there!

The Heart of the Kingdom Ruby necklace worth 14 million dollars at a staggering 40.63 carats mounted on a 155 carat diamond necklace.

 In love with rubies yet? Tell us what you think!

Share your ruby story with us or leave us a comment for your chance to win a loose ruby!! We appreciate your feedback!

President of the California Jewelers Association for 2011.

                       LOS ANGELES — (February 7, 2011) — James Orloff of Orloff Jewelers in Fresno, has been elected President of the California Jewelers Association (CJA) for 2011, succeeding Stuart Benjamin of Stuart Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs in San Diego, as the head of the organization which serves retail jewelers, suppliers and designers throughout the state.

                       Other officers elected for 2011 include David Hayman, of David Hayman Jewellers, Yorba Linda, President-Elect; Brenda Newman, of The Jewelry Source, El Segundo, First Vice President; Sarah Ashoori, of Ashoori & Co. Jewelers, Visalia, Second Vice President; and Robert Marks, of Rogers Jewelry Co., Modesto, Treasurer.

            “We are pleased to announce that James Orloff of Orloff Jewelers in Fresno has been elected as President of the California Jewelers Association in 2011.  Orloff Jewelers is one of the Central Valley’s oldest family-owned businesses, and James is recognized throughout the United States as one of the most experienced jewelry appraisers,” said CJA Executive Director & CEO Rossana Aguilar.

James began his training at the age of five, under his father, Paul “Prince” Orloff at Prince Orloff Crown Jewelers, taking apart watches and polishing jewelry. When he was only eight years old, Orloff was grading diamonds; and, by age 15, Orloff had passed the Gemological Institute of America’s diamond grading test!

                        While attending school in Southern California, Orloff managed Cartier Jewelers in Costa Mesa and was later employed by Neiman Marcus Fine Jewelry in Beverly Hills. He earned his Graduate Gemologist designation from the Gemological Institute of America in 1970; and returned to Fresno in 1980 to join his father at Prince Orloff Crown Jewelers. By 1985, Orloff was a senior member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, and in 2005, he received his Certified Gemologist title from The American Gem Society.

                     Today, James and Mary Ann Orloff meet the challenges of the economy with integrity, quality and customer service, as their family has for over 50 years. Orloff Jewelers is also committed to giving back to the community, donating thousands of dollars to local nonprofits, hosting fundraising events at their store and providing jewelry as auction items.  They currently support numerous charities including: Children’s Hospital of Central California, Saint Agnes Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Girl Scouts of America, All About Care, Casa and others.

            “I’m thrilled to assume my new post and am most excited about CJA’s new consumer-based website, the CaratDiet.com, that features the best of celebrities and their red-carpet jewelry styles and trends, a diamond-buying guide and, best of all for CJA members, a store locator,” said Orloff.  “The association needed to find a way to stimulate business in California, and CJA’s cool new initiative was designed to educate consumers and to help them with their jewelry buying needs.”       

            Founded in 1933, the California Jewelers Association (CJA) represents the interests of jewelry professionals and is the largest state association of retail jewelers, suppliers and designers in the United States.  The California Jewelers Association advocates high ethical standards and aims to provide valuable resources for members and consumers.  In October 2010, CJA introduced their new consumer website: www.theCaratDiet.com and re-launched their trade website: www.CaliforniaJewelers.org.

            For more information on the California Jewelers Association or the Carat Diet call (213) 623-5722 or visit www.CaliforniaJewelers.org or  www.theCaratDiet.com.

- CJA Press Release. Feburary 2011

Read this great article by Michelle Graff about James and his new position as the President of the California Jewelers Association.

I had the opportunity recently to chat with newly inducted California Jewelers Association (CJA) President James Orloff about a cool new initiative the CJA has launched to help get recession-flogged California consumers interested in fine jewelry again.

TheCaratDiet.com, which National Jeweler briefly mentioned here, is a consumer-facing Web site that features the best of celebrities and their red-carpet jewelry styles, trend tips, a diamond-buying guide and, best of all for retailers, a store locator. Consumers can hop on site and covet a cool flower Amrapali ring sported by actress Emily Blunt or Rose McGowan’s M.C.L by Matthew Campbell Laurenza earrings. They get the shopping bug and then plug in their ZIP code to find the jeweler nearest them. Inclusion on the site is free to all CJA member jewelers; it’s part of what they pay for when they write their dues checks.

“The association needed to find a way to stimulate business in California,” said Orloff, owner of Orloff Jewelers in Fresno, Calif. “The CaratDiet keeps jewelry in front of the public: ‘This is what Angelina Jolie’s wearing. This is what Jennifer Aniston’s wearing.’”

“People identify with celebrities. They look at them because they’re in the public. And they could get away with saying, ‘I have something like hers.’”
While it’s still early in the site’s life–it only went up in October–Orloff said they’ve already had feedback from jewelers indicating that it’s generating business. The number of hits on TheCaratDiet.com also has risen steadily, from just 50 in its launch month, to 1,200 in December to more than 2,800 in January.

It’s a great Web site, not just in the concept but also in the execution. Orloff said the CJA brought on a Los Angeles-based marketing and communications agency MC Squared to design, launch and maintain the site, which they do with input from CJA leadership. I think TheCaratDiet.com is also a great example of how state jewelry associations can help out their retailers, even in the post-Jewelers of America (JA) partnership world.

In June 2009, JA announced that the economic downturn was forcing it to “redefine” its relationship with the state jewelry associations. Historically, retailers paid one flat fee for membership to both JA and their state associations. Since the redefinition, they’ve had to either choose one or make the decision to shell out dues for both, a change that had smaller associations with already-shrinking memberships rolls worried about losing more people.

Orloff indeed admits that CJA’s membership took somewhat of a hit when JA altered its structure, as the big chains, Zale, Kay/Jared, etc., chose JA. The launch of this site, however, wasn’t prompted by the shift. “That’s really not what it’s about. For the jewelers in California, the business two years ago was starting to fade,” Orloff said. “The CJA in itself is trying to perpetuate the value of the retail jeweler. This is for the California consumer.”

- Michelle Graff. 01/31/2011. http://njn.typepad.com/10x/2011/01/new-year-new-diet.html

Diamond Diet — The Four C’s

Read the rest at TheCaratDiet.com

America’s Best Jewelers announces 2010 recipients

 Dec 22, 2010

 New York—America’s Best Jewelers, the fine jewelry trade’s only retailer-exclusive social network, has announced the list of 39 jewelers nationwide that have earned the “America’s Best Jewelers 2010″ designation through their high level of operational excellence.

Produced and administered by National Jeweler, the America’s Best Jewelers program qualifies winning jewelers through a comprehensive benchmarking survey conducted in partnership with the Jewelers of America’s (JA) annual “Cost of Doing Business” survey. Launched in 2008, the ABJ program provides an avenue for jewelers to share successful strategies with their peers, offering a fresh approach to the educational offerings available to the jewelry retail community. Members meet to share best practices face-to-face at facilitated panel session conferences at the JA New York and Couture jewelry shows and online at ABJNetwork.com.

“Jewelers recognized with the America’s Best Jewelers designation this year were judged on their performance in 2009, which, as we all know, was an especially challenging year for our business,” said Whitney Sielaff, National Jeweler editorial director and ABJ program administrator. “These companies proved themselves through that trying period, demonstrating they could maintain excellence in disciplines across the full range of jewelry retaining operations, from human resources to marketing and financial performance. It’s inspirational to know that well-run companies can maintain high standards even when the going gets tough. Congratulations to all these fine jewelers.”

Jewelers receive the America’s Best Jewelers designation in one of two categories—Couture and Independents—based on factors including size, style of operation and range of product carried. For 2010, 17 companies earned the designation in the Couture category, and 22 earned it in the Independents category. The lists include both repeat winners from past years as well as emerging retail stars.

The winners in the Independents category for 2010 are:
- Orloff Jewelers, Fresno, Calif.

 - Thomas A. Davis Jeweler, Holland, Mich.
- Longnecker Jewelry, McCook, Neb.
- M. Foster Jeweler At River Oaks, Houston
- David Hayman Jewellers, Yorba Linda, Calif.
- Goodman’s Jewelers, Madison, Wisc.
- Almagem Corporation d/b/a Julz by Alan Rodriguez, Canton, Ohio
- Lexington Jewelers Inc., Lexington, Va.
- Howard’s Jewelery and Gifts Inc., Hazle Township, Pa.
- Peterson Jewelers, McCook, Neb.
- Thacker Jewelry, Lubbock, Texas
- Wallace Jewelers, Wheeling, W.V.
- Robison Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, Fla.
- David Craig Ltd., Langhorne, Pa.
- Riddles Group Inc., Rapid City, S.D.
- Dominic’s Fine Jewelry, Sterling Heights, Mich.
- Diamond Channel Inc. C/o Goldin Inc., Chicago
- Corbo Jewelers Inc., Rutherford, N.J.
- Decker Diamond Jewelers, Ebensburg, Pa.
- Goldsmith Jewelers Inc., North Royalton, Ohio
- Gold In Art, Mount Dora, Fla.
- Elements, Ltd., Des Moines, Iowa

             There are signs the chill on holiday spending is beginning to thaw.Consumers may not be giving gifts like it’s 2006 again (before the Great Recession), but new surveys suggest some will spend a bit more and start giving presents that people want rather than simply need this year.Think jewelry, rather than slippers and sweaters.”It’s not all about being cheap this year,” says Pam Goodfellow of BIGresearch, which does consumer polling for the National Retail Federation.

Cautious Optimism:Holiday shopping series kicks off

        The conclusions in various consumer surveys about holiday spending differ a bit, though no one’s predicting a big uptick in shopping late this year. But beyond the predictions for unchanged or only slightly improved sales are other indications of a rebound. The National Retail Federation predicts holiday spending this year will be up 2.3%, but the percentage of people who said the economy would affect their spending decreased from 65.3% last year to 61.7% this year.

          Several of the companies conducting surveys also see evidence that gift purchases will start to lean more toward discretionary than necessity. For example, the percentage of those who will ask for jewelry this year is up 13%, according to NRF, and the percentage who will buy at least one gift from a discounter is down.There will be “a bit of a return to normal or the ‘new normal,’ ” NRF spokeswoman Ellen Davis says.

         There were echoes of the trend in the October sales reports out Thursday from luxury and clothing retailers, whose bottom lines have taken a beating in the past two holiday seasons. Sales results overall were mixed, with the International Council of Shopping Centers reporting just a 1.6% increase over October 2009. Unusually warm weather slowed outerwear sales and kept people out of stores including J.C. Penney and Kohl‘s, which saw sales decline. But Macy’s had a sales increase of 2.5%, and sales were up 8.1% at high-end retailer Saks, which analysts were expecting would only see a 2% uptick.Saks spokeswoman Julia Bentley says the retailer is on track to maintain “mid-single-digit growth” in sales from August through January 2011, despite cutting the number of promotions since last year.Handbag and accessory maker Coach, which has started offering lower-priced options, said last week that its revenue was up 20% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011.

              Much of the growth is coming from the wealthiest consumers, says Josh Chernoff, leader of business consulting firm Bain and Co.’s North American retail practice. Households earning more than $100,000 a year make up just 21% of households but are driving almost 40% of overall consumer spending, he says. That’s up from 34% of consumer spending in 2006. Retailers who cater to the affluent — higher-end department stores, luxury retailers and warehouse club stores — are doing the best “and we think we’ll see that trend continue through the end of the year,” Chernoff says.

        Mark Tapper, co-owner of Tapper’s jewelers in the Detroit suburbs, has seen double-digit sales growth this year and is predicting a 25% increase in sales this holiday season at the two stores the company has had for several years. Damning the economic naysayers, the Tappers opened a third location in Troy, Mich., in September. The chain has increased its selection and promotions of lower-priced items, including Pandora-brand jewelry that starts at $25 and a $1,199 engagement ring, but it’s still catering to customers looking for the finest jewelry.”Every day, people asked us if we were crazy,” Tapper says of opening a new jewelry store. “But we believe in this economy.”

Contributing: Rachel Huggins

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2010-11-05-retailspend05_CV_N.htm