One of my customers recently offered to write a testimonial. This is not uncommon, however, I was unprepared for what was to come.

I am posting it as a blog article (with permission) as it is a wonderful piece about modern relationships, conscious living and the process of having rings hand made.

I will now let Cat and Julie speak in their own words:

“When my partner Julie and I decided to get married we knew we wanted it to be a celebration of our commitment to each other and a reflection of our lives together. As in our daily lives, we made decisions to minimalise our impact on the environment, choosing video invites and a web page to pull our international gang of friends and family together. As we were getting married abroad and the fact that we’ve lived together for years before we wanted to highlight a charity donation for presents instead of accumulating more stuff in the house. One of the most important items we decided on was to get ethically and sustainably sourced rings. These rings would stay with us forever and not only did we want them to make an “green” statement we also wanted them to look perfect! To our surprise we only found only two options in Australia for just such a ring. We were delighted though when through our correspondence with Melinda of Ethical Jewellery Australia we found the perfect fit.

Melinda worked with Julie and I on our rings from start to finish; gathering detail and passing back photos of similar looking rings. Melinda educated us on the different types of metals, how they’re sourced, how they hold up over time, their degree of “shiny-ness” Melinda and I emailed back and forth on style, she having to interpret my view point of the ring, my idea of rough and hewn, my idea of hammered but not hammered…she did really well!

There was never an issue with our same-sex marriage, Melinda simply celebrated our union and was excited at the chance to help create a unique ring for us. Not only was Melinda’s professional expertise on jewellery and metals invaluable but her steady determination to make this ring perfect for us was admirable. To take a mere concept to reality with only emails was quite a feat!

We then added a last minute engraving on the rings in Thai (our wedding was in Thailand) and it came out perfectly! I was also able to surprise my wife on our wedding day with ethically sourced diamond earrings cleverly packaged in a gift box made by Thai women, with proceeds going directly back to their community….again, Melinda was brilliant with this process as well (educating me on the diamonds, sourcing them from an ethical supplier, and adding that special touch of the gift box!).

Melinda’s dedication to her customers and ability to relate to their needs resulted in these incredibly unique rings that Julie and I will both cherish forever. I can’t recommend her highly enough. I’m looking forward to working with her on our fiftieth anniversary present!

-Catherine and Julie-”

It is a lovely testimonial and a great story.

Until next time

Melinda Nugent

When you have spent a lot of time, thought, effort (and money)  creating a dream ring, playing the waiting game is no fun at all, but there is no way around it; making things from scratch takes time.

I am currently experiencing this first hand as I am patiently waiting in the never ending queue for my own sparkler to be made (a cognac diamond trio – super yum). Every time I think  ”maybe this week” someone else comes along and my business brain wins the day. Trying to get it done for our anniversary in June (fingers crossed).

Obviously the solution is to throw more bodies at the job, however, that is far easier said than done, as it has to be exactly the right person for the job.

However, that isn’t really the point of this post. I really wanted to give a small insight into what a person who has ordered a handmade ring is actually waiting for.

Unfortunately we haven’t photographed too many works in progress, but it is something we plan to do more of as I would like to make this a regular (ish) feature – plus it is pretty cool to see.

The first is a ring from last year. One that co incidentally ready around the time of the royal wedding but was designed way before anyone had seen the Princess’ ring.

The process is interesting and extensive.

We start with emails describing what is wanted, this then leads to an exchange of drawings or photos until all the details are worked out and then, in the case of a coloured stone, the selection of the ideal hue and tone is made. For a diamond the selection is based on what is wanted from the stone and of course budget.

Once all of that is worked out, the metal is ordered, the job description is created, a job packet made and off it goes to the workshop (in Brisbane). Whilst there is an element of ‘first come first served’ we also create a jobs queue based on like  with like (materials/styles)  and of course crucial things like wedding dates and preferred engagement dates. During busier seasons this can be quite a challenge and very frustrating.

Having said that, there hasn’t really been a ‘quiet time’ with this business in the last 12 months, so that rule more applies to the early days of growing the business before the hunt for an additional jeweller began. I’m not really going to complain though, it is pretty awesome to dream up a business idea and actually watch it flourish and to have a job that never gets boring and to be always talking with people who are madly in love (my favourite bit I think).

Oops, I digress.

Back to the Sapphire and Diamond ring (in platinum).

Here are a few photos of the ring in progress. The setting was hand made, however not photographed alas. Look out for more detailed versions of this post in future.

Ferdinand took a couple of photos of our latest ring just to show the customer, not as many steps here to see, but it is such a gorgeous piece, I would like to feature it here anyway

Not as thorough as I would have liked, but a glimpse all the same.

Until next time

Melinda

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

The New Year has brought so much work, it has been hard to find the time to share some of the wonderful things that have been coming my way, but it is time to take a moment and do so.

I would like to talk about jewellery styles and diamond and gemstone choices.

Last year saw a real move from the traditional six claw solitaire. A real Deco and Nouveau revival. This trend continued through to wedding bands as well. Many of the bands we made were engraved or diamond set. It is a beautiful way to enhance a simple engagement ring (or an elaborate one) or a great idea if you want to only wear one ring.

So many of the pieces we created featured beautiful detail such as milgrain edging or intricate engraving.

It was also a year where some people were interested in moving away from the classic white diamond. We made rings featuring Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and Amethysts and it was also the beginning of a great interest in coloured Argyle Diamonds.

This year we are finally getting the chance to work with pink diamonds. We have used a few small ones now and then, but one of our major projects for February features a significant pink heart and it is a wonderful experience to work with this beautiful stone and create something to show it off. I will do a feature on it once it is completed. Pink diamonds of a size are a whole other critter. It is a diamond whose value only goes one way and over the six or so years I have been pricing them, I have seen an amazing increase in their price (and value). Not that that is the main issue but a question that does arise from time to time.

My personal favourite is the Cognac diamond. The colours vary from a faint peach to a deep whisky and it never fails to delight me to see something of these colours ‘sparkle like a diamond’ – which of course they are. There are yellows of course, from straw to quite vivid, however, I have to say I haven’t held any, so I can only describe them from photographs.

Now that we work closely with the wonderful team at “Origin Australia’ – the only company committed to bringing Australian Diamonds back to Australia, I hope that a rainbow of diamonds will pass through my workroom over the coming years.

I could waffle on, but I will finish with a few images of beauty instead.

Until next time

 

Melinda Nugent

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

 

 

Just a quick post to showcase all the new rings that have been uploaded to the website. It is getting a bit cluttered there, so I thought the new additions were worthy of their own post.

In no particular order we have…..

A yummy Argyle Cognac Diamond engagement ring bezel set with milgrain detail in recycled Palladium.

A pear shaped Canadian diamond with Argyle side diamonds set in recycled Palladium

A five Diamond bezel set recycled 18 carat gold dress ring

A milgrain edged bead set Diamond set wedding band in recycled 18 carat white gold

A fusion of vintage and new. A resized vintage band attached to a new plain band all in 18 carat white gold.

 Ruby Fair unheated Ruby and Argyle Diamonds set in a recycled palladium band that has been milgrained and hand engraved

 A matte finish flat wedder in recycled palladium

A Promised Ring Pack….Canadian Marquise Diamond, Argyle small Diamonds, fair trade Pink Tourmaline and recycled Palladium

The above Promised Ring pack turned into a yummy engagement ring

Hand engraved hand made recycled platinum wedding rings

Fair Trade Blue Sapphire from Malawi, hand made textured recycled palladium wedding and engagement rings

Promised Ring Pack – Assher cut Kalahari Diamond, Argyle Diamonds and recycled 18 carat white gold

Australian Blue Sapphire and recycled palladium engagement ring hand made and hand engraved

A pair of flat edged wedding bands one matte finish and one polished in recycled palladium – hand made

A delicately engraved hand made recycled 18 carat white gold wedding ring

An Art Deco style hand made ring in recycled palladium featuring a Kalahari Asscher cut diamond and fair trade Amethysts with milgrain edging and hand engraving

Hand cut Australian Emerald set in a hand made hand engraved ring. Recycled 18 carat yellow gold bezel and recycled platinum

Handmade recycled palladium wedding rings, heavily textured to create an earthy unstructured look.

As you can see, if I were asked what is in fashion for engagement and wedding rings at the moment, my answer would have to be ‘everything’.

Happy designing.

Until next time

Melinda Nugent

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

The following are a selection from Open Source Minerals (Canadian Diamonds from the Diavik mine), Kalahari – fair trade Diamonds, mined and cut in Namibia and the best on offer from the recycled Diamond world.

Because Diamond prices are in the middle of a major change, the prices have not been listed.

If any of these take your fancy or if you are looking for something not described here, just email me at melinda@ethicaljewels.com.au or call 07 3369 8438 for current stock and prices.

Until next time.

Melinda Nugent

Director

Ethical Jewellery Australia

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

The reality is, unless you are buying a beautiful pink over 0.25 or some other very rare diamond, then ‘investment’ and ‘diamond’ are not usually words that partner well.  It really is best to buy them for their beauty rather than thinking of them as something to sell off down the track.

After all, a diamond (or other gemstone) engagement ring is a symbol – a reflection of a relationship, not an addition to your investment portfolio.

That aside, I thought I would have a look at what has been happening with prices.

I used to blog about prices but found that it was pretty meaningless unless I updated regularly. However, I have decided to take a different approach today as I am fascinated by the effect that the dollar (and demand) has on diamond prices.

I found a post from the 16th of May last year. In it I was talking about the difference that the colour, clarity grade and cut quality has on diamonds of the same size. I looked at a selection of one carat round diamonds to illustrate the point.

I thought it would be interesting to do the same exercise at today’s (May 18th, 2011) prices. Currently the dollar is sitting at $1.05 (ish) US at the time of writing the original post it was $0.87 (ish).  This time I would use the data to see what (if any) effect the current high dollar has had on prices.

I have been able to find a comparable selection for most of the original diamonds.

As at 16^th May, 2010

As at 18^th May, 2011

Please note, the big drop in the E Si1+ is due to the fluorescence – I couldn’t find one without it.

So what can we conclude from this exercise?

I could analyse it to pieces, but I think the simplest answer is that demand has risen for lower priced diamonds in this size, so the market has been able to bear price rises (or maintain price).  Higher grade, top end stones will always have a market, however, when pennies are tight, it is pretty common to save where you can.

Whether the extra bucks make a difference is entirely dependent on what you want from your diamond.

Until next time.

Melinda Nugent FGAA

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

The easy way out is to go to your nearest jewellery shop, ask the shop assistant for some advice and hope for the best. But if you really want the love of your life to be thrilled, it’s time to put your imagination, powers of observation and creativity to the test. That you’ve gone to the effort to design something just for her will mean so much more than buying something off-the-shelf.

Rather than feeling intimidated, this process can be one that opens your eyes to a whole new world. The possibilities might seem endless, however, once you really start to think it through, you’ll discover there’s usually a stand out choice for every woman.

Start by looking at her lifestyle and her fashion sense. Is she a sporty person? A gardener? Does she work on the land or is her working world office-based? Is her style casual, classic, slightly bohemian or…? Then look at the jewellery she already wears. Colour of metal and style, is it simple or ornate? There, you have some major clues already.

Now; design. The first place to start is to look at her hands. Is she petite or does she have strong or broad fingers? Petite fingers usually prefer delicate designs and stronger fingers can carry multi-stone rings and bolder designs.

Another concern for many is determining finger size. Not a problem. Many a crafty partner has snuck a nifty plastic ring sizer on whilst their beloved is sleeping.

Like any job worth doing well, this is one that can be broken down into manageable parts. If you still feel overwhelmed, there is plenty of help available. So there’s no reason to feel intimidated by a world that might be unfamiliar right now. You never know, you may even discover a new passion.

Melinda Nugent FGAA

Director

Ethical Jewellery Australia Pty Ltd

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

melinda@ethicaljewels.com.au

For some of you, jewellery is the preferred choice, so I thought I should put up a couple of charts with gemstone ideas. Birthstone jewellery is usually well received and for others, the zodiac is a good place to start; also,we mustn’t forget our important anniversaries. The neat thing about choosing stones this way is that you can usually find something that suits your budget and doesn’t rely on you knowing the giftees size.

The safest choices are usually simple earrings, but there are unlimited options available. Some thoughts are gemset keyrings, cufflinks, a simple pendant, or even some bling for the pampered pooch. A clever idea is to just present the stone in a gift box.

Birthstones

Month         Gemstone
January      Garnet
February    Amethyst
March          Aquamarine, Jade
April             Diamond, Zircon
May               Emerald, Green Tourmaline
June              Pearl, Moonstone, Alexandrite
July               Ruby
August         Peridot (not a great ring stone), Sapphire
September  Sapphire, Lapis Lazuli
October       Opal, Pink Tourmaline
November  Yellow Topaz, Citrine
December   Zircon, Blue Topaz

Astrological (Zodiac) Stones

Sign               Dates                       Gemstone
Aquarius    Jan 20 – Feb 18    Garnet
Pisces           Feb 19 – Mar 20  Amethyst
Aries            Mar 21 – Apr 19   Ruby, Diamond
Taurus         Apr 20 – May 20  Sapphire
Gemini         May 21 – Jun 21   Alexandrite, Agate
Cancer         Jun 22 – Jul 22     Emerald, Ruby
Leo                Jul 23 – Aug 22    Sapphire, Ruby
Virgo            Aug 23 – Sep 22   Diamond, Zircon, Sapphire
Libra             Sep 23 – Oct 23    Sapphire, Opal
Scorpio        Oct 24 – Nov 21   Citrine, Topaz
Sagittarius  Nov 22 – Dec 21  Topaz
Capricorn   Dec 22 – Jan 19    Beryl, Garnet

What about Anniversary Stones?

1       Gold jewellery
2	Garnet
3	Pearl
4	Blue Topaz
5	Sapphire
6	Amethyst
7	Onyx
8	Tourmaline
9	Lapis lazuli
10	Diamond
11	Turquoise
12	Jade
13	Citrine
14	Opal
15	Ruby
20	Emerald
25	Silver Jubilee
30	Pearl Jubilee
35	Emerald
40	Ruby
45	Sapphire
50	Golden Jubilee
55	Alexandrite
60	Diamond Jubilee

Of course, these are just a few suggestions and no doubt others will have different lists, but it is always nice to have somewhere to start.

Happy shopping.

Melinda

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

We love Kalahari diamonds and love that we are able to bring them to a wider audience. So I thought I would do a snapshot of some of the best on offer this week.

The following are all GIA certified, traceable Namibian diamonds graded Very Good or Excellent. There are plenty of other grades and colours to choose from, but I tend to go for the show stoppers.

Please note, diamond prices are only listed for a few days due to market fluctuations. If you want a current pricelist please contact us: enquiries@ethicaljewels.com.au

A guide to diamond grades shown here:

The first letter (D – G) indicates the ‘whiteness’ of the diamond. All diamonds in this colour range are ‘white’, however, D is the whitest.

The colour grade is followed by the clarity grade. All the diamonds listed here have no eye visible inclusions.

IF = internally flawless

VVS = very very slightly included (the number after denotes the number of slight inclusions)

VS = very slightly included

Therefore, a diamond described as D IF is a D colour (the whitest) and internally flawless when viewed with a 10X loupe (magnifier).

Some diamonds of interest:

The 88 cut is not one that many are familiar with, however, it is a stunner and well worth considering http://www.88cut.com/home.htm

D VS1  1.01 carat

If you like the squarer shapes:

Cushion Cut

E IF  1.06 carat

Asscher Cut (great for Art Deco styles)

D IF 0.95

Emerald Cut

G IF 1.01 carat

F VVS2 1.00 carat

Princess Cut

F VS1 1.50 carat

Round Brilliant Cut

F VVS2 0.64 carat

E VS2 1.00 carat

G VS2 1.01 carat (this diamond is the value pick of the bunch)

D IF 1.04 carat

E VS2 1.51 carat

A couple of show stoppers…

Pear

D IF 2.08 carat

Oval (for me, a shape  that dreams are made of)

D VS2 3.01

Diamond prices vary enormously. There are so many factors that determine price and sometimes the differences are so subtle that it is possible to pay a lot less for a diamond that may not ‘read’ as well on paper, but actually looks just as good.

The next obvious question is, “so I’ve bought my diamond and I want a simple solitaire setting – how much?”

Fortunately the answer to that is a little more predictable. Working on an average finger size of M for a completely handmade six claw or bezel set solitaire diamond ring, you could expect to pay something like this for metal and manufacturing:

Platinum $2000 – $2300

18 carat white gold $1800 – $2100

18 carat yellow gold $1750 – $2050

Palladium $1400 – $1800

As I said earlier, this is just a snapshot of a much wider range. We also have Canadian Diamonds, Australian coloured diamonds, recycled Diamonds, standard non-conflict/sweatshop free Diamonds and of course, stunning Australian and fairtrade  Coloured Gemstones.

Happy dreams

Melinda Nugent FGAA

http://www.ethicaljewels.com.au/

All of the diamonds offered have been purchased from legitimate rough diamond sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with UN resolutions.  We hereby guarantee that our diamonds are conflict free based upon personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by our suppliers. We herewith guarantee that none of our diamonds have been manufactured in breach of UN resolutions 1173, 1176, 1306 and 1343.

Ethical Jewellery Australia Pty Ltd ATF the Love-Links Trust       ABN: 38106233196

It is so important that everything about your business feels right. Just like anything you put a lot of effort into acquiring – it is crucial that you feel that the finished product matches your vision and creates the feeling you were hoping for.

The growth from concept to reality was amazing and the process made me realise that there is a common rhythm to creating something – no matter what the product.

For this project I worked with the extremely talented Scott Sanders from Scott’s Web Design. It was collaborative but also very much guided by Scott, who had the skill and the wisdom to know how to steer the project. The true ‘artist’ knows the questions to ask and how to focus your thinking towards creating the most beautiful outcome.

As I reflect on the experience, I realise that it mirrors any successful design process. The designer needs to be open to the desire of the customer whilst ensuring that the finished product will actually work. The step that is often missing is that the designer needs the customer to take ownership of that finished product in order to feel completely happy.

This is where true collaboration comes in. The designer has to let the customer immerse themselves in the process and as counter-intuitive as it may seem, sometimes that involves offering options that the customer dislikes. This strategy works as it helps create a focus.

The same thing happens when you buy anything meaningful.

A simple example is shopping for clothes. The sales person may hand you bundles of things to try on and bit by bit you are able to edit and work out exactly what it is you are looking for. Then the real design begins; And you get there with far more involvement than passively sitting there whilst creativity whirls around you. The sales person/designer starts to really look at you and you are able to look at yourself and evaluate your needs.

A metaphor for life? Possibly – possibly not.

So a big thank you to Scott for not only creating a website, but helping me put a process into words.

Melinda Nugent

www.ethicaljewels.com.au