Possible Blood Diamonds seized at JFK

                                                 

We're very proud to sell Red Box diamonds, which are certified conflict free. They're in compliance with the UN sanctioned Kimberley Process that tracks the diamonds and certifies that they have been sourced legitimately and have not funded any wars.  

This past Saturday a possible shipment of Blood Diamonds from Sierra Leone was intercepted at New York's JFK.  It's unfortunate that blood diamonds are still a problem, but atleast the Customs officials caught the shipment.

Click here for the full story: Blood Diamonds

Wow! She's special!

3.41 Carat 

D Color ( Colorless!)

IF (Internally Flawless!)

$207,000.

Diamond?  Condo? Diamond? Condo....

but one can dream.

The Mrs. is back!

So after a glorious month in Florida, I make my return to Brooklyn with my wonderful husband Chris, yay! We got married on Estero Island in front of a wonderfully quirky old house, and after doing everything ourselves, we couldn't be happier that all of the details came out so beautifully.

The boys built the dance floor (yes-they built it from MDF and 2x4's!!!), and hung the lights. My parents and I filled hundreds of bags with salt water taffy and hung them from the inside of the tents. Bags of seashells were given out, all of which had been collected by my parents over the course of the past year from the very beach where we got married. My dear friend Courtney, who is an amazing illustrator (www.spoonstudio.com), hand painted all of the signage.

We also owe a BIG thanks to Sam and Ashley Brockinton, our photographers who are both unbelievably talented and absolutely wonderful to work with. A sample of their photography is above, and you have to check out their website www.ashleybrockinton.com and blog www.ashleybrockintonblog.com (which is fun and really engaging). Some more photos from our wedding should be up there soon so check back. When it comes to wedding photography they are the best! For all of my New York newlyweds to be - they may be based out of Naples, FL....but they travel!

Spread the Love

14kt White Gold Diamond and Brazilian Garnet Earrings - $450

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14kt White Gold Diamond Heart Necklace - $350

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Double Heart Earrings - Sterling Silver $95 - 14kt Yellow Gold or White Gold  $265

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Heart Ring -  Sterling Silver $85 -  14kt Yellow Gold or White Gold $295

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14kt Yellow Gold or White Gold Skinny Heart on leather chain - $265

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14kt Yellow Gold or White Gold Continuous Heart on Poppy colored leather chain - $235

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I've decided that I need to bring the heart back, and I'm bringing it back all year long!  (My friends and family that are reading this, you can expect to get a heart from me for your birthday, or any other celebratory occasion). 

I never understood the obsession with hearts, but now I feel like I've been missing out.  Maybe it's because I'm getting married in about a month and love is in the air.  I don't know.  The products of my new fascination with hearts can be seen above.

You can order any of the pieces above by calling us (646.957.2058) or emailing (for-richer-or-poorer@hotmail.com).  We'll ship them anywhere, and if it's a gift, we'll put it in a pretty red box.  They're available for Valentine's day, and all year long (until we sell out)

So, Spread the love. 

Diamond Nexus Lab - Misleading!

I had a client call me about a custom made engagement ring setting. He told me that he and his girlfriend had decided to go with a man made diamond, in order to save some money on the ring.

The technology does exist, but right now it's only cost effective when producting man made yellow diamonds.

(Check out this article from Wired Magazine about the new technology for making flawless man made diamonds, it's really cool!)

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond.html

Anyway, when I inquired further he told me that they were getting a Nexus Diamond and it cost about $125 for approximately a 1ct stone. Obviously this seemed too good to be true so I looked into and I was upset to find that the Diamond Nexus Lab website is quite misleading. They aren't selling man made diamonds, they are selling diamond simulants, which is a fancy way of saying they are selling a stone that has similar optical qualities to a diamond, but it's a not a diamond.

For anyone that can't afford a diamond engagement ring, diamond simulants are a great option. Cubic Zirconia is a very well known diamond simulant and more recently Moissanite has hit the jewelry market and it's a really great diamond simulant. It has more brilliance and fire than a diamond, and it is the second hardest naturally occuring substance on Earth.

For more about Moissanite click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite

Diamond Nexus Lab, the first problem is it says diamond in their name and they aren't selling diamonds! Elsewhere on the website they do say simulant, but in my research I found a lot of postings on the web where people believed they were buying a man made diamond from Diamond Nexus. I was really apalled by the response to this FAQ from the Diamond Nexus Website:

Q: Why are Diamond Nexus stones so much less expensive than other manufactured diamonds?A: We offer our products at the most reasonable prices we can. Unfortunately, we can’t explain other companies’ pricing because we don’t have any information about their internal costs or structure.

THEY'RE CHEAPER BECAUSE THEY AREN'T DIAMONDS!

It's websites like this that are misleading that give the jewelry industry a bad name. There is absolutely nothing wrong with their simulants. They are good diamond simulants, but I think they make it unclear that they are selling a stone that is completely different from a diamond.

So, be careful!

Happy 2009!

In the same way that you never feel older or different on your birthday than you did the day before, I started 2009 feeling as if it were no different than 2008.

Eleven days into the new year, I realize that this year is going to be different and better because I learned a lot in 2008. I've gone through interns, assistants, a couple of moves, tried some new things that worked, and a lot that didn't.

As the new year finally sinks in, I reflect on the reasons why I started For Richer or Poorer and why I love it so much.

1. I can't stand to work for anyone else.

(I like to think that this is because I'm wildly independent, but it probably has more to do with the fact that I'm a perfectionist.)

2. I love a challenge.

I'm working in an industry that is primarily run by men. It's often a fight to get my foot in the door. And even when I do, I have to constantly prove that I belong. Making my clients happy despite these hurdles keeps me driven and lets me know I'm doing something worthwhile.

3. I love that my business is so different.

Go to another jewelry store. Go to 47th street. You're likely to see a suited middle aged man standing behind a counter ready to tell you anything to make you feel a little stupid, just enough as to not offend, but enough to convince you that what they're feeding you is true.

When you come see me, you get to sit down in the beautiful restored GreenDesk building in DUMBO and get treated with respect regardless of how much you can afford to spend. You get honest answers. You get someone that is finding the best diamond for you.

Mistakes and all we've done well in 2008, so 2009 here we come. See for yourself : http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/47343907/brooklyn_ny/for_richer_or_poorer.html

Check out our page on ways to save money on a diamond!

www.richer-or-poorer.com/save.htm