Embrace the Fancy! Oval, Pear, and Emerald Cut Diamond Engagement Rings.

Fancy Cut Diamonds are the top trend in Engagement Rings today! They are for the bride who wants to stand out, she does not want to look like every other girl, she is special, and wants her ring to be special as well. The top 3 fancy diamond shapes right now according to demand are the Oval Brilliant Cut, the Pear Brilliant Cut, and the Emerald Cut. At Comeau Jewelry Company we love helping brides find their perfect fancy-cut diamond, and finding what is perfect for their own personal style.

Are you ready to embrace your own fancy-cut diamond? Read on to find out more.

Ovals: Created by Lazare Kaplan in the 1960’s, oval diamonds are modified brilliant cuts. Because the two shapes possess a similar fire and brilliance, the oval is an ideal choice for a customer who likes the look of a round diamond, but wants something more unique. Oval diamonds have the added advantage of an elongated shape, which can create the illusion of greater size as well as slightly longer and more slender fingers.

An oval diamond often has a greater surface area than a round diamond of the same weight. For example, an average 1 carat oval diamond has a 10% larger surface area than an average 1 carat round diamond. This means that you can get a diamond that looks larger, for a lower price!

Pear Brilliant Cut Diamonds: are a combination of a round brilliant cut and a marquise brilliant cut, with a tapered point on one end. Like marquise and oval cuts, the pear shaped diamond comes in a variety of slim to wide cuts, and has the added benefit of making the wearer’s fingers appear longer and slimmer. Ideally, a pear shaped diamond should possess excellent or very good symmetry. The point should line up with the apex of the rounded end. The shoulders and wings (the upper and lower curves on the right and left side of the diamond) should form uniform, symmetrical curves, with no straight edges. The rounded top should not appear narrow or squat, but like a semi-circle.

Evaluating color in pear diamonds is subjective. Many buyers may actually prefer the ever so slightly warmer colors of a near colorless diamond over the cool colorlessness of a D-F diamond. In fact, most of the premium in price associated with pear shaped diamonds at the higher end of the color scale is driven by supply and demand; customers want the D-F color grades, and are willing to pay a premium to get them. In a world without diamond color grading, the price premium for higher grades would be much lower, as the actual differences in color are difficult to perceive.

Emerald Cuts: Sleek, elegant and beautifully understated, an emerald cut engagement ring is a great choice for someone who’s romantic and sophisticated. With the rising awareness of fancy shaped stones, more and more couples are drawn to the unique look of emerald cut engagement rings. Easily identified by a rectangular shape and step cuts, emerald cut diamonds are unconventional stones with timeless charm.

If you’re shopping for an emerald cut engagement ring, there are a few important things to consider in terms of a diamond’s 4Cs, starting with clarity. The long, rectangular facets that are characteristic of emerald cut diamonds make inclusions more easily visible compared to other diamond cuts. Color is another quality that requires special attention. An emerald cut diamond’s distinctive cut produces less scintillation, or sparkle, than other diamond cuts. This makes the diamond’s color more prominent.

There’s no limit to the ways to wear an emerald cut engagement ring. The angular shape is at home in virtually any design, from vintage-inspired Art Deco style mountings to contemporary rings with minimal adornment.

Something about the crisp geometry of emerald cut diamond engagement rings exudes a sense of sophistication. It’s the reason they appeal to stylish celebrities who can ignite a trend with a single red carpet outing. Amal Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyonce are a few of the famous women who wear engagement rings that feature this distinctive diamond cut.

 

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Stackable Bands, Express your Style

There is no such thing as too many rings! The stack-able ring style has been popular for decades. The more the merrier! The most chic way to wear your stackable bands is to mix your metals, mix your gemstones, mix the textures, fill your fingers with wearable art, an expression of who you are. The rings don’t have to fit together flawlessly, there can be plenty of “negative space”. The most important question you need to ask yourself is “Do I love it?”. If the answer is yes, then the rings are for you.

 

What’s your style? Do you love Vintage, Ultra Skinny, Hand Engraved, Ornate, Gemstone, Organic, Modern, Classic, Statement, or Minimalistic?

Newsflash! Nobody is just one thing. That is why stack-able bands are so perfect. Jewelry is an expression of who you are. You can mix and match your jewelry and your metals to fit your mood, your personality, your style of the day.

Also, at least once a week, we hear brides feel they have to stick with the metal of their engagement rings. Stack-able rings offer a fantastic way to mix in another metal to your wedding set, allowing you to expand your jewelry collection to a metal finish outside of your engagement ring.  Mixing in another metal can immediately give an older wedding set a fresh look.

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Lab Grown Diamonds, an exciting new Bridal choice.

Brides and Grooms have a new beautiful choice when it comes to selecting the perfect engagement ring. Lab Grown diamonds are an appealing option for so many reasons. But what are Lab Grown Diamonds? Why should they be something you say YES to? Comeau Jewelry Company is going to tell you why.

What are Lab Grown Diamonds?

Lab Grown Diamonds, are grown in highly controlled laboratory environments using advanced technological processes that duplicate the conditions under which diamonds naturally develop when they form in the mantle, beneath the Earth’s crust. Lab grown diamonds consist of actual carbon atoms arranged in the characteristic diamond crystal structure. Since they are made of the same material as natural diamonds, they exhibit the same optical and chemical properties.

The only thing that makes a lab-created diamond different from a natural diamond is its origin. A lab-created diamond is “grown” inside a lab using cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process. The result is a man-made diamond that is chemically, physically, and optically the same as those grown beneath the Earth’s surface.

Lab Grown Diamonds have big benefits:

Lab Grown Diamonds are less expensive.

The price of a lab-created diamonds tends to be less than mined diamonds.

However, this does not mean that a lab-created diamond is “cheap.” In fact, the cost for lab-grown and mined diamonds are pretty similar. So, why are lab-created diamonds less expensive? Mined diamonds and lab-created diamonds have the exact same costs when it comes to cutting, polishing, and inspection. However, up to that point, the costs and processes are very different. Mined diamonds have a long supply chain. To get a diamond from its raw form to a retail-ready gemstone requires miners, distributors, cutters, polishers, jewelry manufacturers, and retailers. The lab-created diamond supply chain is much shorter by skipping the mining process. To put it simply, a lab-created diamond touches fewer hands, making it ultimately less expensive.

Lab Grown Diamonds are Environmentally Friendly

As with the mining of any natural resource, the diamond mining has a significant impact on the environment. Lab-created diamonds are significantly less damaging to the environment as it takes considerably less energy to grow a diamond in a lab than it does to dig it out of the ground. In fact, it is actually in the interest of the growers to minimize the amount of energy they use in the process to save money and decrease their costs.

 

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Have your own custom jewelry appointment with Comeau Jewelry Company.

The new comeaujewelrycompany.com has made the custom jewelry process even easier! You can now make your own custom jewelry appointment quickly and easily online. Simply go to comeaujewelrycompany.com and find the “Custom Jewelry” icon at the top of the page. Click the icon and find the “I would like to make an appointment” section of the next page. Enter in you First and Last Name, your email address, your phone number, and the kind of jewelry you would like made. You will quickly receive an email back from us and your appointment will be set during a time that is convenient for you. If you have any question about the custom jewelry process, we put together the following Q&A for our customers.

Chris Keller is Comeau Jewelry Company’s Joplin Store Manager and Resident Jewelry Designer. He is a plastic’s engineer by education as well as a Graduate Gemologist through the Gemological Institute of America. He has created hundreds of stellar designs for our clients over his career with Comeau Jewelry. Most of our new clients are unfamiliar with the steps of creating a one of a kind piece of jewelry and are curious about the unique journey that is taken through the process. We sat down with Chris for a one on one interview about the most commonly asked questions jewelry designers encounter.

How much does creating a custom piece jewelry cost? Is it expensive?

Chris: Usually it is a little more expensive, but not as much as you would think.  As in any manufacturing process whether it be a house, a car, or a piece of jewelry, it is going to be more expensive to manufacture a one-of-a-kind versus 100 or 1,000 of a particular item.  However, designer pieces can actually be a little less expensive to custom make something similar to because of the premium these designers put on their pieces.  You can even put your own twist in these instances as well.

What kind of custom jewelry do we create with our Create Bar? Are there any restrictions?

Chris: There are very few restrictions. We have the ability to create custom fine jewelry using a wide variety of precious metals, such as Platinum, Palladium, White Gold, Yellow Gold, and Rose Gold. Other alternative metals, tungsten, titanium, and cobalt aren’t an option using our CAD system.

What are the steps to the custom process?

Chris: The first step is to sit down with the client and go over what their likes and dislikes are. We have a lot of live and prototype mountings in the store to get design cues from as well as ideas of our own and the clients.  Another helpful tool can be the internet and websites such as Pinterest to gather ideas from.  The second step is to CAD the initial design concept we come up with after step 1.  This will generate a computerized rendering (lifelike image of the piece) and we will also be able to quote exactly what it will cost to make the piece.  The client can also make changes to the rendering until they are satisfied with the result.  The third step is to 3D print the wax.  This will generate a life size wax model of the piece.  The client can try it on and we can even put your stones into the wax to even further create the visual.  Once the client approves the wax, we move onto step four which is casting the piece in the preferred metal and setting all the stones into the finished casting.  After a final polish, it is ready to be worn!

What happens to my stones/jewelry during the custom process, are they sent off?

Chris:  We only send the wax off to be cast.  The stones are set here in house by one of our highly skilled and experienced jewelers.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have created?

Chris:  That’s a tough question to answer.  There are definitely a few that certainly stand out, but I honestly would say my favorite piece is whatever I am working on that given day.  Each custom piece is so unique and there’s always something different that draws me to each particular piece.

Are there limits to what we can design? How many stones can be used per piece of jewelry designed?

Chris: Depending on the specific design, you can use as many or few of your own gemstones as you would like.  If the design calls for more gemstones than you have, we can match the quality and provide the remaining quantity needed.

Will it be more economical to create a custom piece of jewelry if I provide all of my own stones?

Chris: It can certainly save money to use your own gemstones.  However, in cases of very small gemstones, it can often cost more in labor to pull them out of an old setting and reset them into a new setting than the gemstones are worth.  If they are gemstones that are sentimental to the client, then you can’t put a price on that.

What are the benefits of creating a custom piece of jewelry?

Chris: There are several benefits to having a custom piece of jewelry made.  By having a custom piece made, you end up with a high quality, made in the USA piece that no one else is going to have.  It’s truly one-of-a-kind and it is not something you are going to see on 100 other people.  You and your custom piece of jewelry will be the envy of all your friends and family!

 

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The Wedding Band Dilemma

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You have found your life partner.  You have found THE ONE.  You have given them the perfect engagement ring, the ring they are going to wear for the rest of their life. We at Comeau Jewelry congratulate you. We are overjoyed for you. This is the beginning of a life-long journey; vacations, celebrations, children, anniversaries and family celebrations. As your future wedding date gets closer, we are here to assist you with one very common issue that we at Comeau Jewelry are uniquely equipped to overcome:

There is no matching wedding band that perfectly compliments her engagement ring.

 

 

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Everyone is unique.  We are all different with our own tastes and opinions. We all have a vision for the perfect engagement ring, the perfect bridal look. But more and more often as styles change and become more ornate, your perfect bridal look does not come with a matching wedding band.  Typical straight wedding bands just don’t look right with your engagement ring. The engagement ring and the band don’t sit up flush next to each other and the look feels clunky and incomplete.

The solution is a flawlessly matching contour wedding band.  We want to help you find your band. We have several tools in our belt to make your search for your matching contour wedding band simple and enjoyable.

Option 1: Contour Kit. At Comeau Jewelry we have a patented contour ring kit that is designed to fit most styles of engagement ring. You select your contour, the metal the ring will be made in, and from 15 classic wedding band styles that are bound to WOW. These bands can be made to fit your wedding band in just 7 business days.

Option 2: A Custom Creation by Chris Keller or Chad Comeau. For the rare occasions that the contour kit doesn’t result in your perfect match, fear not! At Comeau Jewelry we have full custom capability.  Every step of the way we are right there with you, from digital rendering to casting the wax mold to the finished product. The entire process from start to finish typically takes about 3-4 weeks and the cost is only slightly more expensive than if you were to buy a straight wedding band out of our showcase.

Think of Comeau Jewelry Company first for your wedding band needs. We want to be your jeweler for a lifetime.

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‪Magnificent ‪Morganite‬

Morganite is the third most popular gemstone to get engaged with at the moment, after the classic diamond, and regal sapphire. The delicate, girly color of morganite speaks to many brides. It offers a large bridal look for an affordable price.  It is a durable, rich stone, and let’s be honest… women love pink. It’s no wonder women are saying “yes” to Morganite.

AAA quality Exquisite Morganite Engagement Ring set into a 14 Karat Rose and White Gold Mounting from designer Fredrick Sage. At Comeau Jewelry we want to be your jeweler for a lifetime, and we want to be your personal jewelry expert when it comes to selecting the best possible stone to grace your finger.

Morganite is the pretty, peachy-pink variety of beryl and cousin to more familiar species of beryl like emerald and aquamarine. After its discoveries in California and Madagascar in the early 20th century by Mr. Tiffany, this pink gemstone was renamed Morganite, in honor of financier and gem enthusiast J. P. Morgan.  Morganite has many redeeming qualities, including durability, luster, clarity and brilliance. Though there are also small deposits in Brazil, Mozambique, Namibia, Afghanistan, and Russia, quality morganite remains relatively rare. Ironically, it is morganite’s rarity that keeps it relatively affordable, since there aren’t enough standard-sized stones available for use in manufactured jewelry.

Color: It is found in varied shades of pink. The color appears owing to the presence of manganese impurities in trace amounts in the chemical composition of the crystal.  A few stones also occur in purple or slight orange/yellow in color. This change in color takes place because of the change in the concentration of impurities of manganese and iron. It is an important aspect to judge the quality of the genuine stone. The stone possessing bright and intense color should selected over the pale and dull look.

Cut: Cut is the second most important factor to determine the quality. It is cut into many different styles and shapes. New shapes are created by the modern efficient cutter while the old traditional shapes always exists such as pear, round, oval, square, heart, marquise, emerald and so on.  A small number of stones exhibit cat’s eye effect when cut and polished into cabochons.

Clarity: Flaws and inclusions are almost always present in this gemstone. It always carries fine inclusions in its crystal system. A few stones might have large flaws that are clearly visible by the naked eye. These stones are of very poor quality and should be avoided as much as possible. An absolutely eye clean stone is rarely found in nature.

Note to our future brides: when determining the quality of a morganite, two things are important the color is the most important. Note that this gemstone should be selected in as large a size as possible, for it is only above a certain size that the beauty of its color really comes into its own. The rule which says ‘the more transparent, the more valuable’ only applies to a certain extent, for there are plenty of women who would prefer a morganite with fine inclusions like pure silk. What is certain is that the cut really is a decisive factor, for only a high-quality cut will allow the subtle color of the morganite to shine out.

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The Beautiful History behind the 2 Stone Ring

1625536_10152907247309171_7229920810896636072_nThe newest trend right now in jewelry is the two-stone Diamond Ring. It usually features two prominent stones in the center, occasionally with smaller diamonds highlighting the design.  One center stone represents the love of your life, the other represents your best friend. This is a beautiful and romantic idea. But believe it or not, it is not an original idea.

 

 

 

 

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The ring that a young Napoleon gave to Josephine for their engagement in 1776

Two stone rings have been popular for centuries, the most famous of which is the Engagement Ring that Napoleon Bonaparte gave his first wife Josephine.

The golden ring is in an 18th century setting called “toi et moi,” “You and Me,” with opposing tear-shaped jewels — a blue sapphire and a diamond. The carat weight of the two gems is little less than a carat each. The ring may seem unimpressive considering the names attached to it are an emperor and empress, but it actually illustrates Napoleon’s passion for his future queen.

“At the time Napoleon was a young and promising officer, but he was not rich.  He must have broken his wallet to buy this quality ring,” Osenat auction house (where Napoleon’s ring fetched over $1,000,000) expert Jean-Christophe Chataignier said.

 

 

 

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18 Karat Estate Diamond Ring from circa 1940

 

 

This jewelry trend remained extremely prominent until the late 1940’s. Estate jewelry from the Edwardian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco periods frequently features 2 prominent stones.

 

 

 

 

 

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Custom Created 2-Stone Diamond Engagement Ring March 2015

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Best Ring for your Workout and Weightloss: QALO Bands

qaloNew Year, New You! This is the most popular time of year to get healthy and get in shape, but this is also the worst time of year for your valuable jewelry. Necklaces and Earrings get lost in the locker room, chains break, and rings get damaged when you lift weights.  The best advice we at Comeau Jewelry can give you about the gym and your jewelry is that they don’t mix.

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Keep your valuable jewelry at home in a safe place. If you choose to wear a ring at the gym, it is a CERTAINTY that metal Engagement Rings, and Wedding Bands will become damaged.

 

 

 

We have a soluqalo3tion for you. We carry the exciting new brand Qalo Rings: http://qalo.com/. In both of our locations, at 1936 S Rangeline Road Suite E in Joplin MO, and at 200 E Centennial Drive Suite 8 in Pittsburg, Kansas. They are made from sturdy rubber, they come in a variety of colors and widths, and are made for both men and women. Whether you are into Crossfit, Farming, or just like to live life on the edge, these rings are perfect for you. We carry a wide variety of sizes readily in stock, but if there is a certain color or width that you desire we can order them in for you to try on within a week. Men’s Rings start at $20, and Women’s Rings start at $17.

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The Easiest Choice You Will Ever Make

Brides have so many decisions to make before their wedding; the dress, the caterer, the music, and the list goes on. It is such a stressful, exciting, and amazing time and we are always overjoyed to be part of your journey. In fact we would love to take away one of those decisions for you. The decision of whether or not to solder your Engagement and Wedding Ring together.  The answer is always YES. With normal wear, your engagement and wedding rings will constantly rub each other back and forth.

DSC_0082This friction causes permanent damage to your rings. Several different things will happen to your rings if they are left un-soldered, your bands will become much thinner.

 

 

 

 

 

DSC_0081The head holding your diamond will wear down (RESULTING IN TOTAL CENTER STONE LOSS).

 

 

 

 

 

Your stones will loosen, and you will inevitably cause very expensive damage. For as little as $39 dollars you will completely avoid all of these problems. All of our repairs are done by skilled, trusted jewelers in our stores. Save yourself a headache, and give yourself the gift of peace of mind.

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The Best Way to Clean Your Jewelry

Elizabeth Taylor is famous for many things, one of which is cleaning her famed jewels with a strong combination of gin and hot water. This is a fun and whimsical idea, but not really practical for every day. So many of our customers ask us, what is the best way to clean and maintain their prized possessions? Ideally, we always suggest a professional cleaning at either one of our locations. Our trained jewelers Mark, Chad, Chris, or Joe will thoroughly inspect your pieces, tighten any loose stones, and give them an intensive cleaning in our ultrasonic machine. This is not only ideal because your pieces will dazzle and shine in the light, but because your jewelry will receive a “check-up”, a quick evaluation of any necessary repair. In between visits to either location for your free cleaning, here are a few great tips on how to keep your gems in tip-top shape.

Dawn Sode1ba74fdbdfb08bf0c66a1bfba3a1a6ap and Warm Water:

Best overall jewelry cleaner, it’s mild enough for your pearls, and strong enough to give dazzle to your diamond. Simply use an extremely soft toothbrush to remove grime, leave your jewelry to dry on a clean cloth, and admire your results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

e712c9cf0b661982f6b754456c3e39f1Diamond Dazzle Stick:

An industry secret that we just started to carry in our store, this little miracle is perfect for travel or the diva on the go. Wet the tip of its brush with tap water, twist the cap to release the blue liquid, use the brush to sweep and scrub away grime on your necklaces earrings and rings, then rinse your jewelry off with tap water.  Your pieces will look vivid again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

e86fced4091583fb23481ab6d709dc1cAmmonia Based Liquid Cleaner:

This mass marketed jewelry cleaner often found is in a little red bottle at most big box stores, like Target, Wal-Mart, Sam’s, etc. It is ideal for only certain types of jewelry. This jewelry cleaner is very harsh and can cause harsh chemical reactions to some metal (especially sterling silver), and can destroy some soft gemstones (pearls, coral, opals, etc). This cleaner is only ideal for gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. You can leave your “pre-approved” pieces overnight in this cleaner and rinse them in tap water for a nice fresh glimmer of brilliance to your day.

 

 

 

 

 

14050729Impregnated Polishing Cloth:

This little beauty is the best option for all of your sterling silver. These cloths are filled with gritty polishing compounds that attaches to the tarnish of your jewelry and swiftly and easily removes it. The unbelievable thing is that the dirtier these cloths become, the better they work. Throwing them in your washing machine will make them worthless.

All of these specialty jewelry cleaning items are available for sale at both of our locations. We hope our advice helps you on your quest for you beautiful brilliant jewelry.

*From your Jeweler for a Lifetime-Comeau Jewelry Company

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