Of all the designer engagement rings we carry, none get more attention and praise than our Tacori rings. Something about their antique styling really captures the hearts and souls of our customers. Perhaps its the attention to detail and micr0-pave diamonds that set Tacori rings apart.

Everything is made by hand in sunny California, and nothing is sent overseas. The company is family owned and I can say, on a personal level, that Paul Tacorian is a true gentleman. I’ve known him for years and it’s always a pleasure to see him at trade shows.

Tacori rings has such a quality brand name with the consumer that it is able to maintain a strict no-discount policy. Almost like Rolex does with its famous watches, Tacori keeps a tightly-knit group of authorized retailers, and if it discovers anyone to have discounted a ring, it will immediately cut off the Tacori supply chain to that retailer.

mervisdiamond.com/blog is the place to learn a complete diamond education. Ronnie has recorded video tutorials on engagement rings, wedding bands, diamond earrings, and anything else you’d want to know. He’ll teach you how to intelligently buy a diamond in or around Washington, DC.

You can see our new site in development at

www.jonathanmervis.com

Feedback is more than welcome, jmervis AT mervisdiamond DOT com.

I’m really excited for our new team blog, entitled “Diamond Insider.” All our wonderful diamond consultants will be giving advice and answering your questions. The site should be up in a few weeks!

In more good news, here are some of the best submissions from our Onion contest:

Have you seen our ads in The Onion spoof newspaper?

Well now we’re asking you to throw us your clever taglines. We’ll pick the best and actually run them in the newspaper.

To submit your entries, or just to vote on those already submitted, click here:

This is the first of a series of clips. It is meant to be an “intro” and the others go into a bit more detail.

To see more, click here:

Great things were discussed at lunch today with WBIG, the classic rock station in DC.

We’re at the start of doing some terrific radio promotions. The best part will be the give-away trips to South Africa, so that listeners and our clients will have a chance to visit the diamond mining areas.

More details to follow

As our guest blogger today, our head jewelry buyer Ellen will explain the recent Platinum situation.

Recently, I was invited to California by the Platinum Guild International for a Buyers Retreat. Mervis Diamond Importers was chosen as one of the “Top 10 Retailers in America” to attend this event because of our high volume of platinum sales, our commitment to the finest quality of jewelry, and our overall support of the Designers. The retreat consisted of discussions about Platinum topics such as Consumer Perspective, Jewelry Presentation, Inventory, and Pricing.

Most recently, concerns over the soaring price of platinum and other precious metals have been at the forefront of not only the jewelry industry but the public as well. The price of precious metals has gone up exponentially and there are several factors contributing to the increase.

a) The decline of the US dollar b) the overall global economic downturn c) geo-politcal uncertainty in mining countries d) power outages in African mining regions leading to reduced output

All of our designers take these problems into consideration and are making changes to help young couples who are planning an engagement ring purchase.  Some are making their best selling platinum pieces in smaller versions, others are using alternative metals such as Palladium. 

A big thank you to Beverly and the good folks over at WWWT  | 107.7 FM  | 1500 AM. I had a great time in the studio.

At a nice French restaurant, the finest filet mignon on the menu might not be any bigger than your fist. But take one bite of it, and you’ll know the critics have been raving about it. It’s juicy, flavorful, cooked perfectly, and you’ll leave the restaurant feeling very satisfied.

 Compare that to the steak you might get at a cheaper chain restaurant. You’ll get a bigger portion of poorly cooked, low quality meat.

 The discerning customer knows the difference and chooses the superior option. A similar tradeoff applies to diamonds and probably all consumer goods.

Focus on the quality first and then find the appropriate size that fits your price range. Look at the cut, sparkle, and the light that emits from the stone.

It’s the sparkle that will get the “wows.”

 One major caveat I see often:

Diamond size is perceived to be measured in carat weight. However, there’s a subtle, yet very important distinction between weight and size. 

Weight is a good indication of size as long as it’s distributed proportionately. However, a poorly cut diamond may be too “fat” in its midsection, which boosts its carat weight, but ruins the internal light refractions and yields much less sparkle. This diamond might look better on paper to the uninformed customer, yet it is actually a worse diamond than if it were cut properly and weighed a bit less.