Most people think that since diamonds are the hardest of all the gemstones they can never lose their sparkle or brilliance. They do NOT dull or stop sparkling, they just get dirty.

Diamonds are magnets for all kinds of materials which will stick to them and make them lose their sparkle. Finger prints are a prime example. The oils on your fingers can stick to the diamond and make it lose some of its brilliance.

In fact, every time I deliver an engagement ring, I give the young man who purchased it a speech about not letting ANYONE touch it until he proposes, because the first time the young lady sees it, the ring should be at its most brilliant. Hand lotion, soap, cooking materials and perspiration are all things that can stick to a diamond and cause it to not look its best.

Sometimes it happens gradually so that the wearer doesn’t realize that it is happening. Very often I meet with a customer who spent a great deal of time and money on the “perfect” engagement ring, only to come to me several month or years later and the ring is absolutely filthy. I realize I’m more likely to notice it than the customer. So, I ALWAYS offer to clean it for them. Afterwards, the reaction is always the same: “WOW!!”

So what can you do about this? First of all, if you are ever in New York City, please stop in and I will be very happy to clean it for you at no charge.

For at home cleaning, there are several types of jewelry cleaners that you can buy, and they are all equally fine. They will come with a brush. Use it! It’s very important to brush the back of the diamond because that is where it’s going to get dirty. You can use a toothbrush and toothpaste and it will work just as well. If the diamond is really dirty you may want to let it soak for a while in jewelry cleaner, or rubbing alcohol, and then go at it with a brush.

I always stress to my customers the importance of keeping their jewelry clean, but I have an ulterior motive, I can’t deny it. I want all my customers to be walking advertisements for me and for that to happen the jewelry must look its best.

- Gary

Happy Valentines Day!

Photo Credit: GemLN Jewelry Blog

The holidays are fast approaching. All men want to do the right thing here.

Some guys don’t like to buy jewelry, so they buy other things instead. Here’s a list of unique gifts that some men bought for the women in their lives. I got this list directly from the ladies themselves.

• a New Toilet
• a Framed Picture of a Man with his Ex-Wife. It was supposed to be a picture of him with his current wife but he was too lazy to actually look at the picture before putting it in the frame
• a Framed Picture of his Mother
• a Jenny Craig Membership
• an Electric Toothbrush
• a Leaf Blower
• French Deodorant

Now I do agree that there is a time and a place for everything. However, before you rush out to Home Depot to buy her that new toilet for Christmas, maybe you should at least consider buying her a pair of diamond studs instead.

Happy holidays!

- Gary

Most guys have absolutely no idea how to gift shop. That’s especially true when it comes to buying a gift for the woman in their lives. It’s not like they don’t want to do the right thing, they absolutely do! It’s just that they don’t know what to do and this can cause all kinds of problems. I’m going to use this blog post to address this pressing issue and hopefully I  can keep some guys from making some of  the mistakes that I’ve seen over the years.

First of all, how does this happen? How is it possible for a man to be married for 30 years and still have absolutely no idea what to get his wife for her birthday? Most guys tend to focus on very few things:  their jobs, the overall well-being of their families, and who are the Giants playing this weekend. And that’s pretty much it. Then he finds himself three (3) weeks away from his wife’s birthday and he’s clueless. It’s very stressful and it’s not healthy. So what’s a guy to do?

First, take a deep breath. Now, think strategy, guys. Since this is a jewelry website, let me show you how it would apply if jewelry was the purchase (of course, you can just swap it with electronic devices, cars, fur coats, what have you):

1. Take an Inventory  - Take a look at what she has, and just as important, take a look at what she doesn’t have. If she seems to like colored stones and has a lot of colored stone rings, maybe you could get her a nice colored stone pendant. She still may not like it, but at least you put some thought into it. Sometimes that alone goes a long way.
2. Let Her Pick Out Her Own Gift  - Now, on the surface this may not sound like a very romantic thing to do but I’ve seen this work very successfully in the past. It’s very practical. Let me give you an example. I have a long time customer whose wife was about to have a very big birthday. As usual he had no idea what to do and it was making him crazy. He was having sleepless nights because he didn’t want to ruin her big day.  Finally he said to me, “Gary, I’m going to send her in to you and she  can pick out whatever she likes.” He gave me a budget and he asked me to keep it to that. She ended up with a lovely tennis bracelet and everyone was happy.
3. Stick To The Basics - Suppose you have a major anniversary coming up and as usual you have no idea what to do.  Don’t do something ridiculous like coming home with a toaster or a vacuum cleaner. It would be better not to come home at all. Stick to the basics such as a pair of diamond “studs”, a pearl necklace or a tennis bracelet.  If she doesn’t already have one of these it’s almost inconceivable that she wouldn’t be happy with this.
4. Talk It Over With Me  – I have seen many customers wrestle with this over the years. In addition, I have given many gifts myself over the years and I am aware of the stress involved. It can cause insomnia as well as all kinds of gastrointestinal issues. So discuss it with me and together we can usually come up with something.

You’d be amazed at how many engagement rings I’ve sold over the phone to people who’ve never met me face to face. Customers come from all 50 states, but still some customers wonder how you can possibly buy an engagement ring sight unseen. Well, that’s not exactly true – they can see it via their computers, their phones, on the ring finger of a friend who referred them to me, or by a friend who raved about me.

So, why do they call Cohen Bros. Jewelry in New York City when they live in Chicago or Dallas or Des Moines, Iowa? Because a brother, a college roommate, a business associate, or a friend told them to call. Almost always, the customer who calls says they know someone who had a good experience with me.

These days most customers have some idea what they would like. The two most important pieces of information we need to get started are:

1. What shape diamond would they would like?
2. What’s the ball park budget?

Once that’s answered, I can usually point out some pretty good options. I don’t sell low end diamonds so I am NEVER going to let my customer buy something that isn’t nice, but there is always a little trade off between size and quality.

Some people want the best possible quality that they can get in their budget. Some people are willing to give up a little quality in order to get a larger diamond. All the options are good, the only piece of advice that I always give the guys is to get his girlfriend whatever shape diamond SHE likes. She is the one that will be wearing it. Guys, if you love a round brilliant cut diamond and you know that she would prefer a cushion-cut diamond, get her the cushion-cut. The rest (size, quality and budget) is up to you.

Picking the setting over the phone is easy too. When a guy is about to buy an engagement ring, he usually has some idea of what kind of a setting she would like. At some point during their relationship she managed to impart that piece of information to him. However, sometimes they don’t know and really have no idea. How do we pick a setting then?

I always tell the guys that if they have no idea what kind of setting she wants, then the simpler the better. DO NOT BE CREATIVE here or more likely than not I’m going to have to redo it. Sometimes just a plain 6-prong platinum or white gold setting is perfect for a round diamond. If he’d like to see some pictures he can always come back to my website here and look at “engagement rings” or “wedding sets” in the photo gallery to see some rings that we’ve made in the past.

I bet engagements this summer will be happening all over the country. If you haven’t yet picked out the ring and want to talk, give me a call – 212-719-2010. It’s my job to make the two of you happy.

Diamond stud earrings never go out of style. Whenever someone asks for a gift suggestion, the first things I’ll suggest are pearls (see my earlier blog post) and diamond stud earrings. You can wear them everywhere, from the very formal wedding to every day around town and even to the beach.

I’m always happy to exchange diamond stud earrings for a larger pair. In fact, people do that all the time. If someone buys a pair of diamond studs from me now, and 5 years from now they decide they’d like a larger pair, they can trade-in the first pair and whatever they paid for them we will apply to the larger pair. It’s that simple.

I have customers who have done this three or four times. I recently sold a pair of 2.00 carat each diamond studs to someone who started out years ago with a pair of .25 carat each studs.

Many people have said to me over the years that the quality of the diamonds in a pair of diamond studs is not important because they are earrings, not engagement rings. I see what they’re saying, but I will never agree that the quality is not important, because it is.

When you see someone wearing beautiful diamonds, whether in a ring, earrings or a tennis bracelet, you are going to notice. Yes, it’s true that size matters, but quality also matters. There is a system for grading the quality of diamonds and fortunately, there is a wide range in what is considered to be a very nice quality. This way, we can usually hit whatever price point my customer is looking for.

As we head into the spring, there are all kinds of reasons to buy jewelry. Graduations are just one. I’ve sold diamond studs for women graduating from medical school, and even to those graduating from nursery school. Whether it’s a graduation, anniversary or birthday, make a lasting and noticeable impression – give your loved one a pair of diamond studs.

- Gary

[A special guest blog post and life story in honor of International Women's Day and millions affected by Alzheimer's from Phyllis George, Alzheimer's Champion, customer and friend - Gary]

I lost my best friend, my mother, Louise George, to the insidious disease of alzheimer’s – it is the 6th leading cause of death and every 69 seconds someone in this country develops alzheimer’s. Did you know, there are 5.4 million people living with alzheimer’s in the US? Other alarming statistics – 3.4 million of those are women and 60 percent of the caregivers are women!

It’s a family disease, it affects every single person in the family. The first time my mother said to me,”Who are you?,” I almost collapsed. Instead, I went into the bedroom and cried.

As the disease progressed – her memory was like a lightbulb flickering on and off. When it was “on” I hung on everything – every word she said. When the light went “out” I felt such sad emotions.

There is no cure for alzheimer’s, the disease is fatal. But, we are working 24/7 trying to find treatment, prevention and a cure for this horrific disease which is like a “thief” that steals the memory of our loved ones and friends.

My mother graduated college at 19 years old. She was brilliant. As you can imagine, my family was in “denial” at the prospect of her having alzheimer’s.

Until she was diagnosed we lived with the “hope” that it would get better and we would have mother back, my kids would have their grandmother back, like she was before.

Awareness is key – we all must be aware of what is going on with our loved ones and always give them the dignity they deserve.

Mother was always “there” for me, And I had to be “there” for her as her primary caregiver.

I miss her so much today and it’s been 8 years since she passed away from this nightmare of alzheimer’s, but my brother, Rob and I and our families choose to focus on the happy times and wonderful memories we had with her.

It somehow helps us all heal the pain of our loss even today.

Louise George - We miss and love you.

- Phyllis George

Former Miss America, an accomplished television broadcaster, author, businesswoman/entrepreneur and award-winning humanitarian, she’s also a long time member of the Miss America Organization Board of Directors. Phyllis lost her best friend – her mother Louise – to the insidious disease of Alzheimer’s. She was named as an “Alzheimer’s Champion” by the national Alzheimer’s Association. Phyllis was also presented with the “Rita Hayworth Alzheimer’s Award” for her work and advocacy with Alzheimer’s. Every year Phyllis presents the “Phyllis George Outstanding Caregiver and Advocacy Award” in memory of her mother, Louise George. She presents the award with the First Lady of Kentucky at the capitol in Frankfort, KY. Phyllis is now working on an internet project – A website focusing on American handmade art and craft as gifts and collectibles. Phyllis is the proud mother of two children. Pamela is an anchor/reporter for the ABC affiliate in Washington D.C. Her son, Lincoln, is an entrepreneur.

Last week I tried to write something about Valentine’s Day from the male point-of-view. I thought it was pretty good, but when I showed it to a few people to critique it, the general feeling was that I should stick to selling diamonds and let the writers do the writing.

Instead, here’s a much more interesting and fun story that just happens to coincide with the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl.

In January I took my daughter Jaqi, and her friend Jill to the New York Giants / Atlanta Falcons home playoff game. Jill happens to be the daughter of a childhood friend of mine, whose father and my father have had tickets to the Giants going back to the 50′s. So, Jaqi and Jill are 3rd generation Giants fans. See the pic on the right. The one with his head cut off is me.

A few weeks later Jill decides to enter a contest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to win a Super Bowl ticket.  They flew her to LA, she competes with a few other “Super” fans, and guess what – SHE WINS!!  Ellen put Jill and a Patriots fan on a plane to Indiana and the Super Bowl. The clip below will show you what happened.

It’s hard to imagine anyone having a better time than Jill had last week. We haven’t stopped laughing yet, and Jill made us all very proud.

What does any of this have to do with Valentine’s Day? I have absolutely no idea. Probably nothing but it’s a good story. Also, each of the Giants will be getting a new diamond ring so maybe I can tie it in with that.

I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day.

- Gary

Thank you Ellen DeGeneres Show for sharing this clip on YouTube. 

A perfect gift for ANY Mom.

Pearls are the perfect gift, in my humble opinion. I know that the holiday gift-giving season often leaves you wondering what to buy. If you hadn’t considered pearls yet, check this out:

Their story is quite amazing. Did you know that pearls are the only gemstone that are produced by an animal? Oysters produce pearls. They are formed when an irritant enters the shell of an oyster. The oyster produces a material called “nacre” to coat the irritant. The longer this remains inside the oyster the more nacre is produced and the larger the pearl will be.

A naturally occurring pearl is extremely rare. A Cultured Pearl is produced when this process is helped along by man. Some of the most popular types of Cultured Pearls are:

• Akoya Pearls -These are the classic cultured pearls. The Akoya Pearls are primarily produced in Japan and measure anywhere in size from 2mm to 10mm. Their colors range from pinkish white to creamy.

• South Sea Pearls – These are generally the largest of the cultured pearls. They usually range in size from 9mm to 20mm. The most common colors of South Sea Pearls are black, white and golden. They come in several different shapes with the most popular being round and baroque.

• Chinese Freshwater Pearls – Freshwater pearls come in all different shapes and sizes. Some of the most common shapes are round, oval, button shaped, and baroque. They also come in many different colors such as orange, rose color and violet.

You can’t go wrong with pearls, and your choices are endless. Enjoy the start of the holiday season!

~ Gary

Remodel jewelry for sentimental reasons 

• A client inherited an old diamond cocktail ring from her grandmother. It’s vintage but she wasn’t ever going to wear it. We took out all of the diamonds and used them to make a tennis bracelet. Now, this client has a piece of jewelry she loves and still has the diamonds that her grandmother wore.

Your tastes or styles have changed over time, it’s time for a new look

• Resetting engagement rings are a great way to make them new again. Clients like to change it up to a new style, whether it’s going from gold to platinum or a just a new setting. The diamonds are reset and they spend a fraction of the price than if they’d bought it new.