Gift Guide: More Than Just Jewellery

Well, we're right in the middle of the holiday season which probably means that a lot of you are realizing "oh, I guess I need to buy some presents...". And where can you buy those presents? Why, Westdale Jewellers of course! And we've extended our hours to make it even easier for you!

Until Christmas, we're now open:

Monday - Saturday from 10am - 8pm

CLOSED Sundays

Christmas Eve (Dec 24th) from 9am - 6pm


You know we have a huge selection of jewellery, both gold and silver. But we've also got a lot of other great gift ideas.


We've got some great stocking stuffers like the Diamond Dazzle Stik and the Jewellery Wipes by Connoisseurs (you can read all about them here: http://www.connoisseurs.com/ or come into the store and we'll show you how well they work!)

We love these jewellery cleaning products because they're portable and they work with almost no effort. We have the Diamond Dazzle Stiks available for $12.50 and the package of wipes are $13.13.

Another great stocking stuffer idea is a bracelet helper. We made ours right here in the store. If you wear bracelets you know how annoying it can be sometimes to do them up on your wrist. These bracelet helpers make it so much easier and faster.

You use them to hold the one end of your bracelet in place so that you can easily do up the clasp.

They make such a difference in how easy it is to put your bracelets on and they were hand-painted by our staff :) And the best part; they're only $5.00.

We've also got a ton of watches for kids and adults.

These Lego watches would make good stocking stuffers as well, or wrap them in some nice paper and top with a bow.

We've got Lego watches for both boys and girls and they're all $30.

 

 

There's also necklace, pocket and keychain watches all at a great price of $15.

 



And if you're looking for something a little more high-end, we've got Caravelle by Bulova watches and Wittnauer watches.

 

 

The Caravelles are a more affordable high-end option that range from &89.95 to $195.

And the Wittnauers are a great gift "if you really love them", as Dan would say, ranging from $150 to $840.

We've also got a large selection of wall, desk and mantle clocks.

 

These range from $20 up to $200.

 

 

If you know a really heavy sleeper, or have to get something for "someone you don't really like" (another of Dan's favourites), we've got cute animal alarm clocks.

 

Instead of a beep, these little guys make the noise of whatever animal is in the picture. We've also got a pig and a dog. These are all $27.38.

For someone who needs to store their beautiful jewellery we have lots of jewellery boxes.

 

 

We have more styles and colours and they range from $11.83 to $68.75.

For someone with a bit more jewellery, we have a wall-mounted jewellery box with a mirrored front.

It looks like a simple mirror, but when you open it up...

It's a great way to store your jewellery discreetly. This jewellery box costs $68.75.

And, of course, we have some great  jewellery to choose from!

We have a couple of Caravelle charm watches that fit the Pandora style beads so we got a couple of plain bracelets and a whole bunch of new charm beads.

Here we have just a sample of the types and colours of beads we have, shown with one bracelet with 4 stopper beads on it.

Both plain bracelets and almost all of the beads are Sterling Silver; we have one Gold bead with Cubic Zirconias.
The regular beads range in price from $14 to $52. The plain stopper beads are $6.35 and the stopper beads with stones are $24. Our gold bead is $137. And each bracelet is $50.40.

For something with a little sparkle at a great price, we have these great Sterling Silver and Cubic Zirconia earrings.

These sparkly drops are perfect for Christmas parties and only cost $37.50. The stones aren't set with claws or bezels, they're actually baked into a coloured clay so they will never come out of their settings and you only see stone, not a bunch of metal.

For those of you shopping for gold lovers, we have some beautiful gemstone bracelets in 14KW. Here is the Blue Topaz bracelet, December's birthstone.

We've also got similar bracelets with Amethyst and Citrine with prices ranging from $960 to $1,072.


For someone who likes something a little different, we've got some beautiful Ammonite in gold.

This amazing Ammonite with Diamond pendant is set in 18KY and can also be worn as a pin or a Pearl enhancer. This versatile and unique piece is $2,112.

We've always got something for everyone, and we can always custom make or alter anything you'd like. So don't stress out about finding the perfect present because if you come visit us, we'll find it or make it for you.





Opal is for October

October is a beautiful month with all the wonderful colours of Fall, but it's also beautiful because of the wonderful colours of Opal; October's birthstone.

Opal is an interesting gemstone because of its play of colours or "fire". A good natural Opal has flashes of red, blue, green and sometimes purple. The red flashes are the most desirable.

You can see (even with my poor photography skills) the pretty red flashes in this opal. And in person it has incredible flashes of colour. This beautiful 14KY ring sells for $549.

The thing about natural opal is that every one is unique; you won't find two natural opals exactly the same. And the quality of natural opals is really variable.

This natural opal is obviously less "opalescent" than the previous one. While still a very pretty stone, the flashes of colour are a real mixture of red, green and purple rather than predominately red like the previous stone. This stone is also larger but set in sterling silver. Because of the difference in quality of the stone and the metal, this ring sells for $125.

Natural opals need to be treated delicately because they are a soft stone and the surface is easily scratched. Also, any harsh soaps or chemicals aren't good; think of opals like your skin, it's also easily scratched if hit against something and can get irritated by chemicals.

Natural opals are also partly made up of water which means that there are a few more considerations when wearing an opal:
1) They like to be hydrated so every now and then it's a good idea to just let your opal jewellery sit in water for a few hours.
2) If they dry out their colour is less brilliant, but don't worry, the brilliance returns once the stone is hydrated.
3) If they dry out too much they can crack, and unfortunately this isn't fixed by hydration.
4) And one other consideration is that, because of the water they contain, they can freeze if going from hot to cold too quickly and this can cause cracking.

With that said, opal really isn't very difficult to take care of as long as you treat it with care. We want to let you know what CAN happen but don't let the information scare you off, just keep it in mind.

As with many gemstones today, there are options for a synthetic or simulant. We usually promote synthetics over simulants because synthetic stones have the exact same make-up as the natural stones they're just made in a lab instead of coming from nature.

When it comes to opal, however, we prefer a simulant; Opalite. The reason Opalite is a simulant and not a synthetic is because it doesn't contain water like natural opals do. Other than the water, Opalite is exactly the same as natural opal (including needing to be treated delicately because it is also soft).

The lack of water in Opalite can be a good thing because you don't have to take into consideration all of the points above.

Opalite, as a simulant, also has a much more brilliant play of colour than natural stones and the colour patterns are more regular.

These opalite earrings are obviously more colourful than the natural stones shown above.

And this Opalite and cubic zirconia pendant also shows the intense colour that comes with the simulant option. This sells for $32.50.

Both of these Opalite pieces are set in sterling silver. Generally, Opalite isn't set in gold which makes it a less expensive option.

So whether you love the uniqueness and variability of natural opal or the intense play of colours of Opalite, you can get the look of opal with any budget.

We've got a good selection of both natural Opal and Opalite so come in and see the difference in person. We also have a wide variety of unset natural Opals that can be used in any custom piece of jewellery.

We've upped our watch game with Bulova

We've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks with yet another wave of new inventory. This time we were receiving, displaying and learning about our new stock of Bulova and Caravelle by Bulova watches (as well as new clocks, but they'll get their own post next week).

We're excited to have the Bulova brand in our store because we know they are a reliable brand with beautiful watches.

The Caravelle by Bulova watches that we have in stock start at just $89.95 and go to $175. Caravelle has tons of great designs and all are covered by the Bulova 3 year limited warranty.

We've got a couple of the Ladies' Charms watches which will fit charms or beads from almost all the brands out there.

These watches are only $150 and they're so much fun.

We've also got a couple of watches from the Diamond line in Caravelle by Bulova. All of the Bulova Diamond watches include genuine diamonds and all stones are hand set.

This elegant watch is the most expensive of our Caravelle by Bulova watches at $175, which is still an amazing price for a great watch that includes 4 diamonds on its face.

We've also got a wide selection of Bulova watches ranging from $195 up to $850, with the majority of our current stock between $250-$495.

We've got a few of the Bulova Diamond collection for both men and women.

This sleek watch has 1 hand-set diamond at the 12 marker and is priced at $295.

We love the trend of larger watch faces and we've got a great all-black, large-face watch that has an added bonus of being extremely thin and light.

This watch is a great deal at $295.

We've also got a few self-winding mechanical watches. These watches don't require a battery. They wind themselves as long as they're moving, and they will even run up to 40 hours without being worn.

All Bulova self-winding mechanical watches have a window on the front and a completely transparent back to showcase the intricate movement of over 100 moving parts inside.
This watch, with its beautiful bronze face, is $450.

And, finally, we've got a selection of the Bulova Precisionist line. These watches are some of the most accurate watches in the world. They feature a continuously sweeping second hand and are accurate to within 10 seconds per year. Compare that to standard quartz movement watches that are accurate to within 15 seconds per month.

I could try and give you the reasons why the Precisionist watches are so accurate, but I found an article that will explain it better than I can. If you're interested in how this line of watches works, skip to page 4 of this article: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/clocks-watches/bulova-precisionist.htm .

The watch pictured above is the chronograph Precisionist which can time up to 12 hours and has dials for the hours, minutes and seconds. This watch is also water resistent to 300 meters.

Just a little disclaimer about the water resistence; we asked a whole lot of questions when buying the watches that we did because we like to know what we're selling you and we want to be able to give you the right information.
When it comes to the water resistent watches it's important that you pay attention to the word "resistent". Unless it says "water PROOF", it is not. If you choose to wear your water resistent watch under water (and this goes for all brands, not just Bulova) we've been informed that if you press any buttons that may be on the watch you will let water in while doing so.
So, you can wear water resistent watches under water but you cannot expect them to keep water out if you push buttons or, if for some reason you decide to, set the time under water.


We hope that you'll come in and take a look at the new watches we've got in stock. If we don't have something that you love in the store we also have the Bulova and Caravelle by Bulova catalogues and can order any watch you want.

Pitfalls to beware of when buying your engagement ring (a letter to you from the owner)

I empathize with the people who have no initial idea of what they’re buying, who don’t have any experienced advisors and who are at the mercy of advertisers on TV or the internet. The same goes for the poor person who must deal with a salesperson who needs to make a sale, but has very limited knowledge. You might not want to buy such an emotionally charged item from a person who is limited to showing you “what happens to be in stock” when you come in. They may not know jewellery, but they do know how to sell.

So many people are buying the “sizzle” instead of the steak.  Advertising companies use words that seem to say one thing, yet legally mean something very different.  Technically they are not lying to you, they are telling you straight out that you are about to get sucked in, and you are too innocent to understand. This advertising ploy is called using “weasel words”.

For example, the word “virtually” means “similar to, but not actually in fact”.  It does not mean “the same as”.

Another pair of weasel words is “best” and “better”. “Best”, legally means “as good as any other similar item” not “the one that is head and shoulders above the competition in some way”.  If you want what we refer to as “best” in every-day English, then you want a “better” product. In legalese, "best" is one of the herd and "better" is comparatively superior.

And as soon as you see or hear the words, “in our opinion”, run away. The opinion of a paid spokesperson is only worth something if they are an expert in their field and they are potentially liable for anything they say that is untrue. As an example, many appraisals have a disclaimer on them. That “appraiser” is not qualified or knowledgeable enough to give an opinion and doesn’t want to be held responsible if anything turns out to be wrong. Beware of appraisals generated in store that are used for “Big Markdown Sales”. It doesn’t matter what the real value of an item is, it only matters how much it cost before it was marked down. 50% off of an item appraised at 10 times too high is still a huge profit for the seller, but not a good deal at all for you, the customer. When the sale is over, if you pay their full price, you really get taken!

Here are a few other things to look out for.

“Quantities limited” means there are only a few of something at any location, or maybe there is only one piece in stock. This tactic allows a vendor to avoid a criminal charge of “bait and switch”, which can be laid if the seller hasn’t stocked any of an advertised sale product and then tries to sell you something else for the same money but not the same quality.

"Wholesale to the public" implies that the price is the same as the amount the dealers are paying. It also implies that you will get huge savings, but this phrase can be part of their registered name or trademark. Then it means nothing at all about pricing or costs. It is just the name they chose to do business under. And it works!

So, how can you be sure that you are not getting ripped off?

Think to yourself, how expensive is the location that these guys are operating from? We dealers all buy from a very limited pool of suppliers. If a low rent shop pays the same price for a product as one in a mall, the mall store must charge a bigger mark-up. Their costs are so high that they have to make more from you on every purchase  just to stay open. You pay for every frill; all of the snow removal in winter and everything in the “Mall atmosphere” as well as the malls’ advertising. I’m not suggesting that you shop in a dump, but the less of your money the store wastes each month, the less they need to charge you for the same service.

Another point for you to consider; We sell Canadian diamonds that come from a mine partly owned by Tiffany’s. We both offer an identical stone to a customer, I mean, exactly the same cut, the same polish, the same symmetry, the same weight, the same colour and the same clarity. They even have identical grading appraisals from the GIA (the Gemological Institute of America, the most respected appraisers around). We are both offering you a triple X stone, the best there is on the planet!

Do you think that they’re going to sell you that stone for the same price as we do?

I don’t think so. 

And yes, we are comparing apples to apples here.  Yes, they have a great name in the trade, but are you willing to pay the premium for that name? Some do and some think that they would rather not. And please don’t think that I’m picking on Tiffany’s. Any high overhead store is going to charge you more, for exactly the same goods, as a qualified independent shop, like us.

So please, come in and put us to the test. We can start small and as we build up your trust in us, I think that we can make you glad that you came in.

Daniel.

P.S. We have cats.

New Arrivals Part 2- New Stones

We've got our second wave of new sterling silver arrivals! That's right, even more rings, pendants and earrings are waiting for a good home. There's more Labradorite and Moonstone of course, but we also couldn't resist a few new stones. Here's just a tiny taste of the newest new arrivals. For pictures and prices of all our newest treasures, take a look at our facebook album :) http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151042589433775.437003.186709363774&type=1

Our first new obsession is a gemstone called Chalcedony. This stone is such a cool shade of blue-green, it makes you think of clear, warm ocean water found in much warmer climates than Hamilton.

These beautiful checkerboard faceted earrings are incredibly light-weight and perfect for every day, or dress them up for a special event. They're $85 and we also have a pair with Labradorite for the same price.

Next is Sunstone. This iridescent stone has a similar shimmer of colours that you get with Opal, Labradorite and Moonstone (which is probably why we were so drawn to it) but with a wonderful bright orange base.

You can grab this fun ring for $107.50 and/or this cute pendant for $95.

Next are two stones with very similar colouring; Prehnite and Phenacite. The pale green of these stones is really beautiful.

Here we have the Phenacite in an elegant pendant. With the only silver being the filigree bail, you really get the full impact of the stone's colour. This pendant is an awesome deal at $22.50.

And these are the Prehnite in some great hand-textured earrings. The texture of the silver really stands out next to the stone. These can be yours for $137.50.

And finally, a stone that we got into last year and is still one of our favourites, Green Amethyst.

These earrings caught our eye because of the sleek lines paired with the sparkly briolette stones. You really have to see these in person the get the beautiful colour and sparkle of the Green Amethyst. These earrings are $122.50.
We've got a whole lot more to look at so come in and check out all the new arrivals, and browse through the rest of our jewellery- there's always a lot to see!
And, for the rest of September, show us a McMaster or Mohawk student ID and shop tax free!!!

What to do about rings that will not stay face up

This is a very common problem, and one with a large number of solutions. Every finger is different: the best way to obtain a customized solution for your ring is to bring it in for us to look at. We can consult with you personally on the options that fit your finger, and give you the best information for your needs.

The following is a general overview of all the options available.

For regular fingers (with slightly oval knuckles), the muscles are oval and slightly larger than the knuckle, with a small to medium “pocket” at the point where the finger joins to the hand.

Correct fit: When putting your ring on, it should clear the knuckle freely and then feel snug as it compresses the muscle while sliding on. The ring should fit snugly into the “pocket”, with sufficient friction to stay upright.

Rings that rotate on this type of hand are often top-heavy and have two major factors contributing to the problem: they could be hollowed out at the top with only thin rails contacting the finger, or are very thin at the back. This type of ring is loose in the pocket and lacks sufficient friction to stay upright.

Here is a ring that is both hollowed out at the top and thin at the back.

The easiest solution to this problem is to re-make the ring wide enough at the back, so it bridges the “pocket” and engages the muscle.

This model is wider at the bottom than it is at the top which will help it engage the muscle while still looking sleek when it's on your finger.

An alternative is to apply a plate across the inside of the top to increase friction, as shown here:

In extreme cases you may need  to do both. This will usually correct the problem.

For non-standard fingers; that is, Fingers with smaller muscles than regular sized knuckles,

   Fingers with enlarged knuckles and regular muscles or

   Fingers with enlarged knuckles and small muscles,

there are a variety of measures and appliances that can be employed.

The simplest solution to a wide, oval knuckle is to reshape the hole to a matching oval.  The ring is then applied sideways to clear the knuckle and rotated 90 degrees to continue over the muscle and into the “pocket”.

There are appliances that fit inside the ring that ride up and down to compensate for the variations in diameter. The inexpensive “sizers” do not work well as the legs that attach them to the shank are folded over to overlap on the outside. They often become an irritant to the adjoining fingers.  Also, they only work well on rings that are the same size all along the side. The better version of this idea floats on a spring system and doesn’t have to slide on the ring. The attaching tabs are at the bottom rather than the sides. These work well and are still modestly priced. Shown below is the floating spring option set with tabs not yet fixed to the ring.

Both of these are temporary fixes and will last from a few months to a few years. These will help if the variation in diameter is less than a full size.

One advantage to these ways of solving the problem is that there is no heat required to attach the appliance. All of the following do require heat above 1500 degrees. If your ring has heat sensitive stones, they must be removed and re-installed after the work is done. For example, consider a silver ring with a large Amethyst. If we heat the ring with the stone in, it can transform into a Citrine or go completely colourless. Similarly, an Emerald in a gold ring could crack or shatter from the heat. Other than Diamond, all stones are sensitive to heat to some degree.

The easiest permanent fix requires soldering small spheres onto the inside surface at the “4” and “8” o’clock positions. The balls give extra rollover resistance while remaining invisible and work by riding, unfelt, in the hollows of the muscle on each side. They vary from ¼ of a millimeter to ½ a mm. This attack works on variations of up to one size.

The picture below shows two samples with the small spheres. Both samples have the spheres at different locations, depending on the size of the ring and the finger it will sit on.

Next up is the “harp”, a lyre shaped insert that is permanently fixed to the inside bottom of the ring with two arms that can flex to allow passage over the knuckle and then return to clasp the sides of the finger. Elegant and effective, this alternative works up to a size and a half in variation. A harp not yet soldered to the ring is shown below.

For fingers with arthritis or where the variation is greater than two sizes, we have two alternatives. The less expensive consists of two interlocked hinged flat sections that can slide over each other like a baby bracelet. They can extend up to four sizes and compress back down when in position. While the ring looks the same from the front, a drawback is that this is not a very pretty option when viewed from the back. This option is shown below in its fully compressed position.

Finally, we come to the best, and most expensive, of the variable ring backs: the “finger fit shank”™. It matches the appearance and shape of the original ring except at the very back where the locking mechanism is located. It is hinged, opens up to accommodate five sizes in variance and is very secure. It has a stainless steel insert that prevents the ring from opening up all the way and falling off. It locks in a manner very similar to that of a key ring. We generally put these on high value pieces like engagement rings.

Here is a ring fitted with the “finger fit shank”™. The ring is fully closed and the locking mechanism is engaged.

This picture shows the locking mechanism while it's open.

 

Here is the “finger fit shank”™ when it is completely open.  

And here you can see that the ring looks no different from the top when fitted with the“finger fit shank”™.

As always, there are exceptions to the rules. The best way to determine how to correct your specific problem is to come in with the piece and your finger to let us examine it. We can then show you what the appropriate options are and you can choose what you want.

To view some of our work, go to www.westdalejewellers.com. If you have any questions, or want to book a consultation with us, give us a call at 905.777.1101.



New Arrivals!

We have spent the last week and a half shopping for, pricing and displaying a whole wack of shiny new jewellery!

Every year we spend 3 days walking around 4 very large venues getting ideas for new designs, new ways to display and, of course, buying new inventory. Now the fruits of that labourious, but very exciting, outing are out for you to see in our store.

We have a brand new selection of sterling silver with semi-precious gemstones as well as a few new items in gold with both semi-precious and precious gemstones.

We are all really excited about our new line of interchangeable stone cage pendants. Pictured below is our sterling silver option with a blue cat's eye gemstone disc.

We also have yellow and pink gold plated options (each are plated over sterling silver) and 5 more different gemstone disc colour options. The cage pendants are $82.50 each and the gemstone discs are $12.50 each.
We would be pleased to custom cut a disc in your choice of gemstone as well (the price will vary depending on which gemstone you choose).

Another great addition to our inventory is our expanded selection of labradorite and moonstone jewellery. We all adore these gemstones and realized we had almost none in stock for our customers to fall in love with- well not anymore.

The beautiful, deep blue tones of the labradorite really stand out while the shimmering rainbow of the moonstones really catch your eye. We hope you'll come take a look at these gemstones in person because the colour changes cannot truly be caught by the camera. The labradorite pendant above is priced at $49.00 and the moonstone earrings are $60.00.

For those of you looking for something in gold with precious gemstones, we have a new selection of gold sleeper hoops. Pictured below are the 14KY hoops with sapphires.

We got a great deal on the price of these beautiful, simple earrings and we are passing that right on to our customers; these hoops are only $54.00!

We hope you can make it in to browse the wide range of jewellery we have to offer and to take a peak at our new arrivals.

And don't forget, we do repairs and custom work too!