NPR News recently posted on their blog "Why Jewelry Stores Hide The Price Tags".

The article stated that people are more likely to stay longer and look around the store, rather than walk out after seeing the price tags on the items that they are interested in are higher than their wallet can handle. Furthermore, when a customer has to ask to see a piece of jewelry or inquire about the price, this paves the way to allowing the jeweler time to talk to the customer and explain, often in-depth, the background and details about the piece of jewelry.

This is partially understandable. However, there are plenty of people who may never inquire about something that they are interested in. They may assume, without seeing the price, that it would be out of their range or be too embarrassed to ask the price, and simply walk out the door. Sale lost.

What do you think? Do you think that jewelers should display the prices of each piece or do you think that the practice of hiding the prices encourages people to look around for what they want, without the bias of a pricetag?

You may not be familiar with the name Amal Alamuddin, but you've most likely heard of who she's marrying - the one and only George Clooney. But, then again, if you haven't heard of her, you've missed out on the human rights lawyer who is internationally known and has fought for the rights of people like the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange and Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister of Ukraine.

It's no surprise that people around the world want to know all of the little details about the wedding, from the dress Amal Alamuddin wore to the jewelry that she was adorned with.

Obviously, the wedding made the cover of People magazine.

And, of course, the designer of the traditional, lace-laden wedding dress? Oscar de la Renta.

Suprisingly, Amal allowed the dress to be the feature of her ensemble, without a whole lot of bling. As you can see, she really didn't need add any more sparkle than she already had naturally. The only bling that you can visibly see is the enviable rock on her hand.

As you can see, you CAN keep it simple for weddings.

Just recently, in what police believe were two separate burglary scams, elderly Florida residents were approached by theives with a story to lure them away from their homes. Detectives and police are calling these schemes "distraction thefts", as two people work together, one as the distractor and one as the burglar.

In the first burglary, the 88 year old Deerfield Beach victim was coerced out of his home by one of the theives who told him that there was a broken water main in his backyard. The theive's partner then went inside and stole around $2000 worth of jewelry and rosary beads.

The day after this robbery occurred, a 75 year old man was approached by a theif who said he was spraying for spiders in the man's townhome backyard and wanted to show him the tree that was infested with spiders. Rather than falling for this trap, the man called the authorities.

Police believe that the two incidents were unrelated, but are certain that there's a new burlary scheme happening in Florida that people need to be aware of.

You can read the news story here.

Back in 1857, on September 12 off the coast of South Carolina, the SS Central America (which was nicknamed the Ship of Gold back when it was functioning in the 1800's) sunk in the middle of  hurricane with 30,000 pounds of gold on board. It wasn't until 1988 that the site was discovered and excavated for the first time.

In April 2014, the company Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc., known for deep-sea exploration, decided to start excavating the site of the SS Central America again. Beyond the big hunks of gold bars and jewelry like earrings, buckles, badge pins and other golden treasures found aboard the sunken ship, tobacco still in its original containers and clay pipes were discovered. Divers even discovered bits and pieces of an antique jewelry box, as well as pits that came from fruit that had rotted long ago.

If you are interested in reading more about the SS Central America and following future excavations, you can check out this article that we read and posted about, or refer to the article that was originally written about the ship and treasure here.

Funny, how everything that Apple puts out has the telltale, lower-cased "i" in front of it, but this time, Apple has decided not to use it. Apple's new tech-enhanced watch, simply called the Apple Watch, is not at all what you would expect in today's modern tech world, but rather looks like a watch that you would find on the shelves of say, maybe Walmart or Target.

You have the choice of three different straps: leather (Apple Edition), link bracelet (Apple Sport) or mesh made of stainless steel (Apple Watch), which are interchangeable. The 11 different faces are also interchangeable.

But, here is the question: how many people are wearing watches to tell the time nowadays? Most people have gotten into the habit of checking their smart phones for the time. So, what would the point be of buying the Apple Watch, other than to jump on the Apple bandwagon and be just like everyone else who has to run out and buy the newest Apple technology?

Will you be getting the new Apple Watch when it hits the shelves?

One fashion faux pas that is easy to make is mis-coordinating your accessories, such as your shoes and your purse, with your jewelry.

Here's the scenario: you have a fabulous pair of shoes, a fantastic new purse, and this set of jewelry that all look great individually with your new outfit...but how can you tell if putting them all together will be the perfect, matching look?

1. The colors of your jewelry and accessories should not clash. For instance, if your shoes and your purse are pure white, gold may not be as complementary as silver or white gold, while off-white accessories will look amazing with gold. Mixing different colors is fine, but make sure that your colors coordinate, too.

2. One accessory should be your "centerpiece". Whether that is your purse, your necklace, or a larger bangle bracelet, your accessories should not compete against each other for attention.

3. Mix a scarf around your neck with bracelets and earrings, but try not to layer too much around the neck. Your scarf can actually pose as your necklace, then just add bracelets and earrings that complement the look.

What are your accessorizing secrets?

Amazing and eye-catching, the fire opal is a gemstone to behold. The color of this gem comes from the tiny traces of iron oxide found within the opal. But, while the color is strong, the gem itself needs to be set in a highly protective setting due to its sensitivity. This is especially true for

See? Isn't it incredible looking? Imagine the custom made jewelry that you can create with a gem that looks that amazing, and think about how it will reflect the light as you promenade around wearing your new bling!

It is said that even people who do not believe in gemstones and their energy and powers have no choice but to feel the warmth that they emanate. If you do believe in the energies of gemstones, this is a good one to help you to resolve any personality blockages that you are experiencing.

While you are wearing this stone, you are supposed to feel will-power, stamina, and courage. And, if you are an Aries, this is your lucky stone!

You may or may not have heard about the sleep burglar...

We don't normally publish these kinds of blog posts, but this "news" is something we just had to share!

On the Facebook page of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office was a picture of a 29 year old man who just happened to fall asleep on the bed of the person whom he was robbing! According to the post, the cleaning lady of the victim discovered the burglar asleep on the bed last Monday.

He slept right through deputies photographing him, laying right next to the bag of jewelry that he was allegedly trying to steal!

He now sleeps in the jail, awaiting someone to post his $10,000 bail, on a burglary charge.

Comments?

You may not be "into" jewelry making, but if you are contemplating having a custom made bracelet or necklace crafted for you or someone you love, you may want to know about the different clasps that are available. After all, in case you didn't know it, not all jewelry clasps fit all.

Have you ever spent way too much time trying to clasp shut (or open) a necklace or bracelet that you love? The fact that it is so terribly difficult to put on and take off could create an impedement and, ultimately, cause you to sport it far less than you would if it were easier to clasp. Right?

Take a look at the picture below. Which clasps work great for you and which ones do you tend to struggle with?

While it may not seem like a vital aspect of a custom made piece of jewelry, as you can see now, you have various clasp types to choose from. Each one has its pros and cons. Think carefully about the ease of use of each clasp, the ability to hold the weight of your chosen gold or silver, and how each clasp would function for your new custom made jewelry.

Which clasp seems to work best for you?

Like it or not, Fall is almost upon us, and as the season changes, so do the styles and fashions. We have already talked about how the 2014-2015 Fall/Winter fashions, based on industry fashion shows, touted soft, warm, and even fluffy clothing and jackets, yet the jewelry seemed a bit subdued (except for the occasional large bangle earring in one ear).

So, as we delve through the articles and keep an eye on fashion shows and trends, we notice that not everyone thinks alike. For example, Elle talked about "Bold Jewelry" that "makes a statement", opposing the general recommendation to tone jewelry down this season.

And, as we continue to follow the trends around the 'net and the world, we notice that jewelry trends are similar to the quote "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - jewelry trends are essentually in the eye of the wearer.

So, we turn to you, our loyal readers, to ask: Which types of jewelry will YOU be rocking this Fall/Winter? Are you going to follow the "tone-it-down" idea or are you going to go with a more "bold and beautiful" style? We'd love to hear your thoughts!