Articles
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I still remember my first glimpse of a beautiful blood red Burmese ruby, as a fresh faced apprentice. I was totally in awe of this magnificent gem- all 6 carats of it. -That was in 1986 and now after all this time I am still a huge fan of colored gem stones.
So how do you select a coloured gem? How are they graded ? What makes one more valuable than the other? What is the difference between a Burmese ruby and a ruby from Thailand .?
How to buy a gemstone in 7 simplified steps - Click on the following link to the gemological institute of America (GIA) website for a fun and informative tutorial on coloured gemstones.
About Greg Holland Jewellery
I recently met Greg Holland as a result of seeing photographs of some of his gorgeous pieces of jewellery taken by Birgit Photography.
I explained to Greg that all women love beautiful jewellery and as we age we really appreciate pieces we can buy ourselves or have old jewellery
remodeled. Greg showed me the many items he has produced that fit such criteria and in particular,
one pair of earrings were worth showing here as they could be worn with anything from jeans and a t-shirt or out to dinner. So versatile. And, the same design can be made with other semi-precious stones if green is not your color. They are lovely though aren't they? Details on the earrings are: Exquisite green quartz cut in Germany, with 4 brilliant cut diamonds in each hook, these earrings are crafted in 18ct yellow gold – length 28.00mm width 16.00mm. $1925.00 including gst
Greg goes on to explain on his website, "At Greg Holland fine Jewellery we are passionate about two things.
Firstly, meeting your needs with uncompromising quality of design and manufacturing. Secondly crafting a piece that speaks volumes about who you are and that will be cherished now and for generations to come.
By taking time to get to know you we will respond to your individual ideas and jewelery requirements. Each piece will be hand crafted in platinum or 18ct gold using only the finest diamonds, coloured gems, or pearls, that fit your budget and pass our stringent in house quality control.
SEE left image: designed and manufactured by Felix gold – available exclusively at Greg Holland fine Jewellery.
We are the only manufacturing jeweler in Auckland's fashion capital, Newmarket.
So whether you are seeking a unique, one-off design, looking to purchase from our selection of finely crafted stock pieces, or are wishing to have an existing item of jewellery remodeled or repaired we will work with you to meet your specific requirements.
At Greg Holland Jewellery what really sets us apart is that our desire for creating beautiful fine jewellery is equaled by our demand for the highest ethical standards. "
Go online to see many of Greg's creations - www.gregholland.co.nz
Preferred designer and jewellery manufacturer to The Sir Peter Blake Trust - the trustees say:
Dear Greg
On behalf of the Trustees, we would like to extend our appreciation to you for assisting us with the custom-made design pieces for Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards.
It was critical for us to ensure that all parties to the awards and to the Trust felt they had a say in the way the design was developed. Your ability to coordinate those thoughts and opinions and the hours of work you put into rethinking and recreating ideas for us were sincerely appreciated.
We feel we now have a fabulous design and lapel pins that we can be proud of. We look forward to working with you on the awards in the future.
On behalf of all the Trustees, thank you again for your commitment and enthusiasm.
Yours sincerely,
Ann Sherry, CEO Westpac & Chair Sir Peter Blake Trust
Sir Ron Carter, Chair Leadership Awards Selection Panel
Sir Peter Blake Trust
The importance of having your jewelery regularly cleaned and checked
How would you feel if you lost your diamond?
Throughout the world every month there are several hundred thousand carats of diamonds and gemstones sold from traditional mainstream jewellery stores.
Of these, a staggering proportion will be lost within the first five years of purchase, destined to live out the rest of their days with considerably less sparkle, in gutters, veggie patches, swimming pool filtration systems, down plug holes or at the bottom of the ocean. The more fortunate gems will be found on planes, in parks or in public washrooms, and given a new home by their delighted rescuers.
Why are so many gems lost, you may wonder. The reason is often quite simple. Jewelery is commonly purchased at a standard mass market store where customers are able to choose from a selection of pieces ‘off the shelf’. Employees of these stores generally operate on a base salary, with commission paid over and above this when monthly sales targets are reached. By closing a sale employees are one step closer to meeting the store’s monthly sales targets. Customers may have found themselves a ‘bargain’ here but they could well find themselves ‘paying’ for it later. There is generally little or no importance placed on any after-sales service at many mainstream stores. Pieces containing diamonds and gemstones are often claw-set in lightweight mounts that were manufactured to a formula, rather than in a customised way. The thought process of many manufacturers goes something like this: “If we make 1000 mounts of style #12 in 18ct gold and save .50 of a gram on each piece, well that’s money in our pocket.” With the daily wear and tear of a lightweight mount, gemstones can and often will work themselves loose in their settings. Claws will become worn. Settings will gather soap for example and thus the gems become dirty and dull.
Maintenance of your jewellery is extremely important. People often spend far more on a piece of jewelery than they would on their car. They have their car regularly checked and maintained, but for some unknown reason they often leave that precious item of jewellery for years without any form of maintenance. This can prove to be very costly. Imagine your precious diamond or gemstone coming loose from its setting and finding its way to the bottom of the ocean on your next holiday to Fiji. A gemstone set in 18ct gold claws
, for example
, will at some stage require some form of maintenance due to everyday wear and tear of the claw
. Like servicing your car, regularly checking your gem set pieces can save you a great deal of hassle and money, Maintenance services can be as simple and inexpensive as re-tipping claws or resetting the gems before they are lost.
Workshop - Gallery
Studio 10
Level 1, Daytone House
53 Davis Crescent
Newmarket
Auckland.
Our hours are
Tuesday - Friday 10.00am - 4.30pm
Saturday 10.00am - 2.30pm
After hours by appointment
T: 09 5248440
greg@greghollandjewellery.co.nz
http://www.gregholland.co.nz/
You can feel confident that we provide a relaxed, welcoming environment within a safe and secure space over looking the picturesque Lumsden Green.
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