News
Public Service Announcement - Don't Wear Rings To The Gym January 9, 2018 15:53
Do NOT wear gold/silver/platinum rings to the gym.Yellow Diamonds - Engagement Rings That Stand Out - $2,500 and up. January 5, 2018 12:17
We love Fancy Yellow Diamonds. Take a look....Blue Zircon Is A Rocking Gemstone - We Love It October 6, 2017 15:37
Blue Zircon is a natural gemstone - most folks immediately think of the man made cubic zirconia or "CZ" when you mention blue zircon. NO NO NO!
Blue Zircon is the traditional birthstone for December.
One of the main reasons we LOVE it is the way it sparkles because of the high refractive index and strong dispersion characteristics. What all the mumbo jumbo means is that blue zircon sparkles and winks like crazy!
It is our belief that blue zircon is waaaay underappreciated as an accent gem or even as the Main Event! Here is an engagement ring we just did for a couple. She stopped in the other day to tell me she had been getting a ton of compliments:
Another recent ring we did involved using blue zircon to accent the center stone:
One last example for you - we made this rose gold bracelet for a couple - blue zircon is her birthstone and we alternated them with diamonds. Suh-weet!
One closing statement - NONE of these pictures capture the sparkle and fire of blue zircon. You really need to see it in person to fully appreciate the POW! this gem will bring to your jewelry.
Chimera Design Has The Solution For Curved Engagement Rings July 15, 2017 10:22
The Loving Embrace curved bands will fit 95% of all engagement rings.
Our Cases Are Filled Once Again July 26, 2016 09:55
Earlier this year we started a relationship with a great company located in Tucson, Arizona. Pan American scours the planet for the coolest gemstone beads, glass beads, and pearls. Then their artists in Tucson design and create some fantastic looking jewelry.
One of the reasons we love the jewelry from Pan American is because is similar to what Julie used to make when we first opened - great mixtures of color and textures. These days Julie is so busy with her metal work that she has no time to devote to gems, beads, and pearls - so the work of the people in Tucson is welcomed.
We just received a new shipment. The designs are eye catching and the prices are great. Earrings from $18 - Murano glass bead necklaces are $88.
Taking Care of Your Pearl Jewelry May 25, 2016 11:38
Shout out to our favorite Californian, Elizabeth, for suggesting we put more "How to take care of your jewelry" information up here. Your wish is our command!
Good rule of thumb for pearl jewelry - especially necklaces, earrings, and bracelets: "Last On and First Off."
The nacre of the pearl is the outside part of the pearl we see and love. It is what gives the luster to pearls and provides the depth of color - think of the term pearlescence. Well, you want to put your pearls on AFTER you put on any make-up, hair treatment, and even perfume. That kind of material can build up on the pearls and a) ruin the luster or b) in extreme cases even damage the nacre by eating away at it.
At the end of the day, you want to remove your pearls BEFORE you start your ablutions for the same reasons. You don't want soap or some other cleaning product that may be harsh to come into contact with your pearls.
We often tell people to do the dishes with their wedding rings on - the hot soapy water disolves the oily residue that makes diamonds lose their sparkle.
If you have a pearl ring - NEVER do the dishes with it on. They way the vast majority of pearls are attached to rings (like the one above), and many earrings and pendants for that matter, is when the pearl is half-drilled and then attached to a post using expoxy. Even the best epoxy will loosen after exposure to water.
I cannot tell you the number of pearl rings I have seen over the years where there is nothing left of pearl's nacre. The seed pearl is still on the ring, but the good part with the luster and shine has been eaten completely away.
So - please keep ALL of your pearl jewelry our of water - even showers or baths. And because of chlorine in pools and even WORSE chemicals in hot tubs - never, ever, ever ever go in a pool or hot tub with your pearl jewelry on.
Jewelry Appraisals From A GIA DIamonds Graduate March 3, 2016 13:15
We ALWAYS recommend that people insure their engagement, wedding, or partnership rings. There are two reasons we do this - first, generally these rings are worn 24/7/365 and weird things can happen. Secondly, having all risk coverage on your jewelry is not very expensive. It Michigan most insurance companies charge somewhere between $10 to $15 per thousand dollars of value to insure it against loss, theft and even damage. So it would cost $40 to $60 per year to have a $4,000 ring insured.
Speaking of costs - many area jewelry stores charge $150 to $250 to appraise ONE piece of jewelry. We just had a lady in and she told Cliff that the chain store where her husband bought her wedding set wanted to charge $300 for an appraisal on the two pieces.
Here at Chimera we charge $75 for the first piece and $45 for each piece after that.
Cliff earned his Diamonds Graduate certification from the Gemological Institute of America in 1998 and he is celebrating his 20th year in the jewelry business this year.
If your appraisal needs to be updated, most insurance companies want them to be less than 5-7 years old - stop in and Cliff was get you all squared away for a lot less money than the mall stores.
Michigan Themed Jewelry at Chimera - Made in Michigan! February 18, 2016 17:54
We love the Mitten. Our affection for Michigan is visible in the jewelry we carry.
We have some friends just north of Traverse City who make most of our Michigan themed jewelry. They use Petoskey stones and Leeland Blue - which is actually a by-product of the copper mining industry in the Upper Peninsula.
One of their most popular items is the Sterling Mitten.
We also carry sterling silver Mitten beads, made at Terry Berry in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They make plain ones and ones engraved with the word "Michigan". These fit Pandora and other bracelets - or just wear the Mitten on a chain.
We also have sterling silver beads celebrating most of the great colleges and universities in Michigan. MSU, U of M, EMU, CMU, WMU, and GVSU. All of these are available in sterling ($49) or enamel and sterling ($59). They fit Pandora and almost every other similar bracelet.
Valentine's Day Specials At Chimera Design February 6, 2016 14:25
We just loaded our cases back up. We put over 30 new pieces in our display from the Oliver Weber Collection. This line of fashion jewelry is made in Italy using Swarovski crystals - great look at an affordable price. 20% off all Oliver Weber for Valentine's Day.
We have been representing the Strellman's line of jewelry for a decade now. We have a nice display of their Lighthouse Lens rings in sterling silver with every birthstone - plus we have another dozen pieces in stock. If we don't have it - they are made just across Lake Michigan in Minnesota! We can call them up and have a piece made to your specifications. 20% off all Strellman's jewelry.
Another great American artist is Michael Michaud. His designs are all inspired by the timeless beauty of nature. The picture below shows his hydrangea along with some real hydrangea brought in by one of our friends. We have a nice selection - all of which is 20% off for Valentine's Day.
Bring Your Ring in For a Day at The Spa - $15 January 30, 2016 11:52
Your rings work hard to glamorize your hand - give them a Spa Day at Chimera Design.
We will start with an inspection of the ring. We will make sure the tips, prongs, channels, and bezels are in good shape for keeping your diamonds and gemstones secure in the mounting.
The it is off to the back room for an invigorating 2850 rpm session with our Handler Buffer. This will remove surface scratches and return your precious metal to a nice shine. Our jewelers rouge is especially formulated to clean and polish.
From there your ring will be transferred to our Branson 2510 heated ultrasonic where any dirt and debris will be gently shaken by the soothing 40kz sonic waves.
Then it is a short hop over to our 1300 watt Steam Dragon steamer for a purifying blast of vaporized distilled water at 90-125 psi. This will remove any residual jewelers rouge and gra-do!
Ideal Cut Diamonds Without the Huge Price Tag At Chimera Design December 9, 2015 15:00
Did you ever notice how some diamonds sparkle a whole lot more than others? Well, it could be because of the way they were cut. A round diamond cut deeply causes the light to go out of the bottom - we call extreme cases of this Nail Heads. If the cutter shapes it too shallow - then the diamond can appear lifeless - we call them Fish Eyes.
A diamond cut to ideal proportions will return light like nothing else. No other gem can take light in and shoot it back at you like a diamond.
A couple of years ago we met Michael. He is a diamond cutter from New Jersey and is a master of his craft. When he stopped in the shop to show us what he could do, we bought one of his diamonds on the spot (Cliff never does that!). Since then we have introduced couples to his sparkle-fest diamonds. Laurie was so impressed, she wanted two of them for earrings!
There is one company that has been marketing ideal cut diamonds by showing customers the hearts and arrows visible in their diamonds using a viewing device. Te result is the heart shape patterns (above left) seen from the bottom of the diamond and the arrow patters (above right) seen from the top down.
The diamonds Michael cuts are done so well, you do not even need a special viewing device to see the arrow patterns! The ring above is set with a .50 ct VS2 I diamond Michael cut and the one below features an .81 ct from Michael.
