Holland’s Jewelers Blog

I hope you folks are enjoying these hot summer days we’ve been having.  It’s a great time to have an inside job!  This summer we have done the unthinkable, we have temporarily changed our business hours.  From Memorial Day through Labor Day we will be closed on Mondays.  An actual 2 day weekend like normal folks have!  Ginny and I have 3 children and working 6 days a week for nearly 20 years makes it really tough to have family time.  We have enjoyed going to the beach, pool and just running around the yard.  It has been good for our minds and my temperament;-)  We hope you’re all enjoy your summer and we’ll be back to regular hours in just a few weeks.

Why do most dad prefer to act before they think?  It’s a common trait that we’re all born with.  It’s kinda like the way we try to assemble things without reading the instructions or drive for hours in the wrong direction without stopping to ask where the heck we are.  But what we lack in brain power we make up with ingenuity.  Come on, who else would think of using a paper clip to fix a toilet?  I’m here to tell you although we like to go the extra mile to do things the hard way, buying jewelry is straight forward and takes practically no effort.  (THANK GOODNESS)  My advise to you for Father’s Day is to take it easy and do as little as possible.  Take a break from all that hard work you do around the house and put your offspring to work instead.  Remember Mother’s Day back a month ago and how your “better” half refused to lift a finger that day,  now it’s your turn.  Milk it for all it’s worth and use the words “but it’s Father’s Day” as much as possible.  Dad’s the unsung hero!  This is my Public Service Announcement for the month.

Windex Blue is term that is best used to describe the vivid color of Apatite.  This gemstone is mined mostly in Madagascar but can also be found in Brazil, Canada, India, and Mozambique.  Shades of  blue are some of the most desirable for jewelery but apart from a Paraiba tourmaline, no other gem has the unique body color of an Apatite.  The mineral also comes in hues of white, pink, violet, yellow and green.  Apatite’s are only a 5 on the hardness scale, close to that of an opal, and require similar care.  It is best to set them in pendants and earrings, however a secure ring setting worn carefully will work too.  We are currently exploring some suppliers for this gem and are now in the process of setting some stones that are in the store now.  If you are looking for that special gemstone like nothing you’ve ever seen, then Apatite is for you.

When was the last time your rings were inspected?  Most of us don’t think about getting our rings checked until it’s too late.  Weekly we get clients that come into our store that haven’t had their jewelry cleaned or checked in 10 to 20 years or more.  What could possible go wrong, isn’t jewelry forever?  Diamonds are forever, everything else has a limited life time.  A good rule of thumb is to have everything cleaned and checked at least once a year.  Arrange these inspections around your anniversary, birthdays or holidays to help you remember.  It’s a free service that we provide and besides the peace of mind you’ll have knowing that your rings are secure, they’ll look great too.  We had a lady come into the store last week for a battery for her watch.  While waiting for the battery to be installed we offered to clean and check her rings.  Upon inspection I noticed that her solitaire engagement ring was originally a six prong setting.  However, now there were only two prongs holding her diamond in place.  That and a handful of “gunk”.  It’s a sickening feeling to look down at your hand and notice an empty place where your diamond used to be.  So put us in your books and stop buy for your free jewelry inspection, we’ll be here!

We are quickly approaching one of the most important days of the year.  If you guessed National Garlic Day(19th) or Lumpy Rug Day(3rd) then you have guessed correct!!!  Just kidding, it’s actually Mother’s Day which is May 9th this year.  Your chance to make up for all the heck you put your mom through when you were a kid.   I know, I know, you were the perfect angel never giving your mom a minutes trouble…….right.    Nobody’s perfect even if your mom told you that you were, she’s just blocked all the naughty things  out of her mind.  But, I have good news my fellow mama’s boy, you can once again prove that you are her favorite child no matter what your siblings say.    How? You can start by giving her a Chamilia bracelet complete with your birthstone and her favorite colored Murano glass beads.  She will think of you each time she wears it and will enjoy adding to her collection.  We also have our Lorenzo colored gemstone collection and our private label “Holland” watches.   Don’t forget these are also the PERFECT gifts for your wife.  I’m sure she would appreciate a little something  from you to let her know that those 24 hour of labor she went through with each of your children was noticed!  Even though these tokens of love for your mother and wife are all gonna give you props, let them know you love them too.  It’s the icing on the cake.

Holland’s Jewelers has recently discovered Fossils in our store…..Fossil watches that is.  Over 75 new watches have just arrived and they look amazing!  Fossils are a wonderful compliment to our already popular,  private label “Holland” watches and offer similar value for your money.  Backed by an amazing 11 year warranty on parts and labor, these watches far outlast similar watches that have the industry standard of 6 month to 1 year warranties.  We also offer special orders with no shipping cost to you.  Yep, we’ll order any Fossil watch your heart desires and typically have it to you in less than a week.  What more can I say?  If you’re looking for a fun, stylish watch with a unbeatable warranty, then FOSSIL is the watch for you.

P.S.  Mention this blog and we’ll take 15% off your Fossil watch.

Looking for Chamilia beads?  We’ve got em’!  One of the newest additions to Holland’s Jewelers are Chamilia beads.  Founded in 2002, by Killian Reider and Jeff Julkowski, with the premise of putting jewelry design into the hands of the customer.   The idea was simple, allow YOU to customize  your bracelet to fit the mood, moment or occasion.  Like a chameleon changes to its environment.  I think they got it right!   Chamilia launched with a modest assortment of 14 karat, sterling silver, Swarovski crystals, Italian Murano glass and colored stone beads in contemporary styles that paired beautifully with their bracelets and necklaces.  Since its conception, Chamilia has grown to offer over 800 unique beads and has secured an exclusive partnership with DISNEY.  The most often asked question we get is  ”How does Chamilia compare to Pandora”.  Ginny and I spent almost 2 years debating the same questions you have and found three distinct differences that lead us to Chamilia.  #1.  Chamilia beads are brighter and more colorful.  #2.  Bracelet design and the availability of “slide stopper” beads.  #3.  More for your money, averaging around 20% less than Pandora beads.   We are so excited to to offer two new ways to get started with Chamilia or add to your collection.    Now till Mother’s day, May 9th, when you buy any four beads we will give you a free starter bracelet!  Or if you already have a bracelet, when you buy any three beads, we’ll give you the fourth one for free!!   One more easy way see all Chamilia’s beads is on their handy-dandy web site, www.chamilia.com.

On February 22, 2010, an unusually large emerald was discovered in a Zambia mine located in Southern Africa.  This “exceptional” quality emerald weighed in at a whopping 6,225 carats and is in the top five largest emeralds ever mined.  Mine owners love to name these grand finds and this gemstone has been dubbed “Insofu”, which in the native tongue means “elephant”.   The emerald will be extensively evaluated before any decision is made on how it will be cut and fashion.  It is believed, however, that the emerald has a super fine translucency and a dark, rich color.  Chances are that this emerald will produce several jaw-dropping specimens for some lucky people.

The winner of the $5oo Holland’s Jewelers shopping spree is…….Rick  Morrison of Apex.  His guess was 692 and there were 700 hearts in the jar.  What did he get with his new “found” money?  Rick is a smart guy, he actually gave his winnings to JoAnn (his wife).  She chose a Beautiful Lorenzo Pendant set with a honey citrine and a pair of amethyst earrings.  Way to go RICK!!  There were over 140 guesses in all.  The lowest number guessed was 114 and the highest was 2,001,064.  The most original guess, when asked how many hearts are in the jar, was “All of them”.  Nice try.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  I am convinced that I was born in the wrong state.  I love snow and cold weather, the colder the better.  This year, for the first time in several years, we had a significate amount of snow to fall in Apex.  I felt really bad about closing the store on Saturday but after a looooong weekend trapped at home with the kids, I was willing to risk a wreck just to reopen the store on Monday.  I hope, if you have kids, that you made some great memories this past weekend.  Some of our favorite family traditions are making snow cream, ice Pepsi’s and sledding.  With Valentines just a couple weeks from now, I’m praying that the snow will stay away.  We have some amazing jewelry in house that will “heat up” your sweetie.  Bracelets by Alwand Vahan,  beads from Zable and Amore & Baci and 40 new engagement mountings from “Valina”.   We have also added a new Silver and Gemstone line this month called Vyana.  Beautiful designs and bold gems set in Argentium silver.  If you dislike wearing silver because it tarnishes so easily, then this is the jewelry for you.  Argentium is a uniquely alloyed silver that will not tarnish, BONUS!!  We look forward to seeing you and don’t forget to sigh up for our $500.00 Holland Gift card.