April 14th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
Did you know the Canada Goose is known to mate for life? Did you know that when the Canada Goose migrates north and south in the classic V formation, each bird, bonded by loyalty and trust, contributes its strength to the group’s progress toward the common destination.
In response to customer requests for more eco-friendly and socially responsible products, Mardon now offers Canada Goose Diamonds. Canada Goose is the brand of diamond established in 1998 to identify stones produced by Diaco, a major sightholder for the diamond crystals from the Diavik and Ekati mines of northern Canada. Please, no jokes about Honkin’ diamonds!
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Tags: Canada Goose Diamonds, Canadian Diamonds, Diavik, Ekati
Posted in Featured Post, Gem Industry News, Gemstones, Mardon Happenings | Comments Off on Mardon Will Fly Canadian Diamonds
April 9th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
Many people think jewelry insurance is very expensive and that it only covers for theft. For these and other reasons, some folks don’t carry any insurance on their jewelry when it’s really in their best interest to do so.
The cost of insurance for jewelry is actually pretty reasonable in most areas of the USA. The cost is an annual premium that is a percentage of the replacement cost. The replacement cost is usually determined by an up-to-date appraisal of your jewelry.
Premiums vary depending on where the insured person resides. The current price for replacement insurance thru one typical insurer for single items up to $50,000 in value ranged from a low of .85% for the state of Wisconsin to a high of 3.9% for Brooklyn. Most states were around 1 %. In other words, you could buy $10,000 of insurance for $85 per year in Wisconsin, or $390 per year in Brooklyn. Here in Riverside, the rate of 1.5 %.
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Tags: jewelry insurance, replacement value
Posted in Featured Post, Jewelry Facts, Jewelry Services | 3 Comments »
April 8th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
Mardon Jewelers is proud to announce a new relationship with the leading “green” refiner in the USA, Hoover & Strong.
Mardon Jewelers has been an active gold recycler for many years, more so recently with the increased activity in the markets for precious metals. Like many jewelers we purchase “old” gold from our clients and send it to our refiner for recycling. See our Blog, Pharaoh’s Gold…
However, we’ve had no way to guarantee that the metal bought from that refiner was only recycled gold—most refiners mix scrap and mined gold to make their products. Now, Mardon Jewelers will feature 100% recycled gold and other precious metals and we’ll put it in writing!
Hoover and Strong of Richmond, VA does not buy any gold from gold mines, instead relying on the Earth’s existing metal supply to create their precious metals products. About half of their gold comes from material they recycle directly from jewelers like Mardon, the rest from refiners like themselves who do not buy from mines and only recycle gold.
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Tags: eco-friendly, Harmony, Hoover & Strong, recycled gold
Posted in Custom Jewelry, Featured Post, Jewelry Services, Mardon Happenings | 1 Comment »
April 3rd, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
As mentioned on the Mardon blog, hexagonal nano-diamonds are part of the evidence for the controversial theory that explains the extinction of such critters as the saber tooth cats and the wooly mammoth that occurred 12,900 years ago. The latest Nova program, entitled “The Last Extinction”, explores this subject thoroughly and will air again Sunday, April 5, 5 pm, KCET Channel 28.
Tags: mass extinction, nano-diamonds
Posted in Gemstones | Comments Off on Nano-Diamonds on PBS
March 31st, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG

I recently had the pleasure of appraising this interesting watch. The design first charmed and then puzzled me. At first, the straight lines and geometric shapes convinced me it was pure Art Deco, 1925-1940. The “Curvex” shape seemed to confirm that— Gruen introduced the classic men’s Curvex style shaped to fit the wrist around 1929. But then I thought about the elongated “Tank” watches designed during WW1 by Cartier.
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Tags: Curvex, Edwardian, platinum wristwatch, WWI
Posted in Estate Jewelry | Comments Off on Fascinating World War I Era Wristwatch
March 27th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
The results of an insurance appraisal we did recently answer this question emphaticallyThe results of an insurance appraisal we did recently answer this question emphatically. A client brought us a ring set with a large round diamond and asked us to appraise and reset this stone into another ring she owned. During the take-in procedure for any work we do, we always ask our clients for the value of their items because we insure the jewelry while it’s in our possession. In this case, the client said the ring had been originally appraised for $35,000. Boy, was she in for a surprise!
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Tags: jewelry insurance
Posted in Jewelry Services | Comments Off on Jewelry Insurance 101– Should I Insure My Jewelry?
March 24th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
The results of an insurance appraisal we did recently answer this question emphatically. A client brought us a ring set with a large round diamond and asked us to appraise and reset this stone into another ring she owned. During the take-in procedure for any work we do, we always ask our clients for the value of their items because we insure the jewelry while it’s in our possession. In this case, the client said the ring had been originally appraised for $35,000. Boy, was she in for a surprise!
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Posted in Featured Post, Jewelry Facts | 1 Comment »
March 11th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
Check out this headline, just in from AGTA Prism—Michelle Obama’s Favorite Jewelsmith Hits New York, Paris
http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/mrs-os-favorite-jeweler-sets-up-shop-on-both-sides-of-the-pond/6686
Posted in Gem Industry News | Comments Off on Michelle Obama’s favorite jeweler
March 11th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
The saga of this unusual gem specimen has only just begun. This one will make history—the story is straight out of Indiana Jones!
From the AGTA Prism, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123578111660297983.html?mod=article-outset-box
Posted in Gem Industry News | Comments Off on 840 pound Emerald—Pounds, not Carats!
March 10th, 2009 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
For a good description of the Emeralds worn by Angelina, along with good information about all the jewels worn by the stars, check out this link
http://www.agta.org/pressroom/200903-agta-newsflash.html#oscarscolors
Posted in Gem Industry News | Comments Off on Emeralds at the Oscars