PS jewelry speak that isn''t exactly what your jeweler may know...

[TravelingGal]

 

[TravelingGal]

whoops hold on...somehow topic posted without my subject.

BRB...

 

[TravelingGal]

Not sure if I ever reported back that I visited Singlestone. I didn''t identify myself as a PSer, but Patti asked if I was. She said we have lingo that makes us identifiable. Stuff like, "OEC, OMC, ''claw'' prongs."

So do we? Concepts we all get but that your jeweler wouldn''t? Buttercup head? HCA score? Do we speak greek?

 

[Regular Guy]

TravelinGal,

How about...I want a knock out IS, probably an AGS cert, but no gold, and and HCA score between .9 and 1.6, sugar....?

 

[coatimundi_org]

I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term "halo."

Yellow gold is just "gold."

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 3/29/2009 12:58:16 AM
Author: coatimundi
I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term ''halo.''

Yellow gold is just ''gold.''

Yes they don''t . That really suprised me as I thought it was a universal term. widely known to all.

PS has ruined me, but in a good way. I no longer venture into the Mom and Pop stores, the sales staff is sooooo lacking. I ask to see an asscher, they show me a princess cut.

I just don''t do it anymore. It''s no fun.

Mom and Pop stores have their place, but they need to get with the tiimes and educate their staff.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 3/29/2009 12:58:16 AM
Author: coatimundi
I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term ''halo.''

Yellow gold is just ''gold.''

If jeweler''s don''t use the term "halo," what do they say instead?

 

[arjunajane]

ummmm..all of it

 

[Maisie]

When I was working in one of the UK''s largest high street jewellers I was talking to one of my colleagues about the prongs on my ring. She asked what a prong is. When I explained I was told its not a prong its a claw!

The jeweller there was really grumpy. One day I was asking him about the different alloys in platinum. He got really mad with me and said ''Nobody cares. Why are you asking such stupid questions.. platinum is just platinum!''

I guess he just didn''t know.

 

[Deelight]

Mostly all of it, heaven forbid here you walk into a store with a little knowledge the staff get really defensive and some get angry.

 

[icekid]

Date: 3/29/2009 12:58:16 AM
Author: coatimundi
I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term ''halo.''

Yellow gold is just ''gold.''

I''ve noticed both of these, as well. But (I just window shop) I have no idea what they DO call a halo. Looks like a halo to me!

I had no idea that OEC/OMC were pricescope terms!

You can search on ebay and get some returns... but not as many as I expected, I guess.

 

[gemgirl]

No one I''ve come in contact with in the jewelry world, from my own jeweler to a few appraisers, knows what an HCA score is. Even when I explain it, they look at me like I''m speaking jibberish.

 

[vespergirl]

I recently had a disagreement with our local mom & pop jeweler over what type of stones are in my wedding band. They are actually carre cut, but I called them asschers, since they are square step cuts, and that''s the term that most people would use.

He told me that they are princess cut. I told him that princess cuts are brilliants, and these are step cut. He replied, "yes, but asschers have clipped corners, which your stones don''t have." So I told him I realized that and they are actually carre cut, but I know that most people don''t know that term, so I used the more familiar term. He just kind of smirked & rolled his eyes, and insisted that they are princess cuts.

I''m really glad that we don''t use him for anything except changing out watch batteries

 

[AprilBaby]

My local jeweler thinks no certs or IGI certs are just fine. Who needs to know such detail anyways? They offered me a .50 diamond someone had turned in and made up a price on the spot by comparing it to the same size, D-E colored stone in inventory. I asked the color, clarity...what does it matter? They look similar! Why would I pay for a D-E if it is an I-J, Si, poor cut stone?

 

[perry]

Yes we have our own lingo.... and it is noticable to the educated jeweler.

Some of us have our own tools too..... You should see the looks on people faces - from "whats that", "cool", "amazement", and yes even "concern" if you pull out an idealscope or an ASET. I will admit that I have met jewelers who knew what they were (a distinct minority).

I cannot tell you how many times I''ve been asked if I was "in the trade."

Most jewelry stores are no fun anymore - but I do like browsing pawn shops and other places for interesting looking stuff...

Of course in recent years I''ve been buying other things. Custom furnature and now a new car (someone has to support the economy).

Perry

 

[musey]

Date: 3/29/2009 1:13:11 AM
Author: Kaleigh
PS has ruined me, but in a good way. I no longer venture into the Mom and Pop stores, the sales staff is sooooo lacking. I ask to see an asscher, they show me a princess cut.

I just don''t do it anymore. It''s no fun.

Ugh, that happened to me more than once during the e-ring search

the "asschers" they wanted to show me were always princesses, or at best emeralds (elongated, not square).

 

[Gypsy]

Halo is one I continue to use at jewelers. I don''t care if they don''t know the term. I ''m not using the word "donut" (which I''ve heard many jewelers use for round halos). I do realize that they don''t know the term so I say, "That setting has a halo: a micro pave frame around the center." They get it and many of them say... "Oh I like that, what an elegant term."

I''m converting.

I get asked if I''m in the trade too. Especially at stores that don''t display the designer''s name for their stuff, using it like their stock. I''ll see something and say... "Hey that''s Beverly K, I didn''t know you carried Beverly K."

Also I''ve noticed that if you mention casting companies like adwar, unique settings of NY, etc. They will ask if you are in the trade. If you ask about the alloy for platinum they use, they will also ask if you are in the trade.

I correct them and tell them I''m an educated consumer with a very devious smile. John think it''s funny, because they get wary.

Other terms they do not know. Talon or claw prongs. Many don''t understand there are different styles of pave. And when you loop it and say something like "Fishtail" or "Craponia

" or "French Style Pave" they look REALLY confused.

I did offend a ''jeweler'' once at a gem show. He has a LOVELY .71 pear diamond that caught my eye from across the room. I asked to see it and lost some of my heart even though it had one white inclusion I could see really close up. Then I looped it and was even more smitten. So I wasn''t paying any attention to him (stone had me dazzled). I asked to see the cert and he pulls out an EGL Israel cert (which was fine I loved the stone and had it in my hands) and it said that it was an E VS2. So I asked the price and he wanted 5 thousand dollars for it!

I nearly dropped the diamond (it was still in my hot little hands). I told him flat out that it should cost about 1,500 to $2,000, and that''s with a reliable cert.

Wow, was he ticked (other customer''s at the counter). I had to walk away from the diamond, and it made me sad. I honestly might have bought it if he hadn''t been out to rip people off. I was still thinking about a solitaire pendant then.

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 3/29/2009 2:33:28 PM
Author: Gypsy
Halo is one I continue to use at jewelers. I don''t care if they don''t know the term. I ''m not using the word ''donut'' (which I''ve heard many jewelers use for round halos). I do realize that they don''t know the term so I say, ''That setting has a halo: a micro pave frame around the center.'' They get it and many of them say... ''Oh I like that, what an elegant term.''

I''m converting.

I get asked if I''m in the trade too. Especially at stores that don''t display the designer''s name for their stuff, using it like their stock. I''ll see something and say... ''Hey that''s Beverly K, I didn''t know you carried Beverly K.''

Also I''ve noticed that if you mention casting companies like adwar, unique settings of NY, etc. They will ask if you are in the trade. If you ask about the alloy for platinum they use, they will also ask if you are in the trade.

I correct them and tell them I''m an educated consumer with a very devious smile. John think it''s funny, because they get wary.

Other terms they do not know. Talon or claw prongs. Many don''t understand there are different styles of pave. And when you loop it and say something like ''Fishtail'' or ''Craponia

'' or ''French Style Pave'' they look REALLY confused.

I did offend a ''jeweler'' once at a gem show. He has a LOVELY .71 pear diamond that caught my eye from across the room. I asked to see it and lost some of my heart even though it had one white inclusion I could see really close up. Then I looped it and was even more smitten. So I wasn''t paying any attention to him (stone had me dazzled). I asked to see the cert and he pulls out an EGL Israel cert (which was fine I loved the stone and had it in my hands) and it said that it was an E VS2. So I asked the price and he wanted 5 thousand dollars for it!

I nearly dropped the diamond (it was still in my hot little hands). I told him flat out that it should cost about 1,500 to $2,000, and that''s with a reliable cert.

Wow, was he ticked (other customer''s at the counter). I had to walk away from the diamond, and it made me sad. I honestly might have bought it if he hadn''t been out to rip people off. I was still thinking about a solitaire pendant then.

I went to a gem show a few weeks ago, and I wanted to run out of there when I saw how badly some of the jewelers were taking advantage of couples looking at engagement rings.

The stones and settings were SO overpriced, and clearly not that good quality at most of the booths, with a few exceptions. I stood next to one couple who was looking at a 1 ct round in a WG solitaire setting, that looked to be about a J or K color stone from what I could see standing next to them. They were purchasing it, with no cert, only the jeweler''s "apprasal." They paid $6500 for it!

I felt so bad, but I didn''t feel it was my place to say anything. Caveat emptor.

 

[Elmorton]

The jeweler I use locally is pretty darned wonderful when it comes to having both knowledgeable floor associates and the two bench jewelers are amazing - the owner has very "PS" taste - lots of loose colored stones, some concave cuts, will do beautiful designs with a really warm, well-cut stone, has plenty of step cuts, works with all different kinds of metals, etc, so at least from a design aspect, the we''re all pretty linguistically on the same page.

But, I came clean a long time ago and told them that I spend a decent chunk of time on a jewelry forum - what gave me away was when I said that I''d seen a design that I liked at another place but it was full of "frozen spit stones." The person said "Whoa, funny you should use that description - usually you don''t hear that from people who aren''t in the trade."

 

[vespergirl]

Date: 3/29/2009 2:55:26 PM
Author: Elmorton
The jeweler I use locally is pretty darned wonderful when it comes to having both knowledgeable floor associates and the two bench jewelers are amazing - the owner has very ''PS'' taste - lots of loose colored stones, some concave cuts, will do beautiful designs with a really warm, well-cut stone, has plenty of step cuts, works with all different kinds of metals, etc, so at least from a design aspect, the we''re all pretty linguistically on the same page.

But, I came clean a long time ago and told them that I spend a decent chunk of time on a jewelry forum - what gave me away was when I said that I''d seen a design that I liked at another place but it was full of ''frozen spit stones.'' The person said ''Whoa, funny you should use that description - usually you don''t hear that from people who aren''t in the trade.''

You''re so lucky that your local jeweler is reliable.

I''m a SAHM now, but will be going back to work part-time once DS is in 1st grade, and since I have to interest in returning to my previous profession, I''ve been trying to figure out what to do with myself. My husband thinks I should get a job at a jewelry store, since he knows that I look at diamonds all day anyway

The place where he got my engagement ring is very well known & respected in our area (DC metro) and they actually carry wonderful diamonds, but their whole sales pitch is that "all of their diamonds are ideal cut" which they definitely are not. I found a nice stone there because of my PS education, but so many of their sales people know nothing. I told DH that it would probably be a mistake for them to hire me, because I would be too honest with the customers

 

[Elmorton]

Vesper, I hear you! I teach part-time, and luckily my semesters have been full lately, but DH is always saying that I should find a part-time job with jewelery/diamonds. Unfortunately, there''s only one place I''d want to work locally (above) and I''m pretty sure most of the floor associates are GIA trained.

 

[pyramid]

Well I am in the UK and spoke to a jeweller once about ''a prong'' and he just looked at me and said do you mean the claw holding the diamond. I never thought about prong being an American word.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 3/29/2009 3:48:52 PM
Author: Pyramid
Well I am in the UK and spoke to a jeweller once about ''a prong'' and he just looked at me and said do you mean the claw holding the diamond. I never thought about prong being an American word.

I didn''t either. I still used the word prong though. Its what I am used to!

 

[dianne]

Date: 3/29/2009 8:51:18 AM
Author: ZoeBartlett

Date: 3/29/2009 12:58:16 AM
Author: coatimundi
I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term ''halo.''

Yellow gold is just ''gold.''

If jeweler''s don''t use the term ''halo,'' what do they say instead?

When I was actively looking at different styles to choose the best for my ER, I requested to see any haloed stones they may have andhad someone at a fairly upscale store (although a maul store) ask me what a halo was. When I explained it, she said, "Oh, you mean vintage."

And I had another salesperson question a split shank was...and she asked her supervisor who said she had never heard of it...

 

[kama_s]

I was at a pretty high end store where the guy kept trying to convince me a certain cushion stone is actually a princess. When I was adamant it''s a cushion, he tells me ''well, it''s pretty much a princess anyways''. That said, I really dont know much about jewelry and stones (I''m learning, albeit slowly, from all the enlightened souls over here!).

 

[vintagelover229]

Date: 3/29/2009 3:03:21 PM
Author: vespergirl

Date: 3/29/2009 2:55:26 PM
Author: Elmorton
The jeweler I use locally is pretty darned wonderful when it comes to having both knowledgeable floor associates and the two bench jewelers are amazing - the owner has very ''PS'' taste - lots of loose colored stones, some concave cuts, will do beautiful designs with a really warm, well-cut stone, has plenty of step cuts, works with all different kinds of metals, etc, so at least from a design aspect, the we''re all pretty linguistically on the same page.

But, I came clean a long time ago and told them that I spend a decent chunk of time on a jewelry forum - what gave me away was when I said that I''d seen a design that I liked at another place but it was full of ''frozen spit stones.'' The person said ''Whoa, funny you should use that description - usually you don''t hear that from people who aren''t in the trade.''

You''re so lucky that your local jeweler is reliable.

I''m a SAHM now, but will be going back to work part-time once DS is in 1st grade, and since I have to interest in returning to my previous profession, I''ve been trying to figure out what to do with myself. My husband thinks I should get a job at a jewelry store, since he knows that I look at diamonds all day anyway

The place where he got my engagement ring is very well known & respected in our area (DC metro) and they actually carry wonderful diamonds, but their whole sales pitch is that ''all of their diamonds are ideal cut'' which they definitely are not. I found a nice stone there because of my PS education, but so many of their sales people know nothing. I told DH that it would probably be a mistake for them to hire me, because I would be too honest with the customers

My husband said the same thing. But I said I couldnt rip people off! Even if I was working off commission or something. I would send them over to PS and tell them you can get a stone way better for probably 1K less....

I''m sure if I got hired I''d get fired pretty quick...

 

[Dancing Fire]

a local HoF dealer had a Isee2 machine in his store and he almost S**T in his pants when i told him i knew what it was.

 

[gummibear]

I realized that PS has its own terminology when I went to get a quote on a setting for my ER at a highly respected local B&M that specializes in custom work. I said I wanted claw prongs and tried to describe what that was. The jeweler (who was really nice) had no idea what I was talking about...I had to draw a picture of a claw prong! I then said that I wanted the band to taper slightly near the diamond and he looked at me like I had two heads.

He said, "Oh, you want it narrower by the diamond???" in a way that said, "that''s weird, lady." LOL

 

[Feralpenchant]

Date: 3/29/2009 8:51:18 AM
Author: ZoeBartlett

Date: 3/29/2009 12:58:16 AM
Author: coatimundi
I''m noticing lately that jewelers don''t use the term ''halo.''

Yellow gold is just ''gold.''

If jeweler''s don''t use the term ''halo,'' what do they say instead?

When I went and said I was interested in a halo, they had no idea what I was talking about. Apparently, they call it a "frame".


Looks like a halo to me!

 

[musey]

Date: 3/29/2009 8:15:44 PM
Author: gummibear
I then said that I wanted the band to taper slightly near the diamond and he looked at me like I had two heads.

He said, 'Oh, you want it narrower by the diamond???' in a way that said, 'that's weird, lady.' LOL

That's so odd, I thought that most (or at least a large portion of) 'standard' solitaires tapered in at the head?

I've about given up on B&Ms, until a PSer can point me to a good one

I haven't even been able to find one I trust to do basic maintenance on my ring (prong tightening, etc.).

Sheesh.