You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2011.
Dear The Whiteflash Diamonds Team,
I want to let you guys know the Diamond Wedding Rings look fantastic! She loves it and I am very pleased in the way it turned out. Give thanks and praises to the production team and the jewelers who made the wedding rings they did great!
Thanks you for help,
Jonathan
With the ending of July we look to the next month to see what is in store. So we ask what is the birthstone for August? Late summer, with its blazing heat and abundant greenery, is a time for cooling activities, light, summery clothing, and a laid-back lifestyle. An August party is no time to bring out the serious diamonds or elegant pearls—it’s a time to throw on a breezy sundress, a pair of wedges, and a pair of earrings in August’s birthstone color, olive green. August’s birthstone, the peridot, is one of the few gemstones that naturally occurs in olive green, and is in fact only ever found in that shade. That works out well for those with August birthdays or those who simply love the stone, because olive green is one of those colors that makes everyone look tanned and gorgeous.
Although birthstones for many of the months are often disputed, the birthstone for August is almost always listed as peridot. Peridot is a type of olivine known for the presence of iron—a mineral that gives a hue ranging from yellow-green to a deep green with hints of brown. Olivine is found in lava rock deposits, but true gem-quality peridot is rare and found only in select lava deposits and some meteorites. Although it is mined all over the world, most mines tend to be small and produce only a small quantity of the gem every year. Besides for the world-famous peridot deposit in Pakistan, the peridot is found in Myanmar, which is known for its silky texture and light inclusions that provide extra gold sparkle. Peridot from Arizona, with its deep brown-green hue, is especially valued in Native American jewelry.
Long before it was designated the official birthstone of August; peridot was used in ancient Egypt for jewelry used by priests. Peridot jewelry dating back to the second century BC has been found, and those stones have been traced to a deposit on a small island in the Red Sea. The ancient Romans treasured the peridot for its color—a deep green with flecks of gold—that did not change no matter the lighting. Unlike emeralds, which could look black in low light, peridots hold onto their green and gold vibrancy even in candlelight, giving them the nickname “emeralds of the evening.” In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, August-born people seeking peridot sometimes turned to ancient Egyptian artifacts to find the rare and valuable stones. Besides for being named the birthstone of August during the era, peridot was also valued during medieval times for use in churches and on church items like chalices. Even today, peridot deposits remain few and far between, preserving the mysterious aura of this spectacular stone.
The 1990’s saw an unprecedented surge in popularity for the August birthstone after an incredibly rich deposit of the stone was found in a high mountain pass in Pakistan. The craggy mountain peak could only be mined for a few months a year, during which time peridots of never-before-seen quality and size were carried down the mountain and entered the gemstone market. These stones were named the “Kashmir peridots” and have produced some of the finest gemstones of up to 100 carats, all gleaming with the peridot’s unique golden green.
If you enter the phrase, “what is the birthstone for August,” you may receive a confusing answer. Is it peridot, chrysolite, or olivine? The simple answer is that all three of these terms refer to the same stone, although the current favored term for gem-quality specimens is peridot, which is derived from the Greek word meaning to “give richness.”
Although peridot ranks only a 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, but nonetheless can be used very effectively in August birthstone jewelry. Peridots are usually cut in accordance with their natural crystal structure in faceted or table cuts, in either round or oval shapes. Especially large peridots are often cut into unique designs designed specifically for that crystal, because peridots are infamous for being difficult to cut and polish. Coarser inclusions must be carefully polished by a master gem cutter to avoid cracking the stone, but once the stone is cut and polished, it is extremely durable and wears well in a jewelry setting.
To say that green is a popular gemstone color is an understatement. Emeralds are more popular than ever, turquoise is having its moment in spotlight, and now peridots are becoming better known both by jewelry designers and consumers. The recent influx of raw peridot crystals onto the market has lowered the price and made peridot affordable and accessible for everyone without diminishing its unique beauty. Those looking for a birthstone for August can find many varieties of jewelry set with peridot, from earrings to rings to necklaces. Those looking for large, well-cut peridots are rare and expensive, but smaller stones of good quality are found easily. Even if you were not born in August, the peridot makes a gorgeous addition to a late-summer tan and wardrobe.
Dear Whiteflash,
We’ll, I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and asked my longtime girlfriend to marry me. She said yes (of course) and was really happy with the Legato Sleek Line Pave Diamond Engagement Ring that I selected. She said it was “Perfect”. That’s really good because I didn’t want to buy a new diamond given the recent price increases. I was lucky enough to get my certified loose diamond right before the increase.
We received our wedding bands last week and it was perfect. We both like how classy both the rings look. We are both glad everything worked out for us and couldn’t have made a better choice by going through Whiteflash.com.
Thank you,
Khiem
Dear The Whiteflash Sales Team,
She loved the Coeur de Clara Ashley Diamond Engagement Ring Set. I had to hide it from her so she would stop trying it on! Overall good experience for the bridal set!
Thank you,
Bryan
Dear The Whitefalsh Sales Team,
It was a surprise for our 10th anniversary. She was completely blown away and loves the Legato Micro Pave Diamond Engagement Ring. It was wonderful working with you guys.
Thank you,
Malhar
Dear The Whiteflash Sales Team,
All we can say is WOW! It’s exactly how she wants it. Fitment is perfect and the wedding band matches perfectly with the Diamond Engagement Ring. After almost a month without the ring, it is back where it belongs. I really appreciate your help and patience with our request and the final product really shows how dedicated WhiteFlash strides to satisfy its customers.
Thank you,
Joe
Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,
I have made two purchases from Whiteflash and have been extremely happy both times. The first was a 5 Stone Diamond Ring in 2008, and the second was a 3 Prong Diamond Tennis Bracelet a few weeks ago. Both pieces are amazing and well made…and sparkle like crazy with their A CUT ABOVE® diamonds!
Whiteflash’s customer service is wonderful. Everyone that I have worked with is friendly and they are prompt with their responses to emails.
I highly recommend Whiteflash for jewelry purchases. If you have any hesitation about buying jewelry online, contact them and they will be wonderful!
I will definitely buy from Whiteflash again!
Thank you again,
Amanda S.
Prominently featured in The New York Times Small Business section article (June 15, 2011), “Connecting With Clients Through the Power of Tech”, Whiteflash has yet another reason to boast about cornering the market on bringing superior quality loose diamonds and unique engagement rings to consumers and winning over tough critics in the process.
Known for being one of the most revered and toughest news sources to crack, The New York Times carries its own element of branding cachet and esteem that few brands have the honor of being affiliated with. So when Whiteflash, a Houston based fine jewelry retailer, is called out with a feature story in their publication, it’s hard not to sit up and take notice.
What Was the Buzz About ?
Whiteflash has perfected connecting without the physical connection—to put it in short form. The June 15 article focused on five unrelated small businesses who have solved the dilemma of making customer service high tech, minus the high stress. Almost half of the article is devoted to dissecting Whiteflash’s superlative approach to meeting their, predominantly male, customer’s every service need in a convenient and efficient manner. The approach that specifically caught the publication’s attention was the brand’s advanced technology platform which utilizes many interactive zoom and personalized chat touch-points. These enhancements converge to make the virtual customer feel like they’re face-to-face with their jeweler and act as somewhat of a personal concierge for recommending other items that might be of interest to that customer. The ability to inspect every angle and aspect of an engagement ring, as if holding it in your hand, removes any apprehension of not knowing what you are buying.
Powered by the software provider Bold Chat, visitors to the site are able to easily engage with extremely knowledgeable customer service specialists who are driven by personalizing the sale process as opposed to speeding it up. The real-time chat feature adds to the comfort and credibility of the entire online sales process. Let’s face it, making a sizable jewelry purchase is a process that shouldn’t be rushed and sometime requires an on the spot education in diamond buying for the client. Customizable search options interfaced with the build your own ring feature can activate a buyer’s desire for creating a personal one-of-a-kind design.
Additionally, if it’s an education the buyer needs, Whiteflash’s entire site is dedicated to educating the customer about the scientific properties, performance expectations and necessary attributes of diamonds. They also offer one of the most sought after premium diamonds, A CUT ABOVE®, in the marketplace today. By delivering first-rate diamond jewelry, coupled with the service friendly support infrastructure and tremendously loyal customer network that returns consistently, Whiteflash can’t help but be recognized for getting it right. “It’s important to recognize our suppliers as part of our success” said Debi Wexler, CEO for Whiteflash. “When it comes to Bold Chat, our service sparkles!”
Maria Carlo
Our newest member to the Whiteflash Jewelry Family is the Selene Diamond Engagement Ring.
Greek goddess Selene is depicted as a beautiful winged goddess who wears a golden crown that radiates gentle light.
“From her immortal head radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great …is the beauty that ariseth from her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, at eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal men.”
Dear The Whiteflash Sales Team,
Just wanted to let you know that I picked the Princess Cut Diamond Earrings up last week and gave them to Laura as a wedding / birthday present. When I gave her the box she was like, “wait a second” went into the other room, and got her engagement ring box. Then she was real confused and asked, “what is it?” I told her to open it, so she did and thought they were beautiful. She put them on right there and started saying how she wanted some earrings that wouldn’t dangle around but were classy. She also really liked that they matched her engagement ring. All in all, I think we’re both very pleased with them.
Thanks for all your help!
Daniel
Conflict Free Diamonds – DreamsofAfrica.org
AWEAR
WhiteFlash
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook
Bride's Choice Awards 2011
