The documentation you’ll need is called an appraisal.  The description and value of your jewelry–let’s say it’s a diamond engagement ring–is your assurance that first, the ring is yours, and second, exactly what kind and quality of diamond ring you own.  The value is what you would have to pay to replace it, which will sometimes be the same amount as the price you paid, but this is not always the case.

It’s important to update the appraisal of your prized pieces every three to five years.  There are a few reasons why:

• Check for damage — if the item is insured, the coverage may pay for repairs.
• Check for loose stones — this will help prevent a future loss.
• Update the value — as the economy is ever-changing, so might the replacement values of your gem.

Even if you don’t intend to insure your gem, you deserve a complete description of the piece you have purchased.  If you lose it or it is stolen, you will at least have record that the piece was once, in fact, your property.  Having a picture of the item is quite helpful, too.  If the description is thorough, as it would be on a professional appraisal, it will contain identifying information that could help prove it belongs to you when it is found.  Sales receipts are usually vague and rarely include a photograph of the time, so it alone will not be sufficient in replacing your prized piece.

Juniker Jewelry is proud to employ one of the five AGS Certified gemologist appraisers in Mississippi — the ONLY one in the Jackson metropolitan area.

According to a survey of 1,131 brides conducted by Fairchild Bridal Group, the publishers of Modern Bride, 26 percent of marriage proposals take place in November and December.  Because it’s such a popular time of the year, we thought we’d offer up a few ideas for the big proposal!

• “Future Mrs.” … Have a tank top or t-shirt personalized with “Future Mrs. [your last name here]” wrapped up as a gift under the tree.  As soon as she opens the gift, be ready to get down on bended knee!
• Christmas Ornament … Find an ornament that you can put the ring in or on and come up with a creative way for her to find it.  OR, you could take all the ornaments off the tree and place the engagement ring on there for her to find.
• Write it Out … Get creative and use Christmas lights to spell out “Will You Marry Me?” OR if Mississippi miraculously gets a white Christmas, you can write out a proposal in the snow!
• Little Boxes … Wrap the engagement ring as a present, but put the small ring box inside successively bigger boxes to build up the excitement and anticipation!

Do you have any ideas for Christmas proposals? Or a story about YOUR holiday proposal?  We want to hear it!

If cold December gave you birth

The month of snow and ice and mirth

Place on your hand a turquoise blue;

Success will bless whate’er you do.

–Gregorian Birthstone Poem

December’s birthstone is traditionally a blue gem.  Modern birthstones for the month include blue topaz, tanzanite and turquoise, and we’ve got all these gems in stock! Whether you are looking for a beautiful Judith Ripka piece or a pendant or ring, we’ve got just what you need.

Turquoise, the first gem used in the earliest jewelry pieces, is considered by some to be the most popular December birthstone because of its value and unique coloring.

Tanzanite, added to the modern birthstone list for December in 2002, was first mined in the African country of Tanzania in 1967, and it can only be found there.  The supply of tanzanite is expected to be depleted in the next 15 to 20 years.  Get it while you can!

Blue topaz is a great choice for those wanting to wear a striking hue of blue. Its bright and lively color looks great set in both yellow and white metals.

Since it had been more than 45 years since I had shopped for engagement rings, I took that same adult daughter with me to help me make the final selection.  Juniker Jewelry was the perfect place for me.  I got individual attention; they were sensitive to my specific needs and were so very helpful during this time.  I trusted them completely.  Their knowledge and creativity is outstanding.  The entire experience was a pleasure.

Needless to say, when I asked for Betsy’s hand in marriage and presented her with the box with the “red rose” on top, she was thrilled and said yes!

Thank you to the entire Ravenstein family!!
Bennie B. Daniels, Jr.
Jackson, Mississippi

We love hearing from our satisfied customers. Tell us about your engagement or a special milestone you celebrated with a piece from Juniker Jewelry!

If you are looking to add a citrine piece to your collection, look for high clarity and deep, rich color that saturates the stone evenly.  Citrine, like its sister stone amethyst, is a variety of quartz, which is a very abundant mineral. It may be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner, commercial jewelry cleaner, or soapy warm water; however, steam cleaning is not recommended.

Some citrine tends to fade when exposed to heat or light for extended periods of time, so it is recommended that you remove any citrine jewelry before laying in the sun or going to the tanning bed.

Click here to view a Facebook album of some of our citrine pieces or visit the Online Catalog.

Emerald Cut Diamonds

As evidenced by the name, the emerald cut was originally designed for emeralds, not diamonds.  However, it is among the most classic shapes for diamonds.  Because of its long lines, the emerald cut is not as “fiery” as a round brilliant, but it makes up for what it lacks in brilliance in its clarity.  Some of the most famous and valuable diamonds have been cut in this shape.  A true emerald diamond generally has a length-to-width ratio of 1.3 to 1.4.

Asscher Cut Diamonds

Developed in 1902 by the Asscher brothers in Holland, this cut is a variation of the emerald cut and is sometimes referred to as the “square emerald cut.”  Its deeply blocked corners add to its geometric appeal, resembling an octagonal shape.  The cropped corners draw the eye inward to the center of the stone, creating a “hall of mirrors” effect.

Cushion Cut Diamonds

Also known as the “pillow cut,” a cushion cut has an unusual shape and makes an interesting alternative for someone searching for an oval or princess cut diamond.  It is an antique cut with a more romantic feel than most other cuts.  Standards for cushion cut diamonds vary widely, so you will easily find cushion cuts that are nearly square, long rectangles, and with varying size tables and depth percentages.

Radiant Cut Diamonds

The radiant cut is an ideal choice for someone who loves the fire and brilliance of a round brilliant diamond but prefers the shape of the less fiery emerald and asscher cuts. This cut tends to be more forgiving of diamond flaws and weaknesses than the emerald and asscher cuts, as well.  The main difference between a princess cut and radiant cut is that the radiant cut has angled cut corners.

Round Diamonds

Traditionally, round diamonds are the most popular choice for engagement rings as the shape accounts for more than 75 percent of diamonds sold today.  Diamond cutters have researched advanced theories of light and applied precise mathematics for nearly a century to configure optimal fire and brilliance in round diamonds. Round diamonds allow the buyer more flexibility to match their cut, clarity and color grade preferences to a desired price point.

Princess Cut Diamonds

Perhaps one of the most popular of non-round diamonds,the princess cut is an ideal choice as it offers the same brilliance as the round diamond but is a square or rectangular shape.  For a more rectangular shape, choose a princess cut with a length-to-width ratio between 1.5 to 2.0; whereas a square shape will have a length-to-width ratio of 1.0 to 1.1.  Princess cut diamonds may be slightly less expensive  than round diamonds in some cases because it retains about 80 percent of the rough diamond while the round diamond requires more cutting, retaining only 50 percent of a rough diamond of the same carat weight.

Marquise Cut Diamonds

Marquise cut diamonds are boat-shaped with pointed ends, which need to be carefully protected as they are more prone to chipping than most other cuts.  The length of the marquise cut can make shorter fingers appear longer and more slender.

Oval Diamonds

Oval diamonds are becoming more and more popular.  One particular bonus the oval diamond offers is a bigger surface area than a round diamond of the same carat weight, which creates the illusion of a larger diamond.  When the oval diamond is well-proportioned with a length-to-width ratio of 1.33 to 1.66, it elongates the finger, similar to the marquise cut.  For an exquisitely beautiful oval diamond, be sure to attend the Christopher Designs trunk show in our store November 16, when he’ll unveil the CrissCut© Oval Diamond!

Pear Diamonds

The pear diamond is a combination of the previous two diamonds–the marquise and oval, and it resembles a teardrop. As an engagement ring, the pear diamond is generally worn with the point extending toward the finger’s nail.  The pear is also similar to the oval and marquise diamond in that it also elongates shorter fingers.

What is your favorite shape of these five? Comment below!

The value of gold, which was only $258 an ounce in 2000, has increased by more than 500 percent throughout the past decade to more than $1,300 an ounce, its highest value ever.  The increasing value can be attributed to the continuously growing demand for gold in China and India, which are two of the world’s fastest-growing jewelry markets, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council.

So what does this mean for you, the Juniker customer? It’s time to trade in that old gold of yours and get a shiny, new piece of jewelry or two.  Stop by our store in Highland Village today and talk with Corey, John, or any of our friendly associates about selling your gold or trading in your gold pieces for Juniker dollars!

“But why would Clay drive 3 hours to see me when I was about to drive back to Jackson anyway?” I thought.  I told him I was driving on Council Circle, which I was, but Council Circle is also the name of a street in Clay’s neighborhood.

Then I saw his car turn the corner.  When Clay saw my car, I knew he must have been relieved to find out only one of us had driven three hours to surprise the other.  Mrs. Fran, Clay’s mother, was in the car with him, and Clay announced she would be driving my car back to Jackson for me.  We would be going to Oxford!

Clay opened my car door for me, as he always does, but in the passenger seat was a book.  The book was filled with pictures of us, but I wasn’t allowed to flip through them freely.  Clay told me the book would lead us through the day.  After looking at a few pages of pictures, I flipped to a page that would tell us where we were going.  Oxford was the obvious choice, as we both went to college at the University of Mississippi.

After getting to Oxford and after flipping through more pictures of us ranging from 2003 to 2010, the book allowed me to pick where we would spend time in Oxford.  We went to William Faulkner’s home at Rowan Oak, where we had visited as undergrads and then to the newly renovated St. John’s Catholic Church so that Clay could see how it looked.  Afterward, the book gave the impression that I could choose what kind of flowers I wanted.  I chose tulips. I chose wrong.  Clay slyly removed the tulips card I had chosen and told me to re-choose.  Red roses won this time.

Several pictures and pages later, I was faced with the decision of choosing a wine.  There were no wrong answers this time.  We stopped by  Colonel’s Quarters and bought a bottle of riesling.  We arrived at Clay’s condo, and 17 red roses were awaiting me.  My first guess was that 17 represented our ages on our first date, but it was a dozen roses plus one for each year we’d been dating.  The condo’s balcony, where Clay and I enjoyed our wine, had a pretty view over west Oxford, and Clay and I watched the sun go down.

Afterward, the book pointed us in the direction of dinner, and I chose City Grocery.  Clay treated me to a lovely dinner where we ate ravioli as an appetizer and ordered a bottle of pinot grigio. We shared the City Salad before our triple tail and tuna steak entrées arrived.  After-dinner festivity choices in the book led us to having a drink on the Burgundy Room balcony.  With school being out of session, the Square was not crowded.

At dinner Clay had asked some of my favorite spots on campus.  After we left the Square, we stopped by the Kappa Alpha fraternity house and the Chi Omega sorority house before we ended up at Paris-Yates Chapel and the Quad.  We spent a few minutes walking around before stumbling upon a small balcony overlooking the Quad and the Phi Mu fountain.  Clay told me that he loved me and only me.  He told me that he would be honored…honored if I would be his wife.  He took a box out of his pocket and got down on one knee.  My eyes were somewhat tear-filled, but I could see he had trouble keeping his balance.  Later he would say the pointy ends of his shoes caused this wobbling. 

I was speechless for a moment before I could get the word “yes” out of my mouth.  He stood up and we held each other for a few seconds.  At this moment, the clock tower behind us struck 11:00, and the bells rang eleven times.  The ring I was now wearing on my finger was beautiful.  Having the campus to ourselves, we walked  toward the Circle.  Sitting under the flagpole and facing the Lyceum, Clay told me more about what others had told him about me over the years.  Clay usually shows love through actions, so hearing him verbalize how he felt was special.  The locations where we shared these moments were also special since the Ole Miss campus is so dear to us.

The next morning, I had one last surprise in store.  When we arrived in Jackson, Clay had organized a champagne brunch at his parents’ house, where my parents were waiting. I also found out here that Clay had taken my parents to eat at Shapley’s the night before to ask my Daddy’s permission.

I could not have imagined a better night or a more special way for us to start our life together.  I felt like I was living in a fairy tale.

We love hearing from our satisfied customers. Tell us about your engagement or a special milestone you celebrated with a piece from Juniker Jewelry!

“…it is made up of the glories of the most precious stones.  To describe it is a matter of inexpressive difficulty: There is in it the gentler fire of the ruby, the brilliant purple of the amethyst, the sea-green of the emerald, all shining together in an incredible union.”

Opal, not only found with major white hues, is available in a range of colors from vibrant blues and greens to rare and valuable blacks.  The play of color becomes much more visible with the darker backdrop.

It is important to take extreme care when wearing opal jewelry, as it is a very soft stone, making it quite easy to break or scratch.  It is not recommended to wear this type of jewelry when washing dishes or during any chore where sharp blows or impact is possible.  Opal jewelry should be stored in a soft cloth bag, separating it from other pieces of jewelry.  Be sure to keep opals from freezing temperatures or extreme heat as they do not react well to extreme conditions. 

Birthstones make great gifts for the man in your life, too. Check out some of the opal cufflinks at our store today!

Pink tourmaline is an alternate October birthstone.  When purchasing pieces for children with October birthdays, pink tourmaline may be the better choice because it is more durable, scratch-resistant gemstone.