With the Proper Care Diamonds Can Be Truly Everlasting
Wedding and engagement rings are symbols of endless love. Fittingly, they frequently feature diamonds because - as the hardest known substance - these glittering gems are as enduring as they are beautiful. With proper care, diamonds can be truly everlasting.
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Your Refresher Course on Diamonds: The Famous 4Cs
Since the dawn of time, diamonds have held an exalted place in history, as they were coveted by goddesses and kings. Today, the average consumer can purchase these scintillating gems in a breathtaking range of shapes, colors and designs. Before you shop for diamonds, it's wise to know the basics: The Famous 4Cs.
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Gemstone Shapes: Which Is Right for You?
Diamond and gemstone jewelry comes in a bewildering array of standard and fancy (unusual) shapes. Selecting which one is right for you is really a matter of personal taste - after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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Jewelry Appraisals Here's What You Need to Know...
Jewelry is about love, romance, passion and emotion. However, many pieces also have considerable monetary value. To protect your precious jewels, it's wise to have them appraised. What many people don't know is how to choose an appraiser and what to expect.
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What You Need To Know About Our Position On Conflict Diamonds
Although diamonds have been the ultimate symbol of love, passion and romance for centuries, the fabled stones also have been linked in the past few years to a few African countries, where rebels have used them as a means to fund terror and violence.
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What's the Real Difference Between White Gold and Platinum?
Whether you're looking for a unique engagement ring or a cutting-edge piece of fashion jewelry, you'll find lots of choices designed in white metals. This popular look is cool, chic and timeless - it works with virtually any wardrobe and for any occasion.
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What You Need to Know About Metal Content and Trademarks
When you come into our store to buy fine jewelry, we give you our personal assurance that what you are buying is of top quality in material and make. But it's important for you as a consumer to note that each piece of jewelry you buy is stamped with both its metal content and manufacturer's trademark.
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What You Need to Know About The 'Ideal' Cut
With any piece of diamond jewelry, the critical factor is the sparkle. When you give a woman a diamond, it has to dazzle her the moment she opens the box. The driving force behind the "ideal cut" diamond is the dazzle factor.
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What You Need to Know About How Gold Prices Are Determined
Since humans discovered it, gold has been a valued commodity, cherished for its beauty and prized for its financial worth. The fine jewelry marketplace depends on the financial gold market for setting the price of gold. Financial markets, even for gold, are greatly affected by world politics and economic events.
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What You Need to Know About Appraisals
An appraisal is a legal document that certifies what a piece of jewelry (or other valuable article) is, and how much it's worth. You might want to have your jewelry appraised for any number of purposes, including the following: - insurance (to determine replacement cost if the piece is stolen or des...
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What You Need to Know About Platinum,White Gold and Sterling Silver
You've decided to make the break from yellow gold - to buy a necklace, earrings or ring in one of the white metals. Your decision now is to choose the appropriate white metal: platinum, white gold or sterling silver. Here are some facts about the three white metals to help you choose among them.
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Platinum Vs. White Gold What's the Difference?
White gold is an affordable - and popular - alternative to platinum. But shoppers choosing between the two should know that - while both metals occupy an important place in world of fine jewelry - they are not created equal.
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What You Need To Know About How White Gold Is Created
White gold appears to be a contradiction in terms. Gold is yellow, right? So how do they make it white? Here's a quick lesson on the magic and creativity of today's alchemists.
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Scientific Methods Enhance Gems' Appearance
Since man's love affair with colored gemstones began, jewelers have searched for ways to improve the appearance of the natural stones they found. If you go into a museum and look at very old stones, you might be disappointed with the depth of the colors.
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Your Refresher Course on the 4C's of Diamonds
Many of our readers will be considering a major diamond purchase this season, so we thought this would be a great time to present our mini refresher course on the "4C's of Diamonds."
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8 Ways to Keep Your Fine Jewelry In Tip-Top Shape
With proper care, your fine jewelry can last a lifetime. Here are eight tips to help you keep the sparkle in your most precious possessions:
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What You Need to Know About Colored Diamonds
Once a niche category primarily of interest to collectors, colored diamonds have really gone mainstream the last few years. Everywhere you look, you'll see these unique, fashion-forward stones adorning your favorite celebrities at awards shows and other high-profile events.
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Q&A: What You Should Know About Appraisals
Why should I have my jewelry appraised?
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Quality Vs. Discount Jewelry Here's What You Need to Know...
"Jewelry is jewelry, right? If I can buy a diamond ring for 50% less at the mall, from TV or online, why should I go to a local jeweler and pay top dollar?"
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Synthetic Diamonds... and What You Should Know About Them
Believe it or not, scientists now have the ability to create diamonds in a laboratory using intense heat and pressure - the same conditions that formed natural diamonds 200 miles below the earth's surface more than three billion years ago.
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The Characteristics of Platinum, Gold and Silver
Three precious metals – platinum, gold and silver – dominate the fine jewelry marketplace. Each has its unique characteristics and selling points. Here’s some basic information to help you decide which is right for you.
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How to Identify Fine Workmanship
You don’t have to be a jeweler to be able to judge the quality of a piece of jewelry. The differences between a finely crafted piece and one of lesser quality and workmanship are readily apparent – if you know what to look for.
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Metal Markings Protect You
Any piece of precious metal jewelry you purchase from a reputable retail jeweler will be engraved with various markings. What do these markings mean? Basically, they are there for your protection. They typically indicate the purity level of the metal you are wearing, as well as the manufacturer who made the piece. This latter hallmark is important, because it shows that the manufacturer is willing to stand by its product.
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When Gold Is Not Gold
When we think of the word “gold,” the first image that likely comes to mind is the rich, yellow precious metal romanticized throughout popular culture. It’s the bounty of sunken treasures, the wealth of Fort Knox and the vision of Jill Masterton – the love interest of James Bond, who meets a gilded fate in the opening scene of the movie, “Goldfinger.”
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Why Cut Is the Most Important Of the 4Cs
Of course, you already know about the 4Cs of diamonds – cut, color, clarity and carat weight – and their importance in selecting the right gem. However, if we had to choose one “C” as the most critical to a diamond’s beauty, it would be its cut.
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When a Sale Is Not a Sale
It’s not unusual to see jewelry and department stores advertising seasonal storewide sales, often accompanied by the promise of an enormous discount, say 50% off the regular price. Please beware that in most instances a “50% off sale” rarely yields the customer a great deal. While, on occasion, it makes sense for a retailer to dramatically reduce the price and clear out merchandise that isn’t moving, more often than not these sales are not sales at all.
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Caring For Your Heirloom Jewelry
With the proper care, your fine jewelry will last for generations. Your beloved heirloom pearl necklace, worn so beautifully by your grandmother in that fragile sepia-toned photo, will be every bit as striking years hence when you pass it down to your own granddaughter.
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An Update on Conflict Diamonds
A diamond is one of life’s most romantic treasures — and no woman wants to think that the sparkling beauty on her hand was obtained through cruelty, inhumanity and destruction. That is the legacy of “conflict” or “blood” diamonds, terms that have gained considerable attention over the past several years. What it refers to are diamonds that are illegally obtained and sold to fund wars, particularly in Sierra Leone, Angola and Liberia.
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Yes, Your Fine Jewelry Could Use a Little TLC
Fine jewelry is usually impressively durable, but that does not mean it doesn’t need care. A few simple steps will help keep your jewelry bright and unblemished for many years to come.
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Here’s the Inside Scoop on Diamond Grading Reports
Though diamonds can look identical to the untrained or naked eye, each one has distinct characteristics that set it apart from all others. Compiled in a Diamond Grading Report, these feature details comprise the stone’s blueprint, serving as its actual identity in much the same way a purebred dog’s papers identify its lineage and pedigree.
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The History of the Engagement Ring
The engagement ring that symbolizes the eternal love of two people who have pledged to join together in marriage actually dates back to the 15th century. One of the first recorded accounts of an engagement ring being given was in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy wi...
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What You Need to Know About the Rising Price of Gold
Gold’s recent surge to an all-time high of more than $1,000 per ounce presents gold jewelry lovers with a golden opportunity to “cash in” and buy gold jewelry even more precious than ever before.
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What Works at Work?
The jewelry you choose to wear for work is more than just a fashion statement. Like the clothes you wear and the job you do, the jewelry you select conveys a specific image to the people in your work environment. Your jewelry reveals a little bit about who you are. Whether your corporate culture is...
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Your Jewelry Box May Be Filled With Hidden Treasures
Peek into that tiny drawer in your jewelry box or the corner of your dresser where you keep all the broken and mismatched jewelry. If you are like most women, you have: 1) a single stud earring whose twin went down the drain; 2) a pearl or beaded necklace with a broken string; 3) a cocktail ring wit...
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Accredited AGS Gemological Lab
Early in the 1960's the American Gem Society began requiring members who had received the title of Certified Gemologist to work for companies which had an Accredited Gemological Laboratory on their premises. The purpose of the Lab was to allow the company to do onsite identification, testing and gra...
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Custom Jewelry Design
Blending form and function into handmade designs, our jewelers elevate to the highest stature the pure art of fine jewelry creation.
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Jolly’s Jewelry Appraisals
To satisfy the requirements of an increasingly knowledgeable public and to provide the detail, technical specifications and accurate values demanded by insurance companies, government agencies and the court system, jewelry appraisers must possess a broad discipline-specific knowledge of gem...
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Jolly’s Watch Repair
Since we opened for business in 1881, Jolly’s has employed highly- skilled watchmakers and has been relied upon for consistency and accuracy in the maintenance of our customer’s timepieces.
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Jewelry Repair
    We know that from the time our company was established in 1881, repairing our customer's valuable possessions has been an important part of our business. In 1908, our store on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh expanded to accommodate a larger manufact...
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Engraving
             Many engravers say their work is hand engraved if the machine they use to trace letters or designs stamped into templates is controlled by hand. Traditionally, authentic hand intaglio engraving is a free-form artistic decoration cut into precious metal....
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Pearl Restringing
Trust Jolly's Jewelers to restring your precious pearls.
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Complimentary Jewelry Inspection, Cleaning and Refinishing
              Virtually everything we regularly use requires some form of care and maintenance. The oil and filters in our cars must be continuously checked and changed. The dentist suggests we schedule a visit twice each year. We have the HVAC systems on our houses checke...
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Jolly's Donates Custom Design to the SPCA of Wake County
This lovely solid gold dog and cat pin/pendant was auctioned at the SPCA of Wake County's 12th annual Fur Ball.
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What You Need to About Diamond Certificates
The romantics like to compare diamonds to snowflakes, that no two are ever alike. The analogy, however fanciful, is true. Because they are created by nature, no two diamonds can be exactly alike, even though they may appear to be perfectly matched. Every diamond possesses its own unique identification marks, often unseen to the human eye. A diamond certificate is a full and detailed description about all the characteristics of your diamond.
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Planning a Wedding? Don’t Forget Gifts for the Wedding Party
Planning a wedding around the winter holidays or the beginning of next year? One lovely tradition is to present heart-felt gifts to the wedding party.
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The Truth About Buying Certified Diamonds
The term “CERTIFIED DIAMOND” means that an authoritative person or company has examined a diamond, determined its overall quality and exact weight and has issued a statement of those facts for which it assumes responsibility and holds itself accountable. Today, countless diamonds are sold as “certified” which, in actually, are not. Most commonly, diamonds are represented as GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Certified.
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Sterling Silver: How to Choose It, How to Care for It
Sterling silver has several advantages as a setting for fine jewelry. It’s less expensive than gold or platinum, so big, bold looks are affordable; it looks particularly striking with certain hair and skin colorations; often teamed with yellow gold, it’s a natural accompaniment to stones such as pearls, onyx, garnets, amethyst and turquoise.
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How Well Do You Know Diamonds?
You have met the girl of your dreams, and you’re ready to buy a diamond engagement ring to mark the beginning of your life together. Before you make this important purchase, take the following five-question quiz on diamonds.
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Diamond Reports
Most quality diamonds sold today come with a diamond certificate, also known as a diamond grading report. This is a professional evaluation of a diamond’s quality and its unique characteristics. This “cert,” as it is often called in the diamond and jewelry industry, provides invaluable information that serves as a “blueprint” of your diamond and provides proof of its identity.
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Going Green With the New Gold Rush
Those 49ers had nothing on today’s Goldbugs! With the price of gold hitting stratospheric heights, now is the time to cash in on all that old broken, unwanted or damaged gold jewelry.
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How to Shop for Quality
Not all jewelry is created equal. A high-quality, well-crafted piece of jewelry is a work of art – a valuable investment that will give you years of enjoyment and become a family heirloom. A similar-looking piece of lesser-quality jewelry carries far less intrinsic value and may end up costing you money when it becomes damaged, loses its precious stones or is retired and forgotten in the far reaches of your jewelry box. Here are four basic buying tips for identifying quality jewelry:
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Mining Your Jewelry Box To Turn Scrap Gold Into Cash
If you’re like most jewelry lovers, you probably have a jewelry box full of gold pieces with damaged clasps, bent or broken links, missing gemstones, scratches, dents and other defects. Chances are, you also have a number of gold items you don’t wear because they’ve gone out of style, they don’t fit properly or you got them as gifts and they never really suited your taste.
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Ring Recycling
Is there an old engagement ring from a former relationship lurking in your jewel box? Or perhaps the one your husband gave you years ago is somehow not your style anymore. Not to worry. As they say, a diamond is forever — even though its setting might be out of date. Let us help you bring your tired engagement ring into the new millennium with some technical know-how and an assist from you.
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Trading In Your 'Starter' Diamond
If you’re like many couples, you may have said “I do” filled with love, but little cash. As a result, you may have had to settle for an engagement ring that fell short of your dreams.
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Now Selling Consignment Jewelry
Many of our customers have asked if Jolly's accepts jewelry to be sold on consignment. We are currently accepting both recently produced fine jewelry and old family treasures for resale. If you have jewelry that you no longer wear including large diamonds, pearls, gold or sterling silver necklaces, bracelets, and earrings or jewelry set with diamonds or precious stones, bring them to Jolly's for consignment sale.
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