Car

Jewelry and Watches

Fine and Costume Jewelry, Diamonds, and Watches

Some ABCs on Buying Fine Jewelry

If you're buying fine jewelry for the first time, you're probably quite wary, because diamonds, gemstones, and gold don't come with labels and brands that make comparison shopping easy. You may feel ill-equipped to determine quality and value, to be sure that you're buying at a fair price, or know if you're paying more than you have to. If you are armed with some basics about buying jewelry—using common sense, taking time, asking questions, and, above all, comparison shopping— you need not hesitate to venture out of malls or high-profile jewelers to make your purchase.

A word about diamonds: Two diamonds that look alike at first may be very different, and two diamonds of equal size can have very unequal values. Because no two diamonds are alike, experts use four criteria to determine a diamond's value: the "Four Cs"—carat, color, clarity, and cut. The different combinations of all these characteristics determine the quality and value of a diamond.

AZEVEDO JEWELERS & GEMOLOGISTS, INC.

210 Post Street, Third Floor, Suite 321, San Francisco.

(415) 781-0063. T-Sat 10:30-5. MC, VISA. Parking: pay lots.

Azevedo offers a beautiful selection of diamonds, colored stones, gold jewelry, and cultured pearls at substantial savings; its success is due to low overhead, careful buying, and referrals from satisfied customers. Appraisals are done by graduate gemologists. Its showroom is very classy, but most of the jewels are kept under wraps for obvious security reasons. Azevedo features jewelry designed by Oscar Heyman & Bros. at the low prices you'll find in the Bay Area. This is one of six American Gem Society stores in San Francisco.

BARBINI STUDIO OUTLET

2599 Eighth Street #41, Berkeley.

(888) 704-0203. M-F 10-5. (most) Sat 11-5. MC, VISA. Parking: street.

For some very original fashion jewelry, take a peek into this boutique-sized outlet. Maybe you'll recognize the line—"People Pins" with over 60 familiar faces engaged in various activities, including sports, hobbies, and professions. They're fabricated from 24K gold and rhodium-plated metals. They're fun and almost guaranteed to grab a smile. Free up your hands with a necklace pouch. These are elegantly designed, in various sizes, to hold eyeglasses, cell phones, credit cards, keys or cosmetics. The lambskin pouches hang from metal chains decorated with swirls, beads. and other adornments. The contemporary, mixed metal earrings and pins are usually spotted under the glass in museum gift shops around the country. Buy any of the leftovers from these three collections and you'll save about half off retail. Prices range from $5 (bargain baskets) to about $30.

BEADCO/SMALL THINGS COMPANY

760 Market Street (Phelan Building), Suite 860, San Francisco.

(415) 397-0110. M-F 10-4, other hours and Sat by appointment. Cash/Check, VISA. Parking: pay lots.

This company's talent lies in finding maximum value for the best price, using connections developed over the years. If you're interested in a special gift—pearls, lapis, jade, diamonds, precious gem-stones, gold, or silver—Beadco probably has it in stock, or can find it, usually at a price 30-60% lower than conventional retailers. Contact Beadco if you need pearls restrung, plating, jewelry repaired (including sterling silver and costume jewelry) or remodeled, a custom design, or an appraisal. Creating innovative wedding rings is the store's special pleasure. Unless you're coming in for repairs, it's essential to call for an appointment.

BRODER JEWELRY COMPANY

210 Post Street, Room 611, San Francisco.

(415) 421-9313. Tues-F 9:30-3:30, Sat by appointment. Cash/Check. Parking: pay lots.

Mr. Broder does custom design, appraisals, and repair work for many of San Francisco's finest jewelry stores and works closely with a private clientele, creating special pieces like rings, pendants, and bracelets. However, he does not sell watches or other items usually found in jewelry stores. His closet-sized office has no stock on hand, so this is definitely not a store for casual browsing. If you have a picture of a design, bring it in, or Mr. Broder can create one. His low overhead accounts for the low prices on diamonds and colored stones and on anything he can special-order from a large number of manufacturers and their catalogs. Naturally, if you need a ring sized, repaired, or reset, his talents are at your disposal. One of the few jewelers who works in platinum. A 50% deposit is required before custom orders are started.

CRESALIA JEWELERS DIAMOND EXPERTISE

111 Sutter Street (at Montgomery), San Francisco.

(415) 781-7371 or (800) 781-7371. www.cresaliajewelers.com. M-Sat 9:30-5:30. MC, VISA, AE, DIS. Parking: validated parking in garage next block.

Cresalia displays an extensive selection of diamond rings, fine jewels, and watches. It designs and manufactures its own rings and carries well-known brands as well. You'll recognize the companies in its selection: Artcarved, Italiano gold, Kobe pearls, Krementz, Gorham, Reed & Barton, Lunt, Wallace, Ballou, Sheffield, Kirk, and Cross pens just for starters. Prices are guaranteed to be 25-50% below regular retail prices. Cresalia has a staff of graduate gemologists from the Gemological Institute of America to help you choose a diamond or gem, and to grade and appraise jewelry you own. If you're shopping for elegant gifts, you'll appreciate the extensive array of silverware, crystal, clocks, hollowware, china, and dinner accessories that can be wrapped and shipped UPS if requested.

DESIGNER ACCESSORIES OUTLET

2660 Harrison Street, San Francisco.

(415) 821-9971. Sat 10-4. Cash/Check. Parking: street.

A woman can never have too many earrings, or pins, or pendants, or belts. That's never more evident than when trying to choose just a few pieces to buy at this outlet for a local manufacturer of mixed-metal jewelry collections. The line is sold by many famous stores and well-known fashion mail-order catalogs. The leftovers—samples and discontinued collections—are reduced to about half off wholesale in the outlet. Although designs are contemporary, there are earrings understated enough for corporate boardrooms and earrings that dangle for expressing one's liberation on Saturday nights. Both clip and post styles are available. Clip-earring wearers can afford to buy a spare pair to make up for the inevitable lost earring. Average pricing at retail: Earrings range from $30 to $60; necklaces/pendants $30 to $70; belts $60 to $120; bracelets $18 to $50; and pins $20 to $40. It's possible to match up earrings, pins, or necklaces for a very nice gift set. Your biggest challenge? Resisting the temptation to go overboard and buy, buy, buy! Note: The hours for the outlet are still being fine-tuned, so a call ahead might be prudent.

DOROTHY BAUER DESIGNS

1015 Camelia Street (one block south of Oilman), Berkeley.

(510) 527-2431. M-F Noon-6, Sat 10-4. MC, VISA. Parking: street.

This company manufactures a somewhat esoteric (to my mind) line of funky, novelty, whimsical, and appealing rhinestone jewelry. Collectors buy some very special Dorothy Bauer pieces under the glass at better stores. Prices are half off wholesale. Most pins are $7.50 to $30 (some can go as high as $100); earrings $10 to $40. Some themes: sports, wildlife, domestic pets, Christmas, patriotic symbols, flowers, recreational activities, and words and expressions (like one that I should have: "I Love to Shop"), These are all discontinued, prototypes, samples, mistakes, and occasional seconds. A popular store for collectors of rhine-stone jewelry.

THE FENTON COMPANY

210 Post Street, Suite 203, San Francisco.

(415) 563-0258. By appointment. Cash/Check. Parking: pay lots.

Joan Fenton serves as a personal jewelry shopper. In her twelve and a half years in business, Joan has helped many brides, professional women, and "awfully smart men." She keeps no inventory, and her low overhead lets her pass on good prices to her discriminating clientele. She knows how to get things done and brings a sense of style and charm along with her expertise to her business. Call for an appointment to assess your needs. When Joan knows what you want, she can present choices that meet the specifications of size and price that you've requested. Using her trade resources, she'll either find it for you or have it custom-designed at whole-sale prices plus a slight markup, generally 10-20%.

FOSSIL

Prime Outlets at Gilroy, Gilroy.

(408) 848-2709. Daily. MC, VISA, AE, DIS. Parikng:lot.

Fossil achieved fame with its fashion watches, popular with a younger and hipper crowd. It didn't take long before the company was expanding into sunglasses, belts, ties, sweatshirts, women's hand-bags, and fashion jewelry. All these things are sold at about 30% off original retail. There's usually a $19.99 watch or sunglasses special on selected styles. Look for other exceptional savings on closeouts and discontinued styles.

GOLDEN K FINE JEWELRY

2229 Bunker Hill Drive (off Hwy. 280), San Mateo.

(650) 349-2972. M-Sat by appointment. Cash/Check. Parking: street.

If you have old jewelry tucked away and you'd like to have it updated, reset, or repaired, this company can do the job. For years Golden K has worked with prominent jewelry stores creating custom designs and repairing gold, platinum, and precious stones. It has also created replacement jewelry for insurance claims. You can bring in stones for setting, or stones can be purchased for you if you know what you want. No inventory is kept on the premises. If you want a wedding set, ring, or piece designed, you can browse through wholesale catalogs, or you can bring in a picture. When updating jewelry, the gold or platinum in your jewelry can be reused. (No work is done with sterling silver jewelry.) Although this small studio is not a conventional retail setting, I think customers will feel very comfortable here. However, it's important to schedule an appointment, because Golden K is not set up for walk-in business. I think you'll find the savings very worthwhile, and the work is done to the highest standards.

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL

150 Bellam Boulevard, Suite 240, San Rafael.

(415) 258-0601. M-F 9-5, Sat by appointment. MC, VISA. Parking: street.

Guardian International has solid credentials. When buying directly from this source, you'll save about 35% off the "major store price." If you need something fast, you'll be able to find something that's just right. Guardian provides extraordinary quality in original custom designs, and special orders are its forte. It keeps a good inventory of diamonds up to one carat and can readily provide larger sizes upon request. If you're in the market for a status watch (most priced over $1,000 at retail) such as Bertolucci, Omega, Cartier. Rolex, and many more, you can pick a style from a note-book full of catalogs, and on most lines you'll pay just 10% over Guardian's cost. Don't come in expecting to see several cases of fine jewelry. It's more of an office serving its private clientele (the public) on an appointment basis.

HOCHERMAN & SON JEWELERS

760 Market Street, Suites 346-348, San Francisco.

(415) 986-4066. www.irahocherman.com. M-F 8:30-4:30 by appointment. MC, VISA. Parking: pay garages.

"Bargain" is a relative term. Even at great values, a fine piece of jewelry purchased at Hocherman & Son may still be quite expensive depending on your perspective and budget. It's not set up for casual browsing, because most of its work is done on a custom-design basis. Many couples come here seeking unusual settings (true works of art) for wedding rings and will spend $6,000 to $8,000 for a ring that would cost $12,000 to $14,000 at a Union Square jeweler. Of course, other customers spend much less, especially on wedding bands, gemstone jewelry or pearls, or jewelry resetting. If you'd like estate jewelry reset or want to rework original wedding sets into something more up-to-date, consider this resource. The company keeps an extensive selection of loose diamonds and gemstones on hand and works with you to develop a design for your jewelry piece. There are modest charges for designing the model and renderings. and work proceeds with a 50% deposit.

MOVADO COMPANY STORE

St. Helena Premium Outlets, St. Helena.

(707) 967-0738. Daily. MC, VISA, AE. Parking: lot.

Upscale buyers are very impressed by the watches they see under lock and key at Movado. Some are seconds with small cosmetic surface imperfections. Others are discontinued styles. Whatever the "flaw," the movements inside are perfect and the watches are under full warranty. You don't have to be rich to shop here, because you can find many styles priced $100 to $300. On the other hand, you can buy Concord watches, solid gold pieces with diamonds, solid gold pieces with leather straps and also two-tone gold and stainless steel starting at $400. Movado's 14K solid-gold watches are priced at $400 and up, while its sportier Esquire line goes for $30 to $300. The new Coach collection watches range from $125 to $350. Overall discounts are 20-70% off original retail. Buy with care because there are no refunds; exchanges only within 10 days with receipt for an item of equal or higher value. This elegant store hardly seems to fit the term "bargain," but you will be surprised.

TAYLOR & JACOBSON

1475 N. Broadway (Lincoln Broadway Building), Suite 490, Walnut Creek.

(925) 937-9570. M-F 9-6 by appointment. MC, VISA. Parking: garage across street.

The best values are often found in the least likely locations. This company does most of its business with stores that use its custom fabricating, diamond-setting, and repair service. Essentially a wholesaler, it also works directly with local consumers.

It doesn't claim to sell at wholesale prices (how refreshing!), but it certainly offers substantial savings. It has a display case with many dazzling rings; however, most of its available settings are kept in trays or are represented in wax patterns that you can try on. Engagement rings and wedding sets are a specialty. Services include repair, remounts, sizing, repronging, reshanking, and polishing. You can choose from loose stones including diamonds, jade, lapis lazuli, pearls, and other precious and semiprecious beauties. Appointments are essential to get through the locked doors.

ZWILLINGER & CO.

760 Market Street (Phelan Building), Suite 800, San Francisco.

(415) 392-4086. www.citysearch.com /sfo/zwillinger. T-Sat 9:30-5. MC, VISA, AE, DIS. Parking: downtown pay garages.

You'll feel more comfortable if you wear your Sunday best before entering the vaultlike security doors of this firm, which has been in the same location for the past fifty years. For those great occasions in life—engagements, anniversaries, graduations—when you desire a very special memento, a piece of fine jewelry can be purchased here at considerable savings (20-50% off retail). Prices on 14K and 18K gold and platinum jewelry, watches, and diamond rings are very impressive. You can create your own wedding set by selecting a mounting with or without stone, and then pick a center diamond of the size and quality to fit your budget. The selection of loose diamonds is breath-taking! Discriminating women and men appreciate the large array of fashion jewelry from such noted designers as Charles Gamier, Winward, Judith Conway, Garaveli Aldo, Gemveto, and others usually seen advertised in Architectural Digest, Connoisseur, Town & Country, et al. If Zwillinger doesn't have a particular piece in stock, bring in a picture; chances are the piece can be ordered or custom-made for you. Watches from Omega, Movado, Seiko, and other status brands ($3,000-plus range) are available. Graduates from the Gemological Institute of America are on staff. Appraisals and full jewelry repairs are done. Zwillinger buys diamonds and replacement jewelry for several large insurance companies. First-time jewelry buyers will be in good hands.