Happy 2011!

We at The Estate Watch & Jewelry Co. wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!

With every new year comes new models of watches, some of which come at exceedingly higher and higher prices. These luxury brands feature stunning case work, fantastic movements, and an overall feeling of exceptional horology. We found an article on businessweek.com that we just loved. It is a slideshow of 2010′s most expensive and exclusive watch models.

Read the article here!

They’re really not kidding either. The most expensive watch they could find comes in at over $3 million. The watch is from maker Piaget, and it is simply covered in high-quality diamonds.

The article is definitely worth a look. It’s an amazing collection of the most exquisite timepieces from the last year.

Don’t forget! The newest edition of Wristwatch Annual is out, and we have a few copies! Give us a call if you would like to purchase one. Keep yourself updated on the newest trends for 2011!

Photo From GQ's All Blacked Out Article

This year’s newest trend: all blacked out versions of already popular watches.

These blacked out watches are making serious waves in the fashion world this summer, and there is no doubt this trend will continue for a while. Celebrities and watch collectors alike are attracted to the darker sides of these watch brands. All the watches in this trend have black faces, black cases, and black straps.

Check out GQ’s article featuring some of the most luxurious watch brands that will help you “get in touch with your (very) dark side.” The article has a great slideshow to really highlight some of these blacked out timepieces.

At the end of August 2010, MarketWatch.com reported that the demand for gold has significantly increased since 2009 (and though not explicitly stated in the article, over the last several years as well).

The article provides interesting insight into the gold market economy.

MarketWatch has reported that since the same quarter in 2009, the demand for gold has risen 36%. They suspect that this “surge” in demand is due to investors “making the switch from buying gold only in times of crisis to having gold as part of a diversified portfolio.”

Gold is now being seen as much more of an asset now because of its “proven ability to not only hold value in times of crisis but increase.” The call for gold in this economy has opened the eyes of many investors. It’s impossible to ignore it with all of the “Sell Us Your Gold” shops popping up everywhere. Having a stockpile of gold is definitely going to be beneficial. The only gamble you have to take with gold is when you should sell it.

The chart below from www.goldprice.org tracks the change in the price of gold over the last 15 years. There is a clear increase in demand.

Though the demand and price of gold has increased, there are still even smaller distinctions to be made. The market changes on a daily and even hourly basis. Another goldprice.org chart shows the fluctuation in the price of gold over the last 30 days below.

As you can see, the day you choose to sell gold is key. If you sold your gold at the peak on August 20^th, you would have made significantly less money per ounce of gold than if you had sold September 7^th. Every other industry is the same in the stock market: it’s just a risk that you have to take.

If you’re interested in the changing demand and hypothesized gold forecasts, this article and website might be interesting to you. Worth a read!

It’s no secret that American trends are often influenced by those most in the public eye: celebrities. There are entire magazines dedicated to “who’s wearing who” and what the next seasonal trend will be.

Watches are not exempt.

In fact, celebrities who sport and collect luxury watches are often driving forces behind the popularity of watches.

In this blog, we’ve put together some images of celebrities wearing the luxury brands that we carry here at The Estate Watch & Jewelry Co. From singers to actors, from comedians to models, there is a wide range of brands to choose from. Take a look at the few we have selected here (and click on the photos to read more about these celebrity trends!).

John Mayer: Classic, Sleek Style with a Steel Rolex Submariner

This is a classic design from Rolex. Not only does the Submariner have a sleek look, but it is also practical. This is the classic diver watch–it is water resistant to 300 meters! If you’re looking for style with functionality, this could be the watch for you.

These watches typically retail for about $6,000, but you can get a used one in excellent shape for under $4000 at our store.

Sylvester Stallone: Punk Rock Glam with a Steel and Diamond Skull Jacob & Co.

Jacob & Co. watches often feature edgy style with some extreme diamond glam. From a skull and cross bone designs to cheetah and zebra prints in diamonds, this brand is definitely not for the conservative dresser. These watches make a statement with their bright colors and oversized design. Looking to get yourself noticed? This might be the watch brand for you!

These brands are often expensive, but you’ll know you’ll get great savings if you purchase a used one from us!

Jerry Seinfeld: Functionality and Class with a Steel Breitling Navitimer

Jerry Seinfeld is an avid Breitling collector. The watch he is wearing here is a Steel Breitling Navitimer with chronograph function that keeps track of elapsed time (perhaps helpful when he goes on stage!). Breitling watches are notorious for their fine movements and durability. It is the perfect everyday watch.

A Navitimer will cost you over $5,000 new, but we offer a great selection of contemporary and vintage models for a fraction of the cost.

Heidi Klum: Taking On the Oversized Watch Trend with a Panerai Luminor Marina

Heidi Klum is pictured here rocking the new trend of women wearing mens-sized watches. She couldn’t have picked a classier watch, either! She is wearing a man’s size stainless steel Panerai Luminor Marina. Measuring in at 40mm, this watch definitely stands out from typical women’s watch sizes (18-30mm usually). This chic watch is the perfect accessory for the woman who wants to make a statement.

The Panerai brand is Italian designed and Swiss made with only the most reliable and esteemed parts. This particular model goes for over $6,000 new, but like everything else, you can get a used one for a great price in our shop.

Sandra Bullock: Sparking New Trends with a White Ceramic and Diamond Chanel J12

The trend that Sandra Bullock started from wearing this watch in John Lee Hancock’s 2009 film The Blinside is undeniable. We have sold more Chanel watches in our store since this film came out than ever before. People walk in asking for “Sandra’s watch.” We can see why!

This white ceramic Chanel J12 with full diamond bezel and diamond dial is stunning. This watch is similar to other models from the Chanel line. They come in both white and black ceramic styles with or without diamonds. They retail from $6,000 to $16,000, but we can get you a used one for significantly less!

These five celebrities are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to watch trends in the United States. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions—or if we can help you find the used luxury watch of your dreams!

If you have ever been to a jewelry store and had the opportunity to look at some diamond jewelry pieces, you may have noticed that the jeweler described the diamond in very industry-specific terms that you may not have understood.

The diamond business, like any other, is full of technical jargon that, if you understand it, will put you at an advantage when buying or selling a diamond.

The diamond graders at diamondring.com have created and maintained a helpful tutorial that will help even the most novice diamond buyers understand their stone.

The graders begin with diamond basic: “The 5 C’s: The 4 C’s plus one.” In this section, readers will learn about the 5 C’s:

Carat – how much the stone weighs
Color – the color of light reflected through the diamond (colors emitted span the colors of the rainbow)
Clarity – how clear or clean the stone is
Cut – shape, proportions, and finish of the diamond (determining factors in the “sparkle of the diamond”)
Cost – how the previous four factors determine how much a stone is worth

Once you understand these terms and how they affect the purchase of a diamond, you will be in a much better position to know when you’re getting a great deal.

Sellers:
Make sure you get an independent appraisal of your stone before you try to sell it to an interested party. If you get your stone graded by someone who is not trying to buy it, there will be little reason for grading bias. One difference in color grading could mean a couple hundred dollars!

Buyers:
Make sure you understand what you’re looking at. If you understand the concepts of color and clarity (and the scale on which they are graded), you will have an easier time finding the best deal on a stone. If you go into a purchasing situation knowing exactly what you’re looking for, your transaction will be incredibly smooth and quick—the jeweler will either have a stone or they won’t.

Your diamond buying or selling experience will be much better informed if you have a basic understanding of the grading scale. Doing your research could really make a huge difference!

The market is currently flooded with businesses that want to buy your gold at “top dollar.”

Before you sell all of your unwanted gold, make sure you know how to approach the situation. The first thing you need to do is figure out how much your gold jewelry, gold watches, and gold scraps are worth.

A recent article on BankRate.com discusses how you can tell what your gold may be worth, whether you’re trying to sell jewelry, gold coins, or even old dental scraps of gold. Read the article here.

The article will take you through the basic process of selling gold, from what the jeweler may do with the gold to how you can take steps to value your gold first before you sell it at an uninformed price.

Important things to remember when valuing and selling your gold:

1. “The less gold content in a piece of jewelry, the less money it will be worth to anyone who intends to melt it down.” This means that you need to set your value expectations at a reasonable level. Though you may have paid several hundred dollars at a retail store, a second hand store or estate jewelry buyer will probably only pay you what the piece is worth in metal and gemstone value.
2. “Most buyers of gold won’t pay anything for stones, with the exception of diamonds. So if you want them, remove them yourself or have them removed before you turn a piece of gold jewelry over to a buyer.” More often than not, the jewelry buyer is most interested in the gold value. While some buyers do offer money for the diamonds (as we often do at Estate Watch & Jewelry Co.), some will be more than happy to remove the gemstones for you if they have more sentimental value to you than market value.
3. “[The current price of gold] fluctuates constantly, so what you see [quoted in the stock market] is unlikely to be what you’ll be paid for your gold, but it will give you a ballpark figure.” Remember that the jeweler is in business to make a little money off of the deal as well, so you may not be offered 100% percent of the gold value. If you know how much your gold weighs and where the market is that day that sell it, you should have a pretty good idea of what a reasonable offer should be (somewhere between 10-30% less than market value).

If you come armed with knowledge of what your gold is worth before you sell it, you will be in a much better position to make informed decisions about your transaction (and you might even be in a better position to negotiate getting more for your gold!)

Do you have old, broken or otherwise unwanted jewelry and timepieces? You’ve found the right place.

Here at The Estate Watch & Jewelry Co., we are proud to offer you top dollar for your unwanted jewelry and watches. We have an unsurpassed reputation for offering the highest prices in the gold-buying industry.

Gold is at an all time high this year, and it continues to rise. The time to sell your gold is now!

Our on-site buyers in our shop in Scottsdale, Arizona will be happy to both inform you about how the gold selling process works as well as offer you the fairest price you’ll find.

We have been in the business for over 20 years, so you know you can trust our inside industry knowledge.

June 2010 Gold Prices (from www.goldprice.org)