The Passion For Design
How things will change the face of retail jewellery
We are of the belief that people are becoming more and more aware of service, good service. Simply showing people what you have in stock, is proving short of expectations.
People want something that is different, that will make them feel special about themselves. As you walk around Sydney, or any major city in the world, you cannot help but notice that all jewellery windows look the same. The stock is mass produced in China, India or Thailand, whilst quality of workmanship is constantly improving in these manufacturing countries, design remains ordinary.
The fact that they are really mass produced and sold to thousand of jewellers around the world, makes one think twice about the investment value of the piece.
Promoting the individual, the different, has always driven us (Varoujan jewellers) to try and come up with simple ideas to personalize your jewellery.
Listening and hearing what you want your jewellery to mean to you is our forte. As a child, my passion was to hear older people tell stories, I used to drift into the story, feeling and becoming one with it. This ability has grown with me into a very unique talent. “Varoujan designs for you” with love passion and energy rarely ever paralleled.
We strive to design an heirloom, to be proudly worn now, and to be passed down to generations to come.
Come and join the experience, we promise to let you live your jewellery dream through us…
My experience buying from Varoujan Jewellers
Have you heard of the sayings?
“There’s one for every woman”
Well… it’s a bit like that.
“I walked into a jewellery store. The man behind the counter stood up, greeted me by his name, asked for my name and wanted to know what he could help me with today. I told him that I had just started looking for an engagement ring.”
“and have you seen anything you have liked” he asked
“I might have but I cannot be sure, may be something simple” I said
He looked at me, a measured look at my ears, I knew he was checking out the earrings I was wearing, they were given to me by my grandmother.
He looked at my right hand, I was wearing an art deco ring I had bought at a fashion shop in Milan.
He observed what outfits I was wearing, and finally he said
“I can see you have a diverse but good sense in fashion. If you have a few minutes, I would love you to keep an open mind for me, and simply try on whatever I put on your finger”
True to his word, the next 7 to 10 minutes we spent trying different rings on and commenting on different aspects of the rings I was trying on.
I was enjoying myself, a no pressure environment where I was a judge, I was commenting freely and observing things I hadn’t thought of before.
I was confiding in this man and telling him things about the things I liked about the different rings, The colors, the shapes, the height of the centre diamond.
He politely asked me to sit down. He took out an A4 paper and a drawing pencil, the next five minutes I felt like I was commissioning this incredible designer to specially work for me. To design the ring I always wanted. In my subconscious I knew what I liked, but I could never picture it.
I was mesmerized, how he has been listening to every comment I made, the rings I tried on the things I liked, the things I most disliked, he was all ears….
I felt very special. This man made me feel that I was the most important person in his world today.
I walked out with the promise that I will look around and I will return.
I looked, I shopped, I flew to Melbourne and back, the more I looked the more I knew.
True to my word, I went back to see the designer, he greeted me in the same manner as he had before.
“Hello, we have met before…”
“That’s right I was here three weeks ago and you designed a ring for me. I’m Linda Lester.”
He looked in his filing cabinet and pulled out my file.
“My ring was staring at me…”
Varoujan is a designer, a jewellery designer, who understands, who observes, who believes, that you deserve the best….
You can read similar stories like this from our Testimonials page.
Conflict Diamond Education
The term Conflict diamond (also called blood diamond) refers to a diamond mined and sold to fund conflict or civil war against the legitimate government. They are also diamonds that are mined or produced under unethical conditions.
The United Nations defines a conflict diamond as:
“Diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.”
Conflict-Free diamonds are stones which have not been used to fund war and have been mined or produced under ethical conditions.
The Kimberley Process is an international certification program established by the United Nations almost 10 years ago to prevent the trade of conflict or blood diamonds. The Kimberley system increases governments’ transparency by forcing them to keep records of the diamonds they are exporting and importing and how much they are worth. In this way it has helped stabilize fragile economies and made life more difficult for criminals.
For more information you may also visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamond .
Buying An Engagement Ring
Buying an engagement ring is a big step for a lot of men (but we also have couples buying their engagement ring together). It is a joyous occassion and we want to make sure you get it right and enjoy your purchase.
What Is An Engagement Ring?
Firstly, engagement rings has a center diamond in the ring design. The ring may also have other diamonds positioned next to the center diamond called shoulder diamonds and it is with these combinations that allow Varoujan Jewellers to design unique diamond engagement rings.
Did you know that designing a unique engagement ring is not as expensive as everyone tend to think?
The diamond or diamonds could be the traditional white diamond or it could be a fancy colour diamond such as a pink diamond or yellow diamond. The shape of the diamond is also important and will determine the style and design of the unique diamond engagement ring. Our most popular diamond shapes are round diamond engagement rings and pricess cut diamond engagement rings.
The Process Of Buying An Engagement Ring
Buying an engagement ring does not have to be a complicated or stressful experience. At Varoujan Jewellers, we make sure you enjoy buying your diamond engagement ring. Here are the process of buying an engagement ring with Varoujan Jewellers but you do not have to do it in the exact order below. Simply follow what works for you.
If you have no idea of what you want
- Look at our lady engagement ring designs on our website to get an idea.
- If you like one of our designs, then we will still make it unique to fit your needs and budget
- From looking at our designs, you may come up with your own design ideas
- Contact us for an obligation-free chat. You can contact us via calling us, emailing us or chat with our experience jewellers using the Chat function on our website. How easy is that?
- We recommend you visit our store if possible to get the best buying experience and also because we would love to meet you. You can meet our jewellers, …. what else?
- Once you have contacted, we can explain the process further based on your budget, needs and answer all your questions.
If you know what you want for a diamond engagement ring
- Simply contact us either via calling us, emailing us or chat with our experience jewellers using the Chat function on our website.
- We will listen to you and maybe give you some ideas you have not though of.
- Visit our store if possible to complete your buying experience.
Buy Your Engagement Ring From An Award Winning Jeweller
Buying an engagement ring is an investment in love. So why not invest it with a reputable jewellery design in the industry? Varoujan Jewellers have won many awards so you will get the best value for your money. Below are our list of recent awards:
- 2011 – Harper’s Bazaar Competition, Diamond guild of Australia Finalist (results pending) for Fancy category by a design called “Red Sun”
- 2010 – Jeweller’s Association of Australia JAA- Diamond Design Award – Retail above $5000 category by a design called “Sunshine”
- 2009 – Harper’s Bazaar Competition, Diamond Guild of Australia’s Winner for ‘Red Carpet’ Award Category by a design called “Ballerina”
- 2009 – Harper’s Bazaar Competition, Diamond guild of Australia Finalist for ‘Fancy Fancy’ category by a piece called “Spring”
- 2007 – Harper’s Bazaar Competition, Diamond guild of Australia Finalist, by a piece called “Skylines”
If you are looking to buy an engagement ring, then please contact Varoujan Jewellers today.
Clarity Of A Diamond
Flawless
No inclusion or blemish present, absolutely pure. Extremely rare, fetch top prices.
Internally Flawless
No inclusion present. Extremely rare hence the price.
VVS1
Inclusion approximately 5 micron in size. To most people, not visible under 10x magnification.
VVS2
VVS2 inclusions to most people, extremely hard to detect under 10x magnification.
VS1
Very small inclusions. Under 10x magnification, a novice will have difficulty spotting anything.
VS2.
Very small inclusions present and visible under 10x magnification, but still with some difficulty
SI1
Immediately visible under 10x magnification
SI2
Immediately visible under 10x magnification. The industry has become a bit more tolerant with the SI2 grade, we have been seeing SI2 stones lately where a very good eyesight will see the inclusions to the naked eyes, under favourable light conditions.
I1 or PK1
Visible inclusions affecting the brilliance of the diamond.
I2 or PK2
Visible inclusions as above, hardly any light coming from the diamond
I3 or PK3
Visible inclusion all over the stone, looking heavily included and quite dull.
Disclaimer: We have made this very simple for people to understand, hence some of these explanations may vary from the industry standards.
Colour Of A Diamond
D, E and F are the rarest of diamonds. They show no colours, and face up extremely white.
G and H colour diamonds are white showing no colours, extremely lively in appearance. Next to a D colour diamond, they will show a tint of colour, however with no whiter diamonds to compare them to, they face up extremely white.
I and J colour diamonds show a definite tint of yellow or brown. More so in fancy shapes than in round diamonds because the pointed edges in fancy diamonds show more concentration of the hue.
K, L and M colour diamonds are quite common and therefore are very affordable, fantastic for people who prefer size over colour.
N – Z colours diamonds show a strong concentration of yellow or brown. Once a diamond fall our of the alphabetical order, it’s considered to be fancy in colour. Dark oranges, canary yellow, vivid pink, red, blue and green are all colours that occur in diamonds which is due to a trace element other than carbon present in the carbon atom of the diamond.
At Varoujan Jewellers, we are certified diamond graders and with the assistance of master set of colours, can show you the difference.
Cut Of A Diamond
The cut of the diamond determines how well it reflects light. When a diamond is well cut, the light is reflected from one facet to another, and is then dispersed through the top of the stone, making the diamond dazzling to the eye. However, if a diamond is cut too deep some of the light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion, brilliance is lost, and the center of the diamond will appear dark. If a diamond is cut too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected, again brilliance is lost and the diamond will appear glassy and dark.
Cut is the hardest for anyone to master, however modern day certificates assist you in making the right decision.
Hearts and Arrows is a modern term commonly used by most industry workers for the public to view and see eight hearts from the back of a diamond, view from the culet. And eight arrows clearly showing, viewed from the table under a heart and arrow scope ( a small device manufactured for that purpose).
At Varoujan Jewellers, we are certified diamond graders from the Diamond High Council in Antwerp and it is our duty to show you and explain to you why one diamond’s cut is better than another.
Caring for Diamond Rings
Diamonds need caring to keep them looking at their brilliant best. They should be cleaned at least once a month to keep away the “dullness” that can be caused by skin oils, soap, cosmetics and even cooking grease. The only substance that does not stick to a diamond is water. A clean diamond will reflect better light.When jewellery is worn next to the skin, it will become covered and clogged in oily debris mainly composed of dead skin. Dust and grit become lodged in this. Wearing rings while washing up can also allow a greasy film to coat the backs of stones, and the inside of settings.
The main purpose of cleaning diamond rings is to remove all this greasy debris, and allow light to enter and leave the diamonds, restoring their sparkle.
There are several ways of keeping diamond jewellery clean.
Detergent Bath
The detergent bath is performed with a small bowl of warm suds using any mild liquid detergent. Immerse jewellery pieces in the suds and brush gently with a toothbrush. Rinse under warm running water and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Jewellery Cleaner
The quick dip method uses one of the liquid jewellery care products available. Follow the instructions on the kit.
Ultrasonic Cleaners
Jewellery manufacturers and workshops use ultrasonic cleaning tanks. In these, the actual cleaning is performed by the cleaning solution, usually a mixture of ammonia and detergent, the ultrasonics merely provide the agitation to speed up the process. Small domestic ultrasonic cleaners are now available, and many jewellery stores sell them as gift items.
Things to remember when buying a diamond
- Do not buy a piece of jewellery because it is cheaper, remember that if it is too good to be true, it is probably too good to be true.
- Certification is extremely important, we believe and deal in reputable certified diamonds. Examples of which are GIA, HRD and AGS.
- Have your jewellery made by a professional jeweller and do not accept poor workmanship.
- Remember that it is not important where a diamond came from, it is still good irrelevant where it came from.
- Whilst a certain nation might be known for supreme cutting, it’s the trade person who cut it that will make or break a diamond.
- Remember to look at a diamond under magnification as well as to the eye. Keep in mind when you compare two diamonds where and how heavy the inclusions were because it will make a difference to the worth of the diamond.
- Follow your heart and trust it will take you there, after all jewellery is an emotional purchase.
All the best to your diamond purchase
Diamond Clarity And What Does It Really Mean
Clarity is an important aspect of a diamond, and it is important to know how to grade the clarity of a diamond before you buy one. It is actually quite easy to learn how to grade the clarity of a diamond. There are basically two things that you must understand:Diamonds with visual inclusions and blemishes, and those that are ‘eye clean’ meaning that there are no inclusions or blemishes that can be seen with the naked eye. From there, the clarity of a diamond is further broken down into subcategories.
Many people mistakenly think that diamond clarity refers to how clear it is. This isn’t so. Clarity actually refers to the internal and external imperfections of the diamond.
The best diamonds, of course get a grade of FL or IF – Flawless or Internally Flawless – meaning that it is perfect.
A grade of I-1, I-2 or I-3 means that the diamond is imperfect, with a grade of I-3 being the worst.
Other grades are VVS1 and VVS2, which means that the diamond is very, very slightly imperfect; VS1 and VS2, meaning the diamond is very slightly imperfect; SI-1 and SI-2, which means that the diamond is slightly imperfect.
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+Varoujan
- Varoujan is an award-winning Master Jeweller.
