A new addition to the “Heirloom” collection, this one-of-a-kind piece features 32 custom-cut gemstones.
About Retail: Not quite as white
At the Diamond Gallery in Winnipeg, owners Allan, Anita and Lisa Malbranck opt not to plate any of their white gold jewelry, allowing those pieces to stand apart from platinum with their slightly warmer tone.
Winnipeg, Manitoba--At the family-owned Diamond Gallery in Winnipeg, owners Allan, Anita and Lisa Malbranck have carried only one bridal brand during the store’s entire two decades in business: their own.
About 15 years ago, the Malbrancks added another wrinkle that differentiated the store from its competitors: they opted not to plate any of their white gold jewelry, allowing those pieces to stand apart from platinum with their slightly warmer tone.
It’s a practice the store, which opened in 1992, started when the desire for white metals for engagement rings began to outweigh requests for yellow gold, says Lisa Malbranck, who was 12 when her parents opened the Diamond Gallery. She went to work for them right away, answering the phone and cleaning showcases.
“Platinum is the truest white metal. It’s been used for hundreds of years,” she says. “White gold is kind of an oxymoron. (Gold is) yellow. It’s never going to be as white as platinum unless you plate it.”
Today, their decision not to plate white gold, combined with their custom bridal business, helps them stand apart in an ultra-competitive marketplace where customers can check one store’s prices and styles against another’s simply by pulling out their smartphone.
“We really wanted to give a very unique experience to our clients,” Malbranck says. “It’s been about something that’s a little bit different and that’s the niche that we’ve carved out for ourselves.”
The plating of white gold, which is done using rhodium, is a practice that has been used in the jewelry industry for decades, says Darrell Warren, vice president of merchandising at Stuller Inc.
He says historically, the plating is decorative, used to even out the color and soften white gold’s yellow tint. “That is not a preferred color to the consumer. They want it bright and they want it white,” Warren says.
The fact that it is decorative, however, means it is not permanent. Warren says if applied correctly, white gold plating is very hard, very white and will last several years but, eventually, it wears off and needs re-plating.
There many white gold alloys on their market, and their hues vary depending on what the gold is alloyed with, he adds. Stuller, for example, has created a metal called X1 that is alloyed with nickel and other undisclosed additives. X1 does not require rhodium plating and is very close to the whiteness of platinum.
Still, there is a noticeable difference between the store’s white gold and platinum selections.
Malbranck says their customers initially are “really shocked,” by the contrast in color, mostly because they are unaware to begin with that white gold is plated.
“I feel like in our market lots of jewelers don’t even talk about the fact that white gold is plated, and often it’s not explained to clients the upkeep involved in a plated white gold ring,” she says.
At the Diamond Gallery, though, they are zealous about practicing full disclosure with their clients and giving them the “real deal,” Malbranck says.
She says in their eyes, plating a white gold ring to make it brighter is a bit of a fraud. “Really, the idea of anything that’s plated is you are masking something, right? You are trying to change the color into something it’s not,” she says.
It also detracts from the retailer’s ability to offer while-you-wait polishing and cleaning to clients--plated white gold can’t be polished on the spot because it removes some or all of the plating--and means they’re selling their customers an item that eventually will need to be re-plated.
She says they especially dislike the idea of plated rings because rings are generally the pieces that endure the most wear and tear.
After learning all of this, it may be surprising to some jewelers what the Diamond Gallery’s customers pick for their engagement rings and wedding bands.
Malbranck says those who can afford it, obviously, pick platinum.
While the store offers to plate white gold for customers who want it, about 95 percent of customers who go for gold choose the non-plated pieces. They want the after-sales service and, Malbranck says, many actually like the slightly warmer tone of the non-plated white gold.
“It’s worked for us,” she says.
The Latest
Last month in Dallas, David Walton pushed another jeweler, David Ettinger, who later died.
The move will allow the manufacturing company to offer a more “diverse and comprehensive” range of products.
With Ho Brothers, you can unlock your brand's true potential and offer customers the personalized jewelry experiences they desire.
From now through mid-May, GIA will be offering the reports at a 50 percent discount.
De Beers’ rough diamond sales were down 18 percent year-over-year in its latest round of sales.
Sponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show
For over 30 years, JA has advocated for the industry, fought against harmful legislation and backed measures that help jewelry businesses.
The Patek Philippe expert will serve as personal curator for the brand-focused company.
The 553-square-foot shop is aboard the Carnival Jubilee cruise ship.
NDC filed a complaint against Skydiamond for use of phrases like “diamonds made entirely from the sky.”
John Carter received the AGS’s highest honor Tuesday afternoon at Conclave in Austin, Texas.
LVMH said the company performed well despite an uncertain geopolitical and economic environment.
B&D Sales and Service held a ribbon-cutting event for its new location in Cranston, Rhode Island.
It’s ultra-feminine and filled with gold, pearls, and soft pastels.
Emily Highet Morgan and Emily Bennett have joined the agency’s team.
Its updated book for mountings is also now available.
She has been with the organization since 2010, most recently serving as its chief officer of PR and industry relations.
Joyce’s Jewelry sued the bank after cybercriminals drained its accounts of nearly $1.6 million through a series of wire transfers.
Hosted by Freeman’s | Hindman, the sale will take place May 7-8.
The auction house said all 24 timepieces offered in its underground sale of rare and avant-garde watches quickly found buyers.
From lab-grown diamonds and AI to the inevitable Taylor Swift mention, here are some of Conclave’s most intriguing educational offerings.
From cybersecurity liability to trade show coverage, insurance experts share tips on how to build the right policy.
The charm is a modern rendition of the evil eye amulet that has been worn for thousands of years.
Ahead of its trade show next month, TJS awarded free registration and accommodations to one jewelry professional and three students.
By the end of this year, SRK’s diamond manufacturing complexes will achieve net zero emissions, one of an impressive array of achievements.
Members can still sell lab-grown stones, it said, but only natural gems are allowed on the show floor.