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Tips, guides and inspiration from the world of fine diamonds and jewellery.

21 SEP 2017

Are You the Bride of His Life? Yes, If You Wear These!

That moment is drawing near… or it passed only a short while ago. You can still feel the tension throughout your whole body. Organising a wedding is no walk in the park, and that is exactly why wedding planners were invented. But beyond whatever you've heard a wedding involves, reality is what you actually come up against and have to face. It's clear: you are his bride. And one more thing is clear: you both wanted to go forward together. The moment he surprised you with a fabulous engagement ring is already history. Now you have reached — or already moved on to — the chapter of wedding rings. Buying gold jewellery (whatever it may be) at a moment like this ironically involves an extra dose of stress. Why? Well, because it will take some time before you find something to your taste. A piece of gold jewellery with internationally certified diamonds isn't to be found "on the street corner, in the bazaar", nor at just any trader who hangs up a sign reading "Jewellery". The matter is rather more complex and must be treated seriously. Not only because it is an important moment, but also because you will be making a significant investment. Online or in shops, you will have to search carefully for a serious workshop. To make this research a little easier for you, we have picked out a few pieces from diamante.ro — a subjective selection, obviously, but, we hope, a relevant one.

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30 AUG 2017

6 pieces of jewellery that make you look like a star

In the society columns and the glossy magazines, we so often come across stories about actors and singers with voices that are more, or less, spectacular.

It isn't always their careers that take centre stage. We are "obliged" to find out how they dress, how much they spend on clothes and what jewellery they wear. We're talking about sums of money that, even for Romania's own stars, are rather hard to swallow. And yet this sort of information makes us want to live at least a small part of a star's life ourselves. Until we come to earn Julia Roberts's fees or star in a film alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, we'll content ourselves with admiring the clothes and the gold jewellery worn by the stars here at home or beyond... the Hollywood fence. Envy is not the loveliest of feelings and, if you can avoid it, do. Right. We've established that stars are ordinary people too, only they earn large sums, deserved and hard-earned. Perhaps, in this life, most of us will never reach even 1% of what a George Clooney or a Nicholas Cage is today but... what does it matter? Actors and singers, the men of the show-business world, aren't quite so visible when it comes to scrutinising their jewellery. On the women's side, a pair of earrings worn by Jennifer Lawrence or Scarlett Johansson, for example, can spark a controversy that may itself become the subject of a film.

It isn't so easy to understand this world of theirs, but it is relatively easy to end up wearing jewellery like the stars', without having to sell your house. Very much on the "seek and you shall find" principle, it wouldn't hurt to set about doing "a bit of research" online: ideas, designs, workshops you can trust. If you have a clear picture of what you want, it's simple. And if you don't, it's simple all the same, because you can turn to a consultant who will give you fitting, useful advice. You can take your inspiration from a star and still put your own stamp on a piece of jewellery. It's called personalised design. We asked Lucian Constantinescu of Diamante.ro how this type of design works: "This kind of commission is close to our hearts. It's always a challenge to create an engagement ring or a pair of gold wedding rings, as a team effort: client, designer and... the star who is the source of the inspiration, if that too is asked of us. In general, jewellery with a personalised design is more complex (the setting, the number of diamonds, special alloys) and more valuable (high carat weight). Very often we have either a photograph or a sketch to work from, which becomes the source of a spectacular creation. If it is a family piece that has to be reproduced, then the client comes with the original and we begin work. Those, more or less, are the procedures." The difference from mass-produced jewellery shows up in the price. It's entirely natural for a personalised design to be somewhat more expensive than a piece from a collection. But the investment is worth making, because the feeling of wearing a piece of jewellery inspired by a star you admire compares with nothing else. That star's power to fascinate is transferred, to a certain degree, to you as well, the one wearing the piece. Give it a try!
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30 AUG 2017

How Do IT Professionals Buy Diamond Jewellery?

Even if they are seen as a "caste", people who work in IT are, when it comes down to it, perfectly ordinary. They love technology and anything with a screen and a keyboard, but when it comes to shopping... they are almost like the rest of us.

That holds true when we're talking about everyday consumer goods, rather less so when it comes to buying gold jewellery.

Perhaps, first of all, you are wondering whether these people really are buyers of such handcrafted products. The answer is yes, they are.

They buy them, wear them, give them as gifts. As I said, they too are people who feel the need to value themselves and to value others.

A piece of gold jewellery with diamonds is a perfectly paved road towards giving value to: feelings, relationships and, why not, money. Let's not forget that, beyond a certain level, diamond jewellery is also a financial investment.

How does an IT professional end up in a jewellery shop?

They get there by car, by bus or by underground, if they live in Bucharest. Or, being an IT person, they simply sit in front of a laptop or phone and buy a pair of earrings or an engagement ring for their loved one.

Except that things are a little more nuanced when you come across a brand that has managed to shape its business around the customer's profile. And you grow curious.

We asked Lucian Constantinescu (Diamante.ro/FIRESQ) to what extent this segment of buyers is reflected among the brand's clients: "Over 80% of our male clients have jobs in IT or related industries. They are young, around 30 years old, with above-average incomes. We noticed that they began to grow very loyal after we implemented the brick & click system 4 years ago. The fact that we offer the same valuable experience both online and offline mattered a great deal".

As a rule, an IT professional has no time. Yes, they have money, but not time. So they do whatever it takes to make efficient use of the time they do have. It may seem surprising that a 100% Romanian diamond jewellery workshop conceived and applied a business method "from abroad", but it proved to be the recipe for success.

"For someone forever surrounded by servers and lines of code, buying online feels far more familiar. It's just that we're not talking about cheap jewellery, and everyone wants as much reassurance as possible and often prefers the physical shop.

In FIRESQ shops the client has tablets on hand where they can browse the full jewellery range, with the essential guidance of a consultant. You can also view the online stock of internationally certified diamonds, updated every 5 minutes. We brought technology into the physical shops and clients appreciated it.

We have turned buying a piece of diamond jewellery into a safe and pleasant experience. When I say this, I rely heavily on the feedback we get from our buyers. Many are even surprised when they discover that behind the Diamante.ro and FIRESQ brands there is a Romanian workshop", says Lucian Constantinescu of Diamante.ro

So, whether or not you have any connection with IT, and whether or not you want to buy a piece of diamond jewellery, you can, out of curiosity, visit a shop that has this system in place, just to have a story to tell.

Source Ziare.com: http://www.ziare.com/internet-si-tehnologie/tehnologie/cum-cumpara-it-istii-bijuterii-cu-diamante-1479080

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25 JUL 2017

Bricks & Clicks – the method that turned Diamante.ro into the leader of Romania's diamond jewellery market

The opening of the FIRESQ shop in a new location at 91-93 Calea Victoriei represents for SMIRNEOS&Co not only the consolidation of its position in the diamond jewellery market but also the confirmation of a successful business model: bricks and clicks.

Four years ago, SMIRNEOS&Co, owner of the FIRESQ brand and of the Diamante.ro website, decided to roll out across its shops in Constanța and Bucharest this system, which emerged in the early '90s as a consequence of the rapid growth of the internet. Clients who wish to purchase engagement rings or diamond wedding rings enjoy all the advantages this system has to offer. Shoppers who visit the physical locations have the chance to interact, through technology, with the entire online jewellery collection; they can configure the pieces they want themselves or under the guidance of a consultant. Bricks and Clicks also allows clients who order jewellery online to collect their order from the physical shop. “It was a business decision I will never regret. We have earned the respect of our clients, whom we have grown even closer to, and — I would say without exaggeration — even that of our competitors. We have proven that we are extremely serious in everything we have done for 23 years in Romania, and bricks and clicks has led us to cover an ever-growing segment of this demanding market,” says Marian Constantinescu, CEO of Diamante.ro/FIRESQ. In the field of internationally certified diamond jewellery, it is essential to maintain a relationship of trust between supplier and client, given the values involved, whether we are talking about diamond jewellery or about investments in diamonds. In either of these situations, this business model proves its worth both for the end client and for the manufacturer that offers the product alongside a wealth of after-purchase services and guarantees. Source WallStreet.ro/press releases: https://comunicate.wall-street.ro/bricks-clicks-metoda-care-a-transformat-diamante-ro-in-liderul-pietei-de-bijuterii-cu-diamante-din-romania-569

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25 JUL 2017

The Computer Confesses – The Diamond Configurator

This is the title of a well-known Romanian film released in 1982 (a comedy sprinkled with communist morals, but a decent enough film) and a pretext for us to talk about...IT and the online world. You read that correctly. That's exactly what we'll do. It's a field that particularly fascinates men, though the ladies aren't left behind either. Ironically, this article is about couples who decide, in one form or another, to make their relationship official. And what does that have to do with a computer, you'll ask? It does. A great deal, in fact. Anyone who sets out to search for engagement rings or diamond wedding rings turns first to the internet, the computer, that is. This time, however, we'll be referring to the computer in the most literal sense of the word: a complex piece of software, a configurator, that calculates roughly how much an engagement ring costs, based on a whole host of parameters. We found just such a thing on the diamante.ro website and asked Lucian Constantinescu, Communications Director of SMIRNEOS & CO (Diamante.ro/FIRESQ), what the reasoning was behind choosing to offer such a feature in the online shop. "We have one of the most complex calculators/configurators of this kind in Romania. Customers can choose for themselves what kind of internationally certified diamonds they want on their jewellery. The Diamante.ro configurator takes into account every parameter that matters when buying a piece of gold jewellery with diamonds: shape, carats, colour, clarity, cut, type of international certificate and...price. This last aspect is, ultimately, essential when you buy a pair of diamond wedding rings or engagement rings. Depending on your budget, the piece can offer varying degrees of splendour." Every couple in love probably goes through this searching phase, and the quality of the final purchase also depends on the success of this "research". So, on Diamante.ro, we found a very useful and transparent tool to help with this decision to buy a valuable piece of jewellery manufactured in Romania. These are important points because, more often than not, the purchase is made by men, even if behind the move there's "a her". And men aren't especially knowledgeable about jewellery, so what we found on Diamante.ro is a "godsend", because beyond that configurator you'll also find expert advice from people who know exactly what they're talking about. Don't ignore this advice when you're looking for gold jewellery with diamonds. These are valuable pieces, and it's very important to learn as much as possible before buying. Source Askmen.ro: https://www.askmen.ro/Stil_--d8/Fashion_--d122/Calculatorul-marturiseste-configurator-de-diamante_--a46305.html

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25 JUL 2017

Can rings be fashionable?

Without giving it much thought, we tend to offer a firm, quick answer: yes. Except that, if we pause for a moment and look more closely, the answer is not quite so simple.

After a few dozen clicks through more or less friendly corners of the web (read: rather dubious websites), we landed on diamante.ro. And we stayed there not only because it has a friendlier look and feel, in terms of design, but because we were about to discover a Romanian success story behind it. Diamond jewellery handcrafted in Romania. The cleverly conceived collections and the inspired designs made us genuinely curious to hear the views of people who have been making jewellery for over 23 years. Lucian Constantinescu (Diamante.ro/FIRESQ): "We are proud of what we have created. Every day, fresh design ideas and the quality we offer are confirmed by the delight of our customers. From the very first day we chose to offer premium quality, from the precious metal to the internationally certified diamonds we work with." But the subject of this article has more to do with the idea of "fashion" in jewellery, and we wanted an informed opinion on it. We asked Constantinescu how things look through the eyes of a Romanian jewellery maker. "We are not really keen on this idea of fashion. It might apply to the jewellery you pay 10-15 lei for, those bracelets or pendants you pick up from the mall and take to the beach. Diamante.ro is something else entirely. We create engagement rings and wedding rings and some of the designs can end up costing as much as a city car. We make both series pieces and bespoke designs but, I repeat, we do not sell jewellery because it happens to be fashionable. We have a collection of wedding rings, for instance, inspired by the decorative friezes of the Holy Three Hierarchs Monastery in Iași. It looks absolutely magnificent. These are expensive pieces made only to order. How could such a piece of jewellery ever go out of fashion? It cannot." It sounds rather convincing, especially since we saw on diamante.ro the very jewellery Lucian Constantinescu refers to. In the end, it is a mindset we choose for ourselves. If we get it into our heads that a piece of jewellery has to be fashionable, then so it is. But if we have in mind the idea of investing money and feelings into a work of art made of gold and diamonds, we should make the purchase knowing that a grandchild or great-grandchild will one day look at that ring and fondly remember their great-grandfather or great-grandmother. In the end, a gold and diamond piece of jewellery is forever. Source:https://www.gasestebijuterii.ro/inele-de-logodna-2024/

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25 JUL 2017

Technology, Gold and Diamonds

What connection could there be between IT and the Romanian market for diamond jewellery? Seemingly none, except that, on closer analysis, we discover many interesting elements that turn buying a piece of jewellery into a valuable experience. We wanted to see what contact with a Romanian maker of diamond jewellery involves for the average customer. We set out to play the part of a "genderless buyer". What is that supposed to mean? Without alarming you unnecessarily, the genderless buyer is the buyer who is able to put themselves in the shoes of both a man and a woman in order to feel the experience or to buy exactly the right thing. But is that actually possible? Can a person be so objective that they see a 360-degree perspective without getting emotionally involved? It's harder, but it can be done. Let's start, say, with the general expectations of someone buying wedding rings. In this case, the decision is one taken together, because the two are engaged and both do the necessary research. Online or in physical shops. But above all online. When it comes to engagement rings, this plural isn't matched by concrete reality. Because we have one ring, not a pair. What's more, he is the one who chooses according to what he feels or knows she likes. And he chooses, in principle, online. Because it's simpler, because it's safe and because... he doesn't feel like hunting for a parking space. Technology plays an essential role. You look for a website that inspires you but also inspires your trust. We turned to those in the know to find out more. And we found out. "Buying a piece of diamond jewellery compares to nothing else. It's a whole process with both psychological and financial implications. The buyer of internationally certified diamond jewellery is determined and knows exactly what they're doing. This entire process, which takes place in a highly technically secure environment and with the utmost mutual trust, needs to be made easy for them", says Marian Constantinescu, CEO of Diamante.ro. When you buy a piece of gold jewellery with internationally certified diamonds worth, say, 10,000-12,000 lei, you want everything to be perfect, whether you're shopping online or going to a physical shop. But wherever you decide to buy the jewellery, in 2017 you can no longer ignore technology. One of the Romanian workshops that has strongly embraced technology and blended it perfectly with the "classic" is FIRESQ. The "bricks and clicks" method, for that's what it's called, is a business model that works all over the world. "We have both an online and an offline presence and that helps us enormously. We want to offer customers a valuable experience, however they decide to make their purchase: from in front of their computer or in the shop. We use specially configured tablets to provide, in the shop, all the information needed for a purchase. We keep a permanent online stock of over 50,000 diamonds and anyone can configure their ring right there in the shop. Alongside this support that draws on modern technology, let's not overlook the consultant who stands, in person, beside the customer", adds Marian Constantinescu. Whether man or woman, the buyer wants to know what they're spending their money on. And if technology can help them, all the better. A pleasant experience in a shop or on a website means a successful purchase and everyone can only be satisfied. Source Ziare.com: http://www.ziare.com/internet-si-tehnologie/tehnologie/tehnologia-aurul-si-diamantele-cumparatorul-fara-sex-1474711

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22 JUN 2017

How did Romanians come to prefer diamond jewellery made in Romania?

They say that a passion for luxury is a kind of "national trait" of ours. It's not something to boast about to the world, nor is it some psychological disorder that should send you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist. It's fine to be however you feel comfortable, as long as you don't trouble those who don't have the same means.

Being elegant is only human, after all. What's more, if we think about it, there are reasons behind this behaviour that makes us show the world everything we hold most precious... materially speaking. For 50 years, until 1989, modesty was elevated to the rank of national policy. Except, of course, for those who ran the country. Many had nothing to show, and those who did couldn't flaunt their "possessions". And just like that, we found ourselves with freedom on our hands. For 28 years we have had the right to display our status through cars, houses, trips to islands forgotten by the world and... diamond jewellery.

The frenzy with which Romanians let themselves be seduced by the West, or by fake products from Turkey and China, lasted a good few years. Again, it was quite normal. We wanted to see, to know, to feel on our own skin what had been forbidden to us for so many years. Then, more and more of us came back "home", in terms of our behaviour.

In Romania, quality things are made, often comparable to what is produced "abroad" and sometimes even better. It's just that people don't know it. Or they simply find it easier to appreciate something foreign.

The '90s meant the "swagger" of wearing an engagement ring brought from Turkey and made of melted-down 14-carat gold with diamonds that could quite simply be polished glass. But Romanians didn't care.

Diamond jewellery handcrafted in Romania

Time has passed, tastes have grown more refined, and Romanian workshops have emerged that made no compromises and have stayed in this hugely demanding market for 23 years.

Today, a diamond engagement ring with stones certified internationally by the largest gemological laboratories can be bought both from physical shops and online, under conditions of maximum safety.

We asked Lucian Constantinescu of Diamante.ro/FIRESQ why he thinks Romanians have returned to local workshops: "I can only answer for our own part. This return hasn't happened overnight. Our clients have grown accustomed to quality and to high-standard services.

For example, anyone who buys a FIRESQ engagement ring expects not only a spectacular design but also free after-purchase services. If you come in each year to have your engagement ring cleaned, you have a lifetime guarantee.

The fact that the workshop is in Romania gives you a host of advantages: over time, you'll need the ring resized, and only the maker can do that for you. When it comes to engagement rings with diamonds set into the band, the maker is the only one who can work on them. If it's a plain band, it can be altered elsewhere too, but with serious risks that the client takes on themselves."

Beyond these aspects that relate strictly to the act of buying a piece of jewellery with precious stones, a pleasant feeling remains: the fact that Romania produces diamond jewellery to the highest standards, and that there is a fairly significant segment of discerning clients who value quality.

Source: http://www.ziare.com/shopping/diamante/cum-au-ajuns-romanii-sa-prefere-bijuteriile-cu-diamante-create-in-romania-1470475

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25 MAY 2017

Common Mistakes When Buying Diamond Jewellery

Let's take a look together at an engagement ring created in a Romanian workshop. We have chosen a "show-stopper" through its design and its delicate setting. Placed on the finger of a bride-to-be, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed. The halo of brilliants embracing the central diamond makes this engagement ring a collector's piece. Its value isn't just gold and precious stones. There are feelings involved, and everyone should be aware of that: from the designer and the jeweller, right through to the person who actually buys the jewellery. The buyer doesn't have to be an expert, and the fact that they aren't knowledgeable — and aren't obliged to be — should by no means turn them into a victim. That is precisely why, when someone sets out in search of a diamond engagement ring or a pair of gold wedding rings with diamonds, the specialists' advice has been and always will be this: gather as much information as you can, from every source possible and impossible. You should see buying a piece of gold and diamond jewellery as an investment of the heart, but also a financial one, because if you choose internationally certified natural diamonds and gold based on the right alloys (which contain no nickel or cadmium or other toxic compounds and are chosen to give the jewellery maximum durability), the sums can range... from reasonable upwards. In other words, there is a financial cost that the act of buying a piece of jewellery entails. But the mistakes a potential buyer can make are linked not so much to choosing an unreliable or untrustworthy supplier as, far more often, to the jewellery itself. Depending on the colour of gold the customer chooses, the jeweller can offer clarifying advice regarding the price/quality ratio and, therefore, a smart purchase. "Carried away", the customer tends to choose "the very best of everything" from the outset. This is where the mistake comes in: a diamond of colour D or E (the whitest grades) with VVS1/VVS2 clarity (top clarities) is set in a ring whose mount doesn't show the diamond off to advantage (see photo, example 1). What's more, the diamond will borrow from the colour of the gold, and that D or E colour diamond will look more yellowish, probably an I or a J. See how a good intention can end less happily. Lucian Constantinescu (diamante.ro) states: "We are transparent with our customers and give advice in their interest. Often we suggest cheaper and more spectacular options, but the customer insists that the jewellery be expensive and, perhaps, not very spectacular in relation to the investment made. That is strictly the person's own choice and, as long as we are at peace knowing we have given the best advice, everything is perfect". Speaking strictly about the example given in this article, Lucian Constantinescu adds: "The top diamond illustrated above, I recommend, should be set in a mount like the one in example 2, but in white gold. While the ring in example 1 highlights the diamond, the model in example 2 can hide small imperfections; in this case we suggest setting a diamond with SI1–SI2 clarity. That way you can choose a larger carat (a larger size) while sacrificing the clarity imperceptibly." These are small pieces of advice with great value. All a customer has to do is be open and accept them with confidence. When you come across a brand with thousands of customers and 24 years of experience in the trade, it's simpler. The final decision remains, in any case, the customer's. Source Ziare.com: http://www.ziare.com/life-style/bijuterii/greseli-comune-in-achizitia-unei-bijuterii-cu-diamante-1466789

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15 MAY 2017

Engagement Ring Symbolism

The engagement ring is a symbol of love, opens the windows of the heart and the path to a happy life. Both its circular shape and the central stone are representing a shared and true love, but also a connection as durable as the diamond adorning it. The perfect engagement ring is the one offered from the heart and with all the love, at the right moment.
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