For the last few springs we have hosted Jeff Feero of Alex Sepkus for an amazing trunk show. It has become one of our favorite annual events. He always brings a large selection of some of Alex’s most intricate and awe-inspiring jewelery. We hope you will join us and find out exactly why Alex Sepkus is one of our favorite designers.

Jeff Feero always brings with him an amazing collection of jewelry by internationally known Designer Alex Sepkus. The selection will be outstanding. This is a wonderful opportunity to view unique array of designs in pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, bridal rings, bands and men’s jewelry. Alex Sepkus is a unique talent whose work is characterized by such fine detail and craftsmanship. One can only fully appreciate each piece with magnification to reveal the depth and intricacy of each design. What you may not know is that Alex Sepkus will set your own stones in his magnificent designs. Bring your loose gemstones and you can sit down with Jeff and find a design that will work to complement your own gemstones.

Tuesday Evening March 22 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Light Hors D’oeuvres and Refreshments by Make My Lunch

All Day Wednesday March 23 9:30am to 5:30pm

You can preview Alex Sepkus’ designs at www.bcjewelers.com

RSVP via Facebook
RSVP via Email

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

12 Tiny Treasures

Designs from the Tiny Treasure Collection are available in 18K White or Rose Gold and range in price from $420 to $1500.

11 Pairs of Earrings

We have stud earrings in every color from diamonds to rubies to sapphires. We have topaz, emeralds, aquamarine, peridot, citrine, tanzanite, and diamonds, of course.

10 Yurman Necklaces

For the gentleman in your life we have a wide selection of David Yurman jewelry including these necklaces. We also have cufflinks, rings and bracelets for gentleman. Oh, and of course we have a wide selection of David Yurman jewelry for the ladies too.

9 Ladies’ Datejusts

From Rolex we have Datejust watches for the ladies in 26mm, 31mm, and 36mm diameters.

8 Strands of Milk-white pearls

A classic part of any jewelry wardrobe are beautiful white pearls. We have white pearls in many different sizes as well as colored pearls.

7 Submariners Swimming

We didn’t put them underwater for this picture but the Rolex Submariner is water resistant to 300 meters (1000 feet). Despite its affinity for water it is perfectly appropriate for desert dwellers as well.

6 Gift Cards Giving

Can’t decide what to get your true love? Give her a gift card and let her pick out her own gem from Beauchamp Jewelers.

5 Golden Rings

This was the easiest verse of the song for us. We have golden rings with and without precious gems. Pictured are rings from designers Alex Sepkus and Cherie Dori.

4 Calling “Birds”

Art Nouveau Bracelet circa 1890 featuring the four images of a beautiful woman in 13K yellow gold.

3 French Flowers

Antique watchkeeper Pin “Fleur- De-’Lis” plated in Rose Gold. 18kt Cherie Dori “Fleur De Lis” pendant with black and white diamonds on an 18″ chain. Sterling Silver and 18K yellow gold Konstantino ring featuring “Fleur-de-lis” pattern.

2 Turtle Doves

15K yellow gold Victorian micromosaic pin circa 1860-1880 featuring two beautiful illustrated doves.

And a . . .

Pear shaped diamond in a gold ring.

Partridges aren’t really our thing, but we do like Pears; at least when they are pear shaped diamonds. This beautiful 18K yellow gold ring features a 1.70Ct Pear shaped natural fancy intense yellow diamond with a GIA Certificate and 0.18Ct diamond melee.

April’s birthstone is the most famous of all the gems: Diamond. For more technical information about diamonds you can check out the following posts from our Gemologist:

Diamond Color
Diamond Cut
Carat Weight
Diamond Clarity

The most famous diamond in the world is probably the Hope Diamond which you can read about here:

The Biggest Diaimond You Own

If you are looking for the perfect birthday gift for an April Birthday you might try some of what you see below. Diamonds can of course be found in earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, watches, and every imaginable form of jewelry. You will also find beautiful diamonds in all of our designer lines including David Yurman, Konstantino, Alex Sepkus, Cherie Dori, and of course Roberto Coin, whose Cento Diamond cut is head and shoulders above the rest with 100 facets which add to it’s brilliance and fire.

Click on any picture to find out more about the item or visit our web page at bcjewelers.com for more beautiful diamond pieces.

Last night’s trunk show event was a fun and lively affair with good food and fabulous jewelry. The fun continues today with hundreds of beautiful rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants and necklaces, each handcrafted with intricate patterns by Alex Sepkus.

Our annual Alex Sepkus trunk show is coming up and we hope to see you there. Our trunk show is a special showing of the entire collection of 18kt Gold and Platinum jewelry by internationally known Designer Alex Sepkus. This is a wonderful opportunity to view a unique array of designs in pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, bridal rings, bands and men’s jewelry. Alex Sepkus is a unique talent whose work is characterized by such fine detail and craftsmanship. One can only fully appreciate each piece with magnification to reveal the depth and intricacy of each design.

Wednesday Evening March 10th 5:30pm till 9pm
Light Hors D’oeuvres and Refreshments
Door Prizes

All day Thursday March 11th 9:30am till 5:30pm

You can preview Alex Sepkus’ stunning collections at www.bcjewelers.com

RSVP via Facebook
RSVP via E-mail

I’m sure you have started thinking about doing some holiday shopping by now. To help you with your holiday shopping we have a few things to tell you about.

First, if you could use a little extra cash we are having a special Gold Buying Event on Sunday, December 6 from Noon to 5pm. Recycle your broken, or old jewelry or watches and get some quick cash to help with your holiday shopping. Gold prices are the highest they have ever been. We will be open for holiday shopping that day as well.

From now through Christmas Beauchamp Jewelers will be open every day of the week! We will be open Sunday December 6, 13, & 20 from Noon to 5pm for holiday shopping. If you can’t get in to see us during the week we’ve added one more day to help you out.

As always, we will write down a wish list of items you are interested in so you can give it to someone who may be looking for just the right gift for you, or we can keep it here in the store and you can let them know that the friendly staff at Beauchamp’s knows just what you want.

Don’t know where to hide that special item you purchased? We’re happy to keep your Beauchamp purchases in our vault until right before Christmas so you don’t have to worry about her finding that special gift.

Arabic legend says opal fall from the heavens in flashes of lightening.  The Greeks believed opals gave their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease.  The Romans thought opal symbolized love and hope.  The Romans gave its name – opalus – that meant precious stone.  Europeans have long considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity, and truth.  Australian aborigines have a legend that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow to bring the message of peace.  At the spot his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow.  The superstition that it is unlucky for anyone born in any month other than October to wear an opal came from  the novel “Anne of Geierstein” by Sir Walter Scott written in the 1800’s.  Opal has actually been considered to be the luckiest and most magical of all gems because it can show all colors.  It was even thought to have the power to preserve life and be color of blond hair.  For ages, people have believed in the healing power of opal and it is reported to cure depression and help its wearer find the true and real love.  They are believed to enhance the positive characteristic of people born under the zodiac sign of Cancer.  Black opal is recommended for those born under Scorpio and Boulder Opal is a lucky stone for Aries.  Opals became prevalent in jewelry during the Art Deco period.

It is thought that opal formed 15 to 30 million years ago with one exception in Australia where at Mintabie it is thought to have formed about 400 million years ago.  It is formed in desert areas that have strong seasonal rainfall and rocks rich in silica.  The water seeping through the rock carries silica that is evaporated out in pockets of rock.  However opal still contains a significant amount of water usually about 3 to 10% and can be as high as 20%.

In 1849 the first opal blocks were accidentally found on the Australian cattle station of Tarravilla.  Prospecting started in 1890 at White Cliff in Australia.  Other famous opal areas of Australia are Lighting Ridge, Andamooka and Coober Peddy (aborigine word for “white man in hole”).  The largest opal found is 6,843 kilogram known as the Andamooka Desert Flame. 

Alex Sepkus Opal Ring

Source

Australia produces black and white opal.  Brazil produces white opal.  Mexico produces Fire Opal.  Peru produces Peruvian opal.  Ethiopia and Malawi produces white opal.

Properties

• Hardness:  5.5 – 6.5
• Toughness – very poor to fair.
• Reaction to Heat – High heat or sudden temperature change can cause fracturing.
• Reaction to Light – Stable but heat from intense light can cause fracturing (known as crazing)
• Reaction to Chemicals – Attacked by hydrofluoric acid and caustic alkalis

Loss of moisture and crazing can result from storage in airtight containers such as safe deposit boxes

• Clarity – Fractures, pits, surface blemishes, matrix, crazing (a fine network of cracks that resembles spider’s web).
• Most popular cut is cabochon.  The Mexican opal is often faceted as well.
• Confused with Ammolite, mother-of-pearl, labradorite, moonstone.  Imitations include opal doublet or triplets and synthetic opal (Gilson) and simulated opal made of glass (Slocum) and a Japanese plastic opal.
• Treatments/Enhancements –
  • Impregnation with oil, wax, or plastic – improves play-of-color and prevents or disguises fracturing.  Black plastic creates appearance of black opal – stability is fair to poor for oil or wax and excellent for plastic.
  • Sugar treatment – soaking in dye, silver nitrate or sugar and acid – creates or improves play-of-color and simulates appearance of black opal. – stability is poor to good
  • Smoke impregnation – creates or improves play-of-color and simulates appearance of black opal – stability is fair to poor because treatment is shallow and abrades or chips away easily.

Fire Opal Earrings

Types of Opals

• White Opal – translucent to semi-translucent with play-of-color against a white or gray bodycolor.
• Black Opal – translucent to opaque with play-of-color against a black or other dark bodycolor
• Fire Opal – transparent to translucent with brown, yellow, orange or red bodycolor.  This material often doesn’t have play-of-color is also known as “Mexican opal”, “Gold opal”, or “Sun opal”.
• Boulder Opal – Opal with dark base surface with play-of-color and occurs as pebble rock where the opal fills hollows.
• Harlequin Opal – transparent to translucent opal with effective segment like color patterns.
• Jelly Opal (Water Opal) – bluish-gray opal with little play-of-color.
• Crystal Opal – a few red reflexes on colorless, vitreous surface.
• Girasol – almost colorless, transparent opal with bluish luster
• Peruvian Opal – a blue-green mostly opaque with very little play of color opal found in Peru.
• Assembled Opal – precious opal layers and other material cemented together to improve durability and appearance.

Custom Boulder Opal Pendant

Play-of-Color

Play-of-color is caused by sub-microscopic spheres stacked in a grid-like pattern (like layers of ping-pong balls).  This structure breaks up light into spectral colors.  The colors depend on the size of the spheres.   0.1 micron in diameter produces violet.  0.2 micron in size produces red.  In between sizes produce intermediate hues.

• Pinfire or pinpoint – small, close-set patches of color.
• Harlequin or mosaic – broad, angular, close-set patches of color.
• Flame – sweeping reddish  bands or streaks that shoot across the stone
• Peacock – mainly blue and green

Care

• Cleaning methods
• Ultrasonic – Never
• Steamer – Never
• Warm soapy water – safe

Birthstone for October

14^th wedding anniversary stone

The April edition of Town & Country Magazine features a beautiful Tourmaline ring by Alex Sepkus in their jewelry section. 

Tourmalines . . . are found predominantly in Brazil and Africa.  They come in a broad range of hues but are the most alluring — and springlike — in green.

Alex Sepkus uses 18K gold and Platinum in combination with the highest quality gemstones and exquisite textures to create beautiful, wearable, works of art like the ones shown here.  For more information about Alex Sepkus visit bcjewelers.com or give us a call.

Our Alex Sepkus trunk show has been a fabulous success. Thursday night’s event was fun, of course.  Jeff Feero brought with him enough of Alex Sepkus’ fine jewelry that you could fill up an entire afternoon trying it on, but you just have one more day.  This amazing selection is only here through Saturday March 21st.  Of course, we will still have a broad selection of his work, as we do everyday, but you absolutely must see all that we have in store currently.  Oh, and by the way.  There is special Trunk Show pricing available for just one more day.