The 2012 Pantone Color of the Year is . . . Tangerine Tango

When I heard the news this morning about this year’s Pantone Color of the year, I was ecstatic! I think tangerine tango is going to be way more popular than last year’s honeysuckle. When I saw the actual color I was even more excited. When it comes to the gemological world, oranges are some of my favorites and it is never too early to start thinking about your spring accessories. You should consider Spessartite Garnets, Mandarin Garnets, Sunstone, Fire Opal, and even Coral or Carnelian to accessorize with tangerine tango. Unfortunately the oranges are really difficult to photograph, which is why you won’t find many of them on our web page. I’ve made a valiant effort here, but keep in mind that in real life these stones have fire & pizzaz. They are truly eye candy when held in your hands. Come in with your new tangerine sweater and try them on, you’ll fall in love with the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year . . . I have!

WE649 1.99Ct Spessartite Garnet set in 14Kt white gold with 0.36 Ctw diamonds perfect for accessorizing Tangerine Tango, $5985

Custom B&Co Ring with 1.19Ct Mandarin Garnet set in Platinum perfect for accessorizing Tangerine Tango $3895

Echo of the Dreamer earrings perfect for accessorizing Tangerine Tango outfits $275

PE1843 .80Ct Fire Opal in 14K yellow setting - the Tangerine Tango of the gem world

Oh, and for the guys:

Perhaps this Victorinox Dive Master in Tangerine Tango is the perfect accessory

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.

Please come and join us for our Holiday Celebration!

A festive evening of food, friendship and holiday cheer. Special values throughout the store and a drawing for a Rolex watch.

That’s right we’re giving away a Rolex watch to one lucky person who attends our event!

With the holidays coming up, don’t forget we have an interest free, no fee layaway program.

We have a new piece of equipment in our watchmaking shop. We recently purchased the Witschi New Tech Handy II, Quartz Analyzer. This little piece of equipment will help us better serve you. The NTH is the top of the line tool for use in quartz watch repair and diagnosis. As an added bonus to your watch battery replacement we will use this tool whenever possible to evaluate the condition of your watch and save you headaches down the road.

The NTH combines several different types of sensors to analyze the performance of your quartz (battery-powered) watch. It is capable of listening to the hum of the quartz crystal as it vibrates at 32 KHz. It can also detect the minute magnetic forces generated as the motor completes its rotations. It also tells us how much power the watch is consuming which is a good indicator of the mechanical condition of analog watches.

Modern quartz watches have been designed to use the least amount of power as possible – thereby extending battery life. When the condition of the lubricants degrades it requires more electricity to make the motor rotate and the circuitry compensates for this. The NTH measures the rate of consumption of the watch movement and by comparing these rates to the manufacturer’s specifications we can determine if your watch is in need of service.

At Beauchamp Jewelers we strive to give you the best quality workmanship even when performing what may seem like the “simple” task of replacing the battery in your quartz wristwatch. Our new equipment ensures that our workshop is state of the art and allows us to offer the best service in town.

First, an introduction. My name is Jordan and I am the watchmaker at Beauchamp Jewelers. I received a diploma in Watchmaking and Micromechanics from the Lititz Watch Technicum, a not-for-profit watchmaking school fully funded by Rolex in partnership with the Watchmakers Of Switzerland Training and Education Program. I am an American Watchmaker’s-Clockmaker’s Institute Certified Watchamker for the 21st Century.

One of the most common questions I hear from somebody who is new to the world of fine mechanical timepieces is “what are the jewels?” and “what do they do?” When someone thinks about jewels they may picture a beautiful ring like the one pictured here, or they might picture the Queen Mother draped in the crown jewels. In watches, however jewels are more of a functional item, rather than a thing of beauty.

A mechanical watch is in the simplest terms a series of gears driven by a spring with a mechanism which manages the unwinding of the spring at a controlled rate so that it can illustrate the time of day. Although the parts are small the relative forces inside a watch are pretty large. Each of these gears rotate on an axle which is supported in two parallel plates. In order to keep the holes in which these axles rotate from wearing out and getting larger the pivots on the end of the axles are usually supported in a donut shaped “jewel.”

Jewels, as bearing surfaces in watches have been in wide spread use since the middle of the 19th Century. Originally the were fashioned from natural stones such as diamond, ruby, sapphire, quartz, or garnet. Today, nearly all jewels in watches are made from synthetic ruby.

By the middle of the 20th Century Jewels had become a symbol of quality in watches, but there is much more to quality then simply the number of jewels in a watch. Vintage pocket watches were often sold in 7, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 Jewel versions, but “dollar watches” usually had only 1 Jewel. With each increased jewel count the quality of the surrounding components usually increased as well. Today it is rare to find a watch with fewer than 17 Jewels. Most automatic wristwatches have at least 25 Jewels, and a chronograph might have up to 45 Jewels.

The jewels in your watch serve two very useful purposes. First, they make your watch more durable. A watch with no jewels will wear out in only a few years (even if serviced regularly) whereas a fully jeweled watch can run for generations if properly maintained. Second, they reduce friction, allowing the watch to run longer without winding, and allowing the watch to maintain for consistent time.

You can learn more about jewels in watches from Wikipedia. If you have questions for me, as a watchmaker related to jewels, or otherwise, feel free to comment on this post.

Tomorrow is our big watch event. The watches are here, although they won’t be in our showroom until tomorrow; and we have a selection of exquisite timepieces we have never been able to show in our store before now. Come in to see some of the most beautiful and technically advanced watches around. Arrangements have been made for some beautiful automobiles to be on hand as well. Be sure and join us Friday night for our spectacular event with refreshments or come in on Saturday to enjoy the cars and timepieces.