Monday, July 17, 2017

Looking For Curved Wedding Band? Chimera Design Has Them - Loving Embrace

Does your engagement ring curve?
Looking for a band to follow the contour without the time and expense of custom?

Say "hello" to our little friend - the Loving Embrace System from Ptak Brothers in New York.

We start with these 13 curves that field testing demonstrated fit 95% of all engagement rings.


Once we find the curve that best hugs your engagement ring - then you can choose from
any of TWENTY FIVE (yup, 25) different wedding band style. Since each band can be
made from any of the 13 curves that means you have a potential field of 325 rings to find a match.


The 25 bands go from simple bands made in the metal of your choice -
white, yellow, or rose gold in 10, 14, or 18kt 
or platinum
or paladium -
to bands that are decorated with all kinds of bling 
- diamonds or gemstones or BOTH.

The BEST part? Prices start at less than $300.
We cannot make a custom shadow band for that amount of money.

Sally let us share some pictures of her ring.
Curve #9 fit like a glove - look at the results.



If you have a curvy engagement ring, bring it on
in to Chimera Design and we can help you find the perfect
Loving Embrace wedding band.







Sunday, June 4, 2017

Reviews for book "Otter Was A Beagle-ish Dog" by Cliff Yankovich

We are pleased to report that Cliff's book, "Otter Was A Beagle-ish Dog", has been selling in our store and on our website. (You can buy it online here: Cliff's Book Online.)



We are even happier that we have started to get comments and reviews from readers.

Ruth W. wrote a 100 word review for Schuler Books to use in their stores:

"Otter Was a Beagle-ish Dog is an entertaining collection of musings, from the author's younger days hitchhiking the deserts of Arizona, to an intimate and moving chronicle of the ordeal he underwent fighting throat cancer. Throughout the pages, Cliff's reminiscences of the abiding presence of his beloved dog Otter, and Otter's innate ability to sense what Cliff needs, overlay the book with humor and personal reflection. He writes frankly and humbly, without a shred of self pity. His casual, homey prose makes this book a joy to read." 

Aleah is our favorite diamond supplier. She was kind enough to send some pictures of her reading the book to her son along with some comments:


Cliff has compiled the comments here on his blog:

Comments & Reviews of "Otter Was A Beagle-ish Dog"

Friday, January 13, 2017

New Gemstone & Freshwater Pearl Jewelry At Chimera Design

We have a great relationship with a group of talented artists in Tucson, Arizona. 
We just unpacked almost 100 new pieces of their jewelry - stop in and see them in person.




 The necklace above is a great combination of Jasper.

Below are some very nice, lustrous freshwater pearls.

Looks like Turquoise - but it is really Howlite and freshwater pearls. 

Chalcedony and freshwater pearls.
.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Jewelry Appraisals New or Updated for $75 First Piece, $45 Each Additional

Many people in our area are paying way too much for jewelry appraisals. We have heard repeated stories of $200 for just one item. The other day a lady told Cliff her husband took her wedding set back to the chain store he bought it from and they wanted to charge him $300 for a written appraisal on two items.

Here at Chimera a written appraisal for one piece is $75 and each additional is $45, so that couple is going to have an extra $180 in their pocket and still end up with an appraisal from a GIA Diamonds Graduate. Cliff started in the jewelry business 20 years ago and earned his certification from GIA in 1998.


Why Do You Need An Appraisal?
We highly recommend that anyone who purchase an engagement, wedding, or partnership ring from us insures it against all risks. This is typically done on a homeowners policy - the piece or pieces are listed separately or "scheduled" against all risks - loss, theft, and even damage.

The cost is reasonable. In Michigan it is typically between $10 and $15 per thousand dollars of value. So it would cost $40 to $60 per year to insure a $4,000 ring.

Some insurance companies want the appraisals updated after 5 to 7 years which is really to YOUR advantage to make sure that you are not over or under insured.

Stuff Happens
Because these types of rings are typically worn 24/7/365, it is smart to have them insured. We have seen some interesting losses in our time. One lady had her ring flushed down the toilet by her toddler. Another one "hid" her ring in the coffee grinder at the cottage because her husband "never got up first and ground the coffee". Well, he did!

If you need a new appraisal or need your old one updated, bring it on in. Cliff usually only needs your ring(s) for a couple of hours. You can drop it off in the morning and pick it up the same day. Not only will you get an appraisal, but Cliff will give it the Spa Treatment - your ring will be buffed then spend some time in a nice, heated ultrasonic unit and blasted clean with steam.

All for $75 for the first piece and $45 for each additional item. 

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Give Your Favorite Ring a Day At The Spa - only $15

Bring your ring in for a Day at the Spa 

$15 includes an inspection, buffing, a warm ultrasonic bath
and a cleansing blast of steam.

Your ring serves you well every day. Treat to a few hours of luxury at Chimera Design.

We will begin with a thorough inspection of all the tips, prongs, channels, bezels,
as well as the shank of your ring to make sure all the diamonds and gems are secure.


Then your ring is taken to the back room for a vigorous 
2,850 rpm massage from our Handler buffer. Our hand selected 
jewelers rouge will erase surface scratches and return your precious metal to a 
lovely glow.


Your ring will then be gently lowered into the heated tank of our
Branson 2510 ultrasonic. Special cleaning material dissolved in the water
will search our all the dirt and grime while your ring is 
basking in the comfort of 40kz ultrasonic waves.



No trip to a jewelry Day Spa is complete without the cleansing, purifying 
power of steam. Our 1300 watt Steam Dragon will blast away
any left over dirt or rouge with blasts of vaporized distilled
water delivered at somewhere between 90-125 psi.

All this for $15 per ring.


Friday, October 2, 2015

$69 Tungsten Band


This 8mm wide tungsten ring has black and red carbon fiber down the center. It is a size 11. We can get other sizes for you - just shoot Cliff an email cliffy777@comcast.net and tell him what you desire. The ring has a Lifetime Warranty - if it cracks, breaks, or chips - you get a new ring for only $15. Did we mention it is made in the US??  You can see ALL the tungsten rings we offer for $69 by clicking this link: $69 Tungsten Rings.
If you find a style you love, just jot down the model number and tell Cliff the size you need and we will get it to as fast as we can.