W.B. Yeats wrote, “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” Walk through a jewelry retail store or a pawn shop like Western Jewelry and Loan with a magical section of unique, one-of-a-kind creations at affordable prices, and your senses will sharpen and come alive.
Big Box Jewelry Stores
Retail Jewelry stores have an abundant selection of different kinds of jewelry made by other companies. You can try on, examine, and discuss what kind of jewelry you are looking for and what makes the jewelry unique. On the downside, you pay an excessive amount for the piece of jewelry you want. You and other shoppers may be looking for a similar product, and may be willing to pay the higher prices but are you?
Like all businesses, jewelry stores mark up their fine jewelry to make a profit. The markup is around 250% to 300%, according to Jackie Abraham. The price of new fine jewelry tends to be significantly higher than the jewelry’s actual value. The unfortunate reality is jewelry value drops significantly the moment you walk out the front door of the jewelry business.
Online Jewelry Stores
With the worldwide web, online shoppers can search the web for online jewelry stores and find what they want and what is in stock. The web has helped bring down the markup of jewelry stores. Online stores have also made it easier for you and other shoppers to locate what a particular online store has in stock, what accessories they sell, if they ship, if they provide boxes, and sort for items based on most wanted features.
The online stores have much lower overhead because they don’t have to pay as many team members and keep the interior of a brick-and-mortar store attractive and eye-catching. They don’t have to pay for a building for customers to come to. Consequently, they can keep their markup down. If you subscribe to their news alerts, you will get discounts and notices of new arrivals and listings.
Shoppers can shop at all hours of the day or night from the convenience of their homes. The drawback to shopping online in jewelry stores is you can’t “experience” the magic of touching, trying on, and admiring a display case full of glitter and gold. Mark up on fine jewelry is about 20%, according to Montijewelers.
Plunge Into the Magical World of Cartier and Be Transformed
In 1847 Louis-Francois Cartier founded Cartier during the French revolution and the rise of the Second Empire. He opened his first boutique in 1859. He had three sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, and introduced them to the business early on, allowing the sons to take over the company and bring each of their unique talents.
The business was eventually moved to the prestigious jewelry district of Paris and then expanded the business to London and New York.
To help support the growth of the business back home, Alfred’s third son, Louis, stayed behind and advanced the company with his unique ideas. Louis was talented and innovative. He led the way in the jewelry industry by using platinum in jewelry, and it was lighter and stronger than both gold and silver.
He earned the title “Jeweller of Kings, King of Jewellers” from King Edward VII.
He designed a watch for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont who commissioned a watch to wear while piloting his lighter-than-air dirigible. Because wearing a wrist-worn watch was uncommon then, Santos-Dumont’s status made owning a wristwatch a must for men.
Cartier had several requests for custom-made jewelry, and the business moved several times to accommodate the need for a large showroom and sufficient workspace. The brothers worked well together, with Louis being the driving force.
Louis had an insistence on perfection, and he would critique pieces. If the piece didn’t meet the required standard, the piece was never released.
One-piece was the Maharaja of Patiala’s necklace containing almost 3,000 diamonds.
The piece was exquisite and unique, and the craftsmanship superseded other similar pieces.
The company’s commitment to perfection was a critical factor in Cartier’s expansion overseas. In 1917 Pierre bought a 5th avenue townhouse in New York. The price for the townhouse was $100 and a string of pearls. He led the way in the jewelry industry by using platinum in jewelry, which was lighter and stronger than gold and silver.
Pierre Cartier and the Hope Diamond
After opening the New York branch, Pierre bought the Hope Diamond. The diamond was believed to be cursed, and previous owners had suffered horrible deaths. He sold the diamond to Evelyn McLean. The sale came with a clause – “Should any fatality occur to the family of Edward B. McLean within six months, the said Hope diamond is agreed to be exchanged for jewelry of equal value.” Pierre had to sue the McLeans for the $180,000 agreed price.
The sale was a marketing move. Pierre knew Mrs. Walsh’s notorious lifestyle would connect the Cartier name to the Hope Diamond for many years. Cartier and the Hope Diamond were synonymous. By WWII, the Cartier brand skyrocketed in the jewelry industry.
After the war and throughout the Great Depression, Cartier was successful because the company expanded globally and did business in the Far East. By this time, Louis and Jacques had passed on, and Pierre was in charge of running the family business. He ran the business until his death in 1964. The decision was made to sell each branch of the business separately.
The Cartier brand was no longer connected the family and in 1972, a consortium led by Robert Hocq set out to buy all the various branches of Cartier. To this day, the company is whole again. Seven years later, he was killed in a tragic automobile accident.
Cartier is a special place to shop and today there are 200 stores in 125 different countries.
The inspiration of Alain Dominique Perrin and Jeanne Tourssaint introduced the Panther as a symbol of Cartier. Tourssaint joined the company in T1913 and earned the name “La Panthere” from Louis Cartier. She was ferociously opinionated and intelligent. A panther embodies some of the same traits that the brand represents. The brand is impressive, luxurious, and enticing. A panther was a symbol of femininity and fierce independence symbolic of the world when the Panthère de Cartier was created.
Cartier jewelry challenges boundaries and changes perceptions. They designed a completely transparent ceramic case for the Concept ID Two watches. There is no need for lubricating oils because the titanium movement is made with such precision. The fiberglass mainsprings and carbon crystal balance are resistant to magnetic fields.
Looking for a Cartier Necklace in a Cartier Jewelry Box? You may want to admire the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Cartier Necklace worth US27.4 million. To extravagant necklace features 27 vivid green Qing Jadeite beads. The clasp is made with diamond, ruby, gold, and platinum. Cartier acquired the necklace, and it was given to Barbara Hutton on her wedding day in 1933.
Not wanting to pay the several million dollar price tag for the Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Cartier Necklace or have to reinforce security to keep it in your home with your other jewelry accessories, consider finding the Cartier Diamond Emerald Onyx Platinum Panther Necklace. The necklace is valued at US$395.000 and was made by Cartier in the 1980s.
Cartier Love Bracelet
Cartier makes beautiful jewelry to add to your collection or the collection of a loved one. In 1969, Aldo Cipullo, created the Love Bracelet. The bracelet is romantic and simplistic. Its locking mechanism is simple and holds the bracelet together by two screws, “locking” the bracelet (and love) onto the wearer’s wrist. All the details of the bracelet confirm the precision craftsmanship of Cartier. It can be worn by just about anyone and complemented with one of Cartier’s necklaces; you or your loved one will discover the magical world of Cartier.
The Love Bracelet represents inseparable love.
In love with Cartier, you can find various bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces, and other products for shoppers online through the Cartier store or through other online jewelry stores. Online shopping provides easy checkout and the site normally includes details about boxes, shipping, and insurance. A downfall is you can’t admire, try on, and emerge yourself in the magical world of Cartier first-hand.
If you want to find a Cartier piece, whether you are looking for rings, necklaces, bracelets, or earrings, you may want to go to your local pawn shop. Pawnshops will also have online stores and most ship. They have a revolving inventory of jewelry items in stock and often have Cartier products. Because they loan and buy jewelry outright, customers will bring in original Cartier jewelry boxes with their item, knowing that by doing so, they may get more cash.
Western Jewelry and Loan
The security of buying from a trusted pawnshop like Western Jewelry and Loan, located at 4818 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, is they authenticate, test, and appraise all of the items that they bring into their store. Inspired to provide the best pawnshop services in East Las Angeles, they have over 50 years of experience buying, selling, and loaning against luxury items, diamond bracelets, gold necklaces, luxury watches, engagement rings, and all shapes, styles, and designs of Cartier items.
Western Jewelry and Loan provide customers with friendly and trustworthy services whether you are shopping online or in person.
They want to help you find that perfect Cartier Necklace with a Cartier jewelry box. If they don’t have what you are looking for, they may have the contact of someone who does.
Currently, they have a beautiful Cartier 40″ Double C Necklace with 7 Round Cut Diamonds, 21 Carat T.W. 18k yellow Gold, 10.1dwt. that is preowned and for instore pickup.
