Better Than a Sale

We have all been battling the high metals markets. They are as bad for Freshmans as they are for you. Our costs go up as well. Metal prices at Freshmans change each day according to London PM spot price. Today that spot price is $26.16 which means all silver sheet, wire, casting grain, silver charms and the tray of silver estate jewelry has taken a plunge compared to the $40.00 market of September. Real savings we are happy to pass on, even though it hurts.

Click this link to see our selection of silver products along with their current prices.

Imagine if you will...

...Shopping the day of Christmas Eve, with no lousy music, no fighting for parking spaces, no lines of people grumbling and waiting to explode.

We're here until 3 today and I promise you won't hear "Last Christmas" playing and you won't have to fight someone in a Ford Expedition for a parking space. I'll even throw in a goody if you check in on Foursquare, Yelp, or Facebook when you're here.

We Were Local before Local Was Cool

Our shop on 317 Main Street (Where Eva is now located).  Photo circa 1945

Our showroom in the David Keith Building in Downtown Salt Lake City. We were on the 2nd floor above where Keys On Main now resides. This photo was taken circa 1963

Our showroom on the 3rd floor of the Judge Building in Downtown Salt Lake City. See any familiar faces? This photo was taken just before we moved to our current location in November of 1988.

Why Choose a Local Business?

For the past several weeks we've been really excited about Small Business Saturday. I want to take a second to thank everyone that came in. We had a fun day and got to see a lot of you. I also want to take a minute to talk about what you get when you shop with us versus shopping at a big box jewelry store (think "He went to my friend in the diamond business where every kiss begins..."


When you walk into one of those stores, you're usually greeted by someone in a slick suit. They may have been selling pickup trucks last month, or they may have been selling windows. The thing is they're salesmen. At Freshman's, our crew has been with us, for no less than 12 years, some as long as 30 years! They know what they're talking about and they are here to help you, not sell you.


Case in point, we had sold a necklace to a couple a few years back and they wanted a ring that had a similar design. Knowing that you can't walk into any store to pick that up, they came to us. We worked with them until we came up with this custom designed this 18 karat yellow gold and platinum ring that is pavé set with diamonds. The ring holds their 2 carat diamond.

This sterling silver and colored stone pendant is surrounded by Cubic Zirconia and really packs a punch. It's a very big look, without a big price. It's only $64, but you can get it on Small Business Saturday for half that price.

Be sure to check in with Foursquare, Yelp, or Facebook on any day after Saturday for a special surprise.

A little surprise for Small Business Saturday

How many of you use check in apps on your phone. Do you like to check in with Foursquare when you get somewhere? Do you use Yelp to let your friends know where you are? Some people think they're a waste of time, but for some of us they've become a way of life.

If you come visit us on Small Business Saturday, or any day after the 26th,  be sure to check in to Facebook, Yelp, or Foursquare. We'll have a little surprise waiting for you.

Vintage Style Earrings

These sterling silver and Cubic Zirconia earrings have a great Art Nouveau style. They're normally just $53 dollars, but if you pick them up on Small Business Saturday, you can get them for over half off!


Be sure and stay tuned to the blog later today, we'll have another little surprise for you.

Our Estate Jewelry

As faithful blog followers you already knew that we enjoy helping people with custom projects. You already knew that we carry a full selection of tools and equipment for professional jewelers, DIYers, and hobbyists. Just recently you've learned that we also carry an affordable selection of lower priced jewelry as well.

Did you know that we also carry a selection of estate jewelry? We do, and some people have even tried to claim that section of the showcase as their very own. We've just added a lot of new pieces. Here is just example:

This white gold ring holds a 3/4 carat sapphire and about 1/4 carat of diamonds. The price changes with the metal market each day. At today's market it is $746. If you come and pick it up on Small Business Saturday, you can save about $100!

Lets talk big.

Specifically big earrings. Big, bold, fun earrings. These hand forged aluminum earrings are not only big enough to get you noticed, but lightweight enough that your earlobes won't be down around your knees by the end of the day. I have several different styles of earrings and some necklaces as well. This pair is only $32 and would make a great gift.

Don't forget about our offer of 10% off in addition to the $25 credit American Express is offering for Small Business Saturday. You could get these earrings for less than $4.

Here's Something For the Do-It-Yourselfer

Is "yourselfer" a word? Probably not. Whatever you call it, we've got you covered. We've put together a starter toolkit that will get you on your way to making your own jewelry. These tools are also great for any small craft needs you might have.

You'll get an assortment of pliers, emery sticks, ring sizers, a sawframe and sawblades, and other tools you'll need to get started.  Check out our online store for a full list

Remember, if you come in on Small Business Saturday, November 26th, you'll save $40 off the retail price.

How About A Vintage Look?

So we've shown you a lot of silver jewelry, we've shown you some cool glass jewelry. How about we take a turn towards vintage inspired jewelry? I love this sterling silver and cubic zirconia necklace. It's only $57, and that price is before we take 10% off and American Express gives you a $25 credit for Small Business Saturday.

Something a little different

Let's go a different direction this morning and step away from sterling silver jewelry. This handmade glass pendant is great to look at. The helix spirals of color are so mesmerizing you can't look away...sorry, I blacked out there for a moment.

Anyways, it's a pretty great deal at $36, including the sterling silver snake chain.. It's an even better deal at about $7.50 when you figure in our 10% discount and your $25 credit from American Express for Small Business Saturday.

Happy Monday Morning

I know, I know, there's no such thing as a happy Monday morning. Hopefully these sterling silver and cubic zirconia earrings can help make it a little brighter. For only $36 they'd also make a great gift. Take $25 from AmEx and they're even better for only $11

Are you messing around on the internet during Church?

Don't worry, I won't judge you, but I bet you wish you had these synthetic pearl and cubic zirconia sterling silver earrings to wear or give as a gift. Don't worry, they're only $28. After AmEx gives you $25 and we take 10% off, you'll be sitting pretty for a few dollars.

As Simple as Black and White

This sterling silver necklace is made with black and white Cubic Zirconia for a classy, elegant look. Not bad for $26, including the chain. Hmmm $26 - $25 from AmEx = $1!

Do you remember yesterday when I told you how excited we were for Small Business Saturday? We'll have more fun news about that big day coming next week, but today I'm going a different route.

We love showing off some of the fancy custom designs we get to make, but that's not all we're about. We also have a lot of great stuff for less expensive gifts too. Like I said yesterday, we'll be showcasing some great pieces of jewelry you can get for around $50 or less.

Here's today's piece. This sterling silver necklace is big enough to get noticed, but lightweight enough to wear every day. The best part is it's covered with a thin layer of Rhodium, a metal that's in the platinum family. Besides giving it a richer look, it becomes tarnish resistant.

Not bad for $46. Let's do the math. Take 10% off $46-$25 from AmEx and you could get this necklace for $16 and some change, including the chain.

Small Business Saturday

As a society, we've embraced the madness of Black Friday. We've also taken part in the faceless online shopping of Cyber Monday. Somewhere, lost in the middle of a busy holiday shopping weekend, are the Mom and Pop stores where you've come to expect great service and a familiar face.

American Express has announced their 2nd annual Small Business Saturday. From their site:

"On November 26, we’re asking millions of Americans to shop small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge."

American Express is giving you a $25 credit when you purchase at least $25 at a participating small business (cough..cough...we are a participating small business). Check out their Facebook page for all the info.

Freshmans Inc. is so excited for this big event that we've decided to chip in a little bit too. We're taking 10% off of your purchase on Saturday November 26*. That's 10% off of tools, 10% off of raw materials like gold and silver wire or casting grain, and 10% off of jewelry from our case. Our longtime friends know that we don't normally do sales, but we're pretty excited about this.

To help get you excited, every day until Small Business Saturday, we'll be showcasing some gifts that you can apply your $25 towards. We hope you'll come visit us.


*10% off offer cannot be applied towards center diamonds, but you can apply it towards your ring. 10% off is good for items purchased on November 26th and is limited to stock on hand. It's not valid towards items that need to be back ordered or special order items. Not valid towards shop labor either. It's pretty simple, come buy something on Nov 26th, take it home on Nov 26th, and we'll give you 10% off.

Sizing a ring with this diamond would be interesting...

...if I could pass out or maybe have a stiff drink afterwards.



Rare yellow diamond expected to fetch up to $15M

More Spooky Fun

Last week we brought out some Halloween goodies. Who's ready for some more? (Click on the photos to enlarge them)

This sterling silver owl is just the right thing to accompany you out this weekend to all your Halloween get togethers. It's cast right here in our shop, so you know the quality is top notch.

One of my Halloween favorites is this witch. We've cast her in sterling silver this year. This piece is also cast and assembled right here by us, in our shop and she's ready to fly out the door.

Here's to a fun, safe, and happy Halloween to all of our friends. 

Some Halloween Fun For All Of Our Ghoulish Friends

The mornings are crisp, the lawns are getting covered in leaves, and the kids are already sick of their new school year. That can only mean one thing, Halloween is close! To help everyone get in the spirit, we have a few fun items to show you. These sterling silver charms can be put on a bracelet or worn as a pendant. A real treat at only $8 each.




If you want a little more realism, these skulls are hand carved in bone and come in a variety of sizes. They start at about $20.

Keep an eye out as we showcase a few more spooky pieces this year.

More Than Just Metal and Stones

Too often people tend to think about jewelry as a commodity. While the price is determined by the precious metals and gemstones that make up a piece, you really can't place a value on the memories associated with your jewelry.

See this story from KSL as an example.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Is your jewelry ready to stand the test of time and be passed down from generation to generation?

The Street Will Be Closed, But We'll Still Be Open

As if fighting with construction next door isn't enough fun, the annual Days of '47 Youth Parade will be marching down 5th South this Saturday morning until about noon. The road will be closed, but we'll still be here. You'll have to park around the corner and walk to get to us, but we'll be here. The road should open as soon as the parade is finished.

Hot Off The Presses

Here is one we just delivered just before the weekend. This 14k white gold ring holds between a .75-1ct center stone and is surrounded by hand set diamonds. There are more hand set diamonds down the shank as well as a single diamond tucked into each side.

I haven't heard a report back yet, but I'm sure she'll love it. What do you think?

The Freshman's Valentine Heart

I have been hearing some conversations over on twitter lately that I wanted to respond to. Some people have complained that they have never seen a heart pendant that they actually liked. Hopefully the Freshman's Valentine Heart passes the test.

We still have a few of these white gold and Garnet pendants made up and ready for Valentine's Day. With a rubber or steel cord like the one pictured, you'll be out the door for less than an iPad.

We also have many other gifts available including some stunning, sterling silver items that start at about $35.

This Time Of Year Everyone Is Thinking About One Ring

Spring and summer may belong to brides and their engagement rings. Fall may be the domain of warm, earthy stones and rich gold jewelry. This week however belongs to the Super Bowl Ring.

According to Wikipedia, the NFL will pay for up to 150 rings at about $5,000 each! Since none of us are on that waiting list, lets design our own.

What would you put on a championship ring? Typically the Super Bowl rings have the Vince Lombardi trophy on one side, with whatever the team wants on the other.

So lets hear your ideas for a championship ring. If $5000 championship rings aren't your thing, contact us and we can work up something a little more your style.

Arm Yourself With Knowledge

Why is it important to deal with a reputable jeweler? Take this news story as an example:

A man is out shopping at a mall in Massachusetts and is approached by someone "to sell him fake jewelry he claimed was gold". Turns out the jewelry wasn't gold, but thats not where this story ends.

"I told him this is really not his day. First of all, I'm a cop, and second of all, I'm in the jewelry business," Pace said.

That's right! The guy is the police chief of that town and also happens to own a jewelry store. "Book 'em Danno"

Please just save yourself the grief and buy from a real jeweler instead.


story via UPI.com

New Blog Design

Thanks to some help from twitter, I am proud to unveil our new blog design. You can now easily navigate back and forth between our blog and our Freshmans.com website.

Please let me know if you see any problems. It would be greatly appreciated.

Lost and Found (A Few Thoughts)

KSL aired a story last night about a woman who lost her wedding ring at the grocery store. Luckily some one found it and returned it to her. Check out the story here.

As I watched this story, I thought of a few things I'd like to share with you:

#1 Notice how the ring has invisible set princess cut diamonds running down the side? Did you also notice the sizing beads inside?

Those are both major red flags. Because of the invisible set stones, this ring cannot be sized down and has probably never fit properly. The sizing beads can help some, but if the ring fell off in a parking lot, it obviously doesn't fit properly. A honest jeweler will be more concerned with making sure you have a lifetime with your jewelry vs. making a sale so the ring walks out the door.

That brings up point #2. It is so important to have your jewelry fit well. Many people don't know how a ring should fit and tend to have their rings too loose. If you have any concerns about your ring sizes, please come down and we'd be glad to look at them for free.

#3 What if this lost ring wasn't returned? Having correct insurance for your jewelry can at least help lessen the burden of losing an important piece. We work with a jewelry insurace firm that is very pleasant to do business with. If you'd like more info, please let us know and we'll be happy to pass it along.

500 South closed. If you need to get to us, here's how:

Due to a fatal accident on 500 S and 300 East, the SLPD has 500 S closed at 400 East. We are still open, just a little tougher to get to. If you are coming in this morning, you have two choices:

1. Park at a meter on 400 E and walk around the corner

or

2. You can access our lot via 4th South. Heading East on 400 S turn in right before the Celtic Bank building. Then you need to weave your way through the NAI real estate parking lot and you can get to us. The only problem is there is a gate that might block you, but it is currently open. (See attached map)

You can always save the trip down and just call us or order on Freshmans.com as well.

Thanks for you patience. Our hearts go out to those affected in this traginc accident. We'll keep you posted as we get any updates.