D.J. Bitzan Jewelers: FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's: All that you wanted to know about Jewelry
General Questions What is the American Gem Society and why are you a member? Where are you located? What is your return policy? Do you repair/resize rings in your store or do you have to send it somewhere? Why should we shop to D.J. Bitzan Jewelers? Do you have a warranty? How do I request a donation for my charity? Do you support charities? How do I apply for a job? I see a ring I love, but I don't live in Central Minnesota, can you still help me? Will your Forever Free Warranty still be valid if I'm not able to get to your store? I went someplace and they offered me an extended warranty for $149, why is yours better? Do you offer custom design? Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau? What kind of financing do you offer? You have 4 Certified Gemologists on staff, why is that important? What is the American Gem Society and why are you a member? Jewelry Specific Questions What are the "4 C's?" and why should I care? What is Diamond Color? What is Diamond Clarity? What is Diamond Carat Weight? How do I care for my diamond jewelry? Where do you get your diamonds? I saw a ring in your store and can't find it on the website. Why? What are the different birthstones? So how do I decide which diamond to buy? I just got engaged, how long will it take to size my new D.J. Bitzan ring? What are the traditional and modern wedding anniversary gifts?

What is the American Gem Society and why are you a member? This not-for-profit trade association is comprised of fine jewelers, jewelry designers, and suppliers in the United States and Canada. Working with a jeweler that's a member of the American Gem Society ensures: * Ethical business practices, * Superior gemological skills and knowledge, and * Consumer protection To maintain the educational standards of the membership, the Society requires us to to update our gemological and jewelry knowledge by passing an annual recertification exam. Our membership in American Gem Society gives our customers that added reassurance they are doing business with a knowledgeable and ethical business. For more information on the American Gem Society, please visit americangemsociety.org Where are you located? We are located at 203 Waite Avenue North--directly across the street from Scheels and the Crossroads Shopping Center. It's hard to miss us: we're the only octagon-shaped building in the area! What is your return policy? It is important that you are 100% satisfied with any purchase from D.J. Bitzan. For thirty days after purchase, you may return an item for money back. For up to ninety days, you may return your item for store credit. Please keep in mind, custom items and watches may not be returnable, so check with your salesperson. Do you repair/resize rings in your store or do you have to send it somewhere? 99% of repairs and resizings are done in our store by our three expert, fulltime goldsmiths. Our goldsmiths are in our store during all business hours, so there's no need to schedule an appointment. Special circumstances with metals such as tungsten and titanium may require us to send the ring back to the designer for a new size. Why should we shop to D.J. Bitzan Jewelers? We have the largest selection of diamond engagement rings, more than any other jeweler in Central Minnesota. You may see 50 rings at an average jeweler, we have over 700 in our store. Your purchase is protected by one of the best diamond warranty's in the industry: our Forever Free Warranty. We believe your engagement ring should look the way it did when you bought it: we'll repair, resize, refinish your ring for free, forever. Your customer experience is one of the most important factors in making a major purchase such as a diamond engagement ring. Service at D.J. Bitzan is legendary: genuine, kind, jewelry professionals. Visit our testimonial page or any one of the online review sites to see what our customers are saying about us! Do you have a warranty? D.J. Bitzan stands behind the craftsmanship and design of all items sold. All items sold at D.J. Bitzan include some warranty and any warranty offered is at no additional charge. Diamond Engagement rings purchased after January 1, 2007 are covered by our Forever Free Warranty covering diamond loss, sizings and any repairs needed to keep the ring looking like new, provided your ring is inspected every six months by our store or another authorized member of the American Gem Society. (www.ags.org) How do I request a donation for my charity? Please send an email with an attached description of your event to: mailto:contactus@djbitzan.com. We will respond to every request we receive. Do you support charities? D.J. Bitzan staff and owners give back to over 200 local and national community organizations through donations of time, talents and treasure. Here are a few organizations we're proud to support: United Way of Central MN Central MN Habitat for Humanity March of Dimes Quiet Oaks Hospice House Anna Marie's Alliance Boys & Girls Clubs of Central MN YMCA Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Central MN United Arts Paramount/GREAT Theatre American Cancer Society CentraCare Health Foundation Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure Tri-County Humane Society St. John's Boy's Choir United Cerebral Palsy Kids Against Hunger Central MN Community Foundation Hands Across the World Great River Regional Library Project for the People of Paraguay A World Without Genocide Goodwill Salvation Army St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra St. Cloud State University St. Johns/St. Ben's St. Cloud Technical College Make-a-Wish Second Harvest Area Churches Area Schools ...and many more! How do I apply for a job? You may send your resume to mailto:employment@djbitzan.com or stop in to apply. If we have an open position, we will make every effort to interview those who apply. You may also call our store anytime to inquire if we are actively hiring. I see a ring I love, but I don't live in Central Minnesota, can you still help me? ABSOLUTELY! Our customers are everywhere! We've worked with soldiers in Iraq as well as customers in the United States who have never stepped foot in our store! If you are interested in anything you find on our website or have other inquiries, please call us at (888)600-5347. We're more than happy to help! Will your Forever Free Warranty still be valid if I'm not able to get to your store? Yes! Just make sure you have your ring inspected by an AGS jeweler every six months. If you lose a diamond or your ring requires repairs, contact us and we'll make arrangements to get it repaired as quickly as we can! I went someplace and they offered me an extended warranty for $149, why is yours better? Easy answer: Because it's free, it doesn't expire, and it's easy to do. We've gone many places where we've felt the pressure of an extended warranty. Most repairs occur between seven and 10 years, which makes most warranties invalid! We guarantee the craftsmanship of our designers and our staff. That's why we offer our Forever Free Warranty. For more information, see the FREE WARRANTY tab below. Do you offer custom design? ABSOLUTELY! We have one of the most talented, experienced staff in Central Minnesota. Thousands of our customers over the past 45 years have enjoyed custom engagement, wedding, mother's rings, pendants, earrings and more. Whether it's starting from sketch or modifying to fit your lifestyle, our expert staff can customize a ring to your specifications. We offer custom casting in 14Kt and 18Kt white or yellow gold, platinum and palladium. Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau? Yes we are! You may review our rating report by clicking this link: bbb.org/minnesota What kind of financing do you offer? We offer a few different ways to make your diamond dream come true! • Cash, credit cards, money order, gift certificates--all are accepted. • Use your D.J. Bitzan credit card through AGS/Wells Fargo or GEMoney Luxury--$0 down, 0% financing for 12 months with monthly payments. • Convenient layaway terms. To apply for a D.J. Bitzan Credit Card, please contact our store. You may apply in store or over the phone. You have 4 Certified Gemologists on staff, why is that important? A Certified Gemologist has dedicated his or her professional career to the jewelry industry. Less than 5 percent of jewelers in the country have earned the Certified Gemologist title. Through years of study and coursework, a Certified Gemologist is the industry's expert on appraising, identification and grading diamonds and gemstones. To maintain their titles, they must take a recertification exam annually. Our four Certified Gemologists on staff have an average of 33 years experience in the jewelry industry, making D.J. Bitzan the most experienced jeweler in the area. What is the American Gem Society and why are you a member? This not-for-profit trade association is comprised of fine jewelers, jewelry designers, and suppliers in the United States and Canada. Working with a jeweler that's a member of the American Gem Society ensures: * Ethical business practices, * Superior gemological skills and knowledge, and * Consumer protection To maintain the educational standards of the membership, the Society requires us to to update our gemological and jewelry knowledge by passing an annual recertification exam. Our membership in American Gem Society gives our customers that added reassurance they are doing business with a knowledgeable and ethical business. What are the "4 C's?" and why should I care? Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. Why should you care? These factors or "grades" determine the rarity of a diamond--and, or course the value. Because diamonds come from nature and not from a machine, every one is different. Of course you want the most beautiful diamond at the best price. Side-by-side, two diamonds of similar grades can look very differently. The 4 c's should be regarded as a guideline, let your own eyes make the final decision. What is Diamond Color? Diamonds are found in all colors of the rainbow, from colorless and transparent stones to ink black ones. Varying degrees of yellow or brown color is common in most of the diamonds and slight difference in color can make a substantial difference in value. A truly colorless diamond is extremely rare and considered the most valuable. It allows most light to pass through the stone and create the most brilliance. The color scale goes from D to Z, with D being the most white and Z being the most yellow. To learn more, click on Diamond Color. What is Diamond Clarity? Clarity is a term used to describe the absence or presence of flaws inside or on the surface of a diamond. In other words, the clarity of a diamond refers to a diamonds clearness or purity. When these flaws / marks occur internally, they are called inclusions and when these flaws / marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes. These slight flaws make every diamond quite unique but they also do affect the beauty and value of the diamond. Diamond Clarity Grading Scale grades a Diamond with any of the following grades: F (Flawless), IF (Internally Flawless), VVS1 - VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included - 1 & 2), VS1 - VS2 (Very Slightly Included - 1 & 2), SI1 - SI2 (Slightly Included - 1 & 2), I1 - I2 - I3 (Included - 1, 2 & 3). To learn more, click on Diamond Clarity. What is Diamond Carat Weight? The term "Carat" refers to the weight of a diamond. Each carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, 1/4 carat diamond is considered as 25 points and 1/2 carat diamond is considered as 50 points and so on. When diamonds are mined, large diamonds are discovered rarely in comparison of small ones, which make large diamonds much more valuable. For that reason, the price of a diamond rises exponentially with its size. So, a 2 carat diamond of a given quality is always worth much more than two 1 carat diamonds of the equal quality. To learn more, click on Diamond Carat. How do I care for my diamond jewelry? Regular cleaning of diamond jewelry will bring back the shine and brilliance you loved when you purchased. Soaps, conditioner, lotion and even dishwashing leaves a film that will affect a diamond's sparkle. Even when you are not wearing them, they collect dust. You can clean your diamonds at home by your own by using soft brush, water and soap or by using premixed jewelry cleaners. It's also important you bring your diamonds to us or another AGS jeweler to have them inspected and professinally cleaned. We thorougly clean your diamonds by using an ultrasonic cleaner. We also check the metal surrounding your diamonds to make sure they're secure. Diamond jewelry should be stored individually in a soft cloth pouch to ensure that a diamond should not scratch other diamonds or other jewelry. You should not wear diamond jewelry while doing heavy work. You should avoid the situation where your diamonds come in contact with chlorine bleach, hair spray or other chemicals because they can pit or discolor the mounting. To learn more, click on Diamond Care. Where do you get your diamonds? We hand select each of our diamonds from our cutters in New York several times per year. Because we select our own, your story is on our mind. We ask ourselves: Will our customers be proud of this diamond? When she shows it to her friends, will it stand apart from the rest? Is this diamond a great value? To do this, we view thousands of diamonds on each buying trip. When we find one that gives us the same spine-tingling shivers of excitement, we know: that's the one. Our ability to buy diamonds in large quantities gives us a tremendous price advantage. We always pass those savings along to you. I saw a ring in your store and can't find it on the website. Why? Our website shows only a few hundred of our 700 engagement rings. We are working to add even more engagement rings to our website. Contact our store or your salesperson if you have any questions. What are the different birthstones? January: Garnet February: Amethyst March: Aquamarine April: Diamond May: Emerald June: Pearl or Alexandrite July: Ruby August: Peridot September: Sapphire October: Pink Tourmaline or Opal November: Citrine December: Blue Topaz or Tanzanite So how do I decide which diamond to buy? Your very own eyes are the best judge! If your eyes aren't available, work with a trusted jeweler. A "paper" or certificate is a great guideline, but two diamonds of similar qualities can look very different. Try this: visit a few average jewelry stores. Check out their diamonds. Then visit D.J. Bitzan. With over 700 in our store, you can compare right away. See our diamonds in natural light, the light you will see your diamond in every day. The difference is amazing. That's not just marketing-speak: people can spot a gorgeous diamond from a mile away! "Let me see your ring!" I just got engaged, how long will it take to size my new D.J. Bitzan ring? Congratulations! We know this is an extremely exciting time for you--when you share the news of your engagement, you want to be able to show the ring! If your engagement doesn't fit right away, don't worry. We understand the urgency to keep that ring on your finger as long as possible! Under most circumstances, we can size your ring in our shop in as little as 1 hour. Keep in mind, some styles may require additional time. What are the traditional and modern wedding anniversary gifts? Here is a list of traditional/modern anniversary gifts. When in doubt, jewelry is always the perfect gift! 1st: Paper 2nd: Cotton 3rd: Leather 4th: Fruit/Flowers 5th: Wood 6th: Candy/Iron 7th: Wool/Copper 8th: Bronze/Pottery 9th: Leather 10th: Diamond Jewelry 11th: Fashion Jewelry 12th: Pearls 13th: Clothing/Furs 14th: Gold Jewelry 15th: Watches 20th: Platinum 25th: Silver 30th: Diamond 35th: Jade 40th: Ruby 45th: Sapphire 50th: Gold 55th: Emerald 60th: Diamond

Store Location: 203 Waite Avenue North • Across the street from Scheels & Crossroads Center • St. Cloud, MN 56301 • Tel: (320) 251-4812 • Email: contactus@djbitzan.com
Store Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:30am - 8:00pm • Saturday: 9:30am - 6:00pm • Closed Sundays
© 2012 D.J. Bitzan Jewelers, All rights reserved.