General Questions

We offer various same as cash special financing options with approved credit through Wells Fargo. Come in, chat with us and we will help you find a good option.

We’re constantly working to keep up with the latest and greatest in the jewelry world. We’re also members of tried-and-true organizations like the American Gem Society (AGS), and the Retail Jewelers Organization (RJO) for continuing education and ethical business practices. We employ a Graduate and Certified Gemologist on our customer service team.

We are also proud members of the Chamber of Commerce and various other organizations.

In this day and age, we know it’s tough to believe everything you read. That’s why we’re happy to discuss our credentials with you in person and answer any questions you might have.

Like celebutantes, the term “gemologist” isn’t always taken seriously. Many people think they are gemologists and throw the term around.

At Herzog Jewelers, we take it seriously. Our gemologists have obtained the title of Graduated Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and Certified Gemologist from the American Gem Society (AGS). Both titles are only given after the person has taken various gemology classes and passed the final examinations. The Certified Gemologist degree is accredited by AGS and requires annual examinations to keep its title. So, unlike the fluff you read in tabloids, we can stand behind our words and promise that you’re getting the facts.

Our store hours vary throughout the year. We are typically open Monday thru Friday from 10:00 AM till 5:30 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM, and closed Sunday. We have extended hours during the holiday season and are more than willing to schedule an appointment for a private showing during, before or even after our posted hours.

We think you should spend what you feel comfortable with. For some, this follows the old “three month’s salary” rule. For others, it’s simply getting the best diamond to fit their budget. At Herzog Jewelers, we’re not going to pressure you into making a big decision. We’ll work with you to find the perfect ring at a price you can afford.

A diamond is a big deal! Just as you’ve likely had both good and bad experiences purchasing a vehicle, you can find a variety of experiences depending on which jeweler you trust for such an important purchase. At Herzog Jewelers, we’re excited to help our customers find the perfect diamond and do everything we can to make sure it’s a great experience.

Simply put, we stand behind every piece of jewelry we offer. We guarantee that your purchase will be free from manufacturer’s defects and will educate you on how to care for your jewelry. To ensure the best condition, we recommend you have your Herzog jewelry purchases inspected twice a year.

Whether you want to upgrade in a few years when you’re more established or want to mark a special anniversary with a bigger stone, we will work with you to find the diamond that’s perfect for your needs. We keep it simple and do not have any tricky policies like some jewelers that make you spend twice as much when you have a trade. We will also give competitive offers on diamonds purchased from other jewelers.

From the case on your laptop to painting that fabulous townhouse you bought together, you love making things your very own. Imagine the look on her face when you pop the question with a ring you designed just for her. If you’re looking for something truly unique, stop by our showroom and we will sketch a design that brings your vision to life. From this sketch, we can create a 3-D CAD image and then a wax model for your review. We then cast and complete the design in your favorite metal. Our skilled staff can also modify an existing piece and give it new life all over again—perfect for those family heirlooms in need of an update to make them your very own.

We won’t annoy you like those telemarketers who call during dinner. We only publish and mail catalogs a couple times throughout the year—usually around the holidays. We may occasionally send you special invitations to store events and trunk shows. You can even finish your dinner before you read our mailers!

Audrey Hepburn was on to something when she sported her iconic pearls in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. A jewelry classic that’s making a big comeback, pearls are unique in the jewelry world. They have their own set of characteristics that determine value: luster, smoothness and color. Luster is the measure of reflected overhead light—brighter reflections have higher lusters. Smoothness is the absence of blemishes on the surface. Traditionally, the white cultured pearl that shows a rosé overtone was considered most valuable. Today pearls come in all shades from cream to black. The shape of the cultured pearl also affects price. Usually the more round a pearl is, the more desired it is. And finally, size is a factor. The normal range of cultured pearls is from 2mm to 8mm. The larger the pearl, the more rare and expensive. No matter which pearls you choose, you’re sure to love their timeless style and the way they warm to your skin temperature.

We know you already get enough junk mail and spam! Rest assured we will never sell or give any information about our clients to any organization or person.

Check our our site or our Facebook page. We may also send an invitation or give you a call so you don’t miss anything exciting!

We try to have the majority of items in our showroom on line. Our selection is constantly being updated and improved, so it’s best to stop by in person. If you’re not within driving distance, we are happy to create a look book to guide you on the pieces you are interested in.

We feel a sale is never complete until our customer is more than satisfied with their purchase. We have a standard 30-day return policy for stocked items in our store. If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, we will work with you to reach a solution.

Pressed for time or not sure what to choose? It happens to the best of us. Herzog Jewelers Gift Cards can be activated for any amount and do not have an expiration date.

A 6% sales tax is required in the state of Kentucky. If you live outside of our area and having your item shipped, you will not have to pay any Kentucky sales tax as long as your state does not have reciprocity. Just ask and we can let you know.

Think of gemstones as grape juice that must be fermented and aged before it becomes a fine wine. Treatment of gemstones enhances their natural color and beauty and in some cases makes them stronger. We offer a variety of gemstones and can answer questions about treatments unique to each.

The best way to clean karat gold or sterling jewelry is with a jewelry cleaning cloth. It has rogue on the inside that will restore the luster to your piece. Try not to use paper towels as they can scratch the metal finish of your piece. It is also best to keep sterling silver items in a zip tight bag so they will not tarnish and oxidize. We also welcome you to bring your pieces in and we can use our buffing machine to remove the scratches and restore the high luster finish.

JEWELRY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

• Always clean karat gold and sterling jewelry with a cloth made for this purpose to avoid scratches or damage that can be caused from other items like paper towels.

• Keep sterling silver items in a zipped pouch to prevent tarnish.

• Bring your Herzog pieces in periodically for professional cleaning and buffing (free for our customers).

• Remove jewelry before applying lotion, perfume or makeup to avoid dullness and dirt buildup, especially if you own pearls.

• Check clasps, mountings and other mechanisms periodically and have them repaired as needed.

• Keep fine jewelry pieces separate from one another to avoid scratches.

• Even soft brushes and some cleansers can do damage to pearls. Soapy water cleans your pearls best, but avoid getting the string wet since it could stretch or break.

Diamond Cut is the most important property to increase its beauty because a well-cut diamond reflects light to maximize the stones brilliance. A diamond with perfect color and clarity could nevertheless have poor brilliance if it is not well cut. To learn more, click on Diamond Cut. A Diamond Cut by Shape describes the outline of the stone and pattern of the facet arrangement. A stone can be cut in various Shapes like Round, Princess, Heart, Oval, Pear etc. To learn more, click on Diamond Shapes. On the other side, a Diamond Cut by Depth is the ultimate feature for its brilliance and fire. A stone's cut by depth can be described with Shallow Cut, Deep Cut or Ideal Cut. To learn more, click on Diamond Cut by Depth.

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.

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.

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.

Regular cleaning of Diamond Jewelry is essential to maintain shine and brilliance of diamonds. On wearing them, they get dirty as you use various skin and body care regimen such as soaps, lotions and even our skins natural oils. 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 readymade jewelry cleaners. You can also take services of a professional jeweler, where he will check security of the settings also. 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.

Diamonds are always appreciated for their beauty and rarity and considered as a symbol of wealth and power. The largest and most rare stones have been noted throughout history. Some of the World's Most Famous Diamonds of all time includes: The Cullinan, The Cullinan I / Great Star of Africa, The Cullinan II, The Centenary Diamond, The Orloff, The Regent, Koh-i-Noor (Mountain of Light), The Great Chrysanthemum, The Idols Eye, The Taylor-Burton, The Sancy, The Blue Hope, The Tiffany and Hortensia.

A Gemstone is a mineral or rock, which can be used in jewelry after cutting or faceting and polishing. Gemstones are diverse in their beauty and many gems are available in a stunning variety of colors. After a skilled cutting and polishing of a gem, full color and luster can be seen. To learn more, click on Introduction to Gemstone

When shopping for jewelry, it's not unusual to start wondering what the difference is between a Carat and a Karat. Both the terms are used for the purpose of measurement. The term 'Carat' refers to the weight of a diamond. It is derived from the carob seeds, which are remarkably consistent in weight and shape and so were the favored scale balances in ancient times. This was standardized in 1907 and after that 1 carat became 0.2 grams or 1/142 of an ounce. Furthermore, 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. Carat is also used in its abbreviated 'Ct' form. On the other hand, a 'Karat' is a measurement used to measure the purity of gold, with 24 karat being the purest. The measurement gauges how much gold vs. how much alloy is in the piece of jewelry. If a jewelry item contains 18 Karat Gold that means it has Eighteen Parts Pure Gold and Six Parts Other Metal Alloys. Karat is also used in its abbreviated 'kt' form.

Jewelry requires proper care and treatment for its longevity so that it can even be handed down as heirlooms to future generations without losing their shine and sparkle. Regular cleaning of Jewelry is essential to maintain shine and brilliance of jewelry's gemstones and metal. On wearing jewelry, it gets dirty as you use various skin and body care solutions such as soaps, lotions and even it becomes oily from your skin's natural oils. Even when you are not wearing them, they collect dust. You can clean your jewelry at home by your own by using soft brush, water and soap or by using readymade jewelry cleaners. You can also take services of a professional jeweler to keep jewelry clean. Jewelry should be stored individually in a soft cloth pouch or plastic zip-lock bags to ensure that a piece of jewelry or gemstone should not scratch other jewelry or gemstones. You should not wear jewelry while doing heavy work, housework or gardening as it can be scratched. You should avoid the situation where your jewelry comes in contact with chlorine bleach, hair spray or other chemicals because they can severely discolor and damage your jewelry as well as their settings. To learn more, click on Jewelry Care.

Jewelry is a personal ornament, such as a ring, bracelet, necklace or any other item made from jewels, precious metals or any other material. You must set your budget for buying jewelry and then explore all your options by considering cut, color, clarity and carat weight of a stone. By this way, you'll find a wide range of jewelry in your price range.

When purchasing jewelry from a local jeweler, you can be sure that you are getting the true value for your money. Local jewelers provide you more personalized services because they intend to build a legacy of integrity & trust with their customers. Since local jewelers intend to build personal relations with their customers, they care enough to deal in only certified & best quality diamonds & jewelry. A local jeweler can better understand your taste & style and keeps it in mind when he goes on buying trips. Also, you can expect an honest professional advice and satisfactory attention combined with before and after sale services only from a local jeweler.

Gemstones are classified into two categories, Precious and Semi-Precious, on the basis of their characteristics.

• Precious Stones
Gemstones which are highly valuable for their hardness and rarity, are known as Precious Stones. Precious Stones are generally expensive in comparison of Semi-Precious Stones. Precious stones include Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires.

• Semi-Precious Stones
Gemstones those are valued for their beauty and not covered under any one of the four ‘Precious Stones’, are known as Semi-Precious Stones. Semi-Precious Stones are available in all price ranges from low priced to high priced. Semi-Precious stones are Alexandrite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Iolite, Onyx, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite, Topaz, Tourmaline etc.

A birthstone is nothing but a gemstone only, which is associated with the date of one’s birth and the wearing of such birthstone is considered to bring good luck and health. Certain gemstones are believed to have Supernatural powers and their relationship with planets.

Birthstones, on the basis of calendar months, are described as under:

• January’s Birthstone – Garnet

• February’s Birthstone - Amethyst

• March’s Birthstone - Aquamarine

• April’s Birthstone - Diamond

• May’s Birthstone - Emerald

• June’s Birthstone - Pearl / Alexandrite / Moonstone

• July’s Birthstone - Ruby

• August’s Birthstone - Peridot / Sardonyx

• September’s Birthstone - Sapphire

• October’s Birthstone - Opal / Pink Tourmaline

• November’s Birthstone - Citrine / Yellow Topaz

• December’s Birthstone - Turquoise / Tanzanite / Zircon / Blue Topaz

A Precious Metal is a metal with rare metallic chemical element and due to that is of high economic value. Precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high luster, and have higher melting points than other metals. Gold, Platinum and Silver are considered as precious metals and used extensively in jewelry.

• Gold
Gold is an extraordinary and rare precious metal, with an unmatched combination of chemical and physical properties. Gold is the most non-reactive of all metals and it does not oxidize under ordinary conditions. No other metal is as malleable as gold. Pure gold is very soft and pliable, and alloys of different other metals are combined with pure gold to enhance its durability and strength, as well as creating a blush in the gold’s appearance with different color tones. 24 karat is 100 % pure gold, and it is more expensive and less durable than gold that is alloyed with other metals.

• Platinum
Platinum, an extremely rare and expensive metal, is a silvery gray precious metal often used for setting or mounting high quality diamonds and gemstones. Platinum is a strong, durable and dense metal which is valued for its white color and purity.

• Silver
Pure silver is very soft metal with its lustrous white color. Silver is used as jewelry metal well before the development of white gold alloys, and before platinum could be isolated. It is normally stable in pure air and water but tarnishes when exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur.

Buying a perfect jewelry requires knowledge about Diamonds, Gemstone, Precious Metals and Settings & Finishing. Keep below points in mind while selecting jewelry for yourself or for your loved ones:

• Whenever you buy jewelry for your loved ones, always keep their personality and preferences in mind.

• When you decide to buy diamond or gemstone jewelry then you should always evaluate stones on 4Cs criteria.

• You should ensure that stones of your jewelry are properly polished and with perfect symmetry.

• You must ensure that there are no visible blemishes or imperfections on the diamonds, gemstones and on the metal.

• You should also check to make certain that fasteners, clasps and catches work properly and are secure.

• Beware of jewelry store lighting which usually consists of quartz or halogen bulbs.

• When buying gold jewelry, it is advisable to go for either 14 karat or 18 karat gold jewelry. You should never buy 24 karat gold jewelry because it is too soft, less durable and more expensive. You should also avoid buying less than 10 karat gold jewelry, as it appears dull.

While buying jewelry, you should not be in hurry or in pressure. You should buy it at your convenience and at your own pace. To learn more, click on Jewelry Buying Tips.

Wearing a ring on a particular finger represents some of the attributes of your personality. Here you can find what does wearing a ring on particular finger means:

• Thumb Ring is Poseiden (Individuality, Independence)

• Index finger Ring is zeus (Dominance, Power, Energy)

• Middle Finger Ring is Dionysus (Irreverence, Rebellion, Decadence)

• Ring finger is Aphrodite (Love, Romance, Connection)

• Pinky Ring is Ares (Conflict, Assertiveness, Competitiveness)

• No Rings is Hermes (Friendliness, Helpfulness, Adventure)

Just like choosing an outfit, it all depends on your tastes. Some prefer more quiet, muted tones, while others seek brilliant, standout color. Also consider the shape, cut and size that suit you or the lucky recipient. No matter what, it’s best to look for gemstones that seem fiery and alive—these beauties will catch the light and lots of attention.