The Underwoods Journal
The Lasting Legacy of Fine Jewelry
Investing in fine jewelry allows you to not only enjoy the beauty of precious gemstones but share an indestructible piece of your legacy with many of your descendants. Your name on a park bench or a brick wall is one thing but an heirloom piece speaks to the heart.
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Underwoods Award Winning Jewelry
Pearl Design International Pearl Design AwardThese unique and special cufflinks won the prestigious International Pearl Design Competition held in Tokyo, Japan, from a field of over 1,000 entries, representing 46 countries worldwide. Made in platinum with 24 karat gold inlay, these striking cufflinks were designed by shaving four flat walls on each pearl, then stacking them together, giving the illusion of a balloon being blown up behind a mesh fence.Platinum Honors AGTA Platinum Honors Award (American Gem Trade Association) Underwoods Design Team won the International "Platinum Honors Award," the Industry's premier platinum design competition. Underwoods is the first and only jeweler in Arkansas to be awarded a Platinum Honors Award. Made in platinum with 18K yellow gold accents, this Tanzanite pendant won the prestigious award in 2002, the industry’s premier platinum design competition.Red Carpet 2012 Emmy AwardsUnderwoods was invited to create a custom-made diamond bracelet for the 2012 Emmys in Hollywood, California. Access Hollywood reporter Shaun Robinson wore the bracelet during the red carpet event. The bracelet contains eight opaque faceted diamonds, weighing 17.65 carats, each in a hand forged solid gold setting. The bracelet was designed and custom made in Underwoods own shops and is one-of-a-kind.Red Carpet 2016 Emmy AwardsOn rare occasions, Mother Nature creates diamonds with a distinct and beautiful colors that are called “Fancy Colored Diamonds.” Many colors are extremely rare and this masterful combination of colors and shapes will dazzle the eye with its wide pallet of natural colored diamonds. Pink, purple, green, orange and yellow … just a few of the enticing array of 45 natural fancy colored diamonds featured in this one-of-a-kind bracelet. The 994 fully cut white accent diamonds are individually hand set. This bracelet has a famous history as it graced the red carpet of the 2016 Emmy awards, worn by celebrity reporter Natalie Morales of Access Hollywood. Featured in magazines and news stories, Underwoods was recognized across the industry when asked to participate in Hollywood’s Emmy Awards.Spectrum AWARD American Gem Trade Association The Spectrum Award is the nation's most prestigious colored gemstone jewelry design contest, attracting the nation's top designers. Underwoods is the first and only jeweler in Arkansas to be awarded a Spectrum Design Award. This award winning pendant features a stunning aquamarine gemstone imported from Paraguay. It was designed and hand-crafted in Underwoods own shop.Case Awards 2014 Winner (Jewelers of America) Jewelers of America, the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry retail marketplace, has awarded Craig Underwood, Becki Lamascus and Tom Weishaar, of Fayetteville’s Underwood Fine Jewelers, a first-place award in the 2014 CASE Awards, the association’s annual jewelry design competition. The team competed among more than 63 jewelers in the competition. The CASE Awards recognize the creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design from top jewelers across the nation. It was held at the JA New York trade show.Case Awards Honorable Mention This Underwood custom creation is one of our latest award winners, winning Honorable Mention in the national CASE award from Jewelers of America, representing more than 5000 jewelry stores nationwide, and recognizing Creativity, Artistry, Style, and Excellence. Made in platinum and 18 carat rose gold, the center diamond is over 2 carats and is perfectly cut.Robert M. Shipley Award American Gem Society 2022 Craig Underwood,a G.G. and C.G.A. and local native of Fayetteville, AR. is as involved in his community as he is in the American Gem Society. Craig Underwood, a second-generation jeweler at Underwoods Fine Jewelers is the recipient of the 2022 Robert M. Shipley Award. This high honor is American Gem Society's most prestigious recognition and is presented annually to a retailer for their contributions to the jewelry industry and their local community.AGS Full ArticleInstore Magazine Full ArticleJCK Magazine Full ArticleNational Jewelers Full Article Ready to find the right piece? Explore fine jewelry.
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Underwoods Gift Guide
What better way to say “Happy Holidays” to those you love the most than with a unique piece of jewelry from Underwoods Jewelers! We carry a beautiful assortment of styles at a wide-range of prices, making it easy to find something for everyone on your list. Not sure where to begin? Not a problem! We have put together this December Gift Guide to help you find something perfect for both him and her this holiday season. Gifts She Will LoveWhen it comes to jewelry, you can’t go wrong with a diamond! When shopping for her, we suggest you consider her style, how much you would like to spend, and what jewelry she loves to wear the most, such as earrings, necklaces, or bracelets. Once you have narrowed down your search, the rest is easy! Come see us here at Underwoods and we'll add some nice wrapping paper, a pretty bow, and you are all set. Gifts He Will LoveWe get it. He is hard to shop for! So why not take him by surprise this Christmas with a gift you know he will use year after year. For the Razorback fan, shop our assortment of gameday cufflinks, pins and tie tacs. The best part is, they are custom designed and created in-house by our Underwoods Master Bench Jewelers, making it a piece he will enjoy for a lifetime. We also carry William Henry Knives, which are considered to be among the finest knives in the world. Each one is crafted in America with the finest steel, precious metals, and gemstones. These unique and distinctive knives make a perfect gift for him as well. We also carry fashionable William Henry bracelets and necklaces for your trend setting man. Surprise Stocking StuffersOne of the best holiday traditions is opening stockings on Christmas morning, especially when they each have one of our sterling silver magnetic bracelets! The magnetic clasp makes it easy for everyone to wear. They come in 4 different colors and retail at only $50 each! These fun fashion bracelets will be the perfect addition to your Christmas morning festivities. Under the TreeFor when you are wanting to do a little extra for someone special in your life, we suggest gifting pearls! We have a lot of options to choose from, such as pearl stud earrings, strands, and rings. Each one is unique and timeless, perfect for those significant women in your life. We also recommend colored jewelry such as garnets, rubies and emeralds. These stones come in a breathtaking assortment of settings and their colors embody the giving, Christmas spirit! For a Romantic NightMake your holiday extra romantic with a memorable Underwood engagement ring for the girl of your dreams. Take her by surprise when your fun night out on the town turns into a time she will remember forever. Whether you're proposing during the day or at night, our Underwood Diamonds will sparkle bright like the love you share. We have engagement ring styles for everyone here at Underwoods Fine Jewelers and we would love to share this experience with you. It will be a journey of a lifetime. Visit us at 611 W. Dickson Street in Fayetteville from 10am-6pm Mon-Fri and 10am-5pm Sat, or shop online anytime at www.underwoods.com. Looking for a gift that feels personal? Shop fine jewelry gifts.
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Award Winning Jewelry
What happens when you combine a dedication to craftsmanship with painstaking attention to detail? You get some of the finest jewelry in the nation. Don't take our word for it - here are just a few of the examples of our work being recognized on a a national level. CASE Awards 2014 Winner Jewelers of America, the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry retail marketplace, has awarded Craig Underwood, Becki Lamascus and Tom Weishaar, of Fayetteville's Underwoods Fine Jewelers, a first-place award in the 2014 CASE Awards, the association's annual jewelry design competition. The team competed among more than 63 jewelers in the competition. The CASE Awards recognize the creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design from top jewelers across the nation. It was held in March at the JA New York trade show. Honorable Mention This Underwood custom creation is one of our latest award winners, winning Honorable Mention in the national CASE award from Jewelers of America, representing more than 5000 jewelry stores nationwide, and recognizing Creativity, Artistry, Style, and Excellence. Made in platinum and 18 carat pink gold, the center diamond is over 2 carats and is perfectly cut. The Red Carpet 2012 Emmy Awards Underwoods was invited to create a custom-made diamond bracelet for the 2012 Emmys in Hollywood, California. Access Hollywood reporter Shaun Robinson wore the bracelet during the red carpet event. The bracelet contains eight opaque faceted diamonds, weighing 17.65 carats, each in a hand forged solid gold setting. The bracelet was designed and custom made in Underwoods own shops and is one-of-a-kind. 2016 Emmy Awards On rare occasions, Mother Nature creates diamonds with a distinct and beautiful color and they are called "Fancy Colored Diamonds." Many colors are extremely rare and this masterful combination of colors and shapes will dazzle the eye with its wide pallet of natural colored diamonds. Pink, purple, green, orange and yellow ... just a few of the enticing array of 45 natural fancy colored diamonds featured in this one-of-a-kind bracelet. The 994 fully cut white accent diamonds are individually hand set. This bracelet already has a famous history as it graced the red carpet of last year's Emmy awards by celebrity reporter Natalie Morales of Access Hollywood. Featured in magazines and news stories, Underwoods was recognized across the industry last year when Underwoods was asked to participate in Hollywood's Emmy Awards. American Gem Trade Association AGTA Platinum Honors Award Made of platinum with 18K yellow gold accents, this Tanzanite pendant won the prestigious "Platinum Honors Award" in 2002, the industry's premier platinum design competition. Underwoods is the first and only jeweler in Arkansas to be awarded a Platinum Honors Award. International International Pearl Design Award These unique and special cufflinks won the prestigious International Pearl Design Competition held in Tokyo, Japan, from a field of over 1,000 entries, representing 46 countries worldwide. Made of platinum with 24 karat gold inlay, these striking cufflinks were designed by shaving four flat walls on each pearl, then stacking them together, giving the illusion of a balloon being blown up behind a mesh fence. Ready to find the right piece? Explore fine jewelry.
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60 Reasons to Shop at Underwoods
As we near our 60th anniversary, we're celebrating the qualities that make our work stand out. There are many reasons why our customers in Arkansas and nationwide have trusted us to create their custom jewelry for 60 years. Here are just a few: We have a storied history of excellence in crafting remarkable jewelry, which has been recognized in local, national, and international arenas. · We became the first certified gemologist in Arkansas in 1961. · We won the International Pearl Design Contest in 1986. · In 1991, we were inducted into the National Jeweler's Hall of Fame in New York. · We won the the AGTA Platinum Honors Award in 2002. · We were also the winner of the AGTA Spectrum Design Award in 2009. · We represented the jewelry industry at the Emmy Awards in 2003, selected as the official jeweler for the Emmy Awards gift basket at the annual awards ceremony. · We have also represented the jewelry industry at the Oscars. · We were named the InStore Magazine Coolest Store in the Nation in 2006. · Underwoods was the winner of the Jewelers of America C.A.S.E. Design Awards in 2012 for a custom-made diamond ring. · Our founder, Bill Underwood, made a bracelet featured in the Smithsonian Museum. · We are the only jeweler in Arkansas to win state, national and international jewelry design awards. · We have been named Celebrate, Citiscape and Democrat Gazette Best of the Best for numerous years. Our expert staff and facilities are beyond compare. · The owner is in the store. · We have the only store in the state with four certified gemologist appraisers. · We also have two certified master bench jewelers. · Underwoods is the only store in the state whose independent, accredited gemologists can fully grade a diamond in-house, check and re-check the grade. · We have the most advanced gem lab in the state. · Our founder, Bill Underwood, and current president, Craig Underwood, are both past presidents of the American Gem Society. · Bill was awarded the Robert Shipley Award, the jewelry industry's highest award, in 1993. · Bill was awarded the American Gem Society “Circle of Distinction” award in 2005. · Bill appraised the Elvis Presley ring. · Bill patented the Beauty Grade Machine, which is in our store. · Craig served as President of the Diamond Standards Committee. · Craig serves as the only “stand-alone” jeweler on the Jewelers Mutual International Board of Directors. · We were the first store in the U.S. to have the new Hologem technology. · We instill the highest ethics and integrity in every employee. We have impeccable standards for quality. · We travel the world to make direct connections to buy the very best from the source. · Only 1 out of 20 diamonds that pass through the Gem Lab are kept because of our quality standards. · Our pearls are handpicked in Kobe, Japan, and matched perfectly for necklaces and earrings. · There is no synthetic or lab-created jewelry in our store. · We have the widest selection of loose diamonds in the state. Where most stores put cz’s in their mountings, we set live diamonds. We are dedicated to giving our customers the best experience and helping the Fayetteville community thrive. · The Underwoods Building was designed and built in 1966 by internationally renowned architect E. Fay Jones, which helped revive and positively contribute to Dickson Street. · Our newly remodeled store has private bridal shopping, a renovated pearl department, a spacious and comfortable check-out center, and a relaxing showroom. · We provide complimentary gift wrapping in our custom French wrapping paper with every purchase. · It is our priority to have every piece priced at the very fairest price, which means we don’t play the “change the tag” game. · We offer custom Razorback jewelry for U of A fans. · Our color stone department is one-of-a-kind with many loose color stones. · We offer fine jewelry in every price range. · We give to many local charities and our annual Fab Five every year. Thank you, Fayetteville, for 60 wonderful years of crafting the finest jewelry for you and your loved ones. We look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence and distinction. Visit us at our shop on Dickson Street or call 479-521-2000 to set up an appointment. Ready to find the right piece? Explore fine jewelry.
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The Underwoods Building: Turning Fifty and More Beautiful than Ever
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"An Artistic Eye" (Celebrate Arkansas June, 2016)
We're excited to share this article appearing in June's issue of Celebrate Arkansas featuring Craig and his talent as a photographer. View the digital edition here. An Artistic Eye The majestic landscape at Yosemite National Park first inspired Craig Underwood to try his hand at nature photography. In the summer of 1995, Craig and his wife Laura traveled through this magnificent park on a vacation. Seeing the beautiful nature photos of Ansel Adams prior to taking the trip, Craig was motivated to bring his camera along and take some landscape pictures. But it didn’t turn out as you might think. He openly admits, “I foolishly thought I would take some spectacular Yosemite landscape photos of my own”. Since this was back in the days of film cameras, he didn’t see his results until the film was developed two weeks after the trip. He became disheartened when he saw his results. He describes these photos as a “dismal failure”. After this experience, Craig used the Pentax K1000 (given to him by his father, Bill, many years before) primarily for taking photos of family and friends. A Fayetteville native, graduate from Baylor University, and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA),Craig has spent the last 28 years as the President of Underwoods Fine Jewelry. His passion, artistic talents, and creativity have helped create beautiful,nationally recognized,award-winning jewelry designs and more recently, award-winning photography. Although Craig’s first passion is jewelry, he has always had an interest in photography. Craig enjoyed photographing his three boys growing up, but once the youngest entered his teenage years, it was no longer cool for dad to take family photographs. With his favorite subjects no longer willing to pose for him, Craig decided to try his hand again at nature photography. This time around, he pledged to first educate himself on proper techniques. In the spring of 2012, he took a photography workshop from native Arkansas photographer, Tim Ernst. “He is my mentor when it comes to photography,” Craig said. “His weekend workshop was an eye opening experience for me and lit the passion I now have for nature photography.”After this workshop, Craig began taking his photography more seriously. Craig continued “If someone has an interest in nature photography, the single best piece of advice I can give is to take one of Tim’s workshops”. Last summer Craig entered his first photography competition, the “Ozark Photographic Challenge”. Photographers from the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri participated. The contest featured 10 categories but allowed photographers to only enter in a maximum of three categories,one photograph for each category. Craig submitted photographs for three categories and placed first in two of the three. Craig was the only photographer to win multiple first place awards. A few months after entering in his first competition, Craig entered asecond photo contest. In the 13th annual Photographic Society of Northwest Arkansas Fall Fair Print competition many photographers entered their beautiful works. Craig’s work won first place among all of the entries. “Craig has what it takes. He will do anything, go to whatever length it takes, to put himself in position to find and capture that great light” says Tim Ernst. “His passion and work ethic are reflected in the beautiful quality of his photographs - what more could you ask for from an artist.” Craig’s skill with photographic composition most certainly has its influences from his jewelry design talents.To be able to photograph nature, a specific skill set is used to find the perfect shot. Lighting, symmetry, color and balance are all important factors. Many of these same elements are used in jewelry design. He looks for precious gemstones that explode with life, color and brilliance. Then he will visualize how the gem could be used in a design. Finding that great nature shot is like finding that perfect gemstone for an original design. To be able to do both, an understanding of natural beauty is taken to the next level. Nature photography allows for an artist like Craig to show viewers how he sees the world. When dealing with photography, lighting is one of the most important aspects. Lighting can completely change the feeling of a photograph. “He can see and feel great light - that is one key to being able to capture it in the first place - most people don’t get it, but Craig does,” Ernst says. “It takes a great deal of work and commitment to find and capture great light, and very few photographers will work hard enough to be successful at that - Craig has what it takes, and he is willing to put in the hours”. Color is also a factor which can make a good image into a great image, but it can also ruin that same image. The interaction of color with light can change the photograph,allowing viewers to see an image as if they were there. Craig began to develop his art skills early, during junior high and high school. He performed odd jobs in the family business, such as engraving and some bench jeweler work. This introduced him to the basics of design concepts. “Being a bench jeweler is definitely not my calling in life,” Craig laughingly said. “The meticulous dexterity required for bench work is a whole specialty in itself. It’s a skill set I just don’t have. However, working at the bench gave me a great understanding for jewelry design, helping me to see structurally what can and can’t be done.” When Craig was in high school, he designed some jewelry for pure enjoyment, such as a small eagle head, a cross, and sculptural designs. During his time in California at GIA, Craig took classes on counter sketching and design. These classes laid the foundation for working with designs for different types of jewelry. The skills he learned at GIA were further developed while working for a jeweler in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When he moved back to Fayetteville to work in the family business, he worked even more with jewelry design. He has a passion for creating original designs, using the loose gemstones bought directly from cutters around the world. “Here at Underwoods Fine Jewelers, we do so much in custom that I got involved in working with the different custom designs and created a look and style that is mine,” Craig said. He has adopted a style that can range from “very intricate, beautifully styled pieces to some really rough, hand-forged pieces.” Craig’s designs, built by the Underwood design team, have won national awards. They have also been worn on Hollywood’s red carpet events, such as at the Oscars and the Emmy awards. Two of Craig’s designs have won CASE Awards. Presented by the industry’s largest organization, Jewelers of America, the designs are awarded for Creativity, Artistry, Style and Excellence. With an eye for design, and a mind active with creative ideas, Craig Underwood continues to create beautiful art. His photography uses the raw materials of the natural world, combined with technical skills, to create beauty to hang on a wall. His jewelry designs use raw materials from nature, combined with extensive knowledge and skills, to create stunning, unique pieces, worn and enjoyed every day. Ready to find the right piece? Explore fine jewelry.
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Bill Underwood's Beauty Grade Machine
In 2007, Bill Underwood's Beauty Grade Machine®, received its U.S. patent (7,193,694B2) for the laser technology. The machine is the only technology of its kind to exist in the world and is incredibly accurate. The machine measures the light return from a diamond and is used for grading the diamonds. It is based on a scale from 1 to 100; 1 being worst and 100 being best. The machine is changing the way customers and jewelers can view and grade their diamonds. INSTORE Magazine stated, "The entire process took about five minutes, and the results are compelling." View the article here. Results from the Beauty Grade Machine® Want to learn more about Underwoods history? Visit our website! Ready to see Underwoods diamonds in person? Explore diamond engagement rings.
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