Jewelry Diamonds

You’ve seen the images of Audrey Hepburn in Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, epitomising diamond allure and American chic. Well, Tiffany’s stylish jewellery has stood the test of changing times and this year celebrates 150 years of its journey through jewellery design and craftsmanship with a special exhibition at Somerset House. From the early 1830s, Tiffany’s had a humble existence as a souvenir and fancy goods store. In one its first catalogues, the range of French jewellery was tucked behind a host of goods; fine stationery, French perfumes and French sugar plums.

Right from the very start, Tiffany’s creator, Charles Lewis Tiffany was an innovator not just in jewellery design but the way it was sold and made sure that there was something for everyone, whether it was a parasol for $10 or a diamond brooch for $1000. Tiffanys started off keeping it simple; silver jewell...

Facts on Diamonds

It was more than 2800 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India. In actuality, diamonds are much older than one would think. Most diamonds we find today are at least 900 million years old. Experts believe that the oldest known diamond is around 3.2 billion years old. Each mined diamond is completely unique. To the trained eye, one can find that there are no two diamonds that are precisely the same.

When learning how to purchase a diamond, there are many things to consider. Until you know more and have done your research, you should never rush into buying a diamond. It’s especially important to learn how diamonds are priced.

The “4 C's”

You will have many factors to consider when buying a diamond. Throughout the world, there is an established method that jewelers use as a way of describing the value of a diamond. The method is kn...

Like buying an airline ticket on the Internet has become a regular thing for all of us, so has online shopping for women, be it clothing, gifts or buying jewelry. Anyone looking to buy a nice piece of pearl jewelry for her self or for a gift can go online and check out the best deals. Best part is there is no selling pressure of sales person that shoppers often come across when buying in stores or in malls. When you buy online you buy at your own pace and comfort. You have all the benefit of comparing prices, designs, style and quality etc.

There are a couple of websites that have ventured into selling pearl jewelry online and established their reputation. Most of these pearl jewelers buy directly from source and are able to procure the best quality freshwater and seawater akoya pearls directly from the pearl farms in China, Japan, and other countries of the far east, thus bypas...

Unlike some other kinds of jewellery, bracelets are incredibly diverse. You can make a bracelet from almost any material you can think of, whether it’s metal, fabric, leather, glass, wire or plastic, or natural materials like shells and stones. Bracelets are both cheap to buy and easy to make, so it’s easy to personalise them to your taste and give them as gifts to your friends. Many people cherish bracelets that they have been given, especially little girls, who will collect friendship bracelets to represent each one of their friends.

If you want to make a bracelet yourself, the easiest way to do it is probably to get some beads and a piece of string. Threads woven together can also work well, as can shells if you make tiny holes in them to thread a string through. The best thing to do is to keep the bracelet as a flat string, and then tie it around the hand of the person you’r...

50% OFF Valued at $9 995 Now Selling at $4 995

How many times have you seen advertising like this? When it involves diamond jewellery almost certainly the diamond does not have an independent grading report or certificate and the valuation is over inflated.

The past few years have seen an increase in consumer awareness regarding diamond certification. This has had a very positive effect on reducing the problems encountered by consumers buying diamonds. More and more consumers are demanding a diamond certificate, and the ability to sell with inflated valuations has been restricted.

The downside unfortunately to all this has been the emergence of 'pseudo' laboratories, lacking the equipment and not professionally recognised. Many...

One thing that most people know is that emeralds are a major gemstone and that they are expensive. That’s largely because emeralds are a type of the mineral beryl and they are rare. They come in varying shades of green.

It is chromium, vanadium or iron elements in the stone which make that lovely green colour. On the Moh’s scale of hardness where the hardest is diamond at 10, emerald comes in around 7.5. So it is reasonably hard but rubies and sapphires come in harder around 9.

Where are they found?

Emeralds are found in India, South Africa, Russia, Pakistan and some small deposits in the USA. The most important emeralds come from Columbia.

Just how expensive is emerald?

Well, if you get any other gemstone of the same weight as an emerald, chances are most likely that the emerald will be the most expensive. So in that sense it is the most expensive ge...

Ideal cut diamonds are those that have been cut following a special formula. This formula has proven to make for the most beautiful, brilliant diamonds. Diamond shapes have a lot to do with the brilliance of a diamond as well. The round brilliant is the diamond that has become popular as having the “ideal cut.”

The formula that is followed for ideal cut diamonds allows for the best light reflection from the diamond. If you have the wrong cut on a diamond it will not sparkle the way that it should.

If a diamond is cut too deep, the light will reflect from the wrong angle. The light then escapes from the side of the diamond instead of from the top. A diamond that’s been cut too deep looks black right in the center.

Some diamonds are cut too shallow. If it’s too shallow, light will spill from the bottom of the diamond making it appear dull and lifeless. You want your di...

The tradition of giving an engagement ring as a symbol of promise of the future marriage started back in the Middle Ages. As a representation of everlasting love, diamonds evoke the romance and magic of traditions that have spanned centuries.

Each diamond purchase is special. Whatever you spend, this will represent one of your life’s deepest emotional investments. So how much should you spend? The two months salary convention is a common starting point. But taking the time to design your own engagement ring is much more rewarding and special to you.

Most classic engagement ring is composed of two parts, a diamond and a setting. Thanks to our modern times it is now possible to design your own engagement ring over the internet. You can browse through thousands of settings, loose diamonds and even compare prices.

You should by now already have some sense of the Diamond ...

This guide will not tell you which diamond to buy or how to select the right diamond for you. This guide will help you protect yourself on the internet when you find that magnificent gem that you must have.

There are many horror stories circulating about eBay and other online diamond purchases gone bad. Most of them are true! The chief reason why these unfortunate buyers were conned was because they did not follow the first and most important rule for purchasing a diamond:

Rule 1 - GET EDUCATED

Buying a diamond can be a daunting task. There are volumes of information available on the internet about the various characteristics of diamonds. Diamond retailers (online and bricks-and-mortar) make various claims and use colourful terminology to impart to you the quality, authenticity and beauty of the diamond they are trying to sell to you.

Rule 1 does not sta...

Aside from the practical and decorative uses of precious metals, the demand for these is driven also by their role in investments. Investors often use precious metals as hedges and definitely rate high in terms of trade price stability in the commodity market. This will hold true unless the demand for precious metals is lowered, although this may hold true many years from now.

Precious metal prices have been steadily increasing through the years. Even the price of silver, which was once projected to decrease in trading price still is priced higher than ever though still much lower than the price of gold. Fluctuations in price are also apparent through the years but the value of these precious metals will always remain. Precious metals are measured and traded per troy ounce for standard trading.

In May of 2006, gold has nearly reached $700 per troy ounce, much higher than i...

A day stunning and value to addition to any respectable collection of jewelry is an opal bracelet. Opals are incredibly colorful, but you must know how to properly care for them if you want to maintain that stunning beauty. There are many things to remember about the opal bracelet.

Opals are varied unique because they are cut in a different fashion and other precious gems. When opals are mined, the miners themselves take extraordinary care when handling the beautiful stones. This adds their beauty and their value.

The stones of an opal bracelet are both vibrant and radiant in their color, with a different sort of color combination if they are black opals or white opals. Either the opal is do fantastic things when playing off the light. The color itself radiates from moisture that is trapped within the stone.

The stones of an opal bracelet are polished in such a wa...

Around the commencement of the 20th century, researchers found that if a sphere of material was placed in an oyster, the oyster would coat the sphere with nacre, creating an almost perfectly round pearl. The longer the pearl remained in the oyster, the larger and more valuable it became. Almost all cultured pearls (as they are called) grown on pearl farms – a growing industry in today’s world. Different types of oysters or mollusks raised in different environments create cultured pearls in different sizes, colors and shapes. Man cultivates pearls by placing shell beads inside an oyster shell. The oyster is returned to the water for a length of time where it covers the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured and quality pearls are produced in Japan. In the warm waters of the South Pacific, large oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls. In Chi...

Always remember one thing regarding pure gold, it is harder than tin, and its beauty and luster cannot be compared to any alloyed gold. But some of its features like malleability, ductility and softness make pure gold useless for jewelers. That’s where alloying metals comes in to play. They are added to gold so that it becomes tougher and stronger.

When looking for gold platinum wedding rings, it is very important to understand the term carat. Theoretically speaking a carat indicates the amount of gold, as a percentage of the total. 24 karat is considered to be 100 percent gold. But every country has there own set of predefined carat procedures. For example, in the United States, 18, 14, and 10 carat gold are the only carats sold as ‘carated’ gold. Color plays a pivotal part in gold platinum wedding rings. The addition of alloying metals to gold is used to change the color.

Among the many gems of nature, one of the brightest and most beautiful is the coral. Imagine a sparkling necklace that has come from the coral reefs of the Pacific! And similar to pearls, coral is an organic jewelry material that comes in a variety of colors – from the typical red, to pink, white, blue, brown and black.

Not all corals qualify as jewels. Actually, in jewelry only the “Corallium rubrum” and “Corallium japonicum” are used. Once upon a time corals were extracted from underwater reefs with dragnets, but environmental worries have pressed for less-damaging means of collection –- for instance, divers collect corals, rather than dragnets.

After being extracted from the sea, corals are processed until they become suitable for rings, necklaces and other jewelry. Part of the processing is polishing, when corals obtain their marvelous gloss. Another requirement for qu...

A pearl necklace radiates a certain mystical charm when worn around the neck. There are generally six types of pearl necklaces - collar, choker, princess, matinee, opera and rope. Collar pearl necklaces are usually 10 to 13 inches in length and worn casually or in the evening. Choker pearl necklaces are about 16 to 18 inches and suitable for formal wear. Princess pearl necklaces can be about 17 to 20 inches long. Matinee pearl necklaces are nearly 20 to 24 inches in length and go well with business suits. Opera pearl necklace are 28 to 34 inches and appropriate for special occasions, formal events or parties. Rope pearl necklaces are generally 45 inches or above and match well with pantsuits. From elegance, fashionable to luxury, different looks are created by the versatility of pearl necklace lengths that can be worn on different occasions. Princess pearl necklaces are 17 to 19...

You can buy rubies at ruby auctions. It is easy to locate auctions using google.com and typing in ruby auctions. Probably eBay and www.bidz,com would be the most popular. Also look out for local auctions in your town or city. Scouring the newspapers can sometimes net you an auction at which rubies are up for sale.

Jewelery and gem auctions are usually the best.

Some important points to remember when buying rubies at auctions.

If you are buying from an auction where you can attend, you will likely need to register if you intend bidding. See if you can inspect the rubies that will be auctioned. There should be a certificate to accompany the ruby or rubies or at least some information about them. Quite often these are antique rubies and if so will be a good buy if the price is right. You only need to establish that they are true rubies and not some other lesser quality ...

Cleaning your amethyst jewelery is a very important activity if you want to ensure it stays in a pristine condition

Amethysts are usually set in rings, broaches, pendants and sometimes necklaces and they get subject to dust, grime and the results of oils and perfumes, chemicals, hairsprays and body sweat .

It is important to know how to regularly maintain and keep them clean therefore.

One needs to be careful of using chemicals to clean gemstones. While diamonds are generally unaffected by chemicals, amethysts may be, so knowing what one can and cannot use is vital to ensure you keep your amethysts in pristine condition and keep them sparkling.

Use a warm soapy solution in a large bowl (not over the sink as you don't want to slip and lose your precious gemstone down the plug hole) and rub with a old toothbrush to get out any residue between the stone and the je...

There are a number of factors to consider when buying garnet jewelery.

Firstly always ensure you buy garnets from a trustworthy dealer or jeweler. Preferably one who specializes in precious gemstones and garnets in particular if possible.

Many gemstones are heat treated, including garnets. This is done to bring out the colors more and sometimes to even change the color of a stone. Find out if the stone has been heat treated in anyway. Also if it has been irradiated, coated or dyed. Sometimes these treatments will devalue the stone but other times may even increase the value.

Check the color of the stone. Generally speaking the deeper the color or hue the more valuable the stone will be. The gemstone should be near perfect with no visible flaws visible to the naked eye. The surface should reflect light and the stone have perfect clarity. There should be no visible fla...

Peridot Etymology: The True Identity Of The Topazion

As discussed in the previous part of this series on Peridot’s etymology, the Septuagint’s translation of the ’Pitdah’ of the First Temple’s breastplate being the gem ‘Topazion’ was probably mistaken. However, the question remains as to the identity of the green ‘Topazion’ gem as seen by Josephus in 90A.D., in the Second Temple’s version of the breastplate. Pliny, author of the world’s first encyclopedia and living at the same time as Josephus, gives us a detailed account of ‘Topazion,’ its origins and its time of discovery.

Pliny, author of the world’s first encyclopedia Natural History, expounds on the origins of ‘Topazion’ in this passage: “Philon, the king's prefect, was the first to bring these stones from this island; that, on his presenting them to Queen Berenice...