✨Exploring Jewelry✨

• Lynette Lobo

To all you Jewelry Lovers out there… Here I bring you another blog.

So what’s it gonna be this time, you might ask?… Well, I would say let’s get some facts right and update our knowledge on what really goes into making all these gorgeous pieces of jewelry so beautiful and tempting; to add to your collection.

The quality of a piece of jewelry is all about how it’s made, its details as well as the quality of the gold-plating and the semi-precious gemstones.

And while we are there, let’s also explore some other areas of expertise in this amazing accessory.

So here goes…

💖Why do pure metals need to be mixed with other metals?

• You will find jewelry made of pure metals like platinum, but pure gold is soft and is not practical for daily wear. Other metals are mixed with gold to make it more durable and to lower its price.

For example, platinum or nickel can be added to pure gold to create white gold; adding copper produces a rose or pink tint; while silver gives gold a greenish tint. Even though gold will be of different carats, it is still classed as solid gold.

• Gold-plated jewelry is when a base metal (copper, brass, nickel, silver) is covered with a thin layer of gold, giving a great look.

💖How much pure metal is in my jewelry, and how can I tell?

The purity of the metal used in each piece of jewelry is shown by a stamp or hallmark.

Platinum is 95% pure (PT950)

Gold -

• 18ct is 75% pure (750)
• 14ct is 58.4% pure (584)
• 10ct is 41.7% pure (417)
• 9ct is 37.5% pure (375)
• Fine silver is 99.9% pure
• Sterling silver is 92.5% pure (925)

💖What would be the best carat gold to use for my wedding ring?

• A high carat like 18ct would be recommended, as it will last the longest and wear the best. The lower carats will still last a long time but are likely to show wear a bit faster. Platinum is also a great option as is it a strong long-lasting metal, whereas silver is not recommended for wedding jewelry.

💖Can I combine two or more different metals in a design?

• Yes, any metals can be combined. Using a combination of yellow and white Golds, or even Platinum and Rose Gold, are nice ways of creating a different look, but still, have the design you desire.
• The Japanese metal folding technique is called Mokume-gane, which creates a stunning intertwined pattern of two-four different metals.

💖How do I keep my Silver jewelry clean?

• Wearing Silver will keep it looking nice, as once Silver is put in a drawer, it starts to oxidize/tarnish. To remove any tarnishing use a Silver cloth or Silver dip.

All your jewelry can also have a good general clean in warm soapy water and scrubbed with a soft brush. You may even want to take it to your local reputable jeweler, for a sonic and buff now and then to keep it looking really nice.

Diamond FAQs

A diamond’s beauty is extremely complex.

Understanding what makes them beautiful is not a simple task.

Diamonds are forever, but not all are created equal.

The individual sparkle and brilliance of a particular stone, depending on its carat, color, clarity, and most importantly cut.

💖So, What is a diamond?

• A diamond is a crystal made up entirely of carbon atoms. When the crystal forms without any interference it becomes a pure and perfect octahedral shape, however, during their growth most diamond crystals encounter varying heat or pressure, or even other diamond crystals, and this can alter their form and characteristics.

These alterations help determine the shape, color, and clarity the polished gem has once it emerges from the earth.

• In addition to their superior brilliance, luster, fire, and dispersion, diamonds are also the hardest natural substance on earth.
• Diamonds rate a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, which means they are resistant to scratches and do not easily break, chip, or crack.

Diamonds are several times harder than the next hardest substance, corundum, which is more commonly known as ruby and sapphire.

💖Where do diamonds come from?

• The vast majority of the world’s diamonds are now mined in Russia, Australia, and several African countries such as Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zaire, and Sierra Leone.

Once the diamonds are extracted, approximately 80% pass through the hands of De Beers and on to the cutting centers of Antwerp, New York, and Tel Aviv. From here diamonds may take several different channels before being mounted into a piece of jewelry.

💖What are the four C’s?

• Carat: This is the size a diamond is measured in, referring to the weight — one carat is equal to approximately 0.2 grams.

Size does matter but a low-quality big diamond won’t sparkle as beautifully as a smaller high-grade diamond.

Most common sizes used in solitaire engagement rings are .25ct, .50ct, .75ct, 1.0ct and sometimes higher.

• Cut: The quality of the stone’s proportions, polish, and symmetry. The perfect cut is based on a mathematical formula and determines overall brilliance.

Ideal and excellent cut stones are going to give you the most reflects/fire in combination with the other 4 C’s.

• Clarity: Most diamonds naturally have trace impurities or other tiny imperfections that can detract from the pure beauty of the stone. Flawless diamonds are the rarest and most sought after.

The color scale for transparent diamonds runs from D-F (colorless), G-J (near colorless), K-L (faint yellow), to Z (light yellow).

• Color: Like a prism, a well-cut stone divides light into a rainbow of colors, reflecting as flashes of ‘fire’. Any color in the stone itself acts as a filter so the clearer and whiter the diamond, the better the ‘fire’.

💖What is an “Ideal Cut”?

• The “Ideal Cut” is a cut based on a specific set of proportions for a round brilliant diamond proposed by gem cutter Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919. It is also called an “AGS 0” or “AGS triple zero”.

Diamonds have inflamed man’s passions since the first moment they were discovered, and their power over our emotions and desires has only grown since then.

As a timeless and beautiful gift to yourself or as an emblem of your commitment to another, a diamond is an excellent investment.

Ultimately, you can choose to consider it an investment, a symbol, or a unique work of art.

Gemstone FAQs

💖What is a gemstone?

• A gemstone is a mineral, rock, or organic material that is used for jewelry, ornamentation, or art.
• The ones that are mainly used in jewelry are precious gems, such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, and semi-precious gems, such as amethysts, citrines, garnets, tourmaline, and topaz.

💖What is the difference between precious and semi-precious gemstones?

• The precious stones are diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire, while all other gemstones being semi-precious.
• This distinction reflects the rarity of the respective stones in ancient times, as well as their quality: all precious stones are translucent with fine color in their purest forms, except for the colorless diamond, and are very hard (8–10 on the Mohs scale).
• Other stones are classified by their color, translucency, and hardness. The traditional distinction does not necessarily reflect modern values, for example, while garnets are relatively inexpensive, a green garnet called tsavorite can be far more valuable than a mid-quality emerald.

💖Would a sapphire be OK to wear every day?

• Sapphires can definitely be worn every day, just like most other stones, especially diamonds.
• To avoid unnecessary wear and damage all jewelry should be taken off before bed, and when applying perfume/creams (such as sunscreen), or undertaking household chores, sport/exercise, and tasks that involve harsh chemicals.
• These tasks can all cause abrasions over time, especially with stones such as emeralds, opals (and pearls).

💖Can I have my damaged/worn stone made to look new again?

• If your stone is chipped, scratched, or has multiple abrasions, you can have a gemstone cutter take a look to see what can be done to make it look better.
• The stone will just require a cut and polish in most cases, and this can be done while the stone is still in its setting; otherwise, the stone may have to be removed from the setting.

💖What are the birthstones?

This is a list of birthstones-

• January — Garnet.
• February — Amethyst.
• March — Aquamarine.
• April — Diamond.
• May — Emerald.
• June — Pearl.
• July — Ruby.
• August — Peridot.
• September — Sapphire.
• October — Opal.
• November — Topaz.
• December — Zircon.

So, that was an exciting journey indeed through those gorgeous precious and semi-precious stones and amazing metals used in jewelry. Let’s hope the world of information sank well in your minds. Well, there’s tons and tons more to explore….

If you felt that you loved all the valuable information above, please do feel free to add to some of your views and also write your comments below…

Also, you can click here to fill a short 2 minutes survey to win an Exclusive Designer Jewelry Set —https://forms.gle/YWo1WkgXEtc63g3c9

So, I will be seeing you real soon again with another journey through these most heavenly stones and carefully crafted pieces of jewelry…