Beauty Tips Guides

Diamonds are graded mainly for color and clarity. The first scale for color goes from “D” color which is the highest and the most expensive indicates that there is no tint in the stone weather yellow or brown or any other color. Jewelers call the “D” color colorless. Then we go down to E, F, G, H, I…Z. The difference between each shades are very thin and will be very difficult to an untrained eye to tell the difference between one shade to the other. It is very common to hear diamond dealers arguing between themselves on a color of a diamond.

It is easier to determine clarity grades but still a thin line separates them. There are different degrees of clarity in diamond grading. No flaws to a 10X loupe by an experienced grader is flawless and as the inclusions get larger and positioned near the center the grade goes down: FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, SI3, I1, I2, 13. The lower grades just came into existence in the last 10 years or so (SI3, I3) since folks have been buying lower quality stones. FL=Flawless, IF=Internally Flawless, VVS=Very Very Slightly Included, VS=Very Slightly Included, SI= Slightly Included, I=Inclusions Visible To The Naked Eye.

If you want to educate yourself more in the subject, make a quick search on the internet, there are a lot of sites that will explain more into depth.

Last advise, buy a diamond that is certified by a known diamond laboratory like “GIA” “EGL” or “AGS”
Once you buy a certified diamond, it indicates the color and clarity by a lab that is a third party and is independent.

Get your local jeweler to take a look at your diamond. They have a diamond probe which sends heat pulses into the gem to tell if it is real or not. Most jewelers will do this for you at no charge because it’s a ‘Good Will’ thing. You may be a future client of theirs. If they won’t do it - find another one who will. Once you have that knowledge, you can then decide if you want a full appraisal or not. They will charge for this but it will be worth it, simply to solve the puzzle. For the cost of one night out - you will have the answers for a lifetime.

Where does the light come from that makes a diamond sparkle? The light comes in from the top and is refracted and reflected in the diamond causing dispersion which is breaking up of the white light into spectral color. This can only be achieved if the diamond is cut perfectly.

The brilliant is the white light that is reflected from the top of the stone the table, and the sparkle is called scintillation which is the small flashes of white light off the crown facets. Star 129 diamonds is a new brand of diamond that has done an amazing job of improving the old standard of 58 facets by adding so much more on the bottom.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.JewerlyGift.biz, a huge online jewelry superstore featuring the greatest selection of jewelry including personalizable items. Clearance Sale items are here: http://www.jewelrygift.biz/collection/clearance-sales.html .

Honesty is the best policy, as long as your fiance know this and she is alright with this then goes ahead. I find it really strange that a clarity enhanced diamond could be graded a VS 2 that is not possible! The diamond should still have a cert! That’s my first concern. Diamonds have grading certificates for a reason, YOUR PROTECTION! Accuracy is important to the beauty and value of your gemstone. Usually to bother enhancing a stone the clarity or inclusions have to be pretty visible.

Thus they drill holes to the flaws and bleach out the dark inclusions and usually fill the holes or large inclusions that break the surface up with a compatible material. The only problem is that this makes the diamond unstable you can’t work on the ring. It can’t be cleaned in a real ultrasonic or steamed and it needs to be. Diamond is magnetic to oil and it needs to be heated to release the oil from the stone. There is no way to care for your diamond like a natural diamond. Find a nice GIA cert diamond SI 2 in clarity and F- G in color with a good make, or an EGL SI1 EF as they are much more leaning in there grading.

Please realize that a clarity enhanced stone is filled with a substance that fills in any fractures in the diamond, this may help to disguise any fractures or feathers in the stone, but it will also diminish the fire and brilliance of the stone and you still will have an imperfect diamond. However if price and size at a “price”are primary by all means purchase a clarity enhanced stone. But please remember an “edsel” is an “edsel” forever.

You will be better off long term, that way you can upgrade. The certificate acts like a pink slip to your car it is very important. Would you buy a car without a pink slip? You can also do a diamond halo around the center diamond to make it look bigger!!! 1 carat can look three carats. It is very fashionable.

The process used to fill surface breaking cracks in diamonds is to “impregnate” them with a lead rich glass. The original clarity of these treated diamonds was I2-I3. I would be skeptical of any gemological testing lab that would grade a Clarity enhanced diamond VS2.

That being said, I have seen some incredible looking diamonds that OVED has treated. I have usually sold them for earrings or pendants because I know they will suffer minimal wear under those conditions, but I recall an engagement ring or two that I’ve mounted with clarity enhanced diamond. I think they fulfill a need in the marketplace and offer customers another option. I would definitely go with one of the companies, like Ovid, that offer a lifetime warranty….just in case.

I just hope that you are very honest with your fiance about the ring that you would like to get. You don’t need to show her what the ring looks like, make it so that she can just make out in her mind what she thinks that ring might look like or you can always take a picture of a ring that kind of looks like that one you want and tell her that. If she is fine with it then I hope that you make a good choice.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.JewerlyGift.biz, a huge online jewelry superstore featuring the greatest selection of jewelry including personalizable items. Clearance Sale items are here: http://www.jewelrygift.biz/collection/clearance-sales.html

It is very common that people use denture cleaners to clean their jewelry. Is it harmless?
Many denture cleaners sold in drug stores contain Perborate (Borax) as the active ingredient. Others contain bleach (Hypochlorite), and Persulfate (Sulfur) as active ingredients. Only Prolastic Denture Cleaner uses Buffered Alkali as the active ingredient. Alkali is the active ingredient in many of your household cleaners such as dishwasher liquid, shampoo, bar soap, clothes washing detergent, etc.

Three chemicals stand out: Hypochlorite, Persulfate and Alkali. Borax is not harmful in mild solutions.

Hypochlorite is a bleaching agent. Think of chlorine bleach. Think of chlorine in a swimming pool. Certainly the concentration of this bleach in the cleaner is stronger than chlorine in a swimming pool and possibly as strong as a bleach solution you might use to take stains off a porcelain bowl, for instance. We know that swimming in jewelry is a big NO. Jewelers should know this and too often other folks learn the hard way. Not only does chlorine cause silver to tarnish, it causes the metal in gold jewelry to break down at certain areas. This is especially true for white gold. Since many yellow gold rings have white gold to hold the stones, jewelry is in danger anytime it is around chlorine chemicals.

This is what happens: The chlorine works on the other metals used to make the gold recipe. The metal is weakened and too often this means a prong holding a stone will break off. The stone can be lost.

Persulfate is a chemical used in very, very small quantities by bakers to treat flour for bread. In concentrated form, this chemical is used to “etch” copper! It is strong enough to eat into the copper metal. Copper is a part of most jewelry gold and there is a real possibility of damage to parts of the ring where metal is put together to make the ring. These are solder joints and over time, the chemical may weaken the metal. I am not concerned with this chemical as the one mentioned before, the bleach Hypochlorite.

Alkali is simply a term for many chemicals with the same sort of actions. A good example is lye. Another is oven cleaner. Another is dish detergent. You see, the strength determines the dangerous nature of the chemical. Lye will burn you, oven cleaner will sometime burn and certainly irritate the skin. Dish detergent is not dangerous and does a good job on dishes and on jewelry. An alkali denture cleaner might be ok. Generally alkali does not bother gold and diamonds.

Here is a little tad of advice on jewelry cleaning. First, stay away from denture cleaners. Please! Use a soft toothbrush and dish detergent, followed with a polishing cloth. (The newer cloths are clean to handle and do a wonderful job of bringing out the shine!) Hand cleaning is time consuming, for sure. But, you also get a chance to really look the jewelry over and touch each stone to see if loose. Also, look for worn metal where the stones are mounted.

Nothing containing ammonia or chlorine should be used with silver jewelry. Mild household ammonia is a great jewelry cleaner for gold and diamonds.

Most gemstones are safe with dish detergent or even with ammonia solutions. For the following stones, avoid the ammonia and just use a mild detergent, rinse well and pat dry: Emerald, Pearl, Turquoise, Lapis.(Certainly do NOT use denture cleaner on these stones.)

I would recommend you ask a local jeweler to professionally clean your jewelry.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.JewerlyGift.biz, a huge online jewelry superstore featuring the greatest selection of jewelry including personalizable items. Clearance Sale items are here: http://www.jewelrygift.biz/collection/clearance-sales.html .

You see, to give money value to an item of jewelry is 90% or more of the work needed for an appraisal. The printed part is easy and often done with forms from a computer, with values from the previous inspection and evaluation typed in. If you want a value, this will mean appraisal. No store able to accurately valuate jewelry is going to guess and risk their reputation on a guess. A customer may leave the store with a “guess” and tell other that “the store” said the item was worth so much money. See what I am getting at?

This is a suggested approach which might help. Many jewelry stores will check the karat of metals for a reasonable fee. This is not an appraisal and no statement of value comes with it. I do not know of those who will grade diamonds and gemstones unless it is an appraisal since the grading is the largest part of appraisal work!

Still, it might be worth your time to call a few jewelers and simply ask if they will check the metal and how much is the fee. Ask if they will determine the weight, clarity and color of the stones, with no written appraisal. Tell them you do not want a dollar value, only the information mentioned. Some will be surprised to hear this question. Ask if they will do that and if the service will cost less than regular appraisal services. You might also explain the reasons, for the family essentially.

I suspect they will only provide appraisal services for the stones but should provide inexpensive service in telling the karats of metal items. The only way to know is to call and ask.

Have you examined the jewelry for stamps or marks showing karat? If the jewelry is from the Middle East then the marks will be unknown to most jewelers in the USA and the jewelry should be tested. If from European countries, most show karats by number marks. British jewelry uses symbols in many cases and numbers on more recent items with the added symbols from the regional assay offices.

10k gold is marked as shown or with the number 417. 14k is also shown as 585 18k is also shown as 700

Heavy electroplate, meaning the metal is not gold but has a heavy gold cladding contains the letters HGE.

Gold Filled, meaning there is a bonded layer of gold on a base (not precious) metal is marked in various numbers but always with a fraction and a GF. For instance, if the layer of gold is 12karat and is 1/12 by weight of the total piece, the mark is 1/12, 12k GF.

Sterling silver is marked “sterling” or 925, showing the silver content in the item.

Marks are often on clasps of bracelets and chains. On rings, the marks are on the inside. Sometimes magnification is needed to read the marks. If the jewelry has been worn a long, long time or a ring resized, the mark may be gone.

BUW, a greenish discoloration on a chain or on a ring generally means the ring is NOT gold. Copper and brass corrode with a green color. Gold will darken but does not show any green color. The metal testing should be inexpensive. Stone grading might require an appraisal charge; that is up to the jeweler.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.JewerlyGift.biz, a huge online jewelry superstore featuring the greatest selection of jewelry including personalizable items. Clearance Sale items are here: http://www.jewelrygift.biz/collection/clearance-sales.html .

The wedding ring goes closest to the heart. In other words, put on the wedding ring first, then the engagements ring. In ancient times, it was believed that there was a vein that went directly from your ring finger on the left hand to the heart. That’s where the symbolism of wearing the wedding ring on that finger started.

The terms “synthetic” and “simulated” are confused in the minds of most folks. Synthetic means a REAL diamond material but manmade. Simulated means, a material that looks pretty much like a diamond but is made from something else. A “synthetic” diamond is actually diamond but is manmade in the deep secrets of the laboratory. The “simulated” diamond is a CZ, a Moissanite or other simuilant. So far to date, the Moissanite is the best, even if color might be a bit off.

MOISSANITE

Moissanite is a very durable stimulant for diamonds. The only drawback is the particular stone, since some may show a greenish tint. I suggest you ask to see more than one stone and compare the color for the whitest (least colored) Moissanite.

Moissanite is a diamond like clear form of a substance you are likely familiar with: Silicon Carbide. Think of wet/dry sandpaper. That is silicon carbide, a very hard and durable material. When science was able to consistently manufacture clear crystals of silicon carbide, the gemstone “Moissanite” was born, named after the original discoverer from many years ago and before marketable crystals were producible.

This material is harder than most gemstones, not bothered by the heat used in jewelry work (meaning if prongs holding the stone need work in the future, the stone may be left in place for the work to be done). The stone is bright, durable, and wonderful to the eye. The only distraction is the “sometimes” slightly off-color. That is why I suggest asking a jeweler to have more than one stone for you to select from. Do this with uncounted stones.

Remember, carat is a weight and not a dimension! Moissanite and diamond do not weight the same and a carat of one is not the same size as a carat of the other. Simply ask for a “diamond carat size” when getting the stones to view. Most jewelers will do this automatically since they understand the size the customer wants is relative to the sizes of diamonds.

Believe a good look at some loose stones and a mounting selected and they you will be on your way, happy with the stone. These stones beat CZ is all aspects except the sometimes “tint” of color. CZ must be perfectly clean to really look diamond-like but the high refraction and characteristics of Moissanite keep it looking diamond like even when soiled somewhat.

Still, make an effort to keep all gemstones clean! All looks better that way and regular cleaning is the best way to check for wear and loose stones. Many jewelers will clean your item for free. Most should do that, I believe.

Moissanite is an excellent choice. But…be sure to see the stone first and pick the whitest (most color free) stone.

METALS

Platinum is an excellent choice for a ring but keep in mind that platinum will not keep a shine like white gold will. Platinum is durable, hypoallergenic, holds stones well and all that. Platinum is much more expensive than gold. Still, expect platinum do develop a dullish look after wearing a while.

The other metal might be Palladium, another metal in the platinum family. Do not get this. Palladium is a decent metal but many jewelers cannot work it properly and very, very little choice is on the market in palladium. We have NO palladium rings in our business. Palladium is mostly used to add to gold to make a form of white gold. Now, a white gold made with palladium is an excellent metal choice. You will have to go to a knowledgeable jeweler to find someone who knows the difference.

This is what I mean: White gold is made by taking pure gold which is yellow, adding other metals to make it a “karat” gold, like 14k or 18k. (Pure is 24k and too soft for jewelry.) Sometimes metals are added to change the color of the karat gold. For instance, more copper makes rose gold. More nickel makes white gold.

In recent years, more manufacturers are using palladium instead of nickel since some people are allergic to nickel or have sensitivity to the metal. Those people cannot wear white gold made white with nickel. So, we have palladium white gold which is a slightly different white than nickel white gold but looks great and has no skin sensitivity problems. Some newer nickel metal mixes of gold meet higher standards and have no “sensitivity” issues either.

I suggest asking for white gold (if platinum is out of the budget) and finding out if it is palladium white or nickel white. Ask if the nickel white meets the new “European standards” and is hypoallergenic. If the lady is used to white gold and has no problems with, regular nickel white gold should work fine. Just keep it out of anything with chlorine, like swimming pools, bleaches, hot tubs, etc. Chlorine works real danger on white gold made with nickel.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.JewerlyGift.biz, a huge online jewelry superstore featuring the greatest selection of jewelry including personalizable items. Clearance Sale items are here: http://www.jewelrygift.biz/collection/clearance-sales.html

Amethyst is the February birthstone. It is characterized by its purple color but it has other variations from light to deep purple and when subdued to hot temperature it changes to yellow. The yellow colored amethyst is called “burnt amethyst”.

Composition of Amethyst

Amethyst is composed of a variety of quartz mineral which is abundant on earth. Quartz makes up 12% of the crust of our planet which appears in the form of metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks.

Historical Background

Amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos” which means sober or not drunken. It was believed that the name was given after the color of a wine. This precious stone was said to be used by warriors to avoid intoxication during wars. If you drink wine from amethyst cup, you will be safe from being drunk.

In the early years, the gemstone was thought to be worn by royalties and monarchs. Purple then signifies the color of highness and power. Along the line, the famous Cleopatra was said to have amethyst rings and St. Valentine let his assistant Cupid to wear an engraved pendant made from Amethyst.

Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that Amethyst can dispel evil thoughts and can lead to high intelligence. It has also been mentioned in the Holy Bible that this gem has been one among the 12 stones beautifying the clothes of high priests of Yahweh. Rosaries during those times are made mostly from amethysts. In Tibet, this stone is deemed sacred to Buddha.

Geographic Distribution

Amethyst can be mined in South American countries such Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina, as well as African countries such as in Zambia, Argentina, Namibia, etc.

Here is a list of specific localities from where to find amethyst:

1. Guerrero, Mexico - the stones here are darker and in deep purple. The amethysts found here are considered to be one of most precious amethyst in the world.

2. Vera Cruz Mexico - amethysts here are pale crystallized and have grown in light colored rocks.

3. Maraba, Brazil - the crystals are not fine and in medium or pale colors. These amethysts are often cut and carved.

4. Rio Grande de Sul Brazil - the stones from large volcanic rocks and appears to be quite large.

5. Thunder Bay, Canada - amethyst here is formed from metamorphic rocks and is unique.

6. Uruguay - characterized by brown or gray exterior

7. Africa - there are large stones but are not attractive; however the interior color is clear thus cut pieces from this locality is admired and priced.

8. Maine, USA - they are not available for distribution these days

9. North Carolina, USA - the color of amethysts here are blue-violet

Generally, amethysts of South America are available in larger sizes than in African countries, but the latter stones have finer color and more saturated. On the other hand, amethysts in very dark colors are available on Australian regions.

Amethyst can also be found in the localities of United States and Canada. Few mentioned places are Texas, Pennsylvania, Carolina and Ontario. The stones found here are not fine thus are not usually use for jewelries.

Amethyst is available widely in different shapes and dimensions; fancy shapes are also available but generally, the stones are cut in a standard size.

Metaphysical Characteristics

Amethyst is said to be powerful and can the following benefits to the owner:

- Brings calmness and serenity.

- It can enhance a persons ability to learn new ideas faster.

- Can stabilize minds and a balance of emotional, mental and physical states.

- A person can be tough and good in business.

- It can get rid of all the toxins from the body and can treat arthritis. Other disorders that can be treated are problems in nervous and digestive system. it can also build up the immune system

Amethyst is the gemstone for those under the zodiac signs of Pisces, Virgo, Aquarius and Capricorn. It is also the gemstone for the 17th wedding anniversary.

Amethyst, like other gems have its historical details being decipher from as far as 25,000 years ago. These stones are characterized by its beautiful color and thus quite expensive. Learning through birthstone will give us many information; some quite factual and others fictional; one thing is for sure, studying this birthstone is very interesting!

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.artisan-jewelry-online.com where you can learn more about jewelry and gems.