Jewelry Information 

What determines the price of a diamond?

A diamond's value is determined by its cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. Cut represents 50% of the price of a diamond. A fully cut diamond has 57 or 58 facets (cuts). Think of facets as mirrors. If the facets are positioned properly, light enters the diamond, bounces across the various facets, and eventually leaves at the viewer's eye. If a single facet is not positioned properly, light leaks out of the diamond, never reflecting fire, sparkle, or brilliance, and never reaching its full optical potential.

Carat:

 Diamonds are weighed in carats with one carat weighing about the same as a paper clip, or 0.2 grams. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points which means that a diamond of 50 points weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal weight can have very different values depending on their clarity, color, and cut. Carat weight is the most intuitive of the 4Cs – you expect a larger diamond to be worth more.

   Clarity:

 Because they are created deep within the earth, most diamonds contain unique birthmarks called inclusions (internal) and blemishes (external). Diamonds without these clarity characteristics are rare – and rarity translates to higher cost when purchasing diamonds diamonds are given a clarity grade that ranges from Flawless to Included (I3).

Color:

Colorless diamonds are extremely rare and very valuable - most are nearly colorless with yellow or brown tints. The GIA Diamond Grading System uses letters to represent colors, beginning with D (colorless) and ending at Z (light yellow or brown). Many of these color distinctions are so subtle that they are invisible to the untrained eye but these slight color differences make a big difference in price.

Cut:

While diamonds come in many different shapes, including round brilliants, hearts, pears , and marquises, cut has to do with proportion and the arrangement of facets. The sheer beauty of a diamond depends on cut more than anything else, using light to create brilliance, sparkle, and flashes of fire. The GIA Cut Scale ranges from Excellent to Poor. GIA provides a cut quality grade for standard round brilliant diamonds that fall in the D-to-Z color range.

 

Diamonds prices are governed by international diamond trade prices (like international gold or coffee prices) based on demand and supply. Ultimately, the reason that diamonds are luxury goods and hence expensive is that their supply is limited to what is found in nature. Only 15% of all diamonds that are mined are suitable for use in jewellery, the rest are used in industry for cutting tools, for semiconductors,.. etc. On average 50% of the rough diamond is lost when cutting a polished gem hence, diamond prices increase rapidly with carat weight.

Diamonds are minerals made of almost pure crystallized carbon (99.95%). They are formed millions of years earlier at depths greater than 75 miles below the earths surface. Here the necessary temperature and pressure are present to create this unique gemstone.

Diamond Quality Scale

We have implemented a uniform quality scale so you can clearly KNOW what to choose before you purchase, helping to assure that all of the diamonds  we sell meet (and exceed) our customers’ expectations.

Very Fine, Guild Quality

5 Star Diamond are the finest available. They are the finest white and completely clean. Color is always F/G, Clarity is always VS or better.

G/H Color, SI1 Clarity

4 Star Diamonds are like those found in High-End independent jewelers. These are very nice, always very white, and totally eye-clean diamonds. Color is G/H, Clarity is SI1.

I/J Color SI2/SI3 Clarity

3 Star Diamonds would be considered a very nice quality. Better than the usual quality carried by most jewelers, 3 Star diamond are white and eye clean. Color is I/J, Clarity is SI2/SI3.

J/K Color I1 Clarity

2 Star Diamonds are like the better quality that a mall jeweler would carry. 2 Star diamond are bright, sometimes a little off color, but nice, fiery, and eye-cleanish. Color is J/K, Clarity is I1.

K/L Color  I2 Clarity

1 Star Diamonds are like the regular quality that you would see at the shopping mall jewelers like Zales, Kay, and others. Color is K/L and Clarity is I2

SOURCES

Diamonds have been found on all continents. India was once a chief source. The rich fields of Brazil were discovered in the 1700s. In the 19th century even richer diamond fields were found in South Africa. Most of the worlds diamonds are mined in African countries. South Africa is the major source of gem-quality diamonds. Congo, Ghana, Namibia (South-West Africa), and Angola are other major suppliers.

 The Birth of a Diamond

The Birth of a diamond starts in the Earths upper mantle, somewhere between 70 and 120 kilometers beneath the Earths crust. The rocks there are kept at such an incredibly high pressure that even though temperatures far exceed their melting points, almost all of the rocks exist in a solid state. Diamonds are completely made of Carbon atoms (Chemical Composition - C) crystallized in a cubic (isometric) arrangement. That just means that diamonds extremely pure by nature, in fact, Diamonds are the only gems known to man that are made of a single element.

Even though diamonds are extremely hard, they can still be damaged from abuse. Diamonds can scratch each other and all other gemstones, such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and pearls. Store your diamonds away from other gems in your jewelry box and dont wear any valuable gemstones while doing hard work

On what hand do you wear an engagement ring?

It depends on beliefs, what part of the world, where you grew up, well actually what era you grew up. before now they wore the engagement ring on the middle finger of the left hand.. and then when married they put in on the ring finger along with the wedding ring. But in some countries they wear it on the right hand middle finger, in the US it goes on your left hand middle finger .

What's the best way to clean a diamond ? 

To clean your diamond, prepare a bowl of warm water and add a gentle dish soap. Stir the water and soap until it becomes sudsy. Soak the piece for about five minutes. Then, brush it with a soft bristled toothbrush to get the dirt off. After you have scrubbed the piece, rinse it with clean water and let it dry on a paper towel.

In order to avoid damage to your diamond and to prevent your diamond from becoming excessively dirty, avoid wearing your diamond when cooking, doing yard work and performing other harsh activities. 

Another option is to buy a Sonic Jewelry cleaner, it's a small machine that you fill with water along with a soap solution, the machine vibrates at high speeds and vibrates any grime/dirt off of your jewelry- Not recommended on  pearls!

Can a yellow gold ring be converted to white gold? 

NO, once it is yellow...you CANNOT change it to white.

• Yellow gold is made by mixing pure gold with alloys such as copper and zinc.
• Rose or pink gold is made using a mix of pure gold with alloy metals including copper. The copper provides the rose-reddish color.
• White gold is an alloy of gold and some white metals such as nickel and palladium.

The only way you can change the color of your ring is to have it plated.

 

How do you clean gold jewelry 14K and 18K ?

The best way to clean them is with steam. other cleansers and polishes can leave a film. There is a way to do it yourself, without the help of a specific jewelry cleaner. Boil some water on the stove and place a veggie stemer on top and place your jewelry in the steamer and let it steam for about 20 minutes.


That's ok for Diamonds, Rubies and Sapphires but really BAD for emeralds, pearls, opals and a number of other stones. They might discolor, loose oil (emeralds), crack or simply fall off (glued pearls). The safest way for delicate stones is to use a tooth brush and soap and lukewarm water. Be careful about going from hot to cold water as the stone may fracture internally (such as Tanzanite).

What's the difference between a carat and a karat? 

When shopping for jewelry, it's not unusual to start wondering what the difference is between a karat and a carat. However, with a little research it's not hard to understand the differences between these two measurements.

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. All jewelry that is real gold will have its karat weight stamped somewhere on the jewelry. In rings it is usually stamped on the inside of the band and on bracelets and necklaces it's usually stamped somewhere on the clasp.

The word carat originates from the carob bean, which was once used to measure fine gemstones. A carat is a measurement that is used to measure the weight of a diamond. One carat equals 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams.

What is my birthstone?

There are several different birthstones. Following is a list of some birthstones.

January: Garnet,

February: Amethyst,

March: Aquamarine/Bloodstone,

April: Diamond,

May: Emerald,

June: Alexandrite/Monnstone/Pearl,

July: Ruby,

August: Peridot/Sardonyx,

Septembe: Sapphires,

October: Pink Tourmalin/Opal,

November: Topaz/Citrine,

December: Blue Zircon/Turquoise

 

What is te difference between Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia (CZ)?

 Diamonds are an allotrope (structurally different forms of the same element) of carbon, diamonds are made up of carbon atoms that are arranged in a specific manner. Though they are found naturally (in mines), man-made diamonds are also available. Cultured diamonds are a type of synthetic diamonds that are produced under extremely high temperature and pressure conditions.

The constituent material of cubic zirconia is totally different from diamonds. Cubic zirconia, is made from zirconium dioxide and is in the form of cubic crystalline.

Hardness: Diamonds, whether natural or man-made, are the hardest substance found on the Earth. According to Moh's scale of mineral hardness, diamonds are rated 10 with their absolute hardness value being 1600.

The hardness of cubic zirconia according to Moh's scale is between 8.5, with the absolute hardness value between 200 to 400. It is stated that diamonds are about 500 times harder than cubic zirconia.

Shape and Color: Natural diamonds are always associated with some irregularities in the structure, as well as impurities, which impart color. A pure natural diamond is colorless and found rarely. In comparison to this, synthetic diamonds are flawless, rather structural imperfections are imparted in order to simulate natural diamonds. Synthesizing colored diamonds are far cheaper than producing colorless diamonds, as colored diamonds take less time to grow.

In case of cubic zirconia, structural perfections can be made during the manufacturing process. It can be made colorless, so that it is similar to pure diamonds. Cubic zirconia with varied colors are also available in the market.

Weight: Diamonds are light-weight as compared to cubic zirconia. The weight of cubic zirconia is about 1.75 times than that of diamonds. To understand better one-carat diamond; cubic zirconia of the same size will weigh 1.75 carats.

Brightness: Diamonds are more bright in comparison to cubic zirconia. It is due to the fact that the refractive index of diamond is 2.41, whereas that of cubic zirconia is 2.17. Cubic zirconia is also shown to have more flashes of color, as its dispersive power (0.060) is higher than that of diamonds (0.044).

Diamonds also differ from cubic zirconias in the cleavage property; diamonds have cleavage planes and are found to be more brittle in particular orientations.

 

How do I find my bracelet size?

 

The best way to size yourself for a bracelet is to take a string and wrap it around your wrist, then measure the string with a ruler. That will give you the mesurement of your wrist. We recommend you like most companies a bracelet to be a 1/2 to 1 inch larger than your wrist, so for instance, if your wrist measures 6.5" around, then a 7.0" or 7.5" bracelet is good for you, depending of how tight you want your bracelet.

Some metals facts you might not know:

Gold and platinum are alloyed with less costly metals when making the karat quality used for jewelry.  Most platinum jewlery is 95 to 90 percent platinum with the balance an alloy.  Some new platinum products are 50% platinum and 50% less costly metal although some is alloyed with palladium which is hardly "cheap", but less costly than gold or platinum.
Gold is alloyed with many different metals, all of which cost way less than gold.  All alloys are substantially lighter, a lower specific gravity, than pure gold or pure platinum.

When we hear that 18 karat gold is 75% gold we rarely give it a second thought.  Or if we hear of 50% platinum being made of 1/2 platinum and 1/2 another metal we don''t think a lot about it.

Here''s the strange part.  Metals are alloyed by WEIGHT, not by VOLUME.  The alloys for gold and platinum are MUCH lighter than gold or platinum.  It takes quite a bit more volume of alloy metal to mix in to make any karat of gold or platinum than one might think.

By volume, 14kt gold, is quite a bit less than 50% gold content.  By volume, 50% platinum is far less than 1/2 platinum and 1/2 alloy.

It is the classic situation of mixing feathers with lead to get a 50-50 ratio of content.  A few drops a lead and a container full of feathers makes 50% of each by weight, but the composite lead/feathers when examined buy VOLUME is nearly all feathers with just a spot of lead mixed in.

Platinum and gold when pure don''t tarnish.  It is always the alloy that tarnishes anyway.  That'' s why 14kt gets a patina faster than 18kt.  The amount of alloy content that can tarnish is a lot higher in 14k than 18k.  The new platinum/palladium mix may not tarnish because pure platinum and pure palladium don''t tarnish.  I suppose when mxed, they still will not oxidize.

Anyway, food for thought.  I always loved making karat gold when I did shop work many years ago.  Glowing, flowing metals, the hissing of the torch, the smell of the burning and the bright metal when it finally cooled.  When you see the amount of alloy in a 14kt gold unmelted pre-mix, you''d really be surprised.

David S. Atlas

GG(GIA), ASG, Sr. Mbr. NAJA

www.datlas.com
www.datlasestates.com
www.dglaservices.com

 

Best time of the year to buy a Diamond?

October thru Valentine's Day diamond Vendors have their largest inventories. Right now, if you don't find a diamond you are interested in, wait until January. Vendor's have been very busy during the time leading up to Christmas. Inventories are not anything near what they were the first of December.

You might find some "sale" pricing between Christmas and New Year's. All businesses need to reduce inventory for tax purposes. Generally speaking tho, the best time to buy is as soon as you can afford to. Diamond prices continue to rise. 

 

Pearl Grading: Getting to Know the Quality of a Pearl

If you're getting ready to buy pearls, it's important that you know what you're getting yourself into, so that you can recognize a deal when you see one. Price and quality are not as simple as shape or size, or even color. In actuality, there are 7 major elements to grading a pearl for quality and price. On top of this, different types of pearls have different grading systems that should also not be ignored when shopping for pearl jewelry.

The 7 most important elements to grading a pearl are:

• Luster – this is the first and most important definition for a pearl’s beauty. Luster should be your primary focus when judging quality. To recognize finer luster, look at the clarity of images that are reflected in the pearl’s surface. The closer to a mirror image you see, the better the luster. Pearls with fine luster also seem to glow warmly from within.

• Size – the larger the pearl, the rarer it is. The size of a pearl is measured across its diameter, and range from 8mm to the scarce 18mm.

• Shape – the rounder a pearl is, the rarer and more valuable it is. The goal is for a perfectly round pearl, though there is much more to pearls than an ideal orb. For example, Baroque pearls have a more linear shape which is quite popular. Therefore, you will want to look for categories of pearls in either “Classical” or “Baroque”.

• Surface – the more flawless the surface of the pearl is, the higher it will be valued. However, a flawless pearl only comes about once in about every million, as pearls are the result of a natural process, and an oyster will usually leave some sort of unique mark on the finished pearl.

• Color – unlike the other factors, color has little influence on the actual value of a pearl, except in the case of popularity. Essentially, the color of the pearl you desire is a matter of personal taste. Traditionally, there is a rather consistent demand for the classic silvery white pearls and the glowing gold shades. The rarest and most desired are the white “rose” colored pearls.

• Weight – the weight of a pearl is not always provided, however finer jewelers will include it among their descriptions, especially in the case of larger pearls. Pearls are usually measured in carats, grains, or momme. Cultured pearls are generally weighed in momme, and natural pearls in grains.

• Natural/cultured – this is the difference between pearls that are found at sea, and those grown in pearl farms

Grading Systems

On top of these 7 rules of thumb, there are also established systems of grading that you can use to make your life much easier when you're selecting a pearl at a jeweler. These include the AAA-A System, and the A-D System (also called the Tahitian System).

• The AAA-A System – This system uses a grading scale from AAA to A, with AAA being the highest grade.

• The A-D System (Tahitian System) – grades pearls on a scale from A to D, with A being the highest, and anything below D being considered unacceptable for jewelry use.

Pearl Identification: The difference between natural, cultured, and imitation

It’s hard not to notice the sudden and large-scale reappearance of the popularity of pearls. They seem to be everywhere we look. However, there are so many different kinds of pearls that it’s hard to determine what we’re shopping for when we do decide to head out and buy one of these beautiful gems. Though there are many sub-categories, the place to begin when identifying pearls is among natural, cultured, and imitation pearls.

Most “real” pearl jewelry that we see in stores, jeweler shops, and other locations are cultured pearls. This means that they come from pearl farms, where mollusks have been encouraged by way of the right procedures and circumstances, to produce a pearl, or sometimes several pearls. In fact, cultured pearls are so universal, that the term “pearl” almost always refers to cultured pearls. Natural pearls and imitation pearls will be identified as such.

Natural pearls are those which have been created as an accident within oysters and mussels in the “wild”. Humans will not have had any part of their formation. However, these pearls are so rarely fished today, that the only real place to find a natural pearl is on a vintage or antique string.

Imitation pearls are simply stones that have been manufactured in order to make them look like pearls. They’ve never been inside a mollusk in their entire existence. Imitation pearls can be made of many different substances such as glass, plastic, and even shell, which are formed into spheres, and polished with items such as lacquer, fish scales, or plastic, for that pearly finish. It takes only a 10x lens to identify if they are imitation pearls. When in doubt, ask a jeweler you trust.

Of course, pearls aren’t only identified by the terms natural, cultured, and imitation. The following are the different primary terms used by jewelers and other pearl distributors, to help you know what you’re looking at:

Natural Pearls

 

    Oriental pearls – fished from sea water
    River pearls – fished from inland rivers and lakes

Cultured Pearls

    Beaded Cultured Pearls – Akoya (from Japan), South Sea (large pearls from mainly Australia and the Philippines), Tahitian (large black pearls from Pacific Islands)
    Non-Nucleated Cultured pearls – Freshwater (from rivers and lakes in Japan and China), Biwa (from a lake in Japan), Keshi (small freshwater pearls).

Imitation Pearls

Terms such as Majoica should always be read in the same way as “imitation”

This is not a complete table, but it gives you an idea of the primary terms that you will see in the pearl marketplace.

Pearl Sizes: Does Size Really Matter?

Pearls can range anywhere from under 1mm to giants of 20mm or more. As you can see, pearls are usually measured in millimeters, and are measured through the diameter. For most round pearls, the most popular size resides somewhere between 7mm and 7.5mm. Of course, size isn’t the only factor to be considered when buying pearls. While you could pay off a small home if you were to sell a 20mm pearl, there are a number of other elements that make for a valuable pearl. For example, a clean, round 7mm pearl with good luster is more valuable than a baroque pearl that is dull, even though it may be 9mm.

However, since there are so many important factors to consider when you want to buy pearls, size is normally a good jumping off point for your decision making.

On a petite woman, a strand of pearls between 5 and 6mm is not only more affordable (as they are more available), but it usually looks much nicer when strung in a single on a petite frame, or on a taller woman in double, and even triple strands.

The size of 6 to 7mm is a nice size to look luxurious but still remain affordable. Strands in this size look very beautiful, and are considered to be a terrific value. These are the perfect pearls for the young professional, or for casual wear. Generally, this size offers the largest selection, so you should be able to locate some pearls of fine quality, still within your price range.

For something truly elegant, for evenings and fancy occasions, the favorite size tends to be 7 to 8mm. Necklaces in this size simply look gorgeous. At 40% larger than strands of 5 to 6 mm, they show their appealing qualities just that much more, without flaunting. Social outings and evenings at the theatre are perfectly accessorized in this size strand of pearls. However, buying a strand in this size can be quite the challenge. While pearls of smaller size are more likely to be of consistent quality all the way around the strand, it is more challenging for jewelers to come up with the pearls they need for a consistent 7 to 8mm strand. Therefore, you should be careful to have a look at what each pearl looks like in a strand of this size, to ensure consistent beauty and quality.

If you really have a soft spot for big pearls, keep in mind that anything above 8mm is considered to be “high end”, and may set you back a pretty penny. This is because these larger pearls are more difficult to find and jewelers can’t always guarantee their availability. Larger pearls are naturally not for everyday wear. They should be for special occasions, or if you really need to add something to a power business suit, or a lower cut dress.

Many factors determine the size of a pearl as it is being formed. The most important factor is the type of pearl itself, as well as the location in which it was formed.

A saltwater pearl, for example, the Akoya pearl, will usually range from 5mm to 8.5mm. Conversely, a Tahitian pearl can grow up to 13mm; though the largest one was 25mm in diameter!!

Pearls that are larger than 10mm are almost always black Tahitians, white South Sea pearls, or even large freshwater pearls.

When shopping for pearls, begin with the size, then you’ll be ready to face color, luster, surface, and all of the other aspects involved in pearl grading.

Pearl Overtones

Pearls come in many different colors. The main body color of a pearl can vary, from different shades of anywhere between white to black; while the overtones in a pearl are the subtle variations seen on the surface.

Akoya Pearls

Tahitian Pearls

Freshwater Pearls

South Sea Pearls