Diamonds - jewelry, rings, earrings…

Gemstone jewelry pieces are your heirlooms, meaning you need to maintain and care for them in order for them to last for generations.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to protect and maintain your jewelry and your investment, whether your concern is with diamonds, pearls, or even beads that are of value to you.

So, keep reading to learn more about how to care for gemstone jewelry.

1. Keep your jewelry out of the water.

When you’re at home, don’t wear your jewelry in the shower, swimming or when you’re doing the dishes. The water and soap residue can build up on the stone, meaning you’ll have to take your jewelry in more frequently for cleanings.

Before you take a ring off next to a sink, always make sure it’s plugged. Too many valuable rings have been lost down the drainpipe after they’ve been wrenched off a finger. Also, if you’re away from home, leave the ring on. A bit of soap residue can be cleaned off, but a forgotten ring is hard to replace.

2. Be careful with emeralds.

Though the beautiful emerald is a strong gemstone, it’s also fragile and somewhat brittle. These remarkably vivid stones are vulnerable to hard hits and smacks, so it’s important to be careful when wearing them.

Avoid hitting your hands or head (if you’re wearing earrings) against hard surfaces because even small, tiny cracks can dramatically diminish the stone’s value.

3. Store your jewelry in the appropriate place.

The appropriate place for storing jewelry is not the back of your sock drawer, in the bottom of your purse, under your change or in a shoe. Jewelry should be stored inside and in a jewelry box that’s spacious and clean.

Keep gold, silver and gemstone pieces separate from one another to prevent scratching and scuffing. Fine jewelry or easily damaged pieces should be kept in soft pouches or wrapped in cloth to prevent any damage. Also, an overcrowded jewelry box can easily result in lost or broken pieces.

4. Have your jewelry cleaned and checked once every year or two.

Have the jeweler check the settings to make sure the stones are still secure, and have the items professionally cleaned. Never boil jewelry as a way of cleaning it and never clean emeralds or opals in an ultrasonic cleaner. Instead, clean these stones in an ionic cleaner.

5. Don’t wear fine jewelry while doing rough work.

If you’re using any type of abrasive or chemical, these can scratch, scuff and even discolor your gemstones. Be especially careful with products like ammonia and chloride.

The first time you enter an upscale jewelry shop can be intimidating at best. You’re immediately confronted with the entirety of the jewelry market that includes diamonds, watches, pearls and more.

As a way of increasing your comfort level, understanding of the products and awareness as a consumer, it’s important to learn and internalize the basic terminology used in the jewelry industry.

Keep reading for a general glossary that is both basic but sufficiently detailed to help you make intelligent decisions.

Cut

This refers to the actual cut of a gemstone, which includes both its basic shape (teardrop, pear, etc.) and the actual style and quality of the work itself. Because cut can have such a dramatic effect on a stone’s clarity and color exhibition, it can also affect its price.

The most common cutting techniques are tumbling, drilling, lapping, grinding, sawing, sanding and polishing.

Tumbling

By placing a gemstone in a rotating tumbler filled with water and chemical or natural stone abrasives, this technique polishes the stone to define its shape. Modern techniques also include contemporary vibrating machines.

Drilling

Drilling allows the cutter to drill a hole through or into a stone, and the tools are either actual rotating drills or high-tech ultrasonic.

Lapping

The lap is a lapidary’s, or stone cutter’s, most essential tool. The lap is a flat disk that creates flat surfaces on a stone by either vibrating or rotating very quickly.

Grinding

Using diamond and silicon carbide grinding wheels, gemstones are ground into a form and particular shape.

Sawing

Using a steel or copper blade enhanced with a diamond grit edge, sawing allows the cutter to make hard cuts. Oil or water is used in this technique to prevent the stone and the blade from overheating.

Sanding

Like grinding, but with finer abrasive substances, sanding is often a finer follow-up that allows the gem worker to remove cosmetic scratches and polish the stone’s surface.

Clarity

The clarity of a stone refers to its translucency and subsequent absence of flaws. Flaws like blemishes, which appear on the surface, and inclusions, which are internal feathers or fissures, can affect the stone’s clarity and subsequently its value.

When a jeweler refers to a stone’s clarity, he or she is referring to the abundance or lack of flaws within the stone.

Carat

Carat is a term that simply refers to a stone’s weight. Except for pearls and corals, all gems are weighed in carats. It’s important to remember that carat is a measurement of weight and not size. A one-carat ruby is going to be differently sized than a one-carat diamond.

Diamonds are perhaps the most loved of the precious stones. They are known for their brilliance, their beauty and of course their color. They have other properties too such as their low reactivity to chemicals and their electrical resistance.

Diamonds are in fact just another form of carbon as is the lead in that pencil on your desk. Most natural diamonds are billions of years old. The come in many shapes courtesy of the skilled diamond cutters who craft the finished diamonds from the rough stones they start with. You may have heard of the four c’s when it comes to describing diamonds: cut, color, clarity and carat. The cut refers to the shape the diamond has been cut in. The color tells us how the jeweler sees the color, whether clear or pink for example. The clarity refers to whether the diamond is free of internal faults that dull its brilliance and lastly the carat refers to the weight of the diamond where one carat equals 200 grams.

Good diamond jewelry is expensive. The everlasting demand for diamond engagement rings helps to keep their value higher than other forms of jewelry. Diamond necklaces and earrings are also popular jewelry items and diamonds set in platinum or gold pieces will never go out of style. Of course these days we sometimes see other uses for diamonds to with everything from sandals to swimsuits being ‘blinged up’ for specialty designer pieces.

While an extremely hard material, diamonds can be chipped by sharp enough knocks so they should not be worn if there is any chance of rough treatment. They can be cleaned with a detergent or jewelry cleaning solution and a soft brush such as a soft toothbrush and dried with a lint free cloth.

These days diamonds are perhaps a little more commonplace than in years past{} but are still considered to be a beautiful, everlasting and special gift for special occasions.

Got expensive tastes? Check out some expensive jewelry or for the most expensive I’ve found readily available online: most expensive diamond jewelry

Gemstones come in a variety of categories - not just diamonds and pearls - and understanding them is an essential start to increasing your consumer knowledge about stones.

Because stones are so unique depending on how they’re formed, their chemical composition and their basic structure, they’re divided into broad categories. In this article, we’ll cover each one with a brief, but informative, overview.

Beryl: Beryl stones were historically used by warriors to protect them against foes in battle. These beautiful and clear gemstones are known for their brilliance and clarity (except in the emerald variety). The beryl is similar to chrysoberyl and quartz, but is an essentially transparent stone imbued with distinctive hues and tones.

Chrysoberyl: The chrysoberyl family of gemstones is interesting because its three variants (alexandrite, chrysoberyl and cat’s eye) are all chemically alike but have distinctly different optical characteristics and actually look nothing alike. Chrysoberyl stones typically come from Russia and Sri Lanka, though cat’s eye can also be found in China and Brazil.

Corundum: Corundum gemstones are typically composed of aluminum oxide and other trace minerals. As the second hardest category of gemstone, corundum stones are known for their versatility and durability. Rubies and sapphires, two of the world’s most popular gemstones, are both corundum.

Diamonds: Because of their unique characteristics, diamonds are their own category of gemstone. They are known as the hardest naturally occurring substance and are prized for their brilliance, translucency, and fiery color. At a base level, diamonds are created from carbon crystals that have been fused together under intense heat and pressure.

Feldspar: With a base material that’s tectonic, feldspar is remarkably unique. Typically found in areas with a high occurrence of earthquakes, feldspar is created by the heat and pressure present in these regions.

Jade: Though similar to beryl, jade is a unique category of gemstone known for its soft pliability and silky texture. Jade stones are typically composed of magnesium and calcium elements.

Organic Gemstones: Organic types of gemstones include amber and pearls. These are gems created not from mineral sources, but rather natural ones. For example, amber comes from the sap of trees while pearls are created from oysters in the sea. Organic gemstones are typically replicated using high-quality plastic rather than synthesized crystals.

Quartz: As the most common type of mineral in the world, quartz is typically used for scientific purposes, as a base gem or in costume jewelry. However, there are valuable quartz stones, including citrines, amethysts, onyx and carnelians. Colored quartz or flawless quartz can often command a high price on the jewelry market.

Why buy what everyone else wears? Be unique, treat yourself to original, standout handmade jewelry designs from independent artisans and craftsmen. Handcrafted beaded jewelry is so much more distinctive than anything you’re going to see at your local mall.” Tatyana’s Beaded Jewelry” provides you the chance to own handcrafted beaded jewelry designs, including semi-precious gemstone jewelry and sterling silver jewelry - all one of a kind, all unique to you, beautiful affordable luxury.

Explore Tatyana’s Beaded Jewelry store and indulge in the luxury of my unique handcrafted artisan jewelry. The focus at Tatyana’s Beaded Jewelry is on gorgeous handmade one-of-a-kind contemporary beaded jewelry made from glass, Swarovski crystal , sterling silver, and semi-precious gemstones as well as handcrafted beadwork pieces made from seed beads - the type of jewelry known as artisan jewelry.

Here you will find handcrafted jewelry for all women and for all occasions - beautiful beaded jewelry designs embodying function, fashion and fantasy.

Check out all the lovely handcrafted jewelry using gemstones, Swarovski, crystals and pearl and my hand-woven beadwork. Take a look at fabulous handcrafted beaded necklaces. Beautiful handmade beaded necklaces for all occasions-day time or evening, casual or dressy. Beaded necklaces are perfect gifts for women. Handmade beadwork necklaces are luxurious and you will be a standout when wearing any of these soft, supple works of art.

These handcrafted beadwork seed bead necklace designs are truly unique pieces and will never again be duplicated exactly. Each one is woven by hand, bead by tiny seed bead with needle and thread. Handmade beadwork necklaces make great gifts too - purely distinctive pieces of jewelry. Handcrafted beaded bracelets are truly unique works of art, handmade one-of-a-kind pieces.

You will find bracelets for any occasion, all of them beautiful and durable. Handmade beadwork bracelets are woven from glass, seed beads. Beadwork is a type of jewelry that has a luxurious look. These handmade beadwork bracelets are very supple - not the slightest bit stiff. Many of these bracelets are beaded as well as woven in beadwork -with beads added as embellishments. Handcrafted beaded earrings made from gemstones, Swarovski crystal,freshwater pearls, shell, gemstones wrapped with silver and 14K gold filled wire.

Unique handmade beaded pendants are unusual pieces of jewelry and very distinctive. Some of these beautiful pendants are created from various gauges of sterling silver and 14K gold filled wire, gemstones. Some of them are hand-woven in stitches such as Peyote, Brick and Spiral rope. Most of these handcrafted pieces are made from beads.

Learn how to find the best place to buy diamonds - video tips.

There are many different types of jewelry that can be worn and many of these are adorned with gemstones. Generally the gemstones that are placed in jewelry are of a precious and semi precious nature. The stones that are used are very popular ones like diamonds. Lately black diamonds have begun to make their appearance in the jewelry scene.

While these black diamonds are becoming more popular due to marketing tactics they are not seen widely nor do many people consider having black diamonds in rings. This is probably due to the fact that the black diamonds don’t have the glittery sheen that is apparent with white diamonds. As with all fancy colored diamonds the formation of black diamonds is very rare making this a very expensive piece of jewelry to own.

Regardless of the price though there are some people who like to wear these black diamonds as men’s rings. This trend is very small however as many jewelers consider these black diamonds as being imperfect stones and therefore not worth the time that it would take to cut and shaped them. So if you would like to wear jewelry that has black diamonds embedded in them you will have to make enquires from reputed jewelers if they have these gemstones in stock.

Other than this you will have probably have to look on the internet for online jewelry stores where you can buy your black diamonds from. Once you have found such a place and you are prepared to buy the diamond for the going price you will need to trust that you have found a place that will sell you quality black diamond jewelry. As these types of jewelry pieces are very hard and rare to find you should look at the different designs that are available and see if there is one that appeals to you inspite of the price.

Having obtained your black diamond jewelry you can see for yourself if the piece was worth the amount that you paid for it. There is another way that you can get good quality jewelry with black diamonds embedded in the design. You will need to locate a gemstone store that has black diamonds for sale. Having verified the quality and seen if the price is one that you can afford you will need to purchase the amount that you need for your design. The next step is to find a goldsmith or jewelry maker and give your design to them.

You will have to trust at the end of the jewelry making process you will be the owner of a unique piece of black diamond jewelry. To find quality jewelry takes time and to be the owner of jewelry with black diamonds means that not only should you have a discerning eye for the excellent quality items in life but you should be prepared to pay for them as well.

It is one thing to buy jewelry because you like it, but a whole different matter when you want to make a statement – a fashion statement, that is. Recognizing that consumer tastes shift on a whim, jewelry designers are constantly developing new lines of fashion jewelry and keeping a pulse on shopping trends to bring to you diamond jewelry which is stylish, unique, and so very satisfying.

We’ve been following these trends for many years and have noticed that customers are always looking for the newest, brightest, biggest, and most beautiful diamonds. Just what are the current trends? Read on and we’ll explore what is hot today!

Multiple Diamonds, Not Just One – Diamond solitaire engagement rings remain popular, but lots of buyers are choosing three-stone rings featuring a large center stone flanked by a pair of smaller diamonds. And, oftentimes these stones are quite big – no minimalist look here because its show time when sporting three-stone rings.

One Carat Will Just Not Do – Diamonds under one carat will always be popular, but larger stones containing three carats or more are gaining with couples who want to flash some bling. Five carat diamond solitaires were never very common, but a growing number of customers want the biggest stone that they can get.

White Diamonds Are Beautiful, But Colored Diamonds Are Awesome – White diamonds remain the most favorite diamond color sold, but fancy colored diamonds are prized for their scarcity. Pink is very trendy, but so are other rare colors including green, blue, orange, purple, and black. The rarer the diamond’s color, the more that these stones will cost. However, yellow isn’t a color that diamond buyers want as it is considered undesirable, therefore not something to be prized.

Some Settings Never Change – More than two thirds of all diamond engagement ring metals are yellow gold, but there is interest in white gold and platinum. Platinum is by far the priciest, but it is prized by those who like to flash around their big stones and expensive bling.

Fashionistas – Not content with buying store brand diamond jewelry, consumers continue to flock to leading designers to see what they have to offer. Danhov, Leon Popov, and M. Geller are some of the top names in fashion jewelry today, offering a wide range of beautiful rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and more. Today’s savvy consumers are just as likely to buy their jewelry by the name as they are by its style and price.

Of course, buying any type of jewelry is a personal decision one based largely on your tastes and flair for drama. Consumer tastes may be changing, but savvy jewelers serve all types of shoppers from the traditional buyer to the celebrity diva.

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Bryan Peter offers you helpful tips on Diamond engagement rings Platinum engagement rings, loose diamonds and specializes in giving latest diamond education. Our company is a leading diamond and jewelry store offering all unique products. For more tips on buying engagement rings and jewelry and please visit Diamond wedding ring or contact author at: brayan.peter@gmail.com

Appraising jewelry goes beyond determining its value - it refers to its quality, color, condition and aesthetic beauty. Because jewelry can be so valuable, it is important to have high-end pieces appraised by an independent, qualified gemologist and appraiser.

However, it is possible to do a quick home appraisal or a mental overview in your mind when looking at a piece for sale at a bazaar or local antique market.

While appraisal of diamonds or any other jewelry isn’t easy, you can give any piece of jewelry the once-over to get an idea of its authenticity and possible value. To learn some great tips that will help you appraise your jewelry simply and easily, keep reading.

Ask to See the Original Purchase Receipt

If you’ve purchased the item yourself, you should have the receipt stored in a safe place, like your family files or a safety deposit box. Knowing the original purchase value can be a great gauge for inferring a piece’s modern-day value.

Check Online for Similar Pieces

If you know you’re dealing with a 6.5 millimeter diamond that’s approximately one carat set in a simple gold band, you can get a rough idea of the pricing. Of course, this can vary wildly depending on the stone’s cut, color and clarity, but it’s a start.

Track the History of the Jewelry

If you’re dealing with a necklace discovered in a trunk in the attic, try to find out which family member acquired it and from where. Knowing and understanding the history of the piece can help you or a professional appraiser get a clearer picture of the item’s value as an antique. Also, if you’re purchasing the item, say at a yard sale, don’t hesitate to ask the seller about the piece’s history.

Get a Good Idea of the Stones and Materials

Try to identify the materials used in your particular piece of jewelry. Is it gold, silver or tin? Are those diamonds or glass? Are you looking at pearls or imitations? Knowing the gemstones and metals used in a piece’s construction can help you get a better grip on its value.

Learn to Identify a Fake

For example, a flawless emerald is sure to be a fake along with a flawless and perfectly round pearl. A diamond with no internal flaw is probably an imitation as well. If you’re not sure, always have an item tested by an independent and qualified gemologist and appraiser.

Consider its Weight

Typically, the heavier a piece, the more it is worth, but this doesn’t always hold true. Fine and light pieces that use exceptional stones can sometimes be worth substantially more than their heavier, yet lower-quality counterparts.

“Buy your Diamond from a Reputable Retailer!”

What does this mean? How do I tell if the retailer is reputable or not?

Buying a diamond can be a scary undertaking these days. There is an abundance of information available to consumers, but not all of it is accurate. Hopefully we can clear up a few of the myths and give you some guidelines.

Apart from teaching you the basics about diamonds and the 4 C’s, diamond buying guides usually also advise consumers that they should shop at ethical, honest and reputable retailers?

Our advice is to ask if the diamond is certified and to see which laboratory issued the certificate or grading report. The quality of the certificate, or lack thereof, goes a long way towards telling if you are dealing with someone reputable and professional.

A diamond certificate or diamond grading report is only as good as the laboratory who issued it.

The certificate should come from a reputable, independent and recognized laboratory.

Diamond certificates from respectable labs, meaning GIA, HRD, AGS or DCLA, are totally necessary if you want to compare diamonds intelligently.

We suggest that before buying an expensive item like a loose diamond you should do some research first.

Internationally recognized diamond grading laboratories such as AGS, DCLA, GIA and HRD grade diamonds with the highest standards. All of these diamond grading laboratories utilize strict procedures, have the most advanced equipment, and affiliations which meet the strict requirements for recognition by international trade organizations.

When buying diamonds you should exercise caution because it is up to you, the consumer, to verify the credentials of the diamond grading laboratory and the diamond merchant, wholesaler or jeweller you are dealing with when buying diamonds or engagement rings.

If when buying a diamond the jeweler tells you that buying a certified diamond is unnecessary, or that there will be an extra charge associated with an independent certificate we suggest that you be extremely cautious and shop for diamonds elsewhere.

Valuations or appraisals are NOT the same as a diamond certificate or grading report.

A diamond certificate documents the complete quality and description of the diamond, it includes information on shape, carat weight, clarity, fluorescence, colour grade, measurements, proportions and finish grade but they never mention the value of the diamond.

Be even more cautious of website dealers who issue their own ‘in house diamond certificates’ or ‘manufacturer’s grading reports’ as these simply are NOT independent certificates and they are NOT from a recognized laboratory.

For a diamond certificate to be reliable and useful it must have been issued by a reputable, independent laboratory which has had no financial interest in the stone to avoid any conflict of interest. If you’ve never heard of the institution that is offering a grading report, don’t hesitate to ask about its credentials and that of the people who graded the diamond. Diamond grading laboratories which grade to IDC International Diamond Council rules, do not just use the opinion and expertise of one person. They must grade the diamond and have the opinion and consensus of three qualified diamond graders before the grade is applied to any diamond.

A diamond certificate should not be judged by its appearance and graphic design. Just because someone calls themselves a laboratory or opens up a business to do diamond certificates and valuations after having completed a gemology course, that does not mean they have the needed technical equipment, qualifications, knowledge and expertise.

These small local labs often lay claims of being independent, recognized, and having state of art equipment but what about the qualifications of the directors, graders and that of the person who graded the diamond? Did they test for all types of treatments and any enhancements? Do they guarantee that the diamond is natural? Was the diamond laser inscribed using a cold laser? Do they grade diamonds to set international rules and standards?

It is one thing to produce great looking certificates but it is extremely important that the certificate or grading report has accurate information and is technically correct.

As a consumer, the diamond certificate or grading report is your safe guard when buying a diamond. Diamond certificates are invaluable documents that show in detail a diamond’s credentials, so why wouldn’t you check the credentials of the laboratory who graded the diamond and the retailer or diamond dealer as well?

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In general, rings tend to gather soap, dust, sweat, grit dirt, food particles, etc underneath the stones and they rings tend accumulate more dirt particularly if you’re wearing it all the time. If you’re the dirt, grim and oxidizations build up behind the stones, it can considerably weaken the setting that will make the ring lose its stones. In order to clean diamonds and other precious gem or stones, simply put them in diamond and jewelry cleaner or cleanser or any other original solution that is manufactured from a good trusted company; see that they are non acid based. You may gently scrub them to clean, once again see that you use a good quality jewelry cleaning brush or any other soft bristled cleaning brush designed especially for delicate jewelry. If its necessary scrub gently behind the stones also, it will help brighten up your stones magnificently! If you got any doubts in the cleaning procedures, read the ‘Directions for Cleaning’ which will be mentioned behind each original bottle.

When it comes to cleaning stones, you need to remember that even the strongest and hardest gem stone variety might be susceptible to damages, breakage and cracks; this is because most of the gem stones form as crystals that have directional hardness. If the gem stone is heavily included it may be slightly weaken. If you got an expensive ring set with any soft gem variety or with a stone, remove it before you start your house hold chores or any other work or exercise, always be cautious that you don’t hit or knock your jewelry or gem on a solid surface. Even though diamonds are known to be the hard material, they might have a tendency to cleave in two when it is hit with great force. Similarly other precious stones like Sapphires and Rubies have strong tenacity but they might crack or chip if they are hit sharply.

Most of the gem stones are really hard when compared to metals; these gems can also scratch other gems and spoil the jewelry finish, hence never place them together or allow them to rub one another. Always think twice before using ultrasonic cleaner for gems. Some sapphires and diamonds will be okay to be used in an ultrasonic cleaner but other kind of gems might get damaged: if you got doubts, don’t take chances just leave them out while cleaning especially these kinds of stones like Tanzanite, Emeralds, heavily included Rubies and also Opals. Materials like toothpaste shouldn’t be used at all when it comes to polishing silver or gold rings, as toothpastes will carry baking soda or other ingredients that might be too harsh and even small amounts could cause serious damage.

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Sarah Baltic offers you helpful tips on Engagement rings, Platinum engagement rings, loose diamonds and specializes in giving latest diamond education. Our company is a leading diamond and jewelry store offering all unique products. For more tips on buying engagement rings and jewelry and please visit http://www.jamesallen.com/ or contact author at: sarahbaltic@gmail.com.