skip to main |
skip to sidebar
- Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 20) - Ruby
- Aquarius (Jan 21 - Feb 21) - Garnet
- Pisces (Feb 22 - March 21) - Amethyst
- Aries (March 22 - April 20) - Bloodstone (Jasper)
- Taurus (April 21 - May 21) - Sapphire
- Gemini (May 22 - June 21) - Agate
- Cancer (June 22 - July 22) - Emerald
- Leo (July 23 - August 22) - Onyx
- Virgo (August 23 - Sept 22) - Carnelian
- Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 23) - Chrysolite (Peridot)
- Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 21) - Aquamarine
- Sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 21) - Topaz
- January - Garnet
- February - Amethyst
- March - Bloodstone
- April - Diamond
- May - Emerald
- June - Alexandrite
- July - Ruby
- August - Sardonyx
- September - Sapphire
- October - Tourmaline
- November - Citrine
- December - Turquoise
- January - Garnet
- February - Amethyst
- March - Aquamarine
- April - Diamond
- May - Emerald
- June - Pearl
- July - Ruby
- August - Peridot
- September - Sapphire
- October - Opal
- November - Yellow Topaz
- December - Blue Topaz
- Avoid contact with soap, perfume, cosmetics and hairspray.
- Take chains and bracelets off at night, and store them flat to prevent them from breaking.
- Use a gentle soft cloth to polish gold jewelry after wearing.
Platinum (symbol PL) was accepted as a precious metal after only the second half of the 19th century and has a deep luster and a rich, white color. It is rarer and heavier than all other precious metals and is considered to be more valuable than gold. Platinum is often used to set the most valuable gems to produce the finest jewelry. Platinum is one of the most popular metals of choice for ring settings,because the strength and color of platinum enhances the brilliance and depth of diamonds and precious stones.
Silver has been known and used for thousands of years and was believed to have magical properties which could promote healing and bring good luck. Today silver is the most reflective and affordable of the precious metals. Its lower price permits bold, innovative looks. Sterling silver jewelry is often fashioned by top designers and can range in price from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Sterling silver is the standard of quality for jewelry containing 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
Gold was among the first metals to be mined because it commonly occurred in its native form; not combined with other elements, and because it was beautiful and imperishable, and because exquisite objects could be made from it. Artisans of ancient civilizations used gold lavishly in decorating tombs and temples, and gold objects made more than 5,000 years ago have been found in Egypt.The graves of nobles at the ancient Citadel of Mycenae near Nauplion, Greece, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876, yielded a great variety of gold figurines, masks, cups, diadems, and jewelry, plus hundreds of decorated beads and buttons. These elegant works of art were created by skilled craftsmen more than 3,500 years ago.
PURE (100%) GOLD
Pure gold is too soft, and is usually mixed with other metal alloys (silver, copper, nickel and zinc) to make it stronger and more durable for jewelry.
18K GOLD / 14K GOLD
18k gold contains a higher (75%) percentage of pure gold and therefore is more valuable than 14k gold (58.3%). A marking such as ’14k’ or ’18k’ indicates the karat, and you may sometimes also see the manufacturers registered trademark or the country of origin.
YELLOW, WHITE, & ROSE GOLD
Pure gold (which is always yellow) is too soft for making jewelry. The metal alloys that
are mixed with pure gold for strength can also modify the resulting color to produce
different shades of yellow, white, and pink gold. White gold was originally developed
to imitate platinum, and usually contains 25% nickel and zinc.
VALUE
There are many other factors that determine the value of a gold jewelry piece: Weight - gold is sold by weight - grams(gr) or pennyweights(pwt), the heavier the piece, the higher the gold content, therefore it is more expensive.
Design - designer jewelry is more expensive, especially if it is a one of a kind piece.
Finish - special finishes to the metal such as matte, or sand-blasted finish add to the cost of the gold jewelry piece.
The Diamond is the birthstone of April and the anniversary gemstone for the 10th and 60th years of marriage. Diamonds were discovered in India in 500 B.C., and the name "diamond" comes from the Greek word "Adamas" which means unconquerable - suggesting the eternity of love. Since ancient Greece, diamonds have been the traditional symbol of love, and the ancients believed they were hardened dew drops, splinters from the stars or crystallized lightning. A diamond is the hardest substance known to humankind, and is made of a crystallized carbon that has unique powers of light reflection. Since diamonds are composed of a single element, they are the purest of all gemstones.
It is important to do your homework before purchasing a diamond. Knowing the four C's of Diamond is a good start.
What are the 4 C's?
Diamonds are graded in four properties which will determine its cost and value. And these four C's are: Cut, clarity, color and last but not least carat (which is the weight).
1) Cut: Cut is referred to two aspects of the diamond, its shape ( round, oval, square, pear etc ) and also its facets ( round diamonds, for example, are usually cut with 58 facets.) The number of facets and quality of the cut is what makes light reflect back to the eye of the viewer. The more facets on a diamond, the more light is reflected. When cut properly, the diamond will sparkle more. Also you should know that diamond cuts are measured by the table percentage. A good table percentage is between 55-60%. Studies have shown that table size, crown angle, and pavilion depth have a dramatic effect on a diamond’s appearance.
2) Clarity: Clarity ranges from flawless (perfect) to I (included). The clarity will play a big part in the cost of your stone.
Flawless: perfect inside and out
Internally Flawless: may have minor blemishes on the outside
V VS1, V VS2: have very very small inclusions. V VS1 inclusions can only be seen through the pavilion. V VS2 inclusions are more visible.
VS1, VS2: have very small inclusions. VS1 inclusions are harder to see than VS2. (most commonly purchased)
SI1, SI2, SI3: have small inclusions (most commonly purchased)
I1, I2, I3: have inclusions visible to the naked eye
3) Color: Colorless or near-colorless diamonds are the most precious. The majority of diamonds contain slight traces of yellow or light brown when viewed under a jeweler’s loupe, but to the naked eye may appear colorless. The value of a diamond can boost by a single increase in color grade. "Colorless" or "rare white" diamonds are of color grades D, E and F. Diamonds of color grade D are very rare, and extremely valuable. In nature, diamonds can also occur in shades of red, pink, blue, green and deep yellow - These are called "Fancy diamonds".
4) Carat: Here you will learn the size and weight of your stone. Let's go over the point to carat. 100 points = 1 carat (1ct). 50 points is therefore = 1/2 a carat (1.5ct). The larger the carat the more expensive the stone. Keep in mind, however, that a diamond which is 1.90ct can be far less expensive than a 2ct diamond yet the size visually can be nearly unnoticeable.
Larger diamonds are both rarer and more desirable and therefore the value will increase in sharp jumps, combined with the color (how white is the diamond?) The clarity (how visible are the inclusions?) and the cut (shape and facets of diamond that determine the reflection) will all bring a certain value to the stone, each property is important, some will choose a larger stone of 1ct and sacrifice on the clarity, others will prefer a near flawless but smaller stone, how you choose your stone will determine its value and final price.
Jewels Quest is going through major changes in 2007. We are renovating and updating many aspects of our business. With a new team on board, we are working toward expansion and improvements.We will launch our new site, an e-commerce site coming this Fall, and we are also working on our own personal jewelry collection for 2008. We also have another exciting project on the side which we will reveal hopefully by end of this year.Fall is going to be a time of renewal. Jewels Quest is growing slowly but steadily, we are excited about its new directions and look forward to share them with our customers!
