PRECIOUS METALS

 

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

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

• Platinum is 95% pure (PT950)
  Palladium in 95% pure (PD950)

• Gold
  18ct is 75% pure (750)
  14ct is 58.4% pure (584)
  10ct is 41.7% pure (417) (10ct is the minimum for some countries to be classed as gold, eg. USA & parts of Europe)
  9ct is 37.5% pure (375)

• Fine silver is 99.9% pure (stamped with a half moon shape)
  Sterling silver is 92.5% pure (925)

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

• A high carat like 18ct would be our recommendation, 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 and Palladium are also great options as they are strong long-lasting metals, whereas silver is not recommended for wedding jewellery.

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DIAMONDS

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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.

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What are the 4C’s?

• Carat:  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 colour scale for transparent diamonds runs from D-F (colourless), G-J (near colourless), K-L (faint yellow), to Z (light yellow).  

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

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GEMSTONES

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What is a gemstone? 

• A gemstone is a mineral, rock, or organic material that is used for jewellery, ornamentation, or art. The ones that are mainly used in jewellery are precious gems, such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, and semi-precious gems, such as tourmalines, garnets, pearls, corals, aquamarines, and opals.

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

• The precious stones are diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire, while all other gemstones are semi-precious.

• This distinction reflects the rarity of the respective stones in ancient times: all precious stones are translucent with fine colour in their purest forms, except for the colourless diamond, and are very hard (8-10 on the Mohs scale).

• Other stones are classified by their colour, 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.