Jewelry FAQs
How can I tell if my gold jewelry is real?
The only way to tell if your gold jewelry is real is with an acid test. Nitric acid is most commonly used. By dipping the piece into the acid it reveals the structure of the metal. Gold is a noble element which means that it is highly resistant to bonding with anything, and incredibly stable. Gold now will be gold in 10,000 years no matter what chemical process happen. The acid test is how miners would test materials to find out the gold content. When the gold is placed into the acid, absolutely nothing should happen. If there are other metals in the material the acid will fizz and bubble. When the material is removed, gold will remain gold, but the other metals will have an intricate patchwork design with an iridescent quality, obviously not gold.
What properties are important when choosing a diamond?
Cut: An exceptionally cut diamond can create a beautiful brilliance, and a poorly cut diamond may appear dull. Many gemologists believe how a diamond is cut is the diamonds most important attribute. Width and depth play a huge role how light travels in the gem. If cut too shallow the diamonds radiance will be lost. The light travels out the sides. When a diamond is cut too deep the diamond will appear dull. By doing this the light travels out the bottom of the stone.
Color: Diamonds act like a prism, by doing so it divides light in to a spectrum and colors reflect light in to bright flashes called fire. The diamond acts as a filter when looking through it, the spectrum will reduce. The less amount of color in a diamond, more brilliant its fire and the better its grade. The color rating system goes as follows.
D: Positively colorless. This is the highest color grade, and is in turn exceedingly rare.
E: Colorless. Small traces of color are able to be detected by a gemologist. This is also a very rare diamond.
F: Colorless. Slight color is seen by a gemologist, still considered "Colorless" grade; and a high quality diamond.
G-H: Almost colorless. Color is more noticeable when compared to the higher grades of diamonds. These diamonds exhibit an excellent value.
I-J: Near colorless, color is slightly detectable.
K-Z: These grades of diamond are inferior in quality. They lack fire, and brilliance that consumers look for in a good diamond.Clarity: This is the way the (GIA) Gemological Institute of America grades a diamond for flaws, or inclusions. These can be scratches, trace minerals, or something else to detract from the pure beauty. Clarity ratings are as follows.
FL-IF: Flawless
VVS1-VVS2: Has minute inclusions, they are very difficult to see.
VS1-VS2: Slightly included not usually seen without magnification. These are less expensive than VVS1 or VVS2 grades.
SI1-SI2: These diamonds are slightly included. Some flaws are at times visible to the unaided eye.Carat Weight: This is the actual size of the diamond.
When buying fine jewelry what is the importance of the registered mark (k)?
The registered trade mark shows the differences in quality. For example: "14k" means 58.3% is pure gold, "18k" is 75% pure gold. When you see the stamp "14k" this means that 14 of 24 parts are pure gold. The remaining 10 are alloy. Alloy is a mixture of several different metals added to strengthen, or in some cases to change the color to a whiter tone or a rose tone. Platinum is the hardest and rarest of all metals used in jewelry making. It can be marked with "PLAT," or "950 PLAT." The United States requires the manufacturer's trademark to be stamped on the piece to provide authenticity
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