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Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning jewelry. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Pendant Necklace
January 29, 2008
Blue sapphire engagement rings have been known to be preferred by royalty because the blue sapphire stone is even more rare than a diamond and is almost as hard. This is a nice factoid to share with your number one queen as you slip a blue sapphire engagement ring on her ring finger. Blue sapphires come in a range of shades from a light to deep blue. The blue color is due to the level of titanium in the stone: the more titanium, the richer the color. However, too much color can actually create a dull black effect, reducing the price of the stone.
Most blue sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Madagascar. Burmese sapphires tend to cost more than those from Sri Lanka and Madagascar due to their brilliant color. Kashmir blue sapphires are the most rare and expensive of all as the supply found in a remote region of India was exhausted around a 100 years ago, thus escalating price and demand.
Prices for blue sapphires depend on whether or not they’ve been treated (with untreated costing much more) as well as color, cut, tone (lightness or darkness of stone), saturation (degree to which hue is hidden by other shades), and clarity. One carat blue sapphires can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
Buy your ruby engagement rings with pride! Don’t let anyone tell you that diamonds are better as engagement rings. Only you and your potential spouse should decide what fits in with your style, taste, and budget……..not popular opinion…. or your future mother-in-law. Besides, you can always tell the nay-sayers that large rubies are even more rare than diamonds. Rubies belong to the corundum family. Any other color besides red from this family is considered a sapphire. Rubies are almost as hard as diamonds. Diamonds are considered a ‘10′ on the hardness scale while rubies come in at a 9. Rubies have somewhat less clarity than other gemstones and tend to have at least some small inclusions. Most rubies are heat-treated to improve their color, but stones in their natural form do exist. Cushion cut and oval rubies are the most common shape. Burmese rubies are considered to be the most desirable.
You may be able to save money by purchasing a ruby with a slightly off-shade i.e. a little bit lighter or darker than what is considered ideal… a vivid red color. You can also save some dough by purchasing synthetic versus natural rubies. Rubies belong to the corundum family. Any other color besides red from this family is considered a sapphire.
Rest assured that buying opal engagement rings for your partner will not bring them bad luck but perhaps even the opposite. Concerning the opal gemstone superstition, some still feel that it is bad luck to purchase an opal for oneself, but good luck if someone else gives one to you. Throughout history there have been negative connotations associated with opals. Interestingly enough, it is said that the diamond dealers became nervous in the 18th and 19th century about the beatiful gemstone stealing away diamond customers and further perpepuated stereotypes of the opal to prevent this from happening. The powers that be tried hard to defeat this bad luck urban legend when huge amounts of opals were found in Australia.
I personally love opal engagement rings. With their rainbow hues, I just think opals are some of the prettiest stones around. The rainbow shades are oftened referred to as a ‘play of color.’ Most of the opal supply come from our Aussie friends in Southern Australia.
Here’s the science behind the opals. Opals are a noncrystalline form of the mineral silica which are formed from amorphous ‘balls’ or ‘lumps’ of silica. In other words, water in the ground carrying dissolved silica seeps through sand and dirt, where the silica particles are deposited in cracks. As the water evaporates, the silica particles cement together to form the opal. The color is caused by the diffraction of light. Where the tiny spheres of silica are of a similar size and arrangement, the light reflecting from them is divided into its spectral colors, and the stone appears to contain all the colors of the rainbow. Where the spheres are larger and less uniform, the range of color is more limited.
One of the major downfalls of opal engagement rings compared to diamonds is that opals are a much softer stone. While the diamond is considered to be a 10 on the Mohs hardness sclae, the opal rates between a 5 and a 6. This means that over time, it is possible for the opal to break and you must be careful to treat it with care and look for a ring setting that best preserves its integrity (i.e. semi-bezel is a good choice).
Opals exhibit an impressive color range. They can be white, pink, green and blue, gray, or black. Australian boulder opals are the most durable of opals as well as the most robust in color. As a result, they are considered to be valuable and are pretty pricey Black opals are actually the most rare and expensive. They have a dark backdrop with a rainbow colors or deep blue-green hues. Fire opals, which have any color backdrop but exhibit an unusual amount of red color play are also fairly rare
There are a thousand legends and stories related to the opal gemstone.
The Ancient Greeks believed opals fell from heaven during flashes of lightning and provided individuals with the ability to see into the future.
The Romans thought that wearing opals made one more lucid in thought and spontaneous in action.
Can you believe this? In his play ‘Tweltfh Night,’ Shakespeare made use of the gemstone to make an analogy between the opal’s changing colors and the ever-changing moods of a woman. Hmmmmmmmm…….not sure if I like the comparison.
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The author just recently celebrated her one year anniversary and sports a beautiful ascher cut diamond on her ring finger. She and her husband put together http://ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help you find the perfect engagement ring.
January 27, 2008
Mille Miglia 2002 Chronograph runs on an automatic movement with ETA caliber with Dubois Depraz chrono mode. It has 38 jewels and 40 hours of power reserve with COSC-certification for chronometer.
It uses stainless steel case with polished finishing. Its diameter is 40.5mm and has a thickness of 12.5mm. Its sapphire crystal is curved and treated with anti-reflective on both sides.
The caseback has the embossed Mille Miglia race run logo and a sapphire crystal showing the movement within. Its water resistance is up to 50m.
The dial is black and the subdials are decorated with circular beads. It has luminescent Arabic numerals as well as luminescent baton central hands that are rhodium-plated. The bezel is engraved with tachometer scaling.
There are three counters on the dial which are all silvered and decorated with circular beads. The counters indicate the small seconds at 3 (with the famous red arrow that indicates ?1000 Miglila?), the hour counter at 6, and the minute counter at 9.
Its second hands running around the center has a red arrow at its tip. The minute track with a 1/5 of a second division marked by luminescent triangular markers is printed on the dial. Its date display is located between 4 and 5.
It uses a very special rubber that has treading that resembles the Dunlop Racing tires used in the 1960s. It has steel clasp for its buckle. The other version available is the yellow gold comes in 250 pieces limited edition.
More information on Chopard
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Copyright 2006, Leroy Fong and Mens-Watches-Guide.com
Reprinting this article is allowed provided all references and acknowledgement to the author, the website, and the URL remain intact.
Leroy Fong
Mens Watches Guide | Wrist Watches for Men | Mens Dress Watches
January 26, 2008
Looking to buy watches online? We can help! Once you have located the exact model and brand you want, how do you know if the merchant you are dealing with is reliable and will deliver the good. Most importantly how do you know if the watches especially the higher-end ones are genuine but not replicas.
Approved By Accredited Body
The oldest but the most safest way is to speak to a friend whom you know who have dealt with the merchant but even better than this and the testimonials posted on the merchant’s site is through the endorsements done by 3rd parties, such as accredited bodies namely, BBB Online.
BBBOnline is a subsidiary of the more well known Better Business Bureaus. As of this writing, BBBOnline has over 27,000 website merchants that are enrolled into their Safe Shopping program to identify trustworthy businesses on the web.
A merchant who is enrolled into this program has basically met the minimum requirement of operating 1 year in business, a satisfactory complaint handling record, provides verified information on the company ownership and management with street address and telephone number at which they conduct their business.
Return Policy
Another way to ensure the watches you purchased is in good working condition is by checking out the merchant’s return policy. Typically a 14-30 day return policy is not uncommon. On your end to make the return a smooth one, you should ensure the product is unused and make sure all materials are returned and this includes, manual, box, and warranty card.
Take special note that shipping charges are not refundable and there is usually a 5% restocking fee if you are exchanging for another watch instead. If the watch is faulty, a good merchant should cover the cost of shipping the replacement items to you.
Fraud Protection
Web security is an often overlook feature by most consumers. To ensure that your payment details are not stolen by unscupulous hackers, make sure the merchant you deal with has put in place at least one of the following protection mechanism on their ecommerce site such as VeriSign Secured, GeoTrust, CyberSource, Amex Fraud Protection or HackerSafe.
If you are still undecided about buying watches online and would like a summary of the merchants which you can buy watches online from, please visit http://www.Swiss-Watches-Guide.com Our findings will help you even if you are not buying swiss watches. We have done the due diligence based on pricing, availability of models, reliability and customer experience to arrive at the following merchants for your purchase convenience.
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Copyright Statement
This article was written by James Lam and may be reproduced on any jewelery-related website provided this copyright statement is displayed unedited in its entirety at the foot of the article and you use the exact same HTML code to ensure a clickable link back to the author’s site. Further articles are also available. Contact the author for more information.
Copyright ? http://www.Swiss-Watches-Guide.com
January 24, 2008
Jewelry has become a popular seller online in recent years, so you’re bound to see thousands of designs while shopping for jewelry on the Web. How do you choose what type of jewelry and where to buy it? It’s easy with this free shopping guide.
Types of Jewelry
Finding the right type of jewelry involves several factors: favorite designs or styles, colors and size of the jewelry.
Matching Jewelry with Your Outfit
Everyone has his or her favorite jewelry designs or styles. Whether it’s silver or gold, costume jewelry or any other type, there are thousands of designs to choose from. Let’s start with stones. Stones are used in rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even body jewelry. There are real diamonds, birthstones, cubic zirconium, crystal stones, gems, pearls, black onyx and many others. Some jewelry has multiple stones while some uses only one stone. Stones might represent one color or come in a blend of colors.
Choose stones that match the colors in your clothing for maximum appeal. But don’t stop there! You can also choose stones to match the occasion. Pearls are beautiful for formal gatherings, but not so much for a ball game! On the other hand, a black onyx necklace or bracelet would go beautifully with a business suit or formal attire.
Another part of design to consider is how the jewelry is presented against clothing or the skin. Do you like jewelry to ‘hang’ loosely or lay flat? Do you like necklaces to be long, short (against the neck) or somewhere in between? The best way to find out is to try on several pieces of jewelry to see what looks best on you. If possible, wear your matching outfit when you go shopping for jewelry. This enables you to match the jewelry to your outfit right there in the store! If ordering online, hold your outfit near the photo of the jewelry on your computer screen to get a match. It really works!
Theme Jewelry
Theme jewelry is very popular today as well. Choose themes for the occasion or just to express your likes. Some jewelry themes include:
*Animals (cows, birds, snakes, cats, frogs, rabbits, elephants, leopards, etc.)
*Nature (trees and flowers)
*Holidays (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving)
*Patriotic
*Funny (clowns, jokers, sayings
*Religious (crosses, emblems)
Jewelry Gifts
When shopping for jewelry gifts, observe the jewelry the recipient wears to get an idea of the styles they like. Consider the recipient’s age. Is he/she an adult, teen or young child? Shopping online enables you to search for jewelry by category: Women’s Jewelry, Men’s Jewelry, Children’s Jewelry, and Teen Jewelry. This makes it much easier to sift through thousands of jewelry products.
Online Shopping Tips
When searching for jewelry on the Web, be sure to narrow your search to the types of jewelry you like. Use the styles and themes mentioned above to narrow your search. It’s even better if you can find an online mall and search for jewelry all in one place. These malls offer categorized jewelry items with photos for easy shopping.
Don’t be shy of malls that offer other products. These usually divide their jewelry into one convenient section. You can even do your other online shopping while there. Many of the online malls offer a variety of products, including electronics, cell phones, outdoor supplies, sporting goods, computer supplies, collectibles and many others.
Shopping for jewelry has never been easier. With online resources, you can find jewelry for yourself or gifts for others in no time!
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Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about At-Home Shopping Guide for Jewelry or Majon’s Jewelry directory.
January 23, 2008
6 Rules for Avoiding Ripoffs and Finding a Great Stone at a Good Price
Are there great bargains in gemstones on the internet, as many people claim? Or it as risky as the tourist who buys gems on the street in Bangkok, hoping to sell them at a profit back home, only to find out he’s bought worthless glass?
The simple answer is that some buyers of gemstones on the internet do get ripped off, or at the very least, get less than they paid for. But at the same time, experienced buyers routinely find excellent buys ? perhaps not the fantastic bargains that some claim, but choice and value that far exceed what they can find in retail outlets where they live.
So what do you need to know to buy gemstone online? Do you need to be a gemologist in order to tell the fake stones from the real? What about all the gem treatments that people talk about — heating and ‘cooking’ of gems? How can you tell whether a gem has been treated? Or does it really matter?
Here are 6 rules that will help you become a successful buyer. Follow them faithfully and your chances of finding excellent values in gemstones online will be as good as the experienced buyers who had to learn the hard way.
1. Know why you?re buying
There are 3 main reasons why people buy gemstones ? because they are collectors, or because they are investors, or because they want a lovely stone to set in a piece of jewelry.
If you’re an investor, you want a gemstone that will appreciate in value so you can sell it for a profit later. Our advice: don’t even think about buying an investment-grade gemstone on the internet. The stones that appreciate most are rare stones, and rare stones are expensive (we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars). Find reputable dealers near your home and establish a business relationship. Insist on lab certifications to protect your investment. And good luck. As much as we love gemstones, we think we’ll stick with mutual funds for our retirement.
If you’re a collector, you might want to buy stones on the internet. There are many reasons to collect gems, just like collecting cars or stamps. A collector might aim for breadth in his collection, and try to collect samples of all the different varieties of gemstones. Or he might focus on one gem and collect sapphires from all the different regions where they’re mined (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Madagascar, Tanzania, etc.). The possibilities are endless.
The collector usually has a shopping list, so the internet is a very good way for him to locate items for his collection from many different dealers. Of course if he is looking for very rare items, he becomes more like the gem investor ? as soon there are very large amounts of money on the line, the rules change. Then he’s better off dealing in person with dealers near his home.
Finally, we have the most typical buyer ? someone who is looking for a very nice stone to have set in a custom piece of jewelry. This includes craftspeople who are making jewelry, either for their friends or as a small business. If you’re willing to spend a little time, you can find a tremendous choice of gems and many excellents values online. But you need have some idea of what you want. If you don’t make a list of requirements you’ll be overwhelmed by the variety of gemstones, colors and shapes. You need to focus on specific gems and educate yourself about the specific kind of stone you want to buy.
2. Know what you want
So what do you want this gemstone for? A ring? A pendant? Earrings? It’s an important question because some gemstones are suitable for some ‘applications’ but not for others. Every gemstone has a hardness rating (on a scale of 1 to 10). Some stones are very hard (like diamond, ruby and sapphire) and some are quite soft (like opal, sphene and fluorite). Softer stones are not suitable for rings, because rings typically take a lot of knocks and scrapes. But softer stones are fine for pendants or pins or earrings, where they are less likely to be damaged.
Next, think about your preference for gem type, color, shape and size. If you have your heart set on a sapphire, that makes your search easier. But if you know only that you want a brilliant red-orange stone for a pendant, you want to narrow your search to a group of gems, such as citrine, fire opal and garnet.
Finally, decide how much you?re willing to spend. Attractive natural gems come in all price ranges, from $5 to thousands. You’re not going to find a nice sapphire or ruby for $5, but you can find many beautiful stones in the garnet and quartz families, for example, for very affordable prices (under $25).
The key to a successful buy is getting the best possible stone for the best price. It’s all about value.
But it’s not just about buying the best possible sapphire, for example, that you can buy for $300. The fact is, the sapphire that meets that description might not be the right thing for you at all. The best sapphire for $300, based on gemological critieria, might be only 1/4 of a carat! But you may be looking for a stone of at least 1 carat for a ring. So it’s a question of what you can find that meets all your criteria. The gemological critieria are actually only one factor in this buying decision. You need to buy the best stone for you.
3. Know who you’re buying from
Five years ago it was hard to find online gemstone dealers. Now there are thousands of them. Who can you trust? Who has the best prices? Who ships reliably? Who has a fair return policy?
These days there are many online gemstone companies who are honest and reliable and sell quality product. If they’re not, they don’t stay in business very long. Negative information travels fast in the global internet village and good companies guard their reputation as much as they do their bottom line. So selecting a reputable company is extremely important. Check the search engines for negative comments on companies you’re considering ? if their customers have been unhappy, you’ll find plenty of references.
Here’s a short list of what to look for:
* Does the dealer provide his company name, physical address, phone, fax and email? Don’t deal with someone who tries to hide his identity.
* Has the dealer has been in business for at least a few years? Bad companies rarely survive that long.
* Is the dealer committed to customer satisfaction? Some dealers just want to make a sale, but real businesses want you as a long term customer. It’s usually easy to tell the difference.
* Does the dealer provides photos and descriptions for each individual stone? Some dealers have stock photos and descriptions and can’t be bothered to photograph every stone. Don’t buy a stone without detailed information of that specific stone.
* Is the dealer forthcoming with information about gem treatments? An honest dealer will disclose all treatments. Does he provide lots of reference information so you can educate yourself about the gems he has for sale?
4. Use a safe payment method
Pay for online purchases with a payment method that offers you some consumer protection, such as a credit card or PayPal. Do not ever, repeat ever, pay by money order or wire transfer or any method that leaves you no recourse if you are unhappy with your purchase.
5. If you can’t return it, don’t buy it
Your best protection in any purchase is your ability to return the item for a full refund. Buying a gemstone on the basis of a photograph and a description is not foolproof, and if you’re not completely delighted with what you’ve bought, return it. If the dealer doesn’t have a ‘no questions asked’ return policy, buy from someone else. If the dealer stands behind his product, he’s unlikely to be trying to pull any fast ones on you. His money-back guarantee mean he’s very confident that you’ll be happy with your purchase. Beware of unreasonable restocking fees — anything over 5% is not really a money-back guarantee.
6. Understand the economics of the gems business
Use your economic common sense. The gemstone business is just like any other business ? people buy material, they add value to it, and then they find a way to reach the market. If the seller buys a lot of material, he gets it at a lower price. If the goods have to pass through many hands before they reach the consumer, then those goods are going to be more expensive. If the dealer has a lot of expenses ? high labor costs, a big marketing budget — you’re the one paying for it. Companies become successful when they are committed to their business and have many happy customers.
So what does all this wisdom mean for you? I can sum it up for you in this way:
* Buy close to the source. If you’re buying on the internet, your supplier is never further away than 3 days by air courier. So cut out the middlemen whenever possible.
* Buy from suppliers who have a significant stock ? it means they are volume buyers and have lower costs.
* Buy from a vendor who is committed to the online business. Check to see if new content is added regularily to his website, and if the gem stock is current. Don’t buy a gem unless the vendor can guarantee that the specific stone is in his stock.
OK, so you?re still a little worried, right? What about all those ripoffs? What about the fake stones and the heat treatments and all the technical stuff that gemologists go on about?
A large part of your problem is solved by choosing a reputable dealer. Reputable dealers don’t sell fake stones. As a business strategy, it’s simply stupid and risky. No one wants to put his whole business at risk for the sake of a little extra profit. Do be aware that there is a market for synthetic (i.e, lab-created) stones. In the case of a sapphire, for example, this is a not a fake stone ? it’s real corundum, the same stuff as a genuine sapphire ? but it’s not a ‘natural’ stone. A dealer selling such a stone will always label it as ’synthetic’.
As far as gem treatments are concerned, assume that the gems you are buying are treated, with heat or irradiation or chemicals or a combination. For the most part, these treatments are permanent and do not affect the physical integrity of the stone. It’s a fact of the gem business today that most gems are routinely treated to improve color. It’s the reason why there are affordable gemstones at all in the market. If you?re buying a $10,000 ruby that the seller claims is untreated, then you need to get a lab certification on that gem before you pay that kind of money. We don’t recommend buying $10,000 rubies online. But when you?re buying a very nice sapphire for $300, you can be fairly sure that it’s a treated stone. What matters is that you find it beautiful, and that you’re delighted with the the final result.
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Ron Nash
GemSelect www.gemselect.com
January 18, 2008
I won’t bore you with detailed descriptions on the science of titanium, firstly because I’m no real authority on the subject, but also because I want to talk about its use in modern day jewelry. Having said that, I think a simple introduction to titanium is necessary, just so an appreciation can be had for this special metal.
It was not used widely until the late 1940’s, when it was recognized as being one of the strongest readily available metals for its weight. Its uses are varied and are employed in a whole range of practical applications. It’s considerably lighter than steel, around 45%, but almost as strong. It’s actually about 55/60% heavier than aluminum but has twice the strength.
Anyhow, enough of the science and more on the jewelry. Recent years have seen a phenomenon in the interest of jewelry made from or including titanium. I would go as far to say that it has actually become all the rage of late, with every high street jewelers offering a range of designs in titanium rings, wedding bands (often with gold platinum and or diamond inlays), titanium bracelets, chains, and necklaces.
Most good jewelers are also available for custom orders, especially on titanium rings, and most are only too happy to assist you with any of your own personal ideas and designs that you may have. Titanium jewelry is also very popular with the men, and personally speaking, as a male, I like it for its light weight, its resistance to corrosion, and most importantly, for its strength. Titanium really is a very strong natural element metal that is heat, cold, and extreme pressure resistant making it a great choice for wedding bands in particular, which are often worn 24/7.
However, it think it’s fair to point out that there’s no such thing as the ‘bullet proof’ jewelry, no matter what it’s made from, and titanium jewelry is no different. Well actually, that’s not quite true, as it is different in as much as it takes one heck of a lot more time and abuse before it will show any signs of scratching than the other popular metals. Additionally, it will not break or wear down like soft metals such as platinum or gold for example, but given time, it will eventually become a little lackluster compared to its new state, but nothing in comparison to the others.
Titanium, as a metal, is less costly than platinum, but looks just as good in my opinion. At least to the untrained eye anyhow! What I particularly like about my wedding ring is that it doesn’t cause any kind of skin irritation and it’s extremely comfortable to wear. I think comfort is so important when something lives on your finger.
Titanium jewelry comes in many guises as mentioned above, but it’s its popularity in wedding bands that has really taken off. If you’re soon to be married and you haven’t yet selected or designed your rings yet, I think you should do yourself a favor by at least checking out the range of titanium wedding bands. You really will find a great variety or truly outstanding designs to choose from. Titanium wedding rings are as exquisite as any platinum or gold designs and should be on the ‘options’ list of any happy couple.
Titanium jewelry is here to stay and I can only see its popularity growing ever stronger over time.
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Andy Maingam is a proficient writer and webmaster for Only Stones dot com where he has articles on Blue Topaz and Black Pearls. He also has other gemstones related pieces on the site.
January 17, 2008
Could you believe that until 1960 or so no one actually knew how opal got its color? Firstly, let?s answer the question what color are they? The answer is simple: every color you could think of. Opals cover the full spectrum of color.
Then there is just about every mix of colors that you might imagine. I don?t think I could name a color that I haven?t seen in opal.
It is easy to understand why some gems get their color. Sometimes it is a make up of the crystalline structure, or it might be and mostly is because there is some element such as iron, copper, aluminum or something else which is basically an impurity which gives the gemstone its color. Why are rubies red? Why are emeralds green? Well, as one example, it is chromium, vanadium or iron elements in the stone which make that lovely green colour. Why are diamonds clear?
Most miners used to think and many still think that the colour of opal comes from impurities in the silica gel. Colored elements that seeped through the rock, got caught up in the opal gel and as it hardened became responsible for its color. This is just not so.
Opal color comes from its unusual structure and how white light is affected by it to break into its spectral colors. In the 1960s Australian scientists, using technology not previously available, discovered that opal is composed of submicroscopic spheres which are responsible for the magic play of color. Because of this arrangement of spheres opal is the only gemstone with the natural ability to diffract light.
Naturally, the base color whether it is white, black or non existent will play a role in what an opal looks like and the colors that we see. Even when a crystal opal is set on a gold or silver plate in a pendant it will show some of the metal?s color so there are a lot of factors which promote different colors after the stone has been taken out of the ground.
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Gary Hocking makes custom jewellery specializing in Australian opals. He has his own website http://www.opaljewelryexpress.com Feel free to use this article as long as you keep the bio and the live link to his website.
As an escape from jewellery made with yellow gold we often look for other coloured metals. There is of course rose or pink gold, green gold and green gold as well as some other varieties. However, the traditional other color which has been and still is highly popular is white or silver. Silver is a great color but some people want to see more glitter and silver has that awful negative aspect of tarnishing.
So what are the choices of white? We have silver, white gold, platinum and palladium. These are our major choices today.
Let?s look at Platinum first. It commands the highest price because it is more precious than gold. It is out of most people?s budget today. But is has some wonderful qualities. It can get a fantastic high polish and is a very tough, scratch resistant and tarnish free metal. It can be combined with yellow gold to make a two tone item. In the 18th century Louis the fifteenth considered it the metal fit for a king. South American natives called it Platina or little silver and thought of it as an impurity in their silver. Today it is still on the top of the tree for white jewelry.
Then there is white gold itself. What is white gold? It is an alloy of more than one metal. It starts off as yellow gold as we know gold, and then we mix in bits of other whiter metals until the whole thing turns into a white alloy which we call white gold. White gold looks great and can be combined with yellow gold to make very attractive combinations. It has a downside in that the yellow gold wants to show through. We have a solution for this: we plate the item with another expensive white metal called Rhodium.
Next comes Palladium which is one of the platinum group of metals. It has been used as a jewelry metal since 1939 and is becoming very popular now as gold is becoming so expensive. Why do I think this metal is on the rise? Think about it this way: it is lighter, stronger, cheaper, brighter and more attractive than 18 carat white gold.
Finally let?s come back to Silver. Silver is a cheap precious metal. It is easy to work with and freely available. It is a good alternative to more expensive gold. The disadvantage of silver is that it tarnishes. Well there are two ways around that. The first is common practice and is the same treatment that is used for white gold: we plate it with Rhodium. But today there is an even better alternative. A clever Australian jewellery from Victoria has made an alloy of silver which is still called Sterling Silver which almost does not tarnish. It costs a tiny bit more than normal silver which tarnishes.
My pick of the top end is Palladium and for the bottom end is tarnish resistant silver.
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Gary Hocking makes custom jewellery specializing in Australian opals. He has his own website http://www.jewelleryexpress.com.au Feel free to use this article as long as you keep the bio and the live link to his website
What is a gemstone? A gemstone is a rock or mineral or matter of another kind such as a natural resin which once cut and polished can be held and admired by collectors or used to make jewellery.
Since cave man days minerals and rocks have been worn to adorn the wearer or for religious and spiritual protection and also as a statement of authority. Even today kings and queens almost always have the best jewels and jewellery.
There nearly four thousand known minerals but only between twenty and fifty of these are commonly made into gemstones. To be made into gemstones a mineral, rock or other matter must meet certain criteria.
Appearance is the most important factor. Possessing beauty because of its colour such as opals or for its perfection such as a white sparkling diamond, or for its inherent interesting qualities such as amber are attributes which a matter must have before it will be collected as a gemstone.
It will have to be durable enough to be worn. There are many of minerals which are too soft to be worn even though they are very beautiful.
Then it will need to be big enough to be cut and polished and made into some form of jewellery. For instance, we know that we can cut extremely small diamonds and they are still attractive but if we cut opal into tiny pieces like the smallest diamonds then it would be worthless as it wouldn?t be able to show its magnificent colours.
Next, gemstone material needs to be plentiful enough to mine or harvest. If there are only very small deposits then it would not warrant millions spent on exploration and mining operations as the returns would be too small.
Almost a contradiction of that is the fact that the gemstone has to be rare. If it was found everywhere like sand then it would just become part of the landscape and have no realistic monetary value.
Gemstones can be natural like a mineral, organic like coral, amber, ivory and pearl and they can be synthetic such as glass, moissanite and cubic zirconia. They must be beautiful, colorful, display some particular interesting quality, display perfection of form and be available enough to manufacture or mine and they must be rare at the same time.
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