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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “14k plat us”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Jade
Jade has one of the richest heritages of all gemstones. People have been using jade from as early as 6,000 BC, and it has been an incredibly important part of Asian, Central American, and … different gems: nephrite and jadeite. These are actually two unique mineral species, but since they have been confused for so many years, and are similar in many ways, they are both referred to by the blanket term “jade”. Both … gem market. In fact, jadeite is often sold by the individual piece instead of by weight like most gems. This is because even small differences in color or imperfections can drastically change the value of the gem. History and Lore of …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Pearl
… this most unique gem. How Are Pearls Formed? Pearls are formed when a foreign object enters the shell of a mollusk and irritates the soft mantle tissue within. In response to the irritant, the mollusk secretes a substance called nacre … the vast majority of pearls available today are cultured. A small bead or piece of tissue is implanted into the mollusk’s shell, which then secretes nacre around it, just like it would with a natural irritant. The resulting pearl is …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
… range of opal varieties each possessing its own distinctive beauty. The distance between each sphere of silica causes interference with light breaking it up into its spectral hues. Depending on how the spheres are packed together, you … refractive index of 1.37 – 1.47 and a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6. This makes it one of the softest gemstones commonly used in jewelry. For reference, here are the Mohs hardness values for some other gemstones you may know: Diamond 10, …
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The Difference Between White Gold and Platinum
Do you prefer learning from videos? We created an in-depth video on the differences between white gold and platinum which you may like. The first difference between white gold and platinum is the most basic and is the foundation… the other differences. White gold and platinum are different metals. White gold starts out as gold. Gold is yellow. Platinum is itself a white metal. White gold and platinum have their own properties that make them unique. How is white …
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Understanding the Diamond Buying Game
… favorite soft drink tasted different in every can you drank? You expect a coke to taste like coke everywhere. In business, this is called a commodity. The soda is the same and you can shop based on price or convenience; the product is …Diamonds are not this way. The four C’s of diamonds are not that old, less than 100 years. Before that system every business and diamond seller had their own system. It was impossible to buy a diamond without seeing it first. The GIA …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Peridot
… could chase away evil spirits and dissolve curses but only when set in gold. Peridot is the birthstone for August. It is also the accepted anniversary gemstone for the 16th year of marriage. Peridot’s unique yellow-green color is very …determining the value of a Peridot gem. The deeper green the peridot is, the higher its value. There is a lot of confusion over the pronunciation of peridot. It is actually pronounced “pear-a-doe” instead of “pear-a-dot” although you …
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Alternative Metals for Men’s Jewelry
… very recently, men only had a handful of choices when choosing a metal for their wedding band. Gold, silver, and platinum are all excellent metals which make great wedding bands, but with the advent of new technologies the “big three” … it an outstanding ring to wear every day. Tungsten Tungsten carbide jewelry has a nice weight to it like gold and platinum, but it is much more affordable. Tungsten carbide bands are extremely scratch resistant. Tungsten does not bend …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
… durable form of aluminum oxide with a Moh’s hardness of 9. This makes ruby one of the hardest gems commonly used in jewelry second only to diamond (which has a Moh’s hardness of 10) and moissanite (which is in between). Rubies only …that they emit fluorescent light at a very specific wavelength (694 nanometers) under certain conditions. Scientists used this fact to build the world’s first functioning laser in 1960 using a flashlamp and a synthetic ruby. This …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
… appears to be different colors when observed at different angles, especially with polarized light. Pleochroism is caused by differing absorption of light rays in doubly refractive crystals. Thus, no singly refractive gemstone can …of transmitted light depending upon its crystallographic orientations. Iolite is one of the most pleochroic gemstone used today. It is iolite’s pleochroism that led to its most important historical use. Vikings used iolite slices to …
