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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “BLUE STAR”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
…with other gems and even today is often used as a substitute for similar looking stones. In recent years, spinel has started to move out of the shadows and be appreciated in its own right, and we can see why. Its colors rival even the … as the August birthstone! This change was officially made in 2016, but only in the last couple of years have we started to see the majority of the industry get on board. If you know someone born in August, it’s time to get excited. …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
…, you will get different colors. Opals can display just about every color of the rainbow, but hues of green and blue are the most common. Typically the higher end opals have a darker body color, and a wide range of colors. Red carries … orange body color, many of these stones have little to no play of color. The best stones have strong greens and blues that flash through the orange body color. Boulder Opal: Boulder opals are gem opal material that still incorporates …
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Fake Diamonds: The Great Diamond Attack
… and diamond lookalikes. “What is a real diamond?” is a difficult question these days. And the problem of separating a fully natural diamond from all the modern possibilities is quite demanding. So what is a real diamond? Let’s start with the older diamond look a likes, (CZ, GGG, YAG, Synthetic corundum and spinal, Glass) or simulants are quite easy to separate. The diamond tester and understanding gem properties make choosing the diamond an easy task with these older …
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Anatomy of a Ring
… ring has a shank. This is the technical term for the band of metal that encircles the finger. There would be no ring without the shank. If the ring has a distinct design feature on the top part, the ring shank is generally said to start at the point that the design stops. A jeweler will usually add or remove metal from the bottom of the shank when sizing a ring. This can sometimes be done so well that you would never know it was sized looking at the shank with your …
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Diamond Buying Guide: The 4 C’s
… of in terms of its size. If you know that you like the look of a 1 carat, for example, you can use this C as the starting point for your diamond search. Once you know the carat weight and your budget, you can adjust the quality of the … color is actually looking for the absence of color or transparency (except fancy color). The color grading scale starts with D meaning totally colorless and moves down the alphabet subtly increasing in body color. As you can see from the…
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Frequently Asked Question about Jewelry
… Diamonds in the lower range of the clarity scale. Many complained that there is too wide a gap between the SI2 and the I1 grade. Why not offer an SI3 grade to bridge the gap? After EGL – Los Angeles (European Gemological Laboratory) started to issue the SI3 grade, even the Rapaport Diamond Report, or the Rap Sheet as it’s known in the trade, added SI3 to its price list. For those who are unfamiliar with the Rap sheet, it is the definitive (but no longer only) price …
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Learn Secret Diamond Buying Skills From a Professional Diamond Buyer
… determine the price. In the final analysis, the price of a diamond is whatever two people agree it is. The easiest starting place for diamond value is carat. All carat describes is how much a diamond weighs. Diamonds are small so the … Grading These insider secrets to diamond grading allow for fast, accurate assessments that are easy to learn. Let’s start with low grade stones. If you can see any inclusion with a non magnified look at the stone, the diamond is a lower …
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Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau Style Jewelry
… which led to very different expressions in jewelry. Once you learn about the fundamental styles of each, you will start to see their influence everywhere. They are also important guide posts that can aid in dating vintage and antique …, plique-à-jour (stained glass inspired enameling), and intricate metalwork. Art Deco, on the other hand, stands in stark contrast to the unruly, free-form expression of its predecessor. Geometric Precision: Art Deco jewelry is …
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How to Sell Your Jewelry
… the value of estate jewelry and the options to liquidating it. Does this mean you have to become a gemologist just to sell your jewelry? No. But some homework and note taking can mean a much higher price paid for your jewelry. Let’s start with what determines the value of estate jewelry. Estate is a general term used to describe previously owned. That fact is one of the determining factors. Preowned jewelry by in large is not as valuable as new. Some people will never …
