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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Letter B”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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How to Clean Pearl Jewelry
Pearls are considered by many to be symbols of purity and chastity. But even symbols of purity get dirty from time to time. As you know … produced when a mollusk secretes nacre to form a covering around a foreign body in its shell. Pearls are not as durable as gemstones produced by the heaving pressure beneath the earth’s surface. Therefore special attention should be …thing that you take off. Common personal products like cosmetics and perfume can severely damage pearls. They should be cleaned in warm soapy water periodically, gently scrubbing individually with a soft brush. A soft brush must be …
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Star White Gold
How white is your white gold? Style, fashion, and beauty are all reasons to choose white gold. White gold compliments diamonds. White gold is bright. White gold has a …. Grade 3 is off white, grade 2 is standard, and grade 1 is premium. This means that when white gold is made, it can be yellowish to light yellow. When white gold rings are new they are coated with a white metal called rhodium. Rhodium…. The rhodium plating is used to make the white gold look whiter. The natural color of the white gold could actually be a light yellow color. The rhodium is very white and very hard, but it does wear away eventually. Regular, Plus, or …
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How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
The dream of making a beautiful and valuable diamond from simple carbon has long captivated the imagination of scientists and visionaries … of old who sought to turn lead into gold, many have tried to achieve this impressive feat. We have only recently been able to produce gem quality, lab grown diamonds that are large enough to be used in jewelry. But, how is it done? …have successfully synthesized diamonds. However, it was not until relatively recently that a documented and reproducible process was demonstrated. Henri Moissan was one of the early pioneers in the field. In 1893, he claimed to have …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
Iolite is maybe not the first gemstone people think of for their blue-violet jewelry, but it should be near the top of the list. …, and violet competes for public attention with sapphire, tanzanite, and amethyst. They may have name recognition, but iolite has a rich, unique color and great gem value on its side. It is more subtlety nuanced than amethyst and … its violet color. It is from the Greek word “ios” meaning violet. Unlike many other popular gems, iolite cannot be heat treated to enhance its color. The color you see is the natural color of the stone when it was first discovered. …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
For much of human history, rubies have been the most prized gemstone. But, what is it about this red gem that has captivated our hearts and minds … long? Is it ruby’s color? It’s rarity, and thereby its high cost? Or, is it something deeper? Whatever it is, ruby’s impact on humanity is broad and deep, with arguably the richest history of all gemstones. Gemology of Ruby Rubies are… with sapphires. Corundum is an extremely 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 …
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Anatomy of a Ring
Knowing the different parts of a ring can help you make a better decision when choosing a new ring and it can help you know when your ring may need maintenance. It’s also a fun… friends with your vast knowledge of jewelry terms. Shank Every 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 … 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 …
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Is a Lab Grown Diamond Right for Me?
Picking a diamond for your engagement ring is a big decision. For most of us, buying a diamond is a significant financial undertaking, and we want to get it right. … school physics?). Even more unfortunately, the diamond industry suffers from a lot of misinformation and paranoia both from inside the trade and from outside observers. I have heard people say that natural diamonds come with a 400% … are conflict diamonds (both wild falsehoods). On the other hand, I have heard some in the industry refer to lab grown diamonds as fakes (also completely false). We’re here to help cut through some of the rhetoric, so you can make an …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
Opal has been described as containing the wonders of the skies, sparkling rainbows, fireworks, and lightning. Its dazzling play… in the gem world, and the lore that surrounds it is almost as colorful as the gem itself. Opal is the traditional birthstone for those lucky enough to born in October, and it is found in a huge variety of colors (sometimes all within …known as opalescence . The colors seen in an opal depend on the size and arrangement of these spheres as well as the background colors and the gem’s transparency. This captivating optical phenomenon gives rise to a diverse range of …
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Jewelry Solder: What You Should Know
…had a ring sized, a chain repaired, or your wedding set joined together, you have very likely seen solder in action. But, what is solder and how is it different than the rest of the metal that makes up your jewelry? What is Solder? To …should know that the metals that make up our jewelry are actually a mix of multiple different metals in different combinations called alloys. For the sake of simplicity, we will focus our discussion on gold jewelry, but the same …
