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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “antique engagement ring”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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How to Value Inherited Jewelry
…their offer can be significantly lower than even the intrinsic value of a piece. We have even heard of cases where a ring with a one carat diamond and $50 in scrap gold was valued at $50 by these operations. The intrinsic values for the … some of the strongest value to jewelry, but a professional jewelry appraiser has no way of establishing or measuring this value. In the end, it is up to the family to work out a just solution. The desire to have a fair equitable division…
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The Difference Between White Gold and Platinum
… its karat. The key to understanding gold karat is the karat value over 24. An example is a 14-karat gold wedding ring. It is 14/24, which equals 58.3% gold and 41.7% alloy. The white color is achieved by a careful choice of the alloying … because if you don’t like the light yellow look of a specific manufacture, then don’t buy it. New white gold rings are usually coated with a hard protective finish of rhodium, a silver-white metal like platinum. The rhodium plating is …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Emerald
Springtime exudes life, full of bright colors and renewed energy. Emerald, May’s gemstone, captures this enthusiasm for … are predominantly found. What sets trapiche emeralds apart from other emeralds is their unique growth habit, featuring six black spokes radiating from a hexagonal core. This distinctive pattern is believed to form due to interruptions in…Elizabeth Taylor received a 23.46 carat emerald and diamond pendant/brooch from her future husband Richard Burton during the shooting of Cleopatra . She wore the emerald on her wedding day and it was later sold at Christies in 2011 for $6…
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Types of Necklace Chains
… piece of jewelry. But, what kind of chain is best for you? In this article we’ll introduce you to the staggering variety of necklace (and bracelet) chains that are available right now in the jewelry world. Each one has its own unique … and don’t often snag the pendant bail. They are also relatively strong to support the weight of a pendant during daily wear and tear. Larger link cable chains make a good base for charm bracelets. PROS Wearability – The simple design of …
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Jewelry Solder: What You Should Know
Solder is the unseen “glue” that holds most jewelry together. If you have ever had a ring sized, a chain repaired, or your wedding set joined together, you have very likely seen solder in action. But, what … will focus our discussion on gold jewelry, but the same concepts also apply to silver and platinum as well. If your ring is made out of 14 karat gold, you know that approximately 56% of it is gold with the rest being made up by a variety… solder? With solder a different set of alloy metals are used than with regular karat gold with the purpose of lowering the melting point of the finished metal. These metals–usually zinc, cadmium, tin or indium–all have low melting points…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite
…this gem as blue zoisite. The vast majority (current estimates are around 95%) of tanzanite is heat treated to help bring out the vibrant blues. The stones that haven’t been heated by humans were heated through natural effects while they … Manuel de Sousa who Ali showed the stones to. Manuel had originally thought he found sapphires, but after discovering they were too soft, he started searching for answers as to what these gems could have been. They went to MIT geologists…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Amethyst
… with the clergy and was often used in the design of religious objects. It was also believed to have the power to bring about sobriety and was given to people who were struggling with addiction. Wine glasses were even carved out of … synthetic. This is a fairly recent discovery as many low cost, high quality, deeply colored amethysts are now appearing in inexpensive jewelry. Because the cost of testing is higher than the cost of even the natural stones it is not …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
… component, the stone will appear redder. Alexandrite has a refractive index of 1.746-1.755 with an average birefringence of .010. It has a specific gravity of 3.73 and a Mohs hardness of 8.5. Because of its high hardness, alexandrite is … alexandrite’s tremendous value and rarity, it is recommended to be worn carefully or put in jewelry such as earrings or pendants that are less prone to impacts than rings, for example. Alexandrite isn’t the only stone to display color-…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
… 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 exhibit pleochroism. … than Emerald or Topaz. Because of this, some extra care should be taken with your iolite jewelry. Try to avoid wearing it in situations where it might be hit against hard objects to keep it free from cracks and small chips. Iolite is a …
