Jewelry and Gemstone Care & Cleaning Tips

Diamond earrings, emerald rings, ruby bracelets, sapphire pendants; no doubt about it everybody loves beautiful gem stone jewelry. Gemstones are quite literally hard as rock, buy they can be damaged from careless handling and negligence. Here are some tips for keeping your gems and jewelry looking fabulous for years to come.

1. Remember, even the hardest gemstone variety can be vulnerable to breakage if it has inclusions that weaken the crystal structure. Exercise common sense: if you have a ring set with a softer gem variety or an included stone, take it off before strenuous exercise. Even the hardest gem of them all, diamond, can shatter in two with a single well-placed blow. Never remove rings by pulling on the stone: that habit may result in a loose, then lost, gem.

2. Most importantly, store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.

3. Rings in particular tend to collect dust and soap behind the gem, particularly if you wear them all the time. You need to clean them regularly to let the light in so your gems can shine. To clean transparent crystalline gemstones, simply soak them in water with a touch of gentle dish soap. Use a bowl of water rather than the sink to eliminate the risk of anything going down the drain. If necessary, use a soft toothbrush to scrub behind the stone. Rinse the soap off and pat dry with a lint-free cloth (you want to make sure threads won't catch on the prongs) For diamond, ruby or sapphire, a touch of ammonia in the rinse water won't hurt a bit and can add extra sparkle (for platinum and gold only, not silver!). Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds and rubies and sapphires will be fine but many other gems many not be, in particular emerald, opal, pearls, peridot: when in doubt, leave it out.

4. Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular. Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light.

5. Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, require special care because they are rocks, not crystals of a single mineral like transparent gems. There gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it. Never use and ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution.

A little care and common sense can add life, luster and longevity to your precious jewelry and gems. Protect your investment by following the above guidelines.

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Sterling Silver Jewellery

Sterling silver jewelry: silver and gemstone rings, sterling silver earrings, bracelets and pendants are some of the hottest fashion accessories today! Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautifully sterling silver jewelry compliments fashionable clothing and how it sparkles and shines; now here is the rest of the story.

Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnished and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.

Silver is the most common of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry.

The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.

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Pearl Necklace for Your Wedding Day

The elegant beauty of a strand of pearls has fascinated brides for centuries. People believe that wearing pearls on their wedding day will bring bliss to their marriage.

Pearls are classic wedding jewelry. How do you choose that perfect pearl necklace?

Here are some tips:

There are four types of pearls:Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls, SouthSea pearls, and freshwater pearls. Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls grow in oceans. They are more valuable than freshwater pearls for their rarity and high luster.

Akoya pearls are the most popular. These pearls are valued for their rich color, mirror-like finish,and appealing roundness.

As with any other gemstones, the value of pearls is determined by their quality.

A pearl's quality can be A, AA, AA+, AAA, AAA+. The last two, AAA and AAA+ pearls, have the best quality and they are most valuable. For pearls of the same size, an 'A' quality pearl necklace costs only a small fraction of AAA quality pearl necklace.

The quality and value of pearls are based upon six criteria: luster, nacre, surface, color, shape, size and matching. The educated buyer uses his or her preferences to decide which criteria are most important.

Nacre: Most buyers of pearl jewelry pay most attention to the pearls' nacre thickness. Nacre is the coating that a pearl oyster produces to cover the pearl's nucleus; it is the key to how long pearls last. You should look for pearls with nacre thickness over 0.4mm.

Luster and Surface: Luster is the amount of light reflected from the pearl's surface. A strand of pearls with high luster, mirror finish and clean surfaces is most desirable and valuable.

Color: It is a personal choice. Consider buying a pearl necklace whose color will complement your clothing and your skin tone.

Size: The price of pearls that are larger than 7mm varies greatly. People usually buy the largest pearls they can afford.

Shape: Round pearls are most desirable and valuable.

Matching: For a pearl necklace or bracelet, matching refers to the ways in which all of the pearls are similar. It is difficult to find enough identical pearls to make a well-matched pearl necklace; therefore such a necklace commands a top price.

After you have decided the type, color, size and quality of pearls that you want, think about your budget.

Take your time to shop around and find that perfect pearl necklace for your wedding day!

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Diamond Hoop Earrings - Beauty and Elegance

Earrings have long been a great gift for many young girls and women. With so many options and possibilities, they fit with any budget and nearly everyone enjoys them. A great gift for someone in your life would be a pair of diamond hoop earrings.

Hoop-shaped earrings with diamonds come in a variety of shapes, styles, and prices. There are drop diamond hoops, as well as the normal diamond hoops. The drops have your standard loop at the ear, and then have a drop adorned with additional diamonds or other gemstones.

As with any fine jewelry, you will find hoops in different colors and levels of clarity. In addition to color and clarity, you will be able to find different shapes and sizes of diamonds. You may not have quite as many choices as you would in other pieces of jewelry, such as pendants or rings, but you will still have a great selection and choice.

You can choose between hoop-shaped diamond earrings made between several types of precious metal. Many are fond of 14k, 18k, or 22k white or yellow gold. Alternately, you can also get them in sterling silver, platinum, titanium, or stainless steel.

Your hoops do not have to consist solely of diamonds. You can purchase them with beautiful gemstone combinations. A birthstone, or even multiple gemstones, can be unique and stunning jewelry.

For all of your jewelry needs, visit the people at DiamondSafe.com where you will find a vast selection of items everyone can afford.

People who want to buy diamond jewelry should check out Diamond Safe. This popular online retailer stocks a wide variety of ring, bracelets, and diamond hoop earrings, among many other types of jewelry. You can easily purchase wonderful diamond jewels for that special someone by going online and visiting http://www.diamondsafe.com.

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How to Spot Fake Jewelry

You are walking to your car in the parking lot of a casino and a nice, well dressed middle aged lady approaches you, removes a heavy gold chain from her neck and offers to sell it to you for a hundred bucks. She tells you that she just lost the money that her husband had given her to put in the bank and needs to try to win it back.

You look at the chain and it is stamped 18K and is easily worth ten times the amount that this desperate compulsive gambler is asking. Should you buy it? If you do you will probably be the third mark she has suckered that night. Shes not a compulsive gambler and the 18K chain is not real either.

Fake gold chains that are stamped 14K and 18K can be bought on the Internet now. They even come in great looking counterfeit jewelry boxes as well. How do you avoid being taken by this scam? Its simple. Don't buy gold jewelry from strangers off the street, because without exception in will be a fake.

Even designer jewelry is counterfeited now with an authentic stamp on it and that goes for any type of designer jewelry. Another common item that is passed off as being the genuine article is fake Rolex watches. It too may come in a box and will also always come with some type of story of how the seller is in desperate need of quick cash.

How can you tell a fake Rolex from the genuine article? Its simple, because the second hand on a fake Rolex will move with a "tick" while the second hand on a real Rolex "sweeps" smoothly. If the seller of any jewelry is unwilling to go to a jeweler to have the piece looked at before you buy it then you can bet it is a fake.

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Antique Diamond Rings Have Special Value

Antique diamond rings retain special value. Since they have had a former life, often within a family, they have special value and are an especially nice gift or possibly a special engagement ring, because they have a particular sentimental value.Antique rings from other sources can also dispense a special or very romantic value to those who prize history, or even romantic notoriety.

Purchasing an antique diamond ring

If purchasing an antique diamond ring, it should only happen after you have identified the ring and you know what the special qualities are that classify and qualify the diamond ring as an antique ring. For the ring to be classified as antique, it should be at least one hundred years old. This can be determined by examining the certificate which will designate the origin and the original date of purchase.

A certificate should be able to determine the diamond's origin, and many diamond rings can be traced back to origins in the Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian era, although these are not all that could qualify.

Many of these antique diamond rings are charming and priceless because of the fact they have history. Antique rings have stories that attach them to royalty, notable people, special notorious romantic involvements, and sometimes even romantic tragedies, which make the ring both interesting and especially romantic.

These antique diamond rings should always be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity which adequately supports any verbal or implied claims of it's history. If you are dealing with a reputable dealer, such a certificate should be available to support these claims.
Even with this documentation, it is a wise idea to have it checked by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which is the one organization that can assure you of the accurate gradation and authentication of a diamond.

How to best use an authentic antique diamond ring

Antique diamond rings are in a special class by themselves, since they are only in limited supply, and they have stories to tell. The best use of an antique diamond ring is for a special gift to someone you especially love. That could include your fiance, for a very romantic engagement or wedding ring, your wife as a special gift to remind her just how loved and valued she is, or to your mother to signify how much you appreciate all her efforts. unqualified love, and support.
More diamond certificate information, and facts and folklore related to precious gemstones.

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