Choosing An Engagement ring Is A Matter Of Individual Taste And Personal Style
When you think about it, buying an engagement ring, and more specifically diamond engagement rings, requires a lot to be considered. It has always been a tradition to present a woman with a diamond engagement ring, and this practice is believed to have begun when Archduke Maximilian presented one to Mary of Burgundy in the year 1477. To begin with, you must first of all establish how much you can afford to spend and a two month salary figure should do you well in this regard.
Diamonds Are The Top Choice
Diamonds are obviously the top choice when it comes to choosing an engagement ring and there are many shapes to choose from. You will find round shapes, square as well as rectangular shapes, as also oval and pear shaped diamond rings. Furthermore, according to the Gemological Institute of America there are three types of diamond cuts, and these include the brilliant cut, step cut as also the mixed cut.
Cuts are not the same as the shape as they refer to a diamond’s proportion that includes its depth as well as width and also the uniformity of all of its characteristics that control the diamonds brilliance, durablility as well as other features. A popular shape often chosen for a diamond engagement ring is the oval shape. Also, you will see a lot of pear shapes in diamonds that can be cut in various proportions. And, similar to the pear shape is the heart shaped diamond that is often fat or elongated.
What the best engagement ring is depends on individual taste as well as choice, and it can be something simple such as a solitaire, or is more decorative having side stones or baguettes, which though very pretty, end up costing a pretty packet as well. A typical engagement ring will have a setting as well as the band. The setting is what holds the diamond and the band is what surrounds the finger.
It is usual for the setting to be made from platinum, and given its strength as well as durability, is even used on gold rings. In addition, you would need to verify whether you want a four or six prongs ring with four prongs being used to show off more of the diamond while the six prongs is used to hold the diamond more securely. It may be better to use the six prongs so that there is little risk of losing the stone.
When selecting the band of the engagement ring you will need to establish the size which can be accomplished by visiting a jeweler and having the finger ring size taken, or you can borrow a ring from your partner to get the size in such a way. In addition, you need to decide on what materials to use and the typical engagement ring is most often made from platinum and gold, though this is a matter decided by individual tastes and style.
All in all, deciding on the setting and the band should allow you to then narrow your choice to the typical engagement ring that best fits in with these two criteria. If you do not wish to have prongs in your setting you may opt for pressure to hold the diamonds in place, or use can be made of channels in which to insert the diamond.
For more information from Brian Welsch about Engagement Rings check http://www.ringsforengagement.com
How to Proof Real Gold
One of the ways to proof real gold is to melt it down, but of course it will destroy the jewelry, after you melt it you will need to bring it to a metal analysis company that can split the metals apart, and analyse the quantity of gold in the clump of metal.
Take it to a pawn shop that buys gold they will test it, it is very simple and, some shops won’t even charge you. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Take the ring to a jewelry store and have an acid test done it is simeple will not hurt the ring and cheap to do. It will tell you the carat of gold. The jeweler uses a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid. The ring is gently scratched onto a “touchstone”, and then a couple of needles of known karat are also rubbed onto the stone. The aqua regia dissolves the alloy immediately, leaving the gold, and the higher the karat, the more yellow the mark left (though it eventually all dissolves).
Take the ring to a reputable jeweler, other than the one you bought it from. Ask to have a carat test done it will let you know if it is gold and the carat of the gold. 24 carat being pure 10 carat being the lowest that can be legally called gold in the USA.
I have a yellow gold diamond bangle that have the initials “pd” with a crown on top of the initials, that was given to me as a present. How can I find out if this is real or not?
Well, can’t see the piece here, but I do know that jewelry with PD on it often means it was crafted with Palladium. Not to mean that your piece is not gold, but that’s a signifier that it might be a mixed metal.
The poster may no longer be here to read this, but a very simple way to tell if somehting is real gold is to put some foundation and face powder on the back of your hand and then rub the gold against it. If a black mark is left behind it is real gold. Real gold creates a chemical reaction with most makeup that fake gold will not.
If the gold is real the molacules in the gold will be more packed together which makes it heavy. However if the gold is fake the molecules will not be as tight and not very heavy. If you place real gold in water it will probably sink and displace water if its in a jug. If its not real gold it will probably float. It’s all about density and how much water is displaced.
Usually if a piece of jewelry is gold it will be stamped with the stamp 14k or 12K stamp on the inside of a ring, on a clasp or a necklace etc. If it is a chain, “pile” the chain in a messy pile real gold chain will not “kink”
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/ . FashionJewelryStore.info carries the best selection of fashion jewelry, watches and fragrances on the market. Start looking for diamond jewelry here: http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/stone/diamond.html
The Method Of Testing Jewelry
I know of no accurate way to test the chains with home made methods. An acid test is the best way to find out. A jeweler should do this for a very small charge.
If gold plated, not gold through and through, the plate will eventually wear away and the chains will tarnish in those areas. If a brass like metal is underneath, the color when shiny is close to gold and it might be hard to tell the difference until tarnishing happens. There are several ways I have seen suggested for home testing but I cannot recommend any as being reliable.
Acid tests are done by two methods. In one case, a bit of the item is rubbed onto a small slate “test stone”, rubbing hard enough to remove some metal from the surface of the item. Gold of a know karat is also rubbed on the stone. Acid is placed on the marks and observed. If the sample dissolves right away, it is not gold. If the sample remains, the color is compared to that of the acid effects on the known samples and from that an approximate karat value is assigned. The test is better at telling what is not gold than closely telling the karat of the gold.
The other method is to make a mark on the jewelry in a place that shows very little. The mark must go through the surface and a bit into the metal. Acid is applied. If not gold, the metal is generally a base metal containing copper and the acid will bubble with a green color. This is a sure giveaway the item is not gold through and through. If the item is gold, the test may leave a darkened, tarnished looking spot or a dull spot on the metal. This can be polished and brought back to a shiny surface.
The jeweler may be incorrect is saying the chains are too light in color and too shiny to be gold. Gold can be as shiny or dull as the factory wants to make it. Color depends on the karat of the gold, with some color variations in the same karat of gold depending on the actual recipe used to make the gold suitable for jewelry.
What the jeweler may be referring to is the “look” of the typical heavy chain, stamped 14k with no makers mark, gold plated and not solid gold. We see these ever so often. These chains have a faky look, shiny but not well finished. I have seen so many those fakes are fairly easy to spot but a test is really needed to be certain.
As for prices, I hesitate to quote a price based on weight only. Too many other factors play, such as quality of the item in the first place. Quality varies from very fine manufacture to really cheaply produced items, made to sell at lower prices.
Look for a makers mark on the items you have. To meet federal law, the karat stamp should be there along with the makers mark. The karat stamp alone with no makers mark is clue to dishonesty. The mark is required to hold the maker responsible for the karat stamp being true and accurate. A karat stamp does not have to be put on an item but if it is, the makers mark is required by law.
ictor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/ . FashionJewelryStore.info carries the best selection of fashion jewelry, watches and fragrances on the market. Start looking for diamond jewelry here: http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/stone/diamond.html
How To Read Jewelry Marks
The number markings on precious gold jewelry are a bit of confusion to lots of people. We are generally used to seeing a karat or silver mark like this: 10K, 14K, 18K, Sterling, etc. The numbers mean the same thing.
For 14k the number is technically 583 but most manufacturers adopted the European way and make 14k gold a tiny bit over 14k, so the mark is 585 in most 14k jewelry. 18K is marked 750. If the mark is valid and there is a makers mark also in the jewelry, the number means these items are 18k gold.
Here is where the numbers come from. Pure gold is called 24 karat. For 18k gold, there are 18 parts of pure gold mixed with other metals to make the metal suitable for use in jewelry. 24k is too soft alone to stand up or to hold stones well. 18 parts pure gold divided by 24, or 18/24 equals 750. That is where the number comes from. The jewelry is 75% pure gold, 750 parts gold with 250 parts other metals out of “1000″ parts. It is easier to think of it as a percent which is pure gold in the recipe.
Sterling silver is marked 925. Sterling is 92.5% pure silver and the rest is other metal, generally copper.
What does it mean if the ring marked 14K PR? The 14K simply means it is 14K (Karat) gold and because of the K means it would have been made in either South East Asia or The United States. The PR marks are just the Maker or Store ID or even a design mark, and have no relevence to the Value.
The basic decimal formula to work out the quality of gold content is quite simple, as they are all measured in ‘Parts per Thousand.’ This means that 9ct gold is calculated like this: 9 (for 9ct) is divided by pure gold (24) and then multiplied by 1000 (for pure gold as a decimal). ie: 9/24*1000=375 That 375 is the decimal quality for 9ct gold and is sometimes shown with a decimal point in front - .375
The old Victorian standard of 15ct gold is calculated the same way - 15/24*1000 = 625 (Not quite the numbers you have on your jewelry. Dental gold is 16ct or 666 recurring. But you can also reverse this formula by starting with the decimal and working back. ie: 375/1000*24 = 9
In your case we can use 698/1000*24 = almost 17ct
I have a platinum engagement ring and found a wedding ring that I really like but the band is made of palladium. Is it safe to wear these two metals together without one damaging the other?
It will wear the softer metal OVER TIME but that could take many years. My Grandmothers wedding ring eventually wore away the band of her engagement ring but it took over 20 years to do.
Platinum and Palladium and quite good together but I would take the advice of your local friendly jeweler and have them check both rings. Sometimes the Platinum may be a lower grade in order to make it harder - so have that checked.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/ . FashionJewelryStore.info carries the best selection of fashion jewelry, watches and fragrances on the market. Start looking for diamond jewelry here: http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/stone/diamond.html
Black Smudges From Your Diamond Gold Necklace
Here is the response from a discussion with Victor about a necklace I bought: “I would say since you purchased your necklace at a major retailer and not on a street corner or from a friend, the necklace is most surely 10k gold, just like they had said. Look for a stamp on or near the clasp part. You should see 10k or the numbers 417; both mean 10k. The numbers are the amount of gold mixed into the metal to make it 10k quality for jewelry.”
What is the main reason for the black smudges? Ok, it is gold then why does black get on you clothes? This used to be one of the great mysteries of jewelry but now the most likely reason is make-up. That means make-up like ladies wear. Make-up is ground into very fine particles and seems smooth. With a really close look with magnification, make-up has very fine particles in it. These particles act just like sandpaper on the gold!
Since the sanding action is so very fine, the particles of gold that rub off are too small to show the gold color to the eye and simply look black, like a smudge. I believe this is about 90% of the problem ladies have with gold showing smudges on skin or clothing. Seems strange but this is true!
Other reasons for the black smudges. Is, if you don’t wear make-up that could be getting on the necklace, there are some possible other reasons. The problem with these are elusive and hard to track down to one reason or the other for the smudges. If you have worn gold like this before and had no problems, it becomes sort of a detective case. Ask yourself if make-up brand has changed. Ask if any meds might have changed. Ask if you are using a hot tub or swimming in the new necklace.
We have already talked about make-up. The meds is mentioned simply because in some cases, changes in medicines can affect the body chemistry and the chemicals the necklace will contact on your skin. This can sometimes lead to smudges from a chemical reaction to the jewelry metal.
Hot tubs and pools contain chlorine and that is not only damaging to jewelry but can cause a tarnish that will then become smudges on clothing. The tarnish parts are so fine you might not notice on the necklace and general cleaning does not remove that from inside the necklace links; so, smudges can come from tarnish on the gold and get on your skin or clothing.
Salt air will also cause smudges. The chemicals in the air react with body salts and oils and stuff in the air to cause a tarnish on the gold. This tarnish will sometimes be rubbed off onto clothing as the necklace moves along the cloth.
That about covers the black smudge causes. Sometimes it is truly a mystery and I have seen it happen with 10k, 14k, 18k jewelry. My suggestion first of all is to think about what I have said and see if any changes in make-up or meds or living conditions have happened since the necklace was purchased.
If you have other 10k necklaces, do you get any smudge from them? If not, then it is some component in the new necklace causing the problem. Different manufactures use different mixes of metals to make 10k gold for jewelry. Some will work for almost everyone but once in a while a person will find smudge problems with no apparent reason.
Like I said before, I would have to believe the necklace is the gold the seller says it is. The smudges happen with all kinds of karat gold jewelry, depending on the person wearing the gold and the environment. There is no simple cure unless you get a clue from your life and my suggestions of causes.
I would suspect that then necklace is not gold or since it is stamped 10k it is a low karat gold, only 37.5% gold and the rest is what may be causing the black color. Do you get any blacj on your skin? Usually if you take the piece back to the retailer they will refund your money or give you credit for another purchase.
It is probably the alloys used for the mix in the 10k are not stable or badly alloyed and is causing the black color. The best thing to do is to take it back. Try to go up to at least 14k. If the same thing happends with the 14k then it might be that it is the makup that you are using or it is something totall different. Either way you look at it there is something wrong with the alloy or it is the makeup that you use.
It that is true then you should try out silver and see how that works out for you. You might not like the silver but if you don’t get black smuges on your cloths or skin then it might just be the gold itself or the kind of alloy.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.DiamondGems.info/ . DiamondGems.info carries the best selection of diamonds and diamond jewelry on the market. Browse through our selection of loose diamonds by size, cut, and shape here: http://www.DiamondGems.info/subcategory/loose-diamond.html
Antique Jewelry Insurance
Antique Jewelry or old fashioned jewellery as it is often referred to is jewelry that is of a certain age usually over 70 years old. Antique jewelry is treasured as it has often been handed down through generations holding memories and meaning.
Many people buy antique jewelry as an investment, this is because like land its value will increase over time so the older the piece of jewelry is the more expensive it will be.
If you are lucky enough to have been handed down or have purchased a piece of antique jewelry whether it is a necklace, ring or broach it is strongly recommended that you insure your treasured piece.
You may assume that your antique jewelry is covered by your home insurance however this is not always the case, quite often your home insurance will cover your piece of antique jewelry is stolen but it may not cover your jewelry if it is lost or damaged.
Although you will never be able to replace the sentimental value of a piece of antique jewelry it may easy your mind if you can at least replace the item should it be lost.
It is wise to read your insurance policy very carefully or contact your insurance company to ask if you are covered for this type of event.
If your current insurance policy does not cover you fully for your antique jewelry then you may be able take out additional cover however it important to know and understand the cover you are going to be paying for.
Make sure your policy will cover you for loss and damage and also check if you will still be covered should the loss or damage happens when you are out of the country.
Check that you will be reimburse for the items full replacement cost and will you receive a replacement piece of jewelry or could you opt for a cash settlement.
Quite often your insurance company will ask for an appraisal before they allow you to take out the insurance to cover your antique jewelry. Check if this is something you can arrange yourself or if it is something your insurance company will need to arrange.
Will you have to pay an excess, if you lose or damage you antique jewelry and need to make a claim will you have to pay a sum of money before the claim can go through, how will this effect your existing policy and most important how much is the excess.
If your insurance company does need your antique jewelry appraised then it is advisable that you receive more than one appraisal so that you can compare the estimates and know that you are insuring your item for what it is actually worth, it is quite common to purchase a piece of jewelry one day and get an appraisal the next for a much higher amount. I would recommend that you have an appraisal done regularly and advise your insurance company of any increase / decrease in value.
Allen Jesson writes for several sites http://www.antique-engagement-rings.info http://www.vintage-engagement-rings.com http://www.agiftofpoetry.com
What To Think About When Choosing A Diamond
How can you tell the difference between a real diamond and a crystal? A crystal of what, Daniel? Quartz? Colorless Sapphire? Cubic Zirconia or Moissanite? The easiest way to tell the difference is to use a “Diamond Tester”. It requires no mineralogical experience.
It uses diamond’s superior ability to conduct heat as a criteria for positive identification. A diamond tester can pick out a real diamond for a fake one in a matter of minutes or even seconds. Diamonds have a very high thermal conductivity, exceeded in gemstones only by synthetic mossanite. The diamond tester can go though a box of diamonds and it can tell the difference between a fake diamond and a real one.
Can diamonds be produced in laboratories? How?
Oh, they certainly can! The leaders in synthetic diamond production are Tom Chatham in San Francisco. They have been growing diamonds for a while and they have come up with the best way of growing diamonds. The laboratories have found a way of growing diamonds that would take a long time if they were not man made. The companies take a real diamond and use a seed with this seed they put it into a carbon gas chamber. They can controll the whole proccess by a flick of a switch.
Besides jewelry, what are the other uses of diamonds? Some diamonds are used in computer chips for the most high tech machines that have been made. Diamonds are one of the ideal sustanis, since they are not all the same it would be hard for anyone to find the right diamond that is being used of anything. They are used for cutting through some objects. Diamonds are also use for surgery. Begin that the diamond is one of the most hardest objects they come in handy. Not all diamonds are used for looking and touch, and there are probably other things that diamonds are used for that we don’t know about yet.
Are all diamonds alike? What are the different categories? No two diamonds are exactly alike. To the naked eye all the diamonds might look as though they are the same in size and shape but they are not. It just like what alot of people say about snow flakes they not never the same. The same goes for diamonds. Some are bigger, smaller, darker, light, ect. You will never find one that is the exactly the same as any other one.
How are prices for diamonds determined? Prices for diamonds are determined for the most part by DeBeers Consolidated Mines which is the largest monopoly in the world. The prices are based on color, clarity, cutting proportions and carat weight.
How long does a diamond take to be made naturally? How long does it last? Diamonds were formed as long ago as 3 to 5 billion years, under conditions of great heat and pressure, deep inside the earth. This correlates with the earliest stages of the development of our planet, estimated to be in the region of 4 to 5 billion years old. Volcanic eruptions carried the diamonds to the surface of the earth millions of years ago. Diamonds are found in cone-shaped pipes of rock called kimberlite.
These pipes have been weathered and their diamonds dispersed by rivers to far-lying areas, such as coastlines. They should last for several million more years.
Who were the first people to discover diamonds? Diamonds have been known since ancient times. They were originally used as a tool to carve other gems like lapis and carnelian.
Ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars that had fallen on earth. Some said that they were the tears of gods. Legend has it that there existed an inaccessible valley somewhere in Central Asia, a carpet of diamonds covered it. It was patrolled by prehistoric birds of prey and guarded by venomous snakes. However, the truth is that the exact origin of diamonds is still a mystery, to scientists and geologists.
There may be no real reason yet as to why diamonds exist. It will probble take longer for us to find out. Some people just choose to stay with legend then to wonder who or how diamonds came to be here.
Besides, diamonds, what other gems are also used to make jewelry? Which one is the most common? Why are diamonds so valuable? The price of anything is determined by supply and demand. There is a great demand for diamonds and the appearance of a short supply is maintained by DeBeers Consolidated. Where are the most productive diamond mines located?
The Seven major diamond mining countries of the world are: Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Diamonds are also mined in these countries: Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Central African Republic, Tanzania, China, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, India.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.DiamondGems.info/ . DiamondGems.info carries the best selection of diamonds and diamond jewelry on the market. Browse through our selection of loose diamonds by size, cut, and shape here: http://www.DiamondGems.info/subcategory/loose-diamond.html
Rules For Wearing Or Not Wearing Engagement Rings - By Women
This may be a really lame question but I got to thinking. When you have a wedding ring or engagement ring do you wear it ALL the time? What about in the shower, doing dishes or doing yard work? I don’t have a ring yet, but I’m already nervous about losing it or damaging it. I guess thats what insurance is for, but it still wouldnt be fun to have to go through the pain of losing a ring you love.
I never take mine off. I was in the hospital for 4 weeks and had to have some surgery and they had to tape my ring to my finger cause I would not take it off. I wear gloves when I do the dishes but with my luck if I took it off I would lose it.
I just take off my ring when I take a shower or when I am doing something messy like washing dishes because junk gets built up on your ring. But that it!
I wear it all the time except for when I shower. I get it cleaned once a month though. Plus I clean it myself everyday after I shower. My ring gets loose in the winter when the weather is cold, but it never slips past my knuckle. It spins a lot, but doesn’t come off. If your scared it might fall off, they have these new plastic, flexible wraps that you can put around the bottom of your ring, kind of like a rubber grip to stop it from coming off. Then at least you don’t have to have it sized. Make sure whoever your FH buys your ring from, sizes it right. It should feel a little tight going over your knuckle and should not be easy to come off. You should have to push your ring up to go over your knuckle.
I take it off before bed & put it back on after I take my shower in the morning. I forgot to put it on today because I was rushing out of the house this morning, and that’s happened a few times since I got the ring. I also take it off if I’m cooking something that I have to stick my hands into. Also, if I’m not leaving the house (and therefore, putting myself together, etc.,) I may not even wear it.
It’s a personal choice. For me, I’m clumsy and if I slept with it I’d probably be all scratched up by now. For that reason, too, I don’t really want to wear it all the time. It’s an heirloom and I know my Mom chipped the stone a little & I don’t want to do that - or knock it out! Also, I don’t want to have to have it professionally cleaned very often because, personally, I think it’s a frivolous expense.
When I have a wedding band, I will probably just leave it on all the time and may not wear the e-ring on an everyday basis. They won’t be soldered together so that I have the flexibility to wear what I want when I want to.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.4EngagementRing.info/ . 4EngagementRing.info is the best place to buy engagement rings, wedding rings, and diamond rings. Browse through our selection of wedding jewelry here: http://www.4EngagementRing.info/category/wedding-jewelry.html
Gemstones Diamond Or Yellow Sapphire
Yellow sapphires are beautiful gems and price varies as with other gemstones according to color and clarity. A stone fairly free of internal flaws and of an attractive color and “saturation” (deepness) of that color will bring a higher price than a cloudy gem with a faded color. With colored gems of all sorts, it is difficult to specify a particular shade of color, yellow in your case.
As you likely know, the stone blue topaz is available in several shades of blue. The shades and intensity of yellow in sapphires is also quite variable. The best thing to do when getting two or more stones is to ask the jeweler or other supplier to “Match The Stones.” You might also want to see a sample of the color.
Most vendors will send a jeweler a selection on “memo”, meaning the goods are not invoiced or billed for a period of time. This method allows the customer to see the stones and accept or reject. Some jewelers will charge you shipping for this service but those anticipating a sale of a ring, a diamond or two and labor will often get the stones for you to see at no charge. When you go shopping for the yellow sapphires, it is worth asking if they will obtain stones for you to see before making your decision.
Natural or Treated.I am not opening a can of worms here, rest assured of that. Most colored gems are treated one way or the other to improve the color nature provided. The topaz I mentioned is naturally more the lighter blue color of aquamarine until treated by irradiation. Tanzanite is not the lovely electric blue until it is heat treated.
Most all rubies and sapphires are heat treated to improve the color. Heating to a certain temperature and carefully cooling the stones results in stronger and improved colors, while masking or driving away unwanted tones. Yellow sapphire is available either totally natural as from the earth or heat treated.
Do not consider heat treating a bad thing. This is the standard in the trade for many gems and is the least intrusive of stone treatments and the closest to what nature does. Natural stones of the intense color of heat treated stones do exist but command a higher price if sold as totally natural gems.
Then again, that price is affected by the availability of the treated stones. I doubt you could even start to sell a natural untreated blue topaz. The color is much too pale compared to the irradiated ones on the market today and the darker colors are the “accepted” color for blue topaz! Yellow sapphires are neither so common nor nearly so inexpensive as blue topaz. Yellow sapphire, whether heat treated or not is a wonderful gemstone and the fact that a stone was treated would not affect my purchase one bit. The bottom line is what color do you like and what is available in that color.
“Stone Size”. Remember that I said carat is weight and not size. A carat is simply a weight measured on a scale like a gram, an ounce,or pound would be measured. A pound of feathers weights a pound, just like a pound of chocolate candies. But the pound of feathers takes up a lot more space. Feathers are not as dense as chocolates and simply take up more space for the same weight. The same is true with gemstones. A diamond has a specific gravity (a scale of density or compactness of the material) of around 3.52.
A Sapphire has a specific gravity of about 4.00. A Sapphire is heavier. Sapphires will take up less space for the same weight. This is what to keep in mind even if you skip the rest of this paragraph: A 1 carat sapphire will be a tad smaller than a 1 carat diamond of similar proportions. In fact a sapphire of 1 carat is close to the size of a 0.90 carat diamond. The sapphire will be slightly smaller across the top when cut to similar proportions.
Sometimes sapphires are cut deeper than diamonds. This means the stone will be even smaller looking from the top. The reason I mention this is to suggest you shop for a particular “Size” rather than a weight like 1 carat or .75 carats. For your information, a decently cut yellow sapphire of .75 carats is about 5.5 millimeter across the top (round stone). A one carat stone is about 6 mm. A diamond of .75 is about 5.8mm and a 1 carat diamond is right at 6.5mm. The difference is small in visual size but you need to be aware of this.
Price varies some with heat treated and totally natural yellow sapphires, however, the price differences are not great. Competition sees to that as does the fact that most totally natural gems are paler and sometimes carry a greenish tone with the yellow. Please keep in mind the price will vary with clarity, intensity of color and depth of cut. Ask for stones in sizes you want to see, look at the stones and go from there. That is the simple answer and you don’t need to worry so much about carat weight but the look you want. What I show are nice gemstones at normal to high retail.
The price may be lower at some retailers:
0.75 carat very nice stone, dark to medium yellow, treated $400/carat
0.75 carat very nice stone, canary yellow to golden, natural 650/carat
0.33 carat to .28 carat, 4mm quality same as above, treated 350-400/carat
0.33 carat to .28 carat, 4mm natural, golden or canary 400-490/carat
These are not expensive gemstones compared to some others and offer the wonderful color and durability of sapphire. Again, please ask for stones of a particular size more than carat weight and get a good look at all of them!
“What Size Stones?” The answer here is totally dependant on the setting you choose. Three stone rings generally will have stones of the approximate proportions between center and sides. That means a three stone ring with a 5.5 mm(.75 carat sapphire) will need 4mm diamonds, or diamonds of about 1/4th carat each if you choose diamond side stones.
I suggest you go to a good jewelry store and ask to see catalogs of ring settings. You can find one, I am certain, suitable for a yellow sapphire of about 3/4 carat with free form shape and multiple side stones. The smaller diamonds and smaller side yellow sapphires will run less money overall compared to going with larger sapphires. A 5 stone ring with side stones might call for a center the size you like and side stones of perhaps 3mm, which is 0.10 carat diamonds and close 0.12 to 0.15 carat sapphires (depending on cut).
Mountings like this of good quality in 14k will run about $200, give or take some dollars for the three stone with 5.5 mm center stone. So many settings styles are out there I hesitate to try and mention other prices. But like I said go to other jewelry stores in your area and talk to them about prices, see if you get the price that you want or around the price that you would like for the kind of style of ring that you would like to have. Don’t be scared to talk to them about it and get as much information on the stones, size, color, ect.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.DiamondGems.info/ . DiamondGems.info carries the best selection of diamonds and diamond jewelry on the market. Browse through our selection of loose diamonds by size, cut, and shape here: http://www.DiamondGems.info/subcategory/loose-diamond.html
Ways To Repair Your Gem Stone
This is one that lots of people have to deal with. I want to say first that I am glad you have an aquamarine! This makes me smile in a sentimental and special way. Why? Well, with so much blue topaz on the market today, the wonderful aquamarine has almost faded in the public eyes. Unfortunately, many do not even know about this much more valuable and beautiful gemstone. In years past, the aqua WAS the stone of choice for those special shades of blue nature makes. Aquamarine is a superior stone in all aspects to the irradiated blue topaz, a stone not naturally the rich blues in nature.
First of all, most jewelry shops do not have the capability to recut chipped gemstones. Some of this depends on the cut of the stone to start with, whether a cabochon(round top, like an opal or onyx might be cut) or faceted as with diamonds, rubies and other stones with little faces (the facets) on the surface. The person who cuts gemstones does the work called ‘lapidary’ or stone cutting. This work requires the cutting and polishing equipment needed for gemstones. Almost all stones must be worked with tools the jeweler simply does not use for working metals.
Stones are much harder than metals and require special and sometimes very specialized machines to work the gem, whether in cutting a gem from a piece of rough material from the earth or in repairing a chip in a stone already cut. While many folks do cut and polish cabochons(rounded tops without facets), the number greatly lessens when looking for those who do facet cutting. The equipment is very different since each individual facet is cut one at a time, through different grades of cutting from rough abrasives to the final polish.
What do most jewelers do? When a chipped stone needs repair, the jeweler generally sends the stone to a lapidary craftsperson. This usually means sending the stone to a company where the work may be done. Sometimes, the jeweler might have a local connection to either a professional or amateur(some are the best going!) for the repair work. The cabochon work is easy and more locals can do this work. For faceted gems, having a local cutter is not common and most stones are shipped to a factory offering the service.
What work is needed? Some companies offer to cut the gem stone for you. On some websites they show you what kind of cuts that they can do. When you see line drawings of the ‘diamond’ they want to sell. Using the line drawings, you can get an idea of how difficult it might be to repair the chip in your aquamarine. It all depends on the location of the chip! The middle of the stone, between the top(crown) and the bottom(pavilion) is called the girdle of the gem. If the chip is here, repair is relatively simple for a small chip and will not affect the rest of the stone in a noticeable way.
If the chip is higher on the stone, say on or between a couple of the facets on the crown, the repair is more difficult. Why? Look at the drawing(or at your aquamarine) and you will see the faces line up and meet each other. To repair a chip on one of the higher facets will mean cutting and polishing the stone down deep enough to remove the chip. This will change the face where the cutting is done and the facets will not line up as before.
To do the job properly, often the entire top(crown) of the stone will need to be re-cut. This means all facets are re-cut and polished so they all line up as before. This is done to prevent one large repaired face from messing up the arrangement and standing out easily to the eye.
How the repair is done depends on the location of the chip and whether the stone is faceted or a cabochon cut. Then, where and how well the work is done depends on the contacts the jeweler has. To find a jeweler with in-house lapidary service is a rare find, indeed. Be sure to ask if the work is done in-house or sent to a cutter. Ask for an estimate before having the work done. Ask if the repair will change the over dimensions (width and length) of the stone since that will affect how it fits back into your jewelry mounting.
Ask if the cutter can give you at least an idea of how much stone must be cut away to do the repair. Asking these questions can kind of give you an understanding of how the stone might look when they are done with it. But sometimes it is good to ask these questions that way you can find out if taking your stone to this one person is a good thing. You can always go around to all of the jewelry stores and ask them the same questions and when you get home find out which one is the best for you.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.DiamondGems.info/ . DiamondGems.info carries the best selection of diamonds and diamond jewelry on the market. Browse through our selection of loose diamonds by size, cut, and shape here: http://www.DiamondGems.info/subcategory/loose-diamond.html
