What is a gemstone? Any naturally occurring substance in a raw, uncut state that is capable of being a gem. They are also known as precious stones. What are natural gemstones? Gemstones mined in nature are known as natural gemstones. They may take several millennia to grow. What are synthetic or laboratory grown stones? Synthetic stones are made in the [...]

Various deceptive techniques are used to alter the appearance of lesser value gemstones. Often these practices are intended to deceive the consumer. However, all of these techniques are considered legitimate if they are revealed to the buyer. Listed below are a few tricks that every jewelry consumer should be aware of: Painting. Using paint or some [...]

Zircon is a natural gemstone. It comes in a variety of colors such as colorless, white, blue, green, dark red, yellow, brown and orange. Its brilliant luster and fire combined with its hardness and range of colors makes it a most desirable gem. The natural gemstone zircon is often misunderstood with the laboratory grown and inexpensive [...]

Gold is available in a wide selection of colors ranging from red to gray. By combining gold with other metals, colored gold alloys are produced. For example, rose gold contains copper and green gold contains silver. The richness of the color is regulated by how much of a particular metal is added. A deeper rose [...]

Ruby King of precious stones. The gleaming ruby should adorn, all those of you who are born in July. A multitude of legends and strange beliefs surrounded the Ruby in ancient times. Among other things, it was thought that the wearer of a ruby was blessed with health, wealth, wisdom, and outstanding success in affairs of the [...]

The worst thing you can do for your colored gemstones is assume they are as sturdy as diamonds. Gemstones are far more fragile. As a rule, they should not be exposed to chlorine, extreme temperature changes, solvents, or harsh physical contact. Some gemstones are more susceptible to damage than others. Emerald, opal, peridot, and garnet [...]

Rubies and sapphires belong to the same family of minerals and thus have the same physical characteristics. Among gemstones, they are the hardest, second only to diamonds, but still require gentle handling. The term ruby only applies to the color red. However, sapphires range in color from blue to green, black, orange, pink, yellow, purple [...]

What is gold? The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24karat (24K) gold. Gold has been a monetary standard throughout the history of mankind. Gold is a soft but heavy metal. What is a karat? Karat tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. For example, 18 karat (18K) gold contains [...]

Garnets are a related group of gemstones. This family includes the rhodolite, demantoid, grossular, hessonite, spessarite, almandine, mandarin, malaya, tsavorite. Garnets are available in many colors such as orange, green, purpe red, pink, gold and more. They may look similar to ruby or emerald. The dark, slightly brownish or violet red color is the most popular. Garnets [...]

Can experts easily tell the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl? Without X-rays, it is nearly impossible to distinguish between cultured and naturally occurring pearls. When cultured pearls were first introduced to the marketplace in the early 1900s, dealers tried to discredit the gems as simulations. Kokichi Mikimoto, the first commercial producer of [...]

As most of us know adornment has been around since Neanderthal man. Bits of bone, rock, shell, even flowers and leaves made up accessories for both man and woman. Glass came into existence at a much later time. Some where around 2340-2180 B.C. These excavations took place in Mesopotamia, and in the Caucasus region, [...]

Amber is a gemstone which has been sought after and revered since ancient times. As well as being desired for its beauty, it was valued as a talisman and protector against various illnesses. Amber was formed tens of millions of years ago from the resin of prehistoric trees. The coastal areas around the Baltic sea are the [...]

Each piece of metalwork you do has two values: intrinsic value (what the raw materials are worth) and market value (the value added by your labor and the demand for your work). The theory of mass production is that very little is added to the intrinsic value, since not much labor goes into the manufacture [...]

The jewelry and adornments that we wear on our bodies proclaim who we are and what we believe; Masonic jewelry is an ideal example of jewelry with meaning. For this reason, it’s important to wear high-quality pieces that cater to our tastes, and augment our appearance. The Internet has made finding excellently crafted pieces much [...]

There are fashion trends in jewelry, just as there are in clothing, architecture, or cars. In the 1930s much commercial jewelry was made in whitegold, with platinum also widely used. The cool, grayish metals worked well with very streamlined designs, and were complementary to the industrialized style of design. Both metals fell out of favor [...]

Ammolite jewelry is one of the rarest, most unique kinds of high quality gemstone work. The stones have had many lives of their own, and are featured in history, myth, and spirituality. A single look at the Ammolite will tell you all need to know about why the stone is so valued by so very [...]

For most of us, cost can be a deciding factor when choosing which metal to use. Silver is far less expensive to work with than either gold or platinum, and for those who like to experiment with techniques, silver is the obvious choice. There is something intimidating about trying out a new technique on several [...]

What woman is content with only a few rings to occupy her jewelry box? Silver rings have held a hot spot in fashion for many years. Like any other accessory, rings change with seasons, certain outfits, or even moods. As a staple in any accessory repertoire, many women are constantly shopping around for jewelry box [...]

Before starting your own jewelry reselling business, make an investment in silver jewelry supplies. This will help make your business seem professional and will help you take better care of your merchandise. Additionally it will allow your customers to view your merchandise and teach them the proper ways to care for their purchases. What Kind of [...]

I have a sterling silver bracelet and it’s completely brown. I don’t have a polishing cloth or any cleaners for it. How do I clean my sterling silver using household products? The best jewelry cleaner in the world, including precious stones, is simply denture cleaner tablets like “Steradent”. Drop a tablet in warm water with whatever [...]

Part II http://www.bja.org.uk - The British Jewellers Association (BJA) - UK jewellery industry including, jewellery manufacturers, jewellery wholesalers, designer jewellers, internet retailers and others. British Jewellers Association offers a range of jewellery info and advice, promotional services to members (over 750 members). (http://www.jewelleryinbritain.org.uk - Jewellery in Britain - 8 page news sheet, which is sponsored [...]

While silver, gold, and platinum have some similarity in working characteristics, there are also distinct differences that should be considered when designing a piece of jewelry. All the metals are similar when sawing, filing, bending, or polishing, although silver does give less resistance to saw blade, file, or pliers — even well-annealed 18-karat yellow gold [...]

Part I http://www.jic.org - Jewelry Information Center (JIC) - the source for consumer information on fine jewelry. http://www.gia.edu - Gemological Institute of America (GIA) - is the world’s foremost authority in gemology, diamond grading, jewelry education, gemology research, diamond and gemstone grading reports and laboratory services. http://www.nationaljeweler.com - National Jeweler Network - current affairs and trends affecting the [...]

Another factor to consider is durability: how will the metal stand up to wear? How long will it last before it needs repair, or disintegrate? Consider archaeology — sometimes all we know about a prehistoric culture is in the gold objects they left. Pure gold is basically incorruptible, while silver will corrode quite easily. You [...]

After being together for some time, you’ve decided that it’s time that you two should get married. But before that, you need to propose to her. To do this, you will need to have the perfect diamond engagement ring to accomplish this. It has to be something that shows your love and dedication to her. [...]

The next physical proper to consider when designing is strength. This factor has four parts: the hardness (resistance to being impressed), malleability (how much it can be worked without annealing), ductility (the ability to be drawn into wire without breaking), and tensile strength (how much stress it will withstand before breaking). Again, each alloy of [...]

Indian jewelry products will be showcased at the upcoming International Jewelry Tokyo show in January. The jewelry has been specifically designed to suit Japanese styles. Following the show, the jewelry will be showcased at 50 sales exhibitions across Japan. The selection is expected to reach 300 retailers and 50000 consumers. The campaign, “Romance of India” is [...]

Gold Pure gold is 24kt (karat) and is extremely soft. Most pieces of gold are 18kt, 14kt, or 10kt. Gold may be white or yellow in appearance and each have the same properties with the exception of white gold being mixed with different metals to give it a white color. The same karat weight system is [...]

For centuries gemstones have been linked to the months of birth. It is a folk lore that wearing your birthstone will bring good luck. There is an endless selection available for those interested in their own birthstone or the stones of their children. January - Your birthstone is a lustrous, rich red Garnet. February – The stone [...]

When designing jewelry, the metal’s physical characteristics must be considered, one of which is weight. The pure form of each of the precious metals is an element, meaning that its molecules cannot be further broken down into separate atoms. Each has its own symbol on the periodic table. Gold is Au (for aurum, Latin for gold); [...]

Diamond - A clear transparent precious gemstone composed of pure crystallized carbon which has been highly compressed over millions of years. Diamonds are the hardest substance known to mankind. They are valued because it is difficult to produce a faceted diamond and when properly cut they have high refractivity and brilliance. diamond jewelry diamond jewelry stores diamond jewelry [...]

What will it be – gold, silver, or platinum? Jewelry designers have a number of things to consider before making a choice. Several factors enter into each decision; one of the most basic is which metal to use. Many jewelers prefer to work only in gold, while others confine themselves to silver. And now, platinum [...]

Tapping into the holiday buying frenzy, Sotheby’s New York held its sale of Magnificent Jewels on December 6, 2006. The auction sold 79 percent by lot and 62,8 percent by value, garnering $18,419,280 against a presale estimate of $22 million to $29 million. The one day sale also included Castellani & Giuliano — The Judith H. [...]

Disdaining ecology and parentage, some minerals always look the same: gold, silver, pyrite, realgar, malachite, and azurite, to name a few, are always easy to spot for what they are. Other minerals, possibly more sensitive to temperature, pressure, acidity, and solution concentration as they form, may look very different depending on where they grew and [...]

www.lapidaryjournal.com - Lapidary Journal was the first gem and jewelry-making magazine in the world, dedicated to gems, jewelry arts, beads, minerals and more. This is an indispensable site for jewelry, gem, bead, and fossil devotees. www.gemstone.org - The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) has produced an excellent, informative site, compiling articles from various sources, advice on [...]

Jewelry - objects such as rings and necklaces, made of precious materials, which people wear as decoration. They are usually made of gold and silver and decorated with pearls or precious stones (rare valuable stone, such as a diamond, a ruby, an emerald etc.) There are different sorts of jewelry: 1. Some of them people wear on [...]