May 29, 2009
Gem of the Month
Lots of people know their birthstones. Some like them – some don’t. In 1912, the National Association of Jewellers voted on a list of birthstones. I don’t know whether this list was created to serve a purpose of commercialism for the jewellers (English spelling) or because they felt the gems actually had some religious meaning or mystical power. There are various references and stories to be found that go back to the breastplate of Aaron along with biblical references to the stones.
This list has survived for almost 100 years with only a few minor additions and revisions – perhaps because new gemstones have come into popularity or because people simply wanted more choices! All of the original stones from 1912 are on the current “official” birthstone list today – either as the primary or alternate gem-of-the-month. The American Gem Trade Association & the American Gem Society endorse this list:
January – Garnet. February – Amethyst. March – Aquamarine or Bloodstone. April – Diamond. May – Emerald. June – Pearl, Moonstone, or Alexandrite. July – Ruby. August – Sardonyx or Peridot. September – Sapphire. October – Opal or Tourmaline. November – Topaz or Citrine. December – Turquoise, Zircon, or Tanzanite.
I’ll be posting more information about each of these gemstones – their care, colors, and copy cats! Sign up for the Gem-of-the-Month Club!! Dii
May 28, 2009
It’s All in the Family
Did you know that emeralds and aquamarines are both the same mineral? Although they look very different from one another, their “make-up” is almost the same. They have the same chemical composition, but the addition of iron produces the aqua while chromium and/or vanadium produces emerald. This tweak in make-up results in two very different gemstones. Kind of like two different people in the same family. Even though your last name might be shared with your mother, father, sister or brother, I doubt your first names are the same – well maybe junior’s is.
In the world of bling, this is known as species and varieties. Beryl (mineral name) is the species and aqua is the variety – based solely on the color! Aquamarine is your March birthstone. Change iron to chromium and voilà – you have emerald, the May birthstone. This happens a lot in nature.
Then, what’s a red beryl? That’s a rare red variety of beryl (possibly because of manganese) mainly found in the Wah Wah mountains of Utah! (that’s fun to say) Some jewelers mistakenly call it red emerald. But it’s just red beryl – or bixbite. Aghhhhhhhh! It definitely needs a sexier name.
And why is this important to you? It’s not, really – just FYI – trivia – food for thought – and froth! Family gossip always make me smile!! Dii
May 27, 2009
Allergy Season
Some people have an allergic reaction to their jewelry. What causes it and what can you do about it? Usually, it’s an allergy to the alloys in the gold. If your ring is white gold, many times it’s the nickel that not only makes the gold white, but also causes the reaction. Your finger might turn black and sometimes even a red, itchy reaction develops. The ring could be plated with rhodium to avoid this; however, the plating will wear away in one year or less. (It’s not inexpensive to plate with rhodium either).
Going to another metal for your ring, such as platinum, palladium, or silver may be an option. Take platinum, for example. It’s naturally white. It’s also hypoallergenic. It’s more dense than gold, so it makes for a heavier ring. Even if the price per ounce were the same as gold, you would pay more for a similar-looking ring. But, it’s durable and more resistant to wear than gold. Rings, prongs and engraved designs will last longer with platinum.
Platinum rings also can be plated with rhodium, but this is usually done to brighten the finish. One complaint some people have about platinum is that when the plating wears away, the platinum looks dull. The ring can be polished again, or just keep wearing it and the patina takes on a “polish” of its own. Gesundheit! Dii
May 26, 2009
Does Your Diamond Glow in the Dark?
There are a few diamonds that emit a glow to long wave ultraviolet light – like the black lights in a dance club of the 80s! Some glow yellow, some blue. Some barely glow; some could help you see in the dark!! It’s pretty cool, really.
Today, this feature, called fluorescence, is noted on just about every diamond report because not only does it help identify the diamond, it just might affect the price you pay.
It can get complicated, but here are the basics: For colorless diamonds, strong fluorescence could make the price go down; for slightly yellow diamonds, fluorescence could make the color of the diamond look better in sunlight. All in all, fluorescence is a characteristic of diamond that you should ask about and you should see for yourself. Get out of the dark – get yourself a professional. Dii
May 22, 2009
How Much Is That Diamond In The Window?
How much is a one-carat, G/VS1 grade diamond? I heard this question all the time when I had a retail store. I prefer to answer with another question — “How much is a three bedroom house? Most people have shopped for a place to live – rent or own – and know there is a laundry list of questions to be answered before the price of one residence can be compared to another – even though both are three-bedroom homes! So it makes it easier to understand that diamonds are more than the information on their rap sheet. For a house, you might want to know…
What neighborhood is it in? (city and state, of course) How’s the carpeting? the plumbing? the roof? What’s in the back yard? septic or city sewer? What was paid for a similar house in that area?The same is true for a diamond. How much is a one-carat, G, VS1 diamond? Assuming it’s round in shape, we still need to know the quality of the cut. This factor can affect the price of a diamond by as much as 50% or more!! So, if you are price shopping and comparing diamonds of equal weight with no mention of the quality of the cut, you are basing your decision on incomplete data. ERROR MESSAGE.
Not every jeweler knows how to evaluate the cut – past showing the diamond and saying, “See how it sparkles?” Well, with all those bright lights in the store, it should sparkle! And who can keep track after looking at diamonds in all those mall stores in one afternoon? Congratulations, at least you’re looking at them – that’s so much better than reading about them.
Many diamond reports include a cut grade – but which report do you trust in? How can you tell the difference? You need some help here. It’s true, you can buy a house without a realtor – and you can buy a diamond without seeing it. But why would you?
Have a great weekend and please, remember our veterans. Dii
May 21, 2009
What Is Synthetic Diamond?
First, let’s define synthetic. In the world of grass, synthetic means plastic grass. I know, I have it in my backyard. It looks pretty good too. I don’t have to mow it, water it, or weed it. I wish the homeowner’s association would let me install it in the front yard!
In the world of cars, synthetic motor oil is sold all the time – and it seems to work just fine in an engine. But I don’t really know what it is.
In the world of fashion, synthetic means polyester leisure suit…
In the world of bling, synthetic describes a stone that has been created in a laboratory, under the guidance of man, and it has the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as the natural gemstone it represents. For example, synthetic ruby – if a gemologist does some standard gemological testing on it, the optical properties would be that of ruby. Chemically, the laboratory has produced ruby. Physically, it is red and has the same hardness as natural ruby, so it can be polished just like a ruby. However, since it was produced under controlled conditions, there are internal characteristics which tell the rest of the story. Interesting, huh?!
It takes a pretty good gemologist to make a positive identification. Without knowledge – also known as education, and without practice – also known as experience, this gemologist may arrive at the wrong conclusion – costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars. But I digress…
The point is, the word synthetic means different things to different people and things. So the jewelry industry is debating whether it’s a good word for you, the consumer. Does it make you think it’s a fake diamond? Like fake grass, which, of course, is man made plastic, not man made grass. Does it hold more value to you than a CZ or synthetic moissanite?
The truth is, it’s more costly to produce synthetic diamond than to produce an imitation diamond, such as synthetic cubic zirconia (CZ). And, it’s more difficult for a gemologist to identify a synthetic diamond than it is to identify a CZ. Most importantly – to some people – it’s impossible to spot a synthetic diamond by just looking at it at a party! There are lots of savvy people who can spot a CZ from across the room!
In some cases, it takes advanced testing by a professional laboratory with VERY EXPENSIVE equipment (and smart people) to identify a synthetic diamond. In some cases, gemologists can recognize the internal characteristics which indicate synthetic. In all cases when gemologists are fooled it’s because they haven’t taken a class on all the technological advances in the field of bling! BTW – the next time someone tells you they are a gemologist, ask to see their diploma and then look at the year it was earned. If it’s more than two years ago, ask them for proof of continuing education. That should be interesting… TNT…Dii
May 20, 2009
What Is The Best Fake?
Do you want to fool your girlfriend, lover, or wife? Ohhhhhh, I can’t recommend that, since the truth always comes out. However, if you’re both looking to purchase the look of bling without the bucks of cha-ching, you have some options.
You may have heard of CZ – actually, it’s synthetic cubic zirconia. It’s grown in a laboratory and shouldn’t be confused with zircon. No relation. It kinda looks like a diamond – especially from across the room the first few days you wear it. After that, soap scum dulls it (which you can clean off) and after a few months, scratches dull it more (which you could have polished off, but the stone would have to be removed from the ring, (trying not to damage the prongs), sent to a lapidary (where ya gonna find one of those?), and then have a jeweler reset into your ring. Cha-ching, cha-ching! Not a realistic solution.
You could just buy another CZ. They’re not very expensive. You can purchase a 2-carat diamond-look-a-like for about $25 – $50. But think about replacing it every year – which isn’t expensive until you pay a jeweler to take out the scratched one and set a new one in your ring. Most people keep wearing the dull, scratched stone instead.
Another diamond look-a-like is synthetic moissanite. It’s harder than the CZ, so you won’t scratch it as easily – probably getting years of wear out of it. It’s very dispersive, which means you see lots of rainbow colors – or fire – as the light hits it. Diamond does this – moissanite just does more of it. So, an astute jeweler might be able to tell it’s not a diamond, but your average friend can be fooled!
It costs more to manufacture synthetic moissanite than CZ, so expect to pay more for it. About $800-$1000 for that 2-carat diamond-look-a-like. Hey, a nice 2-carat diamond is going cost you about $8000-$10,000! Both come in many sizes, shapes and even colors! Not every jeweler sells synthetic moissanite – or CZ – so you may need to shop around. Either can be set in a gold mounting – so there’s no need to have your finger turn green! Some people don’t mind a good fake – for others, only the real thing will do… Dii
May 19, 2009
Is This Diamond “Real”?
This statement has always brought a smile to my face. After all, what is “real”? Someone asks me if their stone is “real”? I look at it and say, “Of course. I just don’t know if it’s real glass, real plastic, or real diamond”.
There are a number of “simple tests” anyone can do to explore the possibilities of diamond reality. The most classic test is to see if it will scratch glass. Diamond is known as the hardest substance known to man. But what about glass? Where does it fall in the scale of hardness and what other gemstones or materials will scratch it?
There is a scale, called the Mohs scale, in which diamond ranks 10 (hardest) and talc is 1 (softest). On this scale, glass ranks around 5.5. This means that any stone which is harder than glass will scratch it too. This includes just about every diamond imitation on the market today including synthetic cubic zirconia (CZ), synthetic moissanite, and natural white sapphire. So, we really haven’t learned much with the scratch test.
There’s another test called the “read thru” test. This works best on round faceted stones – other styles of cutting can mislead you (even further). Put the stone table (top) down on newspaper or magazine print. If you can see and read the letters, it’s probably not a diamond. The word of caution here is, if the diamond is poorly cut, light “leaks” through it and you could clearly see the letters. Ummmmmmm, better not rely on this test if you can’t evaluate the quality of the cut! Oh, and did I mention that you probably won’t read much through a synthetic moissanite?
So what is the best “test?” It’s really the simplest and most reliable of all… locate a Certified Gemologist or Certified Gemologist Appraiser of the American Gem Society. They have looked at hundreds of natural diamonds and imitations in order to complete their gemological studies and earn their diploma. AND, they must pass an annual exam to KEEP their credentials. In this ever-changing gemological world, that is MOST IMPORTANT!!
There are so many imitations and now, even diamonds can be grown in a laboratory! They’re called synthetic diamonds, but since they have the same optical and physical properties as natural diamond, they can fool some “diamond testers” and even the best of gemologists. Want to know if you have a “real” diamond? Get to know a “real” professional. Later… Dii
May 18, 2009
Where Do I Start?
You have a diamond ring you want to sell. You don’t wear it and you could use the cash for some other bling you have your eye on. You’re not desperate to sell it, but what should you do to get the best offer?
All in all, it’s best that you truly understand the quality and replacement value of the ring before accepting any offers to purchase – which means you need someone who knows what you have, what you can get, and where you should go to get what you can get. Don’t expect to sell it for the replacement value – any more than you would expect to sell a car for what you paid for it.
Maybe you have a receipt with the original purchase price and its cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. If you don’t have this information, or the information is out-of-date, you can get an appraisal. Expect to pay about $75 depending on the expertise of the appraiser and the professionalism of the document. Don’t rely on a verbal appraisal –it’s only worth the paper it’s printed on! And, don’t rely on a free appraisal because you only get what you pay for!
Pawn shops and some jewelers will make an offer to purchase the ring – at no charge to you – with or without information about its quality and size. You can visit a few and evaluate the offers before you make a decision. Keep in mind – it’s unethical for a person to charge for an appraisal of an item if they are also making an offer to purchase it.
An Independent Certified Gemologist Appraiser (ICGA) of the American Gem Society has the education, ethics, and experience to provide appropriate documentation and advice to you. The ICGA does not have a store and does not buy or sell jewelry; therefore, they have no interest in the value of your jewelry past providing an accurate estimate. They may be able to help “broker” it, which means help you locate a buyer in the wholesale market. And, yes, there will be a charge for this service. But, you will be advised of those charges before you decide to proceed. You can search for an ICGA at www.AmericanGemSociety.org Click on Find an Appraiser.
There aren’t many ICGA firms in North America, so if you can’t locate one in your area, look to other national appraisal organizations for a listing of their certified appraisers. There’s the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, www.najaappraisers.com, the American Society of Appraisers, www.appraisers.org and the International Society of Appraisers www.isa-appraisers.org Not all are strictly appraisers, so you will have to ask if they buy or sell jewelry. Have a great day. Dii
May 15, 2009
What’s It Worth?
Maybe you have a diamond ring and you want to know what it’s worth. Should be information that’s simple for any experienced jewelry person to provide, right? Well, not exactly. There are a few questions the appraiser should be asking you BEFORE coming up with a “worth”. Otherwise, you might receive “more” than you were asking for.
Think of your jewelry as if it were your exercise bike. You paid $800 for it (new) and it still looks and works like new (almost). So, what’s it worth? Well, do you want to get another one? If so, they’re selling for $950 now. Do you want to sell it? Do you need to sell it? Let’s say you want to sell it – if you can get $500. But, you’ve looked online and there are other new exercise bikes for $500. Your bike is a “better” brand and has a few extra features. Perhaps someone will pay the $500. You’re not in a hurry to sell it – in fact, if you can’t get the price you want, you might just decide to hop back on that bike and ride! You’re not about to give it away!!
Back to your hypothetical diamond ring… before anyone can determine what it’s worth, they have to know why you want to know what it’s worth. Do you want to insure it against loss? Do you want to sell it? Do you need to sell it – fast!! Do you want to donate it to your favorite charity? And I don’t mean your best friend.
Let’s say you want to sell it – but you don’t know the quality of the diamond nor the original price. So, what should you do and where should you go? Check back Monday and find out. Have a great weekend. Dii
