gold jewelry
facts
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-
- Some people write or call
asking questions about gold or what they are purchasing. About
half the population out there knows all about jewelry. The women!
The other half, (men!) don't know as much. We know the important
stuff. Like "buy it for the other half"!
-
- Whether you buy it here or
somewhere else, you need to know what you are buying. It is an
investment. The scary thing is, you don't know what you don't
know, until you learn it...
-
- Charlie
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- Precious metals are sold by
weight. The final price is determined by the base price of gold
today in London; finishing cost per piece by weight; shipping,
handling and insurance by weight.
-
- 1 Troy Ounce = 31.1033 Grams
(gms)
- 1 Troy Ounce = 20 Pennyweight
(dwt)
- .9114 Troy Ounce = 1 Ounce
Avoirdupois
- 1.5552 Grams = 1 Pennyweight
- 28.3495 Grams = 1 Ounce Avoirdupois
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- Gold Standards of actual gold content and the European symbol
- 8kt - 33.48% gold
- 10kt - 41.81% gold - Euro
420
- 14kt - 58.48% - Euro 585
- 18kt - 75.15% - Euro 750
- 19kt - 79.31%
- 22kt Coin - 90% - Euro 900
- 22kt - 92% - Euro 920
- 24kt - 100% - Euro 999.9
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- Fine Silver - 99.9% silver
- Sterling Silver - 92.5% silver
(usually the other 7.5% is copper)
- Argentium
Silver - 93.5-96.0%
silver, a little copper and a lot of germanium
- Platinum silver - 93.0% silver
and 6.5% platinum .5% alloys
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- Specific Gravity properties
of metal
- 24kt yellow gold - 19.32
- 18kt yellow gold - 15.58
- 14kt yellow gold - 13.07
- 10kt yellow gold - 10.49
- Fine Silver - 10.49
- Sterling Silver - 10.36
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- What is gold fill, layering
and plating?
- Gold fill is made up of 1/20th
14kt gold or 5% x .5858 (14kt gold content) to equal 3% actual
gold in a gold filled piece. A layer of 14kt gold is put over
brass by heat and pressure bonding. Gold filled has an actual
layer of gold, while gold plated merely has a microscopic film.
Gold vermeil by FTC standards has a 100 millionths of an inch
layer of 14kt gold over sterling silver.
-
- How is gold made in other
colors?
- With the introduction of various
metals to pure gold, the color can be altered. Believe it or
not, gold can be yellow, white, rose, purple, green or blue!
Here are the most common formulas of how they make yellow, white
and rose colored gold.
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- 18kt yellow gold - 75% gold
+ 12.5% silver + 12.5% copper
- 14kt yellow gold - 58% gold
+ 25% silver + 17% copper
- 18kt white gold - 75% gold
+ 5% copper + 15% nickel + 5% zinc
- 14kt white gold - 58% gold
+ 20% copper + 14.5% nickel + 7.5% zinc
- 18kt rose gold - 75% gold
+ 5% silver + 20% copper
- 14kt rose gold - 58% gold
+ 10% silver + 32% copper
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- Platinum is the most pure
metal of the precious metals. As a rule of thumb, a piece in
14kt (yellow) gold will cost 6-7 times more in .950 platinum.
The highest grade of platinum jewelry is .950 or 95.0% pure.
If you are looking at platinum that feels light or is surprisingly
low in cost ask the grade. My bench jeweler and a well known
jewelry school had problems sizing a platinum ring. It turned
out to be 35% platinum. There are different grades of platinum
just as with gold. (9kt, 10kt, 12kt, 14kt, 18kt, 22kt and 24kt).
There are also requirements for platinum stamping. If you do
not know, you will not know.
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- Platinum is a very rare precious
metal. Platinum has a higher density than gold, therefore requires
a much higher level of craftsmanship. Only the most skilled jewelers
can comfortably work with platinum. Platinum is compatible with
all skin types as it is hypoallergenic. Its purity means it also
does not tarnish. These traits add to it's exclusivity.
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- Platinum weighs 166% as much
as the identical piece in 14kt (yellow) gold.
-
- If we take two identical rings,
one in 14kt (yellow) gold and one in .950 platinum. The 14kt
ring weighs 8gms. The platinum ring will weigh 13.28gms.
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- Today with gold roughly at
$600oz and platinum $1300oz, there is at least twice a price
difference. But wait. A 14kt ring is 58.5% gold while the platinum
ring is 95% platinum.
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- Now, take 58.5% of the gold
value of $600 to arrive at $351 of gold value per ounce of 14kt.
With the platinum it is $1,235 of platinum value per ounce of
platinum jewelry.
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- Then divide by 31.104 for
the gram value. The gold would be $11.28 for the 14kt and $39.71
for the .950 platinum. If you melted those two identical rings,
the 14kt would (in a perfect world!) be worth $90.24 and the
platinum $527.35! * Caveat - In real life, you would be lucky
to get 90% of those values due to refining costs.
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- Just based on physics, that
is a 5.84 times price difference. That does not take into account
labor which will be at least twice that of 14kt yellow gold labor
as it is so much more difficult to work. Labor cost on jewelry
is often the largest single cost in the finished piece. A single
ring can take hours and hours and hours of fitting, setting,
detailing, polishing, finishing and inspecting before it is ready
for sale.
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- Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia
(CZ)
- CZs are a very good manmade
version of the natural stone, diamond. They look great in 14kt
or 18kt settings. Obviously, the CZ is much heavier. Coloring
is similar and the hardness is not far apart. There are 'man-made'
diamonds that are a different matter. There are various ways
of making a diamond and only an extremely talented person or
machine can tell them apart. Some man-made diamonds can cost
more than a natural diamond.
- Diamond vs CZ vs Moissanite
- Mohs Hardness
- D - 10
- CZ - 8.5
- M - 9.25
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- Refractive Index (brilliance)
- D - 2.417
- CZ - 2.15
- M - 2.65
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- Specific Gravity
- D - 3.515
- CZ - 5.8
- M - 3.21
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- Dispersion (fire)
- D - .044
- M - .104
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- Luster
- D - 17.2%
- M - 20.4%
- This is the one that was featured
on 60 Minutes & 20-20 and fooled almost every jeweler tested.
Without special testing equipment, distinguishing it from a natural
diamond, is very difficult if not impossible. Green color is
soon to be released and available.
- Opals are frequently created
as triplets, meaning the stone is assembled from three pieces.
Opal triplets are composed of a rock quartz layer over genuine
opal joined to a base. Triplets resist marring, and the quartz
acts to play up the brilliance of the genuine stone.
- January - Garnet
- February - Amethyst
- March - Aquamarine
- April - Diamond
- May - Emerald
- June - Alexandrite or Pearl
- July - Ruby
- August - Peridot
- September - Blue Sapphire
- October - Tourmaline (pink)
- November - Citrine or Topaz
(golden)
- December - Zircon or Tourmaline
(blue)
- Most people are very specific
about their ring and know exactly what they want. This is not
by luck, it is research! For those of you who do not know, this
is for you.
-
- No matter what you think,
you do not know your ring size. A standard ring sizer is 3mm
wide. A plastic sizer will be different than a calibrated steel
sizer. A wide ring sizer is only 5mm wide. Guys, if someone tells
you that you wear a size six, please be sure they are not looking
at a 9.0 upside down. It is NOT funny two days before the wedding.
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- A typical wedding band may
be 1mm thick and 3-5mm wide. If you are looking for a massive
heavy style ring, you are looking at 3-4mm thick and 8-12mm wide.
Don't be surprised that the price is 3-4 times that of an average
band.
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- I know your college ring is
a 12 and you've always worn a 12 and you want a 12. Are you going
to continue to wear your college ring? It's on your right hand
correct? You wedding ring is going on your left hand? More than
likely you left hand is 1/2 size smaller unless you are a lefty.
Than it's most likely a half size larger. Thank me now or thank
me after the wedding, go get your ring size taken!
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- Next, if you are getting a
ring wider than 4-5mm it is a good idea to go and buy an inexpensive
ring in the same size and the same width to see how you like
it. Not everyone can wear an 8mm wide ring. Try on a standard
flat fit and a comfort fit and see which you prefer. I know $100
more is a lot of money. Thank me now or thank me in 15 years.
I'm not trying to sell you up. If you are in law enforcement
there are other issues that we have discussed privately. If you
are working around water a lot (surf, sail, fish, boat, pilot,
ATF, Customs) you may want the ring snug so it does not come
off easily. We do have a surfer that has replaced his band four
times in three years and refuses to get it one half size smaller.
My accountant says THANK YOU!
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- Not all rings can be resized
so it is critical to be accurate in your sizing. Rings made for
you are NOT RETURNABLE. If you ordered a 7.0 and after the honeymoon
you are an 8.0 the ring is NOT RETURNABLE. If you change your
mind and decide you do not like the ring anymore it is NOT RETURNABLE.
I know this seems redundant, but it is actually for your credit
card company to see our ring policy. If you are less than 150%
sure that you want a ring we are offering for sale, merely ask
us to send you a sample to evaluate prior to ordering yours.
If you are ordering a ladies ring for a guy, even though we size
it to 11 or 13 it is going to look like a ladies ring on a guy.
The ladies rings are the ones that go 4.5 to 8 and the guys are
the ones that go 8.5 to 12.
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- If you are getting rings with
emeralds, how much do you know about emeralds? They are fragile.
They will NOT last a lifetime. Expect to loose a small emerald
every few years out of your ring. If you don't, great! If you
do, the emerald and workmanship was not defective. Walk into
the best jewelry store you can find and ask if you buy an emerald
how long the guarantee is on it. Exactly! Once you walk out the
door the guarantee is over. It is guaranteed to be what it is
at the time of purchase. How long it lasts depends entirely upon
how you treat it and your lifestyle.
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- Guys, do this right and you
can thank me now and she will thank you the rest of your life!
I know you want the perfect ring and you want to surprise her.
Involve her.
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- Did you hear me?
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- INVOLVE HER!
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- I know, I know, she will love
the 1.0ct round diamond in the twisted prong setting you saw.
Did you know she has dreamed of a princess cut diamond since
she was 15 because her father always told her she was a princess
and to hold out for a prince? Did you know she and her best friend
or sister have been looking at settings since they were seniors
in high school? How many bridal magazines and wedding magazines
have YOU looked at? How many do you think she has looked
at? Do you think she will tell you what she wanted
after you have proposed and surprised her? She will tell you
on your 20th anniversary when you ask: "what can I get
to be really special this year"?
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- Involve her in the process
before you are ready to buy. Know what style of stone she likes,
what color gold she likes. Do you know if she has allergies?
If she has any metal allergies you do not want to buy her a white
gold ring unless you are certain it is nickel free. Some girls
do not want to wear yellow gold. Some want a small diamond, but
you want to show the world you are the man and get her a huge
one. Be a man and ask her what she'd like.
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- Just imagine you've been talking
about a new SUV or pickup. In your mind you are analyzing full
time four wheel drive or switchable. Lift kit or stock? Snorkel
or carbon fiber foam filter? Black on black or black on black!
Hemi or twin turbo diesel? Then, you come home and she has a
surprise for you in the driveway! A light blue two wheel drive
imported pick-up with a cap and four cylinder that was a deal!
Smile and say thank you! Hopefully you can twist the crankshaft
in 50-60,000 miles!
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- Involve her and find out what
she wants. It's HER day and you are her man. Show her! Relax
and have fun with it. It is about the two of you and it is HER
day.
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Ring Size Comparison Chart
(approximate equivalents)
|
US/CA |
Inside diameter
mm/inches |
Inside circumference
mm/inches |
British |
French |
German |
Japanese |
|
1 1/2 |
12.78 / .503 |
40.2 / 1.580 |
C |
40 1/2 |
12 3/4 |
--- |
|
2 |
13.21 / .520 |
41.5 / 1.634 |
D |
41 1/2 |
13 1/4 |
2 |
|
2 1/2 |
13.61 / .536 |
42.7 / 1.684 |
E |
42 3/4 |
13 3/4 |
3 |
|
3 |
14.05 / .553 |
44.0 / 1.739 |
F |
44 |
14 |
4 |
|
3 1/2 |
14.45 / .569 |
45.2 / 1.788 |
G |
45 1/4 |
14 1/2 |
--- |
|
4 |
14.86 / .585 |
46.5 / 1.836 |
H 1/2 |
46 1/2 |
15 |
7 |
|
4 1/2 |
15.27 / .601 |
47.8 / 1.888 |
I 1/2 |
47 3/4 |
15 1/4 |
8 |
|
5 |
15.70 / .618 |
49.0 / 1.941 |
J 1/2 |
49 |
15 3/4 |
9 |
|
5 1/2 |
16.10 / .634 |
50.2 / 1.992 |
L |
50 1/4 |
16 |
--- |
|
6 |
16.51 / .650 |
51.5 / 2.042 |
M |
51 1/2 |
16 1/2 |
12 |
|
6 1/2 |
16.92 .666 |
52.8 / 2.092 |
N |
52 3/4 |
17 |
13 |
|
7 |
17.35 / .683 |
54.0 / 2.146 |
N 1/2 |
54 |
17 1/4 |
14 |
|
7 1/2 |
17.63 / .699 |
55.3 / 2.196 |
O 1/2 |
55 1/2 |
17 1/2 |
15 |
|
8 |
18.19 / .716 |
56.6 / 2.249 |
P 1/2 |
56 3/4 |
18 |
16 |
|
8 1/2 |
18.59 / .732 |
57.8 / 2.300 |
Q 1/2 |
58 |
18 1/2 |
17 |
|
9 |
18.99 / .748 |
59.1 / 2.350 |
R 1/2 |
59 1/4 |
19 |
18 |
|
9 1/2 |
19.41 / .764 |
60.3 / 2.400 |
S 1/2 |
60 1/2 |
19 1/2 |
19 |
|
10 |
19.84 / .781 |
61.6 / 2.463 |
T 1/2 |
61 3/4 |
20 |
20 |
|
10 1/2 |
20.24 / .797 |
62.8 / 2.504 |
U 1/2 |
62 3/4 |
20 1/4 |
22 |
|
11 |
20.68 / .814 |
64.1 / 2.567 |
V 1/2 |
64 1/4 |
20 3/4 |
23 |
|
11 1/2 |
21.01 / .830 |
66.0 / 2.608 |
W 1/2 |
66 |
21 |
24 |
|
12 |
21.41 / .846 |
67.3 / 2.658 |
Y |
67 1/4 |
21 3/4 |
25 |
-
-
-
- (this is only a guide for
a rough guesstimate of your size)
- Step One
Wrap a piece of string or a strip of paper around your finger.
Step 2
Mark the point where the two ends meet.
Step 3
Measure the string or paper against a ruler.
Step 4
A rule of thumb: 1 15/16 of an inch (49mm) equals size
five. Every 1/16 of an inch thereafter equals a half size up
from size five.
- "My wife wants platinum
instead of gold? What should I do?"
- She is obviously talking about
the new Penn fishing reels! You lucky dog! Buy her a bracelet,
take her to dinner and teach the rest of us your secret!
-
- Why does gold or silver discolor
fingers?
- Some customers may think that
faulty manufacturing or under-karatting might be the problem
when a ring 'turns,' blackening or discoloring the skin and clothing,
or the jewelry itself. The most common reason is metallic abrasion,
caused by makeup on skin or clothing. Cosmetics often contain
compounds harder than the jewelry itself, which wear or rub off
very tiny particles. Very finely divided metal always appears
black rather than metallic, so it looks like a jet-black dust.
When this dust comes into contact with absorbent surfaces such
as skin or clothing, it sticks, forming a black smudge. To prevent
this, try switching cosmetics. If this is not possible, remove
rings and other jewelry while applying them, and clean skin areas
in contact with jewelry with soap and water.
-
- Another cause is actual corrosion
of the metals. Gold itself does not corrode, but its primary
alloys of silver or copper do so - forming
very dark chemical compounds - under moist or wet conditions.
When a person perspires, fats and fatty acids released can cause
corrosion of 14-karat gold, especially when exposed to warmth
and air. This problem can be worse in seacoast semitropical areas,
where chlorides combine with perspiration to form a corrosive
element that discolors the skin. Smog fumes gradually attack
jewelry and are evident as a tarnish that rubs off on the skin.
Remove jewelry often and use an absorbent powder, free of abrasives,
on skin that comes into contact with jewelry. Remove all rings
before using soaps, cleaning compounds or detergents and clean
your rings frequently. As well as solving the problem, you'll
be amazed at how much better the rings look!
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- Switching to 18kt jewelry
which has only 25% alloy versus 42% in 14kt and that significantly
reduces the problem. The use of platinum should reduce it all
together. (Stuller)
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-
- How we make our jewelry in
our studio
- Our own jewelry is made
in the USA in our studio or by Stuller, Hoover & Strong
and private casting companies within the USA.
-
- Why you should not
wear your jewelry into the pool or hot tub.
- Swimming and warm weather
just naturally go together. But next time, be sure to remove
your gold jewelry first. Most pool water contains chlorine, which
is a useful disinfectant. However, even when highly diluted,
chlorine can be harmful to all kinds of karat gold jewelry...
yellow, pink and especially white gold. Studies have shown that
even tiny amounts of diluted chlorine in pools, resort spas,
whirlpools and hot tubs can erode the nickel alloy in white gold,
and possibly cause prongs to snap and mountings to break apart.
Chlorine is present in many ordinary household chemicals such
as bleach, detergents, soaps and cleaners. They can leave chlorine
deposits that could damage your gold rings. When using these
products always remove gold jewelry or wear rubber gloves. (Golden Triangle News)
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- People often remark how beautiful
a piece looks when they receive it or leave the jewelry store,
but over time, the gemstones 'change' and become cloudy or dull.
While your piece of jewelry is in the jewelers care, he/she is
caring for it. That is why they spend so much time with you to
be sure you are satisfied and happy before you walk out the door.
Once you leave the premises, it is impossible to monitor your
care and wearing of the gemstone. If you have a few other people
examine it or 'clean' it before bringing it back to the original
jeweler, it may not even be the same stone...
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- Even though your gemstone
is an inanimate object, think of it as alive. It needs care and
some need nourishment! The first thing to stay away from is the
people in the aisles of the mall that want to clean your rings
for free! Hold up a cross or crossed index fingers to keep them
and vampires away! (Buffy wears a white gold Claddagh ring so
she's ok!) Keep your gemstones out of the steamers and acid washes!
-
-
-
- Amber - clean with a soft damp cloth. Never
use steam or ultrasonic cleaning. Avoid alcohol, bleach and all
harsh chemicals. Avoid prolonged exposure to hot water. The safest
and best way to clean emerald jewelry is with lukewarm water,
a very mild soap and a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly.
Store each piece separately so that other jewelry will not scratch
it.
-
- Amethyst - if properly taken care of, will
last indefinitely. Amethyst should be protected from sharp blows
and scratches but is otherwise quite resistant to normal wear.
It may be cleaned with most any commercial jewelry cleaner or
mild soap and lukewarm water using a soft brush. Be sure to rinse
and dry thoroughly. Some amethyst may fade if exposed to sunlight
for long periods. For this reason, it is recommended you do not
wear it while sunbathing or using a tanning bed.
-
- Aquamarine - should never be cleaned with a steam
cleaner or ultrasonic cleaning machine. It can be cleaned with
most commercial jewelry cleaners or mild soap, lukewarm water
and a soft brush. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
-
- Citrine - the beautiful color in your citrine,
if properly taken care, will last indefinitely. Citrine should
be protected from sharp blows and scratches but is otherwise
quite resistant to normal wear. Citrine can be cleaned with most
any commercial jewelry cleaner or mild soap, lukewarm water using
a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly. Some citrine
may fade if exposed to sunlight for long periods. For this reason,
it is recommended you do not wear it while sunbathing or using
a tanning bed.
-
- Emerald - care should be exercised when both
wearing and cleaning emerald jewelry. The internal features found
in most emeralds make them very susceptible to sharp blows and
sudden temperature changes. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner,
steam, detergent or commercial jewelry cleaners. The safest and
best way to clean emerald jewelry is with lukewarm water, a very
mild soap and a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly.
When it appears to be a little dull, bring it to your jeweler
and ask him/her to oil it. Don't laugh...
-
- Garnet - is both hard and durable. Garnet
can be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial
jewelry cleaner or mild soap and lukewarm water using a soft
brush.
-
- Opal - should be protected from heat and
strong light due to their unusually high water content, or they
can dry out. Opals also draw moisture from the air and therefore
should not be stored for long periods of time in dehumidified
environments such as a bank vault. Never clean an opal using
chemicals, detergents, ultrasonic or steam cleaning machines.
The safest and best way to clean opals is with lukewarm water,
a very mild soap and a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly.
-
- Pearls - cultured pearls are softer than
most gemstones but durable enough for everyday wear. Because
oils, soaps and chemicals can damage the beautiful nacre, you
should apply cosmetics, perfumes and hair spray before putting
on your pearls. Wipe your pearls with a dry, soft cloth after
each wearing. Never clean cultured pearls with any harsh chemical,
and only use a commercial jewelry cleaner specifically made for
cultured pearls. The safest cleaning method is using a mild soap
and lukewarm water solution, wiping with a soft cloth. Always
lay strands flat to dry to prevent the cord from stretching.
To ensure years of enjoyment, be sure to have your pearl strands
inspected regularly and re-string as needed.
-
- Peridot - does not react well to heat. Avoid
sudden temperature changes. Peridot should never be cleaned with
ultrasonic or steam cleaning machines. It may be cleaned with
most commercial jewelry cleaning solutions or soap, lukewarm
water and a soft brush.
-
- Ruby - is both hard and durable and can
be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial
jewelry cleaner or mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
Rubies with a glass like residue in surface-reaching fractures
should NOT be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner or steam
machine.
-
- Sapphire - is hard and durable and can be cleaned
using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial jewelry
cleaner or mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
-
- Spinel - is hard and durable and can be cleaned
using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial jewelry
cleaner or mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
-
- Tanzanite - is a relatively hard gemstone, but
it is not equally durable. Tanzanite may chip or break if exposed
to moderate blows or sudden changes in temperature. It should
never be cleaned with an ultrasonic or steam cleaning machine.
It may be cleaned with most commercial jewelry cleaners, or mild
soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
-
- Topaz - is a hard gemstone that is very
resistant to scratching, but because of its internal structure
it may break or split if subjected to a hard blow or sudden changes
in temperature. It should never be cleaned with an ultrasonic
or steam cleaning machine. It may be cleaned with most commercial
jewelry cleaners, or mild soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
-
- Tourmaline - is a hard gemstone that is resistant
to both scratching and breaking, but it should be protected from
sharp blows or sudden changes in temperature. Because of the
natural internal characteristics found in some tourmalines, especially
pinks and reads, ultrasonic cleaning machines should not be used.
It may be cleaned with most commercial jewelry cleaners, or mild
soap, lukewarm water and a soft brush.
-
- Gemstone care tips provided
by Jewelers of America
-
-
- Soft brush is NOT a toothbrush.
A toothbrush will scratch silver badly, gold and platinum slightly.
A fine horse hair brush found in auto detailer stores is best.
-
- NO tarnish removing solutions
should be used on silver. It ruins it. There are no shortcuts.
We use Bonners liquid soap from the healthfood store. Good for
your face and excellent on jewelry.
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