-Depth of cut is extremely important
but also an even 'V' in the cut,
-it is extremely easy to 'Scratch' the metal
and difficult to ' engrave'
-Look for smooth curves and not jerky
on the outside of the cut ' V' wall
-Lines that are continuous and don't
stop and start again
-balance in the design, not only left to
right or top to bottom but if there are
more than one of a shape then are both
the same size ,same curve etc...?
-Are there any sharp ends where the line
wasn't finished well?
Have the lines been buffed out with too
much polishing and rounded the top
edge of the cut ?
Silver & Gold
-Although Silver and Gold are pure metals
they are alloyed with others to add
strength or resilience -If you are buying Sterling Silver there
should be a stamped image on the piece
to indicate this ,such as ' Ster',
or'Sterling' or '.925'. -The '.925' indicates that it is
92 1/2% pure silver.
The other 7 1/2% could be combinations of
copper ,zinc , nickel , tin or 'whatever'.
-I am partial to Canadian Silver for
engraving and Italian Silver for chains
( being a good B.C. West coast Canadian
Native Italian boy ..What do you expect? )
-Gold is also alloyed ,with copper and
silver mostly -There should also be a stamp to
indicate the karat quantity,
such as 10k ,14k,18k ,22k or 24k.
If there isn't a stamp the item may
be gold plated on top of copper, silver
or another base metal. -A stamp is your best guarantee
Cleaning
Or ' How to fight Air and Dirt' -Lots of good cleaners and lots of
gimmicks out on the market.
I won't endorse or knock any product...
I'll just say the T.V. ad type cleaners
may not be as good as some product that a
professional jeweler has used for 40 years,
so I'd ask them first
-10k has the most strength but also
the highest copper content and 24k
is the weakest but also is 99.9 % gold -We find 14k for rings and bracelets
offer the highest gold content without
sacrificing the needed strength
and resilience for these items
-If you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner
it is still possible to get the dirt out
and a lovely shine back on your jewelry.
Tarnish can be beaten by using a store
bought cleaner and following the directions
but if you want a quick 'home remedy'
method a soft cloth or a toothbrush,
(preferably an old one ),
and dish soap or toothpaste will also
do the trick ,but read the
cautions below carefully.
-Dirt inside all those little areas can
also be beaten at home
If the item is just gold or silver
and/or a diamond then you can heat
the jewelry in a glass container on the
stove in water and dish soap. Don't bring it to a boil
but just get it warm/hot and clean the
crevices with the toothbrush.
-Caution should be taken
when applying heat.
Although you are dealing with 'rocks'
most are not very forgiving.
If there is an inclusion or crack
the heat may split it further just like
a cracked windshield,
so be careful.
-To be safe you should not heat any
stone except diamonds -Soaps should not be used with :
Amber,Iolite,Opals,Pearls or Peridots -Cleaners should not be used with
Amber,Coral,Emerald,Iolite,Opals,Pearls,
Peridots,Tanzanite,Topaz or Turquoise. -Steam and Ultrasonic cleaners can be
used with Alexandrite,Diamonds,Ruby,
Sapphire, Spinel ,and Zircons.
If in doubt a professional jeweler would
obviously be your best bet for your
precious and possibly irreplaceable item.
Measurement
It would be best if you stopped by a
jeweler and had your finger sized but
if you can't, then here are some tricks.
For Rings, if you don't know the size you
can always trace the inside of one that
does fit onto a piece of paper and fax
it to us or wrap a piece of paper strip,
( about the width of a pencil ),
around your finger and mark that as well.
For bracelets you can do the same,
measure your wrist loosely and then
minus 1/2",( 1 cm )for the proper
bracelet size.
Here are some lengths for a 1/4" paper strip
not a piece of string
half sizes can easily be figured in metric
but change fractions to /32" for closest guess
Diamonds and Stones
Precious and semi-precious stones come
in many different classifications
which increase or decrease the value.
Just like buying a car..type is important
but if it's damaged the value decreases
Diamonds adhere to the 4 c's regulated
by the GIA,
Gemological Institute of America.
The four 'C's are:
Color -
-D,E ,F, grade - colorless,
D is extremely rare -G,H,I,J, near colorless ,
G,H are rare white to white
and excellent color. -I,J,are slightly tinted white
but still reflect light well -K,L,M, are faint yellow -N,O,P,Q,R, very light yellow -S,T,U,V,W,X,Y , are light yellow -Y,Z, are fancy yellow
Cut
A cut will determine to a large degree
the brilliance of a diamond .
The symmetry of a cut allows the
maximum reflection of light.
Some cuts available include round,
Oval, pear, heart,marquise,and emerald
Clarity
Clarity determines inclusions,(cracks)
or flaws the GIA grading scale
contains 6 classifications -F - flawless ,
no inclusions seen under
0x magnification,
extremely rare -IF - internally flawless
-insignificant flaws under
10x magnification
-VVS1 & VVS2-very very slight inclusions,
difficult to see under 10x magnification.
This is a,'very very good quality' grade-VS1 & VS2 - very slight inclusions,
minor inclusions under 10x magnification
a common 'very good quality' grade still -SI1 & SI2 - slightly included
-noticeable under 10x magnification
but still clean to the naked eye.
Still good quality grade -I1 , I2 & I3 - obvious inclusions
usually visible to the naked eye
Carat Weight The weight of the stone measured in
carat weight,(not the same as Karat
used in determining gold content)
Larger stones generally cost more per
carat due to their rarity.
For example: a V V S with G-H color
and good cut may sell for $1800 per carat
if it was smaller than .10 carat weight
and $6300 per carat if it was,
lets say, a .90 carat stone
with Canadian Banks
-Depth of cut is extremely important
