posted by asa arif on Nov 30
External factors affect the value and the quality of jewelry, especially diamonds. For an average person, a gem looks like just any other gem. But to the experienced eye, he knows the differences between a rare stone to one that is not-so-rare.
Therefore, we strongly recommend jewelry enthusiasts to have a keen eye on what is authentic to what is fraud. They should also be on their toes when it comes to the fraudulent practices involving jewelry. They should know the facts of the stones and verify it with the experts.
Jewelry enthusiasts don’t have to be gemologists. Neither do they have to be fearful when buying jewelry. They just have to be aware of the fraud exchanges and gem misrepresentation in jewelry markets.
Switching the Stones
Stone switching often occurs and this is very disturbing for the buyer because the jewelry loses its value. It is also hard to make accusations because the jeweler can deny easily deny the allegations if the buyer doesn’t have proof. Read the rest of this entry »
posted by asa arif on Oct 18
Buying antique jewelry? If you don’t mind the usually high price, you should get yours from antique jewelry stores. Antique jewelry stores follow strict standards when it comes to selling this type of jewelry and they also keep the quality high by ensuring that the jewelry has been inspected and repaired properly.
Antique is old is vintage
When it comes to checking out pieces in an antique jewelry store, it can be a bit confusing for inexperienced buyers, especially when they encounter certain terms. Is it an antique or is it vintage? And what’s antique style jewelry anyway?
Time is relative, so antique jewelry today may have been considered vintage about 50 years ago. Truly antique jewelry, by the way, belong to a museum. If you truly want antique jewelry and have money to burn, ask your antique jewelry store to show you pieces worn in the Georgian or Victorian years.
Victorian-age antique jewelry are often favored because of the sophistication and technical perfection they have achieved. The Victorian years were also the time when diamond mines in Africa began to produce gems of excellent quality. Read the rest of this entry »
posted by asa arif on Sep 1
Although bigger seems better and more expensive, it’s not always so in the world of jewelry. In fact, size isn’t even synonymous with carat weight and you need to keep that in mind when shopping for gemstones.
Carat Weight versus Size
Diamonds and colored gemstones alike are evaluated and appraised according to the 4C’s which are made up by cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Carat weight is very much different from size and definitely more important than the latter. Also, take note that carat is different from karat, which is the measurement unit used for gold. Carat weight uses the abbreviation ct and ct TW for carat total weight.
In the past, carob seeds were traditionally used to measure a gemstones weight because of its uniform shape and size. In 1913, however, the jewelry industry managed to set universal standards for measurement and the carat weight system was born.
Now, one carat is always equivalent to one-fifth or twenty percent of one gram. One carat is made up of one hundred points. As a gemstones weight goes up, so does its value or price per carat. Read the rest of this entry »
