Buying a Diamond: 4 Cs: Cut November 23, 2005
Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Buying Jewelry, Jewelry , add a commentDiamond Cut
Cut does not mean shape. It refers to the angles and proportions a skilled craftsman creates in transforming a rough diamond into a polished diamond. The cut of a diamond is especially important because it has the most effect on the fire, or brilliance. A poor cut will make the diamond look dull even with excellent color and clarity. We only carry the higher cut qualities so that you don’t have to worry about picking a poorly cut diamond.
Cut – Why it’s Important
Nature dictates the characteristics of color, clarity and carat, while humans directly influence the cut. Cut refers to the angles and proportions (not diamond shape) a skilled craftsman creates in transforming a rough diamond into a polished diamond. The cutter must polish tiny surfaces known as facets onto the rough diamond. This process also creates the diamond parts known as the crown, culet, table, girdle and pavilion. A well cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another, dispersing and reflecting it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of fire or brilliance in the diamond.
Ideal Cut Diamond – Nearly all light that enters the stone is reflected out of the top, designed to maximize brilliance.
Shallow Cut Diamond – Light will be lost out of the bottom or sides causing the diamond to lose its fire or brilliance.
Deep Cut Diamond – Light will travel out of the bottom or sides making the stone look dark and dull.
Of the “4 C’s,” the cut of a diamond is the most important factor in its overall appearance. In addition, because it’s the only one of the 4 C’s that relies on the precision of human hands, it also is the one to which the value of your diamond will be most closely tied.
Once you’ve identified your budget, start by choosing the proper cut – and don’t look back. By choosing the most brilliant cut possible, you will have the most flexibility in tailoring the grades of the other 4 C’s to fit your budget without compromising the beauty of the stone.
Also, note that cut and shape are not the same thing. Shape refers to the outward appearance of the diamond; round, emerald, heart, marquise, princess, oval or pear. A round diamond is the most brilliant of diamond shapes. Its symmetrical outline allows it to reflect nearly all of the light that enters the diamond.
visit DanforthDiamond.com to learn more about buying your diamond.
Tarnishing and Tarnish Resistance in Jewelry November 17, 2005
Posted by Jill Renee in : Jewelry, Jewelry Care , add a commentOne of the great advantages of gold is that it is chemically resistant to both tarnishing and corrosion under almost all circumstances. Unfortunately, the majority of jewelry is not made from gold, but gold alloys.
Which Gold Alloy Has the Best Tarnish Resistance Properties?
As a general rule, the higher the karat, the more gold present therefore the greater the resistance to tarnishing. 18 karat gold will have superior resistance to 14 karat gold, which in turn will have superior resistance to 10 karat gold.
So what tarnishes in jewelry? Base metals tarnish because they are chemically attacked from the atmosphere and any liquid that may come into contact with your jewelry. The main culprit here is copper. This reacts readily with sulfur from the atmosphere to form sulfides. These are dark in color and your jewelry starts to look dull with time. Solders contain other base metals that are chemically attacked, which is why solder joints can quickly tarnish and become visible after a period of wear.
What About Silver?
Unfortunately, although it is classed as a precious metal, silver suffers from significant tarnish problems. The main culprit again is sulfur, which will form purple, brown and black sulfides on your sterling silver jewelry. And this isn’t confined to sterling silver jewelry. The silver in your karat gold jewelry will also be attacked and start to discolor over time.
Why Does My Clothing Sometimes Turn Black?
Discolored clothing and skin usually occurs for one of several reasons. Firstly, your jewelry will tarnish as described above. This chemically attacked layer will rub off on clothing or skin in varying amounts, causing “dirty” stains. Also, as your jewelry wears, it becomes abraded and creates fine particles of tarnished material. Any fine dispersion of a metal powder will always look dull or dark, so if it is tarnished as well, this exacerbates the problem. Jewelry is very susceptible to body fluids – sweat and grease from the skin. These fluids can contain chemicals that will attack your jewelry, and they will also readily adhere. If particles form from abrasion during everyday use – and don’t forget many cosmetics are abrasive and will make these matters worse – the particles will stick to the fluids on jewelry and only detach or rub off after they have built up. This means you will definitely see a dark stain! Regular cleaning of jewelry helps prevent this problem. Learn more about jewelry care.
What is the Answer?
There are several answers to this problem. First, purchase jewelry at the highest karat you can afford. As we have outlined above, this will have improved tarnish resistance over lower karats. Also, make sure you clean your jewelry regularly, removing any deposits that may be detrimental to it.
The ultimate answer to tarnish-resistant jewelry is to purchase platinum jewelry. Platinum alloys are typically 95% pure, platinum is as resistant to chemical attack as gold, and will not discolor with age under the majority of circumstances.
Please visit DanforthDiamond.com to learn more about your jewelry.
Best Value Purchasing A Diamond Engagement Ring November 16, 2005
Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Buying Jewelry, Jewelry , add a commentTips on Getting the Best Value for your Diamond Engagement Ring
Excerpted from DanforthDiamond.com
Purchasing your diamond engagement ring from Danforth Diamond insures that you have gotten a high quality product at a very competitive price. We are able to offer you settings that are crafted by tradesmen who have decades of jewelry manufacturing experience. Our settings are built to last a lifetime. We only use precious metals and good or better diamonds. We will not sell anything that does not meet our high standards. We back this up with our no hassle return policy so just by buying your ring from us you can rest assured that you will be getting an exceptional value. Here are some other factors to consider when making your selection:
In selecting your diamond, compare the price with diamonds of the same shape, size, color, cut, and clarity. This is critical when comparison shopping. Remember all other factors being equal; a poorly cut diamond may cost 50% less than a diamond with a good or ideal cut. This is because a poorly cut diamond will lack fire and sparkle.
Make sure your diamond is securely set. If your diamond is not properly set the chance of loss greatly increases. All of our diamonds are set by experienced jewelers and are inspected before leaving our shop. We use 18K white gold or platinum settings. These choices stand up to wear and tear and prevent prong failure.
Is your setting comfortable and smooth when you are wearing it? Well made settings will be polished resulting in a smooth finish and comfortable fit. All of our settings are polished to a high luster and have a comfort fit for the wearer.
In selecting your engagement ring setting be sure to compare the cost of settings made from the same precious metal. Platinum settings will cost more than gold and 18K gold will cost more than 14K gold. Pay close attention to the gold or platinum content. A setting with a higher weight (precious metal content) will cost more than a setting with a lighter weight.
Have your ring appraised and insured. Most of our rings come with a certificate and appraisal. We strongly recommend insuring your ring and taking a photo of it to be stored in a secure location. This will help in case of accidental loss or theft.
Please visit Danforth Diamond for all your diamond and jewelry store needs.
