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What is Palladium? February 23, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Jewelry, Palladium Jewelry , 2comments

Palladium is a chemical element with symbol Pd and atomic number 46. A rare silver-white transition metal of the platinum group, palladium resembles platinum chemically and is extracted from some copper and nickel ores. It is primarily used as an industrial catalyst and in jewelry.

Notable characteristics
Palladium is a soft steel-white metal that resembles platinum, doesn’t tarnish in air, and is the least dense and has the lowest melting point of the platinum group metals. It is soft and ductile when annealed and greatly increases its strength and hardness when it is cold-worked. Palladium is chemically attacked by sulfuric and nitric acid but dissolves slowly in hydrochloric acid. This metal also does not react with oxygen at normal temperatures.

This metal has the uncommon ability to absorb up to 900 times its own volume of hydrogen at room temperatures. It is thought that this possibly forms palladium hydride – PdH2 – but it is not yet clear if this is a true chemical compound.

Buying a Diamond: The 4 Cs: Color February 23, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Diamonds, Jewelry , add a comment

Diamond Color – Why it’s Important

The term “color” in diamond buying is really the opposite of what you may think. When making your selection, you’re not actually looking for the presence of a particular color. Instead, your ideal diamond will have as little color as possible. Most diamonds appear icy white, but many have tiny hints of color, usually yellow.

The closer to white or “colorless” the stone appears, the more valuable it is. Colorless diamonds are extremely rare, and therefore very valuable. The reason – the absence of color allows more light to pass through the stone. As more light enters, more light also exits the diamond, thereby emitting a higher level of sparkle or “fire”. However, there are no hard and fast rules for what color makes a diamond beautiful. Color characteristics in diamonds are a result of composition and will not change over time.

Diamonds were formed under intense heat and pressure. Colorless diamonds are composed of pure carbon. Traces of other elements incorporated into their atomic structure account for the variances in color. A single change in color grade can significantly affect a diamond’s value.

The color of the setting is also very important. A white diamond looks best in a white setting. This is why our engagement rings are offered in white gold or two tone, a yellow ring with a white gold setting.

Read the rest of the article to learn about the color of a diamond…

How to Get Your Man to Propose February 8, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Proposing Marriage, Romantic Tips , add a comment

Is your man afraid of popping the question? Or is he oblivious to the idea of getting married? How do you get him to propose?

It seems that sometimes men “just don’t get it”. The relationship is fantastic. You are getting along, having fun and enjoying each other’s company, why rock the boat? Deeper commitment, lasting love and the thought of a lifetime together is something most men just don’t think about and when they do, it scares them to death!

In the book “Why Men Marry Some Women and Not Others,” by John Molloy, the author states that the only way to get a man to propose is to bring the subject up with him. Timing is crucial in that the optimal time for talking about marriage is 12 to 24 months into a relationship. You must not beat around the bush or drop subtle hints because that usually doesn’t work. A straight forward approach is what is recommended.

Don’t be put off if your man doesn’t respond positively to your suggestion at first. He may need time to think about the prospect for awhile, after all, this is probably the FIRST time he has actually thought about it!

Here are some tips:

1. Make him aware of your interest in a lifetime commitment. Drop subtle hints from time to time, such as, ‘We’d make a great team’ or ‘I can’t imagine my future without you,’ rather than incessantly bombarding him with demands about marriage.

2. Point out your shared interests, values and common goals. Open his eyes so he’ll realize that you’re the one for him.

3. Remember that actions speak louder than words. Show him what a great lifetime partner you could be through thoughtful actions, sincerity, kindness and other appealing traits.

4. Remind him of several happily married couples who are mutual friends of yours, pointing out how much you have in common with them and how successful their marriages are.

If after a certain amount of time it becomes apparent that he is NEVER going to commit, it is probably time to move on. Although, this is not the outcome most women want, some men need to experience life without that special someone in order to realize marriage is the answer.

More advice can be found proposal advice and romantic tips.

A man’s guide to buying jewelry February 8, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Buying Diamonds, Buying Engagement Rings, Buying Jewelry, Diamonds, Jewelry , add a comment

Need help deciding on how to buy jewelry? If you are a man, the answer is probably yes.

If you are buying jewelry for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, ask yourself: Would you buy a plasma TV without doing research?

Now, ask yourself: Have you ever put that much thought into buying jewelry?

You probably know as much about buying jewelry as you do about rocket science.

Take these tips from Pensacola jewelry designer and metalsmith Rocky Hard, owner of Rock Hard Designs, to ensure your sweetie will squeal with delight on Valentine’s Day.

Look at what she’s wearing. “Is she wearing yellow gold? White gold?” Hard said. “Does she like colored stones?”

Another place to look is her jewelry box. But beware, there might be pieces in there that she hasn’t worn in years or doesn’t particularly like. Try to take note of the items she wears frequently.

When snooping, look for her ring size and try to determine the necklace length she prefers. Need a ring sizer, you can order a free ring sizer at DanforthDiamon.com

Also, look for items that could use a complementary piece. If she has a pearl necklace, but no earrings to match, maybe that’s your perfect gift.

Ask around. If you’re still confused, it never hurts to ask for help from her mother, sister, best friend or even her jeweler if she’s a regular at the store. They should be able to clue you in on her likes and dislikes.

Do your homework. Know, without a doubt, what her birthstone is if you’re planning to buy a birthstone piece. Educate yourself about jewelry quality and craftsmanship so you can purchase something that will last.

Choose a reputable jeweler. If you aren’t experienced with buying jewelry, you’ll want to make sure that you buy from someone who isn’t going to rip you off. Be sure to shop around for price and service. Go with someone who is willing to spend time helping you decide.

“Don’t fall for the sales,” Hard said. “The reality is, the price of diamonds and gold is fixed because of demand. … You can’t just go out and get it for nothing.”

KrisThoma@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

Care for Diamond Jewelry February 6, 2006

Posted by Jill Renee in : Diamond Jewelry, Diamonds, Jewelry, Jewelry Care , add a comment

Does Your Diamond Ring Still Sparkle?

Care & Cleaning of Diamond Rings
We are often asked how to care for and clean diamond rings. We have to consider the diamonds, the ring mount, and any other stones apart from diamonds. Other Stones
On this page, we will limit ourselves to the care of the diamonds and mount, for information about any other gemstones, please refer to our A to Z of Gemstones page.

General Diamond Jewelry Care
Diamonds are extremely hard and durable, but there are things which can damage them, so it is important to know what to avoid. Diamonds can be broken by a sharp impact on a hard surface, so dropping a ring onto a concrete floor could cause the diamond to cleave, especially if it struck at precisely the wrong place. This is not very likely to happen, and diamonds are so durable, that you may get away with dropping it onto concrete 1,000 times without damage. We would not recommend the experiment! Rings do come in for a large amount of wear and tear when they are on fingers, and an accidental blow on metal or other hard surface could have a similar or greater effect than being dropped.

This sort of collision damage is more likely to wear or break the ring mount, so it is worth inspecting the ring carefully after any hard knock to ensure that any claws are still intact and the stone is tight.

One of the worst things for causing wear and damage to diamonds is allowing them to rub and knock against other diamonds. This will cause abrasion and chipping, particularly around the girdle of the stone. If you wear several rings next to each other, it is better if there is a metal to metal contact between them. Although this will cause wear, it can be repaired fairly easily. We do see a number of older ladies, who have acquired a number of rings over a long period of time, wearing two, three or more rings on one finger. We even had one customer who had seven diamond rings on one finger. They were all quite large, and the thought of the damage to the diamonds made us cringe. This particular little old lady knew that her enjoyment of her rings was more important than the cost of any damage to them.

A number of years ago, we sold a large cubic zirconia ring to a lady, who brought it back less than six months later with all three stones almost worn away and looking very dull. We replace it, but advised her not to wear against her other diamond rings.

Reasonable care should be taken not to catch diamond settings with filaments of thread, particularly strong synthetic threads which may bend claws, and loosen the stones they are meant to be securing.

It is worth having your ring checked by a jeweller occasionally for wear or damage to the settings, particularly with claw set rings. Of course, you can do this yourself, but most jewellers have suitable magnifying glasses which make close inspection much easier. If you notice a stone which is loose, this should definitely be checked by a jeweller as soon as possible.

Cleaning Diamond Jewelry
When jewelery is worn next to the skin, it will become covered and clogged in oily debris mainly composed of dead skin. Dust and grit become lodged in this. Wearing rings while washing up can also allow a greasy film to coat the backs of stones (diamonds just love grease!), and the inside of settings.

The main purpose of cleaning diamond rings is to remove all this greasy debris, and allow light to enter and leave the diamonds, restoring their sparkle. Nothing you would ever use to clean your ring is likely to damage the diamonds without damaging the mount, so we will describe how to clean the metal part of rings. The mount will normally be made of gold, preferably 18 carat gold, of platinum, or of a mixture of the two. Other gold alloys are not as suitable, for an explanation of this, please refer to our Durability of Gold Alloys page.

The Ring Mount
Most gold or platinum jewelery can be cleaned in warm soapy water, detergent is equally good. It can be gently brushed if necessary using an old tooth brush especially to remove debris behind the stones. It is better to avoid cleaning agents containing abrasives, including toothpaste. Some people swear by gin. All alcohol will dissolve grease, but this is a waste of good gin.

Gold Alloys
High carat alloys such as 18 carat and above, will not usually become tarnished, and will not be harmed by household chemicals.
Lower carat gold can be harmed by contact with chlorine based bleach and cleaning chemicals.

Chlorine can cause stress corrosion cracking in lower gold alloys of 14 carat and below, although it will be worse if the jewelery contains porosity through less than perfect manufacturing treatments. Because of this it is best to avoid cleaning your jewelery with bleach or other cleaners containing chlorine, and also to avoid wearing it when in contact with bleach.

Proprietary jewelery Cleaner
Most jewelers now sell tubs of “jewelery Cleaner”. Although it will clean your jewelery, it will not necessarily work any better than the warm soapy water we recommend above.

Ultrasonic Cleaners
jewelery manufacturers and workshops use ultrasonic cleaning tanks. In these, the actual cleaning is performed by the cleaning solution, usually a mixture of ammonia and detergent, the ultrasonics merely provide the agitation to speed up the process. Small domestic ultrasonic cleaners are now available, and many jewelery stores sell them as gift items. We are not convinced that they work better than soap, water and a brush.

Tarnish
Low carat gold alloys will tarnish or discolour through exposure to air. This tarnish is not removed by ordinary cleaning. To remove it will usually require the application of gentle abrasive to rub away the layer of tarnished gold. In jewelery workshops, acid may to used to dissolve the tarnish layer, but this is not practical at home.

The best way to avoid tarnish is to buy 18 carat gold jewelery, which hardly ever becomes tarnished.

Silver
It is unusual for diamonds to be set in silver as it is too soft to be used for diamond rings.

Repolishing
If jewelery with polished surfaces becomes matt and dull over long periods of wear, it can usually be repolished, but we believe that this is not really necessary. Items like diamond rings are bound to become scratched, but we believe that, particularly with high carat golds and platinum, the intrinsic colour of the metal retains its beauty even when scratched and worn.

Gemstone Settings
It is advisable to avoid cleaning stone-set jewelery in a hand-basin. If stones become loose in cleaning, they can easily become lost down the drain.

Right after cleaning is a very common time to discover that stones are missing. Occasionally careless cleaning can be the cause, but usually wear and tear over a period of time are the real cause, and the cleaning merely appears to be the cause. Damage and trauma to jewelery can occur in everyday use, and sometimes the stones are only held in their settings by a build up of grease. When this is removed by cleaning, the stones drop out.
Reprinted from http://www.24carat.co.uk/