Black South Sea Pearl Ring

Alexandrite, is the alternate birthstone for June and while gorgeous, doesn’t have all the elegance and versatility of the pearl.

The pearl is enjoying a comeback thanks to being worn by a whole host of celebrities, such as Rihanna, Demi Moore, Katherine Heigl, and Kristen Bell to name a few. And it’s one of those trends that isn’t really a trend because everybody has pearls, whether they’re real or fake, an accent or the focus, single strand of matched pearls or funky multistrand of amazing colors.

Pearl and Diamond Earrings

A little bitty lesson on the difference between natural and cultured pearls:

A natural pearl actually begins as a foreign object, such as a piece of sand, caught inside an oyster’s inner body. The oyster goes into defensive action and secretes a substance called nacre around this foreign object (irritant) to protect itself. The oyster will continue to secrete nacre around the irritant, adding layer upon layer, to produce a pearl.

Multi-Color South Sea Pearl Dangle Bracelet

Natural pearls are extremely rare — in every 10,000 oysters, you might be lucky to find a single natural pearl. Just recently, a double-strand of 68 perfect natural pearls, known as the ”Baroda Pearls,” was auctioned at Christie’s Auction House for $7 million. Because of this scarcity, most pearls today are cultured pearls.

Diamond and Pearl Necklace

Kokichi Mikimoto patented the process of culturing pearls inside Akoya oysters in Japan in 1916. Once cultured pearls were developed and offered to the public in the 1920s, the “pearl craze” began — everyone wanted them, could afford them, and wore them. Because the culturing process occurs over several years, a perfect balance of conditions is required for the aquaculture, or growth in water, of pearls. It takes more than 800,000 oyster hours to grow cultured pearls considered of “high quality.” Japan dominated the industry until China became the leading producer of cultured pearls in the 1980s.

Black Pearl & Diamond Earrings

Cultured pearls are still actual pearls, sharing the same properties of natural pearls and growing organically inside of oysters in the same fashion as natural pearls. The only difference is a person carefully implants the irritant, a small piece of polished shell, in the oyster, rather than leaving it to chance. However, it’s still up to nature to create the miraculous beauty of a pearl.

Cultured and South Sea Pearl and Diamond Necklace

Cultured pearls can be from saltwater or freshwater mollusks. Freshwater pearls are formed in freshwater mussels that live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. By contrast, saltwater pearls grow in oysters that live in the ocean, usually in protected lagoons, such as the Akoya, South Sea and Tahitian pearls.

Cultured and South Sea Pearl and Diamond Necklace

Although the round diamond shape is the most popular shape of all there are many fascinating and beautiful alternatives. Use this list to familiarize yourself with the top 10 diamond shapes before you decide to buy a diamond ring.

1. Round Cut Diamond

Rounds diamonds are the most popular shape that diamonds are cut into. It is also the most brilliant of all the cuts. You may have heard of a term called “Ideal Cut”. This term refers to the attempt to cut a diamond into the best proportions to achieve maximum brilliance.

2. Princess Cut Diamond

The Princess Cut is relatively new. It is a very attractive cut. Some people like the Princess because it is rectangular and yet has some of the sparkle of a Round brilliant cut.

3. Emerald Cut Diamond

The Emerald Cut is rectangular with cut corners. It is a step cut as opposed to a brilliant cut. The facets are broad with flat planes resembling the steps of a stair. That’s why it is refered to as a “step” cut.

4. Radiant Cut Diamond

The Radiant Cut has 70 facets and is known for its cut corners. This cut has the class and elegance of an emerald cut without sacrificing the brilliance of a Round Brilliant Cut. Radiants look very good when adorned with baguettes or round side stones.

5. Asscher Cut Diamond

The Asscher Cut is a modified version of the Emerald Cut. It is more brilliant, has a smaller table, deeper pavilion and bigger step facets. The Asscher has been around since 1902 but really started to become fashionable after it was featured in Sex and the City.

6. Oval Cut Diamond

The Oval Shaped Brilliant is very similar to a Round except it is elliptical. It was invented by Lazare Kaplan in the early 1960s. The Oval brilliant usually has 56 facets. “Shape Appeal” is very important with Oval brilliants.

7. Marquise Cut Diamond

The name “Marquise” came from a legend of the Marquise of Pompadour that the Sun King wanted a Diamond to be polished into the shape of the mouth of the Marquise!

8. Heart Cut Diamond

The Heart Shaped Brilliant bears some similarity to the Pear Shape, except that there is a cleft at the top. In fact, often the reason cutters may choose a Heart shape over a Pear may be that the Rough Diamond contained an inclusion located in the cleft. The skill of the cutter can make a great difference in the beauty of this cut. The “Shape Appeal” is especially important with Hearts.

9. Pear Cut Diamond

The Pear Shaped Brilliant is a combination of a Round brilliant and a Marquise cut. Pendants looks very nice set with a Pear shape as do earrings, due to the “Teardrop” shape.

10. Cushion Cut Diamond

Cushion cut diamonds are also known as “pillow cut” or “candlelight”. Those names come from having been around so long that they were originally viewed by candlelight rather than the modern light bulb. The Cushion is a unique cut in an antique style similar to an Old Mine or Oval cut. Cushions feature rounded corners and larger facets. Their shape varies from square to rectangular. Choose the shape appeal based on your preference.

Mother of pearl has a subtle, but colorful, iridescent glow that’s suitable for just about any occasion, from casual to dressy. These mother of pearl jewelry selections will fit right in to your wardrobe.

Classy and elegant Pearl Earrings are the chosen earring for brides.

Since ancient times, the pearl has been a symbol of unblemished perfection. It is the oldest known gem, and for centuries it was considered the most valuable. Pearls have been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence. In the Rigveda, an ancient Hindu book dating back to 1000 B.C. Krishna, the preserver, brought forth pearls from the depths of the sea to give to his daughter on her wedding day. Thus started the tradition of giving pearls to the bride.

The ancient Greeks also believed that pearls should be part of the wedding experience. They considered pearls to be the “wedding gem” because they believed that pearls would help ensure marital bliss and prevent newlywed brides from crying.

During the Crusades, gallant knights returning from the Holly Lands would bestow pearls to their “fair ladies” for their wedding days.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, pearls were at the height of wedding fashion with royal weddings in the French House of Burgundy taking place in a “sea of pearls”. Everyone from the bride to her male guests were adorned in glowing pearls.

From Queen Elizabeth I to our modern Queen Elizabeth II, the tradition of wearing pearls on the wedding day has continued. At the beginning of the 20th century, pearls were as much a nuptial gem in the United States as diamonds are today.

Today, the tradition of bestowing pearls upon the bride continues. Often the father of the bride or the groom gives the gift of pearls. Many brides give their bridesmaids pearl necklaces, bracelets or earrings too.

Budget

First of all, you have to set a budget for yourself. You may think bracelets are easy to find, but what hinders people from buying them is the price. Decide and stick to the budget you’ve chosen for yourself and make sure that the bracelet doesn’t go over it (or if it does, don’t let it be more than 10%). Once you have a budget in mind, then it is time to look for a good bracelet.

Design and Metal

The first thing is to decide what design you want for your bracelet. This includes knowing how heavy the bracelet should be, if it’s streamlined or with pointed edges, if the mount for the diamonds or and gemstones are strong enough, etc. Here are some ideas you might want to consider:

• The prongs used to mount the gems should be sturdy and shouldn’t be too thin or else they could open up and fall off anytime unnoticed.
• Consider the design dimensions of the bracelet to avoid instances where the metal is too thin, the overall bracelet too heavy, etc.
• Make sure the designs are damage proof and that the bracelet can last for a long time without loosing its luster or strength.

One way of determining the price of a bracelet is through the metal. The heaviness of the metal used and if the choice is a gold bracelet will determine if you can afford it or not. Usually jewelers are very excited to sell you gold bracelets, so make sure you know what kind you’re buying before handing over the money.

Gems

• The next step in choosing a bracelet is choosing the gemstones. There are a lot of ways in choosing a bracelet based on gemstones, one of which is through associating them with the person’s birthstone. Here is a chart of birth stone colors to help you in the process.
• Sometimes choosing alternative birthstones can help you stay in your budget.

Quality

You have to know if the craftsmanship is of good quality or not. You should always demand well crafted bracelets, especially if you’re buying gold or silver ones as a gift. You will know if the craftsmanship of a certain bracelet is bad when you:

• Notice that the price is cheaper than normal good quality bracelets
• Luster is of low quality
• The mount of the gemstones can easily be bent open.
• Badly connected links

Size and  Color

• Verify the size is appropriate for the the person who will wear the bracelet.
• Does the color match ones wardrobe. Though gold and silver generally match more outfits, certain colors won’t be worn often.

Brands

Name brands or at least established jewelers often have higher quality of craftsmanship. This is one of the reasons people often buy from designers. Tiffany’s and Harry Winston come to mind as many people’s favorites. However, there is a premium for this and your budget may encourage you to simply look for high quality materials without the name to go with it.

Hopefully, these tips will help you find the best bracelet!

Color: Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colorless.

Diamonds are graded on a color scale which ranges from D (colorless) to Z. For settings in yellow gold warm colored diamonds (K-Z) are desirable and for settings in platinum, palladium or white gold icy winter whites (D-J) look their best. It is difficult to see the difference between two close shades of white. Therefore, colors are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are treasured for their rarity. Color, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste.

Carat: Refers to the standard measurement of a diamond weight.

It is important you do not confuse a gemstone’s carat with gold karats. Although the pronunciation of the two words is the same, the meaning and the writing is different. While “carat” is used when referring to a gems weight, karats are pointing to the gold purity in gold alloys. Also people often confuse carats with size even though it is actually a measure of weight.

• 1 carat = 200 milligrams
• a 0.75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond
• a 1.00 carat diamond does not cost exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond because larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature which makes them rare.

Clarity: Refers to the clarity of a diamond.

Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers. A magnifying loupe allows jewelers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond and the very few flawless diamonds found in nature are very valuable. Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity. The clarity scale, ranging from FL (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.

Cut: Refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond.

Cut is very important in the evaluation of a diamond because only well-cut stones will produce the perfect luster and beauty. Physics help the experimented cutters to get the best from a rough diamond, to add light to it and to avoid the dull appearance. Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby being more sought after than deep or shallow-cut diamonds.

Note: Cost and Certification are two additional but lesser known C’s that can greatly impact your search for the right diamond.

For more Jewelry Education visit our JRJewelers.com

In America and Europe gold jewelry is made from gold alloy and the purity of this alloy is stated in Karats. By definition, the karat system is used to reveal the amount of pure gold found in an item.

• 24 karat (24K) gold is pure gold.
• 18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal or metals, making it 75% gold.
• 14 karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts another metal or metals, making it 58.3% gold.
• 10 karat (10K) gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts another metal or metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10k gold is the minimum karat designation that can still be called gold in the US.

Karat Value Definitions:

• Karat System: A system of measurement based on 24 karats being “fine” or “pure” gold. 1 karat equals 1/24th fine gold by weight. This is the system used in the United States.
• Plumb Gold: Karat weights are usually determined with a small, fractional variance allowed. Karat gold which has no variance and is exactly the precise fractional karat weight is called “plumb” gold.
• European System: A system of measurement based on a fraction of 1,000; or the number of grams of gold in 1 kilogram of alloy.

Gold in its pure state:

• Has a melting point of 1945 degrees Fahrenheit (1063 degrees Celsius). When alloyed (chemically combined) with other base metals the melting temperature of the resulting alloy is changed. 18K yellow gold has a melting point of 1675 degrees Fahrenheit and 14K yellow gold has a melting point of about 1550 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Has a specific gravity of 19.33. It is relatively heavy compared to most metals, such as silver (SG 10.7) or iron (SG 7.8). A notable exception is platinum (SG 21.4).
• Is more malleable than any other metal and can be hammered into foil so thin that it is almost transparent.
• Has a unique ductility property allowing it to be drawn into wire so fine it can barely be seen.
• Is deep yellow in color. Its great reflectivity properties help keep its brightness and color from fading with time.
• Will not rust, tarnish or corrode. Gold jewelry recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs is in the same state as when placed there over 4000 years ago.
• Is softer than most other metals. On the Mohs scale of hardness (which is a measure of a gemstone or mineral’s resistance to scratching), gold has a hardness value of 2 to 2.5. Diamond has a value of 10. Pure gold may easily be scratched. Fortunately, gold becomes harder when alloyed with other base metals.
• Is relatively scarce and therefore expensive. It is estimated that only 125,000 tons of gold have been mined the world over since the beginning of time.
• Is able to bond with other base metals. This property gives rise to the many different colors available in modern gold alloys.

Although you have already a personal style and personal taste when it comes to fine jewelry, there are some important things a woman must know. Every well-dressed woman should have in her jewelry box classic items to accent her outfits.

Classic Diamond Heart Pendant with white diamond stones

Classic jewelry is a must because will always give the touch of glamour needed to any occasions. The timeless elegance of classic jewelry makes them a good investment and an efficient way to look breathtaking in any circumstance. A personal collection of classic jewelry must consist of several great pieces that will be harmoniously combine with stylish or casual outfits.