Womens Jewelry

Tungsten (wolfram) or more accurately tungsten carbide steel is making an emergence in jewelry, especially with ring for men. This dark grey metal is extremely hard and dense which is appealing to many men as a ring made from tungsten has substantial weight and is extremely scratch resistant.

It should be noted that there is a difference between Tungsten rings and Tungsten carbide rings, and both are being sold. The main difference is that Tungsten rings although they are strong do scratch easily, only a true Tungsten carbide ring will remain unscathed as they can only be cut or scratched by a product containing the mineral corundum or by a diamond.

Another aspect of a tungsten carbide ring or even those made from just tungsten that you should be aware of before you purchase is whether or not the ring contains cobalt. Many rings are sold that have cobalt in them, this practice is changing but many are still on the market. If your ring does have Cobalt in it then you will notice that your skin will begin to have a negative reaction, as well the ring itself will develop spots or “stains” that can not be removed.

Tungsten carbide is the hardest substances known to man; ten times harder than 18kt gold and four times harder than titanium. This fact is another reason why rings made from tungsten carbide are popular with men especially those who work in occupations where most jewelry will not stand up to the abuse. A tungsten carbide ring with not only keep its shape but will also resist scratches and will look like new for life.

A question or concern that many people have about rings made from materials that they are not completely familiar with is whether or not the ring can be cut off in an emergency situation. With a tungsten ring the answer is no, you can not cut the ring off however that does not mean you will lose your finger. A tungsten ring is instead cracked off, vice grip pliers can be used to crack the ring by clamping in several different places until it breaks away.

Tungsten rings although beautiful on their own do also offer variety, in that you can get rings that are inlaid with different metals or precious stones. In general the cost of a tungsten ring if very affordable, the prices are much lower than a comparable ring made from gold or platinum.

When most people think of diamonds, they usually think of of sparkling white gemstones that glitter and shine, catching and reflecting light in a dazzling and flashy display. In fact, when it is time to shop for diamond jewelry, people look for diamonds that are as clear and brilliant as possible. However, the black diamond, even though it is not bright and clear, is another variety of this precious stone that is becoming increasingly popular. There was a time when a diamond of a black color was considered to be imperfect and practically worthless. But that idea has changed significantly and black diamonds are quickly becoming one of a unique group of gemstones that are very much in demand, precisely because of their rarity and their uniqueness. If you are thinking of buying black diamonds, then you should know that they are not all the same in quality and some care and attention needs to be given to the various characteristics of this unique precious stone. As with any other kind of diamond, it is important to be sure of the quality of the black diamond before making a purchase.

Rubies are deep red gemstones used commonly in jewelry. They are considered to be part of the 4 most precious gemstones, and for good reason. When you see them, you’ll immediately realize why. The deep red of a ruby looks completely amazing when professionally placed in a piece of jewelry. Rubies are one of the few minerals that can be reproduced in a laboratory and have the exact same chemical makeup and properties of the natural stone. This has lead to many labs producing large amounts of synthetic rubies, and selling them for cheaper prices than those which have been mined out of the earth.

Although rubies are famous for their striking red color, they often have a secondary color that is easily detectable in addition to the red. For example, if you look close enough you can see blue undertones that give the ruby a very unique look. Each one has a slightly different look to it, and this gives the gemstone a whole new level of charm since each one is able to have its own little hint of individuality. When picking out a ruby for yourself or for someone else, you are provided with a level of personality much higher than with other gemstones, since technically all of the different secondary colors of rubies are the same quality.

If you decide to buy a ruby, you should always ask for a certificate of authenticity to make sure that it is not a laboratory ruby. Since large, high-quality rubies are hard to come by, if you find one for a surprisingly low price you should be cautious. Chances are that someone put it together in a lab the same way you would put together a ham sandwich. Along these same lines, you should buy your ruby from a gemstone dealer that you know is established and has a large customer base. If you go to someone who nobody has ever heard of, there’s a larger chance that you will end up buying something that isn’t completely real.

As the name implies synthetic diamonds look like real diamonds but do not have the same properties as real diamonds. The ability to determine the differences between chemical compusosition, hardness, weight, and some of the light handling characteristics of real diamonds and synthetic diamonds with the naked eye is extremely difficult. Man-made diamonds are not considered synthetic diamonds because they do have the same properties as real or mined diamonds.

Cut Glass was probably the first material used to simulate a diamond. It is readily available, easy to cut and polish and when seen from a distance, looks good. With all of the information available to today’s consumer trying to pass cut glass off as a diamond rarely works. Cut glass is still seen in costume jewelry and in the movies today because of its extremely low cost. The use of cut glass has widely been replaced by the most popular diamond alternative, cubic zirconium.

Since 1976 cubic zirconium has been the most widely used material for synthetic diamonds. Its low cost, durability and light handling characteristics have made it extremely attractive in producing low cost jewelry. Cubic zirconium light handling characteristics is so close to that of a diamond that only a trained eye can tell the difference between the two. The annual global production had reached 50 million carats by 1980. Cubic zirconium will weigh about 1.7 times more that a diamond. The hardness rating of cubic zirconium is between 8.5 and 9 whereas diamonds have a hardness rating of 10.

Moissanite or silicon carbide was named after Henri Moissan after he discovered the new mineral in fragments of a meteor found near Diablo Canyon in Arizona 1893. Henri Moissan is also credited as the first person to have created a man-made diamond in a libratory in 1892. Moissanite is a naturally occurring mineral that is slightly softer than diamonds with a hardness rating of 9.25 but has almost all of the other properties of a mined diamond. Charles and Colvard introduced gem-quality moissanite jewelry in 1998. The thermal conductivity test use to distinguish diamond from other artificial stones was rendered useless because moissanite has almost the same thermal conductivity as a diamond. It requires highly specialized equipment to determine if a gemstone is moissanite or a diamond…. Synthetic Diamonds continue …

Henri Moissan (1852-1907) received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906. In 1892 theorized that by crystallizing carbon with pressure and heat from molten iron he could make diamonds. The then set out to prove his theory by designing and building an electric-arc furnace. He subsequently was able to product several tiny stones that had the same properties as mined diamonds. Thus the start of the man made diamond race was born.

The experiment was successfully repeated by Ruffin in 1917 and again by Dr Willard Hershey in 1926. The diamond that was created by Dr Willard Hershey is on display in Kansas at the McPherson Museum. Despite the earlier success, the following experimenters had great difficulty in reproducing the required temperatures and pressures needed by the process and some of the experimenters even lost their lives to explosions.

In 1941 General Electric was able to produce a one carat diamond but of very poor quality. It was not until 1954 that General Electric was able to produce commercially synthesis diamonds of a size and quality to be used in the industrial abrasives market. Today over 600 metric tons of commercially produced diamonds are produced for the industrial abrasives market and about 26 metric tons of mined diamonds are produced for gemstone market yearly.

Today there are two methods used to produce gem quality diamonds. The first is the High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). If pure carbon in put under pressures of 50,000 atmospheres and temperatures between 1100, and 1400 degrees Celsius will reproduce the environment that creates diamonds inside the Earths core.

Companies like Gemesis, New Age Diamonds, Adia Diamonds and Tairus all utilize the HPHT method of producing gem quality man made diamonds. Clear or White diamonds must be produced in an environment that is free of impurities like nitrogen and boron which makes them very difficult and costly to produce. Most diamonds created by the HPHT method will contain some color. Yellow or orange tint occurs when nitrogen atoms replace 5 or more carbon atoms out of each 10,000 atoms. At a level of one or a few boron atoms for every million-carbon atom is replaced, an attractive blue color results…. Man Made Diamonds continue …

An Emerald Cut diamond is a diamond that has been cut to a rectangular or square step cut with diagonally cut corners. It usually has 2 to 4 rows of parallel facets to the center of the stone. A very popular style of cut used for Emeralds hence the name. What makes this cut unique is the large flat face (table) when viewed from the top.

This flat face highlights the clarity of the diamond so only high quality diamonds are cut to this shape. The lack of impurities and inclusion in the stone will increase the price so emerald cut diamonds are usually more expensive than other cuts with the same caret weight.

The classic emerald-cut shape has a length to width ratio of 1.30 to 1.40. It is interesting to note that studies done back in the mid 1970s showed that the majority of successful business also had logos with the same length to width ratio. Other length to width ratios is available and if they are pleasing to the eye is determined only by individual tastes. 1.25, 1.50, and 1.75 are very common and if you prefer a more square shape then take a look at the Asscher cut. It also has a flat face to highlight the clarity of the diamond but has a length to width ratio of about 1.0 to 1.05.

When purchasing an emerald cut stone of SI clarity grade or lower, be sure to review the clarity plot on the diamond certificate. A diamond is said to be Slightly Included (S.I.1 to S.I.2) when it presents defects that are easy to locate under 10x magnification.

The Darya-I-Nur diamond is one of the most famous emerald-cut diamonds in the world. It is also believed to be the largest pink diamond in the world. The stone is estimated to weigh somewhere between 175 and 195 carats, and it is a light pink color. Its exact weight isn’t known because its been mounted in its brooch setting for over 130 years. This stone is one of the most celebrated diamonds in the Iranian Crown Jewels and it is also one of the oldest stones known to man.

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The first wave of gem-quality manufactured diamonds hit the market late in 2003. Man-made diamonds is nothing new and the technology has been available since the mid 19th century. Small diamond crystals were created for industrial purposes such as grinding wheels, drill bits and saw blades. What is new is that a Florida based company can now produce rough 3-carat gem-quality diamonds 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at a cost of less than $100 dollars.

Companies like the Gemesis, Apollo Diamond and others are producing quality diamonds and yet the price of the man-made or cultured diamonds are only about 15 percent less than mined diamonds. Gemesis and Apollo Diamond companies are using diamond jewelry business to finance their entry into the semiconductor industry, which is where the real money is.

As computer chips get faster and smaller they run hotter and hotter. Microprocessor chips can generate up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If they get much hotter the silicon will simply turn into a puddle. Diamonds can solve this problem because they can stand much higher temperatures than silicon.

Several things must happen before diamonds are going to be used as semiconductors. The first is the cost must come down. With Gemesis reporting in 2003 that the cost of producing a 3-carat diamond was about $100 and Apollo Diamond Company reporting cost of about $5 per carat the first obstacle appears to have been overcome.

A large volume of cheap diamonds is needed. You cannot rely on a steady supply mined diamonds. Since De Beers Diamond Trading Company has monopolized the diamond business for over 115 years by forcing out rivals and by controlling the supply of available diamonds the ability to manufacture diamonds is the answer…. Diamonds and Computers continue …

The Earth Star - No Picture

The Earth Star was found in the Jagersfontein Mine in 1967. It was cut from a raw stone of about 248.9 carats into a Pear shaped stone weighing 111.59 carats. At the time it was considered the largest faceted brown diamond in the world. This particular stone shows a degree of brilliance that is not usually found in gems with such a strong color. It was sold in 1983 to Stephen Zbova of Naples for $900,000.

Eureka Diamond

This gem is not exceptional but it was the very first diamond found in South Africa. It was found by a shepherd boy in 1866 on the bank of the Orange River near Hopetown. It was passed from hand to hand by several people without it becoming know that it was a diamond until Dr. W. G. Atherstone of Grahamstone came into possession of the pebble. Dr Atherstone was one of the very few people in the Cape colony who knew anything about gemstones. It was cut into a 21.25 brownish yellow diamond and sold in 1867.

Excelsior Diamond

This stone was found at the Jagersfontein mine by one of the workers in a shovel full of gravel. Instead of giving it to his overseer as was required he hid it in his pocket and gave it directly to the Mine Manager. This 995.2 carat diamond has suffered a tragic fate ever since and is considered to be the Great Unknown of famous diamonds. It just happened to be found on the exact day that a consortium of London firms that had the purchase rights to the mines output expired. Had the diamond been found a couple of hours earlier the history of the Excelsior Diamond may have been much different. The Excelsior Diamond is the second largest rough diamond of gem quality ever found only surpassed by the Cullinan diamond. Since a buyer could not be found for such a large stone it was decided to cut the stone into a number of smaller stones the largest being only 69.68 carats. It was stated by Alpheus F. Williams, who later became the General Manager of the De Beers company, considering the decision to cleave the diamond into several smaller fragments as the greatest tragedy of modern times in the history of famous diamond in the world. In 1996 it was sold to Robert Mouawad for $2,642,000…. Famous Diamonds continue …

This is a multi part article and is strictly for educational purposes.

Darya-I-Nur

Darya-I-Nur diamond is believed to be the largest pink diamond in the world. The stone is estimated to weigh somewhere between 175 and 195 carats, and it is a light pink color. Its exact weight isn’t known because its been mounted in its brooch setting for over 130 years. This stone is one of the most celebrated diamonds in the Iranian Crown Jewels and it is also one of the oldest stones known to man.

De Beers Diamond

The De Beers weights 234.65 carats and is the seventh largest faceted diamond in the world. It was found in the De Beers Consolidated Mine in March 1888. Prior to being cut the diamond weighed 428.50 carats. It was centerpiece of a ceremonial necklace known as the Patiala Necklace in 1928. In 1973 the necklace disappeared and then the remnants was discovered in a jewelry shop in London in 1998 with most of the large stone missing. The De Beers Diamond was sold in 1982 for $3,160,000.

De Young Red Diamond

The De Young Red is a 5.03 carat red diamond and is considered as the third largest in the world. This diamond is not really pure red. This stone has a slightly brown hue which makes it look like a fine garnet that ruby-like. Since this diamond has very unique color, this was once sold at an estate sale as a red garnet. Luckily, this fine piece of precious stone was later on recovered and identified to be a very rare red diamond. At present, the De Young Red is under the custody of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC and often figured in exhibits in that museum.

Unlike the Type I diamonds that derived their color from impurities imbedded in the diamond, Red diamonds are considered a Type II and get their color from a process known as Plastic Deformation. They get their coloration due to structural anomalies caused by Plastic Deformation during the crystal growth. The intense pressure changes the lattice structure of diamonds and has led to the formation of Pink, Red, and Brown colored diamonds…. Famous Diamonds continue …

A certificate is not the same thing as an appraisal. A certificate describes the quality of a diamond, but it does not place a monetary value on the gem. An appraisal places a monetary value on your diamond, but does not certify the quality of the diamond.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the American Gem Society (AGS), and the International Gemological Institute (IGI) are the three most widely known and respected diamond grading laboratories in the world. Each of the grading laboratories have developed a very similar nomenclature for identifying the 4 C’s of diamonds. The 4 C’s stand for Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut. We will also discuss the Shape of diamonds in this article.

Carat Grading

The weight or size of a diamond is measured in carats. A carat is 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams and is always referenced within 2 decimal points. This is a highly accurate grading scale used to determine the weight or size of a diamond.

Color Grading

All diamonds are compared against to an internationally accepted set of master stones and ranges from totally colorless (D) to pale yellow or brown color (Z). Brown diamonds darker than K color are usually described using their letter grade, and a descriptive phrase, for example M Faint Brown. Diamonds with more depth of color than Z color fall into the fancy color diamond range.

Color grades D through F are naturally the most valuable and expensive because of their rarity. Color G through I will show virtually no visible color to the untrained eye. Selecting the right jewelry to mount the diamond in can minimize color grade J through M.

The coloration of diamonds can be caused by several factors. Impurities trapped in the diamond during its formation, the crystal lattice structure of the diamond, and the exposure to radiation can all lead to the wide verity of colors available in diamonds…. The 4Cs of Diamonds continue …