How do I Care for my Jewelry?

Jewelry requires proper care and treatment for its longevity so that it can even be handed down as heirlooms to future generations without losing their shine and sparkle. Regular cleaning of jewelry is essential to maintain shine and brilliance of jewelry's gemstones and metal. On wearing jewelry, it gets dirty as you use various skin and body care solutions such as soaps, lotions and even it becomes oily from your skin's natural oils. You can clean your jewelry at home by using soft brush, water and soap or ask me about my home cleaning solution that I have been using for years. Jewelry should be stored individually in a soft cloth pouch or plastic zip-lock bags to ensure that a piece of jewelry or gemstone does not scratch one another. You should not wear jewelry while doing heavy work, housework or gardening as it can be scratched. You should avoid the situation where your jewelry comes in contact with chlorine bleach, hair spray or other chemicals because they can severely discolor and damage your jewelry as well as their settings.

 

The meaning when wearing rings on different fingers?

Wearing a ring on a particular finger represents some of the attributes of your personality. Here you can find what does wearing a ring on particular finger means:

• Thumb Ring is Poseiden (Individuality, Independence)

• Index finger Ring is zeus (Dominance, Power, Energy)

• Middle Finger Ring is Dionysus (Irreverence, Rebellion, Decadence)

• Ring finger is Aphrodite (Love, Romance, Connection)

• Pinky Ring is Ares (Conflict, Assertiveness, Competitiveness)

• No Rings is Hermes (Friendliness, Helpfulness, Adventure)

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What are the different Birthstones?

A gemstone popularly associated with the month or astrological sign of one's birth having meanings, history, and symbolism. 

• January’s Birthstone – Garnet

• February’s Birthstone - Amethyst

• March’s Birthstone - Aquamarine

• April’s Birthstone - Diamond

• May’s Birthstone - Emerald

• June’s Birthstone - Pearl / Alexandrite / Moonstone

• July’s Birthstone - Ruby

• August’s Birthstone - Peridot / Sardonyx

• September’s Birthstone - Sapphire

• October’s Birthstone - Opal / Pink Tourmaline

• November’s Birthstone - Citrine / Yellow Topaz

• December’s Birthstone - Turquoise / Tanzanite / Zircon / Blue Topaz

 

What is a Gemstone?

A gemstone or gem (also called a fine gem, jewel, or a precious or semi-precious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments.

 

How Gemstones are classified on the basis of their Characteristics?

Gemstones are classified into two categories, Precious and Semi-Precious, on the basis of their characteristics.

• Precious Stones 
  Gemstones which are highly valuable for their hardness and rarity, are known as Precious Stones. Precious Stones are generally expensive in comparison of Semi-Precious Stones.Precious stones include Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies, and Sapphires.

• Semi-Precious Stones 
  Gemstones those are valued for their beauty and not covered under any one of the four ‘Precious Stones’, are known as Semi-Precious Stones. Semi-Precious Stones are available in all price ranges from low priced to high priced. Semi-Precious stones are Alexandrite, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Iolite, Onyx, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite, Topaz, Tourmaline etc.

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What is Precious Metal?

A Precious Metal is a metal with rare metallic chemical element and due to that is of high economic value. Precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high luster, and have higher melting points than other metals. Gold, Platinum and Silver are considered as p recious metals and used extensively in jewelry.

• Gold is an extraordinary and rare precious metal, with an unmatched combination of chemical and physical properties. Gold is the most non-reactive of all metals and it does not oxidize under ordinary conditions. No other metal is as malleable as gold. Pure gold is very soft and pliable, and alloys of different other metals are combined with pure gold to enhance its durability and strength, as well as creating a blush in the gold’s appearance with different color tones. 24 karat is 100 % pure gold, and it is more expensive and less durable than gold that is alloyed with other metals.

• Platinum, an extremely rare and expensive metal, is a silvery gray precious metal often used for setting or mounting high quality diamonds and gemstones. Platinum is a strong, durable and dense metal which is valued for its white color and purity.

• Pure silver is very soft metal with its lustrous white color. Silver is used as jewelry metal well before the development of white gold alloys, and before platinum could be isolated. It is normally stable in pure air and water but tarnishes when exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur.

   

Whats the difference between Carat and Karat?

When shopping for jewelry, it's not unusual to start wondering what the difference is between a Carat and a Karat. Both the terms are used for the purpose of measurement. The term 'Carat' refers to the weight of a diamond. It is derived from the carob seeds, which are remarkably consistent in weight and shape and so were the favored scale balances in ancient times. This was standardized in 1907 and after that 1 carat became 0.2 grams or 1/142 of an ounce. Furthermore, each carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, 1/4 carat diamond is considered as 25 points and 1/2 carat diamond is considered as 50 points and so on. Carat is also used in its abbreviated 'Ct' form. On the other hand, a 'Karat' is a measurement used to measure the purity of gold, with 24 karat being the purest. The measurement gauges how much gold vs. how much alloy is in the piece of jewelry. If a jewelry item contains 18 Karat Gold that means it has Eighteen Parts Pure Gold and Six Parts Other Metal Alloys. Karat is also used in its abbreviated 'kt' form.