Jewelry For Birthdays-How To Buy The Perfect Gift At A Fair Price
by: Sam Serio
Jewelry is the perfect gift for friends and loved ones at any stage in life. However the jewelry buying process can be a little tricky. Here are some hints for buying the perfect jewelry birthday gift at a great price.
1. There?s a big difference between 14 karat gold and gold-plated jewelry. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. Gold-plated describes jewelry with a layer of at least 10K gold bonded to a base metal. Gold plating eventually wears away, depending on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.
2. If you?re buying a watch, determine whether you want one that runs on a battery or one that must be wound daily. Ask if a warranty or guarantee is included, how long it lasts, and what parts and repair problems it covers. Also ask how and where you can get the watch serviced and repaired.
3. Know the difference between laboratory-created gemstones and naturally mined stones. Stones created in the lab are visually identical to stones mined from the earth. The big difference is in the cost: laboratory-created stones are less expensive then naturally mined stones. But because they look much like stones mined from the earth, they must be identified as lab-created. If you want a naturally mined stone, ask if it has been treated. Gemstone treatments? such as heating, dyeing or bleaching? can improve a stone?s appearance or durability. Some treatments are permanent; some may create special care requirements. Treatments also may affect the stone?s value.
4. Ask whether pearls are imitation or real. Real pearls are made by oysters or other mollusks; imitation pearls are man-made. Cultured pearls are made by mollusks with human intervention; and irritant introduced into their shells causes a pearl to grow. Real pearls that are not cultured are fairly rare and expensive. The cost depends on the size, usually stated in millimeters, and the coating or ?nacre? on a real pearl, which gives it its iridescence.
5. When you?re buying a diamond, consider four criteria: cut, color, clarity and weight, usually stated as carats. Each factor affects the price. Color is sometimes ?graded? on a scale. However, scales are not uniform: a ?D? may be the best color for one scale, but not for another. Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent the color of the diamond you?re considering. A diamond can be described as ?flawless? only if it has no visible surface cracks or other imperfections when viewed under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.
6. Everybody is fascinated by their birthstones, here is a list of the commonly accepted birthstones for each month.
January
Garnet-Dark RedFebruary
Amethyst-PurpleMarch
Aquamarine-Pale BlueApril
Diamond-ClearMay
Emerald-Deep GreenJune
Pearl-Pearly WhiteJuly
Ruby-RedAugust
Peridot-Light GreenSeptember
Sapphire-Deep BlueOctober
Opal-MulticolorNovember
Citrine-YellowDecember
Blue Topaz-Blue
About The Author
Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of ?How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.? This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.
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How to Safely Buy a Diamond Online ? Part 2 of 3
How to Safely Buy a Diamond Online ? Part 2 of 3
by: Michael Bradley
It is now possible to save 40% to 60% by purchasing a diamond engagement ring from an online diamond retailer, rather than from a bricks-n-mortar High Street jeweller. Online diamond retailers don?t have retail shops, sales staff, large diamond inventories and other associated operating expenses and are therefore able to pass on the cost savings to consumers.
Of course, a diamond might be one of the largest one-off purchases made in one?s lifetime and so it is understandable that many people may be uncomfortable paying for a diamond before it has been seen and examined.
However, as long as the correct research and precautions are taken there should be no reason to be fearful about buying diamonds from Internet diamond merchants.
The three most important aspects of the pre-purchase checks that must be carried out are:
1. Assurance that the diamond business is...
How to Safely Buy a Diamond Online ? Part 2 of 3
Diamond > How to Safely Buy a Diamond Online ? Part 2 of 3
Making Sense of Diamond Grading Specs!
Making Sense of Diamond Grading Specs!
by: Keith Thompson
Anyone wanting to make an informed purchase of diamond jewelry needs at least a cursory understanding of the Four C's. These are the standards by which diamonds are graded, and ultimately determine their value. They are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat weight. What follows is a brief description to acquaint diamond shoppers with these essential benchmarks.
CARAT WEIGHT - Contrary to popular belief, a large stone alone does not a valuable diamond make! While bigger can be better, it's not the only factor. All the other C's carry as much weight in the end, and be sure to use the size as a factor, though not necessarily a determining one. A carat is actually a measurement of weight, not size, equal to 200 Milligrams.
COLOR - The less color the better. In other words, everything else being equal, a colorless diamond will be much more valuable. Diamonds range in color from colorless to...
Making Sense of Diamond Grading Specs!
Diamond > Making Sense of Diamond Grading Specs!