With all of the potential for scams concerning diamonds, buying diamonds online almost seems unthinkable! However, you actually can purchase diamonds online, without any problems – as long as you are careful. First, think about your reasons for wanting to purchase the diamond online, as opposed to making a purchase from a local jewelry store. The most common reason is price. Due tolow overhead costs, online jewelers and wholesalers are able to offer lower prices. However, you must be careful – sometimes a price that is too low is a sure indication of a scam.

One of the best things about purchasing online is the unlimited selection. When shopping offline, you are limited to the selection in the stores in your general area. Online, there are no limits. But again, you must use a great deal of care and consideration before handing your money over to someone that you cannot see and have never met!

Before shopping, learn as much as you can about diamonds – especially cut, color, clarity and carat weights. When you are knowledgeable about diamonds, it will be harder for a con artist to rip you off. Once you know more about diamonds, you will be ready to start shopping.Take your time. Don’t purchase the first diamond that you see that interests you. Instead, look for similar diamonds for sale. Do some comparison shopping to find the lowest prices. Once you have found thelowest price, start doing your investigation. You know about diamonds, you’ve found a diamond that you love, and you’ve found the lowest price – but you are still quite a ways away from actually purchasing that diamond!

Ask about the seller’s credentials, such as professional jewelry associations that they belong to. View and print the seller’s return, refund, and upgrade policies. Also inquire about additional services, such as settings and mountings, sizing, and free shipping. Do a search for customer reviews on this
particular company around the Internet. Alsocheck with the BBB Online to see if there have been any complaints.

Ask for a diamond grading report from an independent laboratory such as GIA, HRD, EGL or AGS. You should see this before making a purchase. Finally, use a reputable escrow service for high dollar diamonds – preferably one that will have the diamond appraised while it is in their possession. The
seller sends the diamond to the escrow service, and you send the money to pay for the diamond to the escrow service. The escrow service has the diamond appraised, sends the diamond to you, and sends the money to the seller. This is the surest way to protect yourself…again, make sure that you use a reputable escrow service!

Bracelet popularity dates back to the Roman times and continues today.
Roman bracelets shared many of the design patterns of necklaces and earrings from that era. The ever popular ball earrings from that era were nicely matched with a ball style bracelet. Engraved bangles and snake bracelets were very popular during Roman times. Bracelets made of twisted coil with lion head ends were common place, as were the two part bracelets ending with a pair of lion heads. The Heracles knot bracelet is recognized as a Roman era piece. The Roman’s were very creative in the designing of their jewelry. However they still borrowed from Greek motifs. Palmettos, fleeing dogs and acanthus leaves, all of Greek origin, were often seen in the designing of Roman jewelry.

Stones and glass were often used in Roman bracelets. . Gem stones were commonly found set in eyes. Open bands were cut to represent a row of ivy and entwined with pearls. Many of the leaf and berry bracelets were heavily adorned with decorative glass. The wealthier women could be seen wearing bracelets layered in bezel set emeralds.

During the Gerogiian times bracelets remained popular. Paris jewelers were known for their gold bracelets set with pearl edging. After the 1820s coral became the “in” fashion statement, so bracelets and other jewelry were heavily set with coral.

During the Gerogiian time it was very fashionable to wear many bracelets at once, including wide ribbon gold mesh bracelets, and silk ribbon bracelets. Gem and Diamond bracelets were designed in geometric patterns. Gold was heavily used during this era.

The Victorian era brought changes to the fashions of women, including jewelry styles. Earrings grew long and dangled, bracelets became rigid and were normally worn in pairs. The buckle bracelet became very fashionable.

The jewelry of the Victorian era expressed sentiment, and bracelets were no exception. Bracelets would contain lockets or charms with pictures or hair of a loved one, and engravings were common

Early Victorian jewelry enjoyed some mystic with hidden meanings being popular. The acrostic bracelets where the first letter of each gemstone spelled a word of friendship were very popular. For example a bracelet set with Lapis, Opal, Vermeil [hessonite garnet] and Emerald would spell Love.

The Art Nouveau period once again saw changes to fashion and jewelry. Chameleons and serpents entwined themselves around bracelets. The mystical Egyptian scarab was found on bracelets and rings. Other popular creatures included dragonflies, butterflies, bees, peacocks, swans, and even bats. This was a very figural period attached to nature.
If jewelry did not depict creatures it depicted flower blossoms or flower buds.

From 1910 to 1939 women’s fashions saw sleeveless or short sleeve dresses appear. The result was flexible bracelets and bangles worn on the upper arm. These arm bracelets were often adorned with gemstones or diamonds.
From 1940 to 1949 US designers were greatly influenced by the designs from the French house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Bracelets with ribbon of hexagon lines centered on fine gemstones fastened with heavy clasps became very vogue.

From 1950 to 1960 daytime saw simpler lines for not only gold bracelets but necklaces as well. Gold mesh or twisted wire bracelets were very popular.

From 1960 to 1970 bracelets became more flexible and were often set with gems. Bangles on the other hand became more rigid and were often seen set with random diamond placements.

From 1970 to 1979 bracelets were flexible and often set with tiny baguettes. Delicate and dainty bracelets were vogue.

From the 1980s to now bracelet fashions have been mixed and varied. Bracelet styles have become more of an individual fashion statement than a trend. Gold has always remained popular as have gems, however sterling silver has become very popular and recognized for its versatility and wear ability at affordable pricing. In the last few years we’ve also seen an increase in demand for titanium bracelets.
Today a women’s fashion statement is about her! What she likes, what she feels good in. So your bracelet wardrobe can be what ever you want. Wear a dainty gem set gold bracelet or an armful of clunky bracelets, which is very vogue this season.

Your fashion statement is about who you are, so feel free to be you!

Platinum has become a popular choice for jewelry due to its strength, durability, and marketing efforts of the platinum industry in recent years. Platinum is three times more expensive than gold. Jewelers aggressively market it because they make three times the profit on every platinum item they sell compared to gold. Platinum is a naturally white, lustrous metal that is long lasting. Sometimes the claims of strength and scratch resistance are overstated. Like all precious metals, platinum will scratch. A platinum scratch is different from white gold because it simply “plows” the metal instead of removing it.

Traditionally, jewelry manufacturers used platinum alloyed with metals from the platinum group metals (iridium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, and ruthenium). With the proper mix of these platinum group alloys, platinum becomes one of the hardest metals making it a strong and durable jewelry metal. Platinum will not rust or corrode and the platinum family metals make it hypoallergenic and ideal for persons with sensitive skin.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for platinum jewelry state that only items consisting of 950 part per thousand of pure platinum can be marked stamped “PLATINUM” or “PLAT” without more alloy information. From 750-950 Platinum, the platinum group metals must also be indicated. For example, PLAT900IRID for 10% Iridium alloy. Historically, the most common alloys in America were 95% Platinum with 5% Ruthenium or 5% Cobalt and 90% Platinum with 10% Iridium.

There is a misperception that the 950 platinum is better than the 900 platinum. However, pure platinum is very soft and the right alloy mix is what is important. Different alloys and different percentages produce better results for different jewelry purposes. Some alloy mixes work better for casting and some are better for handcrafting like bending the prongs over fragile diamond corners. Many artisans feel that PLAT900IRID is the best general-purpose alloy for diamond rings.

While platinum is best known for its use in jewelry, more than 60% of platinum is used for other industrial purposes such as catalytic converters in autos and pacemakers in the medical field. Because of its rarity and the rapidly increasing demand for this versatile metal, the price has soared in recent years.

The high price of platinum has caused some jewelry manufacturers to start using lower percentages of platinum and to use other alloy metals to lower the cost of the jewelry. Unfortunately, these new alloy mixes are reducing the very qualities that made platinum desirable. The new alloys produce more brittle platinum that is more susceptible to damage.

For example, metal that is stamped 585 Platinum is really only 58.5% pure platinum and 41.5% copper and cobalt with the result that it is more likely to crack, crater, discolor or irritate sensitive skin. Less scrupulous jewelry vendors remove the 585 stamp and complicate the situation, leading consumers to believe the metal is the traditional high quality platinum.

Historically the jewelry shopper did not have to be concerned about the purity of platinum because the alloy metals were in the platinum group the quality was uniform regardless of the particular alloy or percentage used.

Today’s jewelry shopper is at potential risk because the lower quality platinum looks the same as the higher quality platinum. While platinum looks similar regardless of the alloy, the weight of lower quality alloy mixes is lower because there is so much less of the dense platinum.

Currently there are no FTC guidelines for the new platinum alloys so it is up to the jeweler or appraiser to help the consumer determine if the platinum is well suited for its intended use. The consumer deserves a warning if sold lower quality platinum since it might not hold stones as well and is more susceptible to damage. However, do not expect the jeweler selling low quality platinum to point out this potential problem. As with any important purchases, it is up to the consumer to be knowledgeable and ask the right questions before making a purchase.

Facts on Diamonds

It was more than 2800 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India. In actuality, diamonds are much older than one would think. Most diamonds we find today are at least 900 million years old. Experts believe that the oldest known diamond is around 3.2 billion years old. Each mined diamond is completely unique. To the trained eye, one can find that there are no two diamonds that are precisely the same.

When learning how to purchase a diamond, there are many things to consider. Until you know more and have done your research, you should never rush into buying a diamond. It’s especially important to learn how diamonds are priced.

The “4 C’s”

You will have many factors to consider when buying a diamond. Throughout the world, there is an established method that jewelers use as a way of describing the value of a diamond. The method is known as the “4 C’s”. If you are interested in understanding how to buy a diamond, it would help to know exactly what the 4 C’s are and how each aspect of the diamond contributes to its value.

The 4 C’s represent Cut, Clarity, Carats and Color

Buying a Diamond based on Cut: The cut of a diamond is a description of how the diamond maker angles the gemstone in such a way as to best reflect light through the diamond, resulting in the diamond’s sparkle. A high quality cut enhances the innate beauty of a diamond and increases its value. A poorly cut diamond isn’t as brilliant or shiny and, therefore, will be less valuable.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Clarity: The clarity of a diamond involves looking at how clear the diamond is when you look through it. Most diamonds have inclusions and flaws and it is rare to find a perfect diamond. Flaws, however, cannot usually be seen without magnification. When purchasing a diamond for clarity, look for the presence of dark spots inside the diamond.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Carats: Carat defines the size of the diamond. Larger diamonds (those of a higher carat) will cost more than a cluster of smaller diamonds, even if the total carats of the diamond cluster are the same. This means that a single one-carat diamond will cost you more than three diamonds set in a ring that add up to one carat. The reason behind this is that larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds. Unfortunately, this is impacted by the fact that, when diamonds are cut, they lose about half their size.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Color: The color of diamond you choose is entirely based upon your personal preference. Diamonds that are colorless, however, are the rarest and therefore cost more than other diamonds. Colorless diamonds are known as white diamonds. Diamonds also come in a variety of different hues, including yellow, green, blue and pink. There are even diamonds known as “black diamonds”.

Certificates and Appraisals

While understanding the 4 C’s in determining how to buy a diamond, you should also learn how to read diamond certificates. These certificates describe in detail the facts about the diamond in its unmounted state. Perhaps you have a specific diamond you want to have professionally appraised by an independent organization. This is probably not best done by the jeweler you are buying the diamond from because they are often biased and may appraise the diamond at a slightly higher value than what it’s actually worth in order to receive more income from the sale of the diamond.

There are so many different types of costume and vintage jewelry, whether it be pins and brooches or necklaces and rings. You want to know Which settings are most durable? Which jewelry clasps are best for securing and easiest to manipulate. How long is a choker necklace? What type of metal? A good understanding of jewelry terms and jewelry components makes it so much easier to buy the “right” jewelry when you shop. Today, We will focus this article on purchasing sterling silver jewelry.

Silver has been used to make jewelry since ancient times. Did you know the western hemisphere uncovered more productive silver mines than the European mines? More silver has been mined since the late 1700’s than in all prior centuries combined. Now you ask, What is Silver? Silver is a soft metal in its pure form. It is much too soft to be used for jewelry and other items. So, one needs to mix the “pure” silver with other metals to make it more durable. A popular silver mixture, called an alloy, is known as sterling silver. Copper is the most common metal used to round out the 7.5 percent alloy balance in sterling silver.
Jewelry sold in the US cannot be marked or described as silver, solid silver or sterling silver, unless it contains at least 92.5 percent pure silver. If your not sure the piece you are buying is real, flip the piece over and search for the jewelers mark of 925 or 92.5. If no mark is seen, the piece is not silver!
Now you made the purchase of your silver piece, how do you keep it clean? The one complaint I hear most about sterling silver is that it tarnishes. Yes, it does. In time, silver tarnishes from the interaction of silver and sulfides in the air. The tarnish will take on a golden hue, and eventually, it will turn the piece black. This is a natural process. Higher sulfide levels are associated with humidity and/or air pollution. Keep in mind that the more humid the climate, the faster sterling will tarnish. Purchase an inexpensive Chemically treated soft cloth like a “Sunshine cloth” at your local jewelers, this will make the job a lot easier and faster. Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing. Just remember, the simplest way is usually the best way. It will make your piece look brand new again.

Many people think that if they try to talk to a jewelry wholesale dealer that they will get better bargains. In the case of buying in bulk, they are absolutely right! Most jewelry wholesale dealers will offer you a lower price if you are buying in bulk – but if you are just buying one or two pieces, it really doesn’t pay for them to offer you prices below the wholesale price.

Other than getting a good price, you want to make sure that you are getting quality jewelry. If you can deal with the jewelry wholesale dealer in person, you should. But in most situations, this will not be the case. Instead, contact the dealer by phone and talk to them. Establish a relationship, and keep that relationship on good terms at all times. As time goes by, you may be able to get even better deals from the wholesaler, and you can probably work out credit terms as well.

Just remember that your jewelry wholesale dealer is a human being, and treat them as such. If you ever find that your dealer isn’t being honest with you, or is selling low quality jewelry, look for a new wholesaler.