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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-12-29 08:44:00

: Can you tell me a little more about gemstones in general?

ANSWER: Continuing with our gemstone historical knowledge…garnet is an extremely popular burgundy red colored gemstone, and contrary to the belief of many, is not particularly rare.  They can be everything from fully transparent to opaque. The name garnet comes from the Latin word granatum, or pomegranate. There are 6 garnet varieties, with five of them being used as gemstones.Jade is another gemstone that has been held in high esteem since Neolithic times, both for its pleasing color and its sturdiness in use. The name jade comes from the Spanish words pietra d'ijada, or colic stone. It was once regarded as a potent medicine. In China, where jade has been highly prized for thousands of years, over a hundred different names are in use for the different colored varieties. Imperial jade is transparent, and it is prized by the Chinese above any and all other gemstones. It is so clear that it is even possible to read print easily through a really good specimen.Peridot is a transparent green gemstone. It contains both iron and magnesium in proportions that vary somewhat from stone to stone. It is set in necklaces, earrings and looks good when it is surrounded by small amethysts or garnets.Silica gems, based on quartz, contain the two most common chemical elements in the earth's crust in combination.  The gas oxygen, and the non-metallic element silicon, are in its properties. This family forms the largest group of gemstones, both in the number of varieties and in the quantities mined. It includes one truly precious species, opal, and a large number of semi-precious stones such as jasper. The gemstones can be classified into three varieties.  Quartz,  which is transparent and cut from a single crystal, translucent varieties called by the term chalcedony, and the familiar opal. The crystals of quartz and chalcedony are of exactly the same composition and structure. They differ in only one way…size. The name quartz comes from the German querertz, meaning crossing ore. When pure, it is absolutely colorless and is frequently called rock crystal. Lapis Lazuli is another stone that has been in high favor for ornamental purposes for thousands of years, with most folks having never heard of it. The ancient civilizations of Sumer, India, Egypt and China all held it in great esteem, and some archaeological finds have proven that its deposits, in remote parts of Afghanistan, have been worked for more than 6,000 years. It is popular due to its intense blue color, which is totally resistant to fading in sunlight. Lapis lazuli is a rock rather than a mineral. Its blue colors are supplied by an isomorphous series of aluminum silicates. Lapis lazuli also contains white or gray calcite, yellow metallic specks of pyrite, and minor mixtures of other minerals. The name of this stone seems to have originated in the Middle Ages.  Lapis means stone and lazuli is derived from the Arabic word for blue. Some minor deposits of lapis are in Siberia, Upper Burma, and in the Sawatch Range of Colorado, as well as in San Bernardino County, California. Some of the information in this article was collected from the world wide web.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-11-01 16:19:00

: Can you tell me a little bit more about gemstones ingeneral?

ANSWER: Well, gemstones are one of nature's rarest products. The three attributes that a gemstone must possess are rarity, beauty and color. Even in prehistoric times, people were attracted to pretty pebbles, and when combined with translucency or even transparency with color, they were highly prized.The color is a gemstone's most important and individual characteristic. The color should be rich…not so pale as to give the stone a washed out appearance, nor so deep as to make it look dark or even black, particularly in artificial light. Too dark a color reduces transparency and a stone should retain a lively look with some sparkle, which is achieved by skillful cutting and faceting.In many stones the distribution of color is not even. When this results in clear divisions, as with tourmalines or agates, it is a much sought after effect. The blending of the various colors or tints of the same color and the various designs and patterns produced as they are by nature, give each stone an individual appeal that makes each one unique.Another sought after quality is a high luster. Amber and some garnet have a resinous luster, while turquoise is sometimes described as "waxy". Luster does not give a stone brilliance. In certain gemstones brilliance is produced by the skillful cutting of the stone's facets in such a way that they reflect light like mirrors, making the whole stone bright and shining when viewed from the top.These are the main characteristics which give gemstones their unique appearance, and which distinguish them from the great mass of other minerals. There is, however, a most important attribute which gemstones should possess, and that is permanence. Some stones have a cat's eye and/or star effect. Cat's eyes are caused by extremely fine hollow channels traversing the stone at right angles to the line. Inmost species the 'eye' is caused by solid fibrous crystals, and is therefore coarser and more diffuse. Accurate cutting is required to place the line exactly in the middle of the stone. Oddly, the half that is nearer the light looks darker than that half that is further away. These are produced in stones cut as cabochons with a rounded top, by fibrous crystals or channels within the stone. These inclusions give the stone a moving line of light across its center (cat's eye) or, when two or more such lines intersect in the middle, the appearance of a four, six, or even twelve-rayed star. Tiger Eye is technically called chatoyant Quartz due to the fibrous structure. It has iron oxide that gives it wavy, golden brown stripes, or a "cat's eye" effect.  More next month...

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-10-01 14:59:00

:  Have you ever heard of diamonds having poisonous qualities?

ANSWER: Back in the Middle Ages, diamonds were believed to hold many magical, mystical and medicinal properties. The phosphorescence of certain diamonds (their ability to glow in the dark) was considered proof of the stone's extraordinary powers. Diamonds were thought to calm the mentally ill, and to ward off devils, phantoms and even nightmares. They were supposed to impart virtue, generosity and courage in battle, and even to cause lawsuits to be determined in the wearer's favor. A house or garden touched at each corner with a diamond was supposed to be protected from lightning, storms and blight. An inexpensive early form of "insurance"?The ancient Indians believed that the human soul could pass through various incarnations, animating gemstones as well as plants and animals. And Plato, the Greek philosopher, shared the belief that gems were living beings, produced by a chemical reaction to "vivifying astral spirits". Later philosophers went so far as to divide precious stones into male and female specimens, claiming that they could "marry" …and reproduce!In the middle ages it was believed that a diamond could heal if the sick person took it to bed and warmed it with his body, or breathed upon it while fasting, or wore it next to the skin. A diamond held in the mouth could correct the bad habits of liars. And diamonds were worn as a talisman against poisoning. Diamond powder administered internally, however, was a legendary poison. The Turkish Sultan Bajazet (1447 - 1513) was probably murdered by his son, who slipped a large quantity of powdered diamond into his father's food. In l532, doctors dosed Pope Clement VII with fourteen spoonfuls of pulverized gems, including diamond, which resulted in death for the patient. In the same century, Catherine de Medici became famous for dealing out death by diamond powder, and Benvenuto Cellini, the famous Italian goldsmith, described an attempt on his life by an enemy who ordered diamond powder to be mixed in his salad. But the lapidary responsible for grinding the diamond stole the stone, replacing it with powdered glass (thereby saving Cellini).The association of diamonds with poison may have been promoted to discourage the practice of stealing diamonds by swallowing them, particularly during mining. More next month…

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-10-01 14:59:00

: My birthstone is an emerald. What do you know of the history of emeralds?    

ANSWER: I learn some great things from articles I study on the world wide web… For instance, it's interesting to note that it is believed the ancient source of the emerald was somewhere in Ethiopia, but the exact location is still unknown. From upper Egypt, near the coast of the Red Sea and on down to the area south of Kosseir, came the first emeralds of what we call historic commerce. It is believed that the emerald beryl first gained attention commercially in Europe just prior to the seventeenth century, and was brought from South America. Emeralds had been found before this, however, in the wrappings of Egyptian mummies and in the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Ancient Egyptian emerald mines on the west coast of the Red Sea were rediscovered about 1820 by a French explorer, Cailliaud, on an expedition organized by Mehemet Ali Pasha. The artifacts found there date to the time of Sesostris (1650 B.C.). Ancient inscriptions tell us that Greek miners were employed there during the reign of Alexander the Great. Emeralds presented to Cleopatra, and bearing an engraved portrait of the beautiful Egyptian queen are assumed to have been taken from these mines. Cailliaud, with permission of Mehemet Ali, reopened the mines, employing Albanian men as miners. It is supposed, that because only stones of a very poor quality were found, the work was soon and quite suddenly given up. The Spanish conquistadores found magnificent emeralds in the treasures of both Peru and Mexico, but no emeralds are now found in those countries. An immense quantity of magnificent emeralds, a large proportion of which are probably still in existence in Europe, was sent to Spain from Peru. The only place in the new world that the Spanish found emeralds by prospecting for them in the earth was in Colombia or New Granada. It's possible that the gems of the Aztec sovereigns and the Incas also came from that area. The Spaniards first learned of the existence of the Colombian emeralds on March 3, 1537, through a gift of emeralds by the Indians, who, at the same time, pointed out the locality from which they were taken. This spot, Somondoco, is now being mined by an English corporation, although only second-class stones have been found by these modern emerald miners. Muzo, where the present supply of the world's finest emeralds is mined, is about one hundred miles distant in the eastern Cordilleras of the Andes on the east side of the Rio Magdalena. The only other locale of importance where emerald beryls are now found is about fifty miles east of Ekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, where Uralian chrysoberyl, or alexandrite, is found. The grass-green beryl is also found in an almost inaccessible locality in the Salzburg Alps. Fine emeralds have been found in the United States. The most notable locale being  at Stony Point in Alexander County, North Carolina, but the supply at that place seems to be now exhausted. The name "emerald" applied indiscriminately to green transparent, translucent, and even opaque stones complicates everything about the emerald question.  For example, it was long assumed that emeralds came from Brazil, and green stones from there were called "Brazilian emeralds." There is no authentic proof that a true emerald was ever found in Brazil, and it is supposed that green tourmalines found there account for the "Brazilian emerald" myth. In ancient times the name emerald was applied to green jasper, malachite, chrysocolla, and other green minerals. There is still a custom of calling stones other than beryl "emerald," with an explanatory prefix. Thus, Oriental emerald is green corundum; "lithia emerald" is hiddenite, a green mineral of the pyroxene group occurring associated with the emerald beryl in North Carolina. "Emerald-copper" is dioptase, the beautiful green silicate of copper. Among the green minerals sometimes sold under the name of emerald are: the green corundum, demantoids, or green garnets, hiddenite, diopside, alexandrite, green tourmaline, and sometimes chrysolite and dioptase. These minerals are all of higher specific gravity than beryl and all can be distinguished from beryl emeralds by tests possible to the scientific gem expert. More next month…

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-08-01 15:40:00

:   How big is big when it comes to diamonds?

ANSWER:  There are a number of famous diamonds, and they often have complex and even controversial histories because of the secrecy surrounding such stones. One of these stones in called the Star of Africa. This stone is the largest cut diamond in the world at 530.20 carats. Another name for this famous stone is the Cullinan 1. Cut in a pear shape with 74 facets, it is set in the Royal Scepter and kept with the rest of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London in England. The largest diamond crystal ever located was the Cullinan, which was originally 3,106 carats. It was discovered in Transvaal on the continent of South Africa in the year 1095. Joseph Asscher and Company of Amsterdam, spent 6 months studying the stone trying to decide how to properly cut it. Eventually, the original crystal was cut into nine major stones, and 96 smaller brilliant cut stones. It was, upon the initial discovery of the Cullinan, thought to have been part of a much larger crystal, but the other "half" has never been discovered or proven to exist. It's thought that the second largest stone ever found is The Excelsior. A high-clarity, blue-white stone, this one was found in l893 by a South African mine worker, who picked it out of a shovelful of gravel. Because of its irregular shape, it was cut into 21 polished stones, of which the largest was a marquise of 69.80 carats. A smaller, 18-carat marquise stone cut from the Excelsior was displayed at the l939 World's Fair by De Beers.The ironically named Hope diamond, named for its purchaser, Henry Thomas Hope,  may have had a long and illustrious history before it became associated with a run of bad luck for its owners. It is thought to be a part of the famous Blue Tavernier Diamond, brought to Europe from India in l642. The Blue was purchased by King Louis XIV who had it cut to 67.50 carats from 112 carats to bring out its brilliance. The diamond was stolen during the French Revolution, and a smaller diamond of similar color was sold in l830 to Hope, an English banker. He probably paid for his own diamond a second time, but no one knows.After inheriting the diamond, Hope's son lost his fortune. The Hope was eventually acquired by an American widow, Mrs. Edward McLean, whose family then suffered a series of catastrophes. Her only child was accidentally killed, the family broke up, Mrs. McLean lost all of her money, and then committed suicide. When Harry Winston, the New York diamond merchant, bought the stone in l949, many clients refused to touch the stone.   It is now on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. More on the "Diamonds Are Indeed Forever" story next time…

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-08-01 09:54:00

:  Why is it that diamonds are exclusive?

ANSWER: I get a lot of information to pass along to my readers from the internet.  I think it is good to know these kinds of things: Of all the diamonds mined in the world each year, less than half are gem quality. The rest all fall into two other main categories known as near-gem quality, and industrial quality diamonds. Gem quality diamonds display a high standard of excellence in quality and are used in jewelry. The clarity of these diamonds range from flawless all the way through to visible inclusion stones. Near-gem quality diamonds represent those stones of a quality between gem and industrial.  These, in fact, can be used as either, depending on the individual stone. These stones have clarity grades ranging from visible inclusions, all the way through to industrial stones.  One quite often sees this quality used in highly "discounted" jewelry.Industrial quality diamonds are low quality or badly included stones, and are suitable only for industrial use.  For example, they are used in dentist's drills, earthmoving equipment, and oil drilling equipment etc. Diamonds are mined, or recovered, by way of pipe or alluvial mining. Pipe mining refers to the extraction of diamonds from the actual volcanic pipes that bring the diamonds up from a depth of 75 to 225 miles under the earth's surface. Typically, a very large area has to be covered. An average of 40 to 240 tons of ore must be mined in order to produce a one-carat, gem quality, polished diamond.  That's a lot of earthmoving!In most countries, a diamond pipe mine is composed of kimberlite, or blue ground. Kimberlite is the "dirt" form of the gemstone peridot. There cannot be any silicon dioxide or sand, as we generally think of, around when diamonds are forming because at the tremendously high temperatures that it takes to form diamonds, the oxygen in the silicon dioxide is so reactive, that one ends up with carbon dioxide and no diamonds. Initially kimberlite is dug from the surface of the volcanic pipes in rough opencast mining. Once the surface deposits have been exhausted, shafts are sunk into the ground at the edge of the pipes, and tunnels are driven into the deeper parts of the pipes. An older diamond mine can reach depths of greater than a mile down. After the diamond-bearing rock is brought to the surface, it is then transported to a screening plant where the diamonds are separated from the host rock. The alluvial mining process involves the extraction of diamonds from riverbeds or ocean beaches. Millions of years ago, at the time the diamond pipes were formed, some diamonds were weathered out of the pipes and carried great distances along rivers and even into oceans. In order to extract these diamonds from beaches, a wall is built to hold back the surf. Up to 25 meters of sand is bulldozed aside to reach the diamond-bearing level, and the mines go on for miles. Once reached, the diamond-bearing earth is removed and transported to screening plants. With this much work involved in just finding and recovering these diamonds, do you see why diamonds are indeed a girl's best friend? And why ladies love custom designed jewelry made just for them?  More next time...

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-07-01 12:17:00

: How far back can diamond jewelry be traced?

ANSWER: The cutting of diamonds into the complex faceted forms we now associate with these gems is actually a relatively recent practice. For centuries, rough diamonds were kept as talismans, and often not worn at all, though natural octahedral (eight-sided stones) were sometimes set into rings. A Hungarian queen's crown set with uncut diamonds, dating from approximately l074, is possibly the earliest example of diamond jewelry. We know that the royalty of France and England wore diamonds by the 1300's. In sixteenth century England, fashionable lovers etched romantic pledges on window-panes with the points of their diamond rings, known as "scribbling rings". Amazing! It's interesting that the earliest record of diamond-polishing (with diamond powder) is Indian, and probably dates from the fourteenth century. There are also contemporary references to the practice of diamond polishing in Venice. The earliest reference to diamond cutting is in l550 in Antwerp, the most important diamond center of the period, where a diamond-cutters' guild was soon to be established. Indian diamonds reached Venice by two Mediterranean routes:  the southern route was by way of Aden, Ethiopia, and Egypt, and the northern route was through Arabia, Persia, Armenia, and Turkey. Then, thanks to the Portuguese discovery of the direct sea route to India, Antwerp flourished as a diamond center, as the city was well-situated to receive vast supplies of diamond rough from Lisbon as well as from Venice. After Spanish attacks on Antwerp in 1585, many diamond cutters relocated to Amsterdam. And the Netherlands, with its liberal civil policies, attracted diamond craftsmen (including many Jews) who were fleeing religious persecution in Spain, Portugal, Germany and Poland. In the late 1600's, as the English fortified their interest in India, which was still the world's central diamond source, London became an important cutting center. Later, London became the primary world market of diamond rough. Today, diamonds are found all over the world. The Indian mines are being "re-found" again after being hidden over two centuries ago and diamonds are being actively mined in Australia, Botswana, Russia, Canada, South Africa, China, Brazil, and Colorado, among others, and there are cutting centers all over the world, most largest and most notable are in Belgium, Indian, Israel, South Africa, and the USA. Now, don't you agree that diamonds are indeed, forever.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-03-01 10:05:00

: I am interested in investing in some diamonds. What are the vital things I need to know?

ANSWER: Choosing a diamond involves more than a casual trip to the jewelry store. Armed with the proper information, you can make a much more informed decision. Begin by choosing the shape of diamond you prefer, and take special note of how the different stones look to you on your finger. Although the round diamond is the most popular and brightest, diamonds come in many cuts, including oval, princess, marquise, radiant or even heart-shaped. Recently there has been new technology allowing amazingly bright cuts to diamonds previously unheard of. Some of these are improvements others are not. The Star 129 is the brightest cut today. Don't buy until you've been shown these.How well the diamond is cut is by far the most important determiner of how bright a diamond will be. Many jewelers skirt this discussion because you can "swindle" a stone as much as 40% and be able to sell the diamond for up to 40% less this way. If you "swindle" the diamond (cutting it more shallow) brilliance is effected greatly. Some use the term "Ideal" as the best. Unfortunately this is a range not specific proportions and some jewelers are very loose in using this term.Examining the diamond's color is an important second step. Some diamonds have a yellow, gray or brown cast. Pure and colorless diamonds are at the very top of the color scale. You can buy diamonds in fancy colors such as purple, red, blue, etc. These diamonds are very rare and more expensive than the normal clear to yellow varieties. If the diamond has nitrogen trapped in it when it is formed, it will have a slight yellow color. It is not the yellow color that is the culprit here though. When there is nitrogen in the stone it absorbs all the waves of light accept yellow. The yellow is only an indicator of how much light that is being absorbed.The diamond's clarity, or degree of minute inclusions, is the least important up to a point.  A 'flawless' diamond, one that is free from any and all inclusions or blemishes, is extremely rare. Diamonds are rated on a clarity scale that grades diamonds from 'flawless' to 'obvious inclusions'.  The higher the diamond's rating on this scale, the greater is its cost and value. The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. The greater the carat weight, the more valuable the diamond. Keep in mind that since the larger stones are indeed rare, two 1 /2-carat diamonds will be considerably less expensive than a single 1-carat diamond stone.If you compare several diamonds side by side, you can get a good idea of what you can find in your price range. No two diamonds are alike, so examine all of them carefully for their brilliance.Make your final decision based on which diamond offers the best combination of the four C's: clarity, color, cut and carat. Ignoring any of these important attributes will jeopardize your chances of getting the best diamond for your money. Be sure that you have a jeweler that is qualified to help you with this decision. Buy from a jeweler who will guide you through the process. A good jeweler will help you assess how much you can spend, show you a wide selection of diamonds, and explain the four C's. Buying a loose diamond gives you the option of designing a setting around the stone. How do you pick a good jeweler? Look for one that has certified gemologists on staff and that is willing to show you and teach you what you are buying. Most stores do not have certified gemologists on staff or only have one to do appraisals. There is one store in Wichita that has five gemologists on staff. These people have spent from three to eight years of course work, studying gemstones. Many think that they can spend a few hours on the Internet and become experts. This is dangerous thinking. Go to the experts and you will be happier in the long run. Buying from a truly knowledgeable jeweler will give you the fifth "C"…Confidence.Inquire about a certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The GIA, the largest impartial diamond-grading authority in the world, issues a grading report and details the diamond's specifications after examining it. But do not take Certificates as gospel. They are good guidelines but many are quite flatly wrong to the point of being misleading.  Your jeweler will guide you and help you understand what you should be looking for in the diamond or other precious stone, because he wants to develop a lifelong customer out of you, as well as those you refer his way in the future. Quality jewelers are not interested in a one-time sale, but an on-going relationship with you and those you know. Beware of the "jeweler" you cannot see and that doesn't have to live with you in the long run.Finally, don't try to get the largest possible diamond for your money. This can mean overlooking quality in favor of size and ending up with a less desirable stone. Balancing all factors is the best approach to choosing a quality diamond. Stop in and browse with a good high quality jeweler, and let him or her show you a selection of options offered, and you'll have a great idea of what to do with this important process. Jewelers with years of experience and design awards to their credit can make this an incredibly rewarding experience for you. Ask the jeweler for his credentials…he or she will be happy to share them with you.If you choose wisely, years from now, you can look at your diamond and still marvel how incredibly beautiful it is, and how you have enjoyed fine quality.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2005-02-01 09:22:00

: If I don't like the color of my birthstone, what should I do?

ANSWER: Color is most important when selecting gemstones. In the final analysis, the gemstone you select should be the color that appeals to you personally. Most women's favorite gemstones have less to do with their birth date, and more to do with what colors they like and what looks good on them. If your birthstone looks beautiful to you, that's great. However, don't go with something you don't like just because someone decided that your "birth month" stone is a certain color.Some gemstones are abundant and occur widely in nature, while others are very rare indeed, and found in limited supplies. No matter what color you like or want, there is a gemstone to fit your desires and your pocketbook. Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire are the classic red, green and blue gemstones. While these gemstones are readily available in small sizes, they can command significant dollars in larger sized stones. If however, red, green or blue is what you're after, you may want to consider alternative gemstones in these hues. Check out a stunning red Tourmaline, an exquisite green Garnet, or a magnificent blue Tanzanite. Stunning…Exquisite…Magnificent…great words to describe things of beauty. These are generally available in larger sizes and may cost substantially less.Every color is available in the gemstone kingdom. Most of these gemstones come in a variety of sizes and price ranges. Ask a knowledgeable jeweler to show you some of these amazing pieces, and help you explore all the possibilities, as well as explain the difference in cost. Most likely, your most difficult decision will be to choose between the two or three gemstones you really love. The term "semi-precious" is somewhat misleading as it suggests that some gemstones have inferior value. Years ago, most people considered Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire as the "precious" gemstones and all others as "semi-precious." The fact is, all natural colored gemstones are rare and precious and their prices are determined by the availability and quality of the gemstone.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-12-01 10:32:00

:  Can those 'real' birthstones you mentioned in one of your recent articles be made into a Mother's Ring?"

ANSWER:  Certainly.  A custom jewelry designer is capable of designing and creating nearly anything you can imagine into an amazing custom piece of jewelry that will, more than likely, become an heirloom in subsequent generations of your family. Jewelry pieces that are well conceived and designed and then passed down to future generations can become amazingly valuable. One of a kind jewelry becomes valuable due to its unique design, and also because of the rarity of the piece. Then there is the personal satisfaction of wearing a specially built piece of jewelry, knowing that no one else on the planet Earth has one exactly like yours.Good creative custom jewelry designers spend years working at their craft, and not all of them are equal. Your eye is the best judge of the work, and when you see the work of a true craftsman, and check out the quality of the workmanship, you will see the sometimes obvious, but sometimes subtle differences. Some of these are overlooked by the casual observer, but a trained professional designer can point things out to you that can be very important to you in the future. Now on to your question about the "real birthstones", and whether they are available today, and whether they can be made into Mothers rings and/or bracelets. The manmade birthstones can be really pretty, and you can achieve a good result with them for quite a number of applications, but there's no way they can stand side by side with genuine birthstones. There is a marked difference in the appearance, and there's also a difference in the investment in the piece of jewelry. The choice, besides the visual difference,  is whether you're really interested in the investment value, or not. If your choice is based on the amount it will cost you, then you'll probably want to look for custom designed jewelry with the manmade stones. However, if you want to see the differences I speak of in this article, then you should drop by a custom designer Jeweler's shop and see these differences with your own eyes. Then you can decide which way you would rather go. More next month…

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-10-01 15:07:00

: What is th

QUESTION: What is the history of birthstones?

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-09-01 12:08:00

: What is Platinum?

ANSWER: No other precious metal is more pure than platinum. Platinum is even more rare and valuable than gold, if you can believe that! The platinum family is composed of six elements: platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium.Platinum is rarer and heavier than other precious metals, and as the purest, it's sometimes referred to as the noblest. Because platinum is so pure, it rarely causes allergic reactions to occur. This is greatly appreciated by people with sensitive skin who experience reactions to, or skin discoloration from, jewelry containing base metals. In addition to that, platinum is somewhat stronger than other precious metals. Platinum is also heavy. It is sixty percent heavier than gold. When you pick up a platinum item you can feel the difference. Platinum is not identified by karat marks. In the US, the abbreviations "PT" or "plat" indicate platinum and a purity percentage is required. You will find a 950, 900, or 850 also. This means 950/1000s or 95% platinum or 900/1000s for 90% platinum. So...Yellow Gold, White Gold, or Platinum...Which One Shall I Wear?To decide weather or not you want yellow gold, white gold or platinum, you must first decide which colored metal you prefer. This selection usually depends on personal preference, skin tone, and the color of other jewelry you may own. If your choice is yellow gold, keep in mind that it is available in different color shades, including pure yellow, a pinkish yellow, and a greenish yellow. If you decide yellow is the color you want, then you must decide whether to get 14K or 18K. Certainly, 14K is more affordable than 18K; it is also harder. But the yellow won't be as bright. If you prefer a white metal, your choice may be even harder. Even though white gold and platinum may be similar in appearance, they are very different metals. As  mentioned earlier, platinum is much more expensive, so if you're on a limited budget, white gold may be the sensible choice. In Summary, whichever precious metal you select, there are many beautiful styles and designs from which to choose. And nothing else you can wear makes the statement you want to make like a beautiful selection of jewelry.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-05-01 08:19:00

Question:  What is the most popular cut of diamond today?

ANSWER:  Many people think that the princess cut diamond is the most popular cut of diamond today. But actually close to eighty percent of all diamonds are still cut in one of the round shapes. The princess cut is the current fad. Twenty years ago it was the marquise and before that it was a pear shape, and before that it was an oval. The brightest cut of diamond is the round. It is interesting to see the young people coming in wanting a princess cut diamond but insisting that they want a bright diamond and need the highest quality in color and clarity. They are already giving up approximately 20% in brightness by choosing a princess or 40% in choosing a marquis but are willing to pay up to twice as much to get a 5% increase in color and clarity. There seems to be something wrong with this logic.  Lets dispel another myth. A correctly cut princess cut of 1.1 carets is not larger than a 1 caret round it is just heavier because of depth and the corners sticking out. There are only two things you buy in a diamond: How large it is and how bright it is. The most important factor in the brightness of a diamond is the angles that the facets are to each other. In a round diamond these angles can be the same all around the stone. In all other cuts they are compromises.  Why are princess cut diamonds so popular? They are popular because you can get a heavier stone out of the original rough diamond and it gives the mass marketers  the appearance that they can sell you a diamond cheaper. And that is almost correct. It is a cheaper diamond, in all respects. A princess is usually a cheaper cut. To achieve that, most princess cut diamonds are what are known as "swindle cuts" in the industry. Many diamonds come out of the ground as an octahedron crystal. That is a fancy name for two pyramids base to base. If you cut the two pyramids apart and you get two (flatter on top deeper on the bottom) swindle cut princess cut diamonds with very little loss of material. Why are they called swindle cuts? Because with them, unscrupulous diamond dealers can swindle the uneducated consumer. The stones look okay when they are exceptionally clean, but they do not stay that way when you put them on and wear them. Another factor is that a swindle cut princess cut diamond does not have much in the way of dispersion. Dispersion is the color flashes that say Diamond, and when they get a little oil on them from your skin they will look like a piece of glass.So how many princess cut diamonds are swindle cut? Only about 98%. Yes 98% of princess cut diamonds today are poorly cut. And how much cheaper are they? In an ideal  round brilliant cut diamond you will lose about 50% of the original diamond. In a greatly swindle cut princes cut diamond you may only lose 10%. That gives you a 40% difference in value up front. No, the value of the princess is not 40% cheaper for the same stone, it just has 40% less true value and does not cost as much in the swindled form. So are you 40% better off buying these less expensive princess cut diamonds? No! The swindle cut stones will end up looking like pieces of glass and watch out for the sharp flat corners. They tend to chip. The difference in how well fashioned all shapes of diamond are, can cause a disparity of 40% in the value. If you are a true expert with more than ten years experience buying diamonds on a daily basis, you may be able to find a "deal". A well-educated jeweler can save you money and is usually the best "deal". Some one that was selling shoes last week or on the other end of the Internet filling orders usually is not the best way to go. Shopping for the cheapest diamond will usually get you less true value. Why are 80 percent of all diamonds still cut as rounds. Because they are the brightest and in the form of the older 58 facet round cut or the new 129 facet, Star 129 they will continue to be the brightest long after the current or previous fads dim. If you still want a Princess cut, search out one that has finely cut proportions. Yes, you and others can to see the difference and you will be happier in the long run.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-04-01 14:46:00

:  Are the properties of the "new" synthetic diamonds the same as natural diamonds? ANSWER:  All the properties but two match a natural diamond.   Some recent articles have suggested that even your jeweler cannot tell the difference in the "new" synthetic diamonds from a natural. If your jeweler is legally blind he just might have a hard time telling the difference. The main difference is: the new vapor depositation diamonds that we are talking about are all bright brownish yellow. They are not white at all.  I personally spoke with one of the two companies producing these synthetic diamonds and examined the stones in February 2004. The price for a one caret was about $4000 to $4800 per caret. I would not advise buying one though, because the price will come down. QUESTION:  Will Larger faceted diamonds ever reach anything like $5 per caret? ANSWER:  No, the production costs are simply too high. There are plenty of them right now though, because not many people are buying them. Will it cause the price of natural gem quality diamonds to fall? No. After all synthetic rubies were first produced in the 1880s, they are plentiful and very inexpensive today. The price of natural high quality rubies is still very expensive.QUESTION:  Are synt

ANSWER:  Yes. "Wired" magazine recently stated that by January of this year that there would be diamonds of a caret or larger that could be lightened to a white color that would sell for five dollars a caret. Is this correct? No, it is not. And probably will not be in our lifetime. This is a prediction that is much like the prediction many years ago that there would be an airplane in every driveway by the year 2000."Synthetic diamond" means that is a man made diamond that is chemically and physically the same as a natural diamond. Many persons get this mixed up with "Simulated Diamonds" which are materials that look somewhat like diamonds but are NOT chemically and physically the same as a diamond. CZs (Cubic Zirconium) YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) Mossianite (man made silicon carbide) manmade white sapphire, Paste (glass with foil on the back) and many other materials have been used to "simulate" diamonds. But none have lived up to the physical or chemical properties of the hardest substance on the earth, diamond.QUESTION:  Are the properties of the "new" synthetic diamonds the same as natural diamonds? ANSWER:  All the properties but two match a natural diamond.   Some recent articles have suggested that even your jeweler cannot tell the difference in the "new" synthetic diamonds from a natural. If your jeweler is legally blind he just might have a hard time telling the difference. The main difference is: the new vapor depositation diamonds that we are talking about are all bright brownish yellow. They are not white at all.  I personally spoke with one of the two companies producing these synthetic diamonds and examined the stones in February 2004. The price for a one caret was about $4000 to $4800 per caret. I would not advise buying one though, because the price will come down. QUESTION:  Will Larger faceted diamonds ever reach anything like $5 per caret? ANSWER:  No, the production costs are simply too high. There are plenty of them right now though, because not many people are buying them. Will it cause the price of natural gem quality diamonds to fall? No. After all synthetic rubies were first produced in the 1880s, they are plentiful and very inexpensive today. The price of natural high quality rubies is still very expensive.QUESTION:  Are synthetic diamonds new?ANSWER:  The first synthetic diamonds were produced in about 1930 and General Electric started producing very small diamonds with the high temperature and high pressure technique in 1953. Today 70% of all diamonds used in industry are man made. That is why you can purchase a diamond fingernail file for a few dollars. It is why your dentist only uses diamond drills and they don't get dull.13 years ago a talk was given to the Society of Manufacturing Engineering about the "New" technique of plating diamond on a substrate, which is the "new" process that we are talking about. The newer production techniques will probably change our lives in the long run. Your surgeon's knife will be sharper; your dentist's drills will be less expensive. Your computer may someday be extremely faster, and your car engine may be coated on the inside with diamond and never wear out.  However, But I would not be looking for a fine white inexpensive synthetic diamond setting on your finger any time in the near future.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-03-01 14:01:00

Jerry Burnell Question: What do I look for in a diamond and what is the best buy?

ANSWER:  We will try to make this as simple as possible. There are only two things that you look for in a diamond. How bright is it and how big is it? If you were on a limited budget, (in the area of diamonds absolutely every one is) then I would choose a brighter diamond instead of a larger one. The question arises, "Should you simply buy the highest quality diamond on the chart to get the best buy?" Definitely not, if you are looking for the best price vs. the balance of brilliance. There are Dozens of grading systems in the world, but we are only going to refer to the most excepted scale. That is the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) grading system. Just a little aside, the GIA was started by Robert Shipley who originally had a jewelry store (Vales) on North Broadway in Wichita many years ago. Some of the grades, on the Gemological Institute of America grading chart denote differences in brightness and some of them simply reflect rarity. Cut or Make: How well a diamond is cut is the most important aspect in how brilliant a diamond will be. It is also the largest factor that affects the price of a diamond. The accuracy in the cutting of a diamond can affect the price up to forty percent. Accuracy in diamond cutting is the most misunderstood factor in diamond pricing and is the factor that many Jewelers do not even mention to their customers. A correctly cut diamond is fashioned to reflect the maximum amount of light coming into the diamond, out the top of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too deep, too shallow, disproportioned or asymmetrical it will not perform as well. The round diamond is the brightest, with all the other shapes (princess, oval, Radiant, marquise, pear shaped, etc.) being compromises. An ideal cut round brilliant diamond below one half caret and a Star 129 diamond above one half caret are the brightest diamonds available today. There are others claiming their cuts are brighter but to the naked eye and machines that are designed to read these factors these claims do not hold up. Stones like Hears and Arrows and Hearts on Fire are simply ideal cut diamonds.Color: Color is the second factor that will determine how bright the diamond will be. When diamonds form 75 to 225 miles deep in the earth there is Nitrogen present. Unfortunately Nitrogen is in the same family as Carbon, which makes up a diamond. Most of the time a small amount of Nitrogen is trapped in the diamond latticework. When light passes through the Carbon portion of a diamond virtually all the light passes through. But when light hits a Nitrogen atom, it absorbs all the wave links of light except yellow, which is passed on through. One can see from this fact that the yellow in a diamond is not the culprit that causes a diamond to not be as bright, it is simply an indicator as to how much light the Nitrogen atoms are absorbing. If the diamond is absorbing light it will not be as bright. The GIA scale has 26 color grades; they range from 'D' (perfectly white to 'Z' (a light yellow but not vivid yellow). 'D', 'E', and 'F', are much like the top clarity grades and are mostly rarity grades. With the 'G' and 'H' grades you need to have a grading set to see the color. That does not mean that an 'H' color stone will be as bright as an 'H', it simply means that the yellow indicator is not strong enough to see with the unaided eye. Next there is 'I' and 'J' and in these stones most people can see a definite difference in brilliance. 'J' is the average stone sold in the U.S. In stones 'K' and below the diamond will look yellowish to the naked eye. The lower grades simply look much darker and not nearly as brilliant.Clarity: If there are inclusions trapped in the diamond it will block light, and the diamond will not be as bright. There are ten grades in the clarity chart. The first three are rarity grades. They are 'F', 'VVS1', 'VVS2', 'VS1', 'VS2', 'SI1', 'SI2', 'I1', 'I2', 'I3', flawless, (absolutely no visible flaws with ten power magnification), 'VVS1', 'VVS2'; very, very slight inclusions in the first and second degree are extremely difficulty to see with 10 power magnification and do not for all reasonable visible purposes change the way the stone looks). They are rarity grades. 'VS1' and 'VS2' stones still have very small inclusions and do not diminish the brilliance in a major way. 'SI '(slightly included) is the average clarity sold in the United States. In the 'SI2' rated diamonds, if you look very diligently you can see the inclusions when the diamond is placed face down on a piece of white paper. The 'I1', 'I2', 'I3' grades are huge changes in the way a diamond looks. In 'I1' the inclusions are barely visible with the naked eye face up. In a 'I3' diamond the stone is badly broken up, with cracks, cleavages, inclusions, surgery areas and or structural problems. We often refer to them as drill bits but there are places that actually sell them for jewelry. Now that we have laid some groundwork we can talk about what is the best value in a diamond. There are those who aspire to having a car that will do 250 mph to drive every day and to those, I say go for a 'D', flawless diamond. But if you were looking for the best diamond value, then it would be the brightest diamond for the money. In my opinion that would be an ideal cut (up to one half caret) or Star 129 diamond in the 'G-H' color range with a clarity grade of 'VS1', or 'VS2'. Even a slight change in how a diamond is cut will make a difference in it's brilliance, but coming down this slight bit on the color and clarity scales will end up saving you considerable money without changing the way the diamond really looks. With price concerns you can even shift to lower grades.Size is determined by the amount you want to spend. It is not a linier progression. As size increases the price per caret increases drastically. Do not be misled in thinking that all diamonds are graded with the same accuracy or intent. We have seen diamonds brought in for appraisals, and sometimes with certificates, that are as much as five grades off. Remember that paper is cheep and does not actually have any value as to a certificate unless it is accurate. Appraisers do not believe any certificate until the diamond is seen. Even the best diamond appraisers make mistakes, and others make an extremely fine living making mistakes on certificates. The best advice is to find a jeweler that is knowledgeable, that you can truly trust, and that will help you. You will find it much less expensive in the long run.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2004-01-01 11:40:00

: My ring doesn't fit. But it is the same size as my old one. Why?

ANSWER: There are many factors that effect finger size. And the differences are minute. To start with one finger size is only one mm difference in diameter. That's small. One 1/40 of an inch and most people can feel the difference in ¼ size or 1/160 of an inch. As little as ½ size (1/80 in.) can make the difference of a comfortable ring and one that is too tight or too loose. The ring size is determined by what is the smallest ring that will go over the knuckle, not by what your finger size really is. People do not realize that their knuckles continue to grow all their lives. A ring that fit at age 25 will probably be too small at age 40. When the weather is very warm our bodies move blood flow from the interior to just under the skin to facilitate a better cooling of the body. When it is very cold outside the body moves blood flow from the surface to the interior of the body to conserve heat. In other words in the summer your rings will be tighter and in the winter they will be looser.  There are also times when the body retains fluids and it causes the skin areas to swell. Things as minor as having a cold, or eating a salty meal, among other things, can cause this. Some people fluctuate as to retained fluids with what time of the month it is or what hour of the day it is. If you injure a knuckle the knuckle will swell up. Even if you take a tight ring on and off a few times the knuckle will swell up as much a whole size. Arthritis in the knuckles can cause many size differences.If the ring is a wide width you will probably need a ring one-half size larger than if the ring is narrower. When you take a ring off, you slightly bend your finger to allow it to slip over the knuckle. With a wider ring you cannot bend your finger as much and you need a bit more room to get it off. If the ring has a large hollow area under the top of the ring you can use a smaller size because it allows you to bend your finger more.What do you do when your knuckle becomes much larger than your finger? There are two remedies. The first is simple, putting two bumps inside the ring that tend to hook into the finger on either side. These allow a large sized ring to fit while keeping the ring from spinning. They also push the ring away from the bottom of the finger so that the ring feels tighter. The other remedy is a ring shank that actually opens and closes with a built in internal safety called finger mate shanks. There are many methods of shanks that open and close but the finger mate is the Cadillac of them all and just looks like a regular ring shank when it is closed.So which size do you use? You will have to compromise. Your ring will be slightly more snug in the summer and when you eat more salt and slightly loose when it is cold or you haven't drank enough water. Plan to have your rings resized larger as you become more mature. A fine jeweler can help you get the perfect size so that you can enjoy your ring for a lifetime.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2003-12-01 08:41:00

:  Why is gold  as valuable as it is?   Why isn't sodium or tin as valuable? 

ANSWER:   Gold is one of three precious metals, the others being Platinum and to a lesser extent silver. The main reason for their value is that they are rare. You can put all the gold ever found in a cube less than 150 feet. Not very big by today's standards. In a good gold mine, you have to move and refine ten tons of dirt or rock for each ounce of gold recovered. There are not  many good gold mines in the world either. The second property of a precious metal is that it has to be impervious to the elements. In other words it cannot rust, corrode, or be degradable by other elements. Gold is so inert that it is sometimes found in nature in the natural metal state in the form of nuggets. This allowed people in ancient times to take the natural nuggets and pound them together to form metal objects. Gold does not oxidize or corrode, so it’s shape will remain a thousand years from now if you do not ware it away.   Other properties making it valuable is malleability. You can literally beat on it and it tends not to crack. In fact gold can be hammered out so thin that light will pass through it. It has been hammered out thinner than tinfoil and  applied to objects as "Gold Foil". Gold foil stays a highly reflective beautiful yellow color,  lasting forever. There never has been a paint that will last and protect like gold foil.  Gold was used to cover idols and temples raising its status even further. Historically, only the affluent, churches, and governments could afford to own gold. It’s value was based on work. People worked to earn gold (or silver), virtually trading part of their lives for gold and its purchasing power. It quickly became impractical to carry large piles of gold, so governments took most of the gold and gave people promissory notes (money) representing a given weight in gold. Before the early 30’s you could take your money to the bank and get the same amount of dollars in gold coins.    Let’s talk about that beautiful yellow color. Gold just looks good and glorifies human skin colors. A fine craftsperson can form gold into small sculptures that can be worn, admired, and  enjoyed. It can be fashioned into small sculptures that hold precious stones - jewelry. Because of its permanence, gold can be repaired and admired for many lifetimes. Thus you have precious jewelry, as opposed to costume jewelry, which is intended to wear with just one "costume" and then be discarded.   Today there are other new uses for gold. Gold transfers electricity with less resistance than any other metal on this earth. Extremely high-end electronics and computer components use gold wiring instead of copper for their circuitry. Gold does not corrode and it is used to plate or make fine electrical contacts. It is very reflective and is used in equipment that needs to not oxidize like laser chambers. Very thin layers cut down on light without changing its properties. Astronauts, pilots and high-end sunglasses are coated with gold to cut down on the intensity of the sun's rays. Extremely fine fabrics have gold threads because gold does not dull with time.   The value of gold will never go down.  At a certain level of value, mines will shut down operations because production costs are higher than they can sell it for. Today, there are more uses for gold being found daily. The question is, “will we have enough gold to fulfill the demand in the future?” There has never been enough gold in the past to fulfill everyone’s desire. And there will not be enough gold to fill future demands. Gold is beautiful and it has very valuable rare properties which makes it so valuable.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2003-10-01 16:28:00

: How do you pick a diamond for your loved one and have confidence that you are getting what you paid for?

ANSWER: There are only two things you pay for in a diamond, the first is how bright it is, the second is how large it is. It is hard to compare one diamond with another from store to store.  There are those who would tend to lead you astray as to how great the diamond they are selling really is.   First and foremost, how reputable is the person that you are buying your diamond from? After all, if they are going to misrepresent the diamond that they are going to sell, they will not have any qualms lying to you in other ways. Do you feel confident that they are telling you the truth? The telltale emotion is do you think you need to get someone else's opinion to be sure you are getting what you are paying for? If this is your feeling then you need to find a reputable jeweler you can trust.   What are the traits of a reputable jeweler? Do they have gemologists on staff? Some jewelers merely take someone else's opinion as to the quality of your diamond. Do they have to live with their reputation? In other words, are they going to have to look you in the eye if they deceive you and you uncover it later? Buy local, from a jeweler whose reputation you can check out. Ask if they belong to Jewelers of America and their affiliate state society. They have to at least sign a code of ethics to be accepted into JA. Are they active in their state organization? If yes, you know that they are interested in keeping up to date on knowledge in the jewelry field? Then the question that will separate the men from the boys is: has the owner held any offices either state or national in the organization? If the answer is yes and it is a responsible office, then you know that the other jewelers, either regional or national, think enough of their abilities and honesty to have them lead their organization. You can usually narrow down a group of jewelers from over fifty in an area to one or two in any area. You have now very simply found a jeweler you can trust. You will also usually have found a jeweler that is willing to teach you about diamonds, protect you from fraudulent advertising, and will be a friend to you.   That jeweler will explain that how bright a diamond is, is a factor of cut, clarity and color. He will also explain how cutting a diamond too flat, which many are today, will make the diamond look larger but you lose greatly in brightness. Be careful of claims about the latest and greatest claims in diamond cutting, which is rampant today. The ideal cut, a round diamond cut, is the brightest.  There is only one diamond which is based on the ideal cut, the Star 129 that is an improvement.    Be wary of certified diamonds. The playing field is not level. We recently received nine diamonds from a large diamond house with certs, from a world-wide certification lab, we returned seven of the nine because they were simply wrong. We received three more diamonds and returned all of them. Select a bright diamond over a large diamond. Remember, a good diamond is dictated by her heart, a large diamond is dictated by the size of the pocketbook. When buying jewelry, you will always pay for what you get, but you will not always get what you pay for. With what I know, I would never buy a diamond over the internet. Find a jeweler that you can trust and you will enjoy the experience and your jewelry more.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2003-04-01 11:53:00

:  What is the difference between yellow gold and White gold?

ANSWER:  Well, we need to back up just a bit to what is 14 Karat gold? Twenty-four Karat gold is pure gold, no alloys. Fourteen Karat is 14 twenty-fourths (14/24 or 58.33%) gold and 10 twenty-fourths (10/24s or 41.67%) alloy.  10K is 10/24s gold and 14/24s alloy. In the United States gold has to be at least 10K to be called gold. Likewise 18 Karat is 75% gold and 25% alloy. Now for the difference... in yellow gold you use copper, silver and zinc in very exact proportions whereas in  white gold you leave out the copper and silver and replace it with a white metal like nickel. Today we have found that some people have an allergy to nickel and there have been many studies into replacing it with a metal like palladium or another similar metal.  But there are other colors of gold that we have forgotten. To get rose gold you merely leave out part of the silver in yellow gold and put in more copper. To get greenish gold you use less copper and add more silver. Then there are some very exotic gold colors like black and lavender, which you get by using iron or aluminum. These exotic metals usually have some undesirable attributes like being very brittle or oxidation.Even by changing the alloy white gold is not pure white. The true gold color still shows through just barely and you end up with a yellowish white. The best way to end up with white-white is to Rhodium plate the finished piece of jewelry. Some people think negatively when they hear plating. Rhodium is a very white, very hard, scratch- resistant, and expensive metal. It is a member of the platinum family and is more expensive than platinum. Because of the expense of Rhodium, lesser quality jewelers use a very thin coating, skip this step altogether or use the much less expensive but inferior palladium as a shortcut. Even though an item carries a karat stamp it does not mean that it is truly that karat. Before 1981 the law read that in order to  stamp an article with a Karat mark it had to be plus or minus one half karat. This law was written in 1906 when the alloying technology was much more primitive. By the 50s that meant that most 14K gold was actually 13.5001 Karat. So the 1981 congress, with the support of the jewelry industry, changed the law to... if it is marked 14K it has to be at least 14K. This does not mean that there are not unscrupulous persons who do not live by the law. Under karating has been a problem since the beginning of metallurgy. It simply comes back to: if it sounds too good tp be true... it probably is.  Know your jeweler. Even some of the names you hear most often have been indicted for 'under-karating'.White gold is a fairly "new" metal only being used since the 20s. Today we have a choice of colors of gold, and the choices will probably will probably become greater in the future.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2003-02-01 12:11:00

:  Tell me about diamonds and why they are so valuable?

ANSWER:  (see Jan. ‘03 issue for first part of this answer)Where does the expense of a diamond come from?Rarity - In a good diamond mine you move 40 to 100 tons of dirt to recover one caret of diamond. That is not a one-caret diamond, that is one caret of diamond. Most of the stones are small. In fact out of a million stones recovered only one will be of a caret or larger. I'll let you do the math. Quality - To truly show the beauty of what a diamond can be, you do not want anything to stop light from passing through the stone and reflecting back to reach your eye. Internally, flawless diamonds without any body color are virtually non-existent, and the more rare of course... the more expensive.Transfer of labor - When you mine for diamonds you are either mining the extinct shaft of a volcano, the river where the volcano has washed away to where the river used to be, or the ocean that the river has flowed into. Keep in mind, much of the expense in recovering these rare stones comes from bringing up forty to a hundred tons of dirt... some as deep as 7000 feet down in the earth.  In the cutting process you lose approximately one half of the stone into dust which doubles the cost. Then you have to include the labor in cutting the hardest substance known to man. Just sawing off the top of the crystal takes approximately eight hours, with a diamond impregnated saw, turning at 3000 revolutions per minute. Next you have to grind and polish each of the 58 facets of the stone to exacting proportions to glean the beauty that a fashioned finished diamond can possess.  As you can see, the cost is not artificial... it is merely a transfer of labor and expense of  equipment. Where do you find diamonds - Diamonds were first found in India, then later in South Africa, then in Brazil. Today diamonds are found all over the Earth. There are new finds in Colorado and Canada. In fact, if you like... you can take your shovel to just south and west of Murfreesbouro, Arkansas at Arkansas Crater Park, pay the state about ten dollars, and "mine diamonds" in an actual diamond mine all day long.  There was a three caret ‘flawless’ diamond found there eight years ago and a 7.28 caret yellow diamond found just recently.  It is good to note before you pack that shovel and head off, that this is virtually a non productive diamond mine, and... as stated previously... in a good diamond mine you still have to move 40 to 100 tons of dirt for every caret of recovered diamond. There is also a commercially-producing mine just west of Fort Collins Colorado; and a fifty million dollar, pilot, feasibility mine which is being conducted under a lake in northern Canada. Most people think that all diamonds come from South Africa. This is false. The largest source of diamonds today is Australia.  The second largest is Zaire.  The third is the Soviet Union, and the fourth is South Africa. Only fifteen percent of the worlds diamonds come from South Africa and only three percent of the cut stones coming into this country come from South Africa.Size - What is a caret? In the early days of diamond mining there was a plant in Africa that produced a bean, that regardless of the weather conditions, came out about the same size every year. It was called a Caret plant.  Diamonds were weighed in so many beans of weight. They then broke down carets into hundredths and came up with so many points which is simply hundredths of a caret. Today they use extremely accurate electronic scales that will weigh  down to the nearest one thousandth of a caret for the most valuable diamonds. So what's the size range of stones ever found?  Diamonds have been found from the size of microscopic grinding powder, to the largest stone ever found in 1905. It was called the ‘Cullinan Diamond’ and presented to the Monarch of England as a thank you and tribute by the South African government.   It was 3,107 carets, about the size of a grown man’s fist.  The story goes that at the end of the day, one of the mine supervisors was leaving the mine when he noticed the tip of the stone protruding from the shaft of the mine. He pried it out of the wall with his pocket knife, and thinking someone was playing a joke on him, took it home with him that night so as not to be laughed at. After looking at it that evening he realized that it was probably a real and very large diamond.  He took it to the company gemologist the next day and was awarded $1,000 which was equivalent to three years wages. The numbers have changed but one thing has not... diamond miners in South Africa are still among the highest paid workers on that continent.Color - Diamonds occur naturally and unnaturally in all colors. The most rare is Red.  About ten years ago a 98 point red diamond was auctioned at Sotheby's for $980,000.  98 points is just about caret. You can count the naturally-occurring, red diamonds in existence on both hands and still have fingers left.Ownership - Today you do not have to be a king or potentate to own a diamond. The feeling of owning a diamond is something that is hard to explain. A diamond represents the allure of the mysteries of time; the many thousand of miles it has traveled to get to you; the toil and precision it has taken to mine and fashion each facet into its finished shape; the beauty it gives to your eye; the hardness; and the thought that it will last for ever... even after you are gone.  Perhaps the greatest thing a diamond represents is the emotion of the person that sacrificed to purchase it and give it to you. Each time you look at your diamond, it should remind you of these many things... and others... hopefully all good.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2002-12-01 11:12:00

:  Tell me about diamonds and why they are so valuable?

ANSWER:  That’s a great question.    There are many reasons... more than I can cover in one segment.  I will give you some answers over the next couple of issues that will help you understand a little more about diamonds.  First, here are a few tidbits of information that might get you as excited as I was when I first heard them.Diamonds are formed 75 to 225 miles down inside the earth.  A diamond cannot have any sand around when it forms or it cannot be made.  It is brought to the surface by volcanoes.  A diamond is shrouded in mysteries.  Diamonds have caused wars.  One single diamond can cost as much as forty eight million dollars an ounce.  Through the mere possession of a diamond, leadership positions have been empowered. Diamonds have conjured deep emotions, even symbolizing love since the beginning of man.Diamonds form 75 to 225 miles down inside the earth. That is where temperature and pressure is so intense that it takes oil, graphite or coal and compresses it into a cubic atomic arrangement that comprises the hardest substance known to man. It is fun to hear some one say this is an old diamond it belonged to my grandmother, when in actually the youngest known diamond deposits on the earth are approximately sixty five million years old. Grandma must have been real old.How hard are diamonds?In the natural realm, a diamond is rated a 10 on the Moh hardness scale. The next hardest natural substance is a ruby, which is actually a red sapphire, and is 30 to 40 times softer than a diamond. Why are diamonds so popular? Gemstones have always been popular for four different reasons.1.  Beauty - They scintillate to the eye and can be extremely beautiful to behold. 2.  Status - They have always been a form of status and a symbol of power. Kings and noblemen couldn't show off their vast warships or tanks on TV like they do today; but great gemstones could be worn by Kings, Queens, Noblemen and their ladies to show vast wealth and buying power.  Gifts of great jewels sealed national pacts and won favor with other rulers.3.  Power - In some instances just possessing a certain jewel was all it took to be the symbol of rulership, as in the early cultures of India. One of the first large diamonds ever known was the Great Mogul or the Eye of the Mogul. When it was stolen the mogul was deposed. Sometimes the power of the stone lent status and rulership to the owner.  Sometimes it spread ill will. The great Hope Diamond is a diamond that has had a reputation of being unlucky to its owner. It received this reputation from ill fates of many of its owners... some dying, some committing suicide, and some losing their fortunes and going broke. The stone was probably originally the great French Blue Diamond which was stolen from its first owner (the French government)  and re-cut into the now cushion shaped Hope Diamond. The Hope is not the largest diamond... it just happens to be the largest natural blue diamond. It is now owned by the US Government.  Is that good? 4.  Portable wealth - Perhaps the most important aspect of great jewels is their quickly portable wealth. The king or queen who possessed a vast quantity of jewels was insured of a means of prosperity. They didn't have a national health care or presidential retirement fund. It provided for their retirement fund that if they were deposed.  They could quickly and easily move to a more hospitable location, take their jewels with them and live a life of relative ease. It was a lot easier and quicker to transport a bag of precious gems rather than a ton or two of gold.When did diamonds become so popular?Gemstones have been popular since the beginning of man. At first colored stones were the most popular gemstones because they were more interesting and novel in the uncut form, and much easier to cut. The diamond did not reach its height of popularity until the regional festivals of Europe were moved from outside daytime festivals to inside evening balls with dancing. Colored stones did not glisten in the candlelight as did diamonds. Next time we will talk about other characteristics that give a diamond its value.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

2002-10-01 12:36:00

:  Platinum credit cards, platinum records, platinum jewelry... everything is platinum.  What is platinum and  why is it so highly prized and  expensive?

Jerry Burnell Question:  Platinum credit cards, platinum records, platinum jewelry... everything is platinum.  What is platinum and  why is it so highly prized and  expensive?Answer:  Platinum is an element just like oxygen or carbon but because it is a metal it is more like gold and silver. There are some very big differences between platinum and other metals. Platinum is almost inert, meaning it doesn't chemically unite with anything. You can take a shiny platinum wire and heat it white hot and when it cools it is still shiny white. It doesn't oxidize even at these high temperatures. In fact it was one of the first metals found. Because it is so inert, it was found in pure nugget form in the Ural Mountains of Russia.Platinum has had a spotted past. Early on it was not as highly regarded as silver and. Platinum melted at such a high temperature and was so difficult to work and fashion into useful objects, that it was considered an outcast. At one point in history platinum was illegal to even own or possess, because you could mix platinum with either silver or gold and not be able to tell that you had sub-based the "precious" metals by examining it's weight.Platinum is a funny metal. Due to the fact that the bonds between the platinum atoms will stretch and not break, platinum is fairly easy to bend. Platinum has very little memory so when you bend it; it just stays there, and does not spring back to it's former position. When you "scratch" platinum the atoms just move over instead of tearing out of the surface, so it does not wear away easily.So why is it so expensive? To start with a good platinum mine refines approximately 20 tons of ore to get one ounce of platinum. In a good gold mine you only have to extract approximately ten tons of ore. Today pure platinum costs around $600 per ounce as to gold at around $300 per ounce. Platinum it is very hard to refine because it won't unite in chemical reactions to extract it from the ore easily. Also it is 60% heavier than gold, meaning that the same object made from platinum will be 60% heaver than one in gold. In 14 Karat gold you use fourteen twenty-fourths gold (58.33%) and 41.67% of relative inexpensive alloy of copper, silver and zinc. But Platinum jewelry has 90% Platinum and 10% iridium. Iridium is tougher and much more expensive than platinum. Coupled with the fact that it is hard to work with, a platinum piece of jewelry can cost three times as much as a 14K white gold piece of jewelry.So why is platinum so highly revered? It is the precious metal that is used in its purest form. It doesn't wear away. It is not attacked by, virtually, any chemical, so it is hypoallergenic. It's weight feels heavy, and valuable. It is bright white and beautiful when polished, and it is rare and expensive. Yes, Platinum is a treasure to own.

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Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Jewelry

Jerry Burnell

1969-12-31 18:00:00

What makes gold so precious and valuable?

ANSWER: Why gold is "good as gold" is an interesting question. Dr. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, said that "our fascination with gold might be related to the erotic fantasies of early childhood." However, we think that the more pragmatic ancient Egyptians were perhaps more accurate in observing that gold's value was a function of its pleasing physical qualities and its scarcity. Pretty simple, no? Another way to appreciate its scarcity is to compare it to the annual steel production in the United States. According to the Iron and Steel Institute in Washington D.C., the American industry poured an average of 10,500 tons of steel per hour during all of 1995! Please appreciate that's 24 hours per day and 365 days per year. That's a lot of steel. In sharp contrast, the world's annual gold mine production increases the total holdings by only 2.0 percent per year. That's an average increase in the world's gold supply of a mere 2,000 tons per year,  versus 10,500 tons of American steel per hour. Gold is indeed very rare. Since ancient times, gold's beautiful luster allows it to be designed into the world's most coveted and exquisite jewelry.  Jewelry that is fit for kings or queens. And today, certainly one of the most desired of all the metals for beautiful jewelry creations for all of us. There are many physical aspects of the yellow metal which are truly amazing. Gold is the most malleable (able to be hammered into very thin sheets) and ductile (able to be drawn into a fine wire) of all metals. Gold is so malleable that a goldsmith can hammer one ounce of gold into a thin translucent wafer covering more than 100 square feet only five millionths of an inch thick. That's thin! It would be so thin that 1,000 sheets would be needed to make up the thickness of one newspaper page. Its ductility is equally amazing. One ounce of gold can be drawn into a wire 50 miles long! Moreover, only one ounce of this marvelous metal is required to plate a thread of copper 1,000 miles long. Gold is also one of the heaviest metals known to exist. It has a specific gravity of 19.3, meaning it weighs 19.3 times as much as an equal volume of water. Therefore, one cubic foot of gold weighs 1,206 pounds. More than a half ton! This probably explains why there has never been a large armed robbery of gold bullion throughout history. Who could carry it out of the storage facility, and how would you do it? More unbelievable than its physical characteristics is its scarcity. It is well documented that the world's holdings accumulated during all recorded history to the present is only about 120,000 metric tons. Understandably, it is rather difficult for the average person to relate to this measurement, to actually picture it in one's minds eye. Suffice it to say that the total world's hoard of the shiny metal will occupy a single cube 60 feet by 60 feet by 60 feet - which is equivalent to the approximate volume of three 12-room homes. This is indeed a small volume of matter to have influenced the toil and destiny of so many people since biblical days. In fact the total world's holdings of the rare metal could be transported by a single solitary oil tanker!  That's if Lloyds of London would ever accept the insurance risk on this priceless cargo. The value of this load of gold would be approximately $1.4 trillion! Some information was researched from the World Wide Web.  Interesting stuff, huh? More next month...Happy Valentines Day!