FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  AND ALSO SOME INTERESTING FACTS

What does carat mean when used in jewellery?

There are two different meanings to the word carat in connection with jewellery. 

• it can indicate the purity of gold.
• it can also describe the weight in relation to precious stones.

It is generally accepted that pure gold is too soft for everyday use and so when gold is used to make jewellery it has other metals added to it (known as alloys).  The lower the carat the lower the gold content.

9ct	37.5% pure gold
14ct	58.5% pure gold
18ct	75% pure gold
22ct	91.6% pure gold

When using the word carat in relation to precious stones it is describing the weight, one carat is approximately 0.2 gram.  As precious stones need to be weighed very accurately, the carat is divided into points, 100 points make one carat.  A stone weighing half a carat may also be described as weighing 50 points.

List of British Anniversaries

1st	COTTON
2nd	PAPER
3rd	LEATHER
4th	JEWELLERY
5th	WOOD
6th	PLATE
7th	WOOL
8th	BRONZE
9th	WATCH
10th	TIN
11th	SCENT/SOAP
12th	SILK
13th	BAROMETERS
14th	CLOCKS
15th	CRYSTAL
16th	HOLLOWARE
17th	ACCESSORIES
18th	COLOURED GEMS
19th	FURNITURE
20th	CHINA
25th	SILVER
30th	PEARL
35th	JADE
40th	RUBY
45th	SAPPHIRE
50th	EMERALD
60th	DIAMOND

List of Birthstones by Month 

Month	Birthstone
January	GARNET	Faith, Eternity, Truth
February	AMETHYST	Luck, Wit, Health
March	AQUAMARINE	Happiness, Understanding
April	DIAMOND	Eternity, Courage, Health
May	EMERALD	Fidelity, Goodness, Love
June	PEARL	Peace, Nobility, Beauty
July	RUBY	Love, Enthusiasm, Strength
August	PERIDOT	Success, Peace, Luck
September	SAPPHIRE	Serenity, Truth
October	OPAL	Purity, Hope, Health
November	TOPAZ	Wisdom, Courage, Sincerity
December	TURQUOISE	Love, Happiness, Luck

Why Do we have Hallmarks?

A hallmark is a guarantee of the quality of precious metal you are buying.  The Assay Office punch hallmarks onto the piece of jewellery.  In the United Kingdom hallmarks are required by law.  They not only show you the quality of gold, silver, or platinum, but also at which assay office it was stamped and in which year it was stamped.

If pure Gold is Yellow what is White Gold?

Different alloys can be used to create white gold.  18ct white gold is required to be 75% pure gold and 25% made up of other metals.  These alloys commonly include a metal called Palladium, which creates a strong white coloured alloy when mixed with gold.  However, these other metals can also include Nickel, but this is used less now as it can cause Dermatitis in some people with sensitive skin.  Most white gold has its surface plated with rhodium which gives it a bright white colour.

Is Platinum the same as white gold?

No, Platinum and white gold are not the same thing, platinum is a different metal altogether.  It is approximately 10% heavier than pure gold and more expensive.

What is Titanium?

This is a light metal composed of 60% iron, 4.5 g/Cm3.  It is strong and highly resistant to corrosion.  Titanium is bio-compatible because it is hyperallergenic.  It is highly resistant to heat, non-toxic and very easy to clean.  A lot of titanium produced is used for aerospace parts.  Titanium used for jewellery is a titanium alloy containing such metals as aluminium and vanadium which add strength to titanium.

What holds a precious stone in a piece of jewellery?

Several methods can be used to hold a precious stone in a piece of jewellery.  The two most common ways are rubover setting where the stone is held in place with a continuous line of metal all round the stone, and the other is claw setting where the stone is held in a series of pegs each having a small notch to hold the stone.

The four C's used to determine a diamond value?

CARAT  -  Carat refers to the weight of a diamond (not the size of the diamond).  One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams.  One carat can also be divided into 100 "points".  A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.  Cut and mounting can make a diamond appear larger (or smaller) than its actual weight. 

CLARITY  -  Clarity refers to the presence of flaws or inclusions in the diamond.  Inclusions are the diamond's fingerprint so to speak and may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.  Diamonds are graded for inclusions using a 10x magnification.  If under 10x magnification no internal flaws can be seen then the diamond is deemed to be flawless.  You will pay a higher price for a diamond with fewer inclusions. 

FL - IF	Flawless/internally flawless
VVS1 - VVS2	Very, very small inclusions, very hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye
VS1-VS2	Very slightly included under 10x magnification difficult to see
SI1-SI2	Slightly included under 10x magnification easily seen
I 1 I 2 I 3	Inclusions immediately recognizable under 10x magnification Inclusions recognizable by the naked eye Large or numerous flaws easily visible with the naked eye

COLOUR  -  Diamonds are graded for colour by letter the finest white being D and then going down the alphabet as the colour changes to yellow. 

COLOUR
D E	Blue White
F G	Fine White
H	White
I J	Slightly tinted White
K L	Tinted White
M N	Slightly Tinted Yellow
O P	Weakly Tinted Yellow
Q R	Tinted Yellow
S - Z	Yellow

CUT  -  The cut refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond, this can make a large difference to the brilliance of a stone.  A well cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone.  If cut too shallow light will escape through the lower part of the stone, thus it's brilliance will be lessened.  Likewise, if the diamond is cut too deep too much light will be absorbed and the brilliance depleted again.