You may be buying a beautiful necklace for your mother, or an engagement ring for the love of your life, but whatever the piece is you’ll find it’s hard to top the feeling of buying the perfect beautiful piece of jewelry. Alternatively, nothing is worse than spending a lot of your hard-earned money on a piece that’s not top quality, breaks easily, or simply isn’t as brilliant as it seemed to be in the store. Everyone wants to walk out knowing that they’re taking home something worthy of their loved ones or themselves, and by using this guide you’ll be able to ensure that you are purchasing a piece of high quality, whether it’s earrings, necklaces, or a ring.
Why You need to know the Different Metals
Despite being the foundation of any piece of jewelry, this is a quality that many people gloss over. Most people become so engaged in the gemstone of a ring or necklace that they forget to check the materials surrounding them. All of the options are valid choices, but keep in mind that each one has its own perks and problems.
Gold: Gold is easy to harm due to how soft the metal is. Because of this, gold is sometimes mixed with other metals to increase its durability. This is where karat really comes into play. Karat is how you measure how pure the gold is. For pieces less than 24 karats you’ll be able to find the percentage of gold found within. For example, a ring that is advertised as 18 karats (K) is approximately made of 75% gold. In accordance of U.S. law, the lowest level of karat gold that can be sold legally is 10K. The lower the karat count, the more other metals there are present in the piece, and the less traditionally lustrous the gold will appear. A major problem with these mixed pieces is that other metals, like copper, can have an adverse reaction when worn, and may affect both the skin and the jewelry. While gold looks gorgeous, it requires a love of care in order to keep it looking so brilliant.
Silver: While it’s easily tarnished upon exposure to the elements, silver will start out as a lustrous material, and is also more durable than gold. One of the greatest dangers, however, is not in the metal itself, but in the confusion with its labels. More often than not, people confuse “nickel silver” and “German silver” for actual silver. These names shouldn’t hold any bearing on the matter, as the products contain no real silver. They are simply reminiscent of silver qualities. Be sure to clarify with the jeweler before buying a silver piece. And remember to ask them for the percentage of silver as well, as anything less that 92.5% cannot be sold as silver.
Platinum: Platinum is the most durable of all the metals commonly found in jewelry, making it also one of the more expensive metals as it requires a lot of extra work on the manufacturer’s part. What the metal loses in typical maintenance needs it regains in another, as it’s quick to lose its luster without special care. Similarly to silver, platinum will often be advertised simply as “platinum”, but that doesn’t fully reveal the actual content of the ring. Just like gold it is often mixed with other metals, so before you buy a piece you should ask the jeweler what the percentage of platinum in it actually is. It’s nice to have verification from the jeweler, but the information can also typically be found stamped into the piece.
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Picking out the Perfect Gems
There are three types of gems to consider: Natural, Imitation, and Synthetic. Natural gems are exactly said; they are found growing in the world and are cut and treated. Natural gems are rare, and thereby far more expensive. Synthetic means that the gemstone was made in a lab to look as similar to the real thing as possible. Imitations are just as they say, and are often made of materials like plastic and glass. Along with this, keep in mind the following qualities as well:
- Color: Color isn’t the most reliable indicator for identifying gemstones, since the notion that all emeralds are green, all sapphires are blue, and all rubies are red has been long since debunked. Along with that, some companies will try to capitalize on this misconception, using other less precious gems that look like stereotypical precious stones. Still, you can use this to determine what possible gems it could be based on the various tone levels. Note the different colorations of a gem when it is observed from at least three different angles.
- Transparency: This is just the ability of gems to allow light to pass through them. A gem with high transparency will allow a lot of light to pass through, while those that are more opaque won’t allow much. This is another good way to identify a gem, as each kind will have a general level associated with them.
- Cut: Gems will be cut into different styles. Some of the most common styles include the cameo, bead, tumbled, cabochon, and faceted cuts. In any case, generally speaking they are all cut in a round shape, and any other shape is referred to as “fancy cut” and will usually be more expensive. Common fancy cuts can include the pear, oval, marquise, antique, trillion, and princess.
- Phenomena: Phenomena is the way light interacts with the structural anatomy of a gem, and the optical effect that occurs as a result. The effects may appear as a glow, shimmer, color change, flash of light, or even a moving band of light. Knowing what type of phenomena is occurring can help considerably narrow your possibilities in identification. You’ll typically find chatoyancy, color change, orient, play of color, and asterism type phenomenal effects. Phenomenal effect stones will often hold a rare kind of captivative beauty in them.
- Luster: Luster describes the quality and intensity of a gem’s surface in reflected light (this can also be used in metals as well). This can help you determine how polished the gemstone is.
- Dispersion: Dispersion is the separation of white light into spectral colors. The visible display of this is know in the gem identification realm as ‘fire’, and each gemstone has a unique level of ‘fire’, ranging from weak, moderate, strong and extreme.
- Heft: Heft is the weight of the gem compared to its size. Large but light stones will have a low heft. Stones made from amber and plastic tend to have low heft, while pure gems are considered to be high heft.
Diamonds have their own category, as there are no other gemstone quite like it. They use four categories: cut (similar to the gems in how they are presented), clarity, (how flawless the diamond is), carat (the weight of the gem, also a seperate term from karat), and color (from colorless to yellow). These are called “The Four C’s” and they are considered the best method to determine the worth of a diamond.
Since you’re now better educated on the individual components it’s time for you to learn some of the more fine details in shopping for necklaces, earrings, and rings.
The Trick to Picking a Necklace
Think of necklaces as a complimentary piece for fashion. They are far more noticeable than any other piece of jewelry, and can either make or break an outfit. It’s best you’re aware of what you need to look at, as they’re meant to help you stand out.
Monochromatic Vs. Multicolored: Monochromatic necklaces are comprised entirely of one solid color, and are generally easier to coordinate with an outfit. A multicolored necklace will include more than one color, or gradient of color. These are often best paired with plain outfits, like a simple white top or single colored dress. Anything with a pattern can look too busy and detract from the attire.
Shapes: Necklaces are described in one of the following three categories in regards to shape; Bib, Geometric and Irregular. Bib necklaces will fit tightly and rest just under the neck, and best match with outfits that include strapless dresses or smooth and simple tops. Geometric is a more traditional shape and follow some sort of geometric pattern and are the easiest to match with almost any outfit. Irregular necklaces will stand out, and are often the centerpiece of the outfit, so it’s best to wear something simple with it.
Picking the Perfect pair of Earrings
As ear piercings are fairly common it’s safe to say that you can look at earrings as a gift option for your friends and family. It’s also good to get a matching necklace, however that’s not required. Fitting isn’t an issue either as earrings are most often made for a single size. On top of this, most styles are able to adapt to a variety of outfits. You’ll typically find them in one of three styles:
Studs: These are the easiest to put on and use daily, as they are small, yet still elegant. Whether the outfit consists of a shirt and jeans, or is a sleek cocktail dress, a single pair of studs can do wonders for it.
Hoops: Hoops will be either semicircular or fully circular, and will resemble a ring in many cases. They will come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. While typically seen as a playful type of earring, those with finer metals or gemstones are able to complement more formal attire.
Drops: Drops will hang below the hole, and typically sway with your movement. This style is most commonly seen at more formal events, as they have a more sophisticated touch.
How to pick a Wedding or Engagement Ring
The piece that likely means the most here will be how we wrap this article up. Due to their traditional meanings, rings often carry more weight in an outfit than other pieces. Rings are often viewed as the ultimate symbols of romance and love, and those that capture this feeling best include the engagement ring and wedding band. When deciding on a ring all of the above topics should be utilized.. Especially think about the metal and gemstone topics, as they will help you find the perfect piece for your soulmate.
As well as this, be sure to have as much information compiled together as you can before even stepping into the jewelry store. Important things like the ring style, stone preference, and ring size should be included in this. This information will allow a jeweler to best help you in your decision making.
Alongside all of that you will want to always receive a certificate of authenticity, and invest your money with a jeweler that offers excellent return and insurance policies. More often than not, these rings are more expensive than any other item in the shop, so you need to make sure that you get the best services you can when you make one of these purchases. If a ring isn’t insured and becomes damaged, there’s nothing you can really do outside of buying a new ring, which as you’re well aware at that point, is very costly.
Marquise Diamond Engagement Rings 