|
What is Silver?
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and is sometimes referred to as pure silver. Sterling silver will tarnish over time but with care and regular cleaning can be restored to its good as new sparkling condition. The remaining 7.5% is usually copper but can be other metal and is used to give this precious metal strength and durability.Generally, the higher the silver content the brighter or whiter the metal but beware of antiquing effects that can make a piece of sterling silver jewellery or decorative silverware look dark. Silver which is 99.9% silver is too soft to be practical for most day to day uses. Do not use tissue or anything other than a jewellery cleaning cloth to polish your jewellery as unseen tiny hard fibers will scratch the surface.
A diamond is a beauty
A diamond's beauty, rarity and price depend on the interplay on all the 4 C's cut, clarity, carat and color. The other big trend is the revival of antique cut diamonds such as the cushion cut. Side stone options include these 7 shapes as well as baguette and trillion. Its purity is the perfect symbol of a new beginning.It is believed that the first diamonds were discovered nearly 3000 years ago in India. They were considered valuable because of their ability to refract light and were used as either decoration or as talismans - for protection and warding against evil. Generally speaking there are 7 principle diamond shapes for Jewelry - round, marquise, emerald, princess, pear, oval and heart. The strongest trend in Jewelry design is diamond set in white metal particularly platinum.
About Gemstone
Gems are silicates which can be very stable, hard minerals. Like gemstones, one of the characteristics of a precious metal is its rarity. A few gems are oxides and only one gem, diamond, is composed of a single element, carbon. Often, new names will be created for ordinary sounding minerals which sound prettier or more valuable, such as Moldavite for the green variety of tektites.It could not be "precious" if it were common! This means that the metal must be malleable, that it can be bent, hammered, or otherwise shaped. Two other characteristics are also important. There are also many gemstones that are not true minerals, but which are gemstone varieties of recognized minerals.
|
