How to Caring for Your Jewelry!!!

Even the best jewelry gets dirty. Oils from the skin, lotions, and other beauty products, can tarnish your cherished pieces over time.

You can keep your jewelry looking clean and bright right at home with a few simple steps. With a little foresight, you can keep professional cleanings to a minimum.

Cleaning Tips
Most jewelry can be cleaned in very warm water with a little dish washing liquid. Use a soft toothbrush to reach crevices and details.

For heavily grimed pieces like rings, which take the most abuse and store the most debris, a long soak in a hot, soapy solution prior to hand cleaning is recommended. If soaking and brushing doesn't seem to have an effect, see your local jeweler to have the piece professionally cleaned.

Gold Jewelry
To clean gold, first soak it in a little warm sudsy water and then brush carefully around any stones with a small makeup brush.

You should never soak pearl or coral, which may have water-soluble fittings.

When you have cleaned the jewelry, rinse it in cold water and dry in a soft cloth.

Special jewelry cleaning solutions are available which can be purchased from any good jeweler.

Put your jewelry away in a jewelry box, which has special compartments for the different items or keep them in their individual boxes until you need them again. Typically, these boxes prevent more breakage than pouches because they can resist pressure from any objects placed above them.

Diamond Jewelry
Do not wear your diamond ring when doing rough jobs such as cleaning or gardening. Catching in things can damage prongs and settings. Diamonds, even though the hardest of stones, can be chipped by a hard knock.

Check the prongs of your rings regularly as they can catch in your clothes when you are dressing. The damage caused to the prong may lead you to lose your diamond. You can sometimes tell if damage has been done if the ring keeps catching in your clothes and on close examination, you can see the prong is either missing or raised from the stone.

If a prong is found to be damaged or missing, the item should be taken to a qualified jeweler for repair and should not be worn before then.

You can clean your diamond ring by first soaking it in warm water. Brush carefully with a small brush around the diamonds as the area under the stones can become very dirty. This can cause your stones to appear dull as no light can pass through from underneath. Rinse in cold water and dry with a soft cloth.
Via http://www.angara.com

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Latest Gary Ptak Scruples Set

Here is the latest Gary Ptak scruples set for you. This is latest brand of Gary Ptak Conscience Collection is a line of design trait lab-grown diamonds and jewel and cast-off metals. This latest Gary Ptak Conscience set has great designs and colors .you can wear this great set in any party you are looking gorgeous also its suits to your personality.

It has great designs and colors simple designs include rings for men and women, earrings, bracelets and locket and are finished in 18K gold, palladium and platinum (80% of which is cast-off).the whole portion is made in U.S. This is the latest jewelry that you can wear in any occasion also this is latest fashion of this week. And I think it is more famous in all over the world. This jewelry has great diamond includes designs and color it has more demand in market hope that every one can like this beautiful jewelry.

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Small Carat Black Diamond Sterling Silver Ring

This vintage inspired ring is perfect for dressing up your cocktail dress. In sparkling black diamonds (enhanced) set against sterling silver, the style is really sleek and gorgeous. It should make you in your evening wardrobe a classic, elegant stand out.

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A half Carat Diamond 14K White Gold Bridal Engagement Ring

A classic and gorgeous bridal ring that has a potential to become an heirloom piece. This engagement ring is designed with a princess cut diamond center, with a band so delicate and diamond studded, this is really something to treasure for life.

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Mother of Pearl Rapture Ring

This sterling silver ring features pear cut mother of pearl and accented with quartz overlay. The ring is designed by Stephen Webster, a legendary British jewelry designer who has won several awards for his work many times over.

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How to Clean your Rings and Other Jewelry!

For those of you looking for better ways to clean your rings and other jewelry without a visit to your local jewelry shop, there is a way, you can use one of these Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaners that will get rid of dirt and dust particles using 42,000Hz of ultrasonic waves. Not only is this safer but your jewelry will thank you for it.

This is the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner selected best for effectiveness and ease of use in tests conducted by the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute. The cleaner scored highest for effectiveness because it generates 42,000Hz of ultrasonic sound waves that remove dirt and dust particles from rings, bracelets, and necklaces without manual scrubbing or harsh chemicals. It scored best for ease of use because it has a 16 oz. stainless steel tank (for proper sound wave impedance), an easy-to-read maximum fill line, and uses plain tap water for cleaning.

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What colorless gem has recently found a second career as a diamond substitute?

When it comes to gems, all that glitters isn’t diamond. The need for low price-point diamond substitutes has led designers to leave no colorless stone unturned in their exhaustive search for diamond essence at clear quartz prices. Obviously, our mystery stone is not quartz.

Neither is it zircon, which we have pitched for more than a year as an inexpensive natural diamond look-alike. So what is it? Well, here’s a generous, if not giveaway, clue. This gem was once found in the United States and may be found there again some day. Indeed, it owes its name to its American place of discovery.

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Slashing Prices with No Loss in Markup or Margins

I don't discount to survive. I give affordable alternatives. I am the bargain hunter's dream come true. How? I have learned how to be a non-traditional jeweler who can sell traditional jewelry by re-inventing it. Others give the old for less. I give the new for less. It's easy to do. Let me show you my method:
Let's take a three-stone ring (mounting #4797) from Stuller that I frequently offer customers.

Why am I using Stuller? Stuller's catalog is a great place to introduce shoppers to the incredible diversity of choices available to them. I use the catalog to explain alternative gems and metals that save money without sacrificing quality or beauty. But be forewarned: the catalog is useless if the jeweler doesn't have knowledge and appreciation of the cost-savings detours they are offering.

This 5.97-carat white zircon has everything a diamond has--except the price. Photo courtesy of Color First, Tampa, FL.
Remember: Sell only what you love or respect. I honestly believe white zircon is as beautiful as diamonds. And I think palladium is infinitely preferable to white gold. At every stage in the alternatives process, you must be able to talk knowledgeably about the options you are proposing. And you must believe in these options. So if you don't know about the alternatives, bone up on them. I find Colored Stone gives me constant tutoring in new gems and metals. Okay, let's get started. I've prepared a table that will take you from high to low prices for a three-stone ring that is an object of great desire for many women. You won't need your calculators. I've done the computations for you. Get ready to be amazed at how much you can save your customers.

For those who want the fine blue of sapphire for far less money, may we suggest this 6.83-carat tanzanite. Photo courtesy of Color First, Tampa, FL.
[Note: I’ve used Stuller’s catalog as a main frame of reference so that you can double-check my prices. However, I source some gems such as white zircon from other dealers. All prices are double keystone.] Here’s how this exercise in price-slashing works. I start at the top of expense chain and work down, substituting lower-price metals and gems as I go along. See for yourself how easy it is to play price-hero to consumers without sacrificing margins and profitability.

For bottom fishing consumers, there are stones like this 1.51 crystal quartz that give the colorlessness of diamonds at a tiny fraction of the cost. Photo courtesy of Color First, Tampa, FL.
Mounting #4749 with diamonds (5.8mm center; 4.88 mm side stones):
Set in platinum: $7,378.64
Set in 18k white gold: $6,826.00
Set in 14k white gold: $6,624.50
Set in 10k yellow gold: $6,495.00
Mounting #4749 with white sapphires:
Set in palladium: $697.00

Mounting #4749 with white zircon:
Set in palladium: $500.00
Set in sterling silver: $250.00
Mounting #4749 with colorless quartz or topaz:
Set in sterling silver: $100.00

This 2.70-carat iolite is a viable sapphire alternate and an answer to every penny pincher's prayer. Photo courtesy of Color First, Tampa, FL.

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Way to Choose the Best Gemstone

Before actually buying the gemstones, it is necessary to choose a reliable a gemstone dealer. You have to carefully research the dealer’s business background, ascertain how long the dealer has been in the business of gem stones and whether the dealer is a member of reputed associations. Make it a point to ask what gemstones the dealer sells. Needless to say, when choosing the best gemstone dealer, visit several shops take note of the prices, product quality, and professionalism of staff.
As you may be aware, Gems are stones that can be polished and set into jewelry or used to make various sorts of decorations and ornaments.

Some gemstones are considered precious, such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Other gemstones such as topaz and jade are considered semi-precious stones. Collecting gemstone is indeed an expensive hobby that all cannot afford but it can turn out to be a good investment. As a matter of fact, the values of certain types of gemstones appreciate rapidly and there is the possibility one getting rich quickly.

Before you visit a gem stores to pick up a few pieces of gemstones, you should be armed with the basic information on how to evaluate precious stones. The value of expensive diamonds is determined by the four Cs - color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Clear and transparent diamonds are indeed valuable but colored diamonds may also fetch high prices in the market. For instance, good quality blue diamonds are often more expensive than the regular colorless diamonds.
It is good to know that rarity and uniqueness of gemstones are critical in deciding the price of gemstones. Collectors and hobbyists are understandably more attracted to something that is not of the routine kind and they are more than ready to pay a much higher price if they consider any gemstone unique and valuable. There is a general perception that deep colored gemstones are more expensive than the colorless ones. It is not always true that deep colored gemstones fetch higher prices in the market. Another key factor to bear in mind is the purity of the gemstones as it is generally acknowledged that pureness means superior quality. Any gemologist will tell you that pure ruby red are better than purplish red and grass green emeralds should be preferred over forest green ones.

When choosing a gemstone for your engagement ring, it’s important to know the gemstone used in an engagement ring needs to be a very hard gemstone that is durable and able to stand up to everyday wear.

Sapphires, rubies and diamonds are the most favored gemstones for use in engagement rings. People who cannot afford a sapphire, ruby or diamond, then aquamarine or tanzanite should be the next best for engagement rings. Aquamarine, it is suggested, can gather dust or dirt with constant wear, as the gemstone is very pale and translucent.

Sapphires are available in a variety of natural colors, including pale and dark blue and pink. There are also some sapphire colors that are rare like green, yellow and orange. Sapphires and rubies are indeed hard gemstones, second only to diamonds and are thus the most durable of all non-diamond gemstones Emerald is one the gemstones which provides psychical and emotional healing as it is the best ever physical healing gemstone. Coral is said to provide a soothing effect, physical energy and inward peace.

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Tips for Buying Gemstone

Gemstone jewelry is beautiful and if well cared for can last centuries. Here are some ways to get the best gemstone jewelry for your money.

Gemstone Jewelry Pricing

Gemstone price is determined by: size, cut, quality (color/clarity/treatments), and type. Here are some questions to ask about gemstone quality:
* Questions on Gemstone Size
o How big is the actual gemstone?
o Will the gemstone be too big or too small for the intended setting?

* Questions on a Gems Cut
o What type of gemstone cut? A well dimensioned "Brilliant" cut sparkles the most.
o How regular is the gemstones cut?
o What are the dimensions of a cut? The deeper (total depth) the gems cut, the more it will sparkle.

* Questions on Gems Overall Quality
o Are the gems damaged? Are there noticeable chips, inclusions, or marks?
o Has the gemstone been treated? (See treatments listed below)
o Is the gem natural or synthetic?
* Questions on Gemstone Color
o Is the gemstones color even?
o How good is the gems color? (Is it vibrant?)
o If you are buying the gemstones for earrings or cuff links, are the gem stones well matched?

Gemstone Treatments

Jewelry dealers may treat gemstones in hopes of getting a higher price. The savvy buyer asks lots of questions and hopefully tests the results. Here are some gemstone treatments to look for:

* Coatings: Jasper is often dipped in petroleum products to bring out color and to seal it. Emerald is oiled; turquoise is waxed.

* Dye: This is the most common treatment used. On clear gemstones, dye may be visible in cracks that are darker than the rest of the stone. Sometimes dye appears as a residue that rubs off or white patches. La pis and Rose Quartz are commonly dyed. Amethyst and Citrine are often dyed. Black Onyx is permanently dyed in normal processing.

* Fake Gem Stones: Some dealers will try passing off fake gems instead of natural ones. There are fake stones for most gemstones on the market. Always ask what gemstone something is if you are not certain. Honest dealers will tell you. If a gemstone looks too perfect it may be fake, irradiated or dyed. I avoid laboratory made products also known as synthetics (unless getting a really good discount).

* Gemstone Swap: When a deal seems too good to be true, the dealer may be substitutiong one gemstone for another. For example, dyed Howlite is often substituted for Lavendar Jade.

* Heat Treatment: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Ruby, Tanzanite and Topaz are often heated at high temperatures to enhance color.

* Irradiation: It is common to irradiate Aquamarine, London Blue Topaz, Emerald, and

Diamond as well as other gem stones. This treatment brings out color and removes imperfections. Many dealers know if the gemstones they are selling have been irradiated. Honest ones will tell you if they are aware of the treatment.

Tips on buying gemstone beads

. Look for the best quality gemstone (if buying real gemstones)
. Verify that the cracks in a gemstone bead are not darker than the bead itself (if so, the bead is dyed)
. If the beads are being sold in a 16" strand -- I make sure it is 16" -- not 14" or 15" if possible.
. Make sure beads are not cracked or chipped by the holes as this tears the thread
. Evenly shaped beads (as appropriate)
. Good color (so can create harmonious necklaces and matching earrings)
. Good sized holes (so can use a stronger thread)

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