Category: Jewelry

Moissanite is a new diamond substitute that, unlike previous faux diamond offerings, is a stunningly beautiful material in its own right, and considered by experts to surpass diamond in many ways. So if you want to add some simple elegance to your favorite outfit, a moissanite bracelet might be your perfect choice.

A moissanite tennis bracelet is one of life’s simple beauties. So called because of Chris Evert’s loss of a diamond strand bracelet on court during the 1987 US Open Tennis Tournament, tennis bracelets combine simplicity and extravagance all in one. Chris refused to continue playing tennis until the safety of her bracelet was assured and it was safely back on her wrist, and with a moissanite tennis bracelet, you can be sure that you will be a show-stopper too.

While a chunky bangle can add a casually stylish air to an outfit, a moissanite bracelet adds a mature and subtle style. While earrings and necklace draw attention to themselves, a moissanite bracelet brings an understated brilliance that adds intrigue to your look.

Nestling under your sleeve, or resting against your wrist, a tennis bracelet is the piece of jewelry seen only when you speak and gesture, displaying a momentary glimpse of your unique sense of style. A moissanite tennis bracelet endows you with a sophistication that doesn’t speak aloud, it merely whispers of its understated elegance to those with an eye for real beauty.

Moissanite has been taking the jewelry world by storm, so treat yourself to a moissanite bracelet, and enjoy the combination of innovation and timelessness for yourself. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve, but create a sense of mystery with the subtle beauty of a moissanite tennis bracelet.

Of all the reasons people have for buying diamonds online as opposed to buying from a local jewelry store price is probably the main factor. Markup in local jewelry stores is extremely high in order to pay overhead costs for the store as well as commissions to salespeople. This is why online stores are able to offer much lower prices but you must at the same time be aware that a ridiculously low price indicates that the stone is probably not a real diamond.

Another huge benefit about internet shopping is the availability of a virtually unlimited variety of stones to choose from in comparison to the small availability in your local area with normal jewelers. Still, you must do your homework and check out any retailer that you are considering doing business with.
Learn everything you can about diamonds in advance to reduce the chances of getting scammed. Some of the more important things you need to know about are carat weights, color, clarity, and the cut as well as how each of these factors affects the price of the stone. After you have educated yourself you can be more confident about shopping online.

Don’t ever allow yourself to be hurried into buying, rushing to buy the first diamond you find interesting can result in getting ripped off. Use the power of the internet to compare prices so that you can be sure you are getting a good deal. Okay, so far you have learned about diamonds, you have found some good deals, and even maybe a stone you are in love with, but you still need to do a couple more things to make sure that you don’t get taken.

The next step you need to take is to find out what kind of credentials the online jeweler has including what associations they are members of and what their policies are regarding returns, refunds, and upgrades. Since you are buying via the internet you may also want to ask about services they may provide in the way of settings, mountings, sizing, and what their shipping prices and policies are. If you ask, you may even be able to get free shipping. Have them give you a grading report for the stone you are considering from one of the independent labs such as AGS or GIA before you complete the transaction. A final suggestion is to use an escrow service to handle the final disposition in which they will receive the diamond from the seller and appraise it then you send the money to the escrow service.

Diamonds have a number of natural qualities. They are, for example, the hardest of any natural product. Synthetic diamonds needed to have similar qualities to compete with the natural product. In jewelry a diamond has beautiful sparkle,and is very hard. Any synthetic diamond that is to compete with the real thing has to exhibit similar qualities. And synthetic diamonds do this admirably.

The first synthetic diamonds were produced in the 1950s in Sweden and then not so long after the synthesis of diamonds was reported a second time by researchers at GE. Even De Beers, the worlds larget producer of natural diamonds experimented with synthesising diamonds and succeeded.

Modern synthetic diamonds range hugely in their quality. Some come very close to real diamonds in their physical properties, and some do not.

There are many synthetic diamonds which do not exhibit anywhere near the qualities of diamonds, and some which come very close.

And there are some sythetic diamonds which can readily be distinguished from diamonds by experts, and some which cannot.

Even glass has been used as an alternative to diamonds and to many yields a reasonable result in costume jewelry. But it can be easily distinguished from real diamonds by anyone who knows what they are doing. Cubic Zirconia is a synthetic diamond which does not stand up for long to inspection by experts.

There are, however, many excellent synthetic diamonds which are so close to real diamonds in their physical properties that they are very difficult to distinguish from real diamonds indeed.

Prime amongst them is Moissanite. One of the newer of the synthetic diamonds, moissanite, is in fact a naturally occurring product, and it is therefore arguable whether it is a synthetic diamond or just a jewelry stone which is very close to diamond in it’s qualities. It was first discovered in tiny amounts in a meteor that landed in Arizona in 1893. It was discovered by Dr Henry Moissan, after whom it was named. It has only been recently produced synthetically, because it does not occur in sufficient quantities naturally to be commercially viable, so it was necessary to devise a way to synthesise if it was to be available in jewelry.

Moissanite is extremely close to diamond in it’s natural qualities. Whereas diamond is the hardest of all the jewels, rating at 10 on the hardness scale, moissanite is not far behind at 9.25, and harder than other natural jewelry stones such as ruby (9) and sapphire (9) or emerald (7.5)

There are other comparative scales used to rate jewelry stones. In brilliance, which is a measure of it’s refractive index, diamond is 2.42. Moissanite at 2.65 is superior to diamonds, and far outperforms ruby and sapphire at 1.77 and emerald at 1.58

In fire diamond rates at .044, moissanite at .104 ruby at .018 sapphire at .018 and emerald at .014. So again moissanite outperforms diamonds on this scale. Similarly on the scale used to assess luster moissanite outperforms diamonds and the other well known jewelry stones.

So it can be seen that there are very viable modern synthetic diamonds on the market. Many cannot be told apart from diamonds except by the most experienced jewellers, and moissanite cannot be told apart from diamonds by most jewellers without the use of specialised equipment.

And of course synthetic diamonds are available at a considerable cost savings to the real thing. That is why they are synthesised.

Any diamond merchant will tell you that synthetic diamonds are just junk. He is trying to protect his product. The reality is that for many, synthetic diamonds are a very viable alternative to real diamonds and it is highly unlikely that anyone could tell the difference between the two in any type of jewelry. And as the synthetic diamonds are much cheaper than the real thing they are extremely attractive to the jewelry buyer.

Gold is tarnish-resistant, but it can get dirty or smudged. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils that we use regularly can cover your jewelry and cut down their brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes any such build-up or residue and restores the original sparkle and shine to make your precious jewelries last a lifetime.

Although numerous commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, most often water and a mild detergent is sufficient to restore the radiance, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Sometimes it can be helpful to soak the gold jewelry in a solution of one part ammonia and six parts water for up to sixty seconds. It is imperative to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a chamois or soft cloth after cleaning.

Jewelry polishing cloths are an effective and inexpensive way of keeping your bits of gold glittering and radiant. These essential cotton cloths help to remove tarnish and to buff jewelry to look as good as new. Avoid wearing jewelry while in contact with household chemicals, such as chlorine bleach as this can discolor or damage your gold jewelry mountings.

Proper storage of jewelry when not in use is essential to keep your golden treasures clean and new. When storing your jewelry, be careful that pieces do not tumble against each other to avoid scratching and loss of radiance. Ideally, store your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewel case, or a box with compartments or dividers or store each piece in individual soft cloth pouches.

It is important to check the stone settings of your jewelry periodically for any damage to the gold prongs or bezels. Immersing the jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a few seconds will restore the gorgeous sparkle to cloudy stones. It is very important to dry the jewelry thoroughly after cleaning before wearing or storing. Remember that Pave set (glued in stones) jewelry should never be immersed in water while cleaning gold jewelry.

Belly button rings today for the most part are considered necessary accessory to many as the length of shirts and blouses go up and the hip line goes down. The belly for many will look bare if it does not have anything to show on it except the bare navel, and so the belly button ring found its route to popularity.

Belly button rings come in so many varieties that are fun, pleasing and attention catchers. Belly button rings could be flashing, dangling, logo and pieces of artwork that are a gem designer’s craft.

Placing belly buttons rings will require piercing. Any piercing creates wounds and wounds could get infected. If you find therefore that belly buttons are necessary accessories, you have to first, know which materials should be used to adorn that belly and the procedures to take not to be on the sorry side.

The safest materials for belly button rings are gold (at least 14K), silver, surgical steel, titanium, niobium, rhodium etc. Avoid as much as possible the gold imitation, sterling silver and silver-plated ones as they could cause irritation that might lead to infection. Avoid base metal materials that are coated and covered which could easily break. Avoid those that could easily tarnish and corrode when it gets in contact with body fluids and those that may contain allergens. For people who are sensitive to metals, a special plastic called Tygon are good replacements for belly button rings.

To prevent infections, have your piercing done only by qualified practitioners. Doing the piercing otherwise could lead to problems like infection and body poisoning even with properly sterilized instruments. Nerve damage can also be a possibility when done by an amateur.

Pregnant woman may wear their belly button rings up to the fifth month of pregnancy or when the skin in the belly starts to stretch significantly.

Belly button piercing will take a while to heal depending on the individual. The first days after your piercing have the belly button captive bead ring removed by the shop where you got your piercing. When your belly button heals, ask the shop to replace the captive bead with the new belly button rings.

When inserting the belly button ring, it is important to wash your hands with anti bacterial soap for at least four minutes. While inserting the body jewelry, massage both holes with the finger that is pinching the skin adjacent to the belly button holes. When the belly button ring is secured, clean the belly button ring once more to reduce the chance of infection.

Jewelry such as necklaces and bracelets has always been popular accessories to show off your personal style. The problems with the use of jewelry to show off your own style are the fact that the trendy stuff is expensive and only going up in value. This is alright for those of you that have the money to put into fashion but for those of us that love to be in fashion but do not want to sell our first born to pay for it we have the alternate materials to gold and diamonds.

Rubber and silicone are the most popular forms of inexpensive fashion these days. How is that you say? The bracelets and wristbands that everyone from celebrities to the normal person wears to show support for causes like cancer and aids can be custom ordered to fit your own thoughts, views and opinions. No longer do these bracelets have to be ordered in enormous amounts for thousands of dollars. Now they can be ordered by basically anyone for anything on any budget. Look into them and see how they will fit into your life and the life of the clubs and groups you belong to.

Rhinestones, put simply, are glasses with faceted top and a very thin foil at the very bottom – that way the light reflects and refracts in glass like it couldn’t – because glass is less refreactive tha diamonds – light passes it through, when in real diamonds a full inner reflection is happening.

Chaton Roses are flat-bottom rhinestones (it is pronounce “shayton”). They have Aurora Boreale effect (“Northern Lights”, which can be seen in Northern Poles when millions of ion particles enter unprotected with magnetic field atmosphere). It’s just a matter of simple physics dispersion (hmm, didn’t we all learn this at school), and the laws of the light were discovered in 10th centuries (actually rediscovered in 17th century) and it took centuries to apply it to glass to make it seem like a diamond (talking about rhinestone jewellery of course).

So what are they uses for those little sprkling things? Chaton Roses have a lot of uses, like body jewelry (some of it can even be used to swim – a special kind of glue makes it water-resistible for a week or so, and it looks really amazing – actually I was pretty stunned when I first saw this kind of body jewelry); it is also used in dance costumes, as bridal jewelry.

These stones are real jewelry-makers dream. But you’d better be persistent enough – you might need tens of thousands of stones to decorate a costume, yet you might need only tens to make a little love-heart shaped thing near your belly button. It’s really fun and think of the looks of it.

The most known brand to produce such crystals is (of course) Swarovski crystals. You should easily find those in Internet.

The diamond necklace in the movie was held in high regard, valued and worn by only the upper-class passengers of the Titanic. Does the entertainment industry then suggest that diamonds are worn only by the privileged and wealthy? Well, possessing real diamond jewelry is not just some frequent commodity for the average person. Diamonds are rare and beautiful jewels, and for that reason they are exclusive.

In fancy jewelry, diamonds are showcased in a collection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. For special occasions, these diamond accessories complement any formal wear you would display at such places like a fancy ball, a dinner party or a milestone affair like on your wedding day. For women, wearing a strapless gown complemented by a diamond necklace will put all emphasis on the beautiful jewel. Imagine the sparkle you could exhibit by wearing diamond jewelry!

If you are interested in buying a necklace for yourself or for a gift, be aware that a diamond necklace is a pricey, yet worthwhile investment. Such gifts as a diamond necklace should be given to a special loved one or bought with the intention of wearing to formal affairs.

The various styles of diamond necklaces gives one a personalized preference to accompany their formal outfit. For example, actresses observed at an award show are seen wearing distinctive diamond necklaces. For an extravagant look, one movie star was seen wearing a necklace with sparkling diamonds all around the neck. For a simpler look, another actress was seen wearing a thin chain, emphasizing all attention to the solo diamond. Moreover, finding a diamond necklace that suits your preference can well be accomplished with the huge variety of styles to choose from.

One of the first rules of keeping your silver jewelry shining, is to store it properly in acid-free paper, or cloth especially for that purpose. Put them in a drawer or other safe place, that is away from exposure to wood or other types of smoke.

It is best to keep jewelry polished, instead of trying to play “catch up” when it has become heavily tarnished. But there are a number of ways to deal with the darkening color.

There are many home solutions, such as using white toothpaste and a soft brush. However, some jewelers point out that silver is not tooth enamel, and can’t withstand the abrasive content. Although on things like chains, it’s unlikely you would see any resulting scratches.

Commercial solutions do work, but depending on the nature of your jewelry (e.g. whether it contains gemstones or pearls), you may not be able to submerge it completely, and the cleaning will be uneven.

One basis of both commercial and home cleaning solutions, is the creation of an electrochemical cell, where there is a metal ingredient that is anodic to silver. This means that it will help turn the silver in the sulphide tarnish, back to silver.

A favorite home treatment is to line a pot with aluminum foil, one of the metals anodic to silver, put your jewelry in, and cover it with water, then add several tablespoons of baking soda. Boil gently until you see that the discoloration is gone. Your jewelry may be completely clean, or may have a white powder on its surface from the oxidization. This can be removed easily with a baking soda paste. Remember to exercise caution in cleaning silver jewelry. If it is not purely silver, like a chain or bracelet, the treatment you use can damage soft stone or pearls.