You are here: Home / Archives for Carats

The Best of Both Worlds: Gold Gemstone Jewelry

March 25, 2009 By 5 Comments
Gemstone Handmade Jewelry by John S. Brana

Amber and Crystal Beaded Gemstone Necklace by John S. Brana Handmade Jewelry

If you are looking for sheer elegance and class, nothing beats gold gemstone jewelry. These pieces combine the simple glamor of gold with distinctive gemstones that reflect the personality and style of the wearer. When buying this type of jewelry, there are several things you need to pay attention to.

The quality of the gold that makes up any kind of gold gemstone jewelry is essential. Of course, you want the highest quality gold, which is measured in karats. No piece of jewelry will ever be made with 24k gold, so beware any jeweler who tries to sell you “24k gold”. This type of gold is too pure and too malleable to be worked into jewelry, and quite frankly, is too expensive. Only a king or queen would ever have anything made from 24k gold!

Most quality gold used in jewelry ranges from 10k to 22k. The higher the rating, the higher the price. It is typical for most jewelry to be made from 14k gold, although 18k is preferred by most quality jewelers.

Gemstones have their own rating system. Diamonds are also measured in carats (with a “c” instead of a “k”), and the higher the rating, the higher the price. Diamonds fall under the category of “precious stones”, along with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. A lot of gemstone jewelry, however, is made from semi-precious stones which are not as expensive, but can be equally beautiful and unique.

Gold gemstone jewelry made from semi-precious gemstones such as jade, lapis, onyx, turquoise, opals, and amber can be as beautiful as any piece including diamonds or sapphires. The quality of the gold, the uniqueness of the gemstone, and the exemplary craftsmanship of a master jeweler can make this type of jewelry worth wearing for a lifetime and handing down to your children.

Click Here To Find Gold Gemstone Jewelry

Recommended Reading

Filed Under: Gemstones, Gold Jewelry Tagged With: 14K Gold Jewelry, 18K Gold Jewelry, Best Of Both Worlds, Carats, craftsmanship, Emeralds, Fine Gemstone Jewelry, Gemstone Jewelry, Glamor, Gold Gemstone Jewelry, Gold Jewelry, Handcrafted Silver Jewelry, Handmade Gemstone Jewelry, Handmade Sterling Silver Jewelry, Jade, Jewelers, Jewelry Ranges, Master Jeweler, Opals, Price Diamonds, Quality Gold, Quality Jewelers, rubies, Semi Precious Gemstones, Semi Precious Stones, Sheer Elegance, Uniqueness, Worlds Gold

Luxury Jewelry – Gold – Diamond – Carat or Karat?

February 22, 2009 By 8 Comments

2779650139_7d24ec6623Go back in time, up until about the late 1860s, and you’ll find that men adorned their bodies much as women did, with ornate and sumptuous bracelets, necklaces and rings. It’s only been for the last hundred years that the standard for men changed to wearing very staid ornamentation, if any, and going about in grey business suits, like regimented soldiers of commerce.

But now the tide has clearly turned in a new direction, with men reclaiming their right to jewelry. (Not to mention the new trend of body piercings which does not seem to have played itself out yet.)

So when it comes to jewelry gold diamond…well, let me rephrase that…. when it comes to gold and diamond jewelry, there are many designers these days who are producing really excellent work, and there are many clients who are reaping the benefits of that work!

Precious metals and precious stones have always formed the basis of jewelry, since time immemorial. Jewelry gold diamond… sapphires, rubies….silver….. those words even look beautiful, don’t they? Let alone….gazing at the real thing.

Gold is actually a pretty soft metal…you would not want a ring made out of pure gold because it would bend very easily. Therefore, 24 karat gold (pure gold) is used for collectible gold bullion, which sits in a vault and rarely gets handled.  Gold destined for jewelry has another metal mixed into it, typically brass (copper and zinc),  in certain percentages, so that such jewelry is usually 22k, 18k, 14k, or 10k.

Diamonds are another interesting substance.  Just like gold, diamonds are measured in carats.  The word "carat" is derived from the word "carob," a Mediterranean seed that played an important role in trade centuries ago, since they had a very uniform size and weight.  The seeds were used to balance a scale when weighing precious gemstones, so as a matter of fact, all gemstones are measured in carats.

When first excavated from the ground, they look just like rocks. It’s only when they are "cut" in certain designs that they glitter and look like the diamonds we’ve come to know.

The old cuts are:

Point cut
Table cut
Old Single cut
Mazarin cut
Peruzzi cut
Old European cut

Today, the cut most often used is just called the "brilliant."  Understanding the history of carat /karat weights and how they apply to jewelry can help you select the perfect accessory within your budget and style preferences without being fooled by numerical values.

 

Click Here For More On Jewelry Gold Diamond

Recommended Reading

Filed Under: Gold Jewelry Tagged With: Beaded Jewelry Designer, Body Piercings, Brass Copper, Bullion, Business Suits, Carats, Carob, Designer Handmade Jewelry, Diamond Carat, Diamond Jewelry, Fine Jewelry Silver, Gold Bullion, Gold Diamond, Gold Diamonds, Gold Jewelry, Jewelry Gold, Jewelry Gold Diamond, Luxury Jewelry, Men'S Silver Jewelry, New Trend, Ornamentation, precious gemstones, precious metals, precious stones, Pure Gold, rubies, Silver Jewelry Designs, Single Cut, Uniform Size

Aquamarine – March’s Birthstone

March 19, 2007 By 3 Comments

Hammered Fine Silver Earrings with Aquamarine

Hammered Fine Silver Necklace with Aquamarine

Aquamarine means “sea water” in Latin, alluding to its color. Most natural colored aquamarine is a light blue-green or even light green variety of beryl. Prior to the 1900’s this was the preferred color for aquamarine. Today, aquamarine is routinely heat-treated to remove the green component, thereby producing a permanently colored blue stone. Quite large stones, ranging from several carats to more than ten carats are relatively common.

The most common cut is the emerald type, although mixed oval or pear-shaped cuts are no infrequent. The more intense the blue color, the more valuable the stone. Under magnification, aquamarines usually have a high transparency and clarity. They are also very durable and their color is evenly distributed. Most aquamarine comes from Brazil, where crystals weighing several kilos have been found. Other deposits include Russia, Madagascar, India, Ireland, the United States, and recently Afghanistan.

Aquamarine is commonly believed to be the stone of courage and its calming energies are said to reduce stress and quiet the mind. In ancient times, aquamarine was believed to counteract the forces of darkness and procure favor from the spirits of light. I was commonly carried by sailors as a talisman against drowning.

The above set of earrings, bracelet, and necklace features faceted aquamarine and amazonite nuggets on hammered fine silver and can be found in my SoMa Collection along with many other selections in hammered fine silver, copper, 14K Gold Filled, 14K, and 18K Gold.

Recommended Reading

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Aquamarine., Carats, Clarity, Courage, Crystals, Darkness, Earrings, Green Variety Of Beryl, Magnification, March Birthstone, Nuggets, Pear, Preferred Color, Sailors, Sea Water, silver copper, soma, Spirits, Talisman, Transparency