Education
Metal Purity
Understanding the purity marks on jewelry: You may have seen markings such as 14k on the inside of a ring or bracelet but what does this mean? Markings on gold jewelry such as 10k 14k 18k and 24k dictate the percentage of gold the item contains. You can calculate how much gold is in your item by taking the stamped mark (ie. 14k) and dividing that number by 24 (.999 pure gold). In this example 14/24 is .5833 or 58.33% gold by weight. These purity marks are similar for Silver and Platinum which range to 1000. Sterling silver jewelry will be marked 925 or 925/1000 which is 92.5% silver.
Diamonds
Diamonds are graded based off the 4 C's (color, cut, carat, clarity). Diamond color grading ranges from D, totaly colorless, up through Z, which are yellow or brown. Most people consider Diamonds to be in the "White" range when they grade D through I, and very lightly tinted when grading J through L. Of course, the more colorless the diamond, the more valuable it is. The diamond's cut is also important when considering your stone. Less desirerable shapes and poorly cut stones are less valuable. Diamonds and most other gemstones are scaled by the carat size which is the weight of the stone, in general, more weight equals larger stone. The clarity grade of a Diamond is determined by the amount of inclusions or imperfections visible within the stone under 10x magnification. These imperfections appear naturally as the diamond forms and can be white/clear or dark in color.
Diamond Color Scale
Diamond Clarity Scale
Colored Gemstones
Colored gemstones such as Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds etc are graded similarly to diamonds. The clairty and color of the stone not only determines what the price may be, but also what the stone may be. Most colored gemstones will form inclusions as they develop naturally within the ground. Some gemstones are more clear than others such as a Topaz which is considered to have a higher clarity compared to a Ruby which typically has trace inclusions within the stone. Colored gemstones fall into two broad categories being precious and semi-precious.
Synthetic Gemstones
Not to be confused with substitute gemstones, synthetic/simulated gemstones are man made copies of natural stones and typically hold very little to no value. There are several common ways to spot a synthetic gemstone. Synthetic stones are typically more vibrant and have a higher clarity than their natural counterparts. Synthetic stones may have air bubbles within the stone itself due to the process of creation. While natural gemstones can appear in a variety of colors and shades, synthetic stones usually have an unnatural shade and glow. Synthetic stones can be made from a range of materials such as glass and plastic, some may be hollow and others solid.