Jewelry 101
Most of the information you might be looking for may be available under our FAQ and Product Care pages as well.
Regardless, we will regularly add information to this page to provide useful information about jewelry to make sure you are always treating yourself with the best quality that is out there and you know precisely what you are paying for. It is important for us to make you a part of this great journey and discovery of materials mother earth blesses us with!
What is the difference between 14k and 18k gold?
Karat is a term used to indicate gold purity. Pure gold is 24 karat. The legal standard is to stamp gold jewelry with markings such as 8K, 14K and 18K. The Karat stamp indicates the purity of the metal. The number preceding the K marking indicates how many parts out of 24 are pure gold. The alloys mixed with gold are added to control durability, color and the cost of fine jewelry.
If you desire strong yellow color from your jewelry, 18 karat gold will give you the richest yellow appearance. The disadvantage to 18K is that it is not as durable or cost efficient as 14K. Opinions vary about the most desirable karat from culture to culture. In America 14K has become the most popular gold used in jewelry today due to its cost and durability.
14 karat gold is 58.3% gold. The remaining 41.7% consists of alloys such as copper and silver. In western culture jewelry made from 10K has become synonymous with discount and lower end jewelry and is often brittle and difficult to repair. 18 karat gold is 75% pure gold and 25% alloy. What makes 18K gold popular among jewelers is that it possesses a richer gold color than 14 karat gold because of higher gold content but is hard enough to hold gemstones in tiny “high-rise” prongs.
When you buy a gold jewelry all parts of that jewelry is at the same level of gold. For example, if a piece is 14k gold then the back of an earring or the clasp of a chain are also 14k gold.
What is Carat in diamonds?
1 Carat Diamond simply refers to the weight of the diamond. 1 Carat equals 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. To put it in perspective, a 1 Carat Diamond weighs roughly the same as a quarter of a raisin. All diamonds are priced per carat. For example, a 0.50 carat diamond may have a price of $1,400 per carat.
What do letters mean in diamond clarity?
GIA’s color-grading scale for diamonds is the industry standard. The scale begins with the letter D, representing colorless, and continues with increasing presence of color to the letter Z, or light yellow or brown. Each letter grade has a clearly defined range of color appearance. Diamonds are color-graded by comparing them to stones of known color under controlled lighting and precise viewing conditions. Read more on GIA website.
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