We all love to talk about jewelry, right? Also, buying jewelry can be a daunting task, but with the correct information, you can make it much more manageable and fun. When speaking to a jewelry specialist, some commonly asked questions about jewelry one usually come across include what is the best way, what materials are used in jewelry, how do I know if a piece of jewelry is authentic, and so on. Here we discuss the questions you may have regarding jewelry terms that will help you make an informed purchase and talk like a pro!
# 01. What is handmade jewelry?
Handmade Jewelry is when the piece is made by hand without machine molds or casting. Wait, what? Yes, when the piece of jewelry is one where all materials are shaped, formed, and assembled manually – even the machine-powered cutters, drills, and lathes, if used, are operated manually. Handmade requires highly skilled labor. That’s why it is the benchmark for craftsmanship in fine jewelry.
# 02. What is the difference between karat and carat?
You will likely confuse the terms Carat and Karat or ctw and K!
Karat indicates gold purity. In most countries, it is standard practice to stamp gold jewelry with markings, for example, 14K or 18K. Pure Gold is 24K with K, which means there are no other materials mixed with the gold. So what does 14K means? It means 14 units of pure gold mixed with 10 units of other metal, in other words, 58% is gold and 42% other metals, such as copper, silver etc. The other metals are alloys added to gold to control fine jewelry’s durability, color, and cost.
Carat is a weight unit that measures diamonds and other precious gemstones. Specifically speaking, the carat is equal to 1/5th of a gram. A carat is made of 100 units known as points. A decimal point indicates a gemstone that weighs less than 1 carat. For example, a half-carat stone is .50 ctw! Do you remember the article about the biggest diamonds? If not, here’s the link. One example, the Cullinan, the largest gem-quality diamond ever found weighing 3,106.7 carats can be converted for 621.35 grams, 21.9 ounces or 1.37 pounds.
# 03. What do markings on gold jewelry indicate?
When examining your jewelry, you will come across two dominant standards. The United States and Canada follow the Karat (K) system. The other method – the Decimal system, is used in other parts of the world.
The Karat standard is based on pure gold being equal to 24K. When you see a 10K marking, it means 10 parts of pure gold have been melted with 14 parts of other alloys, thereto 10K marking is 42% pure gold and 58% of other metals. Similarly, 18K is 75% pure gold, 22K is 92% pure gold, and 24K is 100% pure gold.
# 04. What is a cluster setting?
Cluster setting is the jeweler or the jewelry designer set a number of small stones close together in any shape that can mimic a cut and gives the feeling of a single stone with a bigger carat weight, but is less expensive. The stones are held in place by metal prongs that extend from the base of the setting and curve around the stones.
# 05. What is a head or crown?
In jewelry, the head refers to the prong system or carriage supporting a gemstone. A head is a separate component in jewelry, welded or soldered to a piece of jewelry to keep a gemstone — for example, a four or 6-prong carriage where a diamond sits in an engagement ring. For example, many solitaires use a 4 prong system, but in Sophia Fiori Venus, you have only three prongs that gives the elegance and illusion the stone is floating around the ring.
Click to know more about GOLD, and why it is the preferred metal for making jewelry.
What do you want to know about jewelry?
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