J A Jewelers & Co.

Your Refresher Course on Diamonds: The Famous 4Cs

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:06:43 +0000

Carat – The measurement of a diamond’s weight, this word is derived from the carob seeds that were used to balance scales in ancient times. For jewelry purposes, carats are further divided into points, a one-carat stone equaling 100 [...]

Your Jewelry Box May Be Filled With Hidden Treasures

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:06:08 +0000

The best thing about fine jewelry – aside from its beauty – is that it can be recycled, restyled and redesigned to produce a piece that will give you years of wearing pleasure.

Gold and platinum can be melted [...]

Why Cut Is the Most Important Of the 4Cs

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:05:31 +0000

The Human Touch Cut is really the only quality of a diamond that is controlled by a human, in this case, the gem cutter. His job is to take a rough diamond and transform it into a sparkling gem. [...]

When Gold Is Not Gold

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:04:56 +0000

But here’s an important fact to know about the gold used in fine jewelry. Gold doesn’t have to be yellow. “Real” gold comes in myriad colors. By mixing other metals to yellow gold in varying percentages and combinations, jewelers [...]

When a Sale Is Not a Sale

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:04:17 +0000

When you see a deep discount advertised, ask yourself, “Fifty percent off what?” Was the piece ever sold at the original, higher price? For how long was it selling at the higher price? And how many pieces were sold [...]

What You Need to Know About The ‘Ideal’ Cut

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:03:41 +0000

Difference Between Cut and Shape Ideal cutting is not to be confused with the shape of a diamond. Cut refers to the arrangement of a diamond’s facets. A diamond that’s ideal cut is one that has been cut according [...]

What You Need to Know About Platinum, White Gold and Sterling Silver

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:03:02 +0000

Low-Cost Option Silver is the least expensive of the three and a good choice for casual jewelry and large pieces – a cuff bracelet or a strand of silver beads, for example. Silver shines brightly when new, but equally [...]

What You Need to Know About Metal Content and Trademarks

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:02:21 +0000

What Karatage Means? For example, when buying gold jewelry, look for 14k, 18k or 22k markings on every piece. Most gold sold in the U.S. is 14-karat, meaning 14/24ths gold, or 565. Eighteen-karat gold, a standard in Europe, is [...]

What You Need To Know About How White Gold Is Created

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:01:47 +0000

Why It’s Popular Right now, white gold is very popular in bridal jewelry, as well as fashion jewelry featuring diamonds and pearls. This is because the white of the metal enhances the white of the gemstones. But it doesn’t [...]

What You Need to Know About How Gold Prices Are Determined

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 20:01:10 +0000

Off the Gold Standard Up until 1968, the U.S. dollar literally represented a fixed amount of gold. For every dollar in circulation, the U.S. government had gold to back it up somewhere in its vaults. Dollars held in foreign [...]