Amethyst jewelry should be stored out of direct sunlight. Why? Believe it or not, this beautiful gemstone can actually fade if exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Therefore, it’s advisable that you store your amethyst jewelry in a gift box, jewelry case or other dark space in order to help retain its vibrant coloration.

When cleaning gemstone jewelry, consider a homemade remedy to help keep your accessories shining. A combination of soap and water can cleanse most gemstones safely, and may be less harsh than commercial jewelry cleaners. As you clean your gemstone jewelry, pay close attention to the utensil(s) that you choose. Avoid any brush or other product that features bristles, which may scratch the surface of your gemstone. Instead, use a soft cloth that has no rough areas which could potentially damage the stone.

Before using any type of commercial jewelry cleaning product, always pay close attention to the directions. The reason is because not all cleaners are safe for all gemstones and, in order to maintain the beauty of your jewelry, it’s important to carefully read the instructions. Whether you are removing tarnish from your sterling silver gemstone jewelry or simply adding a little shine to your collection, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and consider alternative methods for cleaning your jewelry if necessary.

When storing gemstone jewelry, make sure to place it in such a way that it will not easily come into contact with other pieces from your collection. Why? If your jewelry were to get tumbled around, the gemstones could be scratched or even broken. Many natural gemstones are durable, but they can still be scratched and even damaged if not properly cared for. If you want to ensure the protection of your jewelry, store each piece in a small zip-tight jewelry bag when it is not being worn. If you are a wearer of sterling silver, this storage method will also help to slow the tarnishing process.

Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. A freshwater pearl necklace and earring set offer graphic timeless elegance you can enjoy for a life time. This triple cluster drop freshwater pearl necklace will bring out the beauty in any complexion. Acquire a freshwater pearl necklace at discount price does not mean that you sacrifice the quality. Feminine and sexy, this sweet freshwater petal pearl necklace is sure to become a favorite among many women.

Freshwater cultured pearl necklace wrap any women in layers of love. This sophisticated freshwater cultured pearl necklace makes a stylish, personal statement. Golden South Sea cultured pearls have a rich golden shine. A question many people ask today if a particular strand of pearls should be made up of fresh water or cultured pearls.

Quality of blue pearl depends on three important aspects. After you have decided the type, color, size and quality of pearls, think about your budget. So, how do you go about being sure you are getting the best quality for the best price for that pearl necklace. You want, of course, to buy the best possible quality present for the lowest possible price f. High-quality pearls larger than 9 mm are scarce and very expensive. Luster shows the quality of a pearl necklace.

A pearl necklace is the quintessential piece of jewelry to lend style and class to your fashion wardrobe. This freshwater cultured pearl necklace is silky smooth and feminine. When purchasing a pearl necklace is anything but ordinary. The most traditional and classic shape for pearl jewelry is the white round pearl.

Gold: The most malleable and ductile of the precious metals, gold can be readily flattened into thin sheets and stretched into thin wire, which makes it a versatile and popular choice for jewelry creation. Gold is often alloyed with other metals for cost reduction and to increase the strength of the final product. In pure form, gold is measured in troy weight, but as an alloy with other metals its weight is measured in karats. For gold, the karat weight specifies the amount of pure gold present, with 24 karat being pure gold and smaller karat weights designating lower percentages of gold and higher proportions of other metals.

Silver: Second to gold in malleability and ductility, silver is anther precious metal popular for use in jewelry. Silver is also commonly alloyed with other metals to create jewelry, with the popular sterling silver consisting of a combination of 92.5 percent silver with a relatively small 7.5 percent of another metal, typically copper. Being a superior conductor of heat and electricity, silver has numerous applications beyond jewelry making, such as coins, dentistry tools, silverware, film and electronics.

Platinum: Rarer than silver and gold, platinum is a durable precious metal common for eternity rings, engagement rings and wedding bands due to its resilience even with constant use. Iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium are other precious metals in the Platinum Group of Metals, which occur together naturally. Palladium is the metal often mixed with yellow gold to make white gold, and rodium is used extensively to plate white gold to give it that extra white brightness. The metals in the Platinum Group of Metals are resilient, tarnish resistant and stable, making them popular for use not only in jewelry but also in numerous industrial processes such as crude oil refining and automobile manufacturing.

Color

These six factors largely contribute to the value of your jewelry. The color of your pearl can be white, pink, cream, or golden. The most expensive pearls of the highest quality tend to be softer in hue and more radiant. One of the highest quality pearls are the Akoya Saltwater pearls.

Size

When we refer to the size of your pearl , we’re generally referring to the size of the jewelry. If for instance, you chose a pearl necklace as your wedding jewelry, the largest pearl usually hangs at the center of your neck. The pearls then become gradually smaller as they approach the clasp of your necklace. Nevertheless, there are different sizes of pearls themselves. Larger pearls make a very dramatic impression on bides, and they’re generally more costly.

Luster

A pearl’s luster can reflect a radiant shine and display a deeper reflected light from the inner pear. This outward display of light is referred to as the overtone. Although a lower quality pearl will have a duller sheen, this type of pearl might be perfect if you only intend to wear it once in your life.

Shape

Peals of the highest quality are always perfectly round and rarely have any surface imperfections. Lower quality pearls are rarely ever perfectly round, and often show some surface imperfections, including pitting.

Surface Texture

Which brings us to the surface texture of a pearl. The quality of your pearl will be easy to identify by the surface texture. Feel the pearl itself. If it’s smooth without surface abrasions, than it’s most likely of the highest quality. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford high quality pearls-which leaves a skimpy selection. Lower quality pearls tend to appear low-quality, especially if they have flaws to their surface.

Here are several different types of pearls to examine. The four popular types of pearls are as follows:

* Classic Akoya Pearls
* Large Exotic Black Tahitian Pearls
* Large Golden or White South Sea Pearls
* Decorative Freshwater Pearls

If you’re on budget, but you’re dying to have pearls draped around your neck for the special day-select decorative freshwater pearls. They’re very inexpensive and they will make a gorgeous accessory to your wedding gown. As long as someone in your family isn’t a jeweler, nobody will know they’re not high-quality pearls.

On the other hand, if you have you heart set on high quality blemish-free pearls, than shop around! Don’t commit to one person before you explore your options. Choosing a store that offers a certificate with your pearls, and if possible-a warranty.

The very first thing you’ll want to consider in your quest for finding beautiful jewelry for your bridal party is whether or not the pieces will be given solely as a token of your appreciation, or if you expect the attendants to wear their gifts for the ceremony. If you’ll want all of the pieces worn during the wedding and reception, then you’ll want to ensure they’ll match or complement the overall theme or formality of the event as well as the dresses you’ve chosen.

As the bride, you’ll also have to decide if you want each of the attendants pieces to match exactly, or if you’d rather coordinating pieces but each with subtle differences that make them uniquely their own. A perfect example of unique but matching jewelry for the bridal party would be crystal necklaces in different but complementary colors, or necklaces of all the same crystal but in a different design, or pearls of varying sizes and designs. Cultured pearls will always be a timeless choice for wedding jewelry that exude a sense of classiness as well as romance.

Another good choice for your bridal attendant’s jewelry is white or clear cubic zirconium (CZ) as it offers all of the sparkle and glamour of diamonds, but without the hefty price tag to match. And, gold and sterling silver will both always work well with any colors, style, or theme of wedding. If your wedding colors are burgundy or red, you may want to consider choosing gems such as garnets or rubies or reddish Swarovski crystals, or if peach and beige are dominant in your color scheme, choose opals, clear crystals, or any gem with a neutral, understated hue.

Yet another option to consider when choosing jewelry for your bridal party is to select pieces that everyone will be able to wear again for other occasions, unless they’re intended to be held onto as keepsakes after the wedding, of course. Necklaces are always a good choice for bridal party jewelry as the varying lengths available will fit everyone and regardless of hair length or styles, the necklace will be easy to see during the wedding, but do keep in mind the neckline of the gowns you and your bridesmaids will be wearing.

In a word, when choosing earrings be sure to find out in advance who has pierced ears and who will need the clip-on style. In essence, the jewelry you choose for your bridal party should match your own sense of style as well as the formality of the ceremony, and also complement the attendant’s attire.

When buying diamonds, make sure you buy the best quality diamond that is within your budget. Do not buy a diamond just because it has been “discounted”or the diamond dealer is offering a “special price”. These “sale” prices and deals are nothing more than marketing hype and will not result in any real savings to the price of a diamond. The price of diamonds is controlled by international market conditions and the availability. Unlike other jewellery items, diamonds do not go on sale because they do not have huge profit margins or over inflated prices.

Do not confuse a diamonds carat weight with the size of a diamond. Two diamonds that have the same carat weight could have very different diameter measurements and appearance in actual size. A poorly cut 1.00ct diamond may look like a 0.75ct diamond from the top because they have the same diameter measurements even though their carat weights are different.

Diamonds are sold by their carat weight. A diamond cutter always tries to retain as much carat weight and as few inclusions when cutting a diamond. Sometimes the cut of a diamond might be sacrificed in order to produce a diamond with a higher carat weight. Diamonds that have a higher cut quality – excellent, ideal and very good cut diamonds – will sparkle with far more brilliance and fire than poorly cut diamonds which have a lower cut grade.

The value of a diamond is determined by its exact quality as defined by the 4C’s: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat-Weight. It is the sparkle or brilliance that gives a diamond its unique quality. Many people become overwhelmed when they start searching for a diamond. It seems that the fear of either buying a diamond that is not very good quality or paying too much can cause people to go on a quest to become a diamond expert overnight. Getting knowledge and educated about diamonds and the 4C’s – Cut, Colour, Clarity & Carat Weight – is a big first step towards buying the right diamond.

Before you start diamond shopping, it is best to have an understanding of what you are buying and the process behind buying a diamond. Today on the internet there is no shortage of information available, especially when it comes to learning about diamonds. Here are a few important steps when embarking on the purchase of a diamond -

Gain a basic understanding of the qualities of a fine diamond.

Learn about diamonds, do your homework before you start looking. There are many good websites that offer comprehensive Diamond Education sections where you are able to learn about diamonds and The 4C’s – cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. These are the criteria that diamonds are graded and valued upon.

Set a personal budget.

This will dictate a lot of the parameters for the diamond you are searching for. Then obtain a realistic idea of what diamonds cost and the various diamond prices. Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds are the most popular shape of diamond for engagement rings however they also are higher priced than a fancy shape diamond. Setting a personal budget will save you a lot of time and it will help you to not over extend yourself financially.

Decide on the diamond specifications.

What shape of Diamond do you prefer? Remember that diamonds are cut in many different shapes besides Round Brilliant and Princess Cuts. Fancy Shape diamonds such as Asscher, Cushion, Emerald, Oval, Pear, Marquise, Trilliant and Radiant Cut Diamonds all make unique engagement rings and create beautiful jewellery when set in individual designs. Once you have decided on the shape of the diamond you wish to buy then start deciding on your other preferences such as the carat size, the diamond colour, the diamond purity and the diamond cut quality.

Insist on a Diamond Certificate.

A diamond certificate or diamond grading report documents the complete quality and description of the diamond, it includes information on shape, carat weight, clarity, fluorescence, colour grade, measurements, proportions and finish grade. A diamond certificate also confirms that the diamond is natural and is not synthetic or man-made. Diamond Grading Laboratories such as GIA, AGS, HRD & DCLA are all internationally recognised and compliant grading laboratories.

View the diamond in person where possible.

Compare the quality of the diamond next to other diamonds before you purchase. Cut is the only factor that man can control. Cut refers not only to the shape and style of the diamond, but its proportions, symmetry, and finish or “make”. Cut determines the brilliance and fire of the diamond and is actually one of the most important aspects to consider when choosing your diamond.

When you search for the right diamond the task can at times be daunting and very confusing. Just comparing diamonds on price alone is not nearly good enough, you need to be able to compare the diamonds next to each other to see which diamond is the better quality and appeals to you the most.