tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72815391624779203292024-03-14T04:42:56.577-07:00Ex Aurum JewelryEx Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-39127868596161659802014-07-01T07:10:00.000-07:002014-07-01T07:10:31.248-07:00All about Pearls<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Freshwater Cultured Pearls<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Freshwater
pearls are cultured in mussels. These
pearls are generally inexpensive and can produce as many as 50 pearls at a time
and normally take less than a year to grow.
When harvested the mussel can be impregnated over and over again making
them very cost efficient compared to saltwater cultured pearls where the
mollusk dies when harvested. The term “Chinese Pearl” often has a negative
connotation, since they can be very inexpensive and of cheap quality. However,
modern techniques in cultivation is yielding perfectly round pearls with a
luster </span><span style="line-height: 14.266666412353516px;">rivaling</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> that of top quality Tahitian and South Sea Pearls. Freshwater
pearls are evaluated following the same criteria as other cultured pearls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Shape:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Value
depends on how round it is. Although most Freshwater pearls are irregular in
shape, the round ones are priced higher than oval or flat pearls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Smoothness:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Smooth
freshwater pearls are more valuable than those with bumpy or wrinkled surfaces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Color:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Freshwater
pearls come in every color and most of the white pearls 90% are bleached. Also
it is important to note that most colored freshwater pearls are dyed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nacre Thickness:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nacre
thickness is important in both freshwater and saltwater pearls. Nacre thickness
is generally high in freshwater pearls as they do not
have a bead nucleus. But the thickness
is still far lower than that of saltwater pearls and is therefore priced much
lower.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saltwater Cultured Pearls:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There three
types of saltwater pearls are as follows: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Akoya:</span></u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> was the first pearls to be
cultivated in Japan and were mostly white or cream in color. The Akoya oyster is generally small so it does not
produce a pearl larger than 9mm. Akoya
pearls are considered to <u>be one step above freshwater in quality.<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tahitian
Pearls</span></u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">: only on the
market since the 1970’s these expensive and huge pearls appear in dramatic
shades of eggplant purple, peacock green and a large variety of greys, blacks
and grey blue. Native to French
Polynesia the warm nutrient rich waters of this area yield pearls 9mm up to a
whopping 20mm in diameter. With its wide range of color these pearls are a
favorite with jewelry designers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">South Sea
Pearls</span></u><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> are grown in
the warm waters of Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. This
is where you will find the huge oyster, Pinctada Maxima which occur in two
varieties, the silver lip which yields pearls of white, silver and slightly
pinkish color and the golden lip type that yields pearls in a variety of yellow
and golds. South Sea Pearls are the
biggest pearls in today’s market and have the thickest nacre of all the
varieties. Although they keep their
luster for years they are very costly to produce and are therefore, more
expensive due to their on average two year growing period before they can be
harvested. The average size of these pearls are 9-20mm with average size being
13mm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-77984325117033480502013-10-30T11:31:00.003-07:002013-10-30T11:31:42.057-07:00Things to know when buying a cushion cut diamond
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cushion Cut Diamonds<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cushion modified brilliant cut. The cushion cut, also known
as the pillow cut, is probably the oldest shapes that are still popular at
present times. Cushions have distinguishable curved corners and are pillow-like
in shape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Throughout the history of the diamond industry, we had seen
trends that were constantly changing and cutting styles that had continuously
evolved. Fashion trends seem to take up cyclic patterns and interestingly, we
see the same scenarios happening with diamond cuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Did you know that cushion cut diamonds actually went
“out-of-fashion” in the last century? It was only in recent times where retro
and antique cuts came back in vogue. From old European cuts to old miner cuts,
these long forgotten vintage designs are finding their way back into the
mainstream market in the 21st century.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With its history of centuries, the cushion cut is ubiquitous
when you take a look at the different royal family jewels. Also, if you take a
look at a list of the most renowned or the biggest cut gemstones, you will see
that the cushion cut is surprisingly well represented.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Cushion Shaped Diamonds in the Modern
Market<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Modern Style
Cushion – Present Day<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nowadays, the cushion cut is just re-living its renaissance.
Due to appearances amongst the Hollywood celebrities, it has regained much of
its long-lost popularity. In the past, antique cushions are known for their
steeper crowns, smaller tables, and larger culets. Even though they are not as
fiery or brilliant as the modern round brilliants, it has a romantic and
classic appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Modern cushions typically have small or no culets at all
because most consumers want an appearance associated with round brilliants.
Instead of the broad chunky facets patterning seen in older cutting styles, modern
cushion cuts also portray an outlook that is made of smaller individual facets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What Should You Keep in Mind About
Diamond Acquisition in General?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.) Make sure that your diamond has a certificate from one
of the renowned institutes like GIA or AGS. I highly recommend that you do not
get a cushion cut with a clarity rating that is lower than SI1. Like the
emerald shape, cushions have a tendency to show off their flaws as they are
often cut with a large table facet. (table %)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.) Due to lower brilliance and scintillation, cushions tend
to “show off” their body color as compared to the rounds. If you are sensitive
to seeing color in your diamond, I suggest you get a stone with a minimum of G
color so that the stone will face up white.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.) If possible, try to look at the diamond before laying
your money down. And if you are looking at it, make sure that there is a
jeweler’s loupe between the diamond and your eyes. Or better still; get high
resolution videos/photos so that you can cross-examine the stone with ease. The
important point here is to inspect the diamond under magnification.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Did you know that there are predominantly 2 types of cushion
facet structures? These 2 types of cushion faceting patterns display pin fire
and broad fire styles of optical characteristic. To find out more about the
differences between them read on…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Should I Choose a Broad Flash or
Pinfire (crushed ice) Cushion Diamond?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cushion cut diamonds resemble the shape of those typical
pillows found in every living room – and no, they are not soft and fluffy.
Since the 19th century, the cushion (candlelight) cut had seen several major
developments to improve its light dispersion and brilliance. This was largely
due to better understanding of cut mechanics and the invention of better cleaving
processes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking a little more technically, we could say that the
modern cushion cut is a transition and hybrid between the Old Miner and the
round brilliant cut. However, you must pay attention to what you understand by
“transition”. You should not imagine them as the accurate average between them
as there exists a wide range of cushions with different flavors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let us take a closer look at how the light reflecting
properties can yield entirely different looking diamonds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two Types of Modern Cushion Cut
Diamonds<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While the modern day cushion cut may not be as fiery or
brilliant as the round brilliant cut diamond with its 57-58 facets, the curved corners bring about a
romantic and classical appeal. In present day, there are many variations of the
cutting style and the placement of additional pavilion facets can alter the
diamond’s appearance significantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Broader Flash Or Pinfire Scintillation
Characteristics?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The main difference between these two types can be
originated from the differing size of the facets. A number of large facets
yield a broader flash of fire – on the other hand, tinier facets yield smaller
bursts of fire. To illustrate the idea between these two basic types, let us
fantasize a little and apply imaginary alternatives to these cut types.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let us create our analogies using the semantic field of
fire. A broader flash diamond can be associated with the huge smooth flames of
camp fires. On the other hand, pinfire stones could be associated with the
number of sparklers put close together. Both sources of light emit light, the
difference lies mainly in the size of the chunks – or quanta, if we want to use
scientific lingo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cushion Modified Brilliant DOES NOT Equal Crushed Ice Look<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many people automatically assume that broad flash diamonds
belong to the Cushion Brilliant categorization whereas the “crushed ice”
appearance belongs to the Cushion Modified Brilliant categorization. This isn’t
true. GIA reports indicate modified brilliants as diamonds with different
faceting structures. This is usually due to the placement of <u><strong>additional facets
on the pavilion side of the stone.<o:p></o:p></strong></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is important to note that a diamond labeled as a Modified
Brilliant may not necessarily result in a diamond with a “crushed ice” look.
You would need to view the diamond (at least with a picture or video to
determine its characteristics<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='width:420.2pt;height:119.8pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Maureen\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"
o:title=""/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How to Make the Choice Between the
Two Types?<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My personal opinion is that broader flash diamonds have a
much more elegant, laid back feeling to them. On the other hand, pinfire
diamonds are much closer to the common stereotype of the ever-sparkling
diamond. Both of them can convey elegance and power in a different way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my experience, well cut broad flash cushions tend to have
better fire and dispersion than the crushed ice types. On the other hand, well
cut crushed ice cushions tend to exhibit better brilliance when compared the
chunky cushions. There isn’t any right or wrong choices here as it is up to
your individual preference on which kind of look you prefer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-46646331550240870802013-08-15T10:49:00.002-07:002013-08-22T11:09:14.667-07:00The Hottest Bridal Trends for 2013<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2013 is the year for something bold, something old, and often
colorful when it comes to engagement ring trends. In response to the wave of
women buying rings with diamond halo surrounds and the trend towards
cushion-cut diamonds, the more adventurous of today’s engagement ring shoppers
have been branching out from these classic, yet commonplace styles to express
their own unique personalities. You’re seeing more and more brides-to-be
wearing rings with colored stones, fancy cuts, different metals, and daring
settings. These unconventional rings have become more distinctive and
decorative than in previous years.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Here’s a look at what has been setting the trend this year:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Unique and Original</b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Modern brides have been turning away from more traditional
rings and asking for styles that better express their own individuality. There
seems to be a backlash against the cookie-cutter styles of the past decade
where many brides could be seen wearing similar rings. Today’s bride and brides-to-be
want rings that are more memorable and uniquely theirs, the answer to this is
the single or double row diamond pave surrounds and single or three sided pave
diamond shanks. Many women have also added a new twist to their ring designs by
replacing the clean gold shank with detailed coils and complex twists that
create the perfect setting for their unique creations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of these rings are fashioned to the bride’s
individual taste and can be easily customized to her unique specifications.
These trends are hugely popular and will continue through 2013-2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Solitaire engagement rings with an elegant and unusual
north-south-east-west setting have been increasingly popular. These rings typically
have a round brilliant cut diamond set onto prongs arranged with a diagonal placement,
which can also give the appearance of a larger stone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Diamond eternity bands are a timeless classic, this popular
wedding ring can be made either as a semi eternity or full eternity and are a
beautiful complement to all engagement rings. Symbolizing the eternal nature of
marriage, many brides want a simple, strong statement of their commitment and
the find it in the eternity band. The eternity band is also a popular wedding
anniversary gift. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Old is New Again</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></o:p><br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The romance of past eras has found its way into the ring
designs of today. The art and style of Victorian and Edwardian England, as well
as the Art Deco “bling” of the Roaring Twenties can be seen in antique-styled
designs made popular by such TV dramas as “Downton Abbey”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">These ring designs embrace the tradition and timeless appeal
of a family heirloom with a nod to the retro-chic flair that appeals to modern
sensibilities. Ornate openwork scrolls, delicate lacy filigree detailing,
floral patterns, and other intricate designs add a romantic aura of chivalrous
love and noble intentions. These rings make a bride feel as if she were taking
part in a classic fairy tale. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Color is All the Rage</b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With such fashion trendsetters like Kate Middleton, Penelope
Cruz and Halle Berry wearing </span><a href="http://exaurum.com/whats-hot/category/18/colored-stones/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=text-link&utm_term=color&utm_campaign=hottest-ring-trends-2013"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">colored gems</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc;">tones
such as ruby, emerald or sapphire</span></u> over the traditional white
diamond, there has been a surge of interest lately in engagement rings with
colored center stones. Diamonds in shades of black, cognac and champagne
browns, and especially the fancy yellows have been the most popular of the
colored diamonds this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shapes, Settings, and
Mixing Metals</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Another trend this year has seen women looking for diamond
cuts that are different than what has been the norm over the past decade.
Cushion, emerald, and princess cuts have been strong sellers though the more
traditional round brilliant cut diamond still outsells all these other shapes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Brides are also getting creative with the settings and metals
used. Where traditionally most rings would be gold or platinum, nowadays you're
seeing many more exotic settings (like Kat Von D's black diamond and skulls
ring). There are also many people who are taking a mixed-metal approach by </span><a href="http://exaurum.com/whats-hot/category/6/stackable-rings/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=text-link&utm_term=stackable&utm_campaign=hottest-ring-trends-2013"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">stacking</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> or twisting white, yellow, and rose
gold into cool, modern statements that really stand out and start
conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="Normal1" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial;">At <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://exaurum.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=text-link&utm_term=visit-us&utm_campaign=hottest-ring-trends-2013"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ex Aurum</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> we are pleased to provide high
quality custom design bridal jewelry at wholesale prices. Our experience and
quality is second to none. Please visit our website or call and make an
appointment to see our fine jewelry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
will be our pleasure to serve you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-30362908577416727232013-04-17T13:16:00.004-07:002013-04-17T13:30:14.839-07:00Phillips Square - The origins of Montreal's Diamond District<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6AnOIU9meUrHh52ETLKz3rgRTNu59AjemQbb7RKRGNNE8frKa" data-sz="f" name="qUftUKPqKonMdM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6AnOIU9meUrHh52ETLKz3rgRTNu59AjemQbb7RKRGNNE8frKa" style="height: 151px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 333px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Phillips Square and architect Claude Cormier</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">Montreal's
Phillips Square is named for Thomas Phillips, a building contractor and city
councillor who bought the land from fur trader Joseph Frobisher. Phillips died
in 1842, and the land the square now sits on was donated by his widow to be
used as a perpetual memorial to her husband.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">In
1842, the square was first laid out in what was at the time a growing wealthy
residential area on the fringe of the city of Montreal. The first merchant to
open a business on Phillips Square was Alfred Joyce, known to be a "high
class caterer and confectioner” and one-time mayor of the town of Outremont who
built an elegant shop on the south side of the square in 1878.</span><span style="color: #092f9d; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">In 1891, Morgan’s department
store, now "The Bay", established itself on the north side of the
square. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">The
head office of Henry Birks and Sons was built soon after on the west side of
the square in 1894. In 1910, another building was built on the square. Now
designated as 620 Cathcart, it was originally named the “New Birks Building”
and was used in part for the growing needs of Henry Birks and Sons. At 130
feet, it was at the maximum height allowed in the city at that time as that was
as high a fire ladder could reach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">The
square features a bronze statue of Britain’s King Edward VII, who ruled from
1901 to 1910. He visited Montreal in 1860, when he was still the Prince of Wales,
to open the Victoria Bridge, named after his mother. The statue was erected in
1914. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">The
Birks Building was constructed at a time when the abutting elite residential
area known as “The Golden Mile” was becoming the hub of the nations wealthiest
families. In fact, 70% of all wealth in Canada was firmly in the hands of this
small group. It was a natural place for merchants like watchmakers,
silversmiths and jewellers to locate their businesses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">By
1923 Birks was the second largest jewellry store in the world; only Tiffany’s
of New York was larger than Birks. A booming mail order business kept the Birks
craftsmen busy, bolstered by American tourists. At that time Canada had no duty
on diamonds, and a set diamond was subject to 45% duty in the US.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">In
more modern times, the jewelry trade has evolved, and is now largely made up of
independent craftsmen. But the legacy of the presence of Henry Birks still
exists in the fact that the bulk of Montreal’s leading edge designers, diamond
dealers and jewellers still ply their trade in the many offices that line the
square.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.0pt;">Ex
Aurum Jewellers is proud to continue this tradition of fine handcrafted
jewelry in Phillips Square. While our clients come from a broader spectrum of
society than the area once catered to, they are still no less important to us. </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: ArialMT;"></span></div>
Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-87466262322448434752013-03-13T13:06:00.003-07:002013-03-13T13:06:51.591-07:00GARNET - THE JANUARY STONE<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There
are many myths and legends surrounding the garnet. One Biblical legend
is that Noah hung this gem on the ark to light his way through the dark
and stormy nights of God's wrath. A Greek myth linked to the garnet is
the story of the young goddess of sunshine, Persephone, who was
abducted by Hades, god of the underworld. Hades eventually released
Persephone, but not before he offered her some pomegranate seeds, which
guaranteed her return to him. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUapewjMx8MCFHJTHsV3eP0XldnRA-QMMx_HXlFMBjS67FJd-97JQph4BIGfKyomC_wsPivWygHGxX_ivwK688j-P9H_VXQ0bVvQ3r0lnWoRdKAwdNHJ5ibBI7Y1nb1Ek6PJsuPIQgpc/s1600/garnet-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUapewjMx8MCFHJTHsV3eP0XldnRA-QMMx_HXlFMBjS67FJd-97JQph4BIGfKyomC_wsPivWygHGxX_ivwK688j-P9H_VXQ0bVvQ3r0lnWoRdKAwdNHJ5ibBI7Y1nb1Ek6PJsuPIQgpc/s200/garnet-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First
mined in Sri Lanka over 2,500 years ago, the garnet is also found in
Africa, Australia, India, Russia, South America; and in the United
States, in Arizona and Idaho. Although most commonly known as a red
gemstone, the garnet comes in a variety of other hues, including muted
yellows, vibrant oranges, rosy pinks, lime greens, and violets—a virtual
bouquet of colors. This diversity is due to unique combinations of
elements within each particular gem, such as iron, calcium, and
manganese. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Archaeologist
findings of primitive style garnet jewelry among the graves of lake
dwellers dates the early use of this gemstone to the Bronze age. But
not all garnet is of gem quality. It is also a very effective abrasive
and is used commercially for grinding and polishing. Garnet coated
sandpaper is one such industrial use. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
garnet continues to be the protective gem of journeyers. A gift of
garnet is thought to be symbolic of love and the desire for a loved
one's safe travel and speedy homecoming. It is January's birthstone,
but far from being only a winter gem, the garnet, with its brilliance
and multitude of colors, is truly one for any season.</span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-10767039823157762312013-01-16T12:40:00.000-08:002013-01-16T12:48:01.676-08:00ALL ABOUT EMERALDS<ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 15px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 468px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 15px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 468px;"></ins></ins><br />
<h2 class="contentheading">
Emerald </h2>
<div class="article-tools clearfix">
<div class="article-meta">
</div>
<div class="buttonheading">
<a href="http://gemstone.org/index.php?option=com_mailto&tmpl=component&link=117005c9d98a397a572d7012a7a90a263d364ff1" title="E-mail"><img alt="E-mail" src="http://gemstone.org/images/M_images/emailButton.png" /></a>
<a href="http://gemstone.org/index.php?view=article&catid=1%3Agem-by-gem&id=84%3Aemerald&tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=&option=com_content&Itemid=14" rel="nofollow" title="Print"><img alt="Print" src="http://gemstone.org/images/M_images/printButton.png" /></a>
<a href="http://gemstone.org/index.php?view=article&catid=1%3Agem-by-gem&id=84%3Aemerald&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=14" rel="nofollow" title="PDF"><img alt="PDF" src="http://gemstone.org/templates/ja_barite_1.5_template/images/pdf_button.png" /></a>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="emerald" border="0" height="267" src="http://gemstone.org/images/stories/gem/Emerald-056.jpg" style="float: right;" title="emerald" width="400" /></span>Emeralds
are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense
and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green.
Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more
valuable than diamonds.<br /><br />The name emerald comes from the Greek
'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green
gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this
magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best
emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone.
However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red
Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited
by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as
'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were
rediscovered in the early 19th century.<br /><br />Written many centuries
ago, the Vedas, the holy scriptures of the Indians, say of the precious
green gems and their healing properties: 'Emeralds promise good luck
...'; and 'The emerald enhances the well-being ...'. So it was no wonder
that the treasure chests of Indian maharajas and maharanis contained
wonderful emeralds. One of the world's largest is the so-called 'Mogul
Emerald'. It dates from 1695, <img alt="emerald" border="0" height="140" src="http://gemstone.org/images/stories/gem/Stones_Emerald.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 8px;" title="emerald" width="140" />weighs
217.80 carats, and is some 10cm tall. One side of it is inscribed with
prayer texts, and engraved on the other there are magnificent floral
ornaments. This legendary emerald was auctioned by Christie's of London
to an unidentified buyer for 2.2m US Dollars on September 28th 2001.<br /><br />Emeralds
have been held in high esteem since ancient times. For that reason,
some of the most famous emeralds are to be seen in museums and
collections. The New York Museum of Natural History, for example, has an
exhibit in which a cup made of pure emerald which belonged to the
Emperor Jehangir is shown next to the 'Patricia', one of the largest
Colombian emerald crystals, which weighs 632 carats. The collection of
the Bank of Bogota includes five valuable emerald crystals with weights
of between 220 and 1796 carats, and splendid emeralds also form part of
the Iranian National Treasury, adorning, for example, the diadem of the
former Empress Farah. The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In
Istanbul's Topkapi Palace there are exhibits with items of jewellery,
writing-implements and daggers, each lavishly adorned with emeralds and
other gems.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The green of life and of love</b></span><br />The
green of the emerald is the colour of life and of the springtime, which
comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the
colour of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the
colour of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this colour
still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green,
for example, is the holy colour of Islam. Many of the states of the
Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their
faith. Yet this colour has a high status in the Catholic Church too,
where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of
the liturgical colours.<br /><br />The magnificent green of the emerald is a
colour which conveys harmony, love of Nature and elemental joie de
vivre. The human eye can never see enough of this unique colour. Pliny
commented that green gladdened the eye without tiring it. Green is
perceived as fresh and vivid, never as monotonous. And in view of the
fact that this colour always changes somewhat between the bright light
of day and the artificial light of a lamp, emerald green retains its
lively vigour in all its nuances.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Fingerprints of nature</b></span><br /><img alt="emerald" border="0" height="140" src="http://gemstone.org/images/stories/gem/Stones_EmeraldRough.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 8px;" title="emerald" width="140" />The
lively luminosity of its colour makes the emerald a unique gemstone.
However, really good quality is fairly rare, with inclusions often
marring the evenness of the colour – signs of the turbulent genesis
which has characterised this gemstone. Fine inclusions, however, do not
by any means diminish the high regard in which it is held. On the
contrary: even with inclusions, an emerald in a deep, lively green still
has a much higher value than an almost flawless emerald whose colour is
paler. Affectionately, and rather poetically, the specialists call the
numerous crystal inclusions, cracks or fissures which are typical of
this gemstone 'jardin'. They regard the tender little green plants in
the emerald garden as features of the identity of a gem which has grown
naturally.<br /><br />So where do they come from and how is it that they
exist at all? In order to answer these questions, we need to look far,
far back into the time of the emerald's origin. Emeralds from Zimbabwe
are among the oldest gemstones anywhere in the world. They were already
growing 2600 million years ago, whilst some specimens from Pakistan, for
example, are a mere 9 million years young. From a
chemical-mineralogical point of view, emeralds are
beryllium-aluminium-silicates with a good hardness of 7.5 to 8, and
belong, like the light blue aquamarine, the tender pink morganite, the
golden heliodor and the pale green beryl, to the large gemstone family
of the beryls. Pure beryl is colourless. The colours do not occur until
traces of some other element are added. In the case of the emerald, it
is mainly traces of chromium and vanadium which are responsible for the
fascinating colour. Normally, these elements are concentrated in quite
different parts of the Earth's crust to beryllium, so the emerald
should, strictly speaking, perhaps not exist at all. But during
intensive tectonic processes such as orogenesis, metamorphism,
emergences and erosion of the land, these contrasting elements found
each other and crystallised out to make one of our most beautiful
gemstones. The tension involved in the geological conditions conducive
to the above processes produced some minor flaws, and some major ones. A
glance through the magnifying-glass or microscope into the interior of
an emerald tells us something about the eventful genesis of this unique
gem: here we see small or large fissures; here the sparkle of a
mini-crystal or a small bubble; here shapes of all kinds. While the
crystals were still growing, some of these manifestations had the chance
to 'heal', and thus the jagged three-phase inclusions typical of
Colombian emeralds were formed: cavities filled with fluid, which often
also contain a small bubble of gas and some tiny crystals.<br /><br />Logically
enough, a genesis as turbulent as that of the emerald impedes the
undisturbed formation of large, flawless crystals. For this reason, it
is only seldom that a large emerald with good colour and good
transparency is found. That is why fine emeralds are so valuable. But
for the very reason that the emerald has such a stormy past, it is
surely entitled to show it - that is, as long as only a fine jardin is
to be seen, and not a rank garden which spoils both colour and
transparency.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The world of fine emeralds</b></span><br />Colombia
continues to be at the top of the list in terms of the countries in
which fine emeralds are found. It has about 150 known deposits, though
not all of these are currently being exploited. The best known names are
Muzo and Chivor, where emeralds were mined by the Incas in
pre-Columbian times. In economic terms, the most important mine is at
Coscuez, where some 60 faces are being worked. According to estimates,
approximately three quarters of Colombia's emerald production now comes
from the Coscuez Mine. Colombian emeralds differ from emeralds from
other deposits in that they have an especially fine, shining emerald
green unimpaired by any kind of bluish tint. The colour may vary
slightly from find to find. This fascinatingly beautiful colour is so
highly esteemed in the international emerald trade that even obvious
inclusions are regarded as acceptable. But Colombia has yet more to
offer: now and then the Colombian emerald mines throw up rarities such
as Trapiche emeralds with their six rays emanating from the centre which
resemble the spokes of a millwheel.<br /><br />Even if many of the best
emeralds are undisputedly of Colombian origin, the 'birthplace' of a
stone is never an absolute guarantee of its immaculate quality. Fine
emeralds are also found in other countries, such as Zambia, Brazil,
Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia. Zambia,
Zimbabwe and Brazil in particular have a good reputation for fine
emeralds in the international trade. <img alt="emerald" border="0" height="140" src="http://gemstone.org/images/stories/gem/Stones_Emerald2.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 8px;" title="emerald" width="140" />Excellent
emerald crystals in a beautiful, deep emerald green and with good
transparency come from Zambia. Their colour is mostly darker than that
of Colombian emeralds and often has a fine, slightly bluish undertone.
Emeralds which are mostly smaller, but very fine, in a vivacious,
intense green come from Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana Mine, and they often
have a delicate yellowish-green nuance. And the famous emerald mines of
Colombia currently face competition from right next door: Brazil's
gemstone mine Nova Era also produces emeralds in beautiful green tones,
and if they are less attractive than those of their famous neighbour it
is only by a small margin. Brazil also supplies rare emerald cat's eyes
and extremely rare emeralds with a six-spoked star. Thanks to the finds
in Africa and Brazil, there are more emeralds on the market now than
there used to be - to the delight of emerald enthusiasts - .<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A sophisticated gemstone</b></span><br />Whilst
its good hardness protects the emerald to a large extent from
scratches, its brittleness and its many fissures can make cutting,
setting and cleaning rather difficult. Even for a skilled gem cutter,
cutting emeralds presents a special challenge, firstly because of the
high value of the raw crystals, and secondly because of the frequent
inclusions. However, this does not detract from the cutters' love of
this unique gem. Indeed, they have developed a special cut just for this
gem: the emerald cut. The clear design of this rectangular or square
cut with its bevelled corners brings out the beauty of this valuable
gemstone to the full, at the same time protecting it from mechanical
strain.<br /><br />Emeralds are also cut in many other, mainly classical
shapes, but if the raw material contains a large number of inclusions,
it may often be cut into a gently rounded cabochon, or into one of the
emerald beads which are so popular in India.<br /><br />Today, many emeralds
are enhanced with colourless oils or resins. This is a general trade
practice, but it does have the consequence that these green treasures
react very sensitively to inappropriate treatment. For example, they
cannot be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath. The substances that may have
been used by the cutter during his work, or applied subsequently, seal
the fine pores in the surface of the gem. Removing them will end up
giving the stone a matt appearance. For this reason, emerald rings
should always be taken off before the wearer puts his or her hands in
water containing cleansing agent.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A matter of trust</b></span><br />Unfortunately,
because the emerald is not only one of the most beautiful gemstones,
but also one of the most valuable, there are innumerable synthetics and
imitations. So how can you protect yourself from these 'fakes'? Well,
the best way is to buy from a specialist in whom you have confidence.
Large emeralds in particular should only be purchased with a report from
a reputable gemmological institute. Such an institute will be able,
thanks to the most modern examination techniques, to differentiate
reliably between natural and synthetic emeralds, and will inform you as
to whether the stone has undergone any treatment of the kind a purchaser
has the right to know about.<br /><br />And one more piece of advice on the
purchase of an emerald: whilst diamonds generously scintillate their
fire in sizes below 1 carat, you should go for larger dimensions when
acquiring a coloured gemstone. True, there are some lovely pieces of
jewellery with small coloured gems to set decorative accents, but
emeralds, like other coloured gemstones, do not really begin to show
that beautiful glow below a certain size. How large 'your' emerald ends
up will depend on your personal taste, and on your budget. Really large
specimens of top quality are rare. This means that the price of a
top-quality emerald may be higher than that of a diamond of the same
weight. The fascination exuded by a fine emerald is simply unique.</span></span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-89736682492750213692013-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:002013-01-16T10:48:37.807-08:00BLUE TOPAZ - THE DECEMBER STONE<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="display: block; float: left; width: 270px !important;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/gallery/pendants/14k-white-gold-sapphire-and-topaz-pendant-17905.htm"><img alt="white-gold-sapphire-topaz-pendant" height="250" src="http://pics1.whiteflash.com/articlefiles/14k-white-gold-sapphire-topaz-pendant_a.jpg" width="250" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/gallery/pendants/14k-white-gold-sapphire-and-topaz-pendant-17905.htm"><span style="color: white;">White Gold Sapphire and Topaz Pendant</span></a></i></span></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div>
<i>What is the birthstone for December? </i></div>
<div>
There are actually three different stones associated with being the
birthstone of December: the blue topaz, turquoise, and tanzanite. All
three of these very different have one thing in common: a unique blue
color that makes them perfect for use in birthstone jewelry or many
kinds of fashionable and creative jewelry. But each of these stones also
has unique characteristics and properties that make it special, so
before choosing a December birthstone gift for yourself or a loved one,
get to know each of these stones so you’ll be able to pick the perfect
gemstone gift.</div>
<div>
</div>
<h2>
December birthstone: Blue Topaz</h2>
<div>
<i>The most famous birthstone for December is the blue topaz, a variation on the common gem topaz.</i>
Topaz becomes blue when it is heated, a process that can happen
naturally or artificially, and results in three shades of blue that
varies in its intensity. The more intense and deep the color is, the
more valuable the blue topaz is, although the most deep shade, London
Blue, never occurs in nature and is only produced by gemological
produces. Slight changes in the mineral composition, however, can create
topaz with hues of green, yellow or pink.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The cool blue shade of the <b><a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/about-diamonds/news/gia-article-topaz-blue-and.htm">blue topaz</a></b>,
reminiscent of a clear mountain lake or a crisp, cold December sky, has
made it a favorite for all kinds of jewelry for thousands of years. The
ancient Greeks felt that its cooling effect could have the power of
calming the temper and balancing one’s mental state. Some people
believed that a topaz could even cool boiling water, perhaps because of
its resemblance to a chunk of cold blue ice! Even today, blue topaz is
said to represent love and loyalty, making it a romantic present as well
as the perfect birthstone for December, the gift-giving month! <a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/gallery/wedding-bands/blue-topaz-wedding-band-14504.htm">Blue topaz</a> is very well suited for use in fashionable jewelry like chandelier <a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-earrings/">earrings</a> and cocktail <a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/">rings</a> because it has a gem hardness level of 8 on the Mohs scale, making it durable and strong.</div>
Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-71330229235233912962013-01-15T11:50:00.003-08:002013-01-15T12:03:05.665-08:00AQUAMARINE - THE MARCH STONE<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span><b>Aquamarine
</b> is one of our most popular and best-known gemstones, and distinguishes
itself by many good qualities. It is almost as popular as the classics:
ruby, sapphire and emerald. In fact it is related to the emerald, both
belonging to the beryl family. The colour of aquamarine, however, is
usually more even than that of the emerald. Much more often than its
famous green cousin, aquamarine is almost entirely free of inclusions.
Aquamarine has good hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a
wonderful shine. That hardness makes it very tough and protects it to a
large extent from scratches. Iron is the substance which gives
aquamarine its colour, a colour which ranges from an almost
indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. The more intense the
colour of an aquamarine, the more value is put on it. Some aquamarines
have a light, greenish shimmer; that too is a typical feature. However,
it is a pure, clear blue that continues to epitomise the aquamarine,
because it brings out so well the immaculate transparency and
magnificent shine of this gemstone.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span> </span>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span><strong><span>'Santa Maria' sets pulses racing</span></strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span><img align="right" border="0" src="http://www.gemstone.org/images/stories/gem/stones_aquamarine1.jpg" />The
bright blue of this noble beryl is making more and more friends. The
various colour nuances of aquamarine have melodious names: the rare,
intense blue aquamarines from the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Brazil,
which make every gemstone lover's heart beat faster, are called 'Santa
Maria'. Similar nuances come from a few gemstone mines in Africa,
particularly Mozambique. To help distinguish them from the Brazilian
ones, these aquamarines have been given the name 'Santa Maria Africana'.
The 'Espirito Santo' colour of aquamarines from the Brazilian state of
that name is of a blue that is not quite so intense. Yet other qualities
are embodied in the stones from Fortaleza and Marambaia. One beautiful
aquamarine colour was named after the Brazilian beauty queen of 1954,
and has the name 'Martha Rocha'.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span>It
can be seen from the names of aquamarine colours just how important
Brazil is among the countries where aquamarine is found. Most of the raw
crystals for the world market come from the gemstone mines of that
large South American country. Every now and then, large aquamarine
crystals of immaculate transparency are also found with a magnificent
colour, a combination which is very unusual in gemstones. And very
occasionally, sensationally large aquamarine crystals come to light in
Brazil, such as the crystal of 110.5 Kg found in 1910 in Marambaia/Minas
Gerais, or for example the 'Dom Pedro', weighing 26 Kg and cut in
Idar-Oberstein in 1992 by the gemstone designer Bernd Munsteiner, the
largest aquamarine ever to have been cut. However, aquamarines are also
found in other countries, for example Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar,
Mozambique, Afghanistan and Pakistan.</span></span></span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-82384347239422014692013-01-15T11:48:00.002-08:002013-01-15T11:48:59.228-08:00AMETHYST - THE FEBRUARY STONE<ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 90px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 90px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 728px;"></ins></ins><br />
<hr width="50%" />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/class.htm">gemstone</a></b> Amethyst is the <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/birthsto.htm">Birthstone</a></b>
for February.
It is also the <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/zodiac-birthstones.htm">Zodiac stone</a></b> for the
constellation of Pisces.
Amethyst is associated with spirituality, wisdom, sobriety, and security.</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/quartz/quartz.htm">quartz</a></b> and is a popular gemstone.
Although it must always be purple to
be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades. Its color is
unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared
to its color and beauty. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would
be very expensive.
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The name "amethyst" comes from the
Greek and means "not drunken." This was perhaps due to a
belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most
likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color
of some stones that they may have encountered.
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Amethyst can occur as long prismatic crystals that
have a six sided pyramid at either end or can form as druzes that
are crystalline crusts that only show the pointed terminations. As
a mineral specimen, amethyst is popular for its color and nice
crystal shapes that produce a handsome, purple, sparkling cluster.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst
has been used since the dawn of history to adorn the rich and
powerful monarchs and rulers. Today, amethyst is a lovely and
affordable gemstone that is fortunately available in a wide variety
of cut and uncut stones that we can all possess and admire.
</span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-67334034058260186522012-11-21T13:28:00.003-08:002012-11-21T13:28:55.184-08:00White diamonds or Lady Di ( a la Kate Middleton)White diamonds or colored stones a la Kate Middleton. White diamonds are the number #1 choice for engagement and bridal jewelry. But if you are working with a smaller budget and the bride likes a big ring, a colored stone such as a blue sapphire looks really wonderful with a pave diamond surround like the Princess Di ring and is a good option to consider. Sapphires come in all qualities and a jeweler will bring in several choices at different price points for you to see.Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-25872133413960188302012-11-21T12:04:00.002-08:002012-11-21T12:28:09.335-08:00Bridemaid gifts - what to give"What do I buy my bridemaids?", this is a question we hear often usually a week or two before the big day when money is scarce and the budget practically non existent. Shopping for the bridesmaid gifts seems to happen when wedding bills are due and budgets have been stretched to the max. Pearl jewelry is the classic bridesmaid gift. Understated and elegant. With the vast choice of freshwater pearls available in today's market you can buy a really lovely bracelet, earrings or pendant for the bridesmaids at a fraction of the cost of Japanese pearls and they virtually look the same. Depending on the budget you can get pearls in all price ranges. Pearls are a jewel box basic and go with everything.Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-55039167460313947202012-11-21T08:19:00.001-08:002013-01-16T06:57:43.671-08:00Trend Predictions for 2013Trends for bridal jewelry is still white gold or platinum with micro pave halos and pave shanks with milligrain detailing. These rings bring to mind the timeless elegance of the early 1900's, when rings were crafted by hand. These rings are the trend in 2012 and we see it continuing into 2013. With regards to fashion jewelry, we are selling more pink and yellow gold jewelry than in the past and this trend seems to be getting stronger every year. Another trend is for rings that maintain their white color and in response to this we offer 19 karat white gold, a super white that doesn't yellow over time.Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-43775190169293627422012-11-21T07:47:00.001-08:002012-11-21T07:51:52.036-08:00Three important things to consider when choosing a wedding bandWhen choosing a wedding band, the buyer has to consider his/her lifestyle in order to decide whether the band should be made of 14 karat or 18 karat gold. If you work a lot with your hands 14 karat gold, due to the higher alloy content, would be the best choice. Platinum is also a good option though pricey. <br />
Comfort fit bands are definitely the best option for guys who don't normally wear rings because the inside of the ring is smoothed and rounded making it very comfortable to wear.<br />
Style and design are also important factors to consider when buying a band. Ask yourself if the band will still look good in 10,15,20 years or will you tire of it over time. Should you buy yellow or white gold or two-tone? A classic style will always retain its appeal and look good over time. Trendy items are "in" one day and "out" the next.Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-76061505663004106242012-09-19T07:13:00.004-07:002012-09-19T07:13:43.747-07:00November Birthstone - Topaz and Citrine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro5mJ73nB10S8GQo4DBuT6DOgaXR0IYsRckqUZ3cVunnMPT7a7riL43XG-aoTzZ5k-QwlYkF2vI7l1aWdGEvs_AtqU38OEB2TvAaEkggv7LQSvGISYVu9UUomk5Q-R1ep6FWkYTEgCb9V/s1600/Citrine+and+Topaz.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro5mJ73nB10S8GQo4DBuT6DOgaXR0IYsRckqUZ3cVunnMPT7a7riL43XG-aoTzZ5k-QwlYkF2vI7l1aWdGEvs_AtqU38OEB2TvAaEkggv7LQSvGISYVu9UUomk5Q-R1ep6FWkYTEgCb9V/s1600/Citrine+and+Topaz.jpeg" /></a></div>
<h2>
<u>Topaz</u></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Topaz </em>is a gemstone available in a rich rainbow of colors.
Prized for several thousand years in antiquity, all yellow gems in
antiquity were called t<em>opaz.</em> Often confused with
citrine quartz (yellow) and smoky quartz (brown), quartz and topaz are
separate and unrelated mineral species. The most prized color of topaz
is called <em>Imperial topaz</em> after the Russian Czars of the 1800s
and features a magnificent orange body color with pinkish undertones.
Topaz also comes in yellow, pink, purple, orange, and the many popular
blue tones.</span><br />
<h2>
<u>Citrine</u></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">Citrine, the other birthstone for November is known as the "healing
quartz". This golden gemstone is said to support vitality and health
while encouraging and guiding hope, energy and warmth within the
wearer. Citrine can be found in a variety of shades ranging from pastel
yellow to dark brownish orange. It is one of the most affordable of
gemstones and plentiful in nature. Citrine is found most frequently in
Brazil, Bolivia, and Spain.</span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-10724836433349496632012-09-19T06:57:00.000-07:002012-09-19T07:14:03.080-07:00October Birthstone - Tourmaline and Opal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3qo3aq26EtbVctrNVIw_LGiyixGIxFXf7i0VUEkBuyXTxY4Q_Oh5HBuxKUPL0y_CqHezNurfVXfoJDnvfZQVO34XNzT7nXVFRlh6NvaEUh0kRqluY4YMHyvC4iiSmKSjHEUQ4DIx3ifJ/s1600/tourmaline_suite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3qo3aq26EtbVctrNVIw_LGiyixGIxFXf7i0VUEkBuyXTxY4Q_Oh5HBuxKUPL0y_CqHezNurfVXfoJDnvfZQVO34XNzT7nXVFRlh6NvaEUh0kRqluY4YMHyvC4iiSmKSjHEUQ4DIx3ifJ/s320/tourmaline_suite.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
Tourmaline</h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Tourmaline</i> has become a favorite gemstone among jewelry
designer, and gem collectors the world over. Since it is available in a
wide variety of colors, it is ideally suited to almost anyone's taste.
Tourmaline also is known for displaying several colors in the same
gemstone. These <i>bi-color</i> or <i>tri-color</i> gems are formed
in many combinations; gemstones with clear color distinctions are
highly prized. One multi-color variety is known as <i>watermelon tourmaline, </i>and
features green, pink, and white colors bands; to resemble its namesake,
the gemstone is cut into thin slices having a pink center, white
ring, and green edge. Tourmaline is found in many localities including
Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and the USA.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlzwJeb2HKllbYRQxM3n9eNJdgeMgTxAe1BHOdN2cpeZz45EjnSS4kOaRm1Ltnua2ROvRUiSzTgzcq6bVIHb3fkHOkjn4rYp7icXoY19UlHwOMGa6pdoOclKXlsgF-KcZ2DX0xlgDU3F0/s1600/opAL.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlzwJeb2HKllbYRQxM3n9eNJdgeMgTxAe1BHOdN2cpeZz45EjnSS4kOaRm1Ltnua2ROvRUiSzTgzcq6bVIHb3fkHOkjn4rYp7icXoY19UlHwOMGa6pdoOclKXlsgF-KcZ2DX0xlgDU3F0/s1600/opAL.jpeg" /></a></div>
<h2>
Opal</h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">The name <i>opal </i>derives from the Greek <i>Opallos</i>,
meaning "to see a change (of color)." Opals range in color from milky
white to black with flashes of yellow, orange, green, red, and blue. An
opal's beauty is the product of contrast between its color play and its
background. Opal is a formation of non-crystalline silica gel that
seeped into crevices in the sedimentary strata. Through time and
nature's heating and molding processes, the gel hardened into the form
of opals. The opal is composed of particles closely packed in spherical
arrangements. When packed together in a regular pattern, a
three-dimensional array of spaces are created that give opal its
radiance.</span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-52683854002921172192012-08-30T06:33:00.000-07:002013-11-07T07:16:41.570-08:00All about Csarite<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1028"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 22pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Csarite</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm58kwP0fi8rxLJ_9mfWMW2MHW4NvXe97TujW6GuWY8CkuF65tLTK8un7mEcBIBkgUSkbIY3A8UUofssLxHZ1Qlo2OH7HflQzw3P22O2FFkV13XnVyE3Ak9qG6BcXiatjUbyGq1Y67jGn9/s1600/Zultanite-Group.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm58kwP0fi8rxLJ_9mfWMW2MHW4NvXe97TujW6GuWY8CkuF65tLTK8un7mEcBIBkgUSkbIY3A8UUofssLxHZ1Qlo2OH7HflQzw3P22O2FFkV13XnVyE3Ak9qG6BcXiatjUbyGq1Y67jGn9/s320/Zultanite-Group.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Relatively
new to the jewelry world, Csarite ( old trade name Zultanite) or aka Diaspore, which is the actual name of the gem material, is one gemstone whose amazing natural color
changing abilities makes it well suited to savvy jewelry connoisseurs. As you
watch its colors change from kiwi to champagne to raspberry, you too will be
entranced by Csarite's 100% natural beauty. The pinnacle of exclusivity,
beauty, rarity and desirability, Csarite is a rising star in fine jewelry due
to its sparklingly brilliant tranquil colors. Like Tanzanite, Csarite is so
rare that it comes to you from only one source in the world, a remote mountain
area in Anatolia, Turkey. Named by Murat Akgun in
honor of the 36 sultans who ruled the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia
in the late 13th century, Csarite is a true Turkish delight</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A gem that changes color?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Color change gems show
different colors when viewed under different light sources, such as sunlight
and indoor light. Astonishingly beautiful, exotic and rare, Zultanite demands a
double take - its unique color change is truly that mesmerizing. If for you
fashion is all about getting attention, Csarite is set to redefine your look.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium";">While some of Csarite's key characteristics are its
delicate color saturation, durability and play of light, the beauty and
intrigue of this regal gemstone ultimately lies in its different colors. Csarite displays a range of earthy hues and similar to the famous color
change gem Alexandrite, it can change from kiwi greens in sunlight (candescent
light) to raspberry purplish-pinks in candlelight (incandescent light). But
unlike other color change gems such as Alexandrite, Csarite's color change is
not limited to two basic colors. Incredibly, the same Csarite can also
exhibit khaki greens, sage greens, cognac pinks, pinkish champagnes, canary
yellows, rich champagnes and gingers in different light sources. Csarite's
kiwi greens with canary flashes are noticeable under sunny skies, while
traditional indoor lighting will elicit rich champagne colors. During a candle
lit dinner, the same gem reveals pink to raspberry hues. While just wearing Csarite unveils its breathtakingly diverse colors, one of its most unique
characteristics is that unlike other color changes gems, Csarite's best color
change is not dependant on dark tones. Some women prefer the colors of Csarite because they like the more subtle pastel contrast and find they complement
earth tones (green, chocolate, mocha and gold), making the gem more wearable.
Like all color change gemstones, the larger the Csarite, the more visible the
color change.</span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-54972366961886660002012-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:002012-07-05T14:39:19.335-07:00September Birthstone - Sapphire<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">All About Sapphires</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">Sapphire colors</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7281539162477920329" name="a_colors"></a>
</b><br />
<a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/blue-sapphire.php">Blue</a>
is the most famous of the sapphire colors. The prized Kashmire and
Burmese sapphires have a deep blue that is intense and velvety. These
sapphires are not often seen on the market today. Sri Lankan (Ceylon) and
Madagascar sapphires are the most common today, with a wide range of
colors from light sky blue to dark blue. Other producers of blue
sapphire are Australia, Tanzania, Thailand, Cambodia, and the USA
(Montana).</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Colorless <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/glossary.php#corundum">corundum</a> is rare as faint shades of color are nearly always present. Many small white sapphires used in inexpensive jewelry as a diamond simulant are <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/glossary.php#syntheticgemstone">synthetic</a> and white sapphire in general are relatively cheap.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Purple sapphire is rare, but found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
Iron and titanium impurities together may cause the purple hue of the
stone.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Much <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/yellow-sapphire.php">yellow sapphire</a> is on the lighter side and usually free of inclusions. <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/heat-treatment.php">Heat treatment</a> can produce a more intense yellow golden color. <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/berylliumtreatment.php">Beryllium-treated</a> sapphire may be a brilliant yellow, pinkish orange, orange and recently vivid blue. These stones are found in Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Tanzania and Madagascar. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/glossary.php#padparadscha">Padparadscha</a>
is the Sinhalese word for a Sri Lankan lotus flower. This very rare
sapphire color should have a pink and orange color simultaneously.
Color, brilliance, size and clarity will determine the value of these
stones. Many stones of this color are beryllium treated and are priced much lower than a true padparadscha. A true <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/glossary.php#padparadscha">padparadscha</a> as well as the treated counterpart always have a hint of pink, they look the same so be careful and always buy from an accredited jeweller who will certify the sapphire.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Many sapphires that appear green consist of fine alternating bands of blue and <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/yellow-sapphire.php">yellow sapphire</a>, which may be visible under the microscope. <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/green-sapphire.php">Green sapphires</a> are found in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Madagascar and are usually a dull green color.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span class="line-height25-bold"></span><br />
<b><span class="bold">Color</span></b><br />
With <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/blue-sapphire.php">blue sapphire</a>,
the most popular color, the intensity of blue as the most important
factor. For example, you may have a huge stone of many carats, but if
the color is a washed-out, weak blue, then the value of the stone will
be lower. Look for a stone that has an intense, rich medium blue (royal blue) without being
dark or inky (navy blue). Overall, sapphires that are too dark or too light in color
are valued less. However, light blue sapphires often have a brilliance
that is rarely found in the darker stones.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">Lighting</span></b><br />
Sapphires
look best viewed with fluorescent light or daylight. Incandescent light
is more red, and sapphires look less attractive in this lighting.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">Clarity</span></b><br />
Sapphire tends to have less inclusions than <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/ruby/ruby-info.php">ruby</a>. Look for stones that are <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/glossary.php#eyeclean">eye-clean</a>.
This means no inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. Actually,
extremely fine silk throughout the stone can enhance the value of some
sapphires. The famous sapphires from Kashmir have a velvety blue color
which is caused by this fine silk. This silk is needed for the star
effect in <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/star-sapphire/star-sapphire.php">star sapphire</a>, however, too much silk weakens the color, making it appear undesirably grayish.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">Cut</span></b><br />
Various shapes
and cutting styles are common with sapphires. Ovals, cushions, and
rounds are seen, as are other shapes, such as the heart or emerald cut.
Round stones can command a small premium. Sapphire crystals are hexagonal in habit so when they are cut in a round shape a lot of the rough is lost so this is why round shapes are more expensive. Oval cut sapphires use most of the rough and are more common. Cabochon-cut sapphires are
also common. Used for star stones, the best cabochons are somewhat
transparent, with smooth domes of good symmetry.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span class="bold"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span class="line-height25-bold"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<b><span class="line-height25-bold">Common Sapphire treatments</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7281539162477920329" name="a_treatments"></a></b><br />
The most common treatment for sapphire is <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/heat-treatment.php">heat treatment</a>.
Stones are heated (generally before they are cut) to between 1700 to
1800 degrees Celsius (3100-3300 degrees F) for several hours. Almost all
sapphires today are heated, and the stones of rich blue that are not
heated can command enormous prices in today's market. Some <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/other-gems/blue-sapphire.php">blue sapphires</a> may also be <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/diffusion-treatment.php">diffusion treated</a> and care must be taken not to polish these stones as the color is only skin deep and comes off when the stones are polished,
though this treatment is more common for star sapphires. Rich blue sapphires are now on the market that are diffusion <u>and </u>beryllium treated. Beryllium
treatment is being used to produce stunning orange and red colors
that were once rarely seen. All sapphire treatments should be fully
disclosed by any reputable dealer.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span class="bold"><b>All the rest you need to know</b></span><br />
Sapphires
come from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania and Australia. The
United States, Cambodia, Nigeria, Kenya and China also produce some
sapphires. Perhaps the most famous sources for sapphires are the Kashmir
region of India, and Burma. Discovered over 100 years ago, the Kashmir
sapphire has a lovely, velvety blue color prized by gem lovers. Burmese
sapphires can also be fine, but like the Kashmir region, these two areas
today produce very little material. </div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Today Sri Lanka and Madagascar produces most of the fine
sapphires on the market. You can find a wide range of beautiful blues,
from soft sky blue colors to deeply saturated hues. In addition, the
Kanchanaburi region in Thailand and the Pailin region in Cambodia are
renowned for deep blue sapphires. Tanzania, an old producer of sapphires
in other colors, is now starting to produce blue sapphire from new
deposits in the south.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span class="line-height25-bold"><br /></span></div>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-21023071289664525602012-06-28T08:24:00.003-07:002012-09-19T07:14:16.266-07:00August Birthstone - Peridot<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">August Birthstone</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/peridot/peridot.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Peridot</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"> (pronounced <i>pair-e--doe</i>)
is the gem variety of <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/olivine/olivine.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">olivine</span></a>.</b> Peridot is the <a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/birthsto.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">birthstone</span></a>
for August and the <a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/zodiac-birthstones.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Zodiac stone</span></a> for the constellation Libra
(astrological sources refer to peridot as <i>Chrysolite</i>). Peridot is
associated with the values of fame, dignity, protection, and success.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">Olivine,
which is actually not an official mineral, is composed of two minerals: <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/fayalite/fayalite.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">fayalite</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/forsteri/forsteri.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">forsterite</span></a>.</b> Fayalite is the iron rich
member and forsterite is the magnesium rich member. Olivine's formula is
written as <b><span style="color: red;">(Mg, Fe)<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>4</sub></span></b>
to show the substitution of the magnesium and iron. Peridot is usually closer
to forsterite than fayalite in composition although iron is the coloring agent
for peridot. The best colored peridot has an iron percentage of less than 15%
and includes nickel and chromium as trace elements that may also contribute to
the best peridot color.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/class.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Gem quality</span></a> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">perido</b>t comes from the ancient source of Zagbargad (Zebirget)
Island in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt; Mogok, Myanmar (formerly known as
Burma); Kohistan, Pakistan; Minas Gerais, Brazil; Eifel, Germany; Chihuahua, <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/fablocal/mexico.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Mexico</span></a>;</b> Ethiopia; Australia; Peridot
Mesa, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Gila County, <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/fablocal/arizona.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Arizona</span></a></b> and Salt Lake Crater, Oahu,
Hawaii, USA. The best quality peridot has historically come either from Myanmar or Egypt. But new sources in Pakistan are
challenging that claim with some exceptional specimens. The Arizona gem material is of lesser quality,
but is far more abundant and is therefore much more affordable. An estimated 80
- 95% of all world production of peridot comes from Arizona. The Myanmar, Pakistani and Egyptian
gems are rarer and of better quality and thus quite valuable approaching the
per carat values of top gemstones. Possibly the most unusual peridot is that
which comes from <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/elements/iron/iron.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">iron-nickel</span></a></b> meteorites called <i>pallasites</i>.
Some are actually facetted and set in jewelry. </span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-62895771631423850912012-06-28T08:24:00.001-07:002012-06-28T08:51:49.866-07:00All About Fancy Colored Diamonds<br />
<h1>
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">All about Fancy Colored
Diamonds</span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">When a diamond
sparkles with brilliant, intense color, it is a gem of great rarity and beauty.
These extraordinary gems are known as "Fancy Colored Diamonds". If
you did not know that diamonds came in colors, they do and are very rare. Only
1% of the diamonds mined are naturally colored diamonds. The two most famous
diamonds in the world are colored diamonds. The Tiffany Diamond is a magnificent
Fancy Yellow, 128.54 carat diamond and the Hope Diamond is a stunning blue. The
most expensive diamond per carat weight is a 1 carat red valued at around $2.2
million. The rarest and most valuable colored diamonds are red, blue, pink and
green.</span></h1>
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Fancy Colored
Diamonds have proven to be a sound investment. Most Canadians and Americans are
not even aware of the phenomenon of Fancy Colored Diamonds because most of the
highly graded colored diamonds are purchased in Europe.
Europeans consider colored diamonds the same as "money in the bank".
They are the best form of portable wealth in the world today, and they have a
stunning track record. Pinks and Blues have increased so substantially that
they are out of reach for most investors. A high quality Pink or Blue Fancy
Colored Diamond has increased from $10,000.00 a carat in 1970 to $400,000.00 a
carat today. That is an amazing return on investment and Fancy Colored Diamonds
have NEVER decreased in price on a wholesale level in 35 years. Today, colored
diamonds are so rare that prices keep escalating.</span></b><br />
<br />
<h2 style="font-weight: normal;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Color Color Color</span></span></b></u></h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Simply, the
most important factor when evaluating a Colored Diamond is the intensity of the
color. The more intense the color, the more valuable the diamond is. The
grading scale for Fancy Colored Diamonds is: "Faint", "Very
Light", "Light", "Fancy Light", "Fancy",
"Fancy Intense", "Fancy Deep", "Fancy Vivid". In
a white diamond clarity is very important, and An “SI”, "VS" or
"VVS" is what you would look for. However, in a colored diamond
clarity is not the most important factor. A Fancy Colored Diamond that is
graded SI is still considered "eye clean", meaning that the
inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye. Also, small pinpoints or feathers
do not usually affect Fancy Colors due to the deep coloring of the diamond.
Fancy Colored Diamonds that are graded VVS or FLAWLESS are uncommon in nature and
command greater prices.</span></b><br />
<h2>
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-style: normal;">Cut and Shape</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></u></h2>
<h2 style="font-weight: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Fancy Colored Diamonds achieve maximum brilliance when cut to the most ideal
and accurate proportions. A good cut gives a Fancy Colored Diamond sparkle and
brings out the most intense color possible. The Cutter considers its
inclusions, which can enhance the diamond's color. Facets and angles also give
color to the diamond, so the Master Cutter must consider which shape would best
bring out the diamond's color. The most popular shapes are round/brilliant,
oval, radiant, cushion, princess, and the heart.</span></b></h2>
<h2 style="font-weight: normal;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Pink Diamonds</span></b></u></h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Natural Pink
Diamonds are very rare and extremely valuable. They account for less than 1% of
the mines overall production. No wonder Pink Diamonds have increased from
$10,000.00 a carat to over $400,000.00 a carat. Pink Diamonds are divided into
5 color catagories: Pink, Purplish Pink, Brownish Pink, Orangey Pink, and Pink
Champagne. Fancy Intense Pinks are very rare and one of the most beautiful
diamonds in existance today. Pink Diamonds with no secondary coloring are the
rarest and most expensive of all Pink Diamonds. The color pink ranges from
"Faint" to "Fancy Intense and Vivid Pink", by far the
rarest and most valuable.</span></b><br />
<h2>
<u><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-style: normal;">Yellows</span></u></h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">The Tiffany
Diamond is one of the largest Fancy Yellow Diamonds ever discovered. It weighed
287.42 carats in the rough when it was discovered in 1878 in the Kimberly mines
in South Africa,
and was cut to a cushion shape of 128.54 carats. It is rumored to be valued at
$250,000,000.00. The Kimberly Octahedron is the largest diamond in the world at
616 carats, and is also a yellow diamond. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Natural
Intense Fancy Yellow Diamonds are so rare that most jewelers have never seen
one and will never own one. Among the 100 largest diamonds in the world about
30 are yellow, and just one is a Fancy Yellow.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt;">Fancy Yellow,
Fancy Intense Yellow and Fancy Vivid Yellows are becoming very difficult to
find. Yellow diamonds will increase in price much more than any other colored
diamond percentage wise. While Pinks and Blues have made huge price increases
over the past 30 years and have increased from $10,000.00 a carat to
$400,000.00 a carat, Yellow diamonds are still affordable and prices should
increase substantially as high quality Yellow diamonds become more and more
scarce.</span></b>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-12666765797199766822012-06-26T07:50:00.001-07:002012-09-19T07:14:28.481-07:00July Birthstone - Ruby<br />
<br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold"><b><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">Ruby colors</span></b></span></u><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7281539162477920329" name="colors"></a><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
Rubies range in color from pinkish to orangey and purplish and brownish red,
depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone. The most desirable
color is the so-called "pigeon's blood", a pure red with a hint of
blue.</span><br />
<br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">Buying Ruby</span></b></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7281539162477920329" name="buy"></a></u><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
Color is the most important consideration, with clarity a distant second. Large
rubies are rare.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold">Color</span></u></b><br />
The most desirable color is the so-called "pigeon's blood", a pure
red with a hint of blue. Color saturation makes all the difference.<br />
<br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lighting</b></span></u><br />
<a href="http://www.gemselect.com/ruby/ruby.php"><span style="color: windowtext;">Ruby</span></a>
shows pleochroism which means that the color varies with the direction of
viewing. Stones displaying the cat's eye or star effect effect are best viewed
in daylight.<br />
Many rubies will fluoresce in long or short wave UV and this property can often
be used to help identify a stone's geographic origin. Burmese rubies often
fluoresce so strongly that the effect is noticeable even in sunlight; such
stones seem literally to glow. Thai rubies generally lack this property.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold">Clarity</span></u></b><br />
Inclusions are common in ruby and not always an indication of lower quality.
Included rutile needles cause the "silky shine". If such a stone is
cut en cabochon it exposes the rare cat's eye effect. Oriented rutile crystal
inclusions cause a six-rayed-star light effect (called asterism) to form the
popular <a href="http://www.gemselect.com/star-ruby/star-ruby.php"><span style="color: windowtext;">star ruby</span></a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><u><span class="line-height25-bold"><b>Cut</b></span></u><br />
Transparent rubies are cut in step and brilliant cut. Less transparent rubies
are cut en cabochon.</span><br />
<br />
<u><span class="line-height25-bold"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">Ruby location and
deposits</span></b></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7281539162477920329" name="deposits"></a></u><span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;"><br />
Myanmar: For centuries the
most important deposits are in upper Myanmar
(Burma)
near Mogok. Only one percent of the production is of gem quality. Some of the
rubies are of pigeon's blood color and considered to be the most valuable
rubies of all. In the early 1990's large new deposits were discovered at Mong
Hsu.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thailand</b>:
Rubies found in Thailand
(Chanthaburi district) often have a brown or violet tint. The Thai ruby
production is declining, and Chanthaburi is now mainly a center for processing
and trading gems.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sri Lanka</b>: The deposits are
located in the southwest of the island in the Ratnapura district. Rubies from
that deposits are usually light red to raspberry red.<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
Madagascar</b>: in the
1990's major ruby deposits were discovered in this huge island off the coast of
Mozambique.
Madagascar
is now one of the world's leading ruby producers. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tanzania</b>:
On the upper Umba River in northwest Tanzania are deposits for gemstone
quality rubies that are violet to brown-red. A few opaque rubies are mined as
well.<br />
<br />
Other deposits of some importance are found in: Afghanistan,
Cambodia, Kenya and Vietnam. Less significant deposits
are in: Australia, Brazil, India,
Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan,
United States and Zimbabwe.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/class.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">gemstone</span></a></b> <b>ruby</b> is the red variety
of the mineral<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/oxides/corundum/corundum.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Corundum</span></a></b>, the
second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. Ruby is the July <a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/birthsto.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">birthstone</span></a>,
and the Capricorn <a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/zodiac-birthstones.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Zodiac stone</span></a>. Ruby has been associated with
the values of love, success, integrity, passion, and promise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium"; font-size: 16pt;">All
colors of corundum other than red or white are called <b><a href="http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/sapphire/sapphire.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">Sapphire</span></a></b> The red color in ruby is
caused by trace amounts of the element chromium. The best shade of red for ruby
is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade
of red up to almost pink. </span>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-26712870743490828042012-04-05T12:13:00.000-07:002012-06-28T08:25:44.043-07:00Check out the great video all about diamond certificates<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3N0PILsoKg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3N0PILsoKg</a>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-78551053125994302812012-04-05T10:59:00.002-07:002012-04-05T12:03:45.606-07:00Check out the video all about diamond shapes<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-HgoGq2LiA&feature=related">www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-HgoGq2LiA&feature=related</a>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-14470023817193949972012-04-05T10:49:00.002-07:002012-04-05T12:05:25.759-07:00Check out the terrific info on carat weight<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzSIGzhZGPk&feature=relmfu">www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzSIGzhZGPk&feature=relmfu</a>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-74396116047155084072012-04-05T10:46:00.002-07:002012-04-05T12:06:15.642-07:00Check out this really good site all about diamond color<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=XUuQGtiaHuk&feature=relmfu">youtube.com/watch?v=XUuQGtiaHuk&feature=relmfu</a>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281539162477920329.post-72608870586560287312012-04-05T10:44:00.003-07:002012-04-05T12:07:29.924-07:00Check out this really informative video on diamond clarity<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=wxho9P0t4Z4&feature=relmfu">youtube.com/watch?v=wxho9P0t4Z4&feature=relmfu</a>Ex Aurum Jewellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07688905990951202186noreply@blogger.com0