Diamond Fun Facts!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Diamonds were used to engrave gemstones in India by 300 BCE.
• Diamonds can be burned. To burn a diamond, it must be heated to between 1290-1650 degrees Fahrenheit. House fires and jewelers’ torches can sometimes reach that temperature.
• D-to-Z color diamonds are the most widely used in jewelry, but diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. For natural colored diamonds, blue, green, orange and red are the rarest; yellow and brown are the most common.
• Diamond weight is measured in carats (not carrots or karats). The word carat is derived from keration, the Greek name for the carob tree whose seed was used for centuries as the standard of weighing precious stones. Because the seed could vary slightly in weight, in 1913, carat weight became metric; one metric carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams or 0.007 ounces.
• The largest rough diamond, discovered in 1905, is the Cullinan diamond, weighing in at 3,106 carats (ct.)!

Wear With Everything

An excellent jewelry purchase is a piece that is beautiful, AND can also complement many of your outfits! 

We think this piece fits the bill. 

 What is your favorite piece of "wear with everything" jewelry?

Use Ultrasonic Cleaners with Caution!

Jewelry Wearing Tip!

Like your clothes, each piece of jewelry has to match with your skin tone. 

 It is therefore important to choose pieces of jewelry that not only match with your outfit, but that also enhance you. Opt for metals and gems that illuminate your natural skin tone. There is a wide spectrum of different colors: gold, silver, sapphire, amethyst, etc. Maybe turquoise goes better with your eyes than ruby. Silver is the favorite metal for many of us, but if you have the matte skin and dark hair, gold is beautiful!

In short, criteria such as the color of your skin, your hair, and your eyes are just as important in choosing your jewelry as it is your clothes.

Sapphire Ring

Check out this Diamond and Sapphire ring. 18ct Diamonds, 90ct Sapphire, 18k White Gold.  

You'll be the belle of the ball with this beauty sitting upon your finger! 

Stop by to claim this stunning ring for yourself today.

November Birthstone: Topaz & Citrine!

Individuals born in November can choose between two sunny gemstones to brighten up this chilly month. November’s birthstones, topaz and citrine, are both known for their calming energies, bringing warmth and fortune to those who wear them.

Topaz and citrine look so similar, in fact, that they’ve often been mistaken for one another throughout history. They are actually unrelated minerals, and topaz occurs in a wide spectrum of colors far beyond yellow.

Both of November’s birthstones are fairly abundant and affordably priced, even in large sizes, which means everyone can find a way to fit topaz and citrine into their budget.

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween from all of your friends here at Carnegie Jewelers!

Diamond Buying Tips

It is very important to us that our customers understand how to navigate the diamond buying process.

Here’s a handy-dandy infographic that outlines the basics, from the 4Cs to the importance of insuring your precious purchase.

Rhodium: You're Covered

While the majority of the world’s rhodium production is used mainly for catalytic converters, its mighty durability makes it a fantastic plating aid that helps fine metals achieve a white and highly reflective finish.

Rhodium is a member of the platinum group and a noble metal. Metals in the noble family share similar characteristics, such as being hypoallergenic and highly resistant to wear, tarnishing, and corrosion. Those qualities make rhodium ideal for jewelry. However, you’ll never see it made into a solid piece of jewelry because its extremely brittle and comes with a high price tag.

Fun Fact: When no other metal was sufficiently fine enough to say, “congratulations,” the Guinness Book of World Records presented Paul McCartney with a rhodium-plated disc for his achievement as being the best-selling songwriter and recording artist of all time in 1979.

Rhodium is one of the most rare and valuable elements in the world. The Earth’s crust only contains an estimated 0.0002 parts per million. It’s a by-product of platinum mining and only mined in conjunction with platinum’s demand, which contributes to its notorious price swings. When more rhodium is needed than can be mined from platinum’s current demand, the price goes up.

Jewelers apply rhodium to jewelry via electroplating, which is the process of coating of one metal with another by electrolytic deposition. White gold is often plated with rhodium to improve its appearance and color. Silver is also plated with rhodium to help hinder tarnishing.

It’s normal to see the plating wear over time because of contact and interactions with surfaces, requiring the jewelry to be plated again. Fortunately re-plating is a simple process.

OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE: OPAL

Dramatic and fiery, opals contain sparks of color from the entire spectrum of gemstones hues.

Throughout history the opal has been considered the luckiest and most magical of all stones since it exhibits the colors of all the gemstones. Indeed, many cultures ascribe supernatural powers to the opal, from the gift of prophecy to the ability to guard the wearer from disease.

Opals are the national stone of Australia from where nearly 100 percent of opals are mined. Typically cut into rounded cabochons to enhance its exceptional light play, opals come in a variety of base tones, including milky white, vibrant blue and smoky black—all studded with a swirling kaleidoscope of color.

AFRICAN BLK OPAL DIA 14KR 62 RD .71 .04 BRD 1.51OP $1,995.00 -

The Greeks believed opals provided the power of prophecy; Arabs believed that they fell from the sky during lightening storms; and in ancient Rome they were celebrated as symbols of love and hope.

Gemstones have been imbued with spiritual meaning for eons, dating back to the breastplate of Aaron that contained 12 gemstones representing the signs of the zodiac and the tribes of Israel. The modern birthstone list was established in 1912 by the National Association of Jewelers with a few updates over the years.