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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “amherst stones”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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Anatomy of a Ring
… prongs checked by a jeweler, especially if it looks to you like any of the tips are missing or worn down, or if any stones are loose. The more tips that are thin or missing, the more likely you are to lose a stone. In addition to prong …rings have been very popular for sometime and so you may be familiar with this one already. The “halo” refers to the stones that surround the center stone, or sometimes center cluster. There are many styles of halo rings. A halo can be a …
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The Magic of Polarized Light
… Polarizing filters are critical to many fields of study. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to easily identify gemstones, TVs and monitors wouldn’t work in the same way, and the latest blockbuster movie wouldn’t pop off the screen the way … them to function efficiently as they do without negative side effects. Using Polarized Light in Gemology Some gemstones, due to their unique chemical structure, actually polarize light themselves. These gems are doubly refractive (DR) and …
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Laser Jewelry Repair
…damaging the enamel or leaving visible signs of the restoration work. Our laser can fix jewelry without removing the stones or running the risk of solder flowing into the hinge and destroying its mobility. Antique filigree that is broken … that broke from doing repair work. Now they can be done. The laser gives us the ability to fix jewelry with glass stones that a torch would overheat and destroy. Inexpensive jewelry that has great sentimental value but could not be fixed …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Amethyst
… are now appearing in inexpensive jewelry. Because the cost of testing is higher than the cost of even the natural stones it is not often performed. Beware of stones of perfect clarity, calibrated sizes, and precision cutting. Notable …when storing your amethyst jewelry. If you have an amethyst ring or other piece of jewelry with diamonds or other gemstones, you should be careful when cleaning it. You should use a soft brush to gently scrub the amethyst and avoid using …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
…For years spinel has been confused with other gems and even today is often used as a substitute for similar looking stones. In recent years, spinel has started to move out of the shadows and be appreciated in its own right, and we can see … found in. Because of how easily it can be created in a lab, synthetic spinel has been used to imitate many other gemstones (ruby, sapphire, tourmaline, zircon, etc.). In fact, the ubiquity of synthetic spinel may be part of the reason why …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite
… majority (current estimates are around 95%) of tanzanite is heat treated to help bring out the vibrant blues. The stones that haven’t been heated by humans were heated through natural effects while they were still underground. Without … isn’t heated and is still pretty enough for jewelry displays trichroism. Trichroism is an effect that causes gemstones to display different colors when viewed at different angles. Tanzanite in its raw form has three colors: blue, purple, …
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Jewelry Repair FAQ
…, pearls, and more in all shapes and sizes to choose from when selecting a replacement stone for repairs. Matching stones takes a discerning eye, attention to detail, extensive gemological training, and years of experience. Of course, some …to again. What is retipping, and why do I need it? In a large number of jewelry pieces, the valuable diamonds and gemstones are held in place with prongs. With wear, the tops of these prongs can become worn down. If the prongs wear down too…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
… color, and a wide range of colors. Red carries more value and is by far the rarest color that opals can display. Stones with larger patches of color are valued higher than those that display only small pins (pinfire) or no play of color at…”. Opal has a refractive index of 1.37 – 1.47 and a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6. This makes it one of the softest gemstones commonly used in jewelry. For reference, here are the Mohs hardness values for some other gemstones you may know: Diamond…
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Fake Diamonds: The Great Diamond Attack
… how to tell if a diamond is lab grown . Synthetic gems are not new to the jewelry profession. Synthetic colored stones have been around for over a 100 years. The impact was dramatic in the beginning then adjustments were made and the new … they are making are somewhat unusual for the diamond trade. The common colors are a bright green and yellow/orange stones. Some call the colors antifreeze looking. Is this process a simple treatment of a natural stone or is it the …
