|
Lone Star Gemstones
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
So many folks have sent us the same questions again and again, we thought it would be helpful if those questions (and answers!) were available to everyone. Keep those questions coming; we LOVE talking about gems and jewelry.
- I keep seeing references to "inclusions" in gemstones and diamonds. What are they, and why should I care?
Inclusions are anything "included" inside the gemstone. They can be liquid, gas, or solid. Almost EVERY gem has some kind of inclusion, so "flawless" is really pretty rare. Some inclusions are expected and occur frequently in certain gemstones and, as a result, have little or no effect on the value of the stone. Some inclusions can decrease a gem's value. You should learn as much as you can about the gemstone you intend to purchase, so you will know what to look for, and can make a more informed selection. - What are those letters and numbers that are advertised with diamonds and gemstones?
I assume by letters and numbers, you mean like VSI and LI2 and such. Those numbers and letters are industry "code" for the gem's clarity.
From the AGL you will generally see:
F or FI which stands for Flawless or Free of Inclusions
LI1 or LI2 are two levels of Lightly Included
MI1 or MI2 are two levels of Moderately Included
HI1 or HI2 are two levels of Heavily Included
E1, E2, or E3 are three levels of Excessively Included
Another scale you may see is the GIA Diamond clarity-scale:
FL-Flawless
These stones have no imperfections inside or on the outside of the stone under the magnification of a loupe of 10X power.
IF-Internally Flawless
These stones have no inclusions under a loupe with a 10X power magnification.
VVS1,VVS2-Very Very Slightly Imperfect
These stones have very small inclusions which are very difficult to see under a loupe with a 10X power magnification.
VS1,VS2-Very Slightly Imperfect
These stones have small inclusions which are slightly difficult to difficult to see under a loupe with a 10X power magnification.
SI1,SI2-Slightly Imperfect
These stones have inclusions which are fairly easy to see under a loupe with a 10X power magnification, or visible to the naked eye.
I1,I2,I3-Imperfect
These stones have inclusions which range from eye visible to very easily seen to the naked eye. - I get confused by the sizes of things. Everything is given in mm (millimeters). Why can't they just use inches?
I feel your pain. I was never very good at the metric system when I was in school either. For better or worse, the gem and jewelry trade is world-wide, and most of the world uses the metric system. As a result, everyone had to agree to use one standard of measurement so anyone, from any country, could trade in the gem and jewelry market, without needing to re-calculate sizes as well as the money exchange rate. Plus, just between us, it really is easier to just count all those little marks to get the # of mm. I have a terrible time trying to remember which mark is an eighth, and which is a 16th, 32nd, 64th . . . Just for reference though, a "BB" is 1-2 mm; an eighth of an inch is about 3mm; 1/4th of an inch is 6mm; a ½ inch is 11mm; 3/4ths of an inch is 19mm; and 1 inch is about 25mm. If you are going to be buying gems or jewelry, you'd be well-prepared to learn what the mm sizes mean. - What in blazes is vermeil?
Pronounced (Vehr-MAY) In simplest terms vermeil is sterling silver that has been heavily over-plated with fine gold. According to the Society of American Silversmiths, and the FTC guidelines regarding silver, "An industry product may be described or marked as "vermeil" if it consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on all significant surfaces with gold, or gold alloy of not less than 10 karat fineness, that is of substantial thickness and a minimum thickness throughout equivalent to two and one half (2 1/2) microns (or approximately 100/l,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold." - Then, what is gold filled (GF) and gold plated (GP)?
The difference between gold-filled and gold-plated is the amount of gold applied to the outside of the base metal (usually brass). With gold-plating, the gold layer is very thin and is applied through an electro-chemical process. But, with good care, the piece will last a very long time. With gold-filled, the gold is applied manually (through heat and pressure bonding), in sheets to the base metal core. This coating of gold is thicker and will last much longer. Gold filled is a much more durable product, and is much more expensive than gold plate. However, if the gold-plated piece is a gold spacer bead that is between larger beads, or is on the pendant portion of a dangle earring where it will not come into contact with the skin much, gold-plate may last for many, many years. - Then what's the difference between sterling silver (SS; 925) and silver-plate (SP)?
Well, you actually left out another type of silver: Fine silver. Fine silver, by definition is 99.9% pure silver (.999), but it is very soft and not really very practical for jewelry purposes. Sterling silver is actually an alloy of 92.5% (this is why sterling is marked 925) pure silver and another metal (usually copper). Silver-plate, much like gold-plate, is when a base metal object has been plated with silver. - What is a triplet? Doublet? For example: black opal triplets.
Well, very simply, a triplet is a gemstone "sandwich", with a bottom layer of a non-gem material, or sometimes a real gem, but of lower quality; a top layer consisting of a cabochon of clear rock crystal quartz for brightness and protection; and a center layer, the "meat" of the sandwich, is a slice of genuine gemstone material. All three layers are then fused, or cemented, together to create a single composite gemstone.
A doublet would be similar to this, except it would have only 2 layers: the base layer, and a layer of genuine gemstone material. More often than not, when you see an item that is oxidized, it is silver. Silver items are oxidized to bring out the details of etching, filigree work, make the piece appear "antiqued", or to hi-lite other details. It adds contrast to details that might otherwise be lost in the solid silver color.
To achieve the effect, an oxidizing solution is placed on the piece, or it is dipped in the solution. The piece then turns a rather uniform dark color. Then the oxidation is removed from the "high" areas by hand or machine buffing.
This is not necessarily a permanent effect. The dark areas of oxidation can be removed over time through friction/rubbing, certain chemicals, etc. - Is this "real" silver / gold? It's turning my finger green / black!
If a person has a natural high acidity level in his/her skin, it is possible for his/her finger to "turn green" from silver or gold jewelry. The green is actually caused by oxidation, and all silver will oxidize (it's also what gives silver a tarnished look). This "green finger effect" may also be an allergic reaction to alloy elements in sterling silver. In some cases, the alloys, used to make jewelry more durable, may react with your body chemistry, causing a harmless green or black discoloration on the skin, which can be easily removed with soap and water. Another reason may be lotions, soap or chemicals that come into contact with your skin on an everyday basis.
|
