Category: Gems of Knowledge
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Pink Diamonds
The world’s only reliable source for pink diamonds, the Argyle mine in Western Australia, is scheduled to close this year. Since 1983 the mine has produced 90% of the world’s supply of pink diamonds along with some amazing blue, violet and red stones. What will the world be like once pink diamonds from Australia become…
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What is a Synthetic Sapphire
I decided to write this post because I mentioned something to my husband about a sapphire in a piece of jewelry, I was looking at being so perfect that it looked synthetic and he had no idea what I was talking about. I felt like I had failed him! Luckily if he had been inspired…
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Where Do Diamonds Come From?
A diamond has undertaken a very long journey by the time you see it sparkling in the jewelry case. Diamonds are also very old, millions of years old in fact. The prevailing theory is that they form in the Earth’s mantle at very high temperature and pressure. A white colorless diamond is made of pure…
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What is Gold Plating?
Gold plating……sometimes we hear that term and images of gaudy, poor quality jewelry just seconds away from turning green comes to mind. However, that’s far from the whole story. Gold plating, when done in the correct way, allows consumers to experience the rich color and luster of gold jewelry, but at a fraction of the…
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What is Gold?
Think for a moment back to high school chemistry class. It has been longer for some of us than others, but try and recall the periodic table. Here is picture of one to refresh your memory. Gold, Au, sits in the periodic table as element 79 and is a transition metal. We will not get…
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What is a Gold Alloy?
Alloying refers to the mixing together of two or more metals and is usually done to improve the mechanical properties of the metal. Mechanical properties refer to how much you can bend, stretch, scratch or break a particular metal or allow. Jewelry metals like gold, silver and platinum are relatively soft in their pure form,…
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How is Gold Mined?
Mining for gold is a long and expensive process. The World Gold Council gives 5 stages in the life-cycle of a gold mine. The first two, exploration and development require up-front investment of time and money before any material is taken from the ground. Scientists spend many, many years piecing together geological studies and soil…