JEWELRY 101

Sapphire

Sapphire, a variety of corundum, comes in all colors except red (the red variety being known as ruby), but is especially popular in deep blue. Fancy colored sapphires include pink, green, orange, and golden yellow.

Prince Charles chose a blue sapphire for Princess Diana's engagement ring. The stone's durability, combined with its beauty, makes it the perfect alternative for an engagement ring.

Sapphire is the September birthstone as well as the accepted anniversary stone for the 5th and 45th years of marriage.

Ancient priests and sorcerers honored sapphires above all gems, for this stone enabled them to interpret oracles and foretell the future. Ancients believed the Ten Commandments were written on a sapphire tablet. Marriage partners put great faith in the stone. If its luster dimmed, one knew his or her spouse had been unfaithful Sapphire refused to shine when worn by the wicked or impure.

As part of the customary fashioning process, virtually all blue, yellow, and golden sapphires are heated to permanently produce or intensify their color.

As will all gemstones, care should be taken to protect it from scratches and sharp blows.

Sapphire is found mainly in Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Australia, and East Africa.

Peridot

Peridot is the child of volcanic action. Crystals are sometimes combed from the black sands of Hawaii.

Peridot is usually a lively lime green, although it can also have a brownish or olive cast.

Peridot is an accepted birthstone for August. It is also the accepted anniversary gemstone for the 16th year of marriage.

Peridots were favored by pirates, considered powerful amulets against all evil, and when set in gold, were said to protect the wearer from the terrors of the night. They had medicinal uses, too. If fashined into a chalice from which medicines were drunk, it intensified the effects of the drug.

Care should be taken to protect it from scratches, sharp blows, household chemicals and extreme temperature changes. Do not use a home ultrasonic machine for cleaning.

The peridot is abundant, and is available in larger sizes. It is found in Burma and the U.S.

The 4 C’s

Cut – How a diamond handles light. It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is reflected from one facet to another and then disperses through the top of the stone. The precision with which a diamond is cut is the most critical factor in releasing its “fire” and “brilliance.”

Color – Although most gem-quality diamonds, when seen alone, appear colorless to the untrained eye, there are subtle differences in shade that become apparent to a trained professional. To determine a diamond’s true color, the diamond is viewed from the side under balanced white light. It is compared to diamonds in a “Master Set” whose colors have been predetermined by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). A color grade is then assigned according to the diamond’s deviation from the truly colorless diamond.

Clarity – Diamond clarity is determined by the absence of inclusions (crystals, feathers, lines, etc.). The fewer the inclusions, the rarer the diamond, and the greater the value. Flawless and internally flawless diamonds are exceedingly rare.

Carat Weight – As with all precious gems, the weight of a diamonds is expressed in carats. One carat equals one-fifth of a gram, or 1/142 of an ounce. One carat is also divided into 100 “points,” so a diamond weighing ¾ carat may be described as weighing 75 points, or .75 carats. As diamonds increase in value, their prices per carat usually increase geometrically, not arithmetically. Thus a two-carat diamond of the same quality will be more than double the price of a one-carat diamond.

For more information visit the Jewelers of America website.