In this month’s issue…
• Aquamarine: March’s Birthstone
• Tackling the “4C’s”: Carat
• Get some jewellery tips from Jo!
Aquamarine: March’s Birthstone
Aquamarine is best known for its bewitching green blue colour. It has long been a symbol of youth, hope, health, and fidelity. The word aquamarine is derived from the Latin words aqua (water) and marina (seas). In ancient times it was believed that wearing aquamarine would safeguard sailors from the perils of their voyages.
Aquamarine is a variety of beryl, meaning it has the same chemical composition of the most well known beryl variety, emerald. However, unlike its cousin emerald, aquamarine is generally more transparent, and because it has fewer internal clarity characteristics, is harder and more appropriate for everyday wear. Much of the world’s supply of aquamarine is found in Brazil, although Africa, and in particular, Mozambique, also has aquamarine in abundance.
Book an appointment to custom design something for that special March baby in your life!
Tackling the “4C’s”: Carat
Buying a diamond can be a stressful adventure! At Samuel Kleinberg Jewellers, we believe a little knowledge goes a long way. We are truly passionate about diamonds and we love educating our clients on what makes a diamond beautiful. We find that a more educated client is a happier client and a more saavy buyer. So this edition of In the Loupe will
be focused on the first of the diamond “4C’s”: carat.
Carats, not to be confused with karats, or how gold purity is measured, are the unit of measurement by which we determine a diamond’s size. In ancient times, diamonds were measured against the weight of the carob seed, which is where the word carat originated. Today, the standardized weight of a carat is 0.2 grams.
Carats are divided into points and smaller diamonds are often referred to in points. 100 points equals a carat. So a 0.09 carat diamond may be described more easily as a 9-pointer. Still with me?
When buying a diamond, savvy purchasers understand that a diamond’s weight in carats may not always reflect the relative size of a stone when set in a ring. When set in a piece of jewellery, you won’t see the total weight of a stone, instead the diameter of the stone, or the size of its face, becomes much more important. The stone’s diameter is crucial, because that is what you are actually looking at when gazing at a beautiful piece of diamond jewellery. A carat is generally expected to be around 6.5mm across, but this can differ between various stones due to miniscule cutting decisions.
When we help clients choose their diamonds, we try to find diamonds that appear larger face up without sacrificing other elements of the 4Cs. This is a major advantage of allowing us to guide you through the process: a 1 carat stone will be more expensive than a .90 carat stone, all things equal. If we find a .90 carat stone that has a diameter of 6.5mm, you are paying less for the same look.
So there you have the most important takeaway of the first C – carat. A diamond’s weight in carats is an important characteristic to consider, but a stone’s diameter what you actually will see, and this can fluctuate between stones of the same size. Choosing a diamond with us means you benefit from our years of experience finding the most beautiful diamond for your budget.
And you thought carat was the most straightforward of the 4C’s!
A diamond’s carat weight is important to consider, but so is a diamond’s face up measurements.
Here’s a nifty little chart to see the correlation between carat weight and diamond diameter!
A diamond’s carat weight is important to consider, but so is a diamond’s face up measurements.
If it’s about jewellery, Jo has the answer! In this section, she’ll answer some of our most frequently asked questions.
Feel free to send her questions at jo@samuelkleinberg.com
Q: “Why are my ears so sensitive to my white gold studs?”
A: Because white gold contains alloys, including nickel, the irritation is generally caused by an allergic reaction to nickel. You can change the setting to platinum, which does not have alloy, or to a setting with a high gold content, such as 18k.
Q: “My boyfriend’s gold chain is too short, but I don’t want to pay for a new one. What can I do?”
A: You can put an extension on the chain. We will try to find an extension that matches the existing chain and make it longer. Instead of buying a new chain, you only pay for the extension.
Q: “How do I take care of my pearl necklace?”
A: Use a dry jewellery cloth and polish it when you take if off after a night of partying. Pearls don’t respond well to acids, so put your perfume, hairspray on first, and your pearls on last.