GARNET - Garnets are found in various shades and colours from brown to purple shades. But its dark red variety is valued as a precious stone although the mineral is quite common. Garnet crystals are 12 faced. The stones have been prized in jewellery for over 5000 years. When many garnet crystals are gathered in a rock cavity they are likened to a ripe pomegranate. Cut as brilliants, garnets are used as ring stones with large ones as pendants, often with cabochon cut and carved. Garnets and star garnets from are found in Australia.

JADE - This is the name given to both nephrite and jadeite which are tougher than steel although not particularly hard. China, New Zealand and Alaska supply good Jade. Burma also. Brazil it occurs naturally Used since Neolithic times for weapons and tools and later for delicate carvings. Aztecs used jade. In ancient Egypt the stone was called Nemehen. Pure Jade is white with impurities causing different colours and most pieces are mottled. It is generally translucent or opaque green in colour and is lustrous rather than brilliant. The most prised of all jades is "imperial jade" the transparent emerald green coloured by chromium. It has been always revered in China as a sacred stone. Its quality as a gemstone is judged by the intensity of the green colour and its coolness to the touch. Jadeite is the rarer of the jades and Myanmar remains the only commercial source. Much of the Central American jadeite originates in Guatemala. Soapy jade is the term for the inferior grades used commonly for carving decorations, lamp stands etc.

LAPIS LAZULI - This stone consists of blue silicate lazurite with variable amounts of calcite and the brassy gold flecks of pyrite which is more abundant in the poorer quality material. Afghanistan has the best quality that consists mostly of lazurite and is deep blue. In ancient times it was also known as "sapphirus". The Egyptians used to ground it into pigment to use in paintings and murals and in eye shadow and used in manufacture of amulets and symbols, particularly in the representations of the goddess Isis and in the Sacred Eye of Horus. Later it was ground for use as pigment in religious paintings for the glorious blue of the Madonna's robes. In China, royal seals and carvings were made of it. It is considered as a sacred stone in Buddhism. Lapis lazuli is one of the most ancient in items of jewellery - having been known and used for over 6000 years. It was mined in Afghanistan and Siberia near Lake Baikal, but nowadays produced profusely in Chile.

MOONSTONE - Moonstone is a Feldspar, comprised of calcium sodium or potassium aluminium silicates. Sri Lanka is the most important source of Moonstone. India produces strongly coloured stones as beige, pink, green, yellow, grey, white and brown. It is considered to be a sacred stone in India and by tradition, it is always cut en cabochon. It is an important stone in Ayurvedic medicine. Beautiful sheens come as with other stones, with subjected light and its particular sheen is called "adularescence" and most prized when the sheen is bluish in colour. Throughout the world it is associated with the Moon and very popular semi precious stone is used in jewellery everywhere. Their fascination lies in their gentle glowing and elusive sheen and above all the softness of their quality, compared with the strength and brilliance of faceted jewels.

OPAL - Opal is one of the few gem minerals which is non crystalline. Opals are referred to in history and in legend. Pliny is said to have liked it and Orpheus is said to have declared that the opal 'fills the heart of the gods with joy". Shakespeare refers to ... "this miracle and Queen of gems". Opal consists of pure silica (silicon combined with oxygen) with traces of numerous compounds which explains the many differing types. Opals were rare in antiquity. It is thought to have become commonly known only after the time of Alexander the Great. The only known mines in the earliest times were the Carpathian Mountains. The stone is extremely porous with the weight varying in proportion to the amount of contained water. The colours are determined by structure and the light which causes ever changing effect. Finest opal and opalized wood and fossils are found also in Australia at Coober Pedy and Andamooka. France also supplies some and also Idaho... Opals are usually cut as en cabochon. Their varieties include - Hungarian opals are very fine and were once popular in Europe.

Mexican Opals fine transparent variety of opal - Black opals are extremely vivid flashes of colour including red, with dark background and of highest value Milky opal or white opals are opaque with smaller and less spectacular softer markings and colours. Fire opals or Harlequin Opal is the finest quality and variety of gemstone Water Opal is clear and colourless with internal play of colour. Rose Opal or potch opal has a beautiful pink colour but opaque. Hydrophane Opal is opaque but appears colourless in water.

PEARL - Along with Coral, this extremely popular gemstone used in jewellery, is found in the seas not the land and is therefore not of the same composition nor characteristics of the earth born gemstones. Care must be taken to preserve the quality of pearls. Pearls are made of calcium carbonate formed within an oyster. The basic irritant is usually a grain of sand which stimulates the oyster to cover it with its own body secretion - eventually forming the well known round and perfect pearl. The lustre of the pearl comes from minute crackles on its surface - finer than those on opals. Their lustre increases in the body warmth of human beings and therefore the practice of allowing the shop attendants to wear the strings of pearl has a practical basis. Different pearl qualities depend upon colour and size and range from the tiniest "seed pearls" to the rare gems of considerable size Harvesting pearls from the wild is singularly unrewarding and cultured pearls have been able to meet the demand for these beautiful natural ornaments. Cultured pearls have been produced in China for several centuries as now in Japan, Australia and the Pacific.

RUBY - Next to diamond, rubies (and sapphires) are the most valued of the gems. Ruby is a variety of corundum, When the corundum includes chromium, it becomes ruby, when it contains titanium and iron instead and therefore is blue - the sapphire. The world's finest come from Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan, also Burma, Thailand, India and Ceylon .Burmese ones are exceptionally beautiful - found near Mogo N.E. of Mandalay. "Pigeon Blood" rubies are the highest in the scale of value. Thai Rubies are often found with spinel and are darker red than the Burmese Rubies. A fine ruby is a magnificent gemstone. Ruby has been synthetically produced successfully since 1904. But the genuine rubies are valued because of their rarity and therefore have not dropped in commercial value, in fact have risen. Rubies are also used in Space research in connection with communication systems to cut out surface sounds of the earth and pick up beams from space.

SAPPHIRE - Pink Sapphires, Blue sapphires and Yellow Sapphires are found in Thailand and East Africa. They are next to diamond in hardness and therefore resistant to wear. Australia is the largest producer of blue and golden sapphires. Non-blue sapphires are White Sapphires or Golden Sapphires. The largest sapphire known was 950 carats from Burma. The largest in Australia was 886 carats from Queensland in 1934. There are star sapphires and star rubies found which contain fine fibre crystals giving star effect when cut in en cabochon.

TOPAZ - Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing about 20% water and fluorine and comes in several colours. Yellow quartz is sold today under the name of topaz and it is one of the most popular colours, although there are others which are greenish and of reddish tint.. Golden Topaz from Brazil is a golden brown to pink colour. The main suppliers are Brazil, Germany and Russia. Japan also produces topaz. Topaz is harder than Rock crystal and is known for its huge crystals - a colourless one from Brazil was found weighing as much as 600 pounds, well formed and clear throughout. The largest known topaz was cut in 1977 and weighed 21,327 carats. Another is known at 36,853 carats. Found in Australia topaz is usually light yellow, green and blue also. Hardness 8 and Orthorhombic crystals brilliant and beautiful stone found in quartz rose rocks. Associated with tin ores . Tinted by heating. Sky blue topaz found in the Scottish Highlands, Brazil and Siberia.

We need to understand two things before we can make a decision as to whether a piece of jewellery made by hand is better or worse than a casting: What is a casting? What is made by hand?

Hand made Jewellery.

Jewellery made by hand is jewellery which is made by the use of bending, twisting, hammering, filing sawing and soldering metal until it has the form of a piece of jewellery that the maker wants.

Let’s take a simple example: a plain wedding band or wedder as it is often referred to. The jeweller starts off with a lump of gold which he melts down and pours into a steel mould. It comes out of this mould in the shape of something resembling a big nail. He takes this piece and rolls the metal through a mill until finally he get a long flat piece of metal. He cuts that piece to a length which will fit around the customer’s finger. Next he hammers it into the shape of a ring and he solders it to form a ring. After that he might file it into a nice rounded shape, polish it, and he now has a gold wedding band! The whole process probably takes about an hour or a bit more

Now he wants another one for the customer’s spouse to be. So the whole process starts again and proceeds just like the last. Tomorrow a new customer comes in and wants a ring just like the one he made yesterday so wouldn’t it be better if he could have copied the first one some how?

The casting process.

He now makes one perfect wedding ring. Once finished this is called the model or master. From this master he is going to make tens or hundreds of copies all identical to the first one that he made by hand. In the jewellery trade the main casting method is called The Lost Wax Casting Method.

Advantages and disadvantages of the two methods:

A hand made piece takes hours and sometimes days to make while a casting takes minutes to cast a hundred identical pieces. Of course there is cleaning up to do but the time spent is nothing like making a piece by hand. So the labour cost is a fraction of the hand made piece.

A hand made piece is likely to be stronger and denser and as it is hammered and filed it becomes harder in the process. The jeweller is carefully making this single piece and is naturally conscious of its quality all the way.

Sometimes a casting can have bubbles inside which may be missed by the manufacturer causing the item to break years later for no apparent reason. Of course, in a modern, well equipped workshop things like this are under tight control, but it can happen.

Is a hand made piece unique? Not necessarily. The jeweller might have a cast piece which he is copying. I am often asked to copy a grandmother’s piece of jewellery so that it can be given to a second daughter.

So what’s the answer? Which is the better method? A casting will be cheaper and so more people can enjoy the same thing. Would I be happy for my daughter to wear a cast ring? Absolutley, in fact she does. But I have also made her many pieces by hand.

Whether you're looking for a spectacular gift or the perfect accessory for your favourite black dress, you'll find exactly what you want when you shop online - and you'll find it for less. Online discount shopping has come of age. Buyers across the UK have learned to take advantage of the convenience and savings of shopping for designer clothes, jewellery, watches and women's shoes online.

Nearly anything you can find at the shops, you can find online - and at a discount. It used to be a bit harder to find just the right thing - the online sales were mostly through obscure little web sites that offered big discounts on last year's designer clothes lines and women's shoes, but that's no longer the case. Online discount shopping is not only more popular than ever, it's now chic to buy your name brand and designer clothes through the internet.

Even the High Street retailers have become wise to the discounting possibilities of online shopping. Many of them, like Tesco, offer special internet only discount deals on some of their most popular items. The strategy has paid off for Tesco, which sold to over one million online customers in November and December of 2005, and John Lewis, which posted over £100 million in online and catalogue sales last year.

Many people may be hesitant to buy clothing and jewellery online - especially at cheap, discount prices. The fear of being cheated or buying fake or inferior merchandise isn't an idle one when you're shopping without actually seeing what you're buying. There are some common sense precautions that you can take to be sure that you're getting what you're paying (at a discount) for.

1. Shop at trusted sites. That doesn't mean that you're confined to shopping just the big name catalogue stores, though. There are some wonderful internet shopping directories that let you search and compare prices of designer clothes, electronics equipment, jewellery and women's shoes. However, there are some really great comparison sites that only list legitimate shopping sites where you won't be cheated.

2. Shop using a credit card. When you make a purchase via a credit card rather than paying with a cheque, you have the option of disputing your charges if the item is not delivered, or proves to be less than hoped for.

3. If you have the option when shopping for designer clothes online, try on the item at a local shop first to be sure you get the right size. If that's not possibly, most internet shopping sites have a sizing page so that you can check measurements and be certain that your purchases will fit.

4. Be sure to check the return policy of the web site you're shopping just in case. You may have to return the item at your own expense, though some online shops make it easy on you.

5. If you're shopping for women's shoes, take the time to have your feet properly sized before ordering. It's better to try on shoes in a similar style first to be sure that they'll be a comfortable fit.

6. Do beware when buying expensive watches and jewellery online. Check the contact info of the web site from which you're making the purchase if it's not a business that you've used before, and do a quick internet search of the company name to turn up any complaints against them.

You can get incredible bargains on women's apparel, including hard to find designer clothes and shoes by shopping online. Make the internet your first stop when shopping, and be sure that you're getting the best possible price from a trusted source.

Designer Monique Lhuillier's name seems to be on every celebrity's mouth these days. She is touted to be the next Vera Wang as most A-list celebs have a dress by Lhuillier. Professionally designing dresses and gowns since 1996, Lhuillier was brought to the limelight when then pop princess Britney Spears commissioned her as wedding gown designer. Lhuillier crafted a wedding gown with beads, beading and jewellery to the delight of Spears. This was followed by stints with other Hollywood celebrities and the name Lhuillier shone brighter than ever in the fashion industry. This is not surprising as the craftsmanship of Lhuillier is obvious in the beads, beading and jewellery incorporated in her every design.

The craftsmanship of Lhuillier is also seen in the price tags her dresses carry which the average career woman cannot afford. Bridal gowns cost $2,000 - $10,000 while evening dresses are priced a little lower. For those who want the look of a Lhuillier gown or dress, there are several things you must remember: A-line, full skirt, soft and fabrics, and exquisite beads, beading and jewellery. Beads used in a Lhuillier design range from Swarovski crystals and pearls to glass beads and rhinestones. More expensive stones are used in more expensive dresses.

Other designers also uses the A-line cut, full skirts, and soft fabrics in their designs but only Lhuillier uses beads, beading and jewellery in embroidering accent pieces in her designs. Most designers go extremely modern with minimalist themes or avant-garde couture. Others go super romantic with an overload of laces, ruffles, and tons of cloth. But with her skill in using beads, Lhuillier combines modernity with sentimentality, producing designs that are elegant, modern, romantic, and wearable.

Beads, beading and jewellery in the designs of Lhuillier are used differently. Some designs use the beads as a component of the fabric itself. An example is the white dress peppered with black beads worn by model Natalia Gotsii in the recent Lhuillier's spring collection. Julia Dunstall also wore a similar dress in light pink and low-neck cut.

Accents are also made of beads in a Lhuillier designs. Rarely does the designer use a bow or fabrics as an accents in her dresses. Beads, beading and jewellery find themselves embroidered into belts, necklines, and straps. Brooches are also made of beads and jewellery. In her spring collection, there were several designs with beaded brooches: dresses worn by Heather Marks, Anja Rubik, Cameron Russell, and Hye Park are outstanding examples.

Cad means computer assisted drawing and Cam means computer assisted manufacturing and they have been around for a long time now.

A jeweller makes a piece of jewellery in two traditional ways: Firstly, by hand, using files, saws, soldering equipment and a host of other gadgets. It takes a long time and might take days or weeks to finish one single piece. Secondly, by making a model first and then having this cast in metal. He makes the model either by hand in a cheap metal such as brass, copper or silver, or carving it out of wax. Even this second method takes just as long as the first or a good part of it.

Enter the computer. Using a specially written computer programme a trained user of the programme draws the item, lets say a ring. This process might take a few hours depending on the skill of the operator and the intricacy of the ring.

After the drawing is made then it is downloaded to a computerized manufacturing machine which can understand the file. There are different types of these machines. One type is where the actual drawing is cut by machinery directly into metal. So the drawing goes in and a ring comes out. The most common type is where a machine prints wax like a printer prints ink and the lines of wax are built up into the form of the piece of wax jewellery. This process might take twelve to twenty four hours but it is all automatic.

We end up with a wax model of the ring. Now it has to be made into precious metal and for that we use the lost wax casting method, a method that is used the world over to mass produce identical pieces of jewellery.

The computer operator does not need to be a jeweller but he or she would certainly need a jeweller’s advice to fully understand what he was attempting to draw.

But then jewellers are mostly computer illiterate. Find a manufacturing jeweller and try to get him to send you a jpeg file by email and you will surely agree with me as you see the blank look on his face.

So we either need a computer literate, experienced jeweller, which is a very rare animal indeed, or we need two people with different skills one a computer expert with this programme and the other a jeweller and get them to work together to produce a piece of jewellery.

It might sound like the holy grail of making jewellery but there is a lot involved. What with serving his favorite customers in his shop, dealing with sales reps, answering phone calls etc your local jeweller is not likely to be skilled enough or have the time to make you a wax model by hand let alone draw you a computer image. There are people who just make wax models by hand for jewellers and do nothing else.

The computer programme costs around $5,000 US to purchase and the lessons cost something around $1,000 plus per day for a few days in order to cover the basics and then there will be many months of practice ahead. The printing machine will cost around the $60,000US. So, all in all, you are not going to see these around in small manufacturing workshops for a long time.

One day you will walk into a jewellery shop and sit down with a designer, jeweller or computer operator and tell him what it is that you would like. He will show you designs and after you get across what you like then he will draw the image for you. Of course, this won’t happen while you are sitting there, but it is feasible that later the same day you might be able to see the image. Then after some minor touch ups it will be printed and then manufactured. You might have a piece of jewellery by the next week. That’s some time in the future I believe but it will happen and may happen here and there right now.

When it comes to style and skill, one of the world’s class footballers David Beckham is probably the envy of most men. No other man has put mens’ jewellery firmly on the style map like Beckham has. Let’s face it most men wouldn’t turn a blind eye if Beckham was all style and no skill on the pitch. But Beckham is blessed with style, substance and most importantly he ranks high because of his skill with the ball on the pitch.

You’ve probably seen all the pictures. First, there were the winning haircuts; floppy blonde, shaved head and the mohican. Then the tabloids captured him appearing at a nightclub in a sarong to reveal both body and the legs.

But it was when Beckham started wearing expensive diamond watches, jewellery and diamond earrings? Not just one diamond stud piercing an earlobe but two diamond earrings. It’s a head-turning remarkable style triumph by Beckham who effortlessly gave men permission to wear mens’ jewellery. Had another man tried to pull off wearing earrings he may have not been as successful.

At the Beckhams’ pre-World Cup party, again mens jewellery was on dazzling display. England’s full-back Ashley Cole arrived in his version of “Full length and Fabulous”. Naked from the waist up, Ashley Cole’s dinner jacket was replaced with mens’ jewellery.

And an exquisite diamond encrusted watch was the costliest item at the Beckhams’ charity auction created by Jacob Arabo, the sparklingly talented young jewellery designer whose name has fast become well-known in celebrity circles.

Arabo’s exquisite mens’ jewellery is much-loved by his clients not simply for being expensive but for transcending the classic designs. He takes credit for changing male attitudes to wearing jewellery. Pop stars and celebrities alike wear some of his creations like diamond-covered dice or mobile phones to stand out in photo shoots and pop videos.

Men’s jewellery has been reported to have risen by twenty percent. And the demand for diamonds has risen too, not surprising given the number of celebrities keen to flash a bit of bling for the cameras.

So there you have it. It’s official. Jewellery is not just for women anymore. For the trend conscious, urban, metrosexual man, wearing a piece of mens’ jewellery is the ultimate to looking cool. You only have to look at the growing array of mens’ jewellery; bracelets, earrings, chains and pendants being paraded in this year‘s catwalks. Men may even have their very own jewellery boxes soon to keep their prized pieces.

Gone are the days of the medallion man: all gold chains embedded in chest hair, a sore sight for any woman’s eyes. Numbered are the days when a young man will expose matted chest hair, allow his toned stomach to turn into a paunch, sprout nose hair and leave his nails uncut. Slowly yet surely grooming and mens’ jewellery are causing ripples in the male universe.

So whether it’s platinum or a combination of metals, diamond encrusted rings earrings or trinkets, jewellery designers are getting in on the act. Manufacturers in fine jewellery are expanding their lines for men’s jewellery too. So it looks as if the trend for mens’ jewellery is set to stay - diamonds or no diamonds.

No gift in the world will please a woman more than a thoughtfully chosen piece of jewellery. It will also be a constant and lasting reminder of your love. Think Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and that enormous diamond. There is something magical about opening a cute little box with the expectation of finding a precious and beautiful object. Unlike, say, an electrical appliance, a piece of jewellery is a very personal gift: it is worn on the skin, it is highly visible and it also makes a statement of wealth, taste and fashion. Would a woman ever get tired of being given jewellery? The answer is emphatically “NO”, but do try to vary what you buy. You should consider the occasion, the personality, age and size of the wearer, current fashion trends, materials and last but not least, price.

Occasions:

Wedding anniversary The major anniversaries are usually assigned a particular stone or material. For example, 25 years is Sterling silver, 30, pearl, 35, emerald, 40, ruby and so on… making it easier for you to choose.

Birthday Birth months are also assigned a stone but this should only be bought once or twice. No problem if she was born in April (diamonds) but a little tedious if she was born in December (garnet)

Christmas is usually an occasion for something sparkly and showy to go with all those party dresses. So go for diamonds if you can afford them otherwise, crystals or facetted stones.

Valentine’s Day A piece with a heart is a popular and charming idea. The heart could be made of silver or gold but also of gemstone, crystal or unusual hand-made foiled Murano glass.

The birth of a child In my opinion, the birth of a child should always be marked by a piece of jewellery. Choose a pink stone for a girl (rose quartz, pink sapphire, star ruby) or a blue stone for a boy (sapphire, tanzanite, lapis lazuli, blue topaz, blue lace agate). Pink or blue freshwater pearl earrings would also be a good choice. Childbirth is a joyful but also painful and traumatic event in a woman’s life. Everyone naturally fusses over the baby often ignoring the mother. Show her how proud you are of her and how much she means to you by this thoughtful and unexpected gift.

Sorry Yes, flowers might work but a gift of jewellery would go a long way towards eventual forgiveness! It would show that you really mean it.

Thank you Show your appreciation by buying her an unusual piece of fashion jewellery unexpectedly. You will get lots of Brownie points for this one.

Your partner’s taste and personality:

* Is she a larger than life character who wears huge earrings and bright colours? Then a thin chain with a small pendant will almost certainly not be to her taste. Large, bold earrings or a 3-strand necklace with lampwork beads or a clinking colourful cuff will be more her style.
* Does she like or hate a particular colour? Be aware of this when buying jewellery.
* Older ladies look their best in pastel colours. Choose rose quartz, lavender amethyst, pale milky green amazonite, aquamarine or pearls.

Size matters:
There is no pleasure in wearing something that is too tight or too large. Bracelets and rings will be lost if they are too loose. If you buy on the Internet the size of the piece ought to be mentioned. Unlike clothes which are sized to fit women from the thinnest to the largest, jewellery is not. Bracelets in particular only go from 6.5 to 8.5”. I see a lot of women with bracelets tight around their wrists when they should be hanging loosely. If your lady is outside the middle range of sizes:
1. Measure a piece of jewellery that you know fits her well as a guide and take a note of it.
2. Choose necklaces and bracelets with extension chains.
3. Consider bespoke jewellery where the piece will be made to your specifications and measurements. It costs very little more and you have a truly unique piece. (I also enclose a card explaining the design, the materials and even name the piece after her).

Fashion
How important is fashion in jewellery? The answer is: VERY. Jewellery has been worn since times immemorial but if you look at what ladies were wearing in a particular era you will notice that the pieces are similar but also very different from another era. For instance, jet was the thing to wear under the reign of Queen Victoria; in the 1920’s flappers were never seen without their very long strands of pearls. The younger your partner, the more fashion tuned she will be but remember the baby boomer generation of women is not settling down to twin-set and pearls either. That said, there is no need to be a slave to fashion. You can’t go wrong if you buy freshwater pearl jewellery for instance. The clever Chinese have found a way to dye them in all colours thereby giving a classic material a very modern twist. Semi-precious stones in all shades, cuts, sizes, shapes have also become very popular and make jewellery much more affordable.

Price
Yes, finally, we come to cost and let me first de-bunk the idea that jewellery is an investment. Few pieces resell at a profit as the consumer is charged a huge mark-up plus tax. The jewels that sell for fabulous sums have either been owned by a famous person (Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Windsor, Jackie Kennedy for example), made by a famous house or have an antique value. On saying that, precious metals do keep up with inflation and are very durable as are good quality diamonds. Here we come to a divergence of opinions. Men get really hung up on the price. They equate the amount they spend with the size of their love. Now, don’t get me wrong: women know cheap when they see it! But they will be much more impressed and will derive far more pleasure from a piece of jewellery that their partners have spent time, effort and care in choosing. It is not necessary to spend a fortune. It is far better to purchase a one-off, well designed, quality piece of fashion jewellery than a mass-market, common piece.

What women prize above all else is the attention and time you devote to her. Money comes a poor third. In fact, it’s a substitute when you don’t give her the other two.

Silver is one of the most versatile metals for jewellery making. It is stronger, more reflective and can be polished to a greater shine than gold. It is also much cheaper, giving designers and silversmiths a superb metal to indulge their creativity & allowing them to make stunning pieces at affordable prices.

Silver jewellery should always be sterling silver. This means that it is made up of 925 parts per thousand silver & 75 parts per thousand of other metals (usually copper) to give it strength. To guarantee this quality, silver should be tested by a recognised assay office.

If this testing has been carried out successfully the silver will have a hallmark (NOT just a 925 mark), which guarantees that what you are buying really is silver & not just cheap, silver coloured metal which will deteriorate over time & has little or no value.

Silver is a not only versatile, it is also beautiful and adaptable. It looks great on men and women, of any age and any skin tone. It can look casual or sophisticated, dainty or bold. You can make anything from simple Cufflinks to ornate necklaces. It really is the ultimate luxury metal.

If treated properly silver jewellery will last indefinitely, making it fantastic value for money compared to cheaper "costume" jewellery.

Here are some hints to make sure your silver jewellery stays in prime condition for as long as you love to wear it.

Silver tarnishes naturally when exposed to the air. This dulls the silver and gives it a grey or golden tinge. To reduce this as much as possible, keep your silver jewellery in it's original box or pouch.

When it starts to look dull, simply polish it gently with a silver polishing cloth, which you can buy in any good supermarket, hardware store or jewellers.

Don't bath, shower or swim in your jewellery. Exposure to detergents, perfumes, chlorine and salt water will all speed up the tarnishing process, and may damage stones, crystals or other materials combined with the silver. Make sure your jewellery is the last thing you put on and it will stay stunning.

Although silver is a strong metal, it's brilliant shine means it is susceptible to scratching. To avoid this, keep each piece separately, to prevent them scratching each other.

WARNING

Be careful while using sterling silver dips. They will clean off the tarnish but they might damage the surface and they will damage stones, crystals or other items set in silver. Use them sparingly and with GREAT care!

Never use a cleaner that contains Ammonia, which will turn Silver black. If this happens, Vinegar will reverse the effects of Ammonia.

Rare metals and gemstones together with a pleasant design and quality crafting are the best ingredients for the creation of the perfect piece of jewellery. Every beautiful precious stone can become a beautiful jewel if crafted right. If you want to create a custom designed jewel, so that you can choose the metal and the gemstone that make the perfect piece of jewellery for you, you should take some things into consideration.

First of all, ask for an expert gemologist's advice in this matter. He can share precious tips and tricks with you and most important he can help you evaluate the stone's value and authenticity, because these days the market is full of stones that claim to be genuine but in fact don't worth anything. It would be perfect if the expert knows you as a friend, and he knows your tastes, because this will help him choose and design the jewellery that fits you best.

Make sure that the stone that you have chosen will be complementary to the jewel's design. The form and color of the metallic part must be attuned with the gemstone. Some people prefer to incorporate, instead of a precious stone, a picture of their loved one. Pictures are usually incorporated in pendants or brooches.

If you really want your custom-designed gemstone to be very special you can purchase one of the rarest stones available on the market, like a violet sapphire for example, which is only found in a few rare places in Tanzania. There are many gemstones available, so there are many colors and textures that you can choose from. Do not rush, make sure that you look at a large number of stones for your jewellery, because there are infinite possibilities in front of you when creating custom jewellery. Invest plenty of time in the search for the stone and design, because this search will be rewarded with a perfect jewel for you! If you want to order a custom piece of jewellery as a present for your significant other's birthday for example, start searching at least a month before the birthday.

Nowadays custom bracelets are very fashionable. They can be found in many shops. A custom bracelet is a special bracelet that has your own name imprinted on it. They are perfect at familiar birthday parties as a reminder from the person who organized the party. Custom bracelets are also used by charitable organizations in order to increase the popularity of their events. Between the letters that spell your nme various stones can be placed, making some of the custom bracelets very beautiful and full of taste, they can even be considered artistic.

You may consider antique, or even other culture's jewels a source of inspiration for your custom design. If everything will work as it should, you will have a lasting piece of jewellery of great emotional value and beauty.

Gold jewellery has been prized for literally thousands of years for its beauty, being used both to show enormous wealth and as an expression of love and affection. You probably know that gold goes back to the time of the Pharaohs, who wore it all over their bodies, and were buried with it upon their death.

Today, gold jewellery is everywhere. It’s most commonly seen as rings on the fingers of married or engaged people, or as earrings, but many people also put jewellery in their nose, tongue or belly button, among other places. Hip hop culture has led to a resurgence in large pieces of gold jewellery being worn as a deliberate show of wealth, as ‘bling’, and this fashion has spread to many of the world’s young people.

When you buy gold jewellery, there are two important things to consider: the first is what the piece itself actually looks like (the quality of the jewellery itself), and the second is the purity of the gold, measured in carats. Although many people can be snobbish about low-carat gold, it is often what you do with it that counts, with a well-made piece from lower-quality gold actually being much more pleasing than a badly-made piece from expensive gold, and cheaper to boot.

Of course, if you’re not into gold, there are plenty of alternatives. Silver is gaining in popularity all the time, as a way to stand out from the crowd and counter the perception of some that gold is tacky, and platinum is also a well-regarded metal for jewellery-making. It’s possible to make just about anything into nice jewellery given time and skill, with some interesting materials to try being glass, shells and even wood – you can even make your own jewellery out of inexpensive beads and string, if you’re looking for something unique.

Pricing structure within the diamond industry is very secretive. For consumers this can be confusing as there are often big differences in the prices of Diamond jewellery.

If however you know the exact details of the jewellery that you are hoping to buy then comparing the prices can be a whole lot easier and the differences in the prices being asked becomes a lot more transparent.

Below are some “easy to understand” reasons as to why you will find variations in prices:

1.Branding Jewellery Is Difficult – Although products are usually more expensive buying into a brand makes price comparisons easier. The prices go up or down according to which brand you are buying from.

2.Diamond Jewellery Is Very Expensive To Stock – Unfortunately a high street jeweller not only has the normal day to day running costs of a shop they also have to stock expensive jewellery that they may not sell in large numbers. They also have to contend with higher than average insurance and security costs. It is therefore necessary for high street jewelers to have high profit margins in order to cover their higher than average costs.

3.The Quality Of Diamonds Used – The price of jewellery is greatly affected by the quality of the diamonds that are set within it. What might seem like small variations in quality on paper can end up hugely affecting the price.

4.Grading Diamonds Is Not A Science – Most people are unaware that the grading of a diamond is only an opinion and not an exact science. Of course the more trusted the source is who gives the opinion is of benefit but this is the key area where you could loose money when buying jewellery.

5.Retailers With No Scruples- Many diamond jewellery retailers will try and over grade their diamonds in order to push the prices up. You should only buy jewellery from a trusted source.

Above are just some of the reasons why it is important that you trust the jeweller you are buying your diamonds off. It is vitally important that you feel comfortable with your jeweller. Ultimately an honest diamond jeweller with his reputation to keep and nothing to hide will be keen to validate his pricing.

A large number of jewellery sales are now taking place online and I believe that these numbers are set to increase as we all get used to paying for larger items on the internet. We should however employ the same techniques for buying jewellery online as we do for buying it in the high street!

Before you part with any cash I would recommend that you call the online jeweller to ask them about their company and products, above anything this should give you a feel of the type of company that you are buying from. Good online jewelers also have clear returns and delivery procedures and should always have a strong visible contact number!

In our opinion the best way to buy jewellery is through recommendation so if you happy with your purchase don’t forget to recommend other people.

There seems to be a lot of confusion over hallmarking in the UK, especially on silver items. The reason for this is simple – many items of silver jewellery simply do not require a hallmark.

Hallmarking on the three main precious metals, platinum, gold and silver, is only mandatory when the finished item is over a certain weight. In the UK this is 0.5g for platinum, 1g for gold and 7.78g for silver. This means that all items under this weight need not be hallmarked, although they will usually carry some kind of mark declaring the quality i.e. a piece of sterling silver will often carry a ‘925’ mark made by the manufacturer to signify 92.5% silver content (the silver content required for sterling silver).

Indeed, although obviously silver is available in far larger quantities than either gold or platinum, which is reflected in the price, one of the other factors that helps to keep smaller items of silver jewellery so affordable is the lack of hallmarking – it costs money to have an item hallmarked by an Assay Office.

Although silver under 7.78g and gold under 1g may not need to be hallmarked, there are restrictions in place when selling such items. You cannot for instance sell and item as ‘silver’ unless it is actually silver of 92.5% purity or better. This in effect means that you should be perfectly safe buying any jewellery under the minimum hallmarking weights even if unhallmarked from any ‘legitimate’ retailer, be they online or in the high street. If the store in question declares an item of jewellery to be made from a certain material then it has to be made from it.

As for jewellery that is fully hallmarked, recognising the hallmark can be a little trickier now than in the past. Any jewellery hallmarked in the UK conforms to a set format declaring the Assay Office that the item was hallmarked at, date and quality of the jewellery i.e. a ‘925’ inside a set of scales for sterling silver jewellery. However, jewellery manufactured within the European Economic Area (EEA) often carries marks a little different from those found in the UK but which are still valid for jewellery sold in the UK.

Despite this much of the jewellery sold in the UK is manufactured in the Far East and if over the minimum weights, will require assaying and hallmarking when it reaches the UK. As stated though, even jewellery not hallmarked will usually carry a symbol stating fineness stamped on it by the manufacturer.

So to summarise as long as the piece of jewellery that you purchased falls under the minimum required weight, don’t panic if you can’t find what appears to be a valid hallmark. If uncertain you can easily have any reputable jewellery check a piece of silver or gold to ensure that it is ‘real’, but again it is illegal to sell jewellery as silver, gold or platinum unless it is actually so with or without a hallmark. All jewellery over the minimum weights MUST be hallmarked before it can be legally sold in the UK.