Chemical Formula

Pt
Background

Ulloa in 1735 and Wood in 1741 discovered platinum. Platinum occurs native, accompanied by small quantities of iridium, osmium, palladium, ruthenium and rhodium, all belonging to the same group of metals. It has no commercial ore and exists in two rare minerals Sperrylite (PtAs2) and cupperite (PtS).

Pure platinum is beautiful silvery-white metal. It is malleable and is more ductile than silver, gold, or copper. It is heavier than gold.

The metal does not oxidise in air at any temperature, but is corroded by halogens, cyanides, sulphur and caustic alkalis. It is insoluble in hydrochloric and nitric acid, however, when they are mixed together to form aqua regia, platinum is dissolved forming chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6). Hydrogen and oxygen explode in the presence of platinum.

The metal has a face-centred-cubic lattice structure, leading to its high ductility and malleability. Because it is generally too soft to use alone it is alloyed with harder metals of the same group, namely osmium, rhodium and iridium.

Fine platinum wire placed in the vapour of methyl alcohol will glow red-hot.
Applications

Platinum is widely used in:

· Jewellery

· Electrical contacts

· Resistance wire

· Instrumentation devices

· Thermocouples

· Standard weights

· Laboratory dishes and vessels

· Corrosion resistant devices

· As an anode for cathodic protection systems for large ships and ocean-going vessels, pipelines, steel piers and the like.

· In dentistry as foil (99.99% pure) for maximum softness

· Platinum wire is used in high-temperature electric furnaces

It can be produced in several forms including, gauze, foil, powder, flake and coating.

In the gauze form is it used as a catalyst for the contact process, producing sulphuric acid, to a lesser extent in cracking petroleum products, an example of which is converting alcohol vapour to formaldehyde. This has seen commercial success in producing cigarette lighters and hand warmers, as a catalyst in fuel cells and in antipollution devices for automobiles.

In coating form platinum is used on missile nose cones, jet engine fuel nozzles and the like where performance reliability for long periods of time at high temperatures are required and/or resistance to atmospheric corrosion, even in sulphur environments.

Platinum is sometimes alloyed with other elements such as:

· Cobalt- To produce an extremely powerful magnet that offers a B-H (max) almost twice that of Alnico V

· Tungsten- For use in aircraft-engine spark plug electrodes, radar-tube grids, strain gauges, switches and heating elements

Dosilac is a new conductive silver spray paint from Ami Doduco. It combines speed, ease and economy for the application of metal coatings to non-conducting surfaces.

The purpose designed nozzle makes dosing easy and gives a uniform coating.

Spraying is economical compared to brushing as it is able to cover ten times the surface area with the same amount of material. Furthermore, the paint does not dry in the can meaning that there are lower losses and the material remains more consistent.

The silver spray paint provides a better alternative to traditional silver conductive paints that require application by brush. They are suited to applications including, but certainly not limited to:

· Dentistry

· Jewellery

· Amateur electronics

· Repairing printed circuit boards

· Electromagnetic shielding

· Rear windscreen heaters

Gutta Percha is a natural polymer, chemically the same as natural rubber, however, it has a different molecular shape, giving it different properties.

How is it Made?

The milky fluid from the gutta-percha tree (native to pacific rim nations) is evaporated. The resultant latex is then coagulated.

Historical Development

Gutta percha was first introduced to the west by William Mongomerie in 1843. He demonstrated to the Royal Society of Arts in London, the materials’ ability to be heated and moulded.

Properties of Interest

Montgomerie also demonstrated that gutta-percha was able to maintain a tough form after having been heated and moulded. Faraday soon after discovered that gutta percha was an excellent electrical insulator.

Submarine Cable Insulation

IN the mid 1800’s gutta percha was deemed to be the most suitable materials for submarine cable insulation. It was thought to be superior to Indian rubber (the current material) as it became hard but not brittle. Furthermore, the cold underwater environment improved the insulating properties of the gutta percha and shielded it from sunlight which had a deleterious effect on it.

The first use of such cables for telephony was to bridge the English channel between England and France with partial success 1850 and more successfully in 1851.

Other Applications

Early Applications

Shortly after its discovery by the western world, gutta percha was used for a variety of applications such as jewellery making. It has also been used by mould makers for medals to test their moulds as the material does not shrink upon cooling.

In 1848 it became a desirable material for golf balls. Prior to this time, golf balls were made from feathers encased in leather. These golf balls were expensive and were impossible to use in wet weather. Solid gutta percha golf balls overcame both of these problems and provided much more consistent results. These aspects were responsible for the rapid growth of the game around this time period.

Modern Applications

Gutta percha is rarely used today, although some dentists use it to make temporary fillings. It is sometimes used in conjunction with Balata resin, a nearly identical material in conveyor belts.

Gold and palladium are totally soluble in one another. The primary use of gold / palladium alloys is in jewellery. The alloy is more commonly known as white gold and is an alternative to platinum. Gold / nickel alloys are also used as white gold. In both cases some other metals may be present in small amounts such as silver, zinc and copper. The cost of palladium white golds are greater then that for nickel white golds due to palladium higher cost and more difficult processing. Palladium white golds are also softer and more ductile compared to nickel white golds. In both cases it is not possible to have white gold with a purity greater than 21 carat. The composition of some palladium containing white golds are as follows: Gold Palladium Silver Copper Zinc Nickel 18ct 75 20 5 75 15 10 75 10 15 75 10 10.5 3.5 0.1 0.9 75 6.4 9.9 5.1 3.5 1.1 75 15 3.0 7.0 14ct 58.3 20 6 3 1 58.5 5 32.5 20.5 1.4 10ct 37.5 52 4.9 4.2 1.4

Key Properties

The addition of palladium to gold: · Increases its melting point · Increases its modulus of elasticity · Increases its strength · Increases its hardness · Turns yellow gold white (depending on the amount added)

Applications

The primary use of gold / palladium alloys in for jewellery, also known as white gold. However, gold / palladium alloys are also used in dentistry and they were used as spark plug electrodes, but the alloy has now been replaced by platinum.

The purity of gold is expressed in carats, often abbreviated to ‘ct’ of ‘K’ in the USA and some other countries. Pure gold has a purity of 24 carats. Various other purities exist that are measured relative to 24 carats. These are summarised in the table below.

Table 1. The relationship between gold content (by weight), its carat rating and hallmark rating for standard gold alloys.

Purity	Gold content (wt. %)	Fineness
24 carat gold	99+	990
22 carat gold	91.6	916
18 carat gold	75.0	750
14 carat gold	58.5	585
9 carat gold	37.5	375

An alternative method of expressing purity is ‘fineness’. This expresses the purity of gold in parts per 1000.

Gold may be alloyed with other metals such as silver, copper, zinc or silicon to produce purities less than 24 carat. Silver and copper and most commonly used alloying elements for gold. Pure gold is too soft to be able to be used for jewellery.

The metal chosen as an alloying element my influence properties such as workability and colour of the resultant gold alloy.

The purity of the gold is ‘marked’ onto jewellery by stamping or laser engraving. This acts a quality control stamp. Often this is done after the alloy is tested by a qualified testing laboratory or facility. Depending on which country the gold is produced, the caratage or fineness may be stamped into the item of jewellery.

According to the International Hallmarking Convention, there is a “no negative tolerance” policy. This means that a gold alloy determined to consist of 749 parts of gold per 1000 would not qualify for a 750 quality mark.

Methods used to assay or test the purity of gold include:

· Inductively Couple Plasma Spectrometry (ICP)

· X-Ray Fluorescence

· Fire Assay

· Touchstone

· Electronic Pen

· Density

Chemical Formula

Au
Background

Known and highly valued since ancient times, gold is found in nature as the free metal and in tellurides. It is widely distributed and is almost always associated with quartz or pyrite. It occurs in veins and alluvial deposits, and is often separated from rocks and other minerals by sluicing and panning operations. The metal is recovered from its ores by cyaniding, amalgamating and smelting processes, while refining is carried out by electrolysis.

Gold in its pure state is considered the most beautiful and hence most valuable of the pure metals. It is metallic, having a yellow colour when in mass, though when finely divided it may be black, ruby or purple.

Gold is soft, ductile and the most malleable of metals, and because of this is usually alloyed to give improved strength and durability. Gold’s reflectivity of ultraviolet and visual light rays is low, however it has high reflectivity of infrared and red wavelengths.

Gold is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is unaffected by air, nitric, hydrochloric, or sulphuric acid and most other reagents. A mixture of one part nitric acid with three parts hydrochloric acid, called aqua regia, dissolves gold. It is also dissolved by solutions of azoimide. Further, it is attacked by sodium, and potassium cyanide plus oxygen.

The most common gold compounds are auric chloride (AuCl3) and chlorauric acid (HAuCl4).

Gold has eighteen isotopes.
Applications

Gold is chiefly used for:

· Coinage

· Ornaments

· Jewellery

· Gilding

Green gold is generally used for jewellery. Green gold is an alloy of gold, silver and copper, and is graded from 14 to 18 karats. Coinage gold (USA) or standard gold (UK) contains gold and copper in slightly varied amounts, while Australian gold (Australia) contains silver instead of copper.

Other uses for gold include:

· Textile industry

· Gold flake is used for a radiation-control coating for spacecraft

· In electronic tubes, as gold-plated grid wire, to give high conductivity and suppressing secondary emissions

· Gold powder and gold sheet is used for soldering semiconductors, with gold having a good ability to wet silicon at 371°C (725°F)

· Gold is used as a plating material, where sodium gold cyanide [NaAu(CN)2] is used as a gold plating solution. The plating has good chemical resistance and electrical properties, however the plating lacks wear resistance, in which case gold-indium plate is utilised.

Gold alloys also have a number of applications such as:

· Gold-gallium and gold-antimony are used in electronic industry (primarily as wire)

· Gold is used for dental applications and is rightly termed dental gold, where gold is alloyed with silver, platinum and on occasion palladium. It is sometimes alloyed with iridium for hardening.

Ami Doduco announced the availability of DODUBRONCE®-AF, its latest lead-free bronze coating for technological and decorative applications. DODUBRONCE-AF utilizes an electrolytic process to produce mirror-bright ductile layers of copper-tin-zinc alloys white in colour. The layers have low porosity and good resistance to corrosion and electrical contact welding.

Bronze coatings are typically used in connectors for automotive and communication applications and as finishes for jewellery and metalware. Unlike ordinary bronze coatings that use lead as a brightener, DODUBRONCE-AF meets the growing need for lead-free end products. It is accredited under the Öko-Tex Standard 100 as being lead-free and thus suitable to the human ecological environment.

“DODUBRONCE-AF is the product of intense ongoing research and development aimed at helping customers eliminate potentially harmful materials from their products and comply with the latest regulations,” said Karl-Heinz Funke, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing at Ami Doduco. “This effort enables our customers to focus more on the needs of their end-markets.”

Jewellery manufacturing may yield beautiful results, but it is subject to the same market pressures as any other industry.

To help the process along, 3D Systems Corp has recently developed a new specialised stereolithography material for jewellery manufacturing. The material will be used to create intricate, high quality pieces of jewellery by allowing designers to produce accurate models with exact wall thicknesses and maximum scooping, so that the use of precious metals is minimised in the final version. It is also capable of producing identical designs of different weights and sizes.

Amethyst SL photoreactive epoxy resin material will allow jewellery manufacturers to produce design models and patterns for rubber and silicon moulding, and direct casting in hours rather than days. Designing one-of-a-kind jewellery and small series is also more cost-effective. (Especially good for unique Christmas presents!)

With a striking amethyst colour, visual inspection is made easier, as is de-moulding for rubber moulding applications. Amethyst SL, has a density of 1.1g/cm³, viscosity of 350cps at 30°C and a glass transition temperature of 103°C.

The material could be also be used in the biomedical and electronics industries, which would benefit from the high detail resolution. ‘One possible medical application is in the manufacturing of microfluid plates for blood analysis. Amethyst SL, would allow even smaller channels to be built into the plates,' says Deniz Okur from 3D Systems. Models are created by building up a series of ultra-thin (25µm) resin layers to produce items with excellent feature resolution and quality.

‘The jewellery industry is advancing quickly in its use of new technologies,’ says Mervyn Rudgley, 3D Systems’ Senior Director of Product Management. ‘Time saved in production is a key advantage as competition grows. By complementing traditional working methods, the Amethyst material and the Viper system enable the jewellery industry to progress to advanced digital manufacturing.’

10 facts about affordable gold or rhodium plaited jewellery that is suitable for both casual wear and for special occasions, and which does not have to be stored in a vault!

* A gemstone is a mineral that has been cut or faceted then polished, examples of gemstones are quartz, jasper, amethyst, Ruby and Malachite.

* Facets are flat faces on geometric shapes, that either occur naturally in crystalline structures or as in the case of gemstones are cut into them to improve their appearance. Faceting is usually applied to transparent gemstones.

* The Moh’s scale of mineral hardness characterises the scratch resistance of minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer one.

* Softer gemstones with a Moh’s hardness scale of less than 7 are easily scratched by dust and grit. On the Moh scale a window pane has a Moh scale rating of 5.5, whilst Quartz is 7, Topaz is 8, and Diamond is 10. In fact Diamond is fifteen times more harder than quartz.

* Rhodium is a hard silvery white and durable metal with a high reflectance. The reflective properties of Rhodium make it suitable for jewellery products.

* Rhodium flashing is known in the jewellery trade as the process of electroplating; whereby a white gold metal is placed in a rhodium salt solution and when an electrical current is passed through the metal the white gold is coated with a thin layer of rhodium. This process gives the rhodium plaited metal a highly reflective white surface.

* Rhodium has a Moh’s hardness of 6 compared to Silver and Gold that both have a Moh’s hardness of just 2.5.

* Cutting is usually applied to opaque gemstones that are impenetrable to visible light while faceting is mainly carried out on transparent gems. As softer gemstones are more readily scratched so they are shaped and polished in order to reduce any visible signs of scratching.

* Rhodium belongs to the group of Platinum metals and is considered to be an even more precious metal than silver.

Here are some examples to help you express your love for your partner without having to say a word.

1. Send a box of chocolates (must be the fancy, expensive kind) with a romantic poem.
2. Send her a bouquet of red roses. Nothing says it more than a dozen roses.
rf 3. Send small, unexpected gifts to show that you care. Think about what your partner’s hobbies or interests are. The gift could be a book, a gadget or as simple as a packet of his favourite sweets.
4. Sing a few lines of your ‘special’ song into his voicemail.
5. Brag about your partner to friends while he is nearby. It’ll will make him feel like a million dollars.
6. Buy her jewellery. For some reason, women like rare, expensive rocks and metals. The more the merrier, but more often than not, just the thought of receiving jewellery from her man is enough to make her smile all day.
7. Never, never forget her birthday, your wedding anniversary or other special days. Put it in your diary, get someone to remind you, pay if you have to. Invest in a PDA or subscribe to a free online calendar like Yahoo Calendar.
8. Send her an online greeting card. There are many wondeully creative sites out there where you can send love cards for free. Do it today.
9. Take your partner on long walks and hold his hand. Go star-gazing.
10. Plan and cook a meal together.
11. Write a romantic love letter or love note. Some people find it easier to write down how they feel.
12. Listen to what she’s saying. Really listen. Active listening involves eye contact, repeating what the other person has said, mirroring their body movements, etc. Don’t try to give a solution to her problems, just provide a listening ear.
13. Write and sing her a love song, if you’re musically inclined.
14. Take her on a drive in a convertible and watch the sunset.
15. Take note of his best qualities and tell him how great he is. Tell the truth!

It is the cosmopolitan centre of the Cyclades complex. Its reputation has spread during the last years owed to its unparalleled landscape, its archaelogical sites, its cosmopolite environment and its glorious beaches. White-washed, cube-shaped houses are scattered all over the island, narrow down streets in the city, chapels & picturesque tavernas hide amongst art galleries & stores selling jewellery, souvenirs etc.

Styles that sweep across the global scene are born in the vivid nightlife of this contemporary resort. An island of luring and tempestuous reputation like Mykonos, with high tourism & a rather superficial lifestyle, inevitably has each fans and critics.But even the most unsuspicious visitor immediately understands that Mykonos is not just a crazy “bon-viveur”, but likewise an attractive, picturesque island with white Chora apart the crystal-clear blue waters of the Aegean.

Because it is so famous, Mykonos gets really overcrowded in the period of high season but for those who enjoy the crowd, great fun & all night long entertainment, Mykonos is the idealistic place for vacations.

The beach of Platis Yialos is first of the most mainstream beaches of the island, it is full organized, offering sun beds, umbrellas, & water sports installations. Its golden sand and marvellous turquoise crystalline waters attract thousands of people in the period of summertime time. It is approachable by local bus departure each half an hour from Chora. From Platis Yialos beach, regular taxi-boats go to the beaches of the southern coast which are Paranga , Agrari , Elia , Paradise & Super Paradise.

Agrari and Elia are placed one next to each other, forming a huge sandy beach, 10 kilometres from Chora. Elia is the longer sandy beach of Mykonos, fully organized, offering a wide selection of taverns & bars as well as water sports installations. Agrari Beach is less popular than its neighbour & much calmer. They each may likewise be reached out by local bus.

Paradise is one of the most famed beaches of Mykonos, pulling in mostly a young crowd by its twenty-four hours music and its day and night beach parties. Paradise beach is set between Paranga Beach & Super Paradise Beach & is approachable by a pathway from Platis Yialos, by bus or by taxi-boat.

The notable Cavo Paradiso which is a big building complex working like a night club, holding a pool, a restaurant and a beach bar, is placed on a hill, higher up the beach. By night, Paradise Beach transforms into a very big club with music & people dancing on the sand and the rocks till dawn.

Jewelry – a magical word that exudes bright smiles, diamond-like glittering eyes and deep, longing sighs. Ever since the human race evolved into an intelligent straight-backed species, there are evidences that jewels in the form of precious crude metals and stones were collected and considered to be forms of splendor. There are several archeological findings of hand-made simple and elegant jewelry in various parts of the world. No wonder that in the modern age, jewelry has gained such an important status in the global market and a nation’s fortune is decided upon its possession and utilization of gold and diamond mines.

Competition among the best brands is at its optimum level and today’s jewelers are the busiest in the professional market, trying to meet the never-ending craving for priceless elegant designs. With the revolution in the area of industry and communication, world class jewelry has come to the reach of urban man and is no longer limited to remain in the prized possession of royalty and film stars. No matter what the budget, jewelry, in today’s world comes in many different forms to suit your individual style. Every variety of jewelry has long since been the ultimate fashion statement and has stayed that way till date. The earlier small scale family jewelry shops have turned into massive corporate giants spewing thousands of fresh designs each year. It is quite an impossible task to bring forth the staggering number of brands floating in the current market. However, based on antiquity and their present grasp on the world’s economy, I am going to enumerate here some famous jewelry stores and brands.

America’s best jewelry brands and retail outlets

Zale Corporation

Zale is one of North America’s largest retailers in diamond, pearl and coloured stone, and gold (rings, chains, etc) jewelry. It has a chain of 2350 outlets throughout US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The firm has four flagship bearers aimed at different jewelry markets - Bailey Banks & Biddle Fine Jewelers, Gordon's Jewelers, Zales Jewelers, and Piercing Pagoda. In addition to this, Zale also runs several outlets in Canada under the names Peoples Jewellers & Mappins Jewellers. Zales.com & Baileybanksandbiddle.com are the two official online shopping malls for sale of Zale merchandise.

A brief overview of Zale’s chains is given below:

Gordon's Jewelers:

This was founded in 1924 by Meyer M. Gordon. With further expansion, the business grew into a dominant regional jewelry brand catering to local fashion and style and it has continued the tradition over the years.

Bailey Banks & Biddle:

This was created by two American silversmiths with very little capital in 1832 and the brand was established in 1878. This firm of fine jewelers became one of the country’s prominent jewelry brands and now has a nationwide recognition. Bailey Banks & Biddle has grown to more than 70 retail locations in 31 states across the country and Puerto Rico.

Piercing Pagoda:

As ear-piercing started catching up with the fashion market of the US, jewelry store owners Bernard and Bertha Cohen found it apt to open the very first Piercing Pagoda™ in the Whitehall Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, in 1969. This venture became a success story when women from far and wide came to their stall for ear-piercing. Piercing Pagoda has grown from a single retail location to a chain of more than 820 kiosks today satisfying customers throughout the US and Puerto Rico with its specialty gold jewelry.

Signet Group plc

Signet, a UK based company, is the largest US specialty retail brand capturing a major chunk of the US jewellery market with its 1,221 stores in 50 states. It reaches to the retail customers through the malls under the banner Kay Jewelers and regionally under a number of well-established and recognized names. The superstores operate under the flagship name Jared – The Galleria of Jewelry. Signet Group's US subsidiary is Sterling Jewelers.

Sterling Jewelers Inc.

Primarily dealing with sterling silver, Sterling Jewelers also showcases gold, silver, diamond, and gemstone jewelry, watches, collectibles, and gifts. It has a spread of some 1,220 stores in 50 states. Sterling jewelers is ranked number one in the US (ahead of Zale). It operates “Kay Jewelers” (as a subsidiary of Signet) as well “Jared the Galleria of Jewelry” (also as a subsidiary of Signet), and about 330 regional jewelry stores under the names “Belden”, “JB Robinson”, “Marks & Morgan”.

Kay Jewelers:

Since 1916, Kay Jewelers, with it’s headquarter in Ohio, has grown from one store to more than 800 from coast to coast. Together with Signet Group plc, its London-based parent company, Kay jewelers has been satisfying clientele in the US as well as other parts of the world.

Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry:

Jared is the leading chain of jewellery superstores. It is also the leading diamond jeweler in the US. More than 100 Jared stores sell diamond jewelry and loose diamonds.

Tiffany

Tiffany, established in 1837 in Broadway, New York, first captured the world’s attention with its intricate silver designs using sterling silver. Since then Tiffany has its name associated with presidents and royalty. It has captured significant chunks of the US and UK markets. In 2006, Tiffany has presented the Frank Gehry collection of jewelry designs in collaboration with the famous architect Frank O. Gehry. Dealing with diamond, pearls, watches, Tiffany stores are available all over the world like the one on 5th avenue, New York, Harrods in London, Printemps Boutique in Paris, at Sydney, Australia, Ngee Ann City in Singapore to name a few.

Macy’s

Opened in New York by Rowland Hussey Macy in 1858, Macy’s was just a fancy dry goods store. From such a beginning, it has made a long and successful journey to become America’s first largest retail departmental store. With over 800 stores all over the US, Macy’s showcases everything from items of daily use to exquisite jewelry, collectibles and accessories.

International stores

Boucheron

In 1858, Frédéric Boucheron founded his own jewellery house and opened a boutique in the highly fashionable Palais Royal district of Paris. The luxurious boutique quickly attracted a prestigious clientele. Over four generations, the family business grew into one of the world's best-known fine jewellery brands. In 1893 Boucheron was the first jewellery store to open a boutique on the Place Vendôme, a neighbourhood known for its urbanity and elegance. In this century, while remaining true to its unique tradition and legacy, Boucheron has become a name synonymous with aggressive and luxurious modern jewelry designs.

Dior

Christian Dior, based in France, has been luring the rich and famous from all over the world with handbags, shoes, and jewelry along with other accessories. Its unique trademark jewellery designs make it figure in the top international brand names. It portrays a unique style of producing solid jewelry items with tiny, simple patterns etched or woven in gold, platinum and silver.

Bvlgari

Since 1884, Bulgari has been setting the pace for Italian style in jewellery. It was founded by a Greek named Sotirio who had a flair for roman culture. With a high volume of creativity and innovation, Bulgari looks for inspiration from Greek and Roman arts without losing focus on originality. It experiments with gold jewelry in strings of pearl and colored stones. This gives a unique colorful touch to its products. Via Condotti was its first store boasting visits from royalty and film stars galore.In Rome, Paris, London, New York and Los Angeles, as well as in Tokyo and Dubai, Bulgari has created a niche of its own.

H Samuel and Ernest Jones

In the UK, Signet is the largest specialty retailer of fine jewellery with 591 stores nationwide. Primarily situated in prime uptown locations or shopping malls, the stores operate under the banners “H.Samuel”, “Ernest Jones” and “Leslie Davis” (a trade name related to Ernest Jones). Signet sells gold, silver, diamond, and gemstone jewelry, watches, collectibles, and gifts. Some stores sell china and crystal.

Ernest Jones specializes in diamonds, branded watches and gold jewellery, which are all merchandised and marketed to appeal to the more affluent urban customer.

H.Samuel offers a range of jewellery, gold, watches and gifts.

Peoples Jewellers & Mappins Jewellers

Zale Corporation has captured the Canadian market through two brands, Peoples® Jewellers and Mappins® Fine Jewellers. Both chains are well-known throughout Canada. They provide traditional jewelry items through outlets located in prime malls and other strategically well-placed geographic locations. Founded in 1919 as a family business, Peoples Jewellers was the first company in Canada to sell jewelry on a time payment plan. Mappins Jewellers began operating in 1935, by a British jeweler named Mappins working in a Canadian firm. Mappins was acquired by Peoples Jewellers in 1964.

D’ Damas

D'damas is part of the Gitanjali Digico Group which was established in 1966. It is considered one of the earliest diamond houses and the largest diamond exporting company in India. The traditional role of diamond manufacturers exporting the bulk of their production to wholesalers worldwide is no longer sufficient to remain competitive in today’s changing market scenario. The Gitanjali Group has therefore tuned itself with changing times by adapting newer methods. Being a DTC Sightholder and a diamond manufacturer, the Group has strategically positioned itself to manufacture and promote diamonds as well as studded jewellery all the way to the retail level. D’ Damas brands include “Asmi”, “Collection g”, “Eternal”, “Glitterati”, “Gold Expressions”, “Lamhe”, “Nakshatra”, “Origin”, “Solitaire”, “Victoria's Desire”.

Tanishq

Started in India in 1995 by the jewelry business group of Titan Industries Ltd (owned by Tata group), Tanishq is the fastest growing jewelry brand in India. Tanishq is a perfect blend of style and traditional elegance. It provides an exquisite variety of 22k pure gold jewelry studded with diamonds and other coloured gems.

Cartier

The name Cartier is synonymous to awe-inspiring jewelry since the beginning of 20th century. Cartier specializes in creating mesmerizing designs on gold, silver and platinum with gems and precious stones. Available worldwide, its flagship boutiques have been operating in Paris, London and New York.

Swarovski group

In the19th Century, Daniel Swarovski opened the door to the sparkling world of crystal when he invented an automatic cutting machine. Specializing in crystal artifacts, accessories and even innovative and elegant jewellery, the company has captured the minds of people globally with its exquisitely intricate patterns etched in crystal.

EROS Fine Jewellery

Located at the foot of the Acropolis in Greece, EROS Jewellery store is a family owned business. Jewelry making in Greece is traditional but exemplifies outstanding craftsmanship at reasonable prices. If you are looking for pieces of modern, traditional, classical or Byzantine styles you will find them all here. You can also manage to get custom-made jewelry at reasonable prices.

De Beers

De Beers originally based in South Africa, is the largest diamond mining company in the world today. Recently De Beers has launched a joint venture with LVMH (De Beers LV). This, in turn, has taken the De Beers name to the High Street with De Beers jewellery stores in the US, Japan, UK, France and Dubai. The first De Beers boutique opened in London in early December 2001 at the corner of Bond Street and Piccadilly. From there De Beers has carried on opening ten more outlets in various parts of the globe. Recently, in collaboration with jeweler Neil Lane, De Beers has opened a boutique on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood catering to the rich and famous clientele there.

Chopard

This Swiss jeweled watch-making company has clinched a name of its own in the jewelry industry. Its has its branches and boutiques worldwide in countries like Austria, Great Britain, USA, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan and the Bahamas to name a few.

Damiani

This 80 year old Italian jewelry brand is a name to reckon with amongst world’s top film stars and royalty. Started in 1924 in Valenza, Italy, this flagship brand (owned by Damiani group) of exquisite and innovative gold and diamond jewelry has become the epitome of luxury jewelry keeping its balance with original traditions and elegance. Some of their newer jewelry collections include Tahitian Pearl Jewelry Collection and their Sophia Loren collection. The Tahitian collection features beautiful black pearls, diamonds and gold. Damiani has also won the Tahitian Pearl Trophy, Italy.

Costello’s online jewelry store

Costello’s was established as the Koala Opal Centre in 1955 in Australia, exporting Australian rough opal to Japan. Over the years, it has successfully established retail outlets in prime locations in Sydney and Perth. Costello is the also the national jewelry retailer and exporter of Argyle diamonds from Western Australia's Kimberley ranges as well as South sea pearls from the waters around Broome. Costellos.com.au provides an online portal for the sale of its exquisite gemstones and pearls backed by International guarantee certificate proving genuineness of the products.

Dubai Gold and Diamond Park

Long awaited and dedicated jewellery shopping mall has finally opened in Dubai. The jewelry at Gold and Diamond Park guarantees certified quality at 37 outlets in air-conditioned comfort. Their range of jewelry includes several varieties of precious stones, yellow, white and even purple gold, platinum items; and pearls. The park is an extension of the Jebel Ali Free Zone, so, the manufactures and retailers are able to benefit from lower operating costs, which, in turn, give the opportunity to compete in international markets. The exterior throws an Arabic look while providing cool, clean and aesthetic interiors. The shops are arranged around a central square where an open-plan French Connection coffee shop gives you the opportunity to sit and observe the whole operation. There is even a museum inside the park providing the history of UAE in producing quality jewellery products. The world class manufacturers have shifted their focus on this jewelry mall. Hence it is not just the common yellow and white gold that is available here, as Prestige Palace at the park brings purple gold to the Middle East for the first time. Pinctada Pearls, which stocks only salt water pearls, showcases black pearls from Tahiti, and pinky white and creamy white Australian South Sea pearls. The park also has its special hallmark on the jewellery made here ensuring originality and quality products.

TOMEI Gold and jewelry

TOMEI Gold & Jewellery Holdings (M) Sdn. Bhd. was established in 1968. With hard work and ability to foresee client needs, TOMEI has evolved into Malaysia's premier retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer of gold and jewellery. It has grown into a powerful contributor in the second largest export market for gold jewellery in the world after India. It has a chain of versatile subsidiaries and branches providing flexible services with ever-changing marketing scenario. Under the brand names “T.H. jewelry” and “My Diamond”, TOMEI has captured the Malaysian jewelry market and is a name to reckon with internationally.

China National Pearl Diamond Gem & Jewellery Import & Export Corp

China National Pearl Diamond Gem & Jewellery Imp. & Exp. Corporation, referred to as “SINOGEM”, was founded in 1985. It is a platform for the import and export of gold, platinum, silver jewelry/ornament, diamond and gemstone jewelry, jadeite and pearls; precious metals and finished products in China. It showcases its products under the brand name “Famous” to a clientele based in more than 40 countries.

Pearl Paradise

The Pearl Paradise, founded in 1996, has its showroom in Los Angeles, California. It mainly deals with a variety of exotic cultured marine pearls like Golden Akoya, Peacock Tahitian, and Pink Freshwater. It not only caters to the crème de la crème, but also captures clients with modest means by providing jewelry suitable to their budgets. Pearlparadise.com has turned into a multi-million dollar business and boasts fourteen websites in several countries around the world, including Canada, Germany, France, the UK, and Italy. Both the showroom as well as the online shopping site display same price for the chosen piece of pearl jewelry.

Tokyo Pearl

This Japanese brand existing since 1959, offers fashionable pearl and diamond jewelry in traditional and modern flavors. It’s Akoya, South Sea and Tahiti pearls have reached far corners of the globe like Moscow, Antwerp, India, Perth and New York.

Mangatrai Pearls & Jewellery

The company, founded in 1935 in Hyderabad, India, has pioneered in using latest cost effective techniques and modern innovative ideas to present the world with elegant, contemporary designs in pearl jewelry. For centuries Hyderabad has been the centre of world’s most exquisite pearls. Mangatrai Pearls & Jewellery showcases an unrivaled collection of South sea pearls, Tahitian pearls and Natural pearls woven in intricate patterns for producing the most exquisite collection of jewelry. The brand operates with just two outlets located in prime locations in Hyderabad.

Australia has topaz deposits in five of its six states. Topaz is a mineral in a crystalline form. With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness that makes it a good stone for jewelry.

Topaz is an exciting gemstone which in its final form can be a number of individual colors such as yellow, blue, and different varieties of blue as well as pink, red orange or brown. It can also be many colors in one stone.

When topaz is in its pure form it is transparent and colorless or lightly colored but sometimes it is colored by traces of other minerals. The color that we see in a piece of topaz gemstone mostly comes from heat treatment of the stone or irradiation.

When yellow topaz is heat treated it often turns into a gorgeous pink or reddish color. When it is irradiated it becomes the blue that we so often see in this gemstone.

My favourite topaz is commonly called mystic topaz and this has been treated by applying a layer of titanium oxide to the stone. These stones look like nothing else and display an array of iridescent colors. There is a limited amount of mystic topaz available and the patenting of the process to make it makes sure that this is the case. So you cannot find it everywhere and some shops won’t even know about it. I guess rainbow coloring might be the best way to describe this to someone who has never seen it. The best part is that although it might look better than an untreated stone it actually costs less to buy one.

Topaz is a stone which allows itself to be faceted. It takes special skills to cut topaz and it can be cut into many interesting designs. Topaz often occurs without inclusions so it makes wonderful jewellery.

Most people think of diamond jewellery as having sparkling white stones but can we get other colours? Yes we can but most of them are white diamonds turned another colour from treating them. Today you can have your white diamond turned another colour for about $400. But how would you like your engagement ring made with a blistering, vibrant pink diamond and a natural one at that! Well, the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia will supply that to you as well as yellows, browns and blue.

Diamonds come from the earth’s mantle and move to the surface in what are called pipes which are made from kimberlite or lamproite rock. There are diamond deposits in every state of Australia.

The Argyle diamond pipe was found in 1979 a very short time ago. In 1983 construction began on the main open cut diamond mine and processing plant. Even before the plant was commissioned some fifteen million carats of diamonds had been found as alluvial deposits in the region. Since then the Argyle diamond has made Australia one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds and now annually produces around one third of the world supply.

Argyle diamonds come in a variety of different colours but are broken up into three main categories: pink, champagne and white. The colours range from grey, yellow, brown, orange, green and reds as well as intermediate colours. The best are the colorless or the ones which exhibit a distinct and vibrant colour which are named fancies. Pink diamonds are rare and this mine produces the most dependable supply in the world.

The best of the Argyle diamonds are processed, cut and polished in Western Australia and that is a comforting aspect when we know that there is no conflict with these diamonds. You can be sure that no child in a third world country has laboured for these and no adult has been forced to mine them by some rebel soldier under penalty of death.