Diamonds, Pearls, Metals

Diamond, unique stone between all.

Of all the rare stones existing in this world, none is more valuable or significant as a diamond. Its many qualities make it particularly interesting.

The origin of the word diamond is associated to its great hardness. Of the Greek word Adamas, which means invincible , the hardness of diamond is without equal. In other words a diamond seems imperishable: a diamond is eternal.

One of the most eminent quality of diamond is undoubtedly its dispersion, its fires; the distribution of the white light through its spectral colors, highlighted by the brilliant cut. A diamond is more dispersive than the majority of the gems and this property contributes prodigiously to its beauty.

A diamond's value is mastered by very strict standards which makes it possible to define its quality. A precise analysis of a diamond can be made only by a professional, the gemmologist.

Where do diamonds come from?

The Mogols of India, which were the first to unearth great quantities of diamond on their territories, realized immeasurable fortunes thanks to these gems. It wasn't until the 17th century that Europe unveil at its tu a great enthusiasm for these stones that only the powerful ones could acquire. Within th years the diamond-seam were starting to depriciate so the European nations then craved to excavate the ground of their recent colonies to unearth this new source of richness.

In the middle of last century, most thought that one had exhausted the world diamond reserves. At this point in time in 1866 the first diamond of South Africa was discovered and a new rush started.

Your 4 designated criteria: 4c's

Before choosing a diamond, here's what you must know to be sure to recognize a beautiful nature's creation. Each diamond is peerless. Its value is given according to four criteria:

Size. It is of its perfection that depends the glare and the brightness of a diamond, its way of playing with the light. A round diamond (size brilliant) has 58 facets.

Color. Diamonds appear to be white but the majority have a coloring light, generally yellow. The whiter a diamond is, the more it is valuable. However, there are as diamonds of color, such as a dark yellow, blue, pink, green, etc...; they are fancy colored diamonds, they are very rare. However, certain of these diamonds can have obtained their color artificially. The mode methods of modification for diamond pigmentation generally call upon techniques of irradiation, followed by a controled heating. The irradiation of diamonds is a practice accepted in industry, in the sense that it gives diamonds a permanent color at a cheaper cost than its natural equivalent. An irradiated stone will have to be clearly identified as being a treated diamond. The color of diamond is expressed by a letter going from D o Z, D being a perfectly colourless diamond and Z a diamond having a strong colour of yellow, gray or brown.

D..E..F	G..H..I..J	K..L..M	N..O..P..Q..R	S..T..U..V..W..X..Y..Z
incolore	Presque incolore	A peine teinté jaune	Très légèrement teinté jaune	Légèrement teinté jaune

Purity. Diamond can contain light traces of crystallization which one calls of generally invisible inclusions to the naked eye. They do not affect the beauty of the stone but affects its value. The purity of a diamond is expressed as the following indications

FL	VVS1...VVS2	VS1...VS2	SI1...SI2	I1...I2...I3
Flawless	very very small inclusions	very small inclusions	slightly included

Weight. It is measured in carat (a carat = 100 points ). The carat is divided into hundredths, which one also calls points. The weight alone can never determine the value of a diamond.

The principal shapes of a diamond


BRILLANT	OVAL	SQUARE	MARQUISE	HEARTSHAPE	EMERALD	PEAR	PRINCESS	TRIANGLE

Much more than one precious stone

Created more than one million years ago, hidden within the deepest of the ground, projected out of its gangue of rocks, polished by the expert hands of one of most skilful craftsman, to become this extraordinary stone among all, this gem sparkling of thousands of vividness.

Your diamond is perhaps the most precious thing you will ever possess. Because a diamond is much more than one rare and beautiful stone.

A diamond never changes. It never loses its value. It will never be out of trend. And it is always synonymous of love.

A diamond is eternel.

The ocean's gift: pearls

Many thousands of years ago, long before written history, human beings probably discovered the first pearl while searching the seashore for food. Throughout history, the pearl, with its warm inner glow and shimmering iridescence, has been one of the most highly prized and sought-after gems. Countless references to the pearl can be found in the religions and mythology of cultures from the earliest times.

In ancient Rome, pearls were considered the ultimate symbol of wealth and social standing. The Greeks held the pearl in high esteem for both its unrivaled beauty and its association with love and marriage. During the Dark Ages, while fair maidens of nobility cherished delicate pearl necklaces, gallant knights often wore pearls into battle. They believed the magic of these lustrous gems would protect them from harm. The Renaissance saw the royal courts of Europe awash in pearls. Because pearls were so highly regarded, a number of European countries actually passed laws forbidding anyone but the nobility to wear them.

During the European expansion into the New World, the discovery of pearls in Central American waters added to the wealth of Europe. Unfortunately, greed and lust for the sea-grown gems resulted in the depletion of virtually all the American pearl oyster populations by the 17th century. Until the early 1900's, natural pearls were accessible only to the rich and famous. In 1916, famed French jeweler Jacques Cartier bought his landmark store on New York's famous Fifth Avenue -- by trading two pearl necklaces for the valuable property.

Different types of pearls

1. Fine perles: A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally lodges itself in an oyster's soft inner body. It then secretes a protective coating around the irritant. This secretion is called nacre. and layers form around the irritant to create - a pearl.

2. Cultured pearls (saltwater and freshwater pearls): a natural pearl who's formation was provoked by human action. It can take different shapes: round, drop, button oval, semi-round, circle -- or ringed, baroque, and semi-baroque.

Saltwater pearls:

Material: a nucleous made from the nacre of an oyster and mantle tissu from an other oyster.

Highly skilled technicians carefully open live pearl oysters, and with surgical precision make an incision in the oyster's body. Then, they place a tiny piece of 'mantle tissue' from another oyster into a relatively safe location. Then, they place a small round piece of shell, or 'nucleus,' beside the inserted mantle tissue. The nucleus is a mother-of-pearl bead made from an American freshwater mussel. The cells from the mantle tissue develop around the nucleus forming a sac, which closes and starts to secrete nacre, the crystalline substance that forms the pearl.

The pearl's growth is carefully cultivated, the result over several years will be a cultured saltwater pearl. The period of growth is 1 to 3 years. A pearl of 1 year will not be as of good quality as a 3 year old pearl since it will be too thin, which will be the fruit a dull and not very attractive pearl. If one awaits more than 3 years it will then be the reslut of a baroque pearl, of superieur thickness but of less value due to its form. The pearls of the South Seas will have a thickness of more significance because they grow in a hotter water, stimulting the production.

Freshwater pearls:

Material: a nucleous (not of spherical core, where it's irregular shape comes from)

The process causing the formation of a freshwater pearl is almost identical as the saltwater pearl.

The period of growth of a freshwater pearl is about 5 years.

The oyster used in the production of saltwater pearls is generally used once because its life span is approximately seven to eight years. The death rate of this oyster is very high since it doesn't react very well to the extraction of the pearl. On the other hand, the mussel used for freshwater pearls can be used up to to three times and can live 40 years. This type of mollusc responds much better to the intervention.

The color of pearls

Fine pearls and cultured pearls come in different colors. The most popular colors are the following:

white
pinkish white
green
pinkish creme
blue
black
golden
creme
silver

The most highly valued pearls are the perles from Tahiti, black perles. As for the other colors, the price depends on its popularity. The proper value of each color will vary also, of course, according to the availability of each one on the market, which is connected to the qualities of the various harvests of pearls.

Taking care of your pearls

Cultured pearls are invaluable stones and must be handled like such.

Do not neglect your pearls by throwing them into your purse or by putting them away in your jewellry box where they can be scratched by other metlas or other stones.

Do not expose them to hair products, cosmetics or perfums.

Pearls are sensitive to acides and other chemical products. Do not wear your pearls to the swimming pool, nor under the shower, or when they might be in contact with cleaning prodcuts.

Handle your pearls carefully. Place them in a chamois bag or wrap them in a fabric when you put them away.

Pass your pearls after the make-up, hair spray and perfume. Your not to put bodycream on the parts of your skin which will be in contact with the pearls.

Wash your pearls with a soft soap and water after having removed them. This will remove any trace of perfume or anythin else.

Bring your pearls to your jeweller every year to do get them restrung. Cosmetics and to wear pearls frequently weakens and stretches the nylon wire on which the pearls are threaded. You are better off being more careful than to be likely to lose your pearls.

PLATINUM:

PLATINUM MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD:

Platinum is pure:

No other precious metal is worked at such consistently high purity levels:950/000.And only platinum will never tarnish,no lose its deep colour,or find total compatibility with all skin types.

Platinum is ancient:

The platinum story started about three thousand years ago in ancient Egypt.Roughly 800 years later,the Incas also worked platinum into precious jewellery pieces.And around 1580 the Spanish Conquistadores gave this rare metal the name we all use today: '' platina '' or '' little silver ''.

Platinum is heavy:

Platinum's specific gravity of 21.45g/ccm makes it one of the heaviest of precious metals.Twice as heavy as silver and-surpris-ingly enough-as lead.

Platinum is young:

The first platinum jewellery appeared in Europe around the year 1780 at the court or Louis XVI of France.And platinum attained current importance with the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley.Its heyday came at the turn of the century

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