Jewelry Education

Jeweler.com is your comprehensive resource for jewelry information and education online. We believe that a well-informed customer is a satisfied customer, which is why we have dedicated a page of our site solely to jewelry education. The more you know about jewelry, the better equipped you will be to identify quality pieces and good values. On this page, we’ll cover all of the fundamentals of jewelry, from certification to proper jewelry care.

Jewelry Certification

Whether you’re purchasing a colored gemstone or a diamond, you want to select a piece that is certified by a reputable gemological laboratory. The foremost gemological organizations in the U.S. are the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). These laboratories issue certificates on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. The purpose of a gemological certificate is to aver that the gem possesses the attributes that the seller claims. The certificate is proof of the gem’s quality and authenticity. Jeweler.com can offer you the widest selection of professionally certified jewelry online.

About Jewelry Metals

Three primary metals are used in jewelry: gold, silver, and platinum. You can find some basic facts about each metal below.

• Gold - gold does not corrode, rust, or tarnish, which makes it a popular metal for jewelry. Three different colors of gold are used in jewelry: yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. The purity of gold jewelry is expressed in karatage, represented by the letter “k.” Karatage is reported in 24ths, which means 24k gold is 100% gold. Gold is too soft to be used in jewelry in its pure form, so it is typically mixed with other metals. Most jewelry is either 18k gold (composed of 75% gold) or 14k gold (composed of 58.3% gold).
• Silver - like gold, silver is too soft to be used by itself in jewelry. For this reason, it is mixed with other metals to enhance its durability. One of the most popular jewelry metals is sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
• Platinum - platinum is the strongest of all the jewelry metals. Platinum does not tarnish or scratch, which is why it is the metal of choice for stone settings. Quality platinum jewelry is usually 95% platinum, with the other 5% consisting of palladium, iridium, or ruthenium. The best platinum metal will bear the mark “Plat” or “950 Plat.”

Jewelry Care

Properly caring for your jewelry will help maintain its beauty for decades to come. Regardless of the type of jewelry, you should have the piece professionally cleaned and inspected every six months. Some jewelers provide this service to customers for free. Between professional cleanings, you should clean your jewelry on your own periodically to preserve its shine. Most pieces can be cleaned with a soft brush and soap and water. For diamond jewelry, use a diamond-cleaning kit. If you have silver jewelry, you should polish it regularly with silver polish to remove tarnish. Avoid wearing your jewelry when exercising or performing household chores. Also, do not expose your jewelry to any harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or cleaning products. When you store your jewelry, keep it away from other pieces to prevent scratching. A soft pouch or small box is ideal for jewelry storage.

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