Category Archives: Learning
Buying jewelry, tips on care
Diamond Quiz
Think you know diamonds?
Test your knowledge by taking this quiz from HowStuffWorks.com – then share your score on Facebook!
Faye’s Diamond Mine IJO Jeweler Tour: Israel 2011
Israel is one of the diamond capitals of the world – a place where technology and design combine the best of ancient and modern.
Faye Rodgers of Faye’s Diamond Mine in Clinton, Arkansas joined the IJO Master Jeweler diamond buying trip to Israel in 2011. Enjoy this fascinating footage from our archives!
The hosts for the trip, IJO members Cherie Dori, are the makers of our fabulous new bridal line DiaDori Bridal. Read more about this exciting product and our exclusive offers…
See more:
Israel 2011: Photos & Interviews
Hallmarks on Old Jewelry
Hallmarks are stamps used to indicate the purity and origin of fine metals. Individual countries and companies use different systems of notation that can be used to track the quality, source, and date of your jewelry (and sometimes its maker). A little information can go a long way in helping you find out more about your antique jewelry and its potential value.
What do the marks on my old jewelry mean?
Gold hallmarks
British gold made between 1798 and 1975 is stamped with a crown the karat weight. Until 1854, only 18k and 22k were allowed.
Many pieces carry a 3-digit number that indicates the gold quality in percent, not karats (Read more about gold quality…)
• “999″ = 24 karat = 99.9%
• “916″ = 22 karat = 91.6%
• “750″ = 18 karat = 75%
• “585″ = 14 karat = 58.5%
• “417″ = 10 karat = 41.7%
In France, commercial gold must be at least 18k. This is certified by the eagle’s head stamp, used on all gold jewelry made after 1838.
Since 1906, precious metal jewelry in American is required to have a purity mark. However, there has never been a standardized system of marking in the United States, so many makers invented their own systems. American makers sometimes imitated British marks, making them hard to distinguish – but if it has a purity mark, karat is spelled with a “k” on American jewelry.
Silver hallmarks
Like gold, pure silver is too soft to be made into jewelry, so it is blended with other metals such as copper. An item that consists of 92.5% silver (or “925″) qualifies as “sterling,” the standard set by various countries to regulate commercial silver. A sterling mark is one of the most common stamps you will see on silver jewelry.
Image: British Silver Hallmarks
a – Maker’s Mark
b – Assay Mark (Early Sheffield)
c – Date Letter
d – The Sterling Mark
e – The Duty Mark (monarch’s head)
British marks indicate four things:
- Purity – the lion passant (“lion walking”) is the symbol for British sterling.
- Assay office – like US coins stamped with the initial of the city where they were minted, British silver often bears a symbol showing where it was graded.
- Date – Every year has a unique code letter. Silver makers re-used the same letters of the alphabet by starting over about every 20 years with a new style of letter stamp.
- A makers mark, a tax mark, or import mark were optional but sometimes appear on antique pieces.
French standard silver (at least 800 fineness) is marked with a boar’s head.
After World War II, Mexican silver makers started a system of notation. Sterling is indicated by the Mexican eagle.
Gemstone hallmarks
The most common way of marking precious stones in a piece of old jewelry is with its corresponding birthstone symbol, or zodiac sign.
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Earth Day 2012
We all share a responsibility towards our environment. Everybody (even your local jeweler!) can play a part in contributing to our communities and helping our world be a better place.
At Faye’s, we hope to inspire our customers and fellow business owners with simple ways to make their daily routines a little “greener.” Sustainability isn’t just an idea; it’s a vital attitude that directly affects the way we live and do business.
When you shop at Faye’s, a portion of your sale goes towards local & global outreach in support of education, the arts, and opportunities for those in need. We’re one small link in a chain of business owners, manufacturers, and suppliers that strive toward civic-mindedness and intelligent use of resources – raising the standard of integrity in our industry and our global community.
Read more:
Faye’s Diamond Mine | Social Responsibility
Titanic Jewelry
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Last week, hundreds of artifacts recovered from the sunken ruins were auctioned at Guernsey’s in New York – including some priceless pieces of legendary Titanic jewelry. One of the pieces on offer was a girl’s bracelet with the name “Amy” set in diamonds.
Image: Gems and Jewelry: Titanic Jewelry Up for Auction
Another piece of Titanic jewelry that made news recently was this beautiful necklace belonging to the wealthy British passenger Eleanor Widener. The chain, valued at $20,000, was stolen from exhibit in Denmark last year.
Image: Discovery News
Heart of the Ocean
By far the most famous jewelry memorabilia related to the Titanic is the legendary “Heart of the Ocean.” Originally, it was a blue sapphire pendant given to passenger Kate Florence Philips by her fiancee Samuel Morley. The night of the sinking, the necklace was one of the only possessions Kate was able to snatch aboard the lifeboat with Samuel’s help, shortly before his death. Kate survived the fateful night and the necklace is now in the possession of a private collector.
This tragic story of a young couple running away together to start a new life in America was part of James Cameron’s inspiration for the film Titanic. In the film, the sapphire was transformed into a priceless heart-shaped blue diamond called the “Heart of the Ocean” whose story was loosely modeled after that of the Hope Diamond.
For the movie, actress Kate Winslet wore an Edwardian-style necklace that was actually made with a blue cubic zirconium. However the piece started a fashion craze that led to the design of a real “Heart of the Ocean” made with sapphire and diamonds and later auctioned for charity at over $2 million. This was the piece Celine Dion wore at the Academy Awards ceremony. Designer Harry Winston created a different version with a real 15-carat blue diamond, worth around $20 million.
eHow: Did They Really Find an Actual Blue Necklace From the Titanic…?
Since then, countless imitations of the “Heart of the Ocean” – as well as several jewelry lines inspired by the Titanic’s Edwardian passengers – have become popular, and not just among celebrities.
Vintage styles are hot this fashion season! Read more about Edwardian jewelry:
Fast Facts: Gold
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A single ounce of gold can be spun into a strand 50 miles long.
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It’s been estimated that up to 75% of the world’s gold is made into jewelry. The remaining 25% is divided between industrial and monetary uses.
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The 3 countries that buy the most gold jewelry: India, China, and the US.
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The largest nugget of gold ever found was the “Welcome Stranger” discovered in Australia in 1869. It weighed over 170 pounds rough and yielded 156 pounds of pure gold.
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Nearly half of all the mined gold in the world has come from South Africa.
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The first gold discovered by Europeans in the United States wasn’t during the California Gold Rush. The find was made in Georgeville, North Carolina in 1803 at the Reed Gold Mine.
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The oldest known gold artifacts were made by the ancient Thracians around 4000 BC. Huge treasure troves of gold jewelry have been in unearthed in the ancient burial sites of Varna, Bulgaria.
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The first gold coins were made in Lydia, an ancient kingdom in what is today Turkey. The legend of King Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold, was based on a real king of this wealthy empire.
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Did you know that gold is edible? The gold leafing used in specialty deserts is the real thing. Some alcoholic drinks are embellished with gold dust. Only compounds such as gold chloride have potentially toxic effects.
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That bit of gold in your wedding band? It probably started out in the heart of a dying star. The element gold forms when a neutron star goes supernova, exploding its contents into space. It is believed that earth’s gold was delivered by massive collisions during the planet’s formation. Pretty romantic, huh?
Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Necklace
Remember our post on choosing the right earrings for your face shape? The same ideas apply to the one piece of jewelry almost every woman is likely to wear – the versatile necklace. Whether casual or formal, there’s no end to the different styles available, and the choice can be mind-boggling. Considering the length, shape and texture of your necklace can be a key to finding your best look.
Types of Necklaces
Neck jewelry comes in several categories based on length:
- Collar – 12″ to 13″ Snugs against your neck; usually in several strands
- Choker – 14″ to 16″ Rests at or around the collarbone
- Princess – 17″ to 19″ The most popular (and versatile) length
- Matinee – 20″ to 25″ Worn by themselves, they are chic and professional
- Opera – 26″ to 36″ Long and classy, these strands make a clear fashion statement
- Some necklaces (such as pearls) are available in rope length. These are very formal and elegant.
Image: Ispirada Jewelry Blog: How to Choose a Necklace Size
Choosing for your face shape
As a rule, you’ll want to wear neck jewelry that brings balance to your features, and avoid necklaces that mimic the same shape as your face.
See how the length and shape of the necklace balances the face? Round/short face = longer necklace; angular features = small, delicate styles. Read the rest of this entry
