A Diamond is Forever

American Diamond Necklace Set (Click above image to expand)

A Diamond is Forever a sign of love

A Diamond is Forever a Woman’s best friend. It is not an easy affair as the cost of mined Diamonds can be exorbitant. Every Woman has an inherent desire to possess Diamond Jewelry but unfortunately, it is only within the reach of the rich and the famous. From all the collections of Gemstones, Diamond is the most expensive.

If you are lucky to possess mined Diamonds, then you will want to wear it to grace the special occasion. Your friends can then admire the fabulous Diamond Jewelry piece giving you a sense of pride and pleasure.

American (Man-Made) Diamond

Nowadays this is not a problem anymore as man-made Diamonds commonly referred to as American Diamond with affordable pricing is within the reach of the masses. An artificial (man-made) Diamond is still chemically the same as mined Diamond. It is difficult to notice with the naked eye any difference between man-made Diamonds and mined Diamonds. While Artificial Diamonds cannot replace mined Diamonds is a well-known fact, artificial Diamond Jewellery is much cheaper than their mined counterparts.

Silver American Diamond Earring (Click above image to expand)

Man-made Diamonds are replicated to produce affordable Jewelry which has become a rage these days. Man-made Diamonds are the same as a real Diamond Jewelry bringing to fore the Diamond replica Jewelry. Famous personalities and celebrities wear designer Diamond replica Jewelry making it a fashion statement. Replica Jewelry available in the market is picked up by the fans and masses through social media channels, thereby actively following the celebrities.

Man-made Diamond studded Bangles and Bracelets are beautiful and add grace and flavor to your wrist. Diamond Necklace Jewelry sets spread sparkling rays all over you. A woman always wants to get it and flaunt the Diamond Jewelry attire. You may also want to wear it for astrological purposes, so the best option here would be to wear the ring with a Diamond Stone fitted in it to bring about positive effects in your life.

American Diamond Necklace Pendant Set/Ring/Bracelet with Earring (Click above image to expand)

However, it is always necessary to inform your Fiancee/ Woman to whom you are gifting the American Diamond jewelry the type of diamond it is because chances are she may take it to a jewelry merchant to find its value only to discover it to be an artificial Diamond.

Diamonds can be fitted into any type of Jewellery - Earrings, Pendants, Cufflinks and Bracelets, the possibilities are endless.

How are Man Made Diamonds made?

Two methods are employed to manufacture man-made Diamonds

• High-Pressure High Temperature

• Chemical Vapor Deposition

The former process is preferred since production cost to produce man-made Diamond is less. Man-made Diamonds Are Now Better Than Mined.

Scientists in the past have been trying since the 1950s, with only limited success to produce lab-engineered Diamonds of small size (under a carat) and Industrial-grade, used in cutting tools given the hardness of Diamonds, but not high-quality enough for Jewelry purpose such as engagement Rings.

However, in recent years the machines and processes used to make man-made Diamonds have been upgraded to simulate the similar extreme pressure and temperatures deep within the Earth’s core that created organic Diamonds over billions of years. Today's lab-grown Diamonds are of sufficient quality to be certified by third-party Institutions, such as the Gemological Institute of America, as Real. They have the exact chemical composition and structure of carbon atoms arranged in a cubic crystal formation as mined Diamonds.

Cubic Zirconia Jewellery Set (Click above image to expand)

Man-Made Diamonds v/s Natural Diamonds

The main difference between Man-made Diamond and the natural Diamond is the composition of three-dimensional carbon crystals. Man-made Diamond is manufactured either from the silicon carbide or the cubic zirconium. The lab-engineered Diamond is known as manufactured Diamond, industrial Diamond, cultured Diamond or artificial Diamond.

Imitation Diamonds can either be Synthetic or Natural. The Natural Imitation Diamond is also known as Diamond simulants and faux Diamonds which are classified as Fake Diamonds. On the other hand, Synthetic (American Diamonds) have the same classification as mined Diamonds are not considered as Fake. The most common Diamond substitutes used in jewelry are Stones, Zircon, Cubic Zirconia, Moissanite, White Sapphires, Garnet, Glass, Rutile and Spinel.  

Testing of Mined Diamonds

A quick assessment test to ascertain mined Diamonds would be:

• The Sandpaper Test - Diamonds are the hardest known substance. So it is impossible for mined diamond jewelry to be scratched. Using either wet or dry Sandpaper, test your Diamond by scratching it vigorously on the brittle surface of the paper. If it becomes scratched or nicked, it is surely a man-made Diamond.

• The Reading Test - In case you have a Diamond which is not mounted on Jewellery, place it in a newspaper. If you can see through the Diamond and notice distorted smudges instead of clearly-marked letters classify such Diamond as man-made. Mined Diamonds, on the other hand, have many intricacies in their infrastructure making it impossible for light to pass all the way through them without first being refracted.

• The Sparkle Test - Look at your Diamond from the top, then from the side. Compare the shiny, reflective qualities that you may notice when looking down onto the face of the Diamond,  the way the Diamond shines and reflects when looking from at a side angle. Man-made Diamonds are crafted to look like mined Diamonds but are not able to captivate the same characteristics throughout the rest of the stone.

American Diamond Maang Tikka (Click above image to expand)

American Diamond Jewelry

There are many advantages when it comes with buying American Diamond Jewelries since you need not worry about issues concerning phantom pricing, theft, buying insurance, dirty tricks, and scams, slave or child labor, conflict stones being used, supporting Diamond cartel, etc which are common practices associated with a mined Diamond Trade.

Conclusion

The many benefits derived from a lab-cultured Diamond are a true victory for the environment, human rights and Diamond supply chain. Mining Diamonds is an energy-intensive and ecologically invasive procedure, affecting fragile ecosystems across the globe. The strength and durability of a diamond last forever justifying the expression “A Diamond is Forever” - a sign of love that never ends.

Pearl Jewelry - Natural, Cultured or Imitation?

Gold Plated White Pearl Beaded Earring with MAANG TIKA (Click above image to expand)

A woman needs strings and strings of pearls. It has been said that of all the pieces of jewelry in the world, a pearl necklace is the only the thing that a woman should always have in her possession. As per Chinese folklore, pearls are the tears of a dragon and the Roman mythology calls it the tears of Venus.

Do you know the world's best pearls formerly came from the Persian Gulf, that is now Bahrain? The discovery of oil in the 1930s was unfortunate for the Pearl Industry. Those who dove for pearls sought prosperity in the economic boom offered by the oil industry. The pearl-producing waters in the Manama Gulf were ruined further with overfishing of oysters and the oil spill resulting in inevitable pollution.

Pearls have withstood the fashion’s test of time. Some years earlier, pearls were created only by the natural processes at the bottom of the ocean. But these days, the increase in artificial production through pearl farms has brought down the prices of pearls significantly. China, Japan, and India are the leading countries in the area of pearl production.

Did you know that out of 1000 cultured oyster hosts, how many produce top quality pearls?

• around 50% die or eject nucleus.
• another 25% produce pearls of marketable quality.
• about 20% are rejected pearls.
• only 5 % produce top quality pearls.

Pearls are of three types-

• Natural
• Cultured (Farm) pearls
• Imitation pearls

Natural Pearls form when an irritant by accident usually a parasite and not the grain of sand - works its way into an oyster, mollusk, or clam. A fluid is used to coat the irritant as a defensive option. Layer upon layer built up of this coating, called 'nacre', gets deposited until a lustrous pearl is formed.

A cultured pearl undergoes the same process. The only difference is that the irritant is a surgically implanted bead or piece of shell called ‘’Mother of Pearl’’. These 'seeds' or 'nuclei' are most often formed from mussel shells. Cultured pearls can be consistent in round shape as the pearl farmer has inserted a round shell bead inside a mollusk. Culturing pearls offers the opportunity to produce other shapes such as coins, sticks, squares, diamond, etc by inserting the desired shaped shell within a mollusk.

Quality cultured pearls require a sufficient amount of time. The culturing process usually takes several years. Mollusks must reach a mature age, which can take up to 3 years, and only then can be implanted or naturally receive an irritant. Once the irritant is in place, it can take up to another 3 years for a thick layer of nacre to be deposited, resulting in a beautiful, gem-quality pearl. Lower-quality pearls have often been 'rushed' out of the oyster too quickly (sometimes a year or less) and have a too-thin coat of nacre.

Gold Plated Pearl Bracelets Bangles (Click above image to expand)

Ocean mollusks make pearls that have a very smooth, even surface and are expensive while freshwater mollusks produce pearls tending to be very irregular in shape, with a puffed rice appearance the most prevalent that have a characteristic uneven surface and are inexpensive.

Other types of pearl shapes are KEISHA - having no nucleus resulting from the extra nacre produced by a mollusk and MABE or BLISTER pearls formed by inserting a half bead in the mollusk’s shell.

However, improvements in freshwater pearl farming techniques have narrowed that gap, with freshwater pearls now exhibiting great roundness and deep luster.

Of the pearls produced, about 5% are of sufficient true gem-quality for top jewelry makers, yet a pearl farmer invests a considerable amount of his time and money for every oyster that is farmed, whether a gem-quality pearl is produced or not.

Did you know that an oyster can produce only one or two pearls at a time while the mollusks used in cultivating freshwater pearls yield up to 50 pearls at once?

Pearl necklaces of various colors are available on the market. Smaller pearls in light hues of blue or pink are most suitable for young children, while the creamier, ivory-toned pearls are for the older women. Black pearl jewelry is very expensive since these pearls are rare.

Natural Fresh Water Black Pearl Necklace (Click above image to expand)

Pearls come in fully drilled, half-drilled and undrilled versions. Most pearls are naturally colored but some pearls are surfaced dyed and the dye will rub off with frequent wears.

When buying pearl jewelry consider if you want an entire set, or just a certain piece because if you buy the necklace, and then later decide to buy the bracelet/earrings they may not match as well as if you had bought it in a set.
               
Knotting of pearls, whether on a necklace or bracelet - pearl jewelry making is time-consuming. Each pearl is knotted with the knot drawn snug to the pearl. It should not be too tight, simply snug, or you risk the chance of breaking the cord. Typically, a tri-cord string is used and the size will depend on the size of the pearls and the size of the hole drilled through them.

• Stringing material is crucial to lend a long and good life of a piece of jewelry and is made
• Beading line (braided nylon thread) is strong and durable which can be knotted making it an ideal choice for working with crystal beads.
• Beading line is a pliable thread made of nylon that can be waxed or thread conditioned.
• Flexible beading wire for stringing wires is made by twisting many strands of filament type stainless steel wires together and coating with nylon.
• Leather cords are available in many colors and widths. Synthetic has now replaced leather.   

Metal wire comes in a range of widths. The most common wires to make fine beaded jewelry is either silver or gold plated.

Pearl necklaces come in five basic lengths:

• Choker (16’’)
• Princess (18’’)
• Matinee (24’’)
• Opera (32’’)
• Rope (46’’)

[Two Line White Shell Pearl and Stone Ring Necklace Earring (Click above image to expand)]

Do you know how to recognize Imitation Pearls?

Rub the pearl across your teeth. The layers of nacre on real pearls feel gritty whereas the imitation pearl will glide across the teeth.
Beads made from fine glass to look like pearls are a fashion option for costume jewelry.
Crystal pearls consist of a smooth, fine crystal core covered with a pearl coating. Plastic pearls are beads covered with opalescent paint (which usually chip off during wears) 

[Single Line White Shell Pearl, Colored Stone and Gold Plated Ball Necklace Earring (Click above image to expand)]

Other beads which go in designing and combining pearl with jewelry are-

• Crystal beads made from leaded glass are cut in a manner to produce maximum brilliance.
• Metal beads can be machine stamped either made by hand or molds and are found in precious and base metal varieties.
• Seed beads are obtained by cutting long, thin tubes of glass into tiny pieces of variable size.
• Semiprecious stone beads come in any imaginable shape.

How are imitation pearls made?

Normally a glass bead is dipped into a solution prepared using fish scales which imparts a thin coating to the glass bead which may wear off. Imitation pearls are referred to as Mallorca pearls assigned to the Island of Mallorca from where the imitation pearl industry sprung up and derived its name.

Accessories Jewelry

Image - Kundan Jewelry Set (Click on image to expand)

The evolution of Accessories jewelry is associated with fine art and design. Skilled craftspeople inspire and influence fashion jewelry that has been commercialized using mass production and marketing techniques. Craftsman has to demonstrate skill, concept, and professionalism who have a love of shape, textures, color and enjoy working in a three-dimensional environment. These craftsmen design wearable necklaces, pendants, broaches etc and accessories such as belt buckles, combs, cloak clasps, etc

An International phenomenon was triggered involving an exchange of creativity. People with diverse cultures and materials crossing the limits of national boundaries to overseas infrastructures and production that facilitated mass production. Accessories Jewellery, thus sustained by this quick growth of developing infrastructures supported education and opportunities for dealers, writers, and collections of artistic objects, concepts, and materials.

Value is added to the piece of jewelry by combining metal with pearl and other precious stones inspired by art instead of the conventional low economic valued materials made out of wood, glass, plastic, and clay. Aluminum and Acrylic materials found their way in this craft thus giving it a new dimension. So-called affordable costume jewelry objects have been produced using metal as a base and semi-precious stones such as irregular pearl shapes, aquatic shells, enamel and ceramic and semiprecious stones such as turquoise, opal, moonstones, and synthetic diamonds.

Fine Jewellery is crafted only from precious metals such as platinum, gold, and silver. Accessories Jewellery for fashion and costumes use a wide variety of materials thereby opening a gateway to Jewellery group such as:

Group: Bangles (Click on image to expand)

Group: Chains/ Necklaces (Click on image to expand)

Group: Rings/ Earrings/ Eyebrow stud rings/ Nose stud rings/ Navel rings (Click on image to expand)

Group: Anklets/ Bracelets (Click on image to expand)

Sap Accessories bring contemporary design ideas online for bangles, chains/ necklaces, Rings/ Earrings/ Eyebrow stud rings/ Nose stud rings/ Navel rings and Anklets, Bracelets, etc.