FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if I have a diamond?
Is my ring gold or gold plated?
Can diamonds chip?
Why does my ring turn my finger black?
Why does my ring make my finger red and broken out?
What is Rhodium Plating?
What does 14k mean?
How do I clean my Pearls?
How do I clean my Emerald Jewelry?
How do you size my ring?
How do I know if I have a diamond?
Bring your stone to us and we can test it for you on the spot.
Is my ring gold or gold plated?
Drop it by and we will check it out. Most gold is marked either with an 18k, 14k or 10k mark. By law, all jewelry that is gold has to be marked.
| 10K | 10K GOLD |
| 14K | 14K GOLD |
| 18K | 18K GOLD |
| 417 | 10K GOLD |
| 585 | 14K GOLD |
| 750 | 18K GOLD |
| 950 | PLATINUM |
| 900 | PLATINUM |
| 925 | STERLING SILVER |
| 14K GP | GOLD PLATED (NO VALUE) |
| 12K 1/20 | GOLD FILLED (NO VALUE) |
Can diamonds chip?
Yes, diamonds can chip. Although diamonds are the hardest stone, they are not the toughest stone. You won’t be able to scratch a diamond with anything other than a diamond, but if you hit it with a hammer or bang against something that is really hard it will chip or crack. The toughest stone is Jade.
Why does my ring turn my finger black?
A lot of the time when a ring turns a finger black it is 99% of the time a women’s ring. The black you see is actually gold from the ring. Sometimes when a woman uses some makeup or other beauty products that contain zinc-oxide the zinc-oxide is harder than the gold and actually rubs the gold off of the ring.
Why does my ring make my finger red and broken out?
Most of the time the cause of this is: the ring contains an open area underneath that traps all sorts of dirt and cleaning solutions ect… that irritate the skin. The skin has no way to breathe and starts to chap and breakout. Try cleaning the ring thoroughly and keeping it clean. If this doesn’t work, bring it in and we can professionally clean it.
What is Rhodium Plating?
Rhodium is a member of the platinum family and is one of the whitest metals known. It is bright white, and standard industry practice is that all white gold and platinum jewelry is Rhodium Plated to keep it looking white for a longer period of time. Remember, gold’s natural color is yellow, and we are trying to take something that is naturally yellow and make it white. This is done with adding alloys such as nickel when creating jewelry. Your white gold or platinum jewelry should be Rhodium Plated at least once a year.
What does 14k mean?
Pure gold is 24k or 100% gold. Since pure gold is too soft to make wearable jewelry, the jewelry has to have alloys added to it to make it harder and more wearable. 18k gold has 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloys meaning that 18k is 75% gold. 14k is 14 parts gold and 10 parts alloys meaning that it is 58.3% gold. 10k is 10 parts gold and 14 parts alloys meaning that it is 41.7% gold. The higher the karat, the more expensive the gold. Some jewelry made in India or Thailand is 22k but it is very soft and has to be worn with care.
How do I clean my Pearls?
Pearls should be cleaned in a light warm water soapy solution. Use a gentle dishwashing liquid and let them soak for 5 or 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water then towel dry and let them air dry for a few hours. Be careful not to let them soak too long to minimize damage to the string.
How do I clean my Emerald Jewelry?
Emeralds should be cleaned in much the same way as Pearls. Light soapy water solution and rinse with warm water. Let air dry.
How do you size my ring?
If we size your ring larger: the ring is cut in the back and piece of “stock” gold (how many sizes it needs) is brazed into the ring and then the ring is finished down and polished to create seamless sizing. If we size your ring smaller: a piece is cut out of the back of your ring to match the number of sizes it needs to be reduced by then the ring is brazed back together with karat gold solder. We then finish and polish the ring.
If you have any questions regarding the jewelry industry, please submit it below. We have over 60 years experience in the jewelry business.
