Precious Gemstone Bracelet | 18kt

A Bit About The Piece:

A gold bracelet set with the four precious stones: diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

Details, details...

The Diamonds:

• 3 Standard Round Brilliant Cuts
• total estimated carat weight: 0.15ct
• average clarity: SI
• average color: H-I
• stone measurements: 2.5mm
• natural

The Emeralds:

• 3 round cuts
  
• approximate stone measurements: 2.5mm
• natural

The Rubies:

• 3 round cuts
  
• approximate stone measurements: 2.5mm
• natural

The Sapphires:

• 3 round cuts
  
• approximate stone measurements: 2.5mm
• blue
• natural

The Setting: Prong Set Bracelet

• 18kt yellow gold, solid
  
• default size: 7 inches
• single latch safety clasp
• 1.97mm chain
• 4.70 grams

About Sapphire:

While many know sapphire to be blue, the gemstone forms naturally in any shade and saturation of color on the color spectrum.  Like ruby, sapphire is a member of the "corundum" family.  This means that all rubies are a particular shade of red sapphire.  Another notable variety of corundum is "padparadscha sapphire," a sunset, salmon pink sapphire from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Tanzania.  Other popular colors in the trade include yellow, pink, and white sapphire.  Color changing varieties do exist, as well as stones that display "asterism," a term for when reflected light creates a star effect in the stone.  Most sapphire available on the market is heat treated.  This is an accepted practice in the industry, and it is best to assume ALL sapphire has been heat treated unless otherwise proven by a trusted independent laboratory report.  Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September.

Sapphire is an incredibly durable stone that is excellent for everyday wear.  The stone ranks 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and is highly scratch resistant as a result; it also is resistant to chipping or breaking due to being tough as well.  Sapphire jewelry, natural or manmade, is safe to clean in chemical jewelry cleaners, ultrasonic cleaners, and steam cleaners.

About Diamond

While the first known diamond engagement ring was given in 1477, diamond engagement rings did not become a staple of American culture until 1947 when British diamond corporation, De Beers Group, launched their famous marketing campaign, "A diamond is forever."  This hit success soon caught the world by storm, and the jewelry industry changed forever; not only were diamonds meant just for royalty, but for every young couple looking to marry.

When diamond shopping, you often hear of what's referred to as "the 4 C's": color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.

• Color grades start with "D" being the best, a colorless white that makes a clean piece of white paper appear dirty.  This scale goes all the way down to "Z" where undesirable body color is very easily noticed (typically yellow or brown).  Stones with body color saturation beyond Z begin to pick up a new value on a new scale and are referred to as "fancy colors" (e.g. "canary yellow," "chocolate," "Argyle pink").
• Cut not only means shape, but proportions, polish, and symmetry.  The cut is most responsible for how much light is returned to the viewer's eye, and its importance cannot be overlooked when considering the investment of a sizable stone.
• Clarity grades begin with I2 and I1 at the bottom, respectively.  This indicates inclusions can be seen with the naked eye.  SI2 and SI1 are the next rank up, where inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye but are easily seen under 10x magnification.  VS2 and 1 stones have inclusions difficult for a trained expert to spot under 10x magnification, with VVS2 and 1 being more difficult yet.  Finally, the best of the best, IF (internally flawless) and FL (flawless) rank as the very highest clarity grades.
• Carat Weight directly correlates to a stone's size, though not always.  While one stone might have a higher carat weight, another might appear larger.  This phenomenon is due entirely to how the stone is cut.  Many retail customers prefer a deeper stone with a higher carat weight at the cost of beauty.  Prices are known to jump noticeably every 0.25 carats and dramatically every 1.00 carat.  Five carats is equal to one gram.

Diamond ranks 10 on the Mohs hardness scale and is the hardest known natural substance.  It cannot be scratched, except for by another diamond.  This does not mean that diamond is not indestructible however; diamond can easily be chipped or broken.  It is important to avoid any careless, sharp blows to your diamond jewelry.  Diamonds highly chemical resistant and can very safely be cleaned with chemical jewelry cleaner.

About Emerald:

Emerald is a gem quality green "beryl," the same family of stones as blue aquamarine and pink morganite.  It is estimated that Colombia produces 70-90% of emeralds on the world market, though in addition, extra-fine grade stones are known to come from Zambia and Brazil.  Inclusions are common and expected to be seen in emerald; it is widely accepted practice for gem cutters to conceal inclusions by soaking stones in cedarwood or grapeseed oil.  Most stones available on the market have been treated this way.

Though emerald is a hard, scratch resistant 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs hardness scale, we strongly advise to wear emerald rings with care.  Stones can be brittle and subject to chipping or breaking on sharp impact.  Do not clean emerald jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaning machine or with a steam cleaner.  Clean with mild soap, water, and a soft bristled toothbrush.  Avoid soaking emerald for long periods of time to preserve any assumed oil treatments in the stone.  Should these treatments be compromised, most jewelers can fix them.

About Ruby:

Ruby is a red variety of "corundum," the same family of gems as sapphire.  While all ruby is red sapphire, not all red sapphire is ruby.  The term "ruby" is a rather subjective one, with many gem merchants eager to use the word liberally.  If a stone has too much purple, pink, orange, or brown (giving a brick-red appearance), it is to be referred to as sapphire of that particular color (with "brick red" sapphire simply referred to as "red sapphire"), not ruby.  Ruby is the official birthstone for the month of July.

All corundum ranks 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and is very tough.  This material is incredibly durable and highly encouraged to those shopping around for an alternative stone for an engagement ring.  Ruby and sapphire of any color make excellent rings that can be passed down through generations.  Ruby can be cleaned with chemical jewelry cleaners without any worry.

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