|
Understanding Jewellery
 Jewellery
is almost second skin for a woman. This universal love for jewellery
is less often supported by knowledge for this exquisite pieces of
art. A woman wears them, but is uninitiated when it comes to taking
care of her jewellery or understanding them. Shehzad Zaveri of
Menawala Jewellers offers an insight into the world of diamonds,
gold and platinum.
Diamonds and Four Cs: Cut, Carat, Colour & Clarity
Cut: Cut is determined by Jewellers and partly by the shape
and size of a natural diamond. The popular cuts include baguette,
emerald, heart, marquise, oval, princess and round brilliant, taper
and tear drop. 
Carat: The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. 1
carat = 0.2 grams and 5 carats = 1 gram. Two diamonds of equal weight
can have highly unequal values, as it also depends on the cut, colour
and clarity.
Color: Diamonds can be colorless, exceptionally white, or
yellow. Pink, Blue, Green diamonds are known as fancies. In the
classification system, D is considered among the best and letters
E to Z are allocated to various shades of white and yellow. The
most prized diamonds are colourless.
Clarity: Diamonds are graded by 10X magnifying lens, in
natural light by skilled graders. The grades are 1F, VVS1, VVS2,
VS1, VS2, S1, S12, PK, etc. Flaws are visible to the naked eye in
the PK grade only. Though 1F and VVS1 are the best in terms of clarity,
VS1, S1 or S12 are less expensive.
Different settings are used to highlight and accentuate diamonds
and other precious stones. With the initiation of new settings,
contemporary jewellery designs have become more streamlined and
elegant. The most popular settings are channel, closed, flush, invisible,
pave and prong settings.
Platinum facts
Platinum, the world's rarest metal has been used in jewellery
since 700 BC. Found in only a few locations, it is also difficult
to mine. In order to produce one single ounce of Platinum (10 grams),
a total of 10 tonnes of ore must be mined. In comparison, only 3
tonnes of ore is required to mine 1 ounce of gold. Platinum that
is worked into jewellery, has a purity level of 950/1000. The superb
color of platinum jewellery ensures its compatibility with all skin
types producing no allergic reactions and discolouration. Platinum
is a dense metal, heavier than gold, silver or lead and stronger.
Its high density prevents wear and tear, making it the ideal metal
for setting precious stones.
Purity of Gold
The purity of gold is measured in karats and pure gold is 24
karat, meaning that all the 24 parts of it are gold. When gold is
18 karats, it means that 18 of the 24 parts are pure gold, and the
other 6 parts are made of metals (alloys) such as copper, silver
and zinc. 24-karat gold has a natural warm color. Different colors
of gold can be obtained by alloying with different metals.
"Care for your jewellery" - Shehzad Zaveri
To maintain original lustre and smooth finish of jewellery, he offers
simple guidelines:
Clean your hands before wearing jewellery
Do not allow perfume to get in contact with jewellery
Wash with mild soap and rinse with clean water
A small amount of ammonia may be used for cleaning
Polish with a recommended cleaning solution, or ask your jeweller
to use an ultrasonic machine
After cleaning, dry and polish with chamois
Store in a soft cloth to avoid scratches and tangling
Studded jewellery requires a little extra care
Ultrasonic machines, strong detergents, ammonia and hot water
could affect pearls, emeralds, lapis-lazuli, coral and turquoise.
Therefore, great care should be exercised when cleaning such jewellery
by yourself. It is better to leave these to the jeweller to handle.
By Anupama Vinayak
| |
|
|
 |  |
|
