It is important to understand the difference,and the best applications for each technique. The vast majority of jewellery today is mass-produced. First, a wax is carved. A mold is then made of that wax, allowing for unlimited reproduction of the design. Much of the jewellery advertised as "handmade" is cast and then simply hand finished. Truly handmade jewellery starts as gold plate and various gauges of wire, which are worked and forged into a finished shape, then polished.

We specialize in hand fabrication, but we also work with an incredibly talented wax carver whose services we employ if your design is intricate or sculptural. A Celtic knotwork design would be a good example of this. Either way, we take your ideas and explore the best technique for bringing them to life.

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2. What's the difference between carat and karat?

Carat is a unit of weight for measuring gemstones. Each carat is divided into 100 parts, often called "points." Carob seeds, which are remarkably consistent in weight, used to be used to measure diamond weight. "Carob" eventually became "carat," or so the story goes.

Karat indicates the purity of gold. Pure gold is 24 karat. 18 karat is 18/24 or 75% pure gold. Sometimes 18 karat is marked "750". 14 karat is 14/24 or 58.5 % pure gold and is sometimes marked "585."

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3. How do 18 karat and 14 karat gold differ?

Both 14 karat gold and 18 karat gold are available in colors such as pink and white, although the colors vary slightly between the different karat golds. 18K gold is often chosen for its more malleable properties, such as surrounding a delicate gemstone. Pure gold is too soft for practical applications, but is incredibly inert and resistant to chemical attack. We like 18K for it’s combination of malleability, colour and durability.

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As one of the most rare and precious of metals, platinum alloys are 90%-95% pure. Platinum is also so dense that a six-inch cube would weigh about 165 pounds.

White gold is a mixture of pure 24k gold with whitening metals added, such as nickel or palladium (plus other metals for strength). Because gold in its natural state is yellow, white gold may still be slightly yellow in appearance.

Platinum is the ideal choice for diamond settings because of its white color, great strength and durability. It is softer than gold, but far more dense, and resists "sloughing." To improve hardness, platinum is usually alloyed with iridium or ruthenium. Creating a piece of jewellery in platinum takes longer than in gold. And, because of its purity, density and longer fabrication time, platinum is considerably more expensive than white gold. There are not many goldsmiths around who can do hand fabrication in platinum. We do it all the time.

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Chlorine is highly corrosive and will attack gold alloys, possibly causing cracking. Chlorine is found in bleach, household cleaners, swimming pools and hot tubs. We had a customer whose 10K gold earring dissolved into a pile of broken bits after she had bleached her hair while wearing them. It’s important to note that it is the alloys, particularly copper, that are susceptible to corrosion - which is why 10K jewellery is not necessarily a more durable choice than higher karat gold, since 10K contains more copper than gold!

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We believe that a diamond’s cut is the single most important aspect affecting its beauty and quality. A finely cut diamond balances both a high level of brilliance (intensity of reflected white light) and dispersion (rainbow of colors). Many people have wondered why a larger diamond, worn by someone we know failed to "talk" and sparkle very much. Chances are that the quality of craftsmanship in its cut focused on retaining extra carat weight, rather than on releasing the gem’s inner beauty. If a diamond is cut too deep or too shallow, light is not reflected back out through the top, causing it to look lifeless or dark.

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A durable gemstone resists scratching and breakage-that is to say it is hard and tough. The most durable gemstones include: diamond, ruby, sapphire, alexandrite and spinel. Of course, even the most durable gems can be chipped, scratched or abraded if they are not worn carefully. Even diamond, having a hardness of 10 on a scale of 10, can break. The next hardest natural gemstones, ruby and sapphire, have a hardness of 9/10, but are 2,000 times softer than diamond, putting diamond into a class by itself. This may explain the enduring choice of diamond in wedding jewellery.

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Redesigning and resetting diamonds and precious gems is an important part of our business. This is a collaborative process, so the best way to proceed with restyling is to come to our store to discuss your ideas and see our designs. We believe that the beauty of the new piece takes precedence over trying to use every loose gemstone you’ve got, just because you’ve got it.

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Occasionally we can make simple items from family gold if it is extremely important to you. Usually the motivation in such a case is sentimental because using family gold is labor intensive and often costs more than a new wedding band. Most designs require specific alloys and fabrication methods. Due the cost of refining, processing, and alloying, using "old gold" to make a new piece of jewellry rarely leads to savings. Also, it will not be karat-stamped, as we cannot be sure of it’s exact gold content. Usually people choose to turn in their "old gold" and earn credit towards their new purchase.

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You may think that faulty manufacturing or underkarating might be the problem when a ring "turns," blackening or discoloring the skin and clothing, or the jewellry itself. However, that is not the case.

The most common reason is metallic abrasion, caused by makeup on skin or clothing. Cosmetics often contain compounds harder than the jewellery itself, which wear or rub off very tiny particles. Very finely divided metal always appears black rather than metallic, so it looks like a jet-black dust. When this dust comes into contact with absorbent surfaces such as skin or clothing, it sticks, forming a black smudge.

To prevent this, you should try switching cosmetics. If this is not possible, remove rings and other jewellery while applying them, and clean skin areas in contact with jewellery with soap and water.

Another cause is actual corrosion of the metals. Gold itself does not corrode, but its primary alloys of silver or copper will do so-forming very dark chemical compounds-under moist or wet conditions.

When you perspire, fats and fatty acids released can cause corrosion of gold, especially when exposed to warmth and air. This problem can be worse in seacoast and semitropical areas, where chlorides combine with perspiration to form a corrosive element that discolors skin. Smog fumes gradually attack jewellery and are evident as a tarnish that rubs off on the skin.

Remove your jewellery often and use an absorbent powder, free of abrasives, on skin that comes into contact with jewellery.

Even the design of jewellery can be an influence. Wide shanks have more surface area to contact abrasives or corrosives. Concave surfaces inside a shank form collection points that trap moisture and contaminants, also causing a type of dermatitis.

Remove your rings before using soaps, cleaning compounds or detergents, and clean your rings frequently. As well as solving the problem, you will be amazed at how much better your rings look!

In addition to these corrective actions, we recommend that you switch to 18-karat gold or platinum. The lower alloy content of 18-karat gold-25%, versus almost 42%-significantly reduces the problem, and the use of platinum should eliminate it completely.

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