Diamond crystals have been worn and admired since at least as far back as Roman times. They were worn in rings as status symbols and charms. At the time, however, they were not the sparkly objects we know today, but were left in their natural state; this was because of the belief that they would lose their magical properties […]
Category Archives: Learn about diamonds
Articles, photos and hints & tips about diamonds and precious gemstones. This section includes articles about historic diamonds, updates from the world of gemmology, and an occasionally geeky focus on the chemistry of diamonds
Emerald is one of the earliest known coloured gemstones, having been prized since antiquity. Its name comes from the Greek word “Smaragdus” which means green. The earliest known emerald mines were in Egypt, about 3000BC, from a location near the Red Sea that would later be known as “Cleopatra’s mines”. Cleopatra was known to have […]
This post is about opals, their sources, and what to look for in a good opal. To view the opal rings we have for sale, click here: Weldons Opal Rings for sale Opals are among the most intriguing and visually stunning gemstones known to man. In ancient Rome, the opal symbolised love and hope. The Romans called the […]
The Hastings Diamond is a large Golconda diamond, weighing 101 carats. It was named after the British Governor general of India, Warren Hastings. It was given to King George III in 1785, the gift of Nizam Ali Khan, the ruler of Hyderabad. Hastings was at the time on trial in London for what were rather […]
Pearl were once believed to be drops of moonlight that fell into the sea and were eaten by oysters, or to be tears of angels fallen to earth. They have been collected by man for as long as people have gathered shellfish. Originally they were adornments of Gods and Monarchs, they were the symbols of wealth and good fortune. They range in size, […]
l.At the end of the First World War, as a reaction to four years of suffering and restraint, a period of exhuberation and of joie de vivre took hold in Europe. The traditions and customs of the pre-war era were put to one side, and a more light-hearted spirit ended society, whose new motto was […]
Here is a few of the terms that jewellers and gemmologists use, and their meanings: A jour: a type of setting which allows light to enter the pavilion of a faceted stone Adularescence: The appearance of a floaty, billowy light in cabochon gemstones, or a stationary sheen on the flat surface of a stone Ajouré: […]
With the advent of high tech spectroscopic equipment, more and more testing is done on diamonds. One recent branch of diamond study is the notion of “type” of diamond. What is diamond type? Diamond type refers to the make-up of the diamond crystal; pure diamond is 100% carbon atoms, arranged in a very regular, repeating […]
Sometimes we get asked by a customer if the stone that they found tucked at the bottom of their jewellery box is a real diamond or not. One very quick way to rule out many fakes is to try the newspaper test. Diamonds are highly dispersive, and have a high refractive index. This means that […]
Today, most diamonds are cut as round brilliant cuts. This is a circular, symmetrical cut, where every facet (apart from the top facet or “table”) is either a triangle or kite shape. However, for hundreds of years, the most common shape of diamond was a cushion cut. It can be considered the predecessor of today’s modern round […]