Catherine's Jewelry Design - one-of-a-kind, handcrafted jewelry.

A Brief Introduction to Gemstones and other materials I use:

There are so many different gems and gem material in the market today - things can get real confusing real fast! I've spent a lot of time researching and learning about gemstones and pearls, and I'm very selective when buying my jewelry-making supplies - I only want the best! I'm sure you do too!

I know it's difficult purchasing jewelry from a catalog or on-line when you can't see or feel the quality for yourself, that's why I try to describe each piece as accurately as I can. All the gemstones I use are genuine, natural, mined gemstones - the only few exceptions (CZ or Lab-Grown gems) are clearly marked. Most of the metal I use is Sterling Silver or 14Kt Gold-Filled; again I've clearly marked in each description what metal has been used. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions you have about the gemstones and the jewelry I've created.

Some things you should know before buying any jewelry from anyone...

Standard Necklace Lengths

Name

Length

Fashion

Collar 12"–13"

V-neck; off the shoulder

Choker 14"–16"

Any neckline

Princess 17"–18"

Crew, boat or high neckline

Matinee 20"–24"

Casual or business wear

Opera 28"–32"

Evening; doubles as choker

Rope 40"–45"

Evening

Lariat Over 48"

Evening; doubles over on itself; combinations

Ring Sizer Chart - Please find a printable ring sizer immediately on the left side of this page.

Modern and Traditional Birthstones

Month

Modern

Traditional

January

Garnet

February

Amethyst

March

Aquamarine

Bloodstone or Aquamarine

April

White CZ

Diamond

May

Emerald

June

Alexandrite

Pearl or Moonstone

July

Ruby

August

Peridot

Sardonyx or Peridot

September

Sapphire

October

Rose

Opal or Tourmaline

November

Golden Sapphire

Topaz or Smoky Quartz

December

Blue Zircon

Turquoise or Lapis Lazuli

Gemstones of the Zodiac

Sign

Dates

Stone

Aquarius

January 21–February 21

Garnet

Pisces

February 22–March 21

Amethyst

Aries

March 22–April 20

Bloodstone

Taurus

April 21–May 21

Sapphire

Gemini

May 22–June 21

Agate

Cancer

June 22–July 22

Emerald

Leo

July 23–August 22

Onyx

Virgo

August 23–September 22

Carnelian

Libra

September 23–October 23 Peridot

Scorpio

October 24–November 21

Beryl

Sagittarius

November 22–December 21 Topaz

Capricorn

December 22–January 20 Ruby

Gold-Finish or Silver-Finish (also called Gold-Wash or Silver-Wash) - The base metal is either Brass or Steel, and the product is electroplated with a non-standardized thickness of Gold or Silver.

Plating - Both Gold and Silver plating produce an industry standard of .15 to .25 mils thickness of gold or silver, which is plated to the surface of a base metal.

Vermeil - Sterling Silver which has been heavily electroplated with 18 Karat or 22 Karat yellow Gold.

Gold-Fill - 14/20 (or 1/20th 14 karat) gold-filled, or gold overlay, is made by heat and pressure bonding a thin layer of 14 Karat Gold with a base metal (usually Brass.) The 1/20 notation refers to the ratio of the 14 Karat gold layer to the Brass layer by weight, which is 5%. Karat Gold completely covers the base metal core, which makes it tarnish-resistant. The value of Gold-Filled is greater than Gold-Plated because Gold-Filled has an actual layer of Karat Gold, not just a microscopic film, yet it is far more economical than Gold, and is much more wear resistant than plating. Most people who have an allergic reaction to everything but Gold, can wear Gold-Filled successfully because it is real Gold.

Karat (Kt) - is the measure of fineness of Gold. 24 Kt is pure Gold (and VERY soft!) 14 Kt Gold is 14 parts pure Gold with 86 parts alloy.

Sterling Silver - is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper or other alloy as fixed by law.

Pearls - Whether Freshwater or Saltwater, 'Cultured' refers to the process of impregnating the oyster so that it will produce a pearl on demand.

Caring for Pearls

Pearls are softer than other gems and should be handled with care. Pearls should be wiped with a soft cloth after they’re worn, since body oil, makeup, hair spray and perfume can spot the surface. Use mild soapy water to clean pearls; do not use cleaning solvents or put them in an ultrasonic cleaner. Store pearls in a soft cloth or pouch.

Understanding Pearl Grades

AA Grade - Pearls exhibit an excellent surface with no visible blemishes. Their lustre is high, giving the pearl depth.

A Grade - Pearl surfaces show a few insignificant blemishes. Their lustre is good, exhibiting some depth.

A/B Grade - Surface blemishes are seen easily. The pearl’s lustre is moderate. This grade, though not perfect, is quite beautiful and offers the most economical value.

GIA (Gemology Institute of America) Diamond Clarity-Grading Scale

FL: (Flawless) No blemishes or inclusions when viewed under 10X magnification.

IF: (Internally Flawless) No inclusions and only insignificant surface blemishes under 10X.

VVS1 and VVS2: (Very, Very Slight Inclusions) Minute inclusions that are difficult to see under 10X.

VS1 and VS2: (Very Slight Inclusions) Minor inclusions ranging from difficult to somewhat easy to see, face-up, under 10X.

SI1 and SI2: (Slight Inclusions) Noticeable inclusions that are easy (SI1) or very easy (SI2) to see under 10X. Eye-clean, face-up, to the naked eye.

I1, I2, and I3: (Imperfect) Obvious inclusions that are usually visible, face-up, to the naked eye. Distinctions are based on durability, transparency and brilliance.

P1, P2, and P3: (Poor) Larger and/or many inclusions, slightly diminishing the brilliance recognizable with the naked eye.

Grading for Cut

A (Very Good) Exceptional brilliance. Few and only outer marks.

B (Good) Good brilliance, Some outer marks.

C (Medium) Slightly less brilliance. Some larger outer marks.

D (Poor) Less brilliance. Large and/or many outer marks.

GIA (Gemology Institute of America) Diamond Color Grading Scale - click for chart

Caring for your Gemstones

Here are some tips for extending the life and lustre of both natural and synthetic gemstones:

• Clean stones with hot, soapy water.

• Dry stones thoroughly with a soft towel.

• Most stones can be cleaned in an ultra- sonic cleaner; a few can be permanently damaged if cleaned in one (amber, coral, lapis, opal, pearl and turquoise for example).

• Rub gems with a smooth, soft cloth to remove fingerprints and keep them shiny.

• Store stones away from intense heat and light.

Opals and ammonites are frequently created as triplets, meaning the piece consists of three layers. Triplets are composed of a clear quartz cap over the genuine stone joined to a base. Triplets resist marring, and the quartz acts to play up the brilliance of the underlying stone.

A simulated gemstone can be any material (including glass and plastic!) that takes on the appearance of a genuine stone. The simulated gemstones I use are all laboratory-grown stones (most are either corundum or spinel) augmented with trace elements to take on the appearance of the costlier gemstones. They look like natural gemstones because they are made out of gem material. Some of the simulated stones cost a little more than you might expect (like the Alexandrite) because they are formed with a highly time consuming process that causes the lab-created stone to have an almost identical chemical and physical properties to the natural gemstone.

Cubic Zirconia or CZ - About 80% of imitation Diamonds in the market today are made of Cubic Zirconia (CZ), a lab-grown compound that is the cubic form of zirconium oxide, with yttrium oxide as a stabilizing agent. CZ was discovered in 1937, by two German mineralogists, then mass produced in the 1980's by an Austrian company. Both zirconium and yttrium oxides are white, opaque ores before being melted together by extremely high temperatures. CZ possess the Diamond's fire and brilliance, is nearly as hard but more brittle, and weighs 1.7 times as much. The brilliance of CZ can be dulled by contact with soap, make-up, and the natural oils of fingers. The best variety is colorless or white, but CZ is also produced in many other colors by adding chemical additives. Do not confuse Cubic Zirconia with Zircon, December's modern birthstone. Zircon is a natural gemstone whose main chemical element is Zirconium Silicate (ZrSiO4).

The AGTA Guide to Gemstone Treatments

These symbols, set by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) disclose any enhancements that may have been applied to a gemstone.

ASBL - Assembled from multiple layers of manufactured and/or natural materials. Example: opal triplets.

B - Bleached using chemical agents to lighten or remove color.

C - Coated on the surface to improve appearance or to add color or other special effects.

D - Dyed to provide, intensify or improve color.

E - This indicates a gemstone that is routinely enhanced though the exact enhancements are difficult or impractical to verify.

F - Fissures filled with solidified borax or similar colorless substance (visible under 10X magnification); a result of heat enhancement.

G - Gamma/electron irradiated to alter color; may be followed by heating.

H - Heated to cause an alteration of color, clarity or other quality.

IMIT - Imitation product, fabricated to imitate the appearance, but not the characteristic properties, of a natural gemstone.

N - Natural stones, not known to be enhanced.

O - Intentionally filled surface cavities, usually with a colorless oil, wax, natural resin or unhardened man-made material; used in transparent or translucent gemstones to improve appearance.

R - Neutron irradiated (requires an environmental safety release from the NRC) that is combined with any other bombardment and/or heat treatment to alter a gem’s color.

S - Stabilized using a colorless bonding agent (such as plastic); used on porous gemstones to add durability and improve appearance.

SYN - Synthetic or man-made material which has essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as the naturally occurring gemstone.

U - Diffusion; chemicals used in conjunction with high temperatures to produce color and/or asterism (star-like) inclusions.

W - Impregnated with colorless wax, paraffin and/or oil; used on porous, opaque gemstones to improve appearance.

Mohs Scale of Hardness

1. Can be scratched easily with a fingernail

Sulphur: 1 to 1-1/2

2. Can be scratched with a fingernail

Amber: 2 to 3

Ivory: 2 to 4

3. Can be scratched with a coin

Pearl: 3 to 4

Coral: 3 to 4

Malachite: 3-1/2 to 4