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Birthday Gift Idea - Jewelry For Birthdays
How To Buy The Perfect Gift At A Fair Price
By Sam and Tami Serio
Morning Light
Jewelry
Jewelry is the perfect gift for friends and loved ones at any stage in
life. However the jewelry buying process can be a little tricky. Here are
some hints for buying the perfect jewelry birthday gift at a great price.
1. There's a big difference between 14 karat gold and gold-plated jewelry.
Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in
throughout with 10 parts of base metal. Gold-plated describes jewelry with
a layer of at least 10K gold bonded to a base metal. Gold plating
eventually wears away, depending on how often the item is worn and how
thick the plating is.
2. If you're buying a watch, determine whether you want one that runs on a
battery or one that must be wound daily. Ask if a warranty or guarantee is
included, how long it lasts, and what parts and repair problems it covers.
Also ask how and where you can get the watch serviced and repaired.
3. Know the difference between laboratory-created gemstones and naturally
mined stones. Stones created in the lab are visually identical to stones
mined from the earth. The big difference is in the cost:
laboratory-created stones are less expensive then naturally mined stones.
But because they look much like stones mined from the earth, they must be
identified as lab-created. If you want a naturally mined stone, ask if it
has been treated. Gemstone treatments- such as heating, dyeing or
bleaching- can improve a stone's appearance or durability. Some treatments
are permanent; some may create special care requirements. Treatments also
may affect the stone's value.
4. Ask whether pearls are imitation or real. Real pearls are made by
oysters or other mollusks; imitation pearls are man-made. Cultured pearls
are made by mollusks with human intervention; and irritant introduced into
their shells causes a pearl to grow. Real pearls that are not cultured are
fairly rare and expensive. The cost depends on the size, usually stated in
millimeters, and the coating or "nacre" on a real pearl, which gives it
its iridescence.
5. When you're buying a diamond, consider four criteria: cut, color,
clarity and weight, usually stated as carats. Each factor affects the
price. Color is sometimes "graded" on a scale. However, scales are not
uniform: a "D" may be the best color for one scale, but not for another.
Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent the color of
the diamond you're considering. A diamond can be described as "flawless"
only if it has no visible surface cracks or other imperfections when
viewed under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader.
6. Everybody is fascinated by their birthstones, here is a list of the
commonly accepted birthstones for each month.
January Garnet-Dark Red
February Amethyst-Purple
March Aquamarine-Pale Blue
April Diamond-Clear
May Emerald-Deep Green
June Pearl-Pearly White
July Ruby-Red
August Peridot-Light Green
September Sapphire-Deep Blue
October Opal-Multicolor
November Citrine-Yellow
December Blue Topaz-Blue
The Authors
of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved
with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially
invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of
information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together
they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their
profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.
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