Help From High End Jewellery Buyers Please!

[Sacha]

No probs ladies. Glad you liked the photos. (Hi KB!)

Jantac - love your photos and you can see the yellow fluorescence in those as well! I believe fluor can be blue, yellow, green and the Hope diamond fluoresces red!

Sacha - don't spend a lot because any UV light will do the job. I've got several and in all honesty they do just the same job whether you pay 99p or £20! This one will do the job just as well as the bigger more powerful versions. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-Watt-1-AA-L...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

As for diamond testers - be careful. A lot of diamond testers can't tell the difference between moissanite and diamond. You need one that can if you're going to test properly. You also should combine it with a reflectivity meter but these are messy to use and you need to be able to "read" it. Once shown it's pretty easy but can be confusing. They do digital ones now but they're not as reliable. Also be warned that it's difficult to test the reflectivity of mounted gemstones unless you can exclude the setting from the testing process - gemstones really need to be loose. In all honesty, these tests will only rule out some synthetics. A microscope is also very useful to check inclusions, refraction etc.

Hi again Meesh

Many thanks for the reply, interesting and knowledgeable as ever and the link also.

I was doing a bit of googling.....as you do.....and came across this site
http://www.quicktest.co.uk/diamond-tester-article.htm

I see that the problem with Moissanite / Diamonds is that they have the same thermal properties. So my C & C Moissanite would read as a diamond! (Though I'm very happy with it as Moissanite).

Anyway I've added the link in case any other folks may find the editorial of interest. I know such a tester was a boon to another FM recently (hope she doesn't mind me referring to that).

 

[Meeshoo]

Hi Sacha

Looking at the prices in the link you've put up it might be worth looking at these instead:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-PRESIDIUM...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1308&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

These don't differentiate between moissanite and diamond but have the added benefit of testing coloured gemstones and diamonds. For a bit more you can get the latest version that has a reflectivity meter built in.

Hope that helps.

Miss Kitty - apologies for highjacking your thread. What is your sister going to do, do you know?

xxx

 

[Sacha]

With my apologies to Miss K also......

Phew Meesh, that looks the bees knees of diamond et al testers! But probably a must for dedicated gems / diamond ebayers and the like. Shipping to the UK seems a bít steep and no doubt Mr C & E man will want his cut also. Why is the tastiest stuff usually sold overseas? Goddamit I wasn't too far from there (Medford MA)

...... a couple of years ago........:53::53:

Thanks again hun xx

 

[Miss Kitty]

Miss Kitty - apologies for highjacking your thread. What is your sister going to do, do you know?

xxx

No worries - am just enjoying all the new info coming my way!

Sis is waiting until it arrives & then is going to decide. She is worried it won't be big enough on her hand.

Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for asking.

 

[Meeshoo]

No worries - am just enjoying all the new info coming my way!

Sis is waiting until it arrives & then is going to decide. She is worried it won't be big enough on her hand.

Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for asking.

What's her finger size hun? I've got a .58ct solitaire and wear it on a size N finger. It looks fine - not too big or small.

 

[Lynda]

Help! My sister has just bought this from Rocks & Co for £799 & wants to know if it's a good deal.

Anyone know please?

18K SI1 (G ) DIAMOND YELLOW GOLD RING

Item Number: 777 312
Quantity: 1
Metal Weight: 18K Yellow Gold 2.34g
Jewellery Type: Ring
Size: N

Gem Details Gem 1
Type: SI1 (G) Diamond
Piece(s): 1
Total Weight: 0.7ct
Size: 5.5mm
Shape: Round
Setting Type: Prong
Origin: Africa

Didn't see the exact ring Broomie (you'll always be Broomie to me ) but they have others on the website and they look lush! I know buggerall compared to most on here, but at least she can send it back if she changes her mind I suppose. Will she let you take piccies so we can have a drool? I'm soooooo in need of a good drool.:blush:

Sorry for the delay - went to get some photos to post up and then spent 4 hours sorting out Photobucket!!! Doh!

Okey dokey, here goes ............

Look at this diamond (note to self - use handcream!). Where do you think it sits on the D-Z colour scale? As a reminder DEF is colourless, GH is near colourless and while IJ is classified the same, you're getting nearer to the diamond showing some warmth and having a vanilla tint. KLM will show some yellow etc etc.

Scroll down for answer! Are you right?

















Ok, it's an I in colour. Typically an I would not be looking this white and if I put this diamond next to an E or F colour, you can't tell the two apart.

This is because this diamond has been graded by the GIA as having "Strong Fluorescence". Fluorescence (i.e. how the diamond reacts to UV light) is typically blue, although other colours are known but what this means is that the blue of the fluorescence negates any yellow in the diamond making it appear "blue white" - now look at the first picture again and you'll notice the blue coming through. Years ago, blue white diamonds were a premium but their popularity waned. They're coming back in fashion and are a very good way of buying a cheaper diamond but getting a super white look!

This is the same diamond under UV light - isn't it cool!!!!!

Just a word of warning ...... if you have a diamond that has intense fluorescence, the diamond can have a milky or oily look to it and won't be desirable.

So, why don't you test your diamonds - you'll be surprised at how many of your accent diamonds might actually fluoresce! You can buy a torch on Ebay to do this very cheaply
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15-LED-UV-LAS...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 Just type LED Torch into the search bar in Ebay and you'll get a number of choices.

Or you could pop down your local nightclub and stand under a UV light!

Here's another picture and you can see some of the diamonds have fluorescence and some don't ......

Have fun!

Oh boy! I bought one of those to check if Sian's cat was spraying as I was convinced I could smell pee, but watching CSI it seems I need special glasses too Now I can have some fun with it, I'll be gutted if none of mine glow, although I wont be at all surprised. :hide:

the BEST example I've seen of fluorescent diamonds is at the Natural History Museum.

These are called the Aurora Collection and are displayed under changing light conditions

It's mesmerising

Love your pictures Meesh!

Pah! All I ever got to see were dinosaurs and creepy-crawlies, I'm going without kids next time! I may never come out .

Many thanks for the pics and masterclass Meesh, do we all get one of these for turning up to class and paying attention

That Diamond under UV lighting did look 'cool'. I was busy admiring the shape (love pear shaped diamonds......don't have one :31
and all the facets. So is it best to get one of the torches from HK - because of the price? I see Amazon have some, but much more expensive, unless I got a UV Golf Ball Finder Torch ( from £13.99) which OH could borrow.....:33:....he does have need at times!)
But then he would likely lose the torch as well. Hmmmm.

The other thing I'm considering is a diamond tester, saw it referred to in another thread. These aren't cheapies either, though a number of sources in the UK do sell them. Any opinions?

I know Meesh has given a comprehensive answer, but I just wanted to say if I hadn't had one of these, I'd never have got my refund from a dodgy seller on ebay :gasp:.
It's not all singing, all dancing so it can't tell the difference between Diamonds and Moissanite I know, but at the prices I pay I expect inclusions in my Diamonds, whereas Moissanite would be flawless. Of course it also checks if any Moissanite is real and not CZ. It has been reassuring to know that all the bits I'd already bought were genuine - although there are some sellers whose integrity was/is NEVER in ANY doubt! :happydance:

 

[Jantaculum]

Pah! All I ever got to see were dinosaurs and creepy-crawlies, I'm going without kids next time! I may never come out .

lol I've got Jantac Jr well trained!

We do the same thing every time - creepy crawlies, then dinosaurs, then diamonds, THEN if he's been really really good and let Mummy drool over the diamonds in peace, we go to the V&A for a slice of chocolate cake (their cakes are nicer than the Natural History Museum's and it's a whole lot more peaceful.

Nothing like a spot of bribery.........

The Aurora Collection seriously is worth seeing though

 

[Miss Kitty]

What's her finger size hun? I've got a .58ct solitaire and wear it on a size N finger. It looks fine - not too big or small.

Size N - so good news!

 

[Pimms]

lol I've got Jantac Jr well trained!

We do the same thing every time - creepy crawlies, then dinosaurs, then diamonds, THEN if he's been really really good and let Mummy drool over the diamonds in peace, we go to the V&A for a slice of chocolate cake (their cakes are nicer than the Natural History Museum's and it's a whole lot more peaceful.

Nothing like a spot of bribery.........

The photos were lovely - that's on my list of things to see now (and now the boys are all old enough I think we could probably dump them in the Science Museum!)

Loved all the pics and am now hunting down a UV light!

 

[Indigoblue]

Miss Kitty I look forward to seeing your ring,it sounds fab.:1:

Jantaculum,we always do pretty much the same museum thing only,luckily, my son's always been interested in the gems at the Nat.Hist.museum himself so I could always take my time.I could never get him quite so interested in the jewellery vaults at the V&A though,so now that they've all been revamped and re-opened I may drop him off at the Science Museum and treat myself to a spectacular bling-fest.:32:
I did take him to the Jaipur Gem Palace exhibition at Somerset House once though and I think that pretty much made him understand what it was all about.:30:

 

[Beady Belle]

Miss Kitty, just seen this go for £879.

VS2 G colour 70pt diamond solitaire, 2.22gms 18ct yellow gold.

It was very simple tapered band, and was gorgeous!

:doggie:

 

[Miss Kitty]

Cheers MFG - was walking the dogz when that was on.

Will tell Sis to keep watching to see if she can get one of those instead. Sounds worth it for the extra £80.

 

[Oops-a-daisy!]

Hi Miss Kitty. Between 7 and 9 p.m. when they had Tony, the Gemhunter, on with Caroline, they had two classic diamond solitaire rings - one in white gold, the other yellow gold - both 0.7 ct VS G, go for £799. I wouldn't have said no to either!