Tag Archive for 'Care of Jewellery'

How to Clean your Jewellery at Home!

Published on July 31, 2010 in Bridal Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Gemstones, Jewellery, Tips for Home, Wedding Jewellery and YouTube. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Here is a great video for you that will demonstrate to you easily – how you can clean your diamond set, gemstone set or plain gold jewellery at home!

I take you through the steps of how you can get a semi professional clean right in the comfort of your own home. Your jewellery will not be polished, but the best advantage of this technique is that all of the grime and layered on dirt will be removed. What this means for you is that the “stuff” that is caked onto your precious diamonds and gens actually gets in the way of light coming through and into the diamond or gemstone. So when this layer of grime is removed, we open the diamond or gemstone up to the full amount of light again, which will significantly enhance the sparkle and brightness of the jewellery you are wearing.

This is best done a little while before you go out to that special party, or event, it will only take you a couple of minutes to do so it really is quick and easy!

Please note CAREFULLY the instructions contained within the video as they must be adhered to for the best result.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

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Platinum vs Gold. What are the differences?

Published on March 28, 2009 in Gold, Jewellery and Platinum. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

What are the differences between Gold and Platinum?

To keep it really simple, these two precious metals are from different families or groups of metals as recorded on the periodical table.

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (Latin: aurum) and an atomic number of 79.

It has been a highly sought-after precious metal in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold is dense, soft, shiny and the most malleable and ductile pure metal known. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. It is one of the coinage metals and formed the basis for the gold standard used before the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971.

Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78.

Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into “little silver of the Pinto River.”[1] It is in Group 10 of the periodic table of elements. A dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits. Platinum is used in jewelry, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, platinum resistance thermometers, dentistry equipment, and catalytic converters

In terms of jewellery what this means is that the majority of modern day jewellery is made of gold in varying carats I.E. 9ct, 14ct, 18ct, 20ct etc… some people are beginning to lean more towards the platinum set jewellery these days as information becomes more and more readily available.

As a jeweller and someone who works in both gold and platinum the differences can be explained like this;

GOLD

  • will give you a great finish on jewellery
  • has great strength and malleability for making jewellery
  • is suitable for every situation and use in jewellery making
  • is more common than platinum
  • will scratch and dent
  • will wear over time
  • needs regular upkeep by a qualified jeweller (I recommend taking advantage of our Refreshing Ring Rejuvination at-least once per year)

PLATINUM

  • will give you a greater level of finish on jewellery than gold will
  • has a greater level of strength, malleability and durability for making jewellery than gold does
  • is best suited for the crafting of diamond and gemstone settings
  • is 35 times rarer than gold
  • will still scratch and dent but the platinum will remain whole, it will not scratch or dent like gold does in-so-far-as that you loose a small amount of gold when ever it is scratched or damaged
  • will take longer to show the signs of wear and tear than gold does
  • needs regular upkeep by a qualified jeweller (again I recommend you take advantage of our Refreshing Ring Rejuvination at-least once per year)

As you can see platinum is better suited, in my opinion, for crafting settings for diamonds and gemstones than gold because of its toughness and wear-ability. The other main contributing factor is the fact that I can achieve a greater level of finish on a platinum setting than I can a gold setting.

What does this mean for you?

Achieving a greater level of finish on a platinum setting means that the setting itself has a higher shine and reflectivity to it than a gold one does. So this will create more light going into your diamond or gemstone, which means that your diamond or gemstone will have a much more “FIRE AND BRILLIANCE” to it than a diamond or gemstone set in gold will.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller

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looking your best with jewellery on your wedding day

Published on February 8, 2009 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Gold, Jewellery and Platinum. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Many girls spend days dreaming about their wedding day. They want to look their best, however beauty is incomplete without the proper jewellery. Especially when it comes to a wedding, you can’t imagine a bride without her jewellery. Your wedding day is one of the happiest days in your life and you don’t want to look outdated or stuffy.Most women are pro active in keeping abreast of the latest fashion and trends, and jewellery trends and fashions change like the seasons. However, as the wedding day approaches you want to make sure the style of jewellery can add the extra spark to not only your attire, but the way you are feeling.

Here are a few tips that can help you choose the bridal jewellery.

First, you need to keep in mind that you have to choose jewellery that will not only suit you but also your dress. You need to keep in mind the ‘mood’ of the wedding… The time of the wedding should be considered, whether it’s going to be in the daytime or in the evening, as this will help you select jewellery accordingly. Don’t just go by what you like, but see to it that the jewelry compliments your wedding gown. Before you get down to your jewellery shopping conduct some research on the latest fashion and the various types of designs that are available on the market.

If you are planning a glamorous wedding, jewellery with bold designs and a good use of sparkling diamonds will be just perfect to give you a glamorous look. If you are going for a simple wedding, you can select jewellery that has a classy look. This type of jewellery tends to be sleek and modern with simple and striking lines. Antique jewellery with pearls will help you get an elegant and classically beautiful look.

If you have organized your wedding at the seaside, you need to choose simple, but outstanding jewellery. As beach wedding means having loads of fun while dancing and jumping around. You don’t want the heavy jewelry to stop you. So to avoid this, you need to select lighter jewellery. If you plan for a cultural wedding, you can choose jewellery that suits your customs. Many times it happens that you want to wear colorful jewellery but the white gown stops you. It’s a myth that colorful jewellery doesn’t suit the white gown. Instead you can match your jewelry with the wedding theme. and even more importantly, there are no hard and fast rules for your wedding day, it is called “your day” for a reason…

There is variety of jewellery on the market, but if you are a perfectionist you can even ask the jeweller to design the jewellery as per your needs. Most of the bridal jewellery is made with beautiful white diamonds. These white diamonds, will need to be at a quality of ” G “colour or better to really take advantage of the fire and sparkle that diamonds are known for. Diamonds are available in many shapes and sizes and will be able to be turned into the most perfect piece of jewellery that you can imagine.

Pearls are an all time favorite. Pearls are known for their classy and traditional look. A strand of pearls combined with pearl earrings will surely add to your charm. You can combine the pearls with diamonds to add that extra shine.

if your wedding day is coming up, or you know f someone who is starting to plan a wedding, get in touch with me at Sam@EskaeJeweller to arrange a no obligation FREE quote on a suite of bridal jewellery that will suit you and your plans on your special day.

Sam.
Eskae Jeweller

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how do i know my diamonds and gems are safe in my jewellery?

Published on February 1, 2009 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery and Tips for Home. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

what should i look for if i think a setting is wearing out on one of my pieces of jewellery?

this is a great question, and i am going to answer it like this. if you see or have one or more of the following “symptoms” then you NEED to have your jewellery looked at by ESKAE Jeweller.

  • the backs of the claws are completely rounded off and have lost their shape completely
  • it looks as though the metal holding my diamond/gemstone in place is about the thickness of a piece of paper
  • you can see that parts of the metal has “chipped” or is missing in places around the diamond/gemstone
  • it has been more than 5yrs since you last had your jewellery checked and/or cleaned
  • it looks like there may be a crack or split in the claw or bezel setting around the diamond/gemstone
  • the claw/s has been bent out of position

by themselves these symptoms are not necessarily the death of your jewellery, but if you have more than one of these symptoms, then you need to have your piece assessed by ESKAE, at your earliest convenience. the diamond or gemstone may not be compromised today or tomorrow, but there is a day that could possibly mean you have lost your precious diamond or gemstone…

not a good thing…

jewellery is made to last, but it does require a little bit of upkeep on both parts, IE; you and me. at ESKAE we make our jewellery with the expectation that you will get a solid 20-30 years out of your piece WITH the right sort of care. we offer ALL our clients 1 x FREE “jewellery health check” every year for the piece you have commisioned from us.

with your FREE ” health check” done regularly IE; every year, you will extend not only the life of your jewellery but ALSO keep it looking sparkling and looking its best!

if you have a piece of jewellery that you think may have one or more of the above symptoms get in touch with me at Sam@EskaeJeweller.com so that i can advise you in the best coarse of action to take.

Sam.
Eskae Jeweller

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Care of Jewels

Published on November 9, 2008 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery and Tips for Home. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

What is the best way to care for my diamonds and precious gemstones? to be honest it is really quite straight forward and very simple! were you expecting it to be complicated and drawn out?


i will give you a tip that you can use at home. the best way for you to do this, is to

  • take a shallow bowl, fill it with water that is just a tiny little bit too hot to touch
  • add one cap full of cloudy ammonia
  • one squirt of dish washing liquid
  • let the article/s soak for a few minutes in the solution
  • take an old toothbrush and GENTLY brush the ring or piece from all angles that will give you access to the stones

A VERY SERIOUS WORD OF WARNING

this will NOT work for any coloured stone that is green. for example, emeralds, green tourmaline, peridot and so on. green gemstones do NOT like heat, they will crack and or shatter if heat is applied to them.

this will NOT work for any porous gemstones, for example pearls, coral, lapis lazuli, turquoise etc. being porous they will soak up the ammonia which will completely dry them out AND take the colour and finish away from them making them look pastie and dull

what it WILL do very nicely for you, is this, you will be able to cut away the grease and grim that has built up on the back of the stones, which dulls the fire and brilliance of any diamond, or coloured gemstone. your jewellery will come back to life some what and the diamonds and gems will sparkle and scintillate once again.

Having said this, the absolute best way for you to keep your jewellery clean and sparkling is to bring it in to ESKAE and have it done professionally. at ESKAE we know which gemstones can and cant go near heat, or near ammonia, we will bring your jewellery back to its full life so that you are the envy of all your friends and family!

if you would like to have your jewellery looking brand new, and making you feel as great as the day you first wore it, send me an email at Sam@EskaeJeweller.com and we can arrange an appointment for you to be dazzling and sparkling again!

P.S. even if your gold jewellery is looking a little bit dull and worn, bring it to me and i promise you will have a renewed piece of jewellery that you can show off, and everyone will think it is brand new!

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Beautiful CLEAN and NEW LOOKING Jewellery!

Published on October 26, 2008 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery and Tips for Home. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

What is involved in bringing your jewellery back to life? It is really simpler to organise than you think, it may be. First things first though.

Step 1
Visit ESKAE and tell me what you are looking to do. A simple clean is different from a refurbishment of your pieces, the first is as basic as it sounds, and the later is more involved as i take out all the scratches and dings in your piece of jewellery and literally bring it back to as new condition.

Step 2
Pick up your beautiful CLEAN and NEW LOOKING jewellery, and wear it like it is new all over again! Lucky you!

that’s it…

But how do you bring it back to NEW AGAIN i hear you ask?

To do that you need to book your jewellery in for a refurbishment. What we basically do in this is we emery (which is like sandpapering) and buff (polish) out all the little scratches and imperfections in your jewellery. This does NOT and will not affect your diamonds and/or gemstones that are already in your jewellery. At this stage we are looking after the gold or platinum part of your jewellery.

After we buff and polish your jewellery, we will place it in an ultrasonic bath, which is full of water, ammonia and dish washing liquid. What this does is, cut away all the grease and gunk that gets built up on the back of your diamonds and gemstones. We do this so that you maintain the optimal level of light coming into and out of your gems, without the play of light, your diamonds and gems do not have that “fire and sparkle” that they should and you deserve!

Now that your jewellery is all clean and sparkling again, we will rhodium plate any white gold and sometimes the platinum parts to your jewellery. This process is basically like gold plating, in which we mask off any parts we want to keep as yellow gold and then dip the piece into a rhodium bath solution.

Rhodium is from the platinum family of metals. It is very much whiter and brighter than white gold is, also rhodium has a slight resistance to damage or scratching. This is NOT to say that you can rhodium plate your jewellery and go bashing it around, but it does offer a slight level of protection from day to day wear and tear. Rhodium has a brilliance to it that really catches the light and makes jewellery sparkle.

This is a great service that ESKAE offer, and i would encourage you to have this done once a year. This is two fold, firstly you have beautiful NEW looking jewellery, and also i get to check that everything is ok with your jewellery, that all the stones are secure and so on.

If you want to find out more, or are interested in having your jewellery refurbished visit my website and make an appointment, or email me here Sam@EskaeJeweller.com At ESKAE we offer this service for $85 per piece, however if your piece requires some major dent removal or scratch removal i will need to quote you on the work.

P.S now that we are coming into summer and the Christmas party season, it is the perfect time to have your jewellery refurbished. For the first 10 people who make an appointment for refurbishments i will give you a ONE TIME ONLY price of $0 for the FIRST piece of jewellery! email me now to take advantage of this offer!

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