Ruby Diamonds

Some of us buy gold fashion jewellery because - it feels great, our mom said so, it compliments the color of our skin, its a great possible investment, yaddy, yaddy yah. The reasons are as plentiful as the wonderfully honest dealers who would sell you the jewelry.

Perhaps I shouldn't skip too quickly over the "great investment theme" because its somewhat important to know that "10 Carat gold" all the way up to "18 Carat gold" is not generally considered to be great investment material. It is simply not investment grade, hard assets even if your home insurance covers it in case of theft.

If investment is your reason and you don't want to buy gold bars or certificates, and of course you want to flaunt your investment on your skin during special occasions then go for jewellery that is at least 22-24 Carat Gold. The trick, especially in North America and England, is - where does one buy 24K Gold?

Some jewellers who don't sell stronger than 18 Carat gold are likely to inform you that there is no such thing in jewelry since its too soft for most applications. They do have a point there however from experience I can tell you that 22 Carat Gold necklaces of 110 grams have been known to support the pull of a 50 pound child.

I first started buying gold in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. It was, at one time very cheap there. Then I frequented the gold souks of Dubai and the other middle east commercial centers. Genuine 24K stuff can be had there - not the 10K worthless stuff sold in england or the 14K **not-to-die-for* stuff sold as gold jewelry in Canada and the United States.

If truth be told, I thought it was 24, but the jewelry was often only 97-98% pure, but hey, still better than the 14k fluff sold in North America.

Then I found them. These were the massive jewellery shops on both the Hong Kong and Kowloon side. They sell amazing pearl, emerald and wonderfully carved gold pieces. We are told and shown paper that indicates that, the HK government certifies what they are selling, but a few of these tourists traps have all kinds of interesting motivational **deals** especially in Kowloon. Anyway, they have certificates claiming their 24 Carat Gold is 99.999% pure, but when I took their stuff to London, I was told that the purity was extremely good but a little more than 22 Carats.

When I took their gold to a reputable goldsmith to melt down, he again informed me that the material was only 22 to 23 Carats Gold purity. I keep thinking about how embarrassing it would be show one's own little gold volume/weight measurement tool in one of those massive elite stores and proudly if not loudly proclaim that the pure piece they were trying to sell wasn't truly pure at all - I am also imagining that one would be set on not unkindly by the police for creating such a fine performance.

And I know someone else will post and tell me that they are from HK and the government certifies these big shops blah blah but I have purchased big items 4 times in 6 years and each time while trying to sell elsewhere in North America and the UK have been told similar bad news ( Even when I presented the govt stamped HK certificate|It made no difference to the buyers even when presented with the certificate of authenticity which comes with each piece purchased from HK ) Can authenticity certificates be faked? Certainly. Might certain shops fake them? I can't say.

Lesson learned, when buying precious metals in the form of jewelry internationally don't ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won't stop - irrespective of govt certifications blah blah blah.

Lesson learned, when buying gold internationally don't ever fully 100% trust your seller or your buyer because the value of the metal is so high, understand that if either of the two groups can sucker you for even 2-3% of the value, they will, they can and they won't stop - irrespective of authenticity proofs blah blah blah.

If your goal is truly for investment and you have no overriding need to put on the bling then buy a certified gold bar from a western based dealer who is very much liable in western courts and has both insurance and liability coverage.

If what your concern is to buy 14 Carat or below, ignore everything said above since, 14 Carat is not investment quality anyway.

If you are in HK and hesitating to buy. Don't hesitate, just understand that very rarely ever will a street vendor sell you absolutely 24 Carats, even if she believes it is so. Dicker the price with the knowledge that what you are getting is substantially more than 22 Carats but really not 24 Carats. Compare this to the North American or even Australian experience where you are most likely being sold only 14 Carats.

Wear it, enjoy it, don't lose it and have fun.

When it comes to shopping for gemstone jewelry, the possibilities are quite endless for finding an absolutely gorgeous piece that will be cherished and treasured for many years to come. With a full rainbow of colors to choose from, including a dazzling array of shades and hues in all variations imaginable, you're sure to find plenty of gemstone rings to suit your needs, taste, style, and budget.

Colorful gemstones are extremely versatile that the problem will not be finding the one you want but making a choice between several that you would love to have. Diamonds are lovely but they do not offer the versatility of gemstones which are considerably cheaper. Precious and semiprecious stones, such as sapphires, rubies and emeralds are sought after gemstones with a respected reputation. They are available in many different settings at a variety of prices.

Deep blue sapphire is a popular choice for rings, although it can be found in lighter shades as well. It is the birthstone for September and after diamonds, sapphire is the hardest gemstone of all.

Rubies have long been the gemstone representing love and passion. Emperors and kings the world over have coveted these beautiful gems for their beauty scarcity and they have been worn by royalty for centuries. Given as a token of love, rubies are also the birthstone for those born in July. These rich red gemstones are also hard and rank high on the Mohs scale which is the scale used to measure the hardness of a mineral.

Who doesn't love the beautiful deep green color of the emerald? These breathtaking gemstones are among the most expensive of all gemstones. They are, fortunately, being man made in laboratories, and these are much less expensive but look just as genuine. A natural emerald's value is also measured by their depth and color, the deeper and greener it is, the higher the value.

The cut of the stone influences its beauty. Gemstone jewelry is available in a variety of popular cuts that have been chosen to show up the particular gem. Larger stones are most often cut with the popular "brilliant-cut" which allows maximum light to pass through the gem and reflect back. This particular cut is used for marquise, round, oval and pear shaped stones. The princess cut is also popular, as is the heart shape, emerald shape, radiant and trillion shaped cuts.

Gemstone rings are available either as a solitary stone or a cluster with other similar or complimentary stones. Whatever your taste or desire, there is a combination of stones that you will love and treasure for a lifetime.

It is important to take the time you need to decide what gemstone jewelry is right for you. Learn how to take care of these precious natural stones. They are durable and need little care, but proper cleaning will show off their brilliance for years to come.

And finally, remember to never clean your gemstone rings, or any other type of jewelry for that matter, over or near a sink, use a bowl instead to be extra sure you won't ever lose your most favorite piece down the drain.