Gold Wedding Band Marks and Hallmarks

By very wary of the ‘SH’ though as it is EXACTLY the same upside down, ie: ‘HS’ which is a mark for H Samuel, a high street jewelry chain in the UK. The earlier Samuel Hennell is S.H plus you would have to look at ALL the Hallmarks together and check their overall shape to get an accurate date. There is NO 22ct gold rings which should be scrapped unless extremely thin or worn. The ‘f’ or foreign mark is a modern mark and shouldn’t be confused with the full... Read more »

A Fashion Career Fashion Mysteries Explained

Those with a career in fashion are certainly content to ride along with the whims of their contemporaries. But, perhaps in the odd moment in the stock room or pausing over your designing template, you paused to wonder, “Why do we do this this way anyway?” So here we’ll have a round-up of all those fashion quirks that you always wondered about in the course of your fashion career, but never dug deep enough to explain: Where does the stitching on the back pockets of Levi’s jeans... Read more »

What Should I Consider When Buying a Gold Ring?

When buying a gold ring, size will be a determining factor, but there are many other things to keep in mind. Durability, style, and price are also important, but how do you know if you are getting the best deal? Learning more about the way gold jewelry is made, classified, and priced, will help ensure that the gold ring you choose is the ideal one for you. First, it helps to understand that other metals are alloyed with gold, such as copper, iron, nickel, platinum, steel, silver, and zinc. Alloying... Read more »

Thickness of 18kt Plated White Gold

You ask how durable is an 18k gold plate. Wow, I do wish I could give you an answer in months or years or in any time frame. The fact is, without knowing how thick the plated surface actually might be there is little way to predict wearability. Even if I knew the thickness, the best I could say is, “It will wear better (or worse) than this or that other sort of plate or layer.” So much depends on how often the ring is worn and the conditions of that time when worn. I do believe you... Read more »

Allergic Reaction to Nickel Alloyed White Gold Jewelry

White gold is routinely alloyed down with nickel. Nickel causes allergic reactions in a lot of people. It’s probably showing up now, because your ring was plated in rhodium (the whitest member of the platinum family) when you bought it. This is normal, as white gold always has a little warmth to it, so it is almost always plated in rhodium. The rhodium has worn off. The white gold, alloyed with nickel is in direct contact with your skin. You are reacting to the nickel. One easy solution is... Read more »

Gold and Rhodium Plating for Watch Bands and Rings

Whether or not a watch band will take an electro plate depends entirely on the band. If it is made of stainless steel, most jewelers do not have the capability to plate the band adequately. If they can do it at all, the plate would likely be quite thin and wear away quickly. Also, if the band has steel parts in it, electroplating solutions can be damaged. I believe it would be quite difficult to find a jeweler who would try doing the watch band. There is a chance a jeweler can send the band out for... Read more »

Top 10 Women’s Wide Width Holiday Shoes

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching! Everyone will soon be busy running around Christmas shopping, getting loved ones gifts, buying new outfits and making sure everything is at hand to make the season a special and memorable one. But who will take the time out to think of their feet? What is the use of having a brand new outfit, if you do not have the right pair of shoes to round it off and make it complete? It is vital to think of footwear, especially if what you are looking for is something... Read more »

What is Platinum Jewelry?

Platinum is an extremely rare metal, even rarer than gold. There isn’t much of it around and it has only been found in select locations across the planet. Platinum is a strong, dense metal, which allows it to be used in many different ways. Besides jewelry, it is also used to make catalytic converters, and it is helpful in the medical field because it resists oxidation. As the perfect material for pacemakers, platinum not only makes lovely jewelry, but also helps save lives. Despite its strength,... Read more »

Gold Jewelry Discoloration

Did the dishwashing solution contain any ammonia? I find most do not contain ammonia are a safe method of cleaning jewelry, including pearls. If ammonia was there, that “could” account for some of the discoloration. Also, chemicals and salts in the air in the beach environment are known to cause problems with jewelry. Even in almost invisible amounts, these chemicals can work to cause smudges and discoloration on gold items. Generally, a regular cleaning like you did will prevent problems. Is... Read more »

The Price and Setting of Platinum Jewelry

Today at work I did some price checking. You might be surprised at what is said here. I picked out a ring shank which is about 2.25mm wide at the top and a heavier than usual 6 prong setting. A while back before platinum prices went up so much and the “spot price” for platinum was $700 the prices were a lot different.Now, today with a spot price of $1187 per ounce. The spot price is for pure platinum metal, as traded and bought on metals markets. This price changes and with it also change... Read more »