Plain answers to the questions shoppers ask before buying: gold karats, natural and lab-grown diamonds, grading reports, chains and bails, engraving, care and gifts. Each guide is written from our own product records. Questions about a specific piece? Ask our Concierge.
“ct. tw.” is the combined weight of every diamond in a piece, not the size of the main stone. Here is how to read it, why fractions like 1/2 ct. tw. are not exact, and the questions to ask before you buy.
What heated, glass-filled, oiled, diffused, irradiated, coated and dyed mean for ruby, sapphire, emerald, blue topaz and amethyst; which treatments last and which need special care; how a glass-filled ruby differs from a heated one; what the FTC Jewelry Guides say about disclosure; and what to ask before you buy or before a repair.
Is it normal for a new ring to scratch? How gold, platinum and silver wear differently, what platinum patina is, how rhodium plating and the finish change what you see, what a jeweler’s polish or burnishing removes, why engraving, thin bands and prongs need care, how dents differ, and which home remedies to skip.
What to try when a ring won’t come off: elevation, ice, soap or oil and the string-wrap method; the warning signs that mean you should get medical help instead; how clinicians cut rings off, including tungsten carbide and titanium; whether a cut ring can be repaired; and how to avoid it next time.
What 3 bar, 3 ATM, 30 m, 100 m, 200 m and diver’s markings mean, what ISO 22810 and ISO 6425 cover, why manufacturers’ charts are stricter than the depth figure, why gaskets age and battery changes matter, and the crown, shower, sea-water and strap habits that keep water out.
How round, princess, emerald, Asscher, radiant, cushion, oval, pear, marquise and heart diamonds differ: brilliant vs step cuts, color and inclusions, apparent size and millimeter measurements, length-to-width ratio, the bow tie, protecting points and corners, and how words like “emerald” and “cut” can mislead in a listing title.
What None, Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong fluorescence mean on a diamond report, how common fluorescence is, what GIA’s 1997 and 2021 research found about color and haze, why a glow proves nothing, how lab-grown diamonds differ, and what to ask before you buy.
What 925, sterling, coin silver, fine silver, silver-plated, silver-filled and German or nickel silver mean on a label, what the FTC Guides and the Stamping Act say, and what to ask before you buy.
Why the fog, newspaper and scratch tests can’t settle whether a diamond is real, what a jeweler’s handheld tester measures and misses, why it can’t tell natural from lab-grown, and what a gemological laboratory can establish.
What laser drilling, fracture filling, coating, irradiation, annealing and HPHT do to a diamond, which treatments GIA calls stable and will grade, why filled stones need care before cleaning or repairs, what the FTC Jewelry Guides say about disclosure, and the questions to ask before you buy.
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