The Gem Gallery Blog

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Each piece of metalwork you do has two values: intrinsic value (what the raw materials are worth) and market value (the value added by your labor and the demand for your work). The theory of mass production is that very little is added to the intrinsic value, since not much labor goes into the manufacture of a single item. But if you do mostly one-of-a-kind pieces, then your labor may well be the major part of the market value.

The market for your work becomes more limited as you increase the labor costs. If you are well known, and have a large following and/or demand for your work, then it does not really matter what your work costs — it will sell. If you are just starting out, adding many hours of work to a relatively insignificant amount of intrinsic value probably will not sell very well. Without an established name to justify the cost of a piece of relatively low intrinsic value — a piece made of silver with an inexpensive agate, for example — you’ll end up paying yourself only a few cents per hour in order to sell a piece that took you 40 hours to complete. Spending that same 40 hours on a gold piece with expensive stones, however, even if the selling price will be quite a bit more than the one in silver, makes the work more saleable. Unfortunately, it takes a certain amount of educating the buying public to make people perceive that an artistic value may be greater than the intrinsic one.

So how does this market value affect your choice of metals? It will depend on a number of factors. Do you need to sell this piece to earn your living? Or will it be “not for sale” — made for yourself or as a gift? What is your current market? Could the galleries now handling your work sell something like this? Many galleries cater to a specific kind of clientele, and might find it difficult to sell work which is radically different. Is there an exhibition or competition coming up which would be an appropriate showcase for this piece? Would recognition of you as an artist be worth the time and effort you will need to take away from your regular work for you to produce this piece? All of these aspects must be considered when you are designing and making decisions about what materials to use.

Related posts: Color Factor, Weight of Metal

What is a gemstone?

Any naturally occurring substance in a raw, uncut state that is capable of being a gem. They are also known as precious stones.

What are natural gemstones?

Gemstones mined in nature are known as natural gemstones. They may take several millennia to grow.

What are synthetic or laboratory grown stones?

Synthetic stones are made in the laboratory using molten chemicals to solidify and form the stone. They are also referred to as laboratory grown. They do not have the rarity and the history of natural gemstones. These stones generally lack imperfections.

What are imitation stones?

Imitation stones look like natural gemstones in appearance only. They may be glass, plastic or less costly stones.

What is gold?

The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24karat (24K) gold. Gold has been a monetary standard throughout the history of mankind. Gold is a soft but heavy metal.

What is a karat?

Karat tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. For example, 18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of metals. Therefore 14 karat (14K) gold is less valuable than 18 karat gold since it contains 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of other metals. The abbreviation of karat is K. or Kt. It is easy to confuse this term with carat described below in the gemstone guide.

What are the gold alloys?

Pure (24K) gold is soft and unworkable. To increase its durability and hardness, it is mixed with other metals which are referred to as the gold alloys.

What is yellow gold?

Yellow gold refers to gold that has been alloyed with a mix of 50% copper and 50% silver.

What is white gold?

Pale, almost silver-colored gold caused by nickel, zinc alloys.

What is pink or rosegold?

Gold with a sligthly reddish hue, caused by copper.

What is green gold?

Gold with slight greenish hue that has been alloyed with a higher percentage of silver than copper.

What is gold plate?

Gold plate refers to items that have a layer of gold placed to a base metal. Gold plating wears away with time exposing the metal underneath.

What is vermeil?

A gold plated product consisting of a sterling silver base coated or plated with gold.

What is the best gold for jewelry?

The design parameters of a jewelry piece, personal choice, cultural preference and the economics are some of the factors that may have an influence on deciding the karat of gold. Each has its pros and cons.

In Asian countries, much jewelry is made of 24K or 22K. The 22K maintains most of the bright rich color of 24K, with enough added hardness to make it durable. 18K is used around the world, and generally is considered to be sufficiently hard for use in making most jewelry. The commercial mass produced 14K is harder but the gold color is significantly less satisfyingly rich.

How do I determine the karat of a gold item?

It is difficult to determine the karat of a gold item by looking at it. An effective test is the streak method.

Various deceptive techniques are used to alter the appearance of lesser value gemstones. Often these practices are intended to deceive the consumer. However, all of these techniques are considered legitimate if they are revealed to the buyer. Listed below are a few tricks that every jewelry consumer should be aware of:

Painting. Using paint or some other colored material underneath a gem to improve its color. For example, a speck of paint placed on one spot of the gemstone will reflect throughout the entire stone.

Foil Backing. Using foil behind gems adds brilliance to the stone. This technique is often found in jewelry with closed back settings. The use of foil was common and is often seen in antique jewelry.

Crackling. Cracking synthetic gems by applying thermal shock. This technique if often used on lab-made stone to create the flaws found on natural stones.

Assembled Stones. Two or more stones are glued together to form a bigger and better looking gem. Several types of composites can be made. Assembled opals are normally disclosed to the consumer and are not considered a deceptive practice. However, this technique is often used with Sapphire or Ruby to deceive the consumer.

It can be difficult to spot a fake stone. Your best defense is to buy jewelry from reputable jewelers. An honest establishment will always reveal to the consumer what treatments a gem has received. As a general rule, a buyer should avoid gems that have been set on a closed backing, unless the item in question is an antique.

Rubies and sapphires belong to the same family of minerals and thus have the same physical characteristics. Among gemstones, they are the hardest, second only to diamonds, but still require gentle handling. The term ruby only applies to the color red. However, sapphires range in color from blue to green, black, orange, pink, yellow, purple or colorless (white).
The best colored rubies are often found in Burma while the best sapphires are often found in Kashmir. The rarest of the various colored saphires is the pinkish-orange sapphire. Among the ruby and the blue sapphire, medium colored stones are the most valued. Pale or dark areas are not desired.

From its headquarters in Hatton Garden, London’s historic jewellery quarter, Gem-A actively runs courses in over 30 countries around the world. Whether you are a local jeweller, retailer, gem dealer, buyer or gemstone enthusiast, their courses and workshops are designed to give you exceptional gemstone and diamond education.

Jewellery Stylist highly recommends enrolling on such courses, as they are becoming extremely desirable amongst employers not only because it demonstrates your level of product knowledge, but gives you the edge against other candidates too!

So whether you are a Sales Professional, Manager, Goldsmith or Designer, check out these up and coming courses with the GEM A!

Diamond Buying Guide:
Improve your knowledge of diamonds with practical information about the 4C’s, which will give you fantastic sales advice!

Price: £92.00
Student: £74.75
Tuesday 20 October 2009

Introduction to Practical Gemmology

This course offers an introduction to gemmology, offering a practical day of gem testing and the use of gemmological equipment.

Get to understand the basic principles required for identification and then you will then be able to try gem-testing yourself, under the guidance of an experienced tutor.

Price: £92.00
Student: £74.75
Tuesday 13 October 2009

Can experts easily tell the difference between a cultured pearl and a natural pearl?

Without X-rays, it is nearly impossible to distinguish between cultured and naturally occurring pearls. When cultured pearls were first introduced to the marketplace in the early 1900s, dealers tried to discredit the gems as simulations. Kokichi Mikimoto, the first commercial producer of cultured pearls, fought through courts around the world to prove his pearls were genuine, differing only from natural pearls by the uniformity of the artificially inserted nucleus.

A simple way to determine the difference between a genuine pearl (cultured or natural) and a simulated pearl is to rub it against your teeth. A genuine pearl, though silky smooth to the touch, will have a distinctly gritty feel when rubbed against your teeth.

As most of us know adornment has been around since Neanderthal man. Bits of bone, rock, shell, even flowers and leaves made up accessories for both man and woman. Glass came into existence at a much later time. Some where around 2340-2180 B.C. These excavations took place in Mesopotamia, and in the Caucasus region, known today as Russia. A vast number of glass beads were found, artistically crafted and a number of manufacturing methods used.

It was Egypt, however that manufactured such an enormous variety of beads in so many different materials that virtually everyone wore them. They were used not only for jewelry but for adornment from sandals to aprons. Most of these beads and finery was made for funerals, however. Of course the most prized stones and jewelry were made for the wealthy.

Actually glass beads are known by the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties. The Egyptians were first to manufacture for large commercial market about 1400 B.C. The New Kingdom of the Eighteenth Dynasty is considered the world’s first glassmaking epoch. Glassbeads took the place of precious and semiprecious stones. During this time all kinds of designs and styles of glass beads came into being.

A decline in glass making skills occurred in Egypt after the Nineteenth Dynasty ended. Glass virtually disappeared after the fall of the New Kingdom about 1085 B. C. It was revived in Ptolemaic times, when Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. Glass produced during this time is reported to include some of the most beautiful and complex beads ever made.

Gold is available in a wide selection of colors ranging from red to gray. By combining gold with other metals, colored gold alloys are produced. For example, rose gold contains copper and green gold contains silver. The richness of the color is regulated by how much of a particular metal is added. A deeper rose color is achieved by adding more copper. More than one metal can also be used to produce less common colors. Grey gold contains both copper and iron. Although the base metals are mixed in different quantities to produce these gold alloys, the actual amount of gold does not change. Both 14 karat rose gold and 14 karat blue gold contain the same amount of gold.

Not all gold alloys are suitable for jewelry making. The main purpose of adding base metals to gold is to improve its properties. Pure gold is too soft; making is susceptible to dents and scratches. Some base metals however, are better than others. Purple gold can be made with aluminum. Unfortunately, the resulting alloy is difficult to work with, making it an uncommon color in jewelry.