What the cut says about the diamond....

        To understand antique diamonds, it's helpful to examine the modern diamond. In the simplest version, a modern diamond has 3 main parts. The top of the diamond is called the crown and the bottom is called the pavilion. The part that separates the crown and pavilion is called the girdle. A modern brilliant cut diamond has 57-58 facets or polished surfaces. The flat part on top of the diamond is the table, which is the largest facet. The culet is a tiny facet at the very bottom of the pavilion. If the pavilion comes to a point at the bottom, the diamond does not have a culet. 

        Antique diamonds have a soft romantic glow that many people find very appealing. Antique diamonds typically have smaller tables, higher crowns, deeper pavilions and thicker girdles than their modern counterparts. Antique diamonds were cut to maximize carat weight, not "fire". That's why the proportions of old diamonds are quite different from their modern counterparts.
        Diamonds were cut by hand until the early 1900's. This was a laborious, time-consuming process. Unfortunately, many antique diamonds have been re-cut with modern cutting techniques. This has caused demand for these old cut diamonds to soar in recent years, along with the prices that people are willing to pay for them.
      Let's go over some of the older cuts, so we can get an idea of what I mean.

(1) Rose cut diamonds were introduced as early as the 1500's and were popular until the early 1900's. The shape of a rose cut diamond resembles the petals of a rose bud. The bottom is flat.

(2) The old mine cut diamond is the earliest form of the modern brilliant cut. Also called the "cushion cut", it has a cushioned shaped girdle.

                                                       

(3) The old European diamond has a very small table, a heavy crown, and great overall depth. This diamond cut was the fore-runner of the modern brillant cut. Like the modern round brilliant, the old European diamond has a circular girdle.

Nicole Scherzinger Sparkles in just about EVERYTHING!

                       Nicole Scherzinger Sparkles in just about EVERYTHING!         

        Sparkly dresses can be a little bit tricky to pull off - not only do you need to have confidence, the dress also requires the right kind of jewelry. Former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger has had both and is always so chic when seen out and about.

             What Nicole does best besides singing, is dressing & accesorizing. The "Buttons" singer opted for a sexy two-toned sequined number with loose sleeves. The bottom half had a gunmetal tone while the bodice had a light beige color. The short dress was complemented by a pair of beige pumps that definitely accented her gorgeous gams. She carried a clutch on her right hand that matched her shoes as well.  When it came to the accessories, Scherzinger understood the need to keep it simple as to not detract from the dress. On her left arm was a simple gold bangle that she paired with a ring on her middle finger. Occassionaly peeking through her wavy locks was a beautifulpair of hanging chandilier earrings to accent her glowing face.
           There are the majority of times where Scherzinger takes it to the top and rests  comfortably there.  With millions of women adoring her style, coupled with men adoring her beauty, Nicole loves all eyes on her.   Here are some examples of how she has made "oversized" jewelry somewhat of a trademark for her.

Here are some links you might enjoy to replicate her style, but not her pricetag.

http://www.stylebistro.com/Nicole+Scherzinger/Jewelry
http://www.yournextjewelry.com/2011/12/nicole-scherzinger-hoops-cocktail-rings-cuffs/

                                            "Watch Me Go into The Past With You."

On July 1, 1941 the Brooklyn Dodgers played the Philadelphia Phillies. This game was televised, but before it began, something was shown that had never been seen before - a televised advertisment for a consumer product.  And for what was the world's first televised advertisement?  A watch, of course. The ad that was first to take over all other ads was for Bulova wristwatches, one of the great American timepiece companies.    The ad is pretty simple by today's standards, but that's ok - it only cost Bulova $9. Priceless.     http://youtu.be/lsjc2uDi1OI

As Quentin Tarantino so brilliantly captures in this scene from ‘Pulp Fiction’, a watch is something that really begs to be looked after. Because a watch is more than just an object that tells you the time – it’s a token of love, a cherished heirloom, a piece of history.

                                

     There’s also an extreme sense of indivituality, to know no one in the room will have the same piece as you.  To Be Continued...

What happens after you sell your Gold & Silver?

There are actually a few different methods of refining gold. Depending upon the quantity of gold you are working with and the desired level of purity, the two most common methods for refining gold are the use of high temperature flame and the use of chemicals to refine the gold.

Refining with flame is one of the oldest methods of refining metals. Mentioned even in the bible, refining by fire is the preferable method for larger quantities of gold. In ancient times, this form of refining involved a craftsman sitting next to a hot fire with molten gold in a crucible being stirred and skimmed to remove the impurities or dross that rose to the top of the molten metal. With flames reaching temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Celsius, this job was definitely a dangerous occupation for the gold refiner. The tradition remains largely untouched today with the exception of a few advancements in safety and precision.

The second method of refining gold involves the use of chemicals. Strong acids are used to dissolve the impurities in the gold ore and afterwards, are neutralized and washed away, taking the impurities with them. The resulting product is a muddy substance that is almost pure gold (99.999% or 24K). This muddy substance is dried until it is a powdered residue and then heated with a torch or other source of heat to melt the gold powder into useable gold. The acids used for this process are Nitric acid and Hydrochloric acid.

A silver refiner provides precious metal recovery that recycles material, keeping it out of landfills. Whether it be scrap metal or jewelry, the process of refining silver separates silver from other metals and waste.   Scrap from the process, such as silver metal foil, silver leaf, and antique silver is weighed and smelted. As the scrap becomes liquified in a furnace, ash and borax are included to separate pure silver from other precious and non-precious metals.

The largest consumers of silver are Kodak and Fuji. That is because more silver is used for photography than any other product. Large amounts of silver are also used for silverware, jewelry and industrial products. Silver is also used to treat burn victims as it kills bacteria, allowing the individual to heal more quickly.  Silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

Now back to the refining process. The Silver refiner mixes silver in with other metal, such as gold and copper, because different amounts of other precious metals can be in a piece of jewelry. The refiner of silver creates bars of metal and dumps them into ice water to reduce particle size. The bars are dissolved in nitric acid and hydrochloric acid for six to twelve hours. Nitric acid attacks the silver and copper and puts the metals in liquid form. The pure silver is then extracted, dried and cooled.

The refining of silver puts the precious metal back into use, making a positive impact on the world around us. Worn-down jewelry, scrap silver, and silver coins can be refined into pure silver bullion. As the price of silver continues to increase, selling that bullion can be a windfall for an individual, and thus silver refining is becoming a growing business. Refining sterling silver produces silver and other metals as sterling silver is more than 92 percent silver, with the remaining eight percent being copper or another metal. The added metal provides strength as items of 100 percent silver would bend. Sterling silver is primarily used for jewelry and silverware.

Silver refiners have the expertise to melt silver jewelry and other pieces of jewelry into their liquid form and rework them into other uses. Most also buy, refine gold, silver and platinum.  I hope we both learned as much from this lesson as I.

Silver, the Forgotten Child of Precious Metals

                          Silver, the Forgotten Child  of Precious Metals

           

               In times of economic uncertainty, people often seek to protect their nest egg by investing in precious metals. Precious metals historically rise when the value of a fiat currency falls. In today's market, pre-1964 US junk silver coins like the 1964 silver quarter the twenty five cent piece, 1964 silver half fifty cent piece, 1964 silver dime ten cent piece and 1964 silver dollar hundred cent piece U.S.A these coins all contain 90% silver provide an affordable and liquid silver investment opportunity.

               While gold and platinum are the superstars of jewelry for sale, Sterling silver should not be ignored. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver, with the remaining fraction made up of other metals, like copper.It's understandable how clientelle overlook Sterling. The spot market price of gold today is at $1616.90/ounce and Platinum is at $1,414.00/ounce. Silver seems poor by comparison, at just $25.37/ounce. However, don’t be mislead. If you have a large amount of Sterling, such as a service for 12, it represents many, many ounces that can be converted to much-needed fast cash. It is an excellent example of why a seller’s Sterling Silver flatware which, if a seller is like most of us, only comes out on special occasions, can represent a sizeable cash payout. Don't be mislead into overlooking your Sterling.

          Here at Suffolk Gold Buyers in Northport, webuy all kinds of Sterling silver regardless of age, condition or place of manufacture.We are not interested in the quality or design of the silver pieces, only in their purity.  Our company is three generations old and has the means to pay the highest-possible percentage of actual value based upon the spot price at the time.   If it is an antique or estate piece we can assess the value for you also.

           Also, Sterling Silver is present in many coins and jewelry as well. Coins pre-dating 1964 contain 90% silver which were used as money until the mid-1960s, serve both as an investment medium and could be used as "survival" coins should our monetary system fail as many people fear. Because they were circulated coins, they can still be used as currency in a survival situation, saved to reap the benefits of a rise in silver price, or used as a hedge against inflation. Although coin collectors call them "junk" coins, they are far from what the nick name may imply. Junk silver coins are good investment in our mind.

            

What Does the Price of Gold Tell Us Historically?

                                
      What Does the Price of Gold, Silver &           Platinum tell us Historically?

Was gold struck down by lightning? After hitting a new high of $1921 per troy oz. the price of gold retreated in the face of some heavy selling which very briefly brought it down below $1800. Spot gold is now trading $1,581 per troy ounce as you can see on http://www.kitco.com/ daily. Following that, the silver price hit a low at $26.3 – though both metals have staged a decent rally since then.

                      Although the gold price is still up by 10.22% this year, the silver price is currently down 8.21% for the year. Platinum have failed worse, goign down by 20.35%. Simply put: gold is a safe-haven metal in a way that the other precious metals are not. All are safe havens to the extent that they represent tangible assets with unique properties and industrial utility – in contrast to currency or bonds – but as economic fears have grown over the course of the second half of the year, industrial utility has been the last thing on investors’ minds. Below, I've included the closing gold prices as we approach this new year.
                   

                More importantly, anyone who understands that gold is money can see why demand for it, by definition, rises during deflations.Whether we see ‘70s style inflation, ‘30s style deflation or a more extreme cases in our future, gold is STILL the best insurance. The price of gold rose in all those scenarios. As long as real interest rates remain negative, the opportunity cost of saving in gold is zero. Sell your gold while you can, get the highest rates while they are still fluctuating. Holding on to your gold, silver, or platinum ensures nothing. It is a seller's market.

The Truth of GIA vs. EGL Certification, all the differences involved.

                           

                       The Truth of GIA vs. EGL Certification

Before purchasing a diamond, it is important to ensure it has been certified by a credible gemological organization. Both the Gemological Institute of America and the European Gemological Laboratory are credible organizations known worldwide for grading and certifying diamonds. Both organizations offer similar diamond certification reports; however, there are a few differences between the organizations when it comes to diamond value and grading standards. Both GIA and EGL are very reliable independent diamond grading laboratories. They both employ leading gemologist and use the highest technologies to grade diamonds. Both set industry standards and are well respected.  Both GIA and EGL do not make diamonds, rather diamonds are sent to them to get a completely independent and objective diamond grading report.

The GIA in a non-profit institute, established in 1931. The purpose of the GIA is to protect purchasers of gemstones through education and research and determine the quality of diamonds through certification. The GIA is an international organization with world headquarters located in Carlsbad, California.

The EGL is an international company that also focuses on gemstone certification, education and research. The company is privately owned and was originally founded as part of an international network in Europe in 1974. The EGL USA division was founded in 1977 with locations in New York, California and Canada.

The GIA diamond report grades shape, measurements, weight, depth percentage, table percentage, girdle thickness, cutlet size, polish, symmetry, clarity grade, color grade, fluorescence, internal and external inclusions and adds comments about the diamond.  The EGL diamond report offers a more detailed report grading all of the above, plus the crown angle and pavilion angle of a diamond.

The EGL is regarded by some jewelers as offering more lenient grading standards, while the GIA is regarded as offering more strict grading standards when reporting the quality of diamonds. In other words, while the GIA tends to give borderline diamonds lower grades, the EGL tends to give borderline diamonds higher grades.

Both buyers and jewelers consider the EGL to have less strict grading standards than the GIA. Diamonds graded by the EGL are typically valued somewhat lower than diamonds graded by the GIA and can usually be purchased at a lower cost. For instance, a diamond with an EGL certification that has the same exact clarity, cut and color as a diamond with a GIA certification, will typically be less expensive.

I will say one final thing though, you will never find an EGL certified diamond that sells for the same price as a GIA certified diamond if they are the same color and clarity, the EGL will always be less. On the other hand, you will find plenty of EGL certified diamonds that are graded just as accurately as the same GIA certified diamond for much less money. You just have to do your homework and trust in a professional buyer or jeweler to help you make healthy assumptions. The choice is yours!