Gems en Vogue One of a Kind 14K Gold 0.92ctw Pink Spinel & Diamond Ring - 7

Our diamonds have been evaluated and graded by GIA graduate gemologists using the standards established by GIA (The Gemological Institute of America). Through these guidelines, we no longer provide clarity grades for SINGLE cut diamonds.

Diamond Carat
Carat is the standard unit of measurement used to determine a diamond’s weight. Although two diamonds may have the same carat weight, their color and clarity may be different, thus determining each individual stone’s value. Additionally, since larger diamonds are more rare than smaller diamonds, diamond value tends to rise exponentially with carat weight.

More About Diamonds
The most precious of all gems, diamonds have an incredible rarity factor. It takes a minimum of one million diamonds to be mined in order to find a 1.00ct gem-quality diamond, so each 1.00ct quality diamond is literally one in a million. Making them even more incredible, the mining of diamonds requires moving and sifting 250 tons of the Earth’s crust to find just one diamond. Mining companies literally move mountains to find diamonds.

Diamonds have the longest endurance of any substance known on Earth. Carbon dating has established that diamonds, on the average, are 3.4 billion years of age. They consist of pure carbon and there is no chemical difference between them and carbon powder (the lead pencil center). Obviously, however, the physical difference between carbon powder and a diamond is fascinating. Diamonds are created from a basketball-sized piece of pure carbon that becomes white-hot. It is squeezed to the size of a small pearl, turning from black to clear in the process and becoming the hardest material known to humans, ranking a 10.0 on the Mohs Scale . Because they are so hard, diamonds can only be ground and polished by using diamond dust that has been ground from other diamonds.

Diamonds are found in a rainbow of colors. The value of a fancy-colored stone depends largely on the rarity of its color, the saturation of the color, and the purity of the color. Probably the most famous colored diamond is the Hope, which features a deep-blue color and weighs an amazing 45.52ct. It can be seen at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

With diamonds found all over the world, America has a couple small producing diamonds mines, but it only produces industrial grades with non-gem grade material. These black and brown industrial-grade diamonds are widely used as cutting and grinding tools in various industries, such as oil drilling and stone carving.

Diamonds have come to symbolize the ultimate gift of love and romance and, in the United States, are traditionally used in engagement and wedding rings. The tradition of the diamond solitaire engagement ring may have started in 1477, when the Archduke of Austria gave a large solitaire diamond to Mary of Burgundy for her hand in marriage. Amidst this tradition of romance, the diamond is also the birthstone for April and given as 10th, 30th, 60th and 75th anniversary gifts.

Diamonds have been the pride of empires throughout time. Ancient Hindu followers believed diamonds were created by thunderbolts striking the ground. Ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were teardrops of the gods and splinters of stars that had fallen to Earth. The stones were believed to possess magical qualities and have powers far beyond the understanding of common man. Even the name stems from “adamas,” the Greek word for “unconquerable” and “indestructible.”

The diamond is considered the most magical of all gems. When worn, it is believed to promote spirituality, even ecstasy, and is often utilized in meditation. The diamond promotes self-confidence in relations with the opposite sex and is often worn to conquer infertility. The diamond is the stone of love and is worn to ensure fidelity. Owing to its sparkling and flashing nature, it has long been regarded as a stone of protection and peace. It can be worn today for courage and strength, and represents fearlessness and invincibility.

Since only diamonds can scratch other diamonds, it is important to wrap and store your diamond jewelry pieces separately so they do not touch one another. To clean jewelry at home, soak diamonds in warm, sudsy water made with any mild liquid detergent. Brush with a soft toothbrush and rinse and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Other effective cleaning methods include soaking diamonds in household ammonia, brand-name liquid jewelry cleaners, or even a glass of vodka.

Yellow Gold
By far the most common color of gold used in jewelry, yellow gold is gold in its natural shade. Yellow gold is usually alloyed with copper and silver to increase the strength of the metal. How yellow the metal is depends upon the content of gold. A 14-karat piece of jewelry will have a brighter yellow hue than a 10-karat piece. Likewise, an 18-karat piece of jewelry will have a deeper yellow than 14-karat gold, and so on.

Gold Karat
Gold's softness and malleability make it a wonderful metal to work with when creating virtually any design in jewelry. But this softness can be a drawback as well. To make it stronger and more durable, gold is usually alloyed, or mixed, with other metals such as copper or silver. The higher a metal's percentage of gold content, the softer and more yellow the jewelry piece. The karat weight system used to measure gold in a piece is the same for all hues, including white and yellow gold.

The word “carat” is Arabic, meaning “bean seed.” This is because historically seeds were used to measure weights of gold and precious stones. In the United States, “karat” with a “k” is used to measure gold's purity, while “carat” with a “c” is used in measuring a gemstone's size. The karat mark of gold represents the percentage of pure gold to alloy.

In order to determine the karat weight of a specific item, simply look for the quality mark. Jewelry items will bear the stamp of their karatage based upon the United States or European system of marking. The United States system designates pieces by their karats—24K, 18K, 14K, 10K, etc. The European system designates pieces by their percentage of gold content. For instance, 10K gold is marked “417,” denoting 41.7% gold; 14K is marked “585,” denoting 58.5% gold; and 18K is marked “750,” denoting 75% gold; etc.

Spinel:
The great imposter of gemstone history, many famous rubies have been found to actually be spinels. Perhaps the most famous of which is the Black Prince’s Ruby. Once worn by Henry V on his battle helmet, this 170.00ct red spinel is now set in the British Imperial State Crown. Another famous misidentification is the Timur Ruby, a 352.00ct red spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth. This particular stone is engraved with the names of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it.

History is unclear whether these mistaken identities were merely accidents or clever substitutions of rubies for the less valuable spinels by dishonest jewelers. In Burma, spinel was recognized as a separate gem species in 1587, but the masquerade lasted for hundreds of years after that in most other countries.

Spinel carries a considerable amount of worth not only based on its history, but due to its brilliance and wide range of spectacular colors. When interpreted by the Greek, the word “spinel” means “spark” in reference to its beautiful sparkle. While a rich red is the most common color, spinel can be found in shades of pink, purple, green, brown or black. An exceptional color from Burma is a vivid hot pink with an orange undertone. Spinel can also come in a beautiful blue hue, sometimes called cobalt spinel, but this color is quite rare.

The main obstacle holding back greater recognition for spinel is rarity. Fine spinels are now more rare than the rubies they used to imitate. Strangely, however, they are also more affordable, since too rare can be a drawback because such few people have the opportunity to grow to love them. The most beautiful colors of the stone are mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma), but spinels are also found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Russia. They have a hardness of 7.5-8.0 on the Mohs Scale and are traditionally given as a 22nd wedding anniversary gift.