This sterling silver ring is a great complement to any jewelry box. Coming in at 0.20 carats of diamond equivalent weight from two lab-created moissanite gemstones, you can't go wrong.
Check out the Ring Sizing Guide to find your ring size.
Sterling silver, also called fine silver, is a beautifully lustrous cool-toned precious metal favored in fine jewelry among other products. The most reflective of all metals (excluding mercury), sterling silver looks stunning by itself and brings out the best hues in an array of colorful gemstones.
Sterling silver can be polished to a higher sheen than platinum. In fact, Ag, the chemical symbol for silver, comes from a word that means “white and shining.” The surface of silver can boast that shiny, polished appearance, or can be brushed, satin, matte, sandblasted, antiqued or oxidized (chemically blackened).
In order to be called sterling silver, a metal must be made up of a minimum of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy (meaning other metals), including but not limited to copper and nickel. The alloy is added to pure silver to make the metal more durable, tougher and harder. Sterling silver is designated a fineness of “925.” Pieces with sterling silver may be marked “sterling.”
Finishes on Sterling Silver
Finishing, or plating, is a common treatment with sterling silver. Popular types of plating are rhodium plating, gold plating and anti-tarnish plating. Plating is used to extend the life and sheen of the jewelry. After sizing or buffing a piece of jewelry with a machine, it must be re-plated to restore the finish.
Caring for Sterling Silver
Sterling silver becomes tarnished as the result of a natural chemical process that occurs when sterling silver is exposed to chemicals in the air, rubber, wool and latex. Humidity also plays a role in accelerating tarnishing. It's easy to keep your sterling silver sparkling, though, by taking a few steps to prevent tarnish and other wear and tear.
Created exclusively by Charles & Colvard, Moissanite is a model of sheer beauty that is fast becoming a shining star in today’s hottest jewelry designs. It is a high-quality, uniquely created stone unlike any other.
Created Moissanite has very high dispersion and displays 2.4 times more fire than diamond (0.044). Its inherent high refractive index gives Moissanite a dazzling sparkle, while its precisely calibrated and carefully hand-cut facet patterns intensify fire and maximize brilliance.
Moissanite is extremely durable. It is harder (more resistant to scratching) than ruby or sapphire – second only to diamond – and it is resistant to breakage.
Larger sizes of near-colorless Moissanite (6.5mm or 1 carat and larger) might appear to have a slight color. A variety of factors, such as dispersion, tint and the type of jewelry setting, can create and affect this unique color appearance. Moissanite aficionados enjoy the slight hue that results in a very natural-looking gemstone, even though it's lab-created.
Natural mined diamonds are slightly heavier in weight than Moissanite stones because of Moissanite's chemical properties and structure. Essentially, Moissanite is less dense and therefore lighter than a diamond of the same size. For instance, an 8mm diamond with a 2.00 carat weight would compare to an 8mm Moissanite that has a carat weight of approximately 1.73. That said, the Moissanite would be classified as a 2.00 DEW (diamond equivalent weight) because of its size. This is a useful comparison tool when shopping for Moissanite as a diamond alternative.
Moissanite’s high dispersion produces flashes of rich rainbow (spectral) colors. The appearance and degree of these tints are less noticeable when Moissanite is set in jewelry. Jewelry set in gold (yellow, rose or white) and/or set in platinum will affect the face-up appearance of Moissanite.
Nobel Prize-winning chemist Dr. Henri Moissan discovered minute quantities of natural silicon carbide (later named Moissanite in his honor) while analyzing part of Arizona’s Diablo Canyon meteorite crater in 1893. Upon close inspection, he noticed the tiny crystals shimmered with brilliance and dispersion, although they were too limited in quantity and not large enough to use in jewelry.
Almost 100 years after Dr. Moissan's amazing discovery, a way to create Moissanite was developed. Appreciated for its overwhelming brilliance, Moissanite continues to take the jewelry world by storm.
Glossary
Brilliance: The white light leaving a jewel, traveling upward, which is visible to the eye. Brilliance is sometimes referred to as "sparkle."
Dispersion: Flashes of rainbow colors. Also called "fire."
Hardness: Resistance to scratching. The higher the number, the more resistant.
Luster: The shininess of a jewel.
Toughness: Resistance to breakage.
Created or Simulated Gemstones: How are created or simulated gemstones different from natural gemstones? Natural gems are created by the forces of nature and must be discovered, usually by digging in the ground or sifting through a riverbed. When these stones are created in a laboratory, they are called created, simulated or synthetic gemstones.
The purpose of creating gemstones in a laboratory isn’t necessarily to reduce the cost, but also to produce larger, more perfectly consistent stones. Created or simulated gems can be made of any material. Synthetic gems, however, share virtually all chemical, optical and physical characteristics of their natural mineral counterparts.
Austrian Crystals: These are known for their excellent reflective quality and prismatic brilliance. This man-made crystal is created using natural minerals and quartz sand, which are then heated and slowly cooled using a process similar to that of creating hand-blown glass. This process creates an end product that can be fashioned into a beautiful crystal.
A special machine is used to create a highly faceted crystal. The crystals are cut in various directions, which allows for excellent light refraction, exceptional brilliance and unsurpassed color quality at an affordable price.
Today Swarovski® is one of the largest suppliers of high-end crystals. In the late 1800s, Daniel Swarovski invented a machine to cut crystal with extreme precision. He patented his technique and to this day, only select Swarovski family members and employees have unrestricted access to the production facility that creates these crystals. They are used to decorate everything from stilettos and sculptures, to chandeliers, jewelry and clothing.