Gemology · Metals · BenchAbout
Professional Jeweler

A reference on gemstones, precious metals and the jeweler's bench

A gemologist's desk with a compact unbranded grey benchtop diamond screening instrument, several loose round brilliant diamonds on a black velvet tray, a 10x loupe and steel tweezers, diamonds in sharp focus in the foreground
Diamonds

DiamondSure and DiamondView: How Diamond Screening Instruments Work

How De Beers' DiamondSure and DiamondView separate natural from laboratory-grown diamonds, what replaced or joined them, and where screening ends.

Platinum in Jewelry: Properties, Alloys and Care →

Diamonds

All diamonds →
A round artisanal mining sieve filled with wet river gravel, a few rough diamonds visible among the stones, warm earthy tones, documentary still life Diamonds

Angola, UNITA and the Origins of the Conflict-Diamond Problem

How UNITA's diamond income, UN Resolution 1173, Global Witness's A Rough Trade and the 2000 Fowler Report led to the Kimberley Process in 2003.

 Rough uncut diamonds of varied sizes in a shallow brass dish on a worn wooden sorting table, a small precision scale and folded white paper diamond parcels nearby Diamonds

Angola's Diamond Trade and the Ascorp Era

How Angola sold its rough through Endiama, Sodiam and the Ascorp single buyer (2000–2004), Lev Leviev's reported role, the criticism and later reforms.

 A row of folded white paper diamond parcels on a diamond dealer's desk, a sorting tray of polished diamonds and a loupe, northern window light Diamonds

Diamond Clarity Chart: The GIA Clarity Grades Explained

All 11 GIA diamond clarity grades from Flawless to I3, the common inclusion types, how 10x grading works, eye-clean stones and how cut shape changes what you see.

 A gemologist's desk with a compact unbranded grey benchtop diamond screening instrument, several loose round brilliant diamonds on a black velvet tray, a 10x loupe and steel tweezers, diamonds in sharp focus in the foreground Diamonds

Diamond Color Scale: What the D-to-Z Grades Mean

The GIA D-to-Z diamond color scale by group, how graders compare stones face down against masterstones, fluorescence, setting metal and fancy colors.

Gemstones & Pearls

All gemstones & pearls →
A tanzanite pendant on a fine white gold chain with matching stud earrings, on cream linen beside a sprig of winter evergreen Gemstones & Pearls

Birthstones by Month: The Modern List, Alternatives and Care

The modern US birthstone for every month, with alternates, Mohs hardness and a care note for each stone, plus how the list began in 1912 and changed since.

 A rough hexagonal emerald crystal in white calcite matrix beside a polished emerald-cut emerald, on dark slate Gemstones & Pearls

Colombian Emeralds: Muzo, Chivor and the History of the Trade

Where Colombian emeralds are mined, the Green War and 1990 peace, Víctor Carranza's role, three-phase inclusions, oil and resin fillers, and origin reports.

 A strand of dark grey and peacock-toned cultured pearls beside a few loose white pearls on natural linen, with a jeweler's loupe Gemstones & Pearls

Dyed and Irradiated Cultured Pearls: How to Identify Them

How dyed and irradiated cultured pearls are made, the signs at the counter, how labs separate them from natural-color black pearls, and what to disclose.

 A cushion-cut violet-blue tanzanite gemstone resting on a piece of rough tanzanite crystal, on dark slate Gemstones & Pearls

Gemstone Hardness: The Mohs Scale, Toughness and Stability

The Mohs hardness scale and its ten reference minerals, hardness of common gems, how toughness and stability differ, why dust scratches gems, and wear advice.

Precious Metals

All precious metals →
Precious Metals

925 Sterling Silver: What the Mark Means, Tarnish and Care

What a 925 stamp means, US and UK rules for sterling, coin, Britannia and fine silver, why silver tarnishes, and how to store and clean it.

 Several gold rings with different shank shapes, including a square shank and a ring with small sizing beads inside, lined up on a steel ring mandrel Precious Metals

Gold Karats Explained: 10K, 14K, 18K and 24K Compared

What 24K, 22K, 18K, 14K, 10K and 9K mean in gold content and stamps, how US marking rules work, and how karat affects color, wear and allergies.

 Precious Metals

Gold Plated vs Gold Filled vs Vermeil: What Each Term Means

FTC definitions of gold plate, gold filled, rolled gold plate, gold electroplate, heavy gold electroplate and vermeil, the marks to look for, and how each wears.

 Precious Metals

Jewelry Hallmarks and Quality Marks: How to Read Them

How US quality marks and trademarks work, what a UK hallmark contains, Convention marks, a table of common stamps, and how to inspect a mark with a loupe.

At the Bench

All at the bench →
A curved anticlastic copper bracelet form beside a polished steel sinusoidal forming stake and a raising hammer on a wooden workbench At the Bench

Anticlastic Raising: The Basics

What anticlastic raising is, how it differs from synclastic forming, the stakes and hammers it uses, the step sequence and who developed it.

 Engraving gravers with mushroom wooden handles beside a gold band with a row of small bead-set diamonds, on a leather bench skin At the Bench

Bead and Bright-Cut Setting Explained

Bead and bright-cut setting step by step: layout, drilling and seating, raising beads with a graver, beading tools, bright-cutting and graver sharpening.

 A round gemstone sitting in a gold bezel cup on a ring held in a wooden ring clamp, a bezel pusher tool beside it At the Bench

Bezel-Setting a Round Brilliant

How to bezel-set a round faceted stone: choosing a tube, fabricated or cast bezel, cutting the seat, pushing and burnishing, hammer setting and finishing.

 Macro view of a freshly cast silver ring with a rough unpolished surface resting on a wooden bench pin, needle files nearby At the Bench

Casting Porosity: Causes, Prevention and Repair

Gas vs shrinkage porosity in jewelry castings: how to tell them apart, what causes each, a prevention checklist, inspection before setting, and repair options.

Industry & History

All industry & history →
An Art Deco platinum and diamond brooch with sapphire accents displayed on an antique leather jewelry case, Parisian apartment window light Industry & History

Boucheron: A History of the Place Vendôme House

Boucheron from its 1858 Palais-Royal shop to 26 Place Vendôme, its signature designs, the 2000 sale to Gucci Group and its place in Kering today.

 Several open luxury jewelry presentation boxes in different colors on a marble counter, showing a necklace, a bracelet and a ring, no logos Industry & History

How Luxury Groups Built Their Jewelry Portfolios

How Richemont, LVMH and Kering assembled their jewelry houses, from Van Cleef & Arpels to Bulgari and Tiffany, why they buy, and how designer stakes fit in.

 Several open luxury jewelry presentation boxes in different colors on a marble counter, showing a necklace, a bracelet and a ring, no logos Industry & History

Jewelry Insurance and Appraisals: The Basics

Replacement value vs fair market value appraisals, what a good appraisal includes, appraiser credentials, homeowners limits vs scheduled coverage, and a checklist.