42 December 2016 www.womanthismonth.com FEATURE | jewellery This month sees the return of Jewellery Arabia, the Kingdom’s ultimate expo for all things sparkly and special. From high jewellery and stunning timepieces from the likes of Panerie and Gucci on the Asia Jewellers stand to diamonds aplenty at Kooheji Jewellers, precious metals at Malabar Gold and Diamonds and an array of precious and costume pieces from A La Mode, it’s the time and place to lay down some serious cash, but also the ideal opportunity to bag a bargain, if you know what you’re looking for. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has these tips to learn about the 4Cs of diamond quality. Carat – Diamonds are weighed in metric carats. For reference, a small paper clip weighs about two carats. Clarity – Nearly all diamonds contain unique internal characteristics called inclusions and external characteristics called blemishes. Many clarity characteristics are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained gemologist using magnification. The GIA Clarity Scale contains 11 grades ranging from Flawless to Included. Colour – Truly colourless diamonds are very rare and highly valued. The GIA Colour Scale runs from colourless to light yellow/brown. The distinctions can be quite subtle and only visible to the trained eye. Cut – Cut refers to how a diamond’s complex proportions and angles relate to light. A number of factors influence a diamond’s cut grade, including its overall face-up appearance, design and craftsmanship. Going for Gold There are various things to remember if you’re thinking of purchasing gold. Business-standard.com has this advice: Understand that there are variations in gold that affect its purity, quality and price – the main factors to consider include purity, gram weight and design. Purity – When it comes to purity, most gold has markings inside that indicate its caratage. Pure gold is too soft to use as jewellery. Accordingly, it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. The most common ‘Carat’ options are 18, 22 and 24. Price – This is determined by purity, which alloy the gold is combined with and the amount of skill and labour in the piece. Colour – Gold has many variations including yellow, white and rose gold. Combining pure gold with other metals creates a new and diverse colour palette. Identification – In many countries, local law requires that every item of gold jewellery bears a clear stamp indicating its caratage. It’s a Bling Thing
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