Find out all About Jewelry Know What You’re Doing When You Buy Jewelry-the new e-book, Jewelry Guide, everything from diamond engagement rings to precious metals is explained.        I love Jewelry.  Diamonds that sparkle and tell of the love and faithfulness of couples.  Gold, that golden metal that never rusts, and is always valuable.  I adore the glow of deep red rubies and blue sapphires that reflect the night time sky.  The rich history of jewelry is worth knowing too.  Diamonds have been the prized possessions of royalty since ancient civilizations in India.  The desire to hoard gold goes back to the legend of King Midas.  The delight in costume jewelry goes from rich matrons who wear copies of their fabulous diamonds, to the latest fashion jewelry.    I want to show you my delight in Jewelry, and how you to can buy the last styles and know enough to pay reasonable prices.  From buying jewelry at auctions to buying it on the web, I’ll show you how.   . What determines the value and worth of diamonds?  Is bigger always better?  Choices in diamonds should be based on four C's: cut carat, clarity and color. If your diamond is more than one carat, you should get an appraisal automatically from the Gemological Institute of America, in Santa Monica, Calif., which grades diamonds.  Color  What jewelers will tell you: It's ironic that in for diamonds, the ideal color is no color. A colorless diamond causes light to break up into a fiery rainbow spectrum without any outside color to mar the pyrotechnics. Icy diamonds are rare, and therefore of higher value, than stones that have an off-white or yellowish tint. Diamonds are measured on a color scale ranging from D to Z. Stones in the D to F range are considered colorless; those G to J are near colorless; stones graded K to M are faint yellow, and so on through the alphabet.  Certain very deep hued stones, however, have a very high value. You need to know what color means in a Diamond.  Don’t let unscrupulous jewelers tell you that a pale color, most commonly a pale yellow means that your diamond is worth more.  It is worth far less than the “white” colorless stone.                                                                                                           LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF DIAMONDS-The romantic “Star of Sierra Leone”, the unique deep blue “Hope” diamond, and more.;     The History of the Crown Jewels of the British Monarchs-  Learn about the legends associated with such famous gems as the  Kohinoor (“Mountain of Light” in Persian)     Avoid Certain Nasty Tricks to Sell Flawed Diamonds-   Keep in mind when shopping that it's possible to temporarily alter the color of a diamond in a variety of ways, and that some cracks in stones can be filled with a glass-like substance you can't detect with the human eye,"   Learn of the First Diamond Rings Given by Dukes to their future Duchesses during the 15th Century.   The beauty of Platinum for a Ring Setting, and it’s Advantages Over White Gold-     A 14 carat gold head (the part of the ring that holds the stone) is about 58 percent fine gold and the rest is an alloy. A platinum head is about 90 percent platinum, making it more expensive.           Can Rings for Men Still Be Macho?  An intimate examination of the men’s jewelry market.   Rings for men are nice too, like a signature ring. You can get rings for children as well. Another popular jewelry item for Christmas are chains and bracelets for both men and women. They come in a variety of sizes and styles. The rise in the number of men wearing a single earring has opened up a new gift giving opportunity at the jewelry store.     What Cut Of Diamond to Choose-   What are the most popular diamond cuts?  What is going to be the most popular in the immediate future? Cuts include the pear or oval, the emerald cut, and the radiant cut, which is a faceted emerald cut that is growing in popularity. The round cut diamond has the proportions to give the best brilliance and dispersion possible.     Find out the perfect wedding band to complement and beautify your diamond purchase.       Learn About the Fascinating Diamonds that Change Color   If you're interested in the rare and unusual, you'll be fascinated with a recent diamond find in China. A small, primitive mine there is producing fancy diamond colors of pink, blue, purple, and orange. It also produces thermochromic stones (which change color on exposure to heat) and "chameleons" (which change color from exposure to light and/or heat).   Learn How to Care for Diamonds   Even though diamonds are the hardest known substance, great care is needed to keep to them clean and safe.   Due to their hardness, they can scratch other gems and metals. So, always store your diamonds individually, and separate from other gemstones. If you use a box with separate compartments, wrap each piece in velvet or silk.   Do not wear your diamond when you are doing some heavy or rough work.  Points are exposed to the risk of chipping and the setting can be loosened. When doing household jobs, avoid your jewelry from coming in contact with chlorine bleach.     Do’s & Don’ts   ·        DO ask the jeweler to allow you to use a microscope or 10x loupe to view the diamond. Some jewelers would give you a 2-3x or a 5x magnification loupe. It is not possible to see the inclusions through them and you are made to believe that the diamond is of high quality.   ·        DO make sure that the diamond has a GIA or AGS Certification.   ·        DO make sure that if you want a "real" and “untreated” diamond, guard yourself against terms such as "clarity enhanced”.   ·        DO ask for the weight and quality of the center stone in writing. Avoid a jeweler if he is not willing to do so.   ·        DO ask to see the diamond without the bright lights. There are bulbs that have a strong blue element/ultraviolet wavelength. This has a whitening effect, which makes yellow diamonds look whiter.   The same book includes detailed chapters on precious and semi-precious gem   stones.        Learn which stones are the birthstones of which months and zodiac signs.