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| Traditionally, there are three metals that jewellers will offer you for your ring, engagement or wedding, pendant or diamond stud earrings; platinum, yellow gold or white gold. And now palladium is being offered to clients. |
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| Choices are usually made with regard to fashion, perhaps what type of jewellery celebrities are choosing, and the colour of the metals. The plainer, white golds and platinum are extremely popular at the moment, because they team with everything, be it diamonds, coloured gems and all kinds of fashion choices. |
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| When choosing your design of ring, it is important to consider your lifestyle and your budget. Some metals are more expensive than others, but then sometimes, you just want to make your dream come true, with the look of jewellery that you have in your mind's eye. And you can do this at My Diamonds www.mydiamonds.com.au |
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| Platinum |
| Platinum is silvery white in appearance, malleable and looks very beautiful when made in to jewellery. It is resistant to tarnish and wear, and is an extremely rare metal with many investors purchasing platinum jewellery as long term investments. It is obtained commercially as a by product of nickel and copper mining and processing The platinum used for making jewellery will be 95% pure with 5%, cobalt, included to help strengthen the metal and make it more malleable. 95% pure platinum is referred to as 950 platinum. |
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| The word platinum is derived from the phrase 'platina del Pinto', which translates as 'little silver of the Pinto River. Often used in the manufacturing industry, it is often used by jewellery artisans as a sophisticated metal of jewellery crafting. |
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| The prices of platinum are increasing all the time. In this period of global economic difficulty, precious metals have become even more popular. Recently trading at almost $1300 dollars an ounce, this documents a rise of 141% over the past five years. |
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| This means that platinum and diamond jewellery will continue to be made and sold to discerning buyers. The most popular items of jewellery made in platinum are rings for engagement, wedding bands, pendants and diamond stud earrings. |
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| Gold |
| Although gold is a naturally mined substance, white gold is not. Your white gold ring will be yellow gold mixed with other, white metals, giving it a whitish hue. The other metals added to the gold are significant because depending on what they are and how much is added will determine the colour and the quality of the finished metal, and therefore, your piece of jewellery. |
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| 18K white gold can be made up of 75% yellow gold with 25% white metals added, giving the metal a brass-y look. This would be a cheaper version of white gold. |
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| Colour improvement can be achieved by adding palladium, itself a precious metal, which improves the appearance of the gold substantially. |
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| Rhodium plating gives the metal a bright, much whiter appearance. White gold jewellery often contains nickel if purchased from the USA, used to improve the appearance of jewellery. |
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| Palladian |
| Palladian is the new kid on the block as far as jewellery production is concerned. It is considerably less expensive than platinum, but hails from the same family of metals. The metal is more brittle and probably would not be a first choice when it comes to choosing your precious diamond engagement ring or wedding band. |
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| Yellow Gold |
| This gold is often the metal of choice by women who are completing collections of jewellery started some time ago. It is not as fashionable today as the white metals, but is popular in Asia. Yellow gold can be very beautiful if the metal is of a high quality, and matches beautifully with coloured precious gems. |
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| My Diamonds www.mydiamonds.com.au offer clients jewellery predominantly in platinum and white gold, because these metals are of the very highest quality. All of their jewellery is designed by an Australian artisan, who has crafted jewellery for the most discerning of clients. |
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| If you are searching for that extra special ring, engagement or wedding band, then look no further than My Diamonds, a company who offers clients a superb and eclectic range of diamond jewellery. |
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| Hallmarking |
| A hallmark is a sign or mark pressed into jewellery to signify it's quality, what it is made of, where it was made and when. Much information can be derived from a hallmark. They are a guarantee of purity or fineness as determined by metal or assay testing. |
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| Kangaroo Head Mark |
| The distinctive Guild Mark of the Kangaroo head in a Diamond Frame identifies the maker as being a member of the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia and a genuine crafts person of high quality design and craftsmanship in precious metals. |
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| The Metal Purity Mark indicates the proportion of purity of the metal used, eg. .925 for Sterling Silver, 375 as 9ct gold, 750 as 18ct gold, Pt for Platinum and PD for Palladium. |
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| A Hallmark of Security and Safety |
| The hallmarks on jewellery are there to protect purchasers, so that they can be sure that they know exactly what they are buying when it comes to the quality and provenance of their chosen piece. Call My Diamonds on 1800 766 567 for more information from our professional specialist or go to www.mydiamonds.com.au |
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