Cultured Pearls

The term “cultured pearl” denotes a pearl that has been created via a “seeding” process, the seed usually is a round bead that forms the nucleus of the pearl. This bead is inserted into the reproductive organ of the mollusc and it is left in for a period of time to be covered by the naturally occurring nacre of the mollusc, this same material is found in “mother of pearl” meaning the inside of the mollusc shell.

Tahitian Pearls

From the black lip oyster (Pinctada margaritifera-cumingi), generally pearls that are “black” or “silver” in colour, although a large variety of colours are available, and secondary colourations or more are common through most pearls from the region. These pearls are farmed almost exclusively in one of the “blue lagoons” of French Polynesia. Tahitian pearls commonly come in many shapes, such as baroque, circle, semi baroque, oval, teardrop, button, semi round, near round and the most valuable, round.

South Sea Pearls

From the silver lipped pearl of the golden lipped pearl (Pinctada Maxima), generally white to gold in colour. These pearls are farmed in regions of Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia & the Philippines, South Sea pearls can be the largest of all pearls in the world, as they have the largest mollusc and also longest cultivation times, leading to them being highly desirable and also expensive. South sea pearls come in many shapes, such as baroque, circle, semi baroque, oval, teardrop, button, semi round, near round and the most valuable, round.

Akoya Pearls

From the Akoya oyster (Pinctada fucuta martensii), these pearls are farmed primarily in Japan and in China (in China Pinctada chemnitzii), Japan is the only country where Akoya pearls of 8.5mm exist and as such those pearls are unique. Japan took the idea of cultured pearl farming from Australia and applied it to the Akoya molluscl, and since then has led production and processing of Akoya pearls. These pearls are the most difficult to grow due to the low survival rates of the host oysters, of the survivors of nucleation only 40% successfully encircle the seed with nacre, and only 5% of those are considered “high quality”. Akoya pearls come in a range of colours and shapes and are considered to be some of the most desirable pearls in the world.

Freshwater Pearls

From the Biwa pearl mussel (Hypriopsis schlegeli) and triangle shell mussel (Hypriopsis cumingii) and other hybrid species, generally from China. The freshwater pearl is the most affordable pearl and most common, coming in a variety of colours as dying is frequently used to change the pearls from their normal “white” colours to black, blue, red, brown and other colours, the pearls come in different shaped and sizes, such as baroque, circle, semi baroque, oval, teardrop, button, semi round, near round and the most valuable, round.

Keshi Pearls

Freeform pearls that grow either naturally or as a side effect of nucleating pearls, they are usually irregularly shaped and have a high lustre, they come ina variety of colours, although Japanese akoya pearl keshi’s are generally more grey in colour.

Lustre: High luster results at least in part from the amount of nacre deposited to form the pearl, which in turn is a function of how long the pearl has had to develop within the oyster. Pearls with a high luster have more nacre and are generally valued much more highly than pearls with a lower luster or less nacre.

Nacre: The actual structure of the pearl is made from Nacre it is composed of hexagonal platelets made of aragonite (calcium carbonate) 10–20 µm wide and 0.5 µm thick arranged in a continuous parallel lamina. This gives the pearls their unique look among all the gemstones of the world, as the iridescence shown by a pearl cannot be easily mimicked.

Matching: How well matched the pearls are when next to each other in a necklace or bracelet.

Cut refers not only to a diamonds shape (e.g. round, oval, pear, etc.) but to a diamonds proportions, symmetry and polish. Many gemmologists consider the cut of a diamond to be its most important characteristic. The beauty of a diamond depends more on cut than any other factor. Though extremely difficult to analyse and quantify, diamond cut has three primary effects on appearance: brilliance (the brightness created by the combination of all the white light reflections from the surface and the inside of a polished diamond), fire (the dispersion of light into the colours of the visible spectrum, seen as flashes of colour), and scintillation (the flashes of light and dark, or sparkle, when a diamond or light source is moved). In other words, a diamond with a poor cut will appear dull, even if it has the perfect colour and clarity.

See Diagram below.

Because they are formed deep within the earth under extreme heat and pressure, virtually all diamonds contain "birthmarks"; small imperfections inside the diamond (called inclusions), or on its surface (called blemishes). Clarity refers to the degree to which these imperfections are present. Diamonds which contain numerous or significant inclusions or blemishes have less brilliance because the flaws interfere with the path of light through the diamond.

See Diagram below.

Please note P1 - 3 & I1 - 3 are exactly the same

A diamond or gemstones "Carat" designation is a measurement of both the size and weight of the stone. One "Carat" is a unit of mass that is equal to 0.2 grams (200 milligrams). A carat can also be divided into "points" with one carat being equal to 100 points, and with each point being 2 milligrams in weight. Therefore, a 1/2 carat diamond would be 50 points, a 3/4 carat diamond is 75 points, and a 2 carat diamond is 200 points.When a single piece of jewellery has multiple stones, the total mass of all diamonds or gemstones is referred to as "Total Carat Weight" or "T.C.W."

Two diamonds of equal carat weight may also appear very different in size based on the shape of the diamond. For instance, a 1 carat marquise tends to appear larger than a 1 carat round. The chart below illustrates why. For each diamond, the chart shows the following:

• Approximate size. The diamond images shown are a very close approximation of the actual size of a 1 carat excellent cut for each shape. Visually, the longer shapes (oval, marquise, pear, emerald) tend to appear larger to the eye than the round and square shapes.
• Measurements (Length x Width). The measurements correspond to the shape shown above, and are typical for excellent cut diamonds of 1 carat weight.
• Crown Area - The total surface area (mm2). The area gives the true size of the diamond face up (as it would appear when set in a ring). For example, while the oval diamond image appears larger than the round image, the actual surface area is the same for the two shapes, meaning the difference in size is one of perception, not reality. In contrast, the oval not only appears larger than the princess cut, it actually has a larger surface area (approximately 10% larger in this example), meaning the difference is not simply an illusion created by the elongated shape.

Remember that while the measurements below are typical, every diamond is unique.

• Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle.
• Table: The largest facet of a gemstone.
• Crown: The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table.
• Girdle: The intersection of the crown and pavilion which defines the perimeter of the diamond.
• Pavilion: The bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the girdle to the culet.
• Culet: The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye (graded "none" or "small").
• Depth: The height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table.

A black diamond, or Carbonado originated on earth 3.5 billion years ago. Infernal heat and pressure, under the earths surface transformed the carbon atoms into crystals. Black Diamonds are opaque and just like colour-less diamonds, they are of great hardness that amounts to 10 in the Mohss scale of hardness.

Black Diamonds are full of criss-crossing inclusions containing black deposits of Sulphides which are responsible for their opaque texture. Pitting on the stones surface may also be evident and is quite normal.

As a general rule, black diamonds contain a multitude of grey and dark grey elements the combination of which form the black colour.

Diamonds that naturally occur with shades of colour are referred to as "Fancy". Fancy coloured diamonds are valued by the intensity of their colour concentration. All coloured diamonds belong to the carbon family. The difference of the colour is the result of the different molecular structures of the crystals.

Black diamonds are often enhanced and are still genuine diamonds treated with radiation to make their colour appear more black, or to obtain uniform colour.

It is typically much better quality than a "natural" black diamond due to the nature of its inclusions.

In ancient Italy, a black diamond was regarded as the stone of reconciliation. It was believed that touch of black diamond has the power of patching up all misunderstandings between the warring couples.

When it comes to a diamonds colour, many people think that a "good" colour means that it is brilliantly white - but this is seldom the case. Nature has provided a whole spectrum of colours in the makeup of diamonds, including red, pink, green, blue, and yellow. Acting as a prism, a diamond divides light into a spectrum of colours and reflects this light as colourful flashes called fire. The less colour in a diamond means the more colourful the fire, which results in a better colour grade.

The photo below shows a master set used by gemmologists to grade colour in diamonds. Each diamond to be graded is compared to the master set to determine where it should fall on the diamond colour scale. The colours you see below are slightly exaggerated, since viewing diamonds face down makes their body colour more pronounced. The face down orientation makes the detection of body colour easier because brightness and fire are minimized when the diamond is face down.

Higher value items sold by Grays Online come with a Certificate of Authenticity which lists an Estimated Replacement Valuation which is based on current Australian market forces.

The Certificate of Authenticity means that the actual item for sale has been assessed by a fully qualified specialist jewellery valuer. The specialist jewellery valuer requires knowledge of gemmology, jewellery manufacture, precious metal markets, world gem markets, supply and demand factors both overseas and within Australia, taxation law requirements, general retail practices and the final combination of all the above factors in the principle and procedures of a jewellery valuation. They inspect and assess the jewellery item using a hand lens taking note of several key factors-

• 1.Metal types, hallmark type stamping, confirmation of gold carats by way of gold testing, approximate metal weights and type of manufacture
• 2.Verification of gemstones using gemmological testing equipment to verify stone family and type, gemstone authenticity, measuring for size and calculating approximate stone weights
• 3.Grading of gemstones by cut, colour and clarity of such stones
• 4.Detection of any treatments to the gemstones
• 5.A specified full description of the jewellery article with a clear photo of the individual item.

The Estimated Replacement Value does not represent a retail price or resale value of the item. It is an estimated value of the cost of replacing the item and is the opinion of the registered jewellery valuer based on the criteria detailed above. Variations may occur due to market fluctuations.