Buying Genuine American Indian Jewelry & CraftsWritten by Sam Serio
Buying American Indian jewelry & crafts can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you’re considering a gift of American Indian jewelry & crafts for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn terms used in industry. Here’s some information to help you get best quality American Indian jewelry & crafts for your money, whether you’re shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.Whether you're drawn to beauty of turquoise and silver jewelry or earth tones of Indian pottery, some information about American Indian arts and crafts can help you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous retailers are selling imitation American Indian arts and crafts to unwary consumers. According to Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, any item produced after 1935 that is marketed as "Indian," "Native American" or "Alaska Native" must have been made by a member of a state or federally-recognized tribe or a certified Indian artisan. That is a non-member Indian artisan who is certified by governing body of an Indian tribe. 3 Tips for Buying Genuine American Indian Jewelry & Crafts 1.Buy from an established dealer who gives a written guarantee or written verification of authenticity. Ask if your item comes with a certification tag. Not all authentic Indian arts and crafts carry this tag, but those that do are certified by Department of Interior (DOI) to be genuine. This sample tag identifies artisan as a member of Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative. However, you may see a different name and logo appearing in circle on item you buy.
| | Diamonds Are ForeverWritten by Sam Serio
Diamond jewelry: diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond pendants and diamond bracelets are some of most sought after gemstone creations. Your eyes tell you how beautiful a piece of diamond jewelry is, but how do you know you are getting your money’s worth?A little knowledge can go a long way to help you purchase a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry at a fair price. Diamond Jewelry 101 A diamond's value is based on four criteria: color, cut, clarity, and carat. The clarity and color of a diamond usually are graded. However, scales are not uniform: a clarity grade of "slightly included" may represent a different grade on one grading system versus another, depending on terms used in scale. Make sure you know how a particular scale and grade represent color or clarity of diamond you're considering. A diamond can be described as "flawless" only if it has no visible surface or internal imperfections when viewed under 10-power magnification by a skilled diamond grader. As with other gems, diamond weight usually is stated in carats. Diamond weight may be described in decimal or fractional parts of a carat. If weight is given in decimal parts of a carat, figure should be accurate to last decimal place. For example, ".30 carat" could represent a diamond that weighs between .295 - .304 carat. Some retailers describe diamond weight in fractions and use fraction to represent a range of weights. For example, a diamond described as 1/2 carat could weigh between .47 - .54 carat. If diamond weight is stated as fractional parts of a carat, retailer should disclose two things: that weight is not exact, and reasonable range of weight for each fraction or weight tolerance being used. Some diamonds may be treated to improve their appearance in similar ways as other gemstones. Since these treatments improve clarity of diamond, some jewelers refer to them as clarity enhancement. One type of treatment - fracture filling - conceals cracks in diamonds by filling them with a foreign substance. This filling may not be permanent and jewelers should tell you if diamond you're considering has been fracture-filled.
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