Buying Jewelry For Your Business Part 6 Buying Pearl JewelryWritten by Sam Serio
Whether you presently own a retail or web based business and are looking for an additional profit center or you are thinking of starting a business, jewelry is a “no-brainer” choice for a proven product category. The buying public, (particularly women) never tires of jewelry as choices in color, materials, finishes and styles are endless and innovations are continual. Every generation reinvents jewelry for itself in much same way that it reinvents music and fashion. Styles change but basic facts remain same. If you are a seasoned professional, please consider following a refresher course. To new comer, use this information as a foundation for your ongoing jewelry education.The Facts About Pearl Jewelry Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl’s value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated. Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in same way as nacre is added to lining of growing shell and always has same color and luster. For example, over country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like shell of parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre.
| | Buying Jewelry For Your Business Part 3 Buying Gemstone JewelryWritten by Sam Serio
Whether you presently own a retail or web based business and are looking for an additional profit center or you are thinking of starting a business, jewelry is a “no-brainer” choice for a proven product category. The buying public, (particularly women) never tires of jewelry as choices in color, materials, finishes and styles are endless and innovations are continual. Every generation reinvents jewelry for itself in much same way that it reinvents music and fashion. Styles change but basic facts remain same. If you are a seasoned professional, please consider following a refresher course. To new comer, use this information as a foundation for your ongoing jewelry education.The Facts About Gemstone Jewelry Natural gemstones are found in nature. Laboratory-created stones, as name implies, are made in a laboratory. These stones, which also are referred to as laboratory-grown, {name of manufacturer} - created, or synthetic, have essentially same chemical, physical and visual properties as natural gemstones. Laboratory-created stones do not have rarity of naturally colored stones and they are less expensive than naturally mined stones. By contrast, imitation stones look like natural stones in appearance only, and may be glass, plastic, or less costly stones. Laboratory-created and imitation stones should be clearly identified as such. Gemstones may be measured by weight, size, or both. The basic unit for weighing gemstones is carat, which is equal to one-fifth 91/5th) of a gram. Carats are divided into 100 units, called points. For example, a half-carat gemstone would weigh .50 carats or 50 points. When gemstones are measured by dimensions, size is expressed in millimeters (for example, 7x5 millimeters).
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