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JewelleryNow
Hot Diamonds - the hottest jewellery around
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Jewellery from Clothes Show designer Jeff Banks
Mens jewellery by Hot Diamonds
jewellery definitions explained
Bolt Ring
The basic type of fastening for a necklace or bracelet consisting of
a hollow loop with an internal spring operated catch.
Hallmark
A mark, or series of marks, on a piece of gold, silver or platinum
jewellery to guarantee the level of purity of the metal. In the UK
this is applied by an Assay office and is a legally required mark
for items over a specific weight. It is one of the oldest forms of
quality marking in the world.
Leverback
A type of earring fastening for pierced ears which utilises a hinged "lever" on
the main part of the earring to close the gap to the end of the hook.
Minimum Weight
Because of manufacturing processes, gold chains of similar length can
vary slightly in weight. Because a significant proportion of the
value of the chain is due to the amount of gold in it, clearly the
weight of the gold will affect the chain's value. The minimum weight
is therefore the lowest weight a particular chain should be, although
frequently it will weigh more than this. This is particularly true
of chains with fancy links, which are often hand finished. JewelleryNow
will usually quote minimum weights for gold chains that do not have
any gemstones set in them.
Post and Butterfly
A common form of earring fastening for pierced ears using a "post" attached
to the earring which threads through the ear, and a separate butterfly
shaped device to hold it in place.
Pearlescent
The description given to a piece of jewellery that reflects light in
a pearl-like way, but not necessarily being a pearl. A pearlescent
look generally has an illusory depth to it, seemingly of different
layers of semi-transparent white and off-white coatings.
Torque
A rigid, but generally pliable, item of jewellery for wearing around
the neck. Very fashionable at the moment.
Wearable length
For neck-chains or bangles, the wearable length is the length of that
part of the item actually around the neck or wrist and so excludes,
for example, the "Y" part of a "Y" necklet.
Diamond Cutting
Inscriptions or designs on the surface of gold items are often created by diamond
cutting, which is literally where a diamond tipped tool has been used to engrave
or mark the surface.
Iridescent
The description given to a piece of jewellery that displays a spectrum
of colours that shimmer and change as it is moved. These changes
in colour occur due to optical properties of the jewellery that reflect
and scatter the light.
Lobster Claw clasp/ Squared Lobster Claw clasp
A fastening for a chain (necklace or bracelet) consisting of a loop
with a sprung, lever operated opening. So called because of its similarity
to a lobster's claw.
A Squared lobster claw clasp is similar to the above but with parallel
side edges.
Nickel free
Nickel is a metal often used in fashion jewellery or occasionally as
an alloy in gold jewellery. However a large number of people have
an allergy or skin reaction to nickel causing a rash. Therefore jewellery
that contains nickel will inevitably cause skin irritation to these
people, particularly if worn as pierced jewellery such as earrings.
Newly enacted European legislation lays down strict definitions for
the amount of nickel that jewellery which comes in contact with the
skin can contain. All of the jewellery sold by JewelleryNow naturally
complies with this legislation, and for the vast majority of our
fashion jewellery ranges (the most frequent cause of nickel related
skin allergies) our jewellery goes well beyond the legal requirement
for nickel content. Where the supplier has indicated that no nickel
has been used in the manufacture of the piece, we've stated that
it is "nickel free".
This is great news for people like me who are allergic to nickel!
Rhodium plated
Rhodium is a derivative of platinum, is very hard and is silvery-white
in colour. Rhodium plating is used to both harden the surface it
covers, and also to create a polished, silvery look. It is often
used for showing up gemstones to their best effect on gold jewellery,
and at the same time make the claws holding the gemstone firmer and
less likely to damage.