We all know that not all that glitters is gold, but some gold-like metal isn’t even gold plated or gold filled. Some of it is actually just plain brass. Brass is an alloy made up […]
While not all that glimmer is gold (some of it may be pinchbeck, tombac or some other base metal alloy), even what is perceived to be gold, may not be all that precious. Let’s go […]
While diamonds last forever, they are expensive and relatively hard to come by, especially at greater sizes. The same goes for most other natural gemstones; they are demanding to find, and even if the quality […]
Cut steel jewellery is quite self-explanatory; it is jewellery made of bits of steel that has been cut (faceted) and riveted onto a steel base. There is debate over when the technique was developed, as […]
Not all natural materials are created equal, and some, while stunningly beautiful, are more temperamental than others. The unholy trinity in this respect is, I believe, pearls, turquoise and opal, and they are as difficult […]
Gold is a chemical element, and in its pure form, it can’t really be used in jewellery. This is due to its softness and malleability – while you’d be able to turn it into something […]
If you’ve ever laid your eyes upon a beautiful piece of jewellery made of a large quantity of tiny Bohemian garnets set in a brownish metal, you’ve seen tombac. Tombac (also written “tombak” ) is […]
If the diamond is the queen of the gemstones, corundum is her consort. A red corundum is known as a ruby, and while sapphires are mostly associated with a particular deep blue colour, all non-red […]
