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FINE QUALITY HAND MADE JEWELLERY
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQ's
BRITISH HALLMARKING COUNCIL
WHEN IT COMES TO MANUFACTURING JEWELLERY AND SILVERWARE, PRECIOUS METALS (SILVER, PALLADIUM, GOLD, AND PLATINUM) ARE RARELY USED IN THEIR PUREST FORM. INSTEAD, THEY ARE USUALLY ALLOYED WITH LESSER METALS TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STRENGTH, DURABILITY, AND COLOUR.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETECT THE PRECIOUS METAL CONTENT OF AN ITEM BY SIGHT OR BY TOUCH. IT IS, THEREFORE, A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO HAVE ITEMS CONSISTING OF SILVER, PALLADIUM, GOLD, OR PLATINUM INDEPENDENTLY
TESTED AND THEN HALLMARKED BEFORE THEY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS SUCH. ITEMS MUST BEAR A HALLMARK AT THE POINT OF SALE, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING WEIGHT EXEMPTIONS:
SILVER: MANDATORY FOR ITEMS ABOVE 7.78 GRAMS; GOLD: MANDATORY FOR ITEMS ABOVE 1 GRAM; PALLADIUM: MANDATORY FOR ITEMS ABOVE 1 GRAM; PLATINUM: MANDATORY FOR ITEMS ABOVE 0.5 GRAMS.
GEMSMITHS JEWELLERS IS REGISTERED WITH THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE, ENSURING OUR PRECIOUS METAL JEWELLERY IS COMPLIANT WITH THE UK HALLMARKING REGULATIONS. ALL STOCK IS SUBJECT TO AN INTERNAL CONFIRMATION PROCESS TO ENSURE IT MEETS THE UK HALLMARKING REGULATIONS BEFORE IT IS DISPATCHED TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
FOR ARTICLES THAT ARE BELOW THE UK HALLMARKING ACT MANDATORY WEIGHT FOR HALLMARKING GEMSMITHS JEWELLERS OPERATES A SEPARATE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS WHICH INVOLVES PERIODIC VOLUNTARY TESTING OF ITEMS THAT FALL BELOW THE MANDATORY WEIGHT TO ENSURE THEY MEET THE MINIMUM FINENESS REQUIREMENT.
WE ARE AN ASSAY ASSURED JEWELLERY RETAILER. ASSAY ASSURED STATUS IS ONLY GIVEN TO RETAILERS WHO HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED AND VERIFIED BY ASSAY ASSURED WHICH IS RUN AND OVERSEEN BY THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE, AND ENSURES THAT ALL PRECIOUS. METAL JEWELLERY (EXCEPT ITEMS EXEMPT BY WEIGHT) ARE INDEPENDENTLY TESTED AND HALLMARKED.
DIAMOND CARE:
AT GEMSMITHS WE ALL KNOW THAT YOUR DIAMONDS ARE A PURCHASE FOR LIFETIME SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AFTER YOUR JEWELLERY. COSMETICS, PERFUMES, SKIN OILS, AND OTHER FACTORS CAN MAKE YOUR DIAMOND'S DULL AND AFFECT THE NATURAL BRILLIANCE OF THEM SO IT IS BEST TO KEEP THEM CLEAN.
RINSE THOROUGHLY UNDER WATER AND PAT DRY WITH A SOFT LINT FREE CLOTH.
ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN USE A QUICK DIP LIQUID JEWELLERY CLEANER TO KEEP YOUR DIAMOND JEWELLERY AS SHINY AS EVER.
BRING YOUR DIAMOND JEWELLERY INTO ANY GEMSMITHS JEWELLERS SHOP AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A PROFESSIONAL CLEAN AND POLISH WHICH YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY?
FAQ's
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY
WE ADVISE THAT YOU CLEAN YOUR JEWELLERY REGULARLY TO REMOVE BODY OILS AND RESIDUES THAT CAN DULL THE SHINE OF YOUR JEWELLERY
WITH ALL JEWELLERY ITEMS, WE ADVISE THAT YOU REGULARLY CHECK FOR WARNING SIGNS OF VULNERABILITY IN YOUR JEWELLERY. THIS IS THE CHECK FOR LOOSE STONES PRONGS OR CLASP AND VERY WORN LINKS. THIS MAY PREVENT COSTING MORE MONEY TO REPLACE LOST AND MISSING STONES AND CLASPS. IF YOU IGNORE THIS INFORMATION WE CAN NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DAMAGE TO YOUR GOODS.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT WEARING YOUR JEWELLERY STORE IN A CLEAN AND DRY PLACE NOT TOUCHING OTHER ITEMS. THIS IS TO PREVENT THE JEWELLERY FROM TARNISHING AND FROM SURFACES SCRATCHES.
WE ADVISE REMOVING JEWELLERY IN ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES
BEFORE SWIMMING - SALT WATER CAN BE CORROSIVE TO YOUR JEWELLERY ITEM AND CHLORINATED WATER CAN HAVE A VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ITEM AND MAKE THE METAL ERODE OR EVEN DISSOLVE. IF THE METAL IS GOLD PLATINUM OR SILVER (ESPECIALLY HOLLOW ITEMS) THEY WILL BE AFFECTED AND WILL SLOWLY ERODE RESULTING IN A DEFECTED JEWELLERY PIECE. IF YOU IGNORE THIS INFORMATION WE CAN NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DAMAGE TO YOUR GOODS.
EXERCISING - WE ADVISE TO REMOVE JEWELLERY WHEN EXERCISING MOSTLY CHAIN AS THEY CAN EASILY GET CAUGHT IF THEY ARE LONG AND SNAP. ALSO, BODY MOISTURE CAN DULL THE SHINE OF YOUR JEWELLERY. WEARING RINGS IS NOT SUCH AN ISSUE HOWEVER THEY MAY STILL GET SCRATCHED.
GARDENING - WHEN DOING GARDENING OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WHICH INVOLVE USING YOUR HAND'S SMALL ROCKS CAN BE ABRASIVE AND CAN PERMANENTLY DAMAGE THE APPEARANCE IF MARKED. SOMETIMES IF THIS IS DAMAGE TO GEMSTONES OR DIAMOND IT CAN BE COSTLY TO REPAIR OR BE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. IF YOU IGNORE THIS INFORMATION WE CAN NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DAMAGE TO YOUR GOODS.
CLEANING YOUR SILVER JEWELLERY
YOU MAY FIND YOUR SILVER JEWELLERY TARNISH'S OVER TIME. THIS IS BECAUSE IT REACTS WITH SULPHUR IN THE AIR AND MANY CHEMICALS SUCH AS PERFUME AND HAIRSPRAY, CLEANING PRODUCTS, CHLORINE MAY CAUSE YOUR JEWELLERY TO TARNISH MORE QUICKLY OR DISCOLOUR IT SO TRY AND AVOID GETTING YOUR JEWELLERY IN CONTACT WITH CHEMICALS.
LIGHT TARNISH IS EASILY REMOVED BY USING WARM SOAPY WATER AND BRUSHING GENTLY WITH A SOFT OLD TOOTHBRUSH. RINSE IN COOL WATER AND DRY CAREFULLY WITH A SOFT LINT FREE CLOTH. ANOTHER WAY TO KEEP YOUR SILVER JEWELLERY SHINY IS TO USE A SILVER CLOTH.
THE 4 C'S
COLOUR, CLARITY, CARAT AND CUT ARE KEY WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT DIAMOND JEWELLERY FOR YOU.
HERE IS A QUICK GUIDE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND BUYING DIAMONDS:
COLOUR:
EVERY DIAMOND IS UNIQUE AND YOU WILL FIND THAT DIAMONDS MOSTLY APPEAR COLOURLESS HOWEVER MANY ACTUALLY CONTAIN SUBTLE SHADES OF YELLOW OR BROWN. THE CLOSER A DIAMOND IS TO HAVING NO COLOUR, THE MORE VALUABLE IT BECOMES. VERY FEW ARE TRULY COLOURLESS, AND THESE ARE VERY RARE. DIAMOND COLOURS ARE RATED FROM
D TO Z.
THE GIA WHITE DIAMONDS COLOUR-GRADE SCALE IS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD. THE GEMMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA (GIA) COLOUR SCALE IS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR DIAMOND GRADING. THE GIA DIAMOND COLOUR GRADES RANGE FROM D (COLOURLESS) TO Z (LIGHT YELLOW OR BROWN).
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