News, Recent Developments and Information

There have been two recent developments in precious metals which are of interest to discerning customers. The first, is the availability of palladium. Palladium is a precious metal which is in the platinum group though not as expensive and looks like white gold.

The second interesting development, is that of tarnish resistant silver. Silver has two irritating properties. The first is that of developing a thin copper rich surface when soldered - this has a grey appearance and must be removed or plated over and the second is that it tarnishes quickly. It is claimed that the new silver alloy reduces both.

The jury is still out on both metals and I will let you know my opinion in due course.

Definitions of Carats

I am often asked what is the difference in the use of the term carats in stones and precious metals.


When the term is used with precious stones it is a measurement of weight i.e one carat equals 0.2 grams. A one carat stone is written as 1ct. In the case of diamonds this is further divided into 100 points so a half carat stone might be described as 50 points or 0.5ct.

When the term is used with gold it is a measurement of quality. 24 carat gold is pure gold and too soft to be used effectively. Increasing proportions of other metals are added to pure gold to make it more appropriate for the intended application. 18ct gold is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts other metals while 14ct gold has 10 parts of other metals and 9ct has 15 parts of other metals. The colour of gold can also be changed according to what metals are added.

Diamond Grading

Diamond grading is a very specialised field. The four Cs - Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight form the basis for grading. Diamond grading companies produce diamond certificates to accompany the stones they have assessed. If you are buying an expensive diamond it is well worth having the security of a certificated stone. There are a number of recognised grading systems and the following is the one most used.

Diamond Cut

The cut has the greatest influence on the fire of a diamond. A round diamond has 58 facets and when well proportioned will reflect light to the best advantage.

Diamond Clarity

Most diamonds have minute traces of non-crystalline carbon. They are called inclusions. Perfect clarity means there are no discernible inclusions when a diamond is viewed under a 10x lens.

Flawless (FL) Shows no inclusions or blemishes under 10x magnification

Internally Flawless (IF) Shows no inclusions and only Insignificant blemishes under 10x magnification

Very Very Slightly (V VS) Contain minute inclusions that are difficult for an experienced grader to locate at 10x magnification

V VS1 Inclusions are extremely difficult to see

V VS2 Inclusions are very difficult to see

VS1 Contain minor inclusions under 10x magnification Small crystals, feathers and clouds are typical
Inclusions are difficult to see

VS2 Contain minor inclusions under 10x magnification Small crystals, feathers and clouds are typical
Inclusions that are somewhat difficult to see


SI 1 Contain noticeable inclusions under 10x magnification that are easy to see

SI 2 Contain noticeable inclusions under 10x magnification that are very easy to see (may bee seen without magnification)


Imperfect(I) Contain obvious inclusions under 10x magnification, which can often be seen easily face-up with the unaided eye. They may seriously affect the stones potential durability, or are so numerous they affect the stones transparency and brilliance.

I1 Beauty or durability are somewhat affected

I2 Beauty or durability are seriously affected

I3 Beauty and durability are very seriously affected




Diamond Colour

D E F - Colourless

G H I J - Near colourless

K L M - Faint yellow

N O P Q R - Very light yellow

STUWXYZ - Light yellow

Welsh Gold

I do not work in Welsh Gold.

The reasons why are set out clearly in the David Morgan website www.davidmorgan.com. The piece written on Welsh gold is well worth reading.

Rhodium Plating

Rhodium plating is widely used in jewellery manufacture to produce a uniform hard, white and bright finish which does not tarnish. It is used on platinum for brightness, white gold to produce an even colour (batches of white gold can often have different tones of white), and silver to cover fire stain (see above) and prevent tarnishing.

Rhodium is one of the platinum group of metals, very expensive and only suitable in jewellery for plating purposes.

Wedding Rings

I design and make a wide range of wedding rings and specialise in wedding rings which fit engagement rings. Some of these can be seen in the rings section.