| IMPORTANT NOTE
ON FINE JEWELRY |
- Photos were taken under artificial
light conditions, so the actual appearance of diamonds, gems and cubic zirconias may vary.
Some jewelry photos have been enlarged to show detail.
- Standard rings sizes: Ladies:
5-6-7-8, Men: 9-10-11-12.
- Prices are subject to change due to
the fluctuation of precious metals in the international marketplace. Prices for gold items
are based on $375/troy ounce.
- TDW means total diamond weight (100
points per carat).
- TCZW means total cubic zirconia
weight
- TGW means total gem weight
- Diamonds of 5 points or more are
"I" quality, full 58-facet cut diamonds. Diamonds that are less than 5 points
are of matching quality.
- Cubic Zirconias are of
"1st" quality.
- Gold items are either 10K-Plumb or
14K-Plumb.
- Sterling Silver items are 925.
|
ALABASTRITE |
Our
product line name for polyresin items. Alabastrite is made from oxylite and polystone
which forms a stone-based material that can be intricately molded and will allow paint to
adhere. Cold-cast. Clean by dusting; do not wash with water as they are painted with water
soluble paints. |
BONE
CHINA |
White
clay with bone ash added. Bone ash content must be at least 25% by U.S. guidelines. Fired
at 1800 degrees. The translucent material is finished with a glaze or underglaze (matte).
Lighter, stronger, more expensive than porcelain. |
CUBIC
ZIRCON |
The
most successful simulated diamond. Properties such as refraction, hardness, and specific
gravity are remarkably similar to diamonds. Cubic Zirconia are very hard to distinguish
from diamond; sometimes a jewelers loop will be needed to see the difference. |
DIAMOND |
Extremely
hard, highly refractive colorless or white crystalline of carbon. Diamonds, like all
gemstones, are judged in terms of Carats, or weight (different from Karats, as in gold
purity). |
DOLOMITE |
Usually
gray, pink, or white mineral, essentially used as a construction and ceramic material, a
furnace refractory, and infertilizer. A magnesia-rich sedimentary rock resembling
limestone. |
FROSTED
ACRYLIC/POLYRESIN |
Acrylic
& Polyresin items are given the French Lilac process (used on glass), to achieve the
distinctive frosted look. The drama of frosted glass without the weight. |
GEMSTONES |
Rubies,
sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, often treasured as birthstones. Gemstones are priced and
graded by Carat weight. |
GOLD |
The
ultimate precious metal. Virtually indestructible, amazingly malleable, doesn't rust or
tarnish. Graded by purity; in U.S. a scale of 24 is used, so 24 Karats (24K) is 100% pure.
18K is 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy (other metals), and so on. 10K is the legal minimum
for Karat-graded gold. The word "Plumb" indicates the exact
purity of the piece. |
GYPSUM |
Gypsum is made for a
white mineral which is usually used to make Plaster of Paris. |
HONG
TZE |
Items are created
using a special stone found in China, and known for its deep red color. The stone is
pulverized, mixed with a binding agent and molded, much like alabastrite. Hong Tze pieces
are highly polished, further bringing out the intense deep red of the stone. |
JADE
PORCELAIN |
Jade
porcelain is a type of porcelain made with a finer clay. Usually no glaze or only a
colorless glaze will be applied at the final firing to show off the very smooth surface
and to preserve the translucency. Jade porcelain is used for night lights because of its
high degree of translucency when lit. |
PATCHWORK |
European
designer fabric is stretched over Ceramic figurines, then coated with twelve layers of
lacquer. Each application of lacquer is hand-polished, for a rich shine and an
ultra-smooth finished texture. The texture of the fabrics can only be seen in the final
pieces, not felt, because of the twelve layers of lacquer covering them. |
PEARL |
Smooth, lustrous,
variously colored round gemstone originally formed as a deposit around a grain of sand in
the shells of certain shellfish. Pearls may be formed naturally or "Cultured"
through an artificial implanting process. |
PORCELAIN |
Fine
ground white clay, molded and fired in an oven for eight hours at 1200 degrees. Finished
with a glazed, underglazed, or "bisque" finish. Glazing produces a high gloss;
underglaze produces a matte finish. Bisque is a matte finish without glaze. After
finishing, the item is "cooked" for six hours at 800 degrees. |
STERLING
SILVER |
To qualify as
"sterling", a given piece must be composed of at least 92.5% pure silver. |
STONEWARE |
White clay with fine
ground stone. Working with stoneware demands great expertise, and is in fact becoming a
lost art. Stoneware is safe to use in microwave and conventional ovens. |
