Gifts of Love to Give Your Valentine

Gifts of Love That Set The Heart Aflutter
February 14th has been a special day for lovers since Roman times!  But the tradition of giving gifts of love on Valentine’s Day only started in England in 1446! It was not until 1537 that St. Valentine’s Day was actually declared a national holiday by King Henry VIII.
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Two Stone Diamond Engagement Ring
This romantic holiday offers lovers, sweet­hearts, friends and family the perfect opportunity to celebrate your feelings and con­vey sentiments of love. There is nothing like a gift from the heart and you can never go wrong with the gift of fine jewelry. 
There is no ro­mantic symbol more enduring than the ev­er-popular heart pendant necklace, made of sterling silver, precious karat gold or platinum. Heart-shaped jew­elry has always been a leading design for Valentine’s Day gifts. Today, you can choose from dozens of heart styles, traditional or non-traditional, colorful or classic, sophisti­cated or fun.
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Rose Gold & Diamond Heart Pendant Necklace
Any jewelry design created with passion­ate red or blushing pink gem­stones are always a Valentine’s Day favorite. And as always, nothing says “I Love You” the way a dia­mond does. You can never go wrong with designs glit­tering with col­ored gemstones or dazzling with fine diamonds to offer the pledge of fidelity and everlasting love. Two stone diamond rings are hugely popular this year and come in a variety of metal settings. Give her double the LOVE this Valentine’s Day!
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Red Spinel & Diamond Ring
And, let’s not forget the gentle­men in your life. Men of all ages are sure to be pleased with signet rings, or this season’s popu­lar tie tacks and cuff links.
Come in soon and see our collection of Valentine’s Day jewelry that is sure to set the heart aflutter. For more information visit www.houstonjewelry.com

The 4′ C’s of Colored Gems

The 4 C’s Of Colored Gems are Different From The 4c’s Of Diamonds

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching many customers love to purchase colored gems! Pink Sapphires, Blue Sapphires, Emeralds, Tourmalines, and many other stones are hugely popular. Our customers often ask us what to look for in colored gems. Below is a brief description of how colored gems differ from Diamonds and what to look for when buying a colored stone.

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Pink Sapphire & Diamond Ring from Coast Available at Houston Jewelry

Diamonds are usually judged on their Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight, the 4 C’s that determine the quality and value of these precious gems. With diamonds, Cut is most important, next is Color, then Clarity, and finally Carat weight. With colored gems, the order of importance of the 4 C’s is very different.  The order is, Color the most important, Cut next, then Clarity, and finally Carat Weight. Here’s why:

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Coast Sapphire & Diamond Heart Necklace Available at Houston Jewelry

Color: As a rule, the closer a gem comes to the pure spectral hue of a color, with no strong undertone of any other color, the better it is. Evenness of color and complete saturation of color are also important in determining value. Equally critical is the intensity of color, its brightness or vividness, and the depth of color, either light or dark.

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Coast Green Tourmaline & Diamond Ring Available at Houston Jewelry

Cut: How a colored gem is cut affects both the depth of color seen in the stone and the liveliness it projects. If a stone’s color is too dark, the cut may be too thick. If color is too light, the cut may be too shallow. Certain cuts and shapes may also be wrong for certain stones.

Clarity: As with diamonds, clarity refers to the absence of internal marks or inclusions. Good clarity is more important in light colored gems than in darker ones. Most colored gems are not totally flawless, but if flaws reduce durability, affect color, or are easily noticed, they will reduce value.

Carat Weight: Remember that “carat” is a weight, not a size. And some colored gems weigh more than others. For example, a 1-carat ruby appears to weigh less than a 1-carat emerald, so the emerald will look larger than the same weight ruby.

For more information visit Houston Jewelry today!

www.Houston.jewelry