About Cornerstone Gems | About Gold | Grading Diamonds | |
Our Jewelry | Jewelry Repairs | Purchasing Info |
Please be patient with us we are under construction. We will be adding much more every week including a Jewelry repair price page. If you have any questions please call us at 1-207-990-5096
Cornerstone Gems is an independantly owned and operated business based in Bangor,Maine .
Specializing in fine gold, diamond and silver gemstone jewelry. We do one of a kind, limited production pieces, and traditional jewelry store pieces. We do in house casting,mold making, model making, estate, antique restoration and jewelry repair. We do special order gemstone cutting. We also have a complete gem lab for grading diamonds and gemstones.If you go to a store and they do an appraisal without this equipment your only getting a range grade or (decoy appraisal) .
We have been in business as Cornerstone Gems for over seventeen years. Prior to that I worked on and off with my father (New England Diamond Brokers) in the diamond and jewelry business for over fifteen years.
Cornerstone gems has been doing work for the trade only,(jewelry stores,upscale craft stores and galleries),doing jewelry repair and manufacturing jewelry.At this time we have decided to offer our services to the general public at our location in Bangor Maine.
How Gold is Graded and
Valued The word "gold", used by itself, means all gold or 24
karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is so soft, it is usually mixed with other metals
to increase its hardness and durability.
The karat tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts base metals. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the jewelry.
The word "solid gold" refers to any karat gold if the inside of
the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry is still
determined by the karat number. Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways, including mechanically
plated, electroplate, or any other means of plating gold to a base metal.
Eventually, gold plating wears away, but it depends on how often the item is worn and
how thick the plating is. Gold-filled, gold overlay, and rolled gold plate should be
used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10K gold mechanically bonded
to a base metals. If jewelry is gold-filled, gold overlay, and rolled gold plate,
the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for
example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than
1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual
percentage of gold, for instance, "1/40 14K Gold Overlay." Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns
thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic
process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that
have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This
will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled, or gold electroplate.
How Diamonds Are Graded and
Valued Because no two gemstones are alike,
sophisticated grading systems have been developed to measure a diamond's variable
qualities. It is possible for a diamond expert to classify a single stone into one of
2,000 separate categories. The variable qualities of diamonds are grouped into four major
categories, commonly referred to as the "four C's":
CARAT, COLOR, CLARITY, and CUT. As a potential diamond owner, it is advisable to know what
gives your diamond its unique value. While minor variations in any of the following categories
may affect the value of your diamond tremendously, all
diamonds are subject to classification according to these four terms. Cut refers to two things: the shape of the diamond and the
proportions of the faceted stone. Diamonds may be cut in round, oval, marquise, pear
shape, emerald or other exotic shapes. Historically, the round brilliant cut has been most in demand and has shown the
greatest appreciation. The quality diamond is proportioned with mathematical precision.
Any noticeable deviation from proper proportions will affect the diamond's brilliance, and hence its price. This adopted measure of weight calls for each carat to be
subdivided into 100 "points" (By comparison, one carat equals l/5th of one gram, or 1/142
of one ounce.) All other characteristics being equal, the larger diamond will command the
greater price. Diamonds are weighed with exact precision, using the metric carat system.
While there is no guarantee that current trends will remain consistent, history dictates a
faster appreciation for larger stones, and the greatest appreciation for those of the
finest quality. Color Diamonds are graded for color on a scale of "D" or colorless, to "Z" (Dark Yellow). While diamonds may be virtually
any color, those with "white" or colorless features are most in demand and
greater in value. The significance of a diamond's color on the stone's price is an
important factor to consider. Just as history shows a higher
appreciation for larger stones, it also shows the greatest appreciation for those in the
higher color categories. Several
grading systems exist, but the most accurate involves use of a reflectance spectrophotometer. This instrument eliminates opinion and is
able to measure color with plus-or-minus 3 accuracy on a scale of 10.000 units. Diamonds are graded according to their degree of clarity, with the finest referred to as "flawless": free of inclusions and imperfections when viewed through 10 x magnification. Diamonds which show very, very slight
imperfections, detected through 10 x magnification, are designated as "VVS." Diamonds with minor inclusions are assigned "VS" or "SI" ratings. Finally, those
diamonds with visible inclusions are assigned "I1-I3" ratings.
Cornerstone Gems
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About Gold
About Diamonds
Cut
Clarity
How To Purchase from Cornerstone Gems
133 Ohio st.
Bangor, ME 04401
(207)990-5096
Shipping Info
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$5.25
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$6.25
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$7.15
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$8.10
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$9.05
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$10.95
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