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The legendary Croesus was the
first King to mint gold
coins. He was the greatest collector of gold in history.
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Men were the first to wear jewelry as a status symbol and
as good luck amulets to aid them in battle.
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Agnes Sorel, the mistress of King Charles VII of France
was the first woman to wear diamonds.
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Initially, only one ring was used for an engagement and a
wedding. Then in 1477, Maximilian of Austria gave an engagement ring to
his beloved, Mary of Burgundy starting a tradition.
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1/142 of an ounce equals a carat. The world carat comes
from carob, a seed that is uniformed in weight.
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The value of a diamond depends upon carat weight, color,
clarity and cut.
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Although the hardest substance known, diamonds can they be
chipped. They have a grain line and may be broken by a sharp blow along
this line.
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Aaron, first high priest of the Hebrews, wore 12 gemstones
(representing the 12 tribes of Israel) in his silver breastplate. This is
when birthstones originated.
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The most important quality of a ruby, sapphire or emerald
is its clarity of color. A natural or cultured pearl (unlike an imitation
or simulated one) rubbed against the edge of one's teeth produces
vibrations one can actually hear.
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Jewels avoid metal-to-metal contact of watch parts that do
the most work.
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58.3% of pure gold is an item marked 14k.
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Cutting and polishing, a very limited natural supply and
mining operations makes a diamond so costly.
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The largest diamond ever found was the The Cullinan. It
weighed 3,106 carats, or about one and a third pounds!
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About 75% of American brides receive a diamond engagement
ring
