Jewelry Simplified
Welcome to The Boston Hub Co Jewelry FAQs Library!
We are dedicated to providing you with the best shop experience with us. For your convenience, we created a robust guide to most questions and searches about jewelry. Guides that are easy to understand will assist you in finding just the right fit, color, or material – whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a gift.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to CONTACT US HERE!
Necklace Length Size Charts
Birthstone Chart
Modern vs. Traditional
Article by gemsociety.org
The list of traditional or ancient birthstones most well-known in the United States actually originated in Poland between the 16th and 18th centuries.
In 1912, the National Association of Jewelers released a list of so-called “modern birthstones.” The modern list differed somewhat from the traditional, most notably by including only transparent gems.
To this day, jewelers continue to add options to the modern birthstone chart. For example, spinel, citrine, and tanzanite are recent modern additions.
Some traditional gems are also less expensive (like turquoise) or more readily available (like cultivated pearls) than their modern counterparts. Thus, some traditional stones remain popular.
Ring Sizing Guide
How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home
Here are some good information for you to find your ring size.
Sizing Information
-
U.S. ring sizes are determined by a scale of numbers and half numbers, usually between sizes 3 and 13.5 for adults.
-
Each ring size matches the width of your finger in millimeters. Women’s rings are usually between 3 and 9. Men’s rings are sized between 8 and 14.
Measurement Tips
-
Measure your ring size in the morning when your body is the coolest. Heat can make your fingers swell and affect the measurement.
-
Measure the finger you are going to wear your ring on. Every finger size can be different, even the same fingers on opposite hands.
-
Allow some additional room for added comfort. The wider the band, the tighter the fit so keep this in mind when taking measurements of your size.
-
Find a ring size that will fit over your knuckles but isn’t loose enough to fall off.
Measuring Your Ring Size
Measuring a Ring You Own
Did You Know?
Zircon vs. Cubic Zirconia (CZ)
Fun Facts about Zircon & CZ Cubic Zirconia
Article by gemstones.com
Zircon and CZ are often mistakenly believed to be the same gemstone, however, the two do not share the same chemistry or crystal structure. To help you understand the differences between these two diamond simulants, here are a few facts about zircon and cubic zirconia.
Zircon
Zircon is one of the oldest naturally occurring gemstones in the world, older even than diamond. One crystal found in Jack Hills, Australia was determined to be 4.375 billion years old! This ancient gemstone was also used by ancient people. There are several places in the Old Testament where zircon is mentioned, the most notable being in Exodus, described as one of the gems in the breastplate of Aaron.
Zircon has a Mohs Hardness of 6.5 - 7.5, a hardness similar to an unglazed porcelain bath tile or an amethyst. Zircon's diamond-like luster and tremendous fire have made colorless zircon a popular diamond simulant, as well as a December birthstone. Some zircons are even known to have a cat's-eye effect, and they come in a variety of colors. Zircon's many attributes make it a gem to cherish based on its own merits.
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is one of the best-known, man-made diamond simulants. It is also a synthetic gemstone, possessing the same physical, optical and chemical properties as naturally occurring cubic zirconia, which was discovered in the 1930s as inclusions in a natural zircon crystal. Though the German mineralogists were excited about their find, the microscopic crystals were too small to ever be used in jewelry. As of today, no natural CZ exists in the marketplace.
A process to synthesize CZ became available in the 1970s and soon it became an extremely popular and affordable diamond simulant. CZ is typically free of inclusions but occasionally contains small gas bubbles or zirconium oxide, remnants of its growth in the laboratory. It has a Mohs hardness of 8.5; a hardness comparable to a masonry drill bit or slightly harder than a topaz. Its luster is like that of a diamond and comes in a variety of colors by adding different color-causing elements, producing gemstones such as synthetic sapphire cubic zirconia and synthetic ruby cubic zirconia, as well as many other colored gemstones.
Conclusion
The most important difference to remember is that zircon is a naturally occurring mineral while CZ, even though it has been found in nature before, is a lab-created gemstone and is, therefore, not natural and not considered a mineral. Both of these gemstones are beautiful, convincing and affordable simulants for diamond.