Facts You Didn’t Know About Jewelries

Jewelries are as part of the shopping experience as grocery stores and other retail markets. However, while commonplace, many people may only visit jewelry stores a few times in their lives. This makes them rather unique as jewelries are in high demand yet cater mostly to new customers.
Which means that for the average person, they may not know much about jewelry stores. What follows are the facts you didn’t know about jewelries.

History

While wearing decorative items goes back to the pre-history of humankind, jewelry makers and shops date back several thousand years. Jewelries flourished in the Mediterranean along with the Middle East as far back as 3000 BC and perhaps earlier. What started as jewelry makers having their own shops transformed over the centuries into jewelry stores run by those who acquired jewelry from different sources.

Most Gold in Jewelry is Not Pure
Pure gold, which is 24 carat or 24K, is not suitable for jewelry because it is too soft. The malleable nature of gold which makes it so versatile is also a liability in terms of jewelry. This is why most gold is around 14K with elements of harder materials to give the gold its strength and rigidity.


Age Makes it Jewelry
Amber is considered an organic gem, a substance which comes from organic materials. However, to qualify as amber it must be at least one million years old. You can generally tell if it is real amber or a cheap substitute by the price.

Jewelry Means “Toy”
It may surprise you to learn that the word jewelry, which comes from the French word “jouel”, means toy. But perhaps it is not so surprising given that the world gold comes from the Old English word “geolu” which means yellow.

Diamonds Can Be Damaged
Although diamonds are the hardest known substance on Earth, they can be scratched. The very hardness results in a surface which is delicate enough to be damaged when doing normal household chores. It is important to remember to take off your diamond jewelry when engaging in cleaning, gardening, or even exercising.


Rubies & Sapphires are the Same
Both are the same type of stone with a different amount of corundum present. Stones with corundum of red coloring are rubies while stones with a different coloring are sapphires. The actual difference between them is minimal.

751 Pounds
The heaviest precious stone in the world is the Bahia Emerald which weighs in at an astonishing 751 pounds. Conversely, the largest diamond that has been discovered is a mere 1.33 pounds by comparison. The Cullinan Diamond weighs 3106 carats, which is quite sizable for a diamond, but does not compare to how big emeralds can become.


The American Difference
In the US, it is called jewelry while in every other English-speaking country, it is referred to as “jewellery”.

These are just a few fun facts you didn’t know about jewelry. Knowing about jewelry items and retail stores will help you make the best informed decision about where to shop and what to get in terms of jewelry.