Frequently Asked Questions

What is TDW. or TSW.? = Total Diamond/Stone Weight.

RBC = Round Brilliant Cut

USPC = USA dollars per carat

DIAMOND GRADES

COLOUR

D E F Colourless

G H I J Near Colourless

K L M Faint Yellow

N O P Q R Very Light Yellow

S T U V W X Y Z Light - Dark Yellow

CLARITY (All clarity grading is performed at 10-times magnification)

Flawless FL

Internally Flawless IF

Very Very Slight Inclusions VVS1 - VVS2

Very Slight Inclusions VS1 - VS2

Slight Inclusions (near eye clean) SI1 - SI2 - SI3

Included (Eye Visible) I1 - I2 - I1

One pitfall to avoid when shopping for clarity is the "clarity-enhanced" diamond. This is an artificial process used to "fix" the flaws on an otherwise good stone. Although a clarity-enhanced diamond can look nearly flawless (in some cases, it is impossible to detect the enhancement), it is intrinsically worth as much as a flawed stone. Furthermore, the durability is nowhere that of pure diamond. Be sure to confirm with your jeweller that the stone you are considering is not clarity-enhanced, and be sure to double-check this fact on the certificate. If you do not receive a certificate with your stone, ask the jeweller to state that the diamond is not clarity-enhanced on the appraisal.

What is Rhodium Plating?

Rhodium is a platinum group metal of high value, typically twice the price of platinum and 3 to 4 times the price of gold. It is a hard, white, highly reflective metal and is predominantly used to enhance the whiteness and reflectivity of white gold jewellery.

Why Rhodium Plate?

Rhodium plating is a technique often used to plate white gold rings and or settings, giving them high reflectivity and so enhancing the "brilliant" appearance of diamond. Rhodium is also chemically inert and will withstand corrosive attack. For this reason, it is often used on white gold jewellery to give extra protection during everyday use.

Will Rhodium Plate Wear?

First, we have to look at the definition of "white gold". Many manufacturers use white gold alloys that contain only small additions of either nickel or palladium as a bleacher, which results in a colour that is actually best described as pale yellow or greyish yellow. Because the whitening additions are present, the gold alloy is described as "white" when perhaps "straw" would be a better description.

To make the ring and or setting look more desirable, it is rhodium plated and so it has a beautiful white reflective surface. The problem with this is when the plated jewellery has been worn over a period of time and undergoes wear. Rhodium is usually only plated to a thickness of a micron or so (one micron = 1/1000th of a millimeter). This will be removed over time, exposing the straw colour of the original "white" gold alloy underneath. The contrast between the remaining rhodium plate and the original white gold is very noticeable and makes the jewellery look worn and poor. This results in you having to make frequent trips to your jeweller to have your jewellery re-plated.

We rhodium plate our white gold jewellery to give you the optimum color and reflective surface to enhance the diamond and your jewellery, but here's where we're different and stand out from the crowd. You can choose to use a true white alloy to start with and plate this. Because of the minimal contrast between our super white gold alloy (Platinum and Palladium alloy - Pt. Pd. Alloy) and the rhodium plating, when wear occurs in highlighted areas and rhodium is removed, it is far less noticeable than with most other white gold jewellery. The base alloy is not as reflective but is a good white colour, making wear and tear less noticeable. This greatly increases the time between re-rhodium plating and keeps your jewellery looking great. In some cases our white gold Pt. Pd.  alloy colour is preferred by some of our customers, removing the need for rhodium plating completely.

Be aware that some jewellers sell their white golds as “Platinumised White Gold”, but alloy actually only has 3% platinum, therefore it should be called / sold as “White Gold – Platinum Alloy” to avoid confusion and or misleading customers.

What is


Palladium, along with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements referred to as the platinum group metals (PGMs). PGMs share similar chemical properties, but palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of these precious metals. When palladium is at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, it can absorb up to 900 times its own volume of hydrogen, which makes palladium an efficient and safe storage medium for hydrogen and hydrogen isotopes.

Palladium is also tarnish resistant, electrically stable and resistant to chemical erosion as well as intense heat. Palladium itself has been used as a precious metal in jewellery since 1939, as an alternative to platinum or white gold. This is due to its naturally white properties, giving it no need for rhodium plating. It is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into a thin leaf form as thin as 100 nm (1/250,000 in).

Like platinum, it will develop a hazy patina over time. Unlike platinum, however, palladium may discolour at high soldering temperatures, become brittle with repeated heating and cooling, and react with strong acids. It can also be used as a substitute for nickel when making white gold. Palladium is one of the three most popular metals used to alloy with gold, making white gold. (Nickel and silver can also be used.) Palladium-gold is a more expensive alloy than nickel-gold, but it's naturally hypoallergenic and holds its white colour better.

When platinum was declared a strategic government resource during World War II , many jewellery bands were made out of palladium. As recently as September 2001, palladium was more expensive than platinum and rarely used in jewellery also due to the technical obstacle of casting. However the casting problem has been resolved and its use in jewellery has increased because of a large spike in the price of platinum and a drop in the price of palladium.

Prior to 2004, the principal use of palladium in jewellery was as an alloy in the manufacture of white gold jewellery, but, beginning early in 2004 when gold and platinum prices began to rise steeply, Chinese jewellers began fabricating significant volumes of palladium jewellery. Johnson Matthey estimated that in 2004, with the introduction of palladium jewellery in China, demand for palladium for jewellery fabrication was 920,000 ounces, or approximately 14% of the total palladium demand for 2004 - an increase of almost 700,000 ounces from the previous year.

This growth continued during 2005, with estimated worldwide jewellery demand for palladium of about 1.4 million ounces, or almost 21% of net palladium supply, again with most of the demand centered in China. The popularity of Palladium jewellery is expected to grow in 2009 as the world's biggest producers embark on a joint marketing effort to promote Palladium jewellery worldwide

18ct. Gold Alloys

White Gold vs Platinum.

White gold certainly resembles platinum in many ways, but inside, it's still gold. In fact, it's up to 75 percent yellow gold; the white colour comes from the addition of white-metal alloys such as nickel, silver and palladium. Often, white gold is rhodium plated to imitate the look of platinum. The addition of alloys, such as nickel, can alter the gold's normal properties. For instance, nickel occasionally presents a problem for those with sensitive skin, even though the presence of nickel makes the white gold harder and less likely to scratch. The addition of palladium can create a whiter look, closer to that of platinum, and the metal causes fewer skin irritations, but palladium can be pricey, which decreases affordability.

By contrast, platinum is up to 95 percent pure (some alloys are added to make it more scratch-resistant and less likely to bend). Platinum is hypoallergenic and is the strongest metal used in jewellery, and one that outlasts gold. This purity is a significant factor in its higher price point. Fourteen-karat gold, for example, contains only 58 percent pure gold. Platinum is also about 60 percent heavier than gold, a heft many find desirable.

Close inspection reveals that white gold and platinum aren't really the same hue. White gold betrays its composition with a yellowish tint while platinum has a natural white lustre. Untreated, white gold gives off a soft, warm tone, but rhodium plating can create a shinier, truer white appearance if desired. Keep in mind that the plating will need annual replacement. White gold and platinum both make beautiful jewellery, but knowing exactly how they differ will ensure a purchase that best meets your jewellery needs.