Jewellery Information:

Birthstone Chart

Anniversary Chart

Diamond Information

Ring Size Chart

Jewellery terms explained:

Silver: Sterling Silver contains 92.5% silver, the remainder being copper or another metal.
Oxidised silver is sterling silver blackened through a chemical process. Oxidised silver is becoming more and more popular and gives any jewellery a more edgy and unique finish. It is a surface finish that can be susceptible to wear, but if cared for correctly the oxidisation can last many years.

Gold: Pure gold is a soft metal so it is usually alloyed with base metals for use in jewellery. The gold/metal ratio is measured in 24 parts called karats. A higher karat such as 22k contains a higher percentage of gold. The purer the gold the easier it is to mark it.
Rose, Pink, Red and Green Gold: Different alloys are mixed with the pure gold to create the colour. Copper is the common alloy in rose gold, and silver for green gold.

White Gold: White gold is an alloy of gold and usually zinc or palladium. It became popular as an alternative for the very expensive platinum.

Gold Plating: Gold plating is achieved by fusing gold to the surface of  the base metal which is usually sterling silver. This process is susceptible to wear but if looked after correctly can last many years. Many of our designers offer the opportunity of re-plating once wear occurs.

Vermeil: Vermeil (pronounced vehr-MAY), is gold plated silver. For an item to be considered as vermeil, the gold plating must be at least 10-karat and at least 1.5 micrometers thick.

Cubic Zirconia (CZ): a synthetic gemstone, used instead of a diamond due to its cost, clarity and hardness.

Gemstones:

Agate: Agate is a name given to a variety of chalcedony. The patterns and textures that are characteristic of agate are totally unique and the stone is found in a wide variety of colours from grey to green, and also in shades of red and brown.

Amethyst: One of the most popular gemstones, Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz. Amethyst occurs in hues of light violet to deep grape purple and in general the deeper the colour of purple the more expensive the gemstone will be.

Chalcedony: Is the chakra for good health. The luminous pure colour of chalcedony makes this stone a popular choice in jewellery. It has even colouring and ranges from translucent grey to honey yellow. The most popular variety is blue chalcedony which ranges from lilac to blue through to a shade of smoky lavender.

Chrysophase: A variety of chalcedony, chrysophase is a green stone ranging from very pale green to emerald green. The most sought-after hue is an intense, translucent, apple green.
Citrine: Ranging in colour from pastel yellow to deep brown, citrine is a variety of quartz. The most common colour for this stone is a pale and golden hue of yellow, however, the darker the colour, the more valuable the stone.


Diamond: learn more about Diamonds

Emerald: Emeralds come in many shades of green. There is a wide spectrum of clarity, dependent on the inclusions and fractures in the crystal. Clear stones with dark yet vibrant colour command the highest prices. Almost all emeralds contain numerous flaws and cracks which can negatively affect the clarity. The value of an emerald depends on cut, colour, clarity, and carat. Currently the best emeralds come from Colombia.

Garnet: Garnet is commonly thought of as a dark red stone, but naturally occurs in a variety of colours spanning the entire spectrum. It is a hard wearing and durable stone, making it a perfect choice for jewellery.

Jade: Jade is a generic term for two stones, jadeite and nephrite, that were once thought to be the same stone and it was only in 1963 that the distinction between these two stones was made. Jadeite is a white stone but can also occur in green, lilac, pink, brown, red, blue and black. Nephrite ranges from dark green to cream, and can often be banded.

Iolite:  Its name comes from the Greek 'ion', which means violet. Iolite is usually a purplish blue and a relatively hard wearing stone.

Labradorite: A feldspar mineral, is usually grey with a blue and green iridescent colour. Quite a uniquely beautiful gemstone which is named after the Labrador Peninsula in Canada where it was first discovered.

Moonstone: A variety of feldspar, moonstone has a striking schiller that is the result of light reflecting off alternating layers. It can be transparent with a strong blue schiller, translucent or milky with the appearance of an inner light, or can have a ‘cats eye’ effect. The most common colour is a translucent stone with a warm blue, green or purple schiller.

Mother of Pearl: Mother of Pearl, also called Nacre, is an iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining of many molluscs. Pearl oysters and abalone are both sources of Mother of Pearl, which is widely used as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, and musical instruments. Mother of Pearl comes in several natural colors, and is often bleached and dyed for decorative use. The dye retains the shimmering layers which make Mother of Pearl so sought after.

Onyx: Onyx is a type of quartz and in its most common form is the colour black. Onyx is a very popular semi precious stone used in jewellery and lends itself to everyday wear as well as more dramatic evening wear.

Pearls: A pearl is a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusc.

We distinguish between freshwater, saltwater and natural and cultured pearls.

Fine gem-quality saltwater and freshwater pearls can and do sometimes occur completely naturally without human intervention, but this is rare. Many hundreds of pearl oysters or pearl mussels have to be gathered and opened, and thus killed, in order to find even one pearl, and for many centuries that was the only way pearls were obtained. This was the main reason why pearls fetched such extraordinary prices in the past.

Nowadays though, the vast majority of pearls on the market are cultured pearls that have been produced on a pearl farm.

Pearl Farming was developed in Japan between 1906 and 1916. A core or nucleolus is planted into the pearl oyster and harvested after 1 year for Akoya, 2-4 years for Tahitian and South Sea and 2-7 years for freshwater pearls.

Present day natural pearling is confined mostly to the seas of Bahrain. Australia also has one of the last remaining fleets of pearl diving ships.

The value of a pearl is generally decided by a combination of the luster, colour, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry that are appropriate for the type of pearl.

The only way to distinguish between a natural and cultured pearl is by X-Ray or microscope.
Unlike the simple tooth test which can be used to spot an imitation or fake pearl, used in cheap costume jewellery. Simply rub the pearl against your teeth, the imitation pearl will feel completely smooth whereas the real pearl has a GRITTIER texture.

Unless specifically labelled, all our pearls available at Little 15 are real pearls.

Rock Crystal: A variety of mineral quartz, rock crystal is normally transparent. It usually possesses inclusions that are decorative and these are reflected in the name of the stone such as rutilated quartz.

Ruby: Ruby is a variety of corundum with a range of hues from a purplish-bluish red to a yellowy-red colour. The most valuable is pure red with a hint of blue and these are normally Burmese rubies. It is normal for rubies to have slight inclusions, these often indicate the country of origin.

Sapphire: refers to gem varieties of the mineral corundum when it is a color other than red.

Sapphire includes any gemstone quality varieties of the mineral corundum except the fully saturated red variety, which is instead known as ruby.

Because of its remarkable hardness sapphire is used in many applications, including infrared optical components, watch crystals and high-durability windows.

Topaz: Topaz is a semi precious stone most commonly found in colour shades of yellow and honey.

Topaz is attributed with a cooling effect and it is said to dispel sadness, andger and nocturnal fears.

Tourmaline: Tourmaline are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over the rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow and that is why it is still referred to as the ‘gemstone of the rainbow’ today.

Turquoise: Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral which sometimes is flecked with dark spidery lines. Popular in jewellery for hundreds of years it still is one of the most popular trend colours season after season.

Jewellery Care:

You will be able to enjoy your jewellery for a long time if you take appropriate care. Below are a few hints on how to look after your jewellery items. Should you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact us at Little 15 Jewellery.

Jewellery should be stored flat, in a soft cotton pouch to keep pieces apart avoiding any damage.

Always correctly clean and store your jewellery and avoid exposing it to chemicals such as household chemicals, perfume and always remove jewellery before a bath or shower or any exercise activity.

Sterling silver can tarnish naturally and can easily be cleaned with a silver polishing cloth avoiding any other parts of the jewellery such as pears or other gemstones. Do not use harsh chemicals and keep dry.

Pearls can be cleaned using a soft, dry cloth while valuable jewellery should be taken to a professional cleaner. Pearls are particularly susceptible to loss of shine, especially if in contact with perfume, natural body oils, and perspiration. To maintain their natural beauty, wipe them with a soft, damp cloth after wearing to remove traces of these residues. The golden rule with all pearl jewellery is to put it on as the final touch - after you have dressed, styled your hair and applied your make-up.

Please always remove your rings when washing up or showering

To prevent scratches and other impact induced damage, avoid wearing jewellery when playing sport, on the beach, swimming, cleaning, or gardening.

Check regularly for signs of wear and tear, particularly around exposed areas such as catches or joints. Over time, stone settings can become loose, especially when caught on garments or in contact with hard surfaces.