Below you will find links to various resources, articles and useful information related to jewellery, all of which are designed to help supply you with some knowledge and make your shopping exsperience with us just that bit easier.
Jewellery Aftercare
To help keep your jewellery in excellent condition we recommend that you have it cleaned at least once a year. This will allow us to check for signs of damage or wear and tear and suggest a suitable repair before it becomes a serious problem.
If you have a special piece of jewellery that becomes damaged we offer a high class repair and re - finishing service to solve this problem for you. All our jewellery repairs are accompanied by a 6 month guarantee. If you wish to extend this guarantee please contact us.
As an experienced jewellery craftsmen I am able to carry out the highest quality work which includes:
- Jewellery restoration and repair – from £30.00
- Jewellery cleaning and re-finishing services - from £10.00
- Ring sizeing – from £20.00 - Prices depend on metal type and size of ring.
- All work guaranteed
JEWELLERY CARE TIPS
All of our jewellery has been made with great care and finished to a very high specification, however all jewellery made from sterling silver is still vunerable to scratches so please avoid heavy-duty activities whilst wearing your jewellery such as washing up, gardening, D.I.Y, etc.....
18ct commissions can be cleaned using a soft polishing cloth (unsuitable for matt finish) Diamonds and other precious stones can be cleaned using mild washing-up liquid on a soft toothbrush, then rinsed thoroughly with hot water.
Sterling silver can naturally oxidise with time causing jewellery to turn grey or even black in colour, this is a result of the silver being exposed to the oxygen in the air where the metal alloys - (usually copper or zinc) react and cause the silver jewellery to tarnish.
The other main reasons why your silver jewellery could tarnish are due to chlorine,or skin acidity,which fluctuates according to diet or medication. Some perfumes and sea water also tend to tarnish sterling silver so it is advisable to avoid swimming with your jewellery and to put your jewellery on after spraying perfumes, hair spray and any other sprays of that matter!
Oxidisation better known as tarnishing is common on jewelry during the summer time as higher temperatures and humidity accelerate the process and you tend to sweat more which increases the acidity in your skins pores.
It is adviseable when your jewelry is not in use, to store it in a tarnish / acid free box or paper.
Regular cleaning can also help prevent the formation of silver sulphide or tarnish.
Silver jewellery can be cleaned by using a silver dip solution following the instructions given, a cheaper option which works well also is a standard anti tarnish polishing cloth. If you do not want to invest in professhional cleaning products It is good practice to clean your steling silver jewelry with washing up liquid and rinse thoroughly with hot water - be sure to dry straight away with a soft cloth or tissue to avoid water stains. Alternatively your jewellery can be returned to Thomas Nayler where your jewellery can be re-polished, re-finished and/or re-matted for you on request. Polishing clothes and silver dip solution can be purchased on request also.
Ring Size Chart
Their are several ways of measuring your fingers ring size, with string, paper or wire but the most accurate way has got to be with a metal or plastic ring gauge which can be obtained from your local jewellers or Thomas Nayler directly, alternatively you can use the printable ring sizer or ring size chart below to find out your ring size.
Ring Size Chart
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Printable Ring Sizer
To print a copy of our ring sizer simply click on the image below to enlarge it and click the "print this page" text within the pop up window. NOTE: The sizer should be printed at 100% to scale as the size may vary depending on your printer settings and screen resolution.
Printable Ring Sizer >
Ring Size Conversion Chart
To print a copy of our International Ring Size Conversion Chart simply click on the image below and click the "print this page" text within the pop up window.
Name Meanings
If you wish to find out what your name means please refer to this useful resource: www.name-meanings.com
Birthstone & Star Sign Charts
Below you will find various types of birthstone charts which i hope you find useful when considering to commisssion a bespoke piece of jewellery for a special gift on a special day.
Modern Birthstone Chart
January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Alexandrite
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Blue Sapphire
October: Rose Zircon
November: Golden Topaz
December: Blue Zircon |
Traditional Birthstone Chart
January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine or Bloodstone
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl or moonstone
July: Ruby
August: Peridot or sardonyx
September: Blue Sapphire
October: Opal or Tourmaline
November: Topaz
December: Turquoise or Lapis Lazuli
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Zodiac Birthstone Chart
January: Ruby
February: Garnet
March: Amethyst
April: Bloodstone
May: Sapphire
June: Agate
July: Emerald
August: Onyx
September: Carnelian
October: Peridot
November: Beryl
December: Topaz
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Old Testament Birthstone Chart
January: Jasper
February: Sapphire
March: Chalcedony
Apri: Emerald
May: Sardonyx
June: Sardonyx
July: Chrysolite
August: Beryl
September: Topaz
October: Chrysoprase
November: Bloodstone
December: Amethyst |
Spanish Birthstone Chart
January: Hyacinth
February: Amethyst
March: Jasper
April: Sapphire
May: Agate
June: Emerald
July: Onyx
August: Carnelian
September: Chrysolite
October: Aquamarine
November: Topaz
December: Ruby
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Jewish Birthstone Chart
January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Jasper
April: Sapphire
May: Agate, Carnelian, Chalcedony
June: Emerald
July: Onyx
August: Carnelian
September: Chrysolite
October: Aquamarine
November: Topaz
December: Ruby |
Anniversary Gemstone Chart
1st Peridot
2nd Red garnet
3rd Jade
4th Blue zircon
5th Pink tourmaline
6th Turquoise
7th Yellow sapphire
8th Tanzanite
9th Amethyst
10th Blue Sapphire
11th Citrine
12th Opal
13th Moonstone
14th Agate
15th Rhodolite
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16th Red Spinel
17th Carnelian
18th Aquamarine
19th Garnet
20th Yellow Diamond
25th Tsavorite
30th Pearl
35th Emerald
40th Ruby
45th Cat’s Eye
50th Imperial Topaz
60th Star Ruby
65th Blue Spinal
70th Smokey Quartz
75th Diamond
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The star sign stone chart below shows you how the different types of semi / precious stones relate to your astrological sun signs which is useful when researching your horoscope or planning a gift
Aries
The symbol of this sign is activity – initiative, ambition or creativity. Arians always rise from the lowest to the highest form – from red to white.
Gems: All red stones, like garnet, ruby, red jasper |
Taurus
The symbols of this sign are love and wisdom. Taurus are closely attuned to products of the earth. They need to transform the love of personal to that of selfless service.
Gems: All yellow stones like topaz, citrine, amber |
Gemini
This is the sign of duality. It symbolizes life and death, joy and sorrow, health and sickness, abundance and poverty.
Gems: All purple stones, like amethyst or fluorite |
Cancer
This symbolizes love and life. The magic power of love is the message and quest of this sign.
Gems: All green stones – emerald, jade, peridot, agate, green jasper |
Leo
This is the sign of wisdom and activity. Divinity and humility are keynotes for meditation for the native of this sign.
Gems: All gold and orange stones – amber, orange jasper, carnelian, fire opal, topaz |
Virgo
This sign symbolizes reason transformed into wisdom. Knowledge and understanding produce wisdom.
Gems: Amethyst and fluorite |
Libra
It symbolizes the balance that must be weighed with the deeds of the year. It symbolizes the unfolding of love leading to unity.
Gems: Yellow stones – topaz, amber, citrine |
Scorpio
This is one of the most powerful signs. Its force being dual in aspect, it moves from the lowest depths to the greatest heights. It purifies the animal nature and lifts forces to a higher plane of expression.
Gems: Red and clear crimson stones – ruby, garnet, coral, red jasper, bloodstone |
Sagittarius
This sign symbolizes high idealism and noble aspirations. Its highest expression is a spiritualized mind.
Gems: Blue Stones – Sapphire, lapis-lazuli, blue topaz, sodalite |
Capricorn
This sign denotes the mystery of the darkest night and the glory of the light. This sign symbolizes the crossing of the bridge of darkness before reaching the radiation of the great white light. The goal for a Capricorn is to conquer one’s ego.
Gems: Black and white stones – black tourmaline, jet, moonstone, opal, pearl |
Aquarius
This sign symbolizes promotion of communication and group work. The goal of an Aquarian is to achieve oneness of the whole, or wholeness of the one.
Gems: Clear blue stones – blue topaz, lapis-lazuli, sapphire |
Pisces
This sign symbolizes selfless service, the ideal way to achieve success. It denotes the spirit struggling to rescue humanity from greed.
Gems: Soft blue and indigo stones – blue topaz, indigo sapphire, azurite |
About Diamonds
Carbon is one of the most common elements in the world, and is one of the four essentials for the existence of life. Humans are more than 18-percent carbon. The air we breathe contains traces of carbon. When occurring in nature, carbon exists in three basic forms:
- Diamond - an extremely hard, clear crystal
- Graphite - A soft, black mineral made of pure carbon. The molecular structure is not as compact as diamond's, which makes it weaker than diamond.
- Fullerite - A mineral made of perfectly spherical molecules consisting of exactly 60 carbon atoms. This allotrope was discovered in 1990.
Diamonds form about 100 miles (161 km) below the Earth's surface, in the molten rock of the Earth's mantle, which provides the right amounts of pressure and heat to transform carbon into a diamond. In order for a diamond to be created, carbon must be placed under at least 435,113 pounds per square inch (psi or 30 kilobars) of pressure at a temperature of at least 752 degrees Fahrenheit (400 Celsius). If conditions drop below either of these two points, graphite will be created. At depths of 93 miles (150 km) or more, pressure builds to about 725,189 psi (50 kilobars) and heat can exceed 2,192 F (1,200 C).
Most diamonds that we see today were formed millions (if not billions) of years ago. Powerful magma eruptions brought the diamonds to the surface, creating kimberlite pipes. Kimberlite pipes are created as magma flows through deep fractures in the Earth. The magma inside the kimberlite pipes acts like an elevator, pushing the diamonds and other rocks and minerals through the mantle and crust in just a few hours.
Diamonds are not exclusive to Earth. Scientists believe that diamonds may one day be found uner the moons surface. Neptune and Uranus also contain a lot of the hydrocarbon gas - methane which could possibly turn to diamond at fairly shallow depths!
Diamond Carat/Cut/Clarity/Colour
A carat is a unit of measurement, it's the unit used to weigh a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. Their are 100 points in 1 carat, so a 1/4 of a carat would be 25 points. Please note: diamond carat is differnt to the meaning of karat which is used for determining the purity of gold.
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. Diamonds are cut to differnt heights, the best type of diamond to buy is one that is not too shallow or not to high but evening proportioned with plenty of cuts/facets in order to let as much light into the stone as possible.
Polish and symmetry are two important aspects of the cutting process. The polish grade describes the smoothness of the diamond's facets, and the symmetry grade refers to alignment of the facets. With poor polish, the surface of a facet can be dulled With poor symmetry, light can be misdirected as it enters and exits the diamond
The interrelations between the different areas of the diamond as listed below are all taken into acount when creating the perfect diamond, Each part of the diamond has to be cut in such a way to reflect the light to its full potential.
You can have a big diamond of poor quality which will be cheaper than say a small good quality diamond. Poor quality is determined by the amount of inclusions within the stone, inclusions can be visible to the eye by identifyling grey areas within a dull stone. For small stones you will need an eye loop which is used to magnify the facets.
| Diameter: The width of the diamond as measured through the girdle. |
| Table: The largest facet of a gemstone. |
| Crown: The top portion of a diamond extending from the girdle to the table. |
| Girdle: The intersection of the crown and pavilion which defines the perimeter of the diamond. |
| Pavilion: The bottom portion of a diamond, extending from the girdle to the culet. |
| Culet: The facet at the tip of a gemstone. The preferred culet is not visible with the unaided eye (graded "none" or "small"). |
| Depth: The height of a gemstone measured from the culet to the table. |
The different cuts/shapes of diamond that are commonly used are: rectangle, square, round, pear shape, heart shape, marquise which is a taperd oval shape.
Diamonds come in hundreds of different colors and shades, white is the most commonly used but is not the cheapest as other colors such as black have been dyed to change the color.
Semi - Precious Stones
If you would like to know more about semi - Precious and precious stones please visit this useful resource to get all the information you need, this is useful when decideing on which type of stone suits your jewellery design:
www.softflexcompany.com
Cubic Zirconias
Cubic Zirconia is well known as a substitute for Diamonds, due to its high hardness and great fire. It is a man-made, synthetic jewelry gemstone. But in recent years, it has established itself as a gorgeous gem in its own right. Cubic Zirconia is a beautiful synthetic gemstone that is durable and inexpensive and now even comes in any color of the rainbow, making it even more desirable.
Compared to Diamonds
To the untrained eye, Cubic Zirconia looks identical to a good quality Diamond, but Zirconia has slightly less brilliance or sparkle than a Diamond and more fire or flashes of color. The overall effect is so similar that it can even fool a trained gemologist on occasion. One great difference between Cubic Zirconia and Diamond is weight. Cubic Zirconia is about 75% heavier than a Diamond. A piece of CZ the same size as a one carat Diamond weighs about 1.75 carats. Zirconia is also more brittle than natural Diamond and softer. Cubic Zirconia is also flawless, instead of natural diamonds which usually contain impurities and inclusions. But today Cubic Zirconia can be produced in nearly all colors, also Cubic Zirconia with inclusions are made in laboratories! Gemologists agree that Cubic Zirconia is the finest Diamond alternative because it comes closer than any other gem material to matching the characteristics of a Diamond. Most people, even trained gemologists, cannot tell the difference with the naked eye.
Fire & Brilliance
Cubic Zirconia or CZ for short has slightly less brilliance (sparkle) than natural diamonds, while having more fire (flashes of rainbow colors). The overall effect is so similar to diamond that trained gemologists often require special equipment to tell them apart.
Hardness
There are only very few substances on earth harder than Cubic Zirconia. With a hardness rating of 8.5 on the Mohs' scale , CZ comes close to matching diamond's perfect 10. Yes, Cubic Zirconia will scratch glass, just like a natural Diamond.
Stone Setting Techniques
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Jewellery
Design Tips
When designing a piece of jewellery for us to hand make for you it is best to consider the overal look and feel you want to acheive, whether it be chunky or delicate, intricate/fussy or simple in appearance. A good place to start is to think which type of occasion you want to wear the peice of jewelery for and what garments you want it to match with. Once you have decided on these points you can use a ruler to work out the thickness of metal and width or legth of the design, once you have worked this out you can decide on the detail which will be suitable to fit within these mesurements. Think about balancing the design with a focal point, maybe you could have a nice sparkly vibrant stone in the centre and include some kind of detail on either side of the stone.
It is a good idea to set yourself a budget and work your deign around it, for example if you would like to have your deisgn made in gold but your budget is not enough for this it may be worth considering to have a design made from silver and to have gold highlights added to it which will give it an exspenve look but will still be within your budget.
Please contact Thomas Nayler if you wish to discuss your design ideas and he will be more than happy to advise you.
Why Buy Custom Handmade Jewellery?
In our opinion custom handmade jewellery cant be beaten. Handmade jewellery is better in the respect that lots of people will not be wearing the same thing as you! You will stand out from the crowd and receive compliments whilst having pleasure in wearing your special unique piece!
Handmade jewellery is far superior as you can have something custom made to your exact requirements and are not limited to buying something off the shelf.
The only way that mass produced jewellery serves its purpose is if you are wanting to have lots of the same item produced for promotional purposes otherwhys it is not worth the money as you end up with a common look without the quality you are looking for.
Promotion Product Ideas
If you are wanting to have some promotional logo products made for a marketing event or simply want us to create a logo for your companies brand then the most versatile products have to keychains. A keychain can be easily attached to your keys, bag or wallet making them a very practical promo item for you to give away!
Keychains are unisex products, are simple and are relatively chaep to produce in base metals.
Please conatct Thomas Nayler to discuss your ideas and the possiblities available to you along with price quotes.
Wholesale Jewelry
We can mass produce set designs in batch or bulk quantities. Customers can have their own design produced or we can design something unique for your company project. We can wholesale jewelry in sterling silver or base metals such as brass, bronze, etc. Please contact us for further details on price quotes, design, production time frame, etc.
Jewellery Article Downloads:
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