CS - Sunday, January 22, 1984 - North Shore News |

NOTHING can lure newly engaged couples from
the glitter of a diamond when they are shopping for

their engagement rings.

Designers have tried to en-
tice them with sapphires,
rubies and emeralds, or
beautifully matched husband
and wife wedding bands, but
their efforts have failed.
Those about to be wedded
are happily enjoying their
traditional diamonds.

Ring styles are smooth and
fresh — no. flowery clusters
or star shapes of 10. “years.
ago, says John . Cormack,
Birks manager of their fine
jewelry department.
Diamonds sit perched on
bands of. gold swept upwards
in smooth curves, or lie cup-
ped in rose petals of white
gold. Few bands have ornate

engraving. Instead, people ;

are-buying engagement rings
with smooth cut bands, mat-
ched with very plain
unadorned wedding rings,
Cormack said.

Women want the plain
wedding bands because it
allows them to take off their
engagement rings and wear
the wedding band alone.

While couples are
enveloped in a cloud of
ecstasy of their new found
love, they had better keep
their -eyes wide open,
prepared for the complexities
of purchasing a diamond.

The first and most impor-
tant move to make is to seek
out a jeweller you can trust,
says Peter Cooper, regional

manager for Birks, and he

hastened to assure there are
many reputable _ jewellers
throughout the area whose
appraisals are very
acceptable.

Though standards for dia-
mond grading are set by the
Gem Institute of America
(GIM), buyers are at the mer-
cy of the grader who makes
the judgment on the value of
the jewel. The variance bet-
ween diamonds is so slight
that jewel appraisers can only
determine the diamond’s
value by comparing it with
others.

Jewellers depend on repeat
business however, and that
insures that they will try their
utmost to make scientifically
correct evaluations, Cooper
said.

Don’t be easily impressed
that a diamond is said to be

' the more expensive the stone.

almost half a carat.. Carat
Size is only one of four fac-
tors in determining the value
of the jewel. Carats are simp-
ly the weight of the stone.
The clarity of the diamond
is very important. There are
tiny inclusions or defects in
diamonds, most of them are
seen _only under magnifica-
few

Not only is the beauty of the

stone affected by these tiny _

defects, but if the inclusions
are large enough the diamond
can be brittle and- fragile.
Another important factor
in’ determining diamond
value is the lack of color. The

4

whiter the diamond the better

the stone.

The most’ important ele-
ment however is the cut of
the diamond. No matter how
large, clear or white it is, a
diamond isn’t worth any-
thing unless it sparkles.

Light will enter an incor-
sectly cut stone and reflect
back in the wrong direction.
The ‘‘dead’’ stone doesn’t
catch the cye with the
brilliance and fire — the in-
herent beauty of the
diamond.

Up to about 40 years ago,
diamonds were cut in the
**European”’ or ‘‘rose’’ style
top heavy with fewer
facets. Today's diamonds are

all cut in the much more

dazzling ‘’brilliant’’ or
**modern’”’ style, Cormack
says.

There are important facts
to look for when considering
the gold that frames the dia-
mond, or when looking for
all types of gold jewelry. No

‘matter ‘how tiny the earrings

or slender the necklace, the
jeweller must find room

Ladies & Mens’ rings

4%

’ that had more copper, in. it,

Ring Sizing ‘Special

Goldsmith on premises
Same day service
(whenever possible)

House of Gkarrs

a charms, chains, bracelets, engraving. repairs

Park Royal - South Mall 926-5113
(Prices @lfective Jan. 25 - Feb. 18/84)

without a symbol or name
stamped on it, indicating who
made it, may be poor gold
and highty overpriced,
Cooper warned.

Gold that is stamped 14

karat with no maker’s stamp:

can be as low as 8 karat gold.

Grandmother’s gold: rings

might be pink in color com-
pared to her granddaughter’s
gold bracelets. Jewelry
brought over from Europe
was often made with gold

Down Sizing Up Sizing

87.99 *°8.99

giving it a rosy hue. Yellow
gold has less copper and
more silver, while white gold

had a great deal of nickel in
it, blanching the gold of any
color.

CALL TODAY

North Van 980-5797

Bist & Oar * 263-2785
Wast End « 587-9965

Need more time shop? Park Royal has it!
An extra 30 minutes for your convenience.

sd EFFECTIVE JANUARY 30th, |
PARK ROYAL WILL BE OPEN UNTIL 6:00 PM

MONDAYS, TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS

y WN PARK ROYAL The Centre of Attention