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Common Jewelry Myths Debunked
Oct
Every country and culture has its jewelry-related myths and superstitions. For example, some cultures believe that wearing pearls on your wedding day brings sorrow and misfortune to your marriage. While many people continue to practice this superstition, it is, in fact, just a myth. As a top jewelry store in Denver, we know a thing or two about these myths. If you are looking for your next piece of fine jewelry, do not let these common jewelry myths everyone needs to know stop you.
Nothing can Destroy a Diamond
Diamonds place at the top on the Mohs Hardness Scale at a 10, but that does not mean they are indestructible. In fact, they can chip or crack due to cleavage planes or planes of relative weakness in the structure of the diamond. It takes a blow with significant force heading in the right direction, but it is still possible and common. Here is a fun fact: rubies and sapphires, which rank lower on the Mohs Scale, have fewer chances of chipping compared to diamonds.
Variety Colors of Gold
If you are familiar with gold, you may have noticed that it comes in a variety of colors: white gold, rose gold and more. All these colors make people believe that gold comes in many colors. However, it is not true. In fact, gold naturally comes in one color: yellow. The other colors you see are other metals like iron, aluminum, silver, platinum, etc. mixed with gold.
Opals are Bad Luck
We are here to let you know that opals are not bad luck. If you own or wear an opal, we are happy to inform you that nothing horrible will happen, and anything bad that does occur is just coincidental. In the Victorian era, opal mining was a British industry. A British rival, the French, created the myth in hopes of damaging British trade and business. So please, if you have any opal pieces, wear them with pride and confidence.
Biting Into Gold
For hundreds of years, many people believed that you could tell if a gem was real gold is if you bit into it, and it left a dent. Since teeth are harder than gold, they can cause this metal to dent. However, many other gems and metals are just as soft or softer than gold and can dent when bitten into. There have been many cases where people masked lead as gold pieces. If you have any doubts about your gold, it is always best to get it verified by a professional and well-known jewelry store.
Bigger Diamonds are Better
You may have noticed some people brag about the size of their diamond. Big diamonds are undoubtedly interesting to look at, but that does not mean they are better than their smaller counterparts. The quality of a diamond determines its worth and value. Factors that affect the quality are color, cut, clarity, shape, size and light returns. A beautifully cut smaller diamond is worth more than a badly cut, dull huge diamond.
Pearls Dissolve Easily
While it is true that pearls do dissolve in vinegar, it does not happen simultaneously. Instead, this delicate gem takes days to fully dissolve. The myth supposedly began when Cleopatra wanted the most expensive dinner party. She threw pearls in the drinks and drank them. Exaggeration made it to this story, but crushing pearls before sitting them in vinegar does dissolve them faster, but still not in seconds.
Sapphires are Only Blue
Sapphires come in more than just blue. They come in a wide range of colors including yellow, orange, pink and green. Surprisingly, rubies are sometimes known as red sapphires. They both come from the same mineral compound — corundum. However, many scientists disagree with where pink sapphires end and rubies begin.
Pearls Only Come From Oysters
Most of the world’s pearls come from oysters, but there are a few other species that create them as well. The orange-brown pearl originates from the Melo Melo marine snail. Strombus Gigas, the queen conch, produces the Pink Conch Pearl. And, the blue-purple-green Abalone Pearl comes from the Haliotis Iris mollusk.
Paraiba Tourmaline Only Comes From Brazil
Tourmalines were first discovered in Paraiba, Brazil, but that does not mean they only come from there. Today different regions of Africa, like Mozambique and Nigeria, mine these beautiful stones. The only reason scientists call these gems Paraiba Tourmaline is to describe their color not their place of origin.
