 Question 1: If I wear my jewellery in the swimming pool will it get damaged?
Chlorine in swimming pools and hot tubs is damaging to jewellery, as is bleach in household cleaners. Clorine breaks down the solder & alloys which can lead to weakness in the assembly areas of jewellery items.
Question 2: When I drop off my items to be repaired, do you send them away?
With a few exceptions Van Isle Jewellers does all your repairs and custom work on sight, so your items stay within Victoria.
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Question 3: How often do I need to have my items checked, or do I need to at all?
Jewellery items set with stones should be checked at least once a year to make sure the gem stones are being held securely and tightly to minimize the risk of loss.
Question 4: What is moisonite?. Is it a genuine stone?
The manmade stone moisonite is not a synthetic diamond. It is a manmade simulant (look-a-like) of a diamond. Cubic zirconia is also a manmade diamond simulant.
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Question 5: Is it possible to remove dents and damaged sections from hollow jewellery?
Hollow jewellery items do not stand up to everyday wear. Bracelets, earrings and some chains should be worn with care as they can dent easily and become damaged. Often hollow items are unable to be repaired.
Question 6: Do bezel settings affect a diamond's brillance?. Don't they need light from underneath or from the side to sparkle?
When a diamond is cut to good proportions light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown or the top of the stone. It is the precision of the cut that dictates the maximum amount of light that will be reflected through the diamond, therefore, bezel setting a diamond does not diminish its brilliance.
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Question 7: What can I do with my old items that I don't like anymore?
Yellow gold that is relatively free of solder or impurities can be recast without problems to create new pieces of jewellery. Recasting your family's gold means still having the sentimental value in your new piece of jewellery.
Question 8: What is the difference between machine and hand engraving?
Engraving by machine is essentially, controlled scratching on the item's surface. A technician sets up the words either by type setting or computer and the machine coupled with the tech's assistance copies it on to the item. In hand engraving the letters and or picture are first drawn on the item using a pencil, over top of a thin water soluable white film. The characters are then cut, actually removing metal using small hand held chisles called gravers.
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Question 9: Is platinum harder than white gold?
Platinum is a dense and heavy metal that is used in an almost pure state, usually 950 parts per 1000 (about 95% pure platinum) but it scratches easier than white gold. This makes it more difficult to keep a high polish on platinum.
Question 10: What is "sterling" silver?
Nickel or german silver has no silver content. Sterling silver is 925 parts per 1000 pure ( 92.5% pure silver).
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Question 11: When jewellery is being repaired, are the stones affected?
Most genuine stones will be damaged with heat from soldering close to the stone. The stones must be unset before some repairs can be done. Diamonds are not usually unset unless the stone is heavily included or set in platinum.
Question 12: Do you use rhodium plating over your white gold, or yellow gold jewellery?
All Van Isle Jewellers white gold is made with a nickel or palladium alloy. We make 14k,18k,and 19k white gold, we do not do any rhodium plating.
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Question 13: Why don't you use rhodium plating?
When soldering or working on rhodium plated items, the plating will burn off or be damaged. This leaves the item with an uneven finish. Rhodium plating also wears off with everyday wear and tear.
Question 14: Do you do your own appraisals?
Van Isle Jewellers does not have an appraiser on site. All appraisals are done by an independant G.I.A. certified appraisal lab. This gives the customers an unbiased value on the item.
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