穩穩陣陣! 求婚戒指用4爪還是6爪指托較安全?

求婚戒指中最受歡迎的款式就是爪鑲，金屬覆蓋鑽石的部份相對其他鑲嵌方法少，光線能從四面八方入射及反射，不會被遮擋，能展現出最大程度的光學效果。 爪的數目以4和6較為普遍，既能穩固鑽石，又能表現對稱的美感。但當要選擇4或6時，應該選4還是6呢? 是愈多爪愈穩固安全嗎?

在選擇爪的數目時，您應考慮兩個因素:

第一，鑽石的大小，即鑽石的卡數。如果您的鑽石大於2.5卡，Bee’s Diamonds建議您選擇用6爪戒指托。因為2.5卡以上的鑽石對比戒指的大小為大，爪與爪之間的空間亦相對增加，鑽石被尖銳物件撞到或鈎到導致鬆脫的機會便愈大，因此大卡數鑽石應使用6爪戒指托較為安全。2.5卡以下的鑽石使用4爪鑲嵌便己足夠，當然，如您希望鑽石能更穩固，小鑽使用6爪是絕對可以的，可是您應考慮過多的戒爪會遮擋光線，鑽石的光芒可能會因而減少。

第二，根據戒指金屬硬度來決定爪的數目。普遍用來做戒指托的金屬有 18K金、鉑金PT950等。18K金是75%黃金混合25%貴金屬如銀、鎳、鈀，是硬度比較高的金屬。用18K金來做戒指托可放心根據第一點來決定爪的數目。相反鉑金PT950即95%鉑金 5%貴金屬，屬於韌度較高的金屬，即金屬本質較軟，容易變形，有機會因輕微碰撞令戒爪鬆開，導致跌石。因此如需要用PT950，應考慮選用較多爪數，或加粗戒爪，增強對鑽石的保護。

鑽石是無比堅硬，不易受損的物質，經得起時間的洗禮，可是戒指托並不像鑽石般耐磨。無論是18K金，還是鉑金PT950，都有機會出現老化的情況，即戒爪有機會變得脆弱，更容易被撞鬆。因此Bee’s Diamonds建議您定期把戒指帶回珠寶店檢查，以防止鑽石鬆脫。

想知道婚戒用那種金屬比較好? 18K金還是鉑金PT950? 敬請留意我們日後的文章!

如果想了解更多有關如何選擇鑽石或戒指設計，請聯絡Bee’s Diamonds。本公司提供專業的鑽石咨詢服務，歡迎網上預約、電郵或電話查詢。電郵:info@beesdiamonds.com 或電話 (852) 2180 7812.

如何檢查鑽石戒指上的鑽石是否穩固?

鑽石戒指只有幾支類似迷你金棒，像金屬爪的東西能緊緊固定鑽石在戒指上嗎? 鑽石會鬆脫嗎? 有方法檢查嗎? 讓我們一一為您解答!

鑲嵌鑽石的方法有六種-槽鑲、共齒鑲、釘鑲、爪鑲、包鑲和逼鑲。當中爪鑲是最常用，用3爪、4爪 或6爪 把鑽石牢牢固定在鑲台上。由於使用的金屬部較少，鑽石被遮擋的位置亦相對較少，因此光線能從四面八方入射及反射，展現出最大程度的光學效果。這優點讓爪鑲成為訂婚鑽戒中最受歡迎的款色。

4爪、6爪的鑲嵌方法雖然只有數個支點把鑽石扣住，但只要鑲工優秀，鑽石便能非常穩固地被鑲嵌在戒台上，不容易鬆脫。當然，戒爪的金屬勞損是有機會影響鑽石的穩固程度。因此Bee’s Diamonds建議你選用堅硬的金屬，如18K金，，令戒指爪不容易鬆脫。相反, Platinum白金950的韌性和延展性很強，建議不要使用Platinum白金950來鑲嵌細微的部分和名貴的鑽石主石。白金也會容易在日常穿戴時磨損或撕裂，亦可能與堅硬的表面接觸時被刮花。

配戴首飾期間，應避免游泳或進行其他劇烈運動，以減低首飾因碰撞，磨擦而產生的損毀。要知道戒指上的鑽石是否穩固方法有兩個: 第一，可以用手輕輕觸碰鑽石，檢視鑽石有否搖動，如有輕微搖動，即表示鑽石並不穩固。第二，可利用一張紙，嘗試把紙張”攝”到戒爪和鑽石之間(即戒爪與鑽石接觸的位置)，如果能把紙張”攝”入，表示鑲嵌並不完美，鑽石有機會鬆脫或移位。如發現鑽石搖動或戒爪變形，必須送往修理，避免繼續佩帶，以免遺失這戒指的主角。第三，穿戴首飾時，請先檢驗： 鉤子鑲嵌沒有鬆脫的情況和鑽石鑲嵌沒有鬆脫的情況。您可以把首飾貼近耳朵，輕輕搖動以確保沒有鑽石鬆脫。假若您聽到有聲音，鑽石可能有鬆脫。請立即把首飾帶回檢查及修理。

除了以上三個方法外，使用放大鏡來進行檢查也是相當有效的。放大鏡把鑲嵌的細節放大，讓你能清楚檢視鑲嵌情況，此方法不單適用於爪鑲，其他鑲嵌方式同樣合適。如包鑲和槽鑲，可以此檢查包邊或槽位是否平均，有沒有缺口，若然金屬邊有缺口或不均情況，應送往珠寶店進行進一步檢查及維修。

在存放首飾前，請獨立存放首飾於專用首飾盒內，避免它們互相磨擦。避免在沒有保護情況下，存放多於一件首飾於同一首飾盒內。雖然鑽石是全世界最堅硬的礦物，但若它脆弱的角度受到撞擊觸碰，都能導致鑽石損毀!

想知道爪鑲中4爪還是6爪戒指托較安全? 敬請留意我們日後的文章!

如果想了解更多有關如何選擇鑽石或戒指設計，請聯絡Bee's Diamonds。本公司提供專業的鑽石咨詢服務，歡迎電郵或電話查詢。電郵:info@beesdiamonds.com 或電話 (852) 2180 7812. 

Trend TV interview

Bee's Diamonds was interview by Trend TV. Lets enjoy the video and learn how to be a gemologist and choose a good diamond.

How to check if a diamond is securely and snuggly mounted on a ring?

Have you ever wondered why a diamond can be securely and snuggly mounted onto a ring with just a few claws? How can you check whether a diamond has become loose? Let us address your concerns with our gemological knowledge and experience.

There are multiple ways of mounting a diamond (or commonly referred to as, setting a diamond on a ring). The most common settings at all times are: channel setting, bezel setting, prong setting, drill setting and pave setting. Prong setting is the most commonly used, highly secure setting. Using 3, 4 or 6 prongs, a diamond can be securely mounted on a ring. As the structure of prong setting allows more light to go through and into a diamond, its brilliance and fire can be brought out through the play of light scintillation. That explains why the most classic and most popular engagement ring style usually features the famous prong setting.

Choice of Metal

Even though only 4 or 6 prongs are used to set a diamond in a ring, it can still be securely mounted if the craftsmanship is exquisite. Of course, prongs are susceptible to usual wear and tear like any other metals, but with the right use of metal and self-checking methods, you can be an expert in identifying whether a diamond has become loose from the ring. 

We recommend using 18K gold. Don’t mistaken 18K gold as the traditional typical yellow type of gold. 18K Gold jewellery can appear in white (silvery), black, purple, blue or even rose-colours. It is most commonly seen in white gold because of its strength to withstand normal wear and tear due to its rhodium plating which is extremely hard and it minimizes the jewellery’s vulnerability to scratches.

Platinum, often known as PT950, is a dense, malleable, ductile precious, gray-white transition metal. Although platinum is hard in nature, it is also extremely ductile and malleable which is not recommended for setting jewellery with refined details or with a valuable center diamond. Platinum is also vulnerable to daily wear and tear and can be susceptible to scratches resulted from constant contacts with hard surfaces.

Checking Methods

Treat your diamond ring as any other piece of fine jewellery, which should not be worn to rigorous sporting activities like swimming, racquet sports, etc. This can significantly reduce the risk of damages that may occur from excessive contacts of hard surface. There are three methods to know whether a diamond has become loose from its prongs.

1.    Touch and Feel!

You can gently touch and feel a diamond with the tips of your fingers to feel whether it has become loose from any of the prongs. If there is any slight movement, it is imperative that you bring the ring to fix immediately. 

2.    Slip it through!

If you are still not sure whether the diamond is loose, try slipping a piece of regular paper into the space between the tip of the prong and the diamond. If the paper can easily slip through that tiny little gap, your ring may be prone to movements.  At this stage, the diamond may not have come loose yet, but it is best that you bring the ring to a reliable jewellery to have it checked.

3.    Shake! Shake! Shake!

The easiest method to check whether a diamond is becoming loose is to shake it three times against your ears closely. If you hear some twinkling sounds, the diamond may have come loose from the ring. Stop wearing the ring immediately and have it check by a jewellery for quickest solutions.

Other than the three methods mentioned above, using a microscope or a magnification loupe is the most comprehensive method to check whether a diamond has indeed become loose. For instance, magnification loupes can identify whether a diamond is loosening from its bezel set and channel set where it is not easy to test its stability using the stated methods above. Another important piece of take away is not to store your jewellery together in unprotected environment with other pieces. Always baggage each piece of jewellery with at least a small plastic bag to avoid damages of the prongs.

Want to know whether a 4 prongs or 6 prongs ring mount is more secured? Stay tuned for other future blog posts. For more information, please visit our website at www.beesdiamonds.com

鑽石戒指款式設計比鑽石質素重要嗎?

很多男士都會來Bee’s Diamonds作求婚戒指咨詢。我們第一句都會問他們: ”你想買怎麼樣的戒指給你另一半呢?”。很有趣，大部分男士都會說要什麼什麼款式、古典風格等等。只有少數的男士從戒指的主角－鑽石說起。很多男士不了解鑽石的細節如鑽柄(Shanks)的厚度，鑽石應該鑲在什麼的高度去提升鑽石的“火”(閃爍度) 等。只有很少數的男士一開始就說要F 色 VS2淨度……等等所以今天要討論的是──我們應該留意鑽石的質素，還是戒指的設計呢？你應該由什麼決定是否購買鑽石戒指呢，是戒指的主石，還是設計呢？

一隻戒指主要由兩部份組成：主石－鑽石或紅／藍／綠寶石，以及戒指設計。Bee’s Diamonds建議你多留意戒指的主石，而是非戒指的款式。首先，戒指的鑽石是你新家庭的第一項資產，這資產是可代代相傳的。就算不是這樣，它亦有可能被你妻子拿去交易(去換一顆更大的鑽石，這個情況很普遍，特別是在婚後多年。近年女士們更喜歡以小鑽石換一顆更大的鑽石) 。更重要的是，鑽石不單是訂婚和結婚的標記，亦代表財富的傳承。由一個家庭傳到另一個家庭。在這層面上，鑽石應該占戒指投資中最大部份。

當然，戒指的設計同樣重要，不過遠比不上鑽石。設計是暫時的，這就好比潮流，現在好看的衣服未必在十年以後一樣流行。很多女士會拿她們祖父母的首飾來Bee’s Diamonds 重新設計和鑲嵌。她們不會亦不可能扔掉或改變鑽石，但會重新設計流行的款式去配合鑽石。所以，無論你或你的妻子多喜歡戒指的設計，都不應該單單因為戒指的設計去購買那戒指，鑽石才是你首要的考慮。再者，設計和鑲嵌的價格是相對更為便宜，所以應該投放更多的時間去跟寶石學家瞭解鑽石，確保你的投資物有所值。

想知道什麼款式的戒指最為常青？而我們會建議你什麼常青而物有所值的戒指款式？應該選擇四爪還是六瓜戒指？　請密切留意我們日後的文章！

如果想知道更多有關如何選擇鑽石或戒指設計，請聯絡Bee’s Diamonds。電郵:info@beesdiamonds.com 或電話 (852) 2180 7812.

Is ring design more important or the diamond?

Very often when men customers come to Bee’s Diamonds for an engagement ring consultations, the very first question that we ask them is “What kind of ring do you envision for your other half?”. Interestingly, 9 out of 10 men would describe how the ring would look like, filigrees, simple crown, solitaire,classic. Only very few men would actually talk about the main character of the ring – the diamond. This is surprising as I thought most guys would not pay attention to small details such as how thick the shanks should be, how high should the diamond be lifted from the ring to maximize sparkles. Only a rare few men would start by saying that they want a F colour diamond with VS2 clarity, etc.. So the question of the day is – should you pay more attention to the diamond or the design of the ring? Should you buy a ring because of its design or because of the center stone?

There are two major parts that compose a ring – the center stone, be whatever it is,whether it is a diamond, sapphire, ruby, sapphire, and the design. Bee’s Diamonds highly advises you to focus your investment on the center diamond rather than the ring design for a number of valid reasons. First, the center stone is your new family’s first asset which will most likely be passed down from your generation to the next. Even if it is not, it may be taken by your wife for trading up(trading in for a bigger diamond in the future, and yes, this happens in later years of the marriage. In fact, very often does this happen, especially in recent years when women always look for bigger looking diamonds). Furthermore,the diamond is not just a symbol of engagement and marriage, it is the passing of wealth from one to another, from one family to another. As such, the diamond should form the largest portion of your investment in the ring.

The design is important too, but of lesser importance. Designs are temporary.Similar to fashion trends, what looks good now may not look good say 10 years from now. A lot of women bring in old jewellery from their grandparents’ era and ask for redesign and remounting at Bee’s Diamonds. They will never change or throw away the diamonds, but they will only create new designs that match the diamond. So, no matter how much you or your soon-to-be fiancé likes the design, one should not buy the ring simply because of the design. The diamond should be your choice of concern. Plus, the sum of designs and mounting is relatively low compared to the value of diamonds, so one should not focus too much time investigating on the designs but a majority of effort on understanding and learning about diamonds from certified gemologists, so to ensure an investment well worth the value.

What kind of ring design would be classic and can be worn in the many years to come?What are some of the recommended designs that would not waste much of your investment but will be long lasting and durable? Should you choose a ring mount with 4 prongs or 6 prongs? Stay tuned for more ring information in future blog posts.

For more information on how to choose a diamond or a ring design, please contact Bee’s Diamonds at info@beesdiamonds.com or at (852) 2180 7812.