Aquae Jewels 18K Gold and Diamonds
Ethical Diamonds, Precious Stones and Materials
All Diamonds used by Aquae Jewels are ethically sourced. Each piece comes with a Aquae Jewels certificate authenticity that assures the legal and ethical origins of the stones.
All pieces from Aquae Jewels are made of 18K full gold ( 750 gold), whether it is white gold, rose gold or yellow gold, with the exception of the limited collection of Gold Vermeil and Sterling Silver pieces.
Aquae Jewels makes every effort to ensure that diamonds, precious stones and materials are purchased through approved sources. The suppliers are encouraged and influenced to operate to similar standards and where reasonably practical are able to trace raw materials back to their origin.
The company does not knowingly purchase materials (precious stones or metal) from conflict areas.
Diamond Grading
Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes. Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, nature and position of the characteristics, and how the affect the appearance of the gem. At Aquae Jewels, we use stones with clarity of VS1 or SI2, which gives a very shinny appearance, especially on the smaller gems that are used for most designs from Aquae Jewels.
Cut
Besides the clarity and the color, the 3rd dimension is Cut. Diamonds are renowned for their ability to transmit light and sparkle so intensely. We often think of a diamond’s cut as shape (round, heart, oval, marquise, pear), but a diamond’s cut grade is really about how well a diamond’s facets interact with light. This makes a big difference for brightness and scintillation between Excellent and Poor Cut. At Aquae Jewels, we use the gems with Good cut.
Carat weight
The last dimension is obviously the Carat weight, giving the dimension of the stone, which can vary slightly based on the cut.
Diamond Shape
Aquae Jewels uses diamonds of different shapes for its many jewellery designs. See the chart for the different shapes we use.
Aquae Jewels Gold Vermeil and Sterling Silver limited Collection
What is Gold Vermeil?
Vermeil is a legally regulated term that refers to a certain kind of quality jewellery. To be legally called “Vermeil” the jewellery piece must meet ALL of these conditions:
- Have Sterling Silver as its base material. Sterling Silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other materials, and is a standard material used in high-quality jewellery.
- Be plated in 18K Gold.
- Have gold plating that is at least 2.5 microns thick. A micron is 1/1000th of a millimetre.
Gold Vermeil Jewellery
- Uses 925 Sterling Silver as its base metal
- Outside layer of gold is at least 2.5 microns thick
- Outside layer of gold is at least 10k
- Very low likelihood of skin irritations and allergies
- Will not turn your skin green
- Gold plating layer will last many times longer than gold plated
Gold Plated Jewellery
- Base metal usually a cheaper material(copper, nikcel, brass)
- Outside layer of gold is at least 0.5 microns thick
- Higher likelihood of skin irritations and possibilities of skin discoloration
- Gold plating layer will not last very long
How is Gold Vermeil different from Gold-plated?
Gold Vermeil is superior to gold-plated jewellery. Gold Vermeil, has some key differences with gold plating that make it distinctive.
Vermeil is a technique originating in the 19th century, where gold was applied to sterling silver. Gold Vermeil is also made through the gold plating technique but requires a thicker layer of gold, 3 times thicker than with regular gold-plated jewellery. With Aquae Jewels, the gold layer is above 2.5 microns.
As with regular Gold-plated jewellery, the plating is so thin that the gold color will fade very quickly compared to Gold Vermeil.
Why should I buy Vermeil Jewellery?
In the realm of gold-tone jewellery, Gold Vermeil is the best quality jewellery you can get short of buying solid gold. For people who want a cheap, high-quality alternative to solid gold, Vermeil is your answer!
What is Sterling Silver?
925 Sterling Silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. We plate our Silver jewellery in white rhodium, which gives it extra shine and durability. Rhodium is one of the costliest precious metals due to its rarity. All of our Sterling Silver pieces are stamped with “925”.
Gemstones in the Gold Vermeil and Sterling Silver collection?
We use white sapphire and colored sapphire, as well as CZ Stones for the settling of stones on these limited edition collections.