In its raw state gold is yellow but it is possible to change the colour by adding different metals during the alloying process. To produce white gold alloys metals such as zinc and palladium may be added to pure gold. The finished article is then often rhodium plated to give a bright white finish. In time the rhodium plating can wear and the slightly yellowish white gold will begin to show. Articles can be re-plated but if a bright white finish is desired we would recommend considering platinum which will always have a bright white finish and is indeed harder wearing and more durable than gold.

It is a popular myth that 9ct is harder than 18ct gold but after much scientific research this has been dispelled. Pure gold is 24 carat and 9ct must be at least 9 parts gold in 24, equivalent to 37.5% gold and the other 62.5% other metals such as copper, silver, palladium or zinc. 18ct must be at least 18 parts gold in 24, 75% gold and 25% other metals. These ‘recipes’ can be altered to affect the hardness of 9ct and 18ct gold. Generally 18ct gold alloys are both harder and more durable than their 9ct equivalent. 9ct gold alloys are often more brittle than 18ct alloys which tend to be more resilient. 18ct gold reacts better to the mechanical processes that the alloy is subjected to such as rolling, stretching, bending, hammering, etc. These processes tend to make 9ct alloys more brittle.

Real pearls are those found naturally occurring in oysters and certain other bivalves. A piece of grit or some foreign body has entered the organism and this triggers the process of covering the alien body with microscopic layers of nacre. Real pearls are rare and prices will be dramatically higher.

Cultured pearls are those produced after an oyster has a nucleus, usually a mother of pearl bead, artificially inserted. The first cultured pearl was produced in Japan in 1905. Oysters used in this process are farmed and are suspended in large tethered cages in the sea. The majority of pearls are produced in Japan, but China is also becoming a major production centre.

Cultured freshwater pearls are produced by freshwater mussels in much larger quantities. These can be produced in many different colours and shades and provide a less expensive source of pearls.

Imitation pearls are entirely manmade. A bead is dipped into a mixture based on crushed fish scales known as "essence d’orient". This coats a bead and produces an imitation pearl. Other lower quality imitations may be made from plastic or ceramics. These are used for costume jewellery and provide an inexpensive way of imitating cultured pearls.

It is best to polish your ring occasionally with a jewellery cleaning cloth. These are usually impregnated with a mild polish and will make the metal shine again. If the ring is badly scratched it may be worth bring it into the shop where it can be professionally polished and will then look as good as new.

We have several National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) Registered Valuers in the shop who can undertake this work. Each item will be examined, photographed and valued according to prevailing marker conditions. We can produce a high quality and detailed valuation schedule in order to ascertain the level of insurance cover that you should arrange.

The valuation for insurance details the cost to replace an item at current market rates, including VAT. If your gold chains had been well worn or showed signs of damage you may have only been offered a scrap metal price. This is simply calculated on the weight of metal which fluctuates according to the price of gold on the commodity markets. The scrap price may be the articles lowest value and its highest will be the valuation for insurance. In reality a true selling price for the article may well be somewhere in between and depend on prevailing market conditions and other factors such as condition.

Go to your jeweller and ask if they would like to make an offer for the item. If you wish to accept then payment can often be made immediately. Alternatively you may wish to sell the item by private sale (although it is not always advisable to advertise jewellery for security reasons). The price obtainable may be higher although of course you have no guarantee of making a sale. It may also be possible to ask a shop whether they would be willing to sell a piece on your behalf on a commission basis.

It may be possible to copy a single earring. We can match stones and will always be happy to provide a quotation for this kind of work. Of course sometimes a customer may feel that they would rather not go down this route but may still wish to make use of the earring. Depending on the article it may well be possible for us to produce designs for a conversion to another item of jewellery such as a pendant or brooch.

We are always happy to be given the opportunity to manufacture jewellery to our customer’s own specifications. We would be glad to talk to you about your needs and then to submit designs and quotation for the work.

It is common for rings to become too tight. The size of our hands and fingers alters throughout the day and over the course of time. If you find difficulty removing the ring we would suggest that you come into the shop where our trained staff can usually remove the ring without damage to either you or the ring! In extreme circumstances, often due to an injury, it may be necessary to cut the ring off and again our trained staff can do this for you. The next logical step is usually to make the ring larger. This simply involves ascertaining your correct size and adding metal to the ring. After the ring has then been cleaned and polished it will look as good as new.

No, this is not true at all. Sapphire and ruby are both examples of the mineral Corundum and both have the same hardness index values. Of course it may be true that different ring designs may lend themselves towards harder wear than others. It is better to choose a practical design for an engagement ring which may be worn almost constantly for many years.

We would not recommend any cleaning solvents or solutions for use on pearls or emeralds. We would also strongly advise against the use of an ultrasonic cleaner on pearls and emeralds. A pearl is made up of thousands of microscopic layers. Ultrasonic waves can exploit these layers leading to damage. Emeralds are a form of the mineral Beryl and characteristically have many fissures or microscopic cracks within them. Again ultrasonic waves can exploit these leading to degradation and even cracking of the stone.

If the ring had never been valued we can provide you with a retrospective or “post loss” valuation based on your own description. We will gather as much information as possible and try to build up a picture of the article. We then assess its current market value based on this description given by you.

Yes, the 375 mark means that there are 375 parts per 1000 of pure gold in the alloy, or 37.5%. As pure gold is 24 carat, 37.5% of 24 is 9, so the item is made from 9 carat gold. The 750 mark equates to 75% pure gold or 18/24, and is 18 carat. So the carat is simply the percentage of pure gold expressed in 24ths. Common gold standards that may be seen are 375, 585, 625, 750 and 916.

Sterling silver is simply silver that is alloyed to the standard of 92.5% pure silver. So Sterling silver is the most common standard and is marked 925. There is another British standard known as Britannia silver. This is much less common and is 95.8% pure silver and will be marked 958.

To keep your clock working well it may be necessary to have the movement overhauled regularly. Over a period of time dust can get into the movement and will stick to the oiled parts. Eventually this causes the oil to become viscous and abrasive, creating wear that can affect timekeeping and which will eventually cause the clock to stop. A thorough overhaul will strip the clock, clean it, repair any wear, re-oil, reassemble and test. The time interval between overhauls depends on environmental factors such as proximity to heating sources and draughts. The time interval may be shortened to just a few years for a clock that is situated on a mantelpiece over an open fire.

This is a common problem often encountered after disturbing pendulum clocks. When the pendulum swings you may hear an irregular “tick-TOCK, tick-TOCK”. The clock is “Out of Beat” and requires a small adjustment to achieve a regular “tick-tick-tick-tick” sound. This involves adjusting the way that the pendulum swings in order to allow an equal angle of movement when it swings to the left and to the right. This in turn allows an equal depth of meshing to occur between the teeth of the escapement mechanism and the escapement wheel. This adjustment requires patience and practice and you may find it necessary to seek the services of a clockmaker.

We would be happy to advise on the repair of any old watch. It may be possible to overhaul a watch which involves repairing, cleaning, oiling and testing. Unfortunately many old watches are beyond economical repair so it’s best to bring it in and we can give you a quote which is free and carries no obligation.

Mercury barometers are quite fragile and it is often the case that over the years some of the mercury may have been spilt. It is possible to totally overhaul your barometer which includes cleaning and replacing the mercury as well as the glass tube if necessary. It’s best to bring the barometer in to the shop where we will be happy to provide a quotation.

The barometer should never be laid on its side. It is best to gently tilt the barometer until it is at about 20° to the vertical. The mercury will then have filled the vacuum at the top of the tube making the tube less vulnerable to breakage by the mercury column itself during transit. If in any doubt, please telephone us and we will be happy to give specific advice.

Gold and mercury form an amalgam with one another. This has caused the discolouration and untreated it will cause damage. You should put the ring into a polythene bag and bring it to us where our specialists can remove the mercury.