Blogue

Same material, different origin The single most important fact about lab-grown vs natural diamonds for piercing jewellery and for fine jewellery is that they are the same material. A lab-grown diamond is not a 'fake diamond' or a 'diamond imitation'. It is diamond. The carbon atoms are arranged identically, the optical properties are identical, the hardness is identical (Mohs 10), and the chemical structure is identical. The only difference is where the diamond formed: a natural diamond formed in the earth's mantle over billions of years; a lab-grown diamond formed in a controlled environment over weeks to months. Once you...

Five terms that mean different things The gemstone industry uses terminology that confuses buyers, sometimes by accident and sometimes by design. 'Synthetic', 'lab-grown', 'created', 'simulant', and 'imitation' are five different terms with five different meanings but they're sometimes used interchangeably by inattentive sellers, and the distinctions matter for piercing jewellery shopping. This guide clarifies each term, explains what category of material each refers to, and gives you the vocabulary to read product listings accurately. Once you know what each word actually means, premium gemstone shopping becomes much more transparent.   The five categories Natural A gemstone that formed in the...

The 4Cs were not designed for piercing jewellery The 4Cs grading system — Cut, Colour, Clarity, Carat is the universal language of diamond and coloured gemstone quality. It works extremely well for the stones it was designed to grade: typically 0.5 carat (5mm) and larger, set in engagement rings, pendants, and statement jewellery. The system loses some of its precision when applied to the very small stones used in piercing jewellery, where individual stones are typically 0.02–0.10 carats (1–3mm). This guide adapts the 4Cs to piercing scale. It covers which of the four C's still matter at 1-3mm, which compress...

The setting is half the piece When people shop for gemstone piercing jewellery, attention typically focuses on the stone: what type, what size, what colour. The setting the metal structure that holds the stone in place often gets less consideration. This is backwards. The setting determines whether the stone stays in the piece, how visible the stone appears, how the piece feels against skin, and how the piece ages over years of wear. Different settings have radically different properties, and choosing the right setting for a specific piercing position matters as much as choosing the right stone. This guide covers...