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We’ve teamed up with Klarna to provide flexible payment options, allowing you to shop the way you want. With Klarna, you can split your payment into 3 instalments or choose to pay later, making your shopping experience smoother and more convenient. Your order total must be between £100 and £499 to qualify.
We’ve teamed up with Klarna to provide flexible payment options, allowing you to shop the way you want. With Klarna, you can split your payment into 3 instalments or choose to pay later, making your shopping experience smoother and more convenient. Your order total must be between £100 and £499 to qualify.
March 02, 2018 | by Admin
It is law within the UK that every item of precious metal sold such as Platinum, Gold, Silver is stamped labelling the item with the type of metal it is. Platinum pieces which weigh less than 0.5 grams, 18ct Gold and Palladium pieces weighing less than 1.0 gram and Silver pieces weighing less than 7.78 grams are except from hallmark.
At Diamonds Factory all our products are hallmarked as per UK hallmarking law from London Assay Office (The GoldSmith Company)
The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office is the oldest assay office in the United Kingdom. It has provided hallmarking services since The Goldsmiths' Company was founded in the 1300s. The company received its royal charter in 1327 and ranks 5th in order of precedence of the 12 Great Livery Companies of the City of London.
Hallmarking dates back to the 1300s when Edward I of England passed a law requiring any item made of silver, which was offered for sale, to be at least of equal quality as that of the coin of the realm (silver currency). The wardens of The Goldsmiths' Company were tasked with visiting workshops in the City of London to assay (test) silver articles. If these articles were found to be below standard they were originally destroyed and the metal forfeited to the King. If they passed, each article received the King's mark of authentication - the mark of a leopard's head. By 1478, there were several hundred workshops and merchants manufacturing silver articles in the City of London. It was not possible for the wardens to visit them all so the merchants were ordered to bring their items to Goldsmiths' Hall for testing and marking and a permanent Assay Office was established in the building. This is the origin of the term hallmark - struck with the King's mark at Goldsmiths' Hall.
In 1544 the Goldsmith's Company adopted the King's mark as their town mark and the mark of the leopard's head is now internationally recognised as the mark of this assay office.
The Goldsmiths's Company Assay Office is still based at Goldsmiths's Hall and remains the oldest company in Britain to be continually trading from the same site. However, it also has two satellite offices; at Greville Street in Hatton Garden in the heart of the London jewellery quarter and within a high security complex near London's Heathrow airport. It now has a new off-site facility within the Dalston-based jewellery manufacturer, Allied Gold. This is the first time in the Assay Office's 700 year history that it has opened permanent hallmarking services on a customer's premises.
In addition to hallmarking, the office has now expanded its range of services to support the jewellery trade and enforcement authorities. It offers a variety of specialist analytical services including nickel, lead & cadmium testing, antique silver dating, non-destructive compositional analysis, plating thickness measurement and a melt and assay service for scrap precious metal carried out in their fully independent on-site laboratory. Other services offered are a jewellery valuation service, laser marking, trading standards assistance, high quality photography and a comprehensive range of training and educational seminars, lectures and specialist events.
Originally worn to symbolise status and age, earrings go way back in history with its earliest recording being in 500 B.C. in ancient Persian reliefs. Nowadays, earrings are a staple in any jewellery box and are worn by both women and men. From delicate studs to stunning journey earrings, the options are endless!
Different types of earrings:
Studs – this button-like earring features a fixed bauble that stays on the ear without moving.
A diamond stud is the most classic one since it is perfect for any occasion. This style matches any outfit to perfection and adds the right amount to sparkle, making it the right choice for either your work outfit or for a cocktail party.
Drop – earrings that hang below the earlobe, which usually features a small round or pear shape.
This style of earrings is typically simple designs with a type of adornment, like a gemstone or diamonds that drops from the base of the earring. Even though drop earrings hang below the earlobe, they don’t have much movement.
Hoops – these are circular earrings that connect through the earlobe. They can be plain or have different adornments like diamonds and come in a variety of sizes from small and delicate to statement pieces.
Hoop earrings are very versatile and can be worn as an everyday piece when small or as a statement piece with a LBD when features diamonds.
Journey – similar to drop earrings, this style goes below the earlobe in a linear shape.
Diamond journey earrings usually feature a straight line of different sized diamonds that are placed in descending order according to their size. They are perfect to add some sparkle to a plain outfit and to wear with a simple up-do, like a ballerina bun or a side-swept French braid.
How to style them by season
Autumn
The temperature is starting to drop and your outfit colours are morphing into a more neutral colour palette. A good way to add some sparkle is to add a medium-sized diamond hoop and match it with a hat so all the attention goes to your face.
Winter
‘Tis the season of layers! A sweater, a jacket, a coat and a scarf are mandatory during winter so your accessories need to be both simple and dazzling.
Diamond studs are the perfect choice for this season since they won’t get caught on your scarf but they will bring some glow to your outfit.
Spring
Patterns and bright colours are starting to make an appearance and the lovely weather let us change the heavy coats for breezy shirts and thin cardigans. A good idea to match this style is with diamond drop earrings since they will bring a dazzling touch to your outfit but I won’t be an annoyance if you have to wear a scarf.
Summer
The season of outdoor plans and perfect summer nights calls for breezy clothes and up-does so, what better way to highlight your face than with a pair of diamond drop earrings? This style will be your statement piece and thanks to its linear shape, will lengthen the shape of your face.
A topknot bun or a ponytail hairstyle will make your earrings become the focal point of your look.
We have a vast selection of earrings, take a look at our collection and find the one that will make your outfits feel even more specials.