FAQ

The difference between a diamond and a brilliant-cut diamond lies in the cut of the stone. In both cases, the same material (namely a rough diamond) was processed, but it was cut differently.

The brilliant cut features a special cut with a circular table and has at least 32 facets on the top and 24 facets on the bottom, which positively affect the light reflection and thus the brilliance and radiance of the brilliant-cut diamond. This type of cut is very commonly used in the classic solitaire as well as in the type of stone often found in engagement rings, and was developed around 1910.

Any other cut is then called a diamond. If a rough diamond is cut into an oval, a princess cut, an emerald cut, or a step cut, it is never a brilliant-cut diamond, but always a diamond.

In vintage jewelry, and especially in antique jewelry, diamonds in the so-called old cut are often found. Basically, it is the predecessor of today's brilliant cut. The cut varies depending on exactly which period the diamond comes from. Simply put, the older the old-cut diamond, the more angular its shape and the fewer facets it has. The closer you get to the birth of the brilliant cut, the rounder and more faceted the old-cut diamond becomes.

Carat – Carat

Carats indicate the size or weight of a diamond. 1 carat corresponds to 0.2 grams.

Please check whether the stated carats refer to the total weight of the diamonds or brilliant-cut stones set in the piece of jewelry. This can be particularly confusing with stud earrings. For example, if you buy stud earrings with 1 carat of brilliant-cut stones, take a close look at the size of the stones. Normally, each earring will contain approx. 0.5 carats, making a total of 1 carat.

For our vintage jewelry, we also clearly state how many stones of what total carat weight are set in our pre-owned jewelry.

Clarity – Clarity

Clarity indicates whether a diamond has visible inclusions and, if so, how large they are. The assessment must be carried out under 10x magnification and, ideally, with the stone loose, and distinguishes between the following clarity grades:

·      Lupenrein / Flawless – FL or LR – no inclusions visible under 10x magnification

·      Internally Flawless - IF – practically no inclusions visible under 10x magnification

·      Very, very small inclusions - VVS – Very very small inclusions – minimal inclusions

·      Very small inclusions - VS – Very small inclusions – inclusions that are difficult to detect

·      Small inclusions – SI – Small inclusions – Easily detectable under 10x magnification
but not easily visible to the naked eye

·      Distinct inclusions – Piqué - P1 to P3 – P1 inclusions are easily detectable under 10x magnification, but difficult to see with the naked eye. P2 and P3 inclusions are also visible to the naked eye and reduce the stone's brilliance

Color – Color

The diamond color scale ranges from colorless (D) to Z (light yellow), with the final grade on the scale covering P to Z, resulting in 13 grades on the color scale.

Very rarely, diamonds are available in other colors such as orange, pink, or brown. These diamonds are known as "Fancy Colored" and are even more expensive than colorless diamonds.

In our vintage jewelry, you will often find colors on grade G, which corresponds to fine white or top white tone, or vintage jewelry in color category H, which corresponds to white or white tone.

Cut – Cut

Finally, the cut. The quality of the cut determines how well it reflects the light entering the stone and how much brilliance the stone thus radiates. The quality is mainly determined by the chosen proportions and symmetry.

This is the only component in the assessment of a diamond that is influenced by the manufacturer or craftsmanship. While carat, clarity, and color are natural characteristics of a diamond, the quality of the cut depends on its workmanship.

For our diamond and brilliant-cut jewelry, we provide an assessment of the stones set in the jewelry from a size of approx. 0.25 carats. For smaller stones, we normally do not provide a color and clarity assessment, as these cannot be reliably determined when set, where the light does not fall optimally.

The alloy indicates how much gold is used in a piece of jewelry. This is expressed in carats. In our shop, you will mainly find vintage jewelry in 8 carats, 14 carats, 18 carats, as well as selected vintage jewelry in 22-carat gold.

The carats indicate what percentage of fine gold is used in the vintage jewelry. Pure gold would be too soft for jewelry making, which is why other metals such as silver, copper, etc. are added. For 8 carats, the term 333 gold is also often used. This means that an 8-carat piece of jewelry contains 33.33% gold. In 14 carats or 585 gold, it is 58.5% fine gold, in 18 carats or 750 gold 75%, and in 22 carats or 916 gold, it is 91.6% fine gold.

916 gold and 22-carat gold stand for vintage jewelry with a high fine gold content of 91.6%. Read more about this under the question: "What does alloy mean?"

750 gold and 18-karat gold stand for vintage jewelry with a high fine gold content of 75%.

585 gold and 14-karat gold refer to vintage jewelry with a fine gold content of 58.5%. Read more about this under the question: "What does alloy mean?"

333 gold and 8 karat gold refer to vintage jewelry with a rather low fine gold content of 33.33%. Read more about this under the question: "What does alloy mean?"

Vintage jewelry may have been made from many different gold alloys. You can read more about this under the question: "What does alloy mean?". Pre-owned jewelry can therefore display different gold tones because it contains different amounts of pure gold. The other metals contained in your vintage jewelry alongside the pure gold also determine its color. For example, if more copper is added to the gold, it becomes redder, creating the popular rose gold. To make white gold, palladium is added, among other metals.

Real jewelry is made entirely of gold in the specified alloy.

Gold-plated jewelry is made of a different material at its core, such as silver or another metal. Then only a thin layer of gold is applied to the surface. In most cases, this layer of gold wears away over time. How long it lasts depends on how often the jewelry is worn, whether it is removed for sports and showering, for example, or whether it comes into contact with substances such as perfume and creams.

In our online shop for vintage jewelry, you will find exclusively pre-owned jewelry made of real gold or platinum. We do not sell gold-plated jewelry. The advantage of this is that even if the vintage jewelry is several years or decades old, it can be refurbished by our goldsmith and look like new again. The value retention of real jewelry is also, of course, much better.

The precious metals and stones in our jewelry are inspected according to the four-eyes principle by experienced experts, including a master goldsmith. Various tools are used in this process, including acid and density testing, as well as equipment for testing diamonds.

If you would like to learn more about what you as a buyer can consider when evaluating vintage jewelry, read our blog post here.

Of course, you have the right to cancel your purchase within fourteen days without giving any reason. Read more about this here.

You do not need to worry about the safety of your order. We always ship the goods to you with sufficient insurance.

PreJou is part of Freiburger Pfandleihanstalt GmbH. For decades, the company has successfully purchased gold and jewelry, for example from private individuals or through estate sales. Over the years, we have built up a wide range of vintage jewelry, with new pieces constantly being added.

Only rarely are the jewelry pieces former pawns. Unclaimed pawns are auctioned publicly in accordance with legal requirements and usually find a new owner at the auction.

We can resize almost any ring. Please feel free to contact us at info@prejou.de. The easiest way is to provide us with the item number and your desired ring size. We will get back to you promptly.