For centuries, jewellery has been part of human culture and history. As each era has shaped the manner in which jewellery is made, looks and what constitutes jewellery, time also has given rise to various stories and myths about jewellery.
Jewellery is not just a dressing accessory, it is a part of life. Every piece of jewellery ever purchased is not just an investment but it has as well as emotional and sentimental value. These two things are always linked with jewellery. But do you know that there are crazy myths which have been associated with time and again with jewellery? Some of these are going to blow your mind definitely!
Let's look at certain common jewellery myths and shed some light on the truth behind them.
Diamonds are unbreakable
This is the most frequently heard myth, by far. Yes, on Moh's scale of hardness diamond is classified as a 10, which is the highest possible score, but it does not mean that diamonds are unbreakable. A 10 simply means you can't scratch a diamond. It is true that due to its hard composition diamonds last a long time, but diamonds can break or crack from direct hits or temperatures. They should, therefore, be removed and safely stored when carrying out hard activities.
Bite gold to check if it's real
I do not suggest that anyone do so because it is an unsanitary and unreliable method. This myth was created in films depicting miners who bite in gold coins to check the authenticity. But the flaw that films could not understand is that other materials such as lead are simply soft as gold. Overall I say it is better to have the jeweller checking your gold than trying to bite it if you have any doubts or if the piece is not hallmarked.
Pearls are dissolvable
The truth of this myth is that pearls are highly sensitive and actually dissolve when placed in vinegar. However, it's a slow process and takes days to dissolve a pearl. This myth began when Cleopatra wanted to throw out the most expensive dinner party, where supposedly dissolving pearls in vinegar and drinking them. While it is possible to dissolve pearls
quickly by crushing them first, history seems to have exaggerated this fact a little bit.
Stone get more expensive with size
It would appear as if the larger the stones, they will weigh more and therefore will cost more, but that's not always the case. It depends also on the 4 'Cs: Clarity, Cut, Color, and Carat (weight). There are high possibilities that a diamond can be mediocre in colour and cut, but very large in size and still cheaper than a diamond with high-quality colour and cut but small in size. It is best to choose diamonds on their total characteristics instead of their size.
Gold comes only in three colours.
Rose gold and white gold are very popular now, but the truth is that pure gold consists of only yellow gold. Like myth #2 above, gold is very soft, to make it for stronger resistance usually combined with other metals like copper, iron, or silver. In order to increase its durability, even yellow gold is mixed with other metals. The combination of these metals is the result of their colours rose gold and white gold.
This is our list of Jewellery myths we have encountered quite frequently. Have you been surprised by the list? If so, share the one that blew your mind!