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Gold & metal choices — 14K vs. 18K vs. platinum, honestly explained
Quick answer: Your metal choice comes down to color, durability and upkeep. 14K gold (58.5% pure) is harder, more scratch-resistant and more affordable — the everyday workhorse. 18K gold (75% pure) is richer and warmer — the fine-jewelry standard, slightly softer. Platinum (~95% pure) is the densest, most durable and naturally white metal — no plating, ever — and the most expensive. White gold gives platinum's look for less but needs occasional rhodium re-plating. And whatever you choose at DelaFuente, it's solid gold or platinum — never plated over another... Read more...
Why we don't sell pearls
Quick answer: DelaFuente doesn't sell pearls because cultured pearl farming depends on live oysters and mussels — animals that are surgically implanted, and in most cases killed at harvest. We honestly don't know whether they feel anything. No one fully does. And that's precisely the point: when we can't know, we'd rather opt out than bet against it. Every material we work with — lab-grown diamonds, mined and lab-grown colored stones, recycled gold — is mineral, not animal. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. How are cultured pearls... Read more...
Citrine, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — the honest sunshine stone
Quick answer: Citrine is the yellow-to-orange variety of quartz, and the finest stones are a saturated yellow to reddish orange free of brownish tints. Here's the honest fact most sellers soften: most citrine on the market is amethyst that has been heated until its purple turns golden — a stable, accepted treatment, but one worth knowing when "natural citrine" appears on a label. At Mohs 7 it wears easily every day, large clean stones stay affordable, and it shares November's birthstone honors with topaz. Written by Danna de la Fuente,... Read more...
Alexandrite, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — emerald by day, ruby by night
Quick answer: Alexandrite is the colour-change variety of the mineral chrysoberyl and the standard against which every other colour-change gem is judged: fine stones are green to bluish green in daylight and red to purplish red under incandescent light — "emerald by day, ruby by night." The change is caused by chromium. Natural fine alexandrite is so scarce it has nearly vanished from the market except as an expensive collector's gem — which is why lab-grown alexandrite, the same mineral with the same colour change, is the realistic way to... Read more...
Spinel, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — history's hidden ruby
Quick answer: Spinel is the gem that spent centuries being mistaken for ruby — several of history's most famous "rubies," including the Black Prince's Ruby in the British Imperial State Crown, are actually spinels. It comes in saturated reds, hot pinks, oranges and a coveted cobalt blue; it's rarely treated, rates a ring-ready Mohs 8, and fine natural spinel remains undervalued next to corundum of comparable beauty — the connoisseur's open secret. It's an August birthstone. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a spinel? Spinel is... Read more...
Tourmaline, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — every colour, one family
Quick answer: Tourmaline is a family of minerals sharing one crystal structure and offering the widest colour range in gems — rich reds (rubellite), blues (indicolite), greens, bicolors like watermelon, and the electric neon of Paraíba, the copper-colored star of the family and one of the most coveted gems on earth. At Mohs 7–7.5 with no troublesome cleavage, tourmaline wears well in everyday jewelry. It shares October's birthstone honors with opal. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a tourmaline? Tourmalines are a group of minerals with... Read more...
Peridot, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — the gem that's always green
Quick answer: Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral olivine, and it's one of the few gems that comes in exactly one colour: green — because iron, the element that colors it, is part of its basic chemistry rather than a chance impurity. The finest stones are a pure, saturated grass green. At Mohs 6.5–7 it suits everyday jewelry with slightly gentler habits (it dislikes rapid temperature swings and harsh chemicals), it's essentially never treated, and some peridot literally fell from space. It's the August birthstone. Written by Danna... Read more...
Topaz, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — imperial, blue and the truth between
Quick answer: Topaz is its own mineral species — not related to quartz despite centuries of confusion — and it lives a double life. At the top: imperial topaz, a rare orange-pink from Brazil that ranks among the most beautiful warm-toned gems. At the everyday end: blue topaz, which is natural colorless topaz turned blue by irradiation and heat — pretty, stable, and inexpensive because treatment makes it plentiful. Topaz is hard (Mohs 8) but has a cleavage plane that demands respectful setting and wear. Golden topaz is a November... Read more...
Amethyst, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — the queen of quartz
Quick answer: Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and one of the most popular colored gemstones on earth. The finest stones are a strongly saturated, medium-dark to dark reddish purple or pure purple with no visible colour zoning. At Mohs 7 it wears well in everyday jewelry, it's essentially never treated to look better than it is (though heating amethyst is how most citrine is made), and its price stays friendly even at fine quality — royal colour without royal cost. It's the February birthstone. Written by Danna de... Read more...
Garnet, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — far more than red
Quick answer: Garnet isn't one gem — it's a family of minerals sharing the same crystal structure, spanning nearly every colour: the classic deep reds, but also tsavorite's pure green, spessartine's vivid orange and rhodolite's raspberry. Two things make garnets special among colored stones: they are rarely treated — what you see is what the earth made — and they rate a wearable 6.5–7.5 on the Mohs scale. Garnet is the January birthstone. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a garnet? Garnets are a group of... Read more...
Tanzanite, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, rarity and how to buy
Quick answer: Tanzanite is the blue-violet variety of the mineral zoisite, found commercially in exactly one place on earth: the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. The finest stones are a strongly saturated pure blue to violetish blue, and nearly all tanzanite is heat-treated to bring that colour out — a stable, universally accepted practice. At Mohs 6–7 it's a "with care" stone: gorgeous in earrings, pendants and occasional-wear rings, but not built for daily knocks. It's a December birthstone. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is tanzanite? Tanzanite... Read more...
Opal, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — play-of-color, types and how to buy
Quick answer: Precious opal is the gem famous for play-of-color — shifting flashes of spectral colour created when light diffracts through the stone's orderly internal structure of microscopic silica spheres. Black opal is the rarest and most valuable type; red flashes are the most prized. Opal is genuinely delicate (Mohs 5–6.5), which makes it wonderful in earrings and pendants and a "with care" choice for rings. It's the October birthstone. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is an opal, and what causes play-of-color? Opal is hardened silica... Read more...
Morganite, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, durability and how to buy
Quick answer: Morganite is the pink-to-peach variety of the mineral beryl — the same family as emerald and aquamarine — colored by traces of manganese. It rates 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, usually grows eye-clean, and its soft blush against rose gold has made it the most popular non-diamond engagement stone of the past decade. Nearly all morganite is heated (or irradiated and then heated) to clear away orange tints and settle the pink — a stable, accepted treatment. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a... Read more...
Aquamarine, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, durability and how to buy
Quick answer: Aquamarine is the blue variety of the mineral beryl — the same family as emerald — with the finest stones showing a moderately strong, medium-dark blue to slightly greenish blue. It's the March birthstone, rates 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, and unlike its cousin emerald it's typically clean, tough enough for everyday rings, and low-maintenance. Virtually all aquamarine is heat-treated to remove a yellowish tint and reveal a purer blue — a stable, accepted practice. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is an aquamarine? Aquamarine... Read more...
Emerald, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, oiling and how to buy
Quick answer: Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl, colored by chromium (with vanadium and iron), and the trade considers it the finest green among all colored stones. The most valued colour is bluish green to green with strong-to- vivid saturation and medium to medium-dark tone. Unlike diamonds and sapphires, eye-visible inclusions are normal and accepted in emeralds — and nearly all emeralds on the market are treated with oil or resin to soften them. Emeralds are harder than they get credit for (Mohs 7.5–8) but brittle, so... Read more...
Ruby, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, treatments and how to buy
Quick answer: Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum — the same mineral as sapphire — colored by the trace element chromium. Fine ruby, especially untreated, can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. The most valued colour is red to slightly purplish red, in medium to medium-dark tone with vivid saturation. At Mohs 9 and exceptionally tough, ruby is ideal for everyday jewelry. Nearly all rubies on the market are heat-treated — a stable, accepted, disclosed practice — while untreated stones of fine colour are... Read more...
Sapphire, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — colour, durability and how to buy
Quick answer: Sapphire is the gem variety of the mineral corundum in any colour except red (red corundum is ruby). The most valued sapphires are velvety blue to violetish blue, in medium to medium-dark tone with strong-to-vivid saturation. At Mohs 9 and exceptionally tough, sapphire is one of the best colored stones for an engagement ring or everyday wear. Most blue sapphires are heat-treated to improve colour — a stable, accepted practice — while fine untreated stones are rare and command a premium. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained... Read more...
Made to order, made to last — the ring, the fit, the ownership
Quick answer: Every DelaFuente ring is made to order in our studio, typically in about 3–4 weeks, in 14K gold, 18K gold or platinum. Your first resize is free, and every piece carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Below: how a ring is built, how to find your size (even secretly), and how to protect it for life. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What are the parts of a ring? Knowing the parts makes every other choice easier: Band / shank — the loop of metal... Read more...
How to buy an engagement ring online — a GIA-trained jeweler’s guide
Quick answer: Choose the ring in five steps — shape, setting, metal, the stone (4Cs), then size. There's no "correct" amount to spend; the "three months' salary" rule was a marketing slogan, not advice. Buying online is safer than a display case when you can verify everything: an independent certificate, a 360° video of the actual stone, a lifetime warranty, and a free first resize. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. How do I choose the right engagement ring and diamond? It's simpler than it looks. Work through... Read more...
Colored diamonds, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — yellow, pink, blue and beyond
Quick answer: A colored (or "fancy color") diamond is a real diamond whose colour is a feature, not a flaw. Unlike white diamonds — graded D–Z, where less colour is rarer — fancy color diamonds are graded on the opposite logic: the more vivid the colour, the rarer and more valuable. Natural fancy colors are extraordinarily rare, so lab-grown fancy color diamonds are what make a pink, yellow or blue diamond attainable. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a fancy color diamond? A fancy color diamond... Read more...
The 4Cs, explained by a GIA-trained jeweler — how to judge a diamond
Quick answer: Every diamond is graded on four qualities — Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. Cut matters most for sparkle and is the one never to compromise. Colour is graded D (colorless) to Z; most people look white and save money at G–H. Clarity runs FL to I; aim for "eye-clean" at VS2 or SI1. Carat is weight, not size. Buy well by knowing where to spend and where to ease off — and by reading the grading report. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is Cut,... Read more...
Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Real? A GIA-trained jeweler’s guide
Quick answer: Yes. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond — pure crystallized carbon with the same crystal structure as one formed in the earth. It has essentially the same physical, chemical and optical properties as a mined diamond; the only difference is where it grew. It is graded against the same 4Cs standards by independent laboratories, and it scores a perfect 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Written by Danna de la Fuente, GIA-trained jeweler. What is a lab-grown diamond? A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond: pure crystallized... Read more...