Chains – Signs that mean your jewellery may need repairing
Chains A chain can become snagged on clothing or be pulled by a toddler and break. A break like this can be repaired for a few pounds and the chain is as strong as a new chain. A careful repair on a chain should be invisible, but it sometimes impossible to make an...
Earrings – Signs that mean your jewellery may need repairing
Earrings Earrings can lose their backs or ‘butterflies’. When a butterfly becomes loose on the stem of an earring it can be tightened by simply squeezing the two halves together with a pair of pliers, something we are happy to do at Nicholas Wylde for no charge. We...
Cleaning
We offer a quick and professional cleaning service for all types of jewellery and can advise on the care of gemstones and metals. Our polishing motor can buff pieces to an ‘as new’ shine and our Ultrasonic machine uses a combination of heat and vibration to remove...
Strung Necklaces – Signs that mean your jewellery may need repairing
Strung Necklaces The string onto which pearls and beads are strung can stretch with wear and gaps can appear between the beads. We recommend that all necklaces are re-strung every three years and annually with heavy wear. When a necklace or its’ clasp breaks, the...
Advice on Caring for Gemstones and Metals
How to care for your jewellery It is advisable to remove jewellery before doing anything which may damage it, such as DIY or gardening. One of the main causes of damage to rings is vigorous clapping when you have rings on both hands, especially if the rings have...
Choosing an engagement ring
When you are choosing an engagement ring for yourself the most important consideration is that you should absolutely love it, as you will see it on your hand for many years to come. Whilst any ring, if worn on the third finger of the left hand, can act as an...
Superfit rings video
Superfit is a unique hinged ring mechanism which opens and closes without having to be pushed over the knuckle – ensuring that beautiful rings can be worn for a lifetime, instead of being hidden away in a jewellery box when they become too loose or tight to wear....
Choosing your Ring Size
Choosing the correct ring size is very important. If your ring does not fit properly it is like wearing the wrong size shoes, uncomfortable and increases the chance of you losing your ring. At Nicholas Wylde we train all our staff to recommend the best fit for the...
Choosing a wedding ring
People buying their wedding rings tend to fall into two categories; those who breeze into a shop two days before the wedding, quickly choose something ‘off the peg’ that fits their finger, buy it and leave and those who start trying rings on a year before the wedding....
Coloured Diamonds
Diamonds are very popular in their well known white form, but they can also be pink, blue, yellow, green or, rarely, red. Coloured diamonds can be very valuable. By 1991, fancy coloured diamonds held 19 of the top 20 per carat price records at auction, beating white...
The Four 'C's' – Carat
Carats and points are the measurements of weight used when weighing gemstones. A carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams. A quarter of a carat could be called 0.25 ct or 25 pts, there being 100 points to every carat. A one carat diamond is approximately 6.5 mm in...
The Four 'C's' – Clarity
When a diamond crystal is found, it will be examined for flaws which could be removed by shaping. Once the stone is cut, clarity can be assessed by an expert using a 10 x magnification lens. Some diamonds are classed as flawless, and this is the ideal grade. As we...
The Four 'C's' – Colour
Unlike other gems, diamonds are prized for their absence of colour. The colour of a diamond is graded by comparison with a master set of diamonds, according to an alphabetical scale which has ‘D’ as the most desirable, i.e. clear, colour and ‘Z’ as the least...
The Four 'C's' – Cut
Diamonds can be cut into an infinite variety of shapes. The shiny surface of a diamond plays only a small part in the glittering effect of a diamond. Most of the light falling onto a diamond passes into it. A well cut diamond means that this light is not lost through...
Totally Diamonds & the 5th C
A diamond is judged by four distinct factors that determine its value. These are called the 4 C's, the first letter of cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. We think there is a a fifth C and that is Confidence in your jeweller. As an established and reliable jeweller...
Choosing a gift for a loved one
Choosing a gift for a loved one Although much of the jewellery we sell to customers is for themselves, we regularly help to choose a surprise gift for a loved one. If you have decided to buy a gift of jewellery for somebody else, it is best to choose a simple, classic...
Bangles – Signs that mean your jewellery may need repairing
Bangles To avoid losing a hinged bangle, the clasp should be checked regularly for sign of wear and tear. Every time the bangle is closed stress is applied to the metal of the clasp mechanism and the ‘springiness’ of the metal can be affected by heavy use. Often all...