Padis Jewelry
Our showrooms display an incredible array of certified loose diamonds as well as jewelry from the world’s most desirable designers and watchmakers.
At Padis Jewelry our job is to make jewelry shopping an enjoyable experience. By owning one of the largest inventories of certified loose diamonds in California, we can help you buy a diamond you love at a price you can afford. Furthermore, it is easy as all you need to do is set up a diamond consultation with one of our expert GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Graduate Gemologists.
Before you even start the process of buying an engagement ring or another piece of diamond jewelry, you should educate yourself on how a diamond is graded. Also while you initially may want to buy the largest size diamond you can afford, it may be better to consider a higher quality, smaller stone. A larger diamond typically has more inclusions than smaller diamonds, and since it is larger, the inclusions will be more visible. In addition cut and proportions determine a diamond’s brilliance and must be done correctly to allow the maximum amount of light through the top of the diamond. The GIA uses a D-to-Z scale to measure the colorlessness of a diamond, comparing it to masterstones under controlled viewing conditions. Stones range from colorless to yellowish-brown with a grade of D to F as colorless, G to J as near colorless, K to M as faint, N to R as very light and S to Z as light. One tip to consider is that in some cases when you mount a non-colorless diamond in yellow gold, it can help a diamond appear to be colorless. A diamond’s clarity is graded on the number, size, relief, and positions of inclusions as seen by 10x magnification. Please contact the experienced jewelers at Padis Jewelry for more suggestions on how to shop smart when it comes to buying a diamond. Padis Jewelry, a family-owned business, has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry since 1974. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. For an opportunity to view one of San Francisco’s most impressive collections, please contact us to schedule at visit.
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Emeralds are alleged to offer wearers a quicker wit and a higher IQ and one of the most famous collections was owned by Cleopatra. The gemstone is a variety of the mineral beryl and the color of the stone is determined by trace amounts of chromium, vanadium, or iron. The emerald name is derived from the Greek word smaragdos and means green gem. Even though it has a hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale, the stone is classified as generally poor in terms of hardness due to its many inclusions.
The most desirable emeralds are highly transparent and in colors that range from a bluish green to pure green with vivid color saturation but not too dark. Since transparency and clarity is closely linked to the value of colored stones such as emeralds, the Gemological Institute of America explains that gemologists typically accept “eye-visible inclusions in higher-quality emeralds. But when the inclusions have a negative effect on transparency and clarity, they also dramatically reduce value.” Eye-clean emeralds are very rare and thus the most valuable. Originally mined in Egypt as early as 3500 BC, emeralds are now mined in Africa, South America, and Central Asia. Colombia’s La Pita and Muzo mining areas produce some of the world’s most valuable emeralds and the La Pita Mine is believed to be one of the largest emerald deposits in Colombia. Renowned for their dark color and three-phase inclusions, Colombian emeralds contain tiny crystals of rock salt, liquid, and a bubble of gas and account for 30 to 55 percent of the country’s annual production. Emeralds are often carved into a rectangular step cut also known as the emerald cut while smaller stones are carved into round, oval or marquise shapes. We invite you to take a look at Padis Jewelry’s impressive collection of exquisite loose sapphire, emerald and diamond stones. Since 1974, Padis Jewelry has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. If you are a lover of beautiful jewels, please visit our Napa Valley or San Francisco jewelry showrooms. Sources: gia.edu/emerald, lapitaemeralds.com/About_lapita_mine.html The shape of your diamond engagement ring may reflect your personal style, be it classic, modern or your own unique statement. From a round solitaire to princess, emerald, cushion, oval, pear shaped, to name a few, the shape of an engagement ring can say something about the woman wearing it.
A classic, timeless choice and the most popular shaped diamond is a round solitaire. It looks as beautiful today as it did on our grandmother’s hands and most likely will never go out of style. When buying a round brilliant cut stone, experts recommend selecting a higher grade diamond to bring out the most brilliance. Oval diamonds are a modified brilliant cut and offer much of the same brilliance and fire; while a brilliant-cut pear shaped diamond is a combination of a round and marquise shape with a tapered point on one end. Step cuts include emerald and Asscher shaped diamonds. These square or rectangular diamonds are made up of rectilinear facets that are arranged parallel to the girdle, which produces a mirror effect that plays with the light and dark planes of the cut. A cushion cut shaped diamond is a square cut with rounded corners much like a pillow and generally produces better fire but less brilliance than a round brilliant cut diamond. A princess shaped diamond is a close second in popularity to the round brilliant cut and almost matches its fire and brilliance. Created in 1980, the square or rectangular shaped stone is a mix of diamond cuts and is the most common type of fancy cut diamonds. The princess cut combines techniques used to create modified brilliant cuts and step cuts and has a profile similar to an inverted pyramid with four beveled sides. It can have anywhere between 53 and 144 facets. As a family-owned business, Padis Jewelry has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry since 1974. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. If you are a lover of beautiful jewels, schedule at visit to San Francisco and the Napa Valley’s best jewelry stores. Sources: everything-wedding-rings.com/princess-cut-engagement-rings.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_cut When you decide to invest in a piece of jewelry, you want to know you are buying from a reputable jeweler. At family-owned Padis Jewelry, we understand that concern and it is one of the reasons why we are proud to be a member of the American Gem Society (AGS).
So what is the AGS and why should you care if your jeweler is a member? According to their website, the American Gem Society is the country’s preeminent jewelry trade organization dedicated to consumer protection. Founded in 1934, it is a nonprofit organization that puts people before profit and is designed to help educate people to safely and easily buy jewelry. Along with consumer protection, they are committed to ethical business practices and to the development and maintenance of superior gemological skills and knowledge. The organization holds their members to the highest standards. They also help customers to find a jeweler that is a member of AGS. Becoming a member of AGS is not easy, and in fact, only 5% of jewelers in the United States are able to meet the exacting necessary requirements. A jeweler needs to obtain references from industry professionals as well as be approved by a panel of peers. In addition to the initial exam, members must submit to an annual re-certification exam. AGS members are also offered hands-on training. Furthermore, AGS Laboratories were founded as a way to support the AGS mission and is a nonprofit diamond grading laboratory whose primary purpose is to provide consumers protection. The laboratory adheres to the AGS Diamond Grading Standards and offers consumers diamond grading reports “that provide consistency and accuracy based on science.” Please see our website to learn more about Padis Jewelry’s high standards and our extensive collection of top luxury brands and the finest quality of loose diamonds. Padis Jewelry, a family-owned business, has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry since 1974. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. For the opportunity to view one of San Francisco’s most impressive collections, please contact us to schedule at visit. Source: americangemsociety.org/en/ The 45.52 carat Hope Diamond is widely considered to be one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The unique deep-indigo colored stone was discovered centuries ago and is probably from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. While in the later years, it earned a reputation for bringing bad luck to its owners, early-on it was considered to have great mystical powers because of its unusual size and color and was believed to have adorned a Hindu statue.
One of the first accounts of the 112 3/16-carat, crudely-cut stone is when a French trader by the name of Jean Baptiste Tavernier sold it to King Louis XIV of France in 1668. A few years later, the king had the somewhat triangular-shaped diamond recut by the court jeweler, Sieur Pitau, into a 67 1/8-carat stone. During the French Revolution, the diamond was stolen and its location unknown for several years until it resurfaced in 1812. It was then purchased by England’s King George IV. When he died deeply in debt in 1830, it is believed the diamond was privately sold. In 1839, it was referenced in a gem collection catalogue after the death of a well-known collector, Henry Philip Hope, and for whom the stone is named. After that the diamond changed hands several times until it was purchased by the famous jeweler, Harry Winston in 1949. In 1958, the company donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. where it became an immediate star attraction. The curse stems from a story that claims Jean-Baptiste Tavernier stole the 112.16 carat blue diamond from the eye of a Hindu statue. According to the legend, once the priest discovered the loss, they put a curse on whoever possesses the gem. Padis Jewelry, a family-owned business, has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry since 1974. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. For an opportunity to view one of San Francisco’s most impressive collections, please contact us to schedule at visit. Source: si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/hope.htm Some diamonds have achieved worldwide fame for their exquisite beauty and size of the stone as well as for the people who have owned them. One of the most famous examples is the 3106 carat Cullinan, which is the largest rough, gem-quality diamond ever found. It weighed approximately 1⅓ pounds and was slightly less than 4 inches long, over 2 inches wide and more than 2.5 inches high.
The Cullinan was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa in 1905 at the Premier Mine and named for the owner of the mine, Thomas Cullinan. Initially it was believed that it may be part of a larger diamond because of the flat surface on one side, although another piece has never been found. The huge, uncut diamond was sold to the Transvaal government for $1 million, who then gave it to England’s King Edward VII in thanks for granting Transvaal their independence. The king sent the stone to the Asscher’s Diamond Company in Amsterdam where it was cut into 9 major gemstones, 96 smaller stones and approximately 19.5cts of unpolished pieces. The largest diamond cut from the Cullinan was the pear-shaped, 530.2 carat Cullinan I (also known as the Great Star of Africa). The 74 faceted stone is the largest fine-quality, colorless diamond in the world and is set into the British Royal Scepter. The 317.4 carat cushion cut Cullinan II (Lesser Star of Africa) is the second largest stone cut from the Cullinan and is mounted on the band of the Imperial State Crown. The pear-shaped 94.40 carat Cullinan III is the third largest stone cut from the Cullinan and was used as the finial of Queen Mary's Crown. The cushion shaped, 63.60-carat Cullinan IV was set into the band of the crown. Both stones can be worn together as a pendent-brooch and are seen worn that way in paintings of Queen Mary as well as on Elizabeth II. The Cullinan diamonds are part of the renowned British Crown Jewels and are on display in the Tower of London. Since 1974, Padis Jewelry has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. If you are a lover of beautiful jewels, please schedule at visit to San Francisco’s finest jewelry showrooms. Sources: capetowndiamondmuseum.org/about-diamonds/famous-diamonds/ famousdiamonds.tripod.com/cullinandiamonds.html Diamonds have been coveted for their exquisite beauty and value for centuries. As indicated in an article by the GIA that quotes the 1st century AD naturalist, Pliny, who wrote, ““Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things in this world.”
The stone’s name is derived from the Greek word adamao, which is why it was used in ancient times to describe the hardest substance known to man. Translated, adamao means “unconquerable,” which may one of the reasons why diamonds are associated with eternal love and commitment. Diamonds were first discovered in riverbeds and creeks in India as early as the 4th century BC, and because they were so rare, were originally only owned by the wealthiest Indians. Once they were more actively mined, diamonds were traded through the Silk Road, which were early trade routes connecting India to China. Diamonds were valued for several reasons including their beauty and used as adornments, as cutting tools to engrave metals, and also as talismans to ward off evil. By medieval times, diamonds were a popular gemstone for elite Europeans. By the 1700’s, Brazil was a large producer of diamonds, while India’s supplies were mostly gone. However, the diamond industry’s most significant and unexpected discovery occurred between 1866 and 1867 and forever changed the way the world thinks about diamonds. Erasmus Stephanus Jacobs found a 21.25 carat diamond on the banks of the Orange River near Hopetown, South Africa. Initially what he thought was a transparent rock lead to the area mining more diamonds over the next few years than India had over 2,000 years. According to the Cape Town Diamond Museum, “as the world diamond production increased more than tenfold in the following 10 years, a once extremely rare material became accessible to Western society with its growing wealth.” South Africa is still the major producer of diamonds. As a family-owned business, Padis Jewelry has been a trusted source for buying exquisite certified loose diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry since 1974. We are one of the only jewelers in the area that offers such an exclusive selection of top names in the industry as well as such a large inventory. If you are a lover of beautiful jewels, schedule at visit to San Francisco’s best jewelry store. Sources: gia.edu/diamond-history-lore capetowndiamondmuseum.org/about-diamonds/south-african-diamond-history/ |
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