Jewel school

A note from your teacher.

When Moria and I decided to focus our business on custom and remakes, it made a lot of sense: Focus on a jewelry market that appeals to people’s desire to make jewelry truly personal and meaningful. The meaning is what hooked us on jewelry from an early age. As children, our grandmother let us try on her jewelry when we visited her home. She would tell us the stories attached to the special pieces. Whether it was a gift from our grandfather or most frequently a gift to herself, we understood that jewelry can tell your story. That’s why we love to help you tell your story. For most jewelry stores, it just doesn’t make sense for them to put time in resources into a piece that might not ever be made again. For us, it’s our focus and what we love to do. While we always are here to answer any questions & usually set up consults for any custom projects, sometimes it helps to know a little more about the essentials before we begin. Here’s a little guide.

Thanks for reading,

Megan

TOPICS

DIAMONDS

SHAPES
CARAT
CLARITY
CUT
COLOR

While the most popular diamond shape at M. Flynn and beyond is the round brilliant because of the stone’s classic sparkle and brilliance, we are seeing the popularity of emerald, pear and even Asscher on the rise! Below are the most popular M. Flynn shapes.

ROUND BRILLIANT

OVAL

EMERALD

ASSHER

PEAR

RADIANT

CUSHION

Colored Gemstones

We only buy colored stones from suppliers who are AGTA members. AGTA members are screened and must adhere to the organization. We’ve been seeing a lot of fun color lately. Mostly we work with sapphires (they come in all colors and we can source some unique colors domestically from Montana) but emeralds & tourmalines have been rising in popularity at M. Flynn. Keep in mind, some gems are better suited for daily wear. While diamonds are usually pretty straightforward because it’s one gemstone with one standard grading system, the colored gemstone market offers us so many choices, price ranges and cut options it can be fun but sometimes overwhelming to buyers. The AGTA adheres to strict standards of ethics. Stones are always fair trade and all stone enhancements must be acceptable by AGTA and disclosed to the buyer.

Kimberly Process

As I have mentioned, when searching for your diamond, we will typically bring in a small selection of stones to see in person or many people choose to meet with us remotely. It’s important for us to see a diamond, as the stone will always carry characteristics not seen on a report. Every diamond has it’s own personality and it’s important to witness this. Sometimes the right diamond will jump out at you and that’s what literally what happened in a recent meeting with a client. In order to make a custom piece, we will need know the stone(s) we are working with and the measurements to start the ring . Once a center stone is selected, we ask for deposit and start working on your design.

We only purchase diamonds from suppliers who participate in the Kimberly Process, an International body that monitors the diamond trade and controls the import and export of rough diamonds to ensure the stones are not financing violence. We often recommend and shop for estate, vintage or older stones for customers who like the idea of repurposing stones and metals.

Much of the metal we use is recycled.

Metals

14K VS 18K

M. Flynn makes jewelry in 14k rose, white and yellow gold. We also make jewelry in 18K yellow, white and rose gold which is the standard in Europe. 14K and 18K refers to the amount gold in the metal mix. 18K has 75% pure gold while 14K has a little more than 58 % gold. We always tell people that 18K is better for people with metal allergies but it will have a richer gold look than 14K.

YELLOW, WHITE, ROSE GOLD

We love working with all types of gold. Keep in mind that the metal color you choose will influence the color of the stones you’re setting in it. Rose gets its color with copper alloys and white gold uses a variety of white metals to make it a white gold. White gold will always have a bit of a yellow hue so it will also be plated with Rhodium, a relative of platinum, to make it appear very white like platinum. This plating will need to be maintained through the lifetime of the jewelry piece.

PLATINUM

Platinum is a heavier metal than gold & also very white. If you’re buying a “colorless” diamond, it sometimes makes sense to enhance that white color by setting the stone in platinum.

STERLING SILVER

We will repair silver but do not work with sterling in our custom work.

ALLERGIES

Metal allergies are so specific to each individual and they can change over time. We suggest if you are sensitive to set in platinum or you may want to rhodium plate the inside of your 14K gold ring to prevent a reaction. This may have to be maintained through the life of the piece.

anatomy

RINGS

NECKLACE

EARRING

EARRING

Tips & Tricks

RING SIZING

When measuring for a ring, keep in mind that while all fingers are shaped differently, a ring should feel tight going as it passes over the knuckle so that it does not easily slide off BUT it should also be snug enough on the base of the finger to not spin. It is normal for fingers to fluctuate in size and for rings to fit better on one day than the next. Rings don’t always fit like a glove.

CLEANING JEWELRY AT HOME

M. Flynn sells a natural jewelry cleaner and we also suggest simply cleaning diamonds and sapphires with soap and hot water in a coffee mug with a toothbrush (not over a sink). Let your jewelry soak in a mug of hot water. Add a teaspoon of dish detergent and wait 15 minutes for anything attached to loosen. Rinse ring and scrub with toothbrush.

LAYERING NECKLACES

String together, using different chain types to prevent tangling
Necklace storage in plastic bags is always the best for everything

We suggest that you keep all valuables in a safe in your home…especially all you city dwellers! Have the safe drilled into your floor.

Care

FINE JEWELRY

Jewelry is an investment that will always need to be maintained. Clean all jewelry with proper tools and solutions. Many porous stones like coral, emerald turquoise and pearls can be damaged in traditional jewelry cleaning solutions, soap or in an ultrasonic. A mild soap with water is fine for most fine jewelry like diamonds, sapphire, gold and platinum. If you have a question about the right cleaning process for your fine jewelry, please contact M. Flynn.

Regularly check all your jewelry for wear and tear. This especially includes the prongs holding your gemstones and the clasps on all your chains and bracelets. M. Flynn is happy to check your frequently worn pieces.

Refrain from wearing jewelry during heavy tasks. Even diamonds can chip in the right situation.
Do not store pearls in plastic but we recommend storing metal, diamonds and other gemstone jewelry in plastic to protect from oxygen and dust. Plastic bags can also prevent chains from tangling if you leave the clasp outside the bag and close.

FASHION JEWELRY

Fashion jewelry consists of non-precious metal plated and this metal may darken or tarnish with normal wear. If you have any questions about cleaning your jewelry, ask us.

Gently wipe the metal surface with a microfiber cloth to clean. Excessive polishing will rub the plating off your piece.
Store costume jewelry in plastic baggies to protect from oxygen. Jewelry should be completely dry. Pearls cannot be stored in plastic.

Avoid water when wearing costume jewelry. Water will cause spotting on the metal and can cause rust.

Avoid any traditional jewelry cleaning products that will remove the plating from your piece. These products are usually intended for fine jewelry and diamonds.

Hairspray, perfume or household cleaning product will draw dust to your piece and could wipe away the plating. For valuable collectable pieces, it may be worth re-plating your pieces over time. Ask us.