Sandberg – Hand-made to Shine.

Sandberg diamond jewellery is designed and handcrafted in Finland in small batches, respecting traditional craftsmanship. In this way, the individual contribution and imprint of our master goldsmiths is best appreciated. All of our jewellery is available in both yellow and white gold.

The quality of our jewellery originates from a strong focus on all areas of the production process, starting from the selection of raw materials. The diamonds we use have been obtained from reliable suppliers and they come with a certificate that guarantees their conflict-free and legal origin. In white gold, as in all other metal alloys, we only use the purest alloy grades.

We listen carefully to our customers’ wishes, which also create a strong basis for the design of our models. This is the way we have been operating ever since the company was founded in 1960.

Sandberg is a Finnish family business whose products meet the strictest quality criteria. We personally vouch for our quality in all circumstances.

Uuri and Päivi Sandberg

Sparkling quality.

The value and beauty of a diamond is based on four factors: carat weight, clarity, colour and cut.

Often too little attention is payed to the cut: the price difference between two identical stones with cuts of different standard can be as much as 50%. Therefore with Sandberg-diamonds we pay special attention to the quality of cut and the different areas of it: proportions, symmetry and finish. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) grades all these areas from excellent to poor.

Assessing the proportions of the diamond we measure the height of the crown, depth of the pavilion , thickness of the girdle and width of the table in proportion to the diameter of the stone. We then compare these ratios to specified ideal proportions on a specific cut for maximum brilliance.

Symmetry means for example the position of the table and the culet – are they precisely in the middle of the stone. Positions and shapes of other facets also affect the quality of symmetry.

The quality of the finish is evaluated by examining the amount of surface flaws and blemishes left from the cutting, i.e. streaks, unpolished surfaces etc.

Only a careful and impeccable cutting with all areas appropriately carried out will bring out the maximum beauty and shine of a diamond.

Reliable and legal origin guaranteed

All the diamonds used in our jewels have been obtained from reliable and legal sources. They come with a guarantee that certifies that they originate from conflict-free and legal sources and that the supplier is committed to regulations that adhere to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Kimberley Process.

We also follow the principal of social responsibility when purchasing diamonds. Our diamond suppliers are members of the Responsible Jewellery Council or a diamond bourse that belongs to the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, and are thus committed to operating responsibly in acquiring raw diamonds as well as during all stages of the manufacturing process.

Absolute certainty.

All round (brilliant cut) Sandberg diamonds from 0,30 carat upwards come with GIA’s grading report which assesses fully the quality of the gemstone you have purchased.

You will also know that the report you receive relates to the gemstone you purchased as all Sandberg diamonds of this size have a laser inscription on the girdle which matches the number on the grading report. To view the inscription at least a ten time magnification is required.

You can be certain that the Sandberg diamond you have purchased is authentic and that its value is based on an accurate evaluation. You are also able to view your diamond’s grading report on GIA’s internet pages at www.gia.edu/report-check-landing.

A grading report is available also for smaller diamonds than this for an additional fee.

You can learn more about GIA’s grading system here:

www.gia.edu.

”GIA is a nonprofit gem research institute dedicated to provide corporate & company gem education in the field of gemology & jewelry arts.”

Always genuine

When you see Sandberg diamond jewellery at the jeweller, you will always see it with genuine diamonds. Thus, you can see with your own eyes the brilliance and quality of the diamonds, feel the weight of the precious metal and ensure that the piece of jewellery you buy looks and feels the same as the one you saw in the store.

When buying diamond jewellery, it is worth checking with the salesperson whether the piece of jewellery shown has genuine or fake diamonds. It is becoming increasingly common to show imitation model pieces instead of genuine diamond jewellery in stores. In such cases the buyer is unable to see how the diamonds in the jewel he is about to buy/order really look like.

Imitation diamond jewellery or model pieces usually have cubic zirconias instead of diamonds. Cubic zirconia is a synthetic material and by far the most common imitation diamond. Cubic zirconias imitate completely clear and grade D i.e. totally colourless diamonds on the GIA scale, and compared to a genuine diamond they often have a stronger dispersion aka fire. Completely clear and colourless diamonds are extremely rare and expensive, thus cubic zirconias in imitation jewellery give a misleading and untrue picture of the diamonds’ quality and appearance when it comes to colour and clarity. Also, the stronger fire of the cubic zirconias may make them look more sparkling and “bling” than the more discreet, elegant substance and brilliance of a genuine diamond.

Diamonds make up a significant portion of the value of a diamond jewel – depending on their size, quantity and quality they can make up as much as over 95 % of the price. The grading and quality of the diamonds impact their value as well as their beauty. Thus, it is essential to view the diamonds and their beauty with your own eyes when purchasing diamond jewellery.

It is always worth asking whether you are being shown the genuine product or an imitation. A Sandberg diamond jewel is always genuine.

Taking care of your diamond jewellery

For the weekly cleaning of rings and earrings a good instrument is an old (soft) toothbrush and regular washing-up liquid. Make a mild solution of warm water and washing-up liquid in an small bowl and let the jewellery soak in the bowl for a little while. Then brush the items carefully with the toothbrush. Remember the insides, curves and cavities of the ornaments, settings of the stones and other areas that might gather dirt. Rinse under running water and dry with paper towel or soft cloth. Jewellers also sell cleaning solutions specifically designed for cleaning precious metals. Competent staff will be able to tell you more about these products.

In addition to the weekly cleaning it is advisable to take valuable diamond jewellery to a jewellers for ”maintenance” once a year or every two years. Especially in rings the stone may loosen over time. Normal wear erodes and scratches the gold and some persistent dirt may stay in the difficult places in spite of regular care. A skilled jeweller will check the settings of the stones and if needed will tighten them, clean the item with professional instruments and cleaning solutions. If requested he can also polish the scratches off the surface.

Pendants, necklaces, broaches and bracelets

These pieces of jewellery don’t normally get dirty as easily as rings and earrings even when worn daily, however they also should be cleaned regularly. We recommend you to clean your necklaces, bracelets and pendants monthly and broaches and other jewellery worn attached to clothing once in six months. Use the same cleaning method as was described for the weekly cleaning of rings and earrings.

Storing your jewellery

When not wearing your jewellery the best place to store them is the original box which came together with your jewellery, or a proper jewellery box where the items are safe from scratching and dirtying and where they can easily be found and taken into use. Jewellery is made to be worn, so our wish is that your jewellery spends as little time in the box as possible.

Gold and platinum

Yellow gold alloys

The yellow gold alloys used in Sandberg diamond jewellery have a so called Finnish colour, which is slightly more reddish than the European shade of yellow gold.

In addition to gold, these alloys include mainly silver and copper, as well as small amounts of alloying elements that improve casting and tooling properties: the 14K alloy contains zinc and the 18K alloy zinc and a so called grain refiner. In practice, zinc and the grain refiner burn up almost completely during the casting process.

Information on white gold and rhodium plating

All white gold jewellery is usually surface-treated with rhodium. Rhodium is a metal that belongs to the platinum group. The surface treatment is called rhodium plating and it is done in a similar way as silver plating or galvanizing. The thickness of the rhodium plated surface layer is measured in microns i.e. in millionths of a meter.

The surface colour of rhodium-plated white gold is pure white, unlike white gold itself. The natural colour of white gold is slightly darker and greyer, and in poorer grades yellowish or brownish. Since it is a surface treatment process, the plating will eventually wear off partly or completely at least when rings are concerned, and the natural colour of white gold will emerge.

Abrasion of rhodium plating and white gold

How quickly and to what extent the rhodium plating wears off depends largely on the shape of the ring shank and on the ring’s usage. Thus, it is not possible to give a simplified statement on the time it will take for the rhodium plating on a white gold ring to wear off.

The wider the ring’s even surfaces or surfaces elevated high from the finger are, and the more it is used in “hard chores”, i.e. at the gym, in gardening and cleaning tasks etc., the more the ring’s rhodium plating is subjected to wear and tear.

White gold does not get abrasion marks any more easily than yellow gold. The abrasion marks on a white gold item are just more visible, as they partially wear out the bright, light rhodium surface, which results in a colour difference between the undamaged and the damaged surface. Wear and tear on a yellow gold item only results in scratching, the surface colour of the ring does not alter.

A white gold ring can also be ordered without rhodium plating. In that case, the colour of the ring will not alter although in time it will get worn and scratched.

Taking care of white gold jewellery

A white gold ring will remain beautiful and intact year after year if you have your goldsmith re-rhodium plate it every now and then. The cost of re-rhodium plating is, depending on the model, usually about 50 – 90 euros. At the same time, the ring can be polished and the setting of the diamonds can be checked. It is advisable to have the setting of the diamonds checked on all diamond rings anyway at least every couple of years.

A white gold item requires thus slightly more care than a yellow gold item. One can look at it as having the white gold ring regularly serviced in the same way as one would e.g. a car. After the maintenance, the ring is as good as new, and also the setting of the diamond is secured.

It is also good to bear in mind that all jewellery – also those made of other materials than white gold – should be cleaned regularly and frequently. Depending on usage, even a weekly cleaning might be necessary, but normally once or twice a month is sufficient. You can find more information about cleaning jewellery in the section Jewellery care.

White gold alloys

There are many different white gold alloys on the market. Sandberg diamond jewellery contains only the finest palladium-white gold alloys, which are nickel-free and have the best possible properties (e.g. colour).

In Finland there are also white gold rings on the market that, once the rhodium surface has worn off, have a clearly yellowish colour. These rings have usually been made of white gold alloys that contain a minimum amount of palladium. There are also white gold products on the market that, in addition to the yellowish colour of the metal alloy, have the disadvantage that they might contain nickel within the limits allowed in the EU directive. When the rhodium surface on such a ring wears down, it is highly likely that a person allergic to nickel will react to even the smallest amount of nickel content in the white gold that emerges from underneath the surface. Thus with such products an allergic reaction does not occur when the ring is taken into use, but only when the rhodium surface of the ring is partly or completely worn down. In many cases however, allergic reactions are due to the lack of cleaning the ring, see Jewellery care.

Platinum

Sandberg diamond jewels also available in platinum

All Sandberg diamond jewels and engagement rings can be made to order in 950 grade platinum. The delivery time for platinum products is approximately 3 weeks.

Platinum retains its colour

Platinum is the most valued jewellery metal. Regarding certain qualities it is indeed a better alternative than white gold, especially if the ring is intended for long-term use.
Platinum’s own colour is very close to the pure white colour of rhodium plated white gold, having only a slightly darker or more “metallic” colour, which is why there is no need to rhodium plate platinum rings. Thus a platinum ring retains its colour although it would wear out in long-term use.
Even a platinum ring can get scratched, but the scratches are less noticeable since the wear and tear cause no change in the colour of the surface of the ring.
Platinum is also a very tough metal, thus platinum jewellery and especially delicate parts of jewellery are very durable.

Platinum weighs more than gold

Platinum is heavier than even gold (density 21,45), and since the platinum alloy used in jewellery is almost pure platinum (95 % of alloy weight), a platinum ring is clearly heavier and contains significantly more precious metal than a similar ring made of white gold. This, combined with the fact that platinum is more difficult to work with, accounts for the fact that a platinum ring is more expensive than a similar white gold ring, although at the moment (February 2016) the world market price of gold is higher than that of platinum.
Like gold alloys, also platinum alloy is supplied to us by K.A. Rasmussen Finland. The alloy consists of: platinum 95 % / copper 3 % / cobalt 2 %.

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