Service

1.About our Jewels
All our items of jewellery offered on Youwell.nl are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity containing detailed product specifications. Youwell.nl provides a warranty for production errors for a period of one year. This warranty does not include damage caused by wrong use (for example rough work, gardening or occasions where there can be violence involved, as in some sport activities) and damage caused by normal use, for example bumping against an object or wall. This can result in scratches and/or other damages. A surface treatment can eventually remove any present........

Ring sizes
Should you wish to measure your ring size, click here for a PDF file with all the ring sizes.

Gemstones
The value of a diamond is expressed by the 4 C's. Carat, clarity, colour and the cut.

How is the weight expressed? (Carat weight)
The weight of all gemstones is expressed in carat weight (1 carat = 0.2 grams). A carat is divided into 100 points and is always expressed with 2 decimal places, for example 0,24 carat or 24 points. The weight is measured by a diamond scale.

How is clarity indicated? (Clarity)
A diamond can show both internal and external characteristics. The internal characteristics arises from rests of carbon which are not totally crystallized. Or for example internal cracks. These imperfections occur in a variety of shapes and also in different intensities. These characteristics determine the clarity of the stone which is divided into different categories: Internally Flawless (IF, or Loupe clean, LC), VVS, VS, SI, Piqué. This is inspected by the trained eye of a diamond expert or in a laboratory under a microscope.


How is colour defined? (Colour)
Colour is always subjective. The whiter the colour, the higher the price. The colour is determined in comparison to a set of the so called "master stones". This inspection is mostly visually done. Nowadays however, even electronic inspections exist. The colours are indicated with the letters of the alphabet. D is momentarily the whitest or the highest colour that exists. This is followed by E, F, G etc. to M. From here on the colours are called ‘tinted colour’ and are more yellowish in tint. ‘Fancy colours’ are yellow, red, blue, green, pink and cognac for example. Natural fancy colours can also be considerably expensive.

The Cut
The cut is the fourth characteristic that determines part of the value of a diamond. No matter which diamond shape you chose, there are angles and proportions to which the diamond cutter must conform during the cutting and polishing process in order to ensure that the diamond is well cut. A well cut diamond is clear, bright and beautiful and will scintillate and shine as it should. In the picture below you can see some common shapes. [left to right: brilliant | oval | marquise | pear | heart | princess | emerald]


What is gold?
Gold is a soft, clear, yellow, natural metal that has been formed millions of years ago under great pressure and heat in the deeper layers of the earth’s crust. Although gold was first found in the river beds of Asia and Africa, gold these days is commonly found by underground mining. This is an intense and difficult process. Approximately 3 tons of ore from a depth of 3000 meters has to be dug out in order to find 100 grams of gold. Gold is rare, also since the 6th century after Christ it has served as a payment method. Only after WW One, when there was almost no gold stocks left, did gold lose its means as a payment method. Pure gold is a soft metal en therefore not very useful for jewellery.

To harden the gold it is mixed with additional metals such as silver and copper; in this way the so called gold alloys are made. In Europe the amount of pure gold that is present in a jewel is expressed in thousands. Pure gold, better known as 24 karat, has a value of 1000 out of thousand; 18 karat gold that is 0.75 parts pure gold, has a value of 750 out of thousand. The additional metals are mostly silver and copper. With these different additional metals the gold gets her different colours. Red gold is made by adding copper and white gold by adding nickel or palladium to the alloy.

Every golden object that is sold in The Netherlands, must be stamped with a valid and current hallmark. In The Netherlands we have 4 valid and current hallmarks that are accepted by the law concerning the inspection of gold and silver: •14 karat (585/000)
•18 karat (750/000)
•20 karat (833/000)
•22 karat (916/000)

The jewels of Youwell.nl are inspected in The Netherlands in the Essay Office in Gouda.

How to care for your jewellery
Jewels must be maintained well to ensure that you can wear them for a long time and with much pleasure. Substances such as dust, pollution and daily wear can influence the brightness of a gemstone and make the surface of a metal, like gold and silver, less shiny. Stone settings and clasps that are worn out can lead to loss of a gemstone or a complete jewel. Simple basic care can mean the conservation of your jewels for many years.

If you wear your jewels regularly, we advise you to get them checked by a professional every year. Having a qualified goldsmith inspect your jewellery regularly will result in the early detection of any ‘wear and tear’ that may require attention. He/she will determine the best method to clean the gems, restring pearls or to carry out any other necessary repairs or maintenance.

You can keep your jewels looking even cleaner by using a non abrasive jewel cleaner. To clean diamonds, use a mix of warm water with a little detergent and ammonia. Let your jewels soak in this mix. With a gentle, old toothbrush brush the jewels carefully clean. Some people use ultrasonic cleaning machines to clean jewels . Be careful if you use this machine as it cannot be used on all types of gems.

If you wear your pearl strings regularly, you must get them restrung once per year. A pearl on a ring or hanger is fixed with a special adhesive. Check that the pearl is well fixed on a regular basis. Detergent, shampoo and other soaps can loosen this adhesive in the long run, so take your jewels off when using these products. To clean pearls softly polish with a gentle, slightly wet cloth. Hairspray and perfume can be damaging for pearls, therefore the best is to use these products before you put on your pearls.

Check your jewels regularly to ensure that the settings are well fixed and the clasps close well. Some settings become vulnerable if they are bumped against a hard surface, or get caught onto clothing. This could result in the loss of a gem. Avoid contact of gold with domestic bleaching products as this can influence the colour and composition of the gold. Silver can become black very fast if it comes into contact with salt air, chlorine in swimming pools and products which contain sulphur, such as rubber gloves and certain types of paper. To remove the tarnish, rub your jewellery piece thoroughly with a silver polishing cloth.

Proper storage is as important as cleaning. Protect your jewellery by storing it safely in the jewellery box we provide at purchase. Take care that the jewels do not lie against each other as this can cause damage. Certain gems are vulnerable, so care must be taken at all times. Avoid contact against hard and scratchy surfaces. Even diamonds can brake or crack if hard hit or hit in a wrong way.

Store your gems separately as they can damage themselves and other metal if placed together with other jewellery. Extreme temperature changes, perfumes, cosmetics, hairspray and household chemicals can damage your jewels and gems. Many gems are treated to highlight its colour. Many of these treatments have been accepted in the jewellery world. There are also methods to increase the carat weight of stones. This has not been accepted and we are in no way associated with this type of treatment.