Hey Chicas, this is my first blog on this site and what better way to start blogging then to talk about "a girls best friend"...diamonds!! (and pearls--a little later). Now you may be thinking, "what makes this chic thinks she can tell us about diamonds?? (And pearls??)Well, I'm glad you asked. I am normally a professional with an 8 hour job.  One holiday season, I got the idea that I needed extra money around the holidays, no chump change, I wanted a LUCRATIVE extra job. I decided to apply at a highend jewelry store to fill my needs.  Now let me stop here and say I have no felonies, no criminal record and verifiable employment for some YEARS.  Why am I telling you this? Because highend jewlery stores do criminal and federal background checks.  If you think it's a problem with your background, don't embarrass yourself, they will find out.  Anywho I got hired and became their longest seasonal personnel to date. (10 years) <--thats why I can give you some info about diamonds, (and pearls). Here we go: The 4 C's of diamonds, color, cut, clarity, & carat.  The scale of color starts with D-to-Z. Color-grading system measures the degree of colorlessness by comparing a stone under controlled lighting.  Carat: Diamond carat weight is the measurement of how much a diamond weighs. A metric "carat" is defined as 200 milligrams. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 'points  For instance, the jeweler may refer to a diamond that weighs 0.25 carats as a 'twenty-five pointer'. Diamond weights greater than one carat are expressed in carats and decimals. A 1.08 carat stone would be described as 'one point oh eight carats'. <--Get it?? Oh and "pave" just adds more "bling for obvious reasons but trust, SOLITARY stones are way more valuable than "chips" of diamond material. Clarity catagories from most valuable to least are as follows: Flawless (FL), Internally Flawless (IF), Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS₁ and VVS₂), Very Slightly Included (VS₁ and VS_{2), Slightly Included SI2 and S2) and finally  Included I1, I2, and I3).  Now, to the fake stuff.  There is a material that is called moissanite that will set off a diamond detector as if it is an actual diamond.  IT IS NOT DIAMONDS!! You need a moissanite detector to detect the fake material.   I'll get into "pearl grading" in a later post but a simple test to see if they are real is, to rub them across you teeth!! Pearls are made of sand and a calcium like material.  If it is real it will feel like a sand nail file on your teeth.  May make a chill run down your back.  Well that's all for now, now go check ya "bobbles" ladies! ~Ciao~}