The word "diamond" comes from the Greek word "adamas" which means unconquerable, symbolic of the eternity of love. Diamond was discovered in ancient India around 500 B.C. and ever since, diamonds have been the traditional symbol of love. Various cultures believed they were pieces of stars, hardened dew drops, or frozen lightning. These beliefs supported myths of diamonds ability to counter the effects of astrological events, and bring luck and success. Monarchs wore diamonds as charms, and symbols of power, believing in their ability to heighten sexual prowess and attract others. Plato even described diamonds as living beings and celestial spirits. Diamonds are the hardest substance, a crystallized carbon with unique powers of light refraction. Diamond is the purest of all gemstones, being pure crystallized carbon. The diamond’s rarity and natural beauty make the diamond a special and magical gift. Diamond is usually a colorless stone. Some other occasional colors are, blue, yellow, amber, red, green, pink. 

Platinum is a pure metal which is hypoallergenic and highly durable. Platinum will not wear away over time like gold and keeps its distinctive color. Rarer and heavier than all precious metals it is considered to be more valuable than gold. Platinum is often used to set the most valuable gems. In the 40's, the U.S. government declared platinum a strategic metal and restricted its use in non-military applications, including jewelry. To appease consumers, white gold was substituted in platinum's absence.

Platinum holds gemstones most securely, because its strength and neutral color enhances the brilliance and depth of diamonds and precious stones. In America, platinum jewelry contains either 90% or 95% pure platinum. By comparison, 18K gold is 75% pure and 14 karat is 57% pure gold. Only platinum will never tarnish or lose its rich white luster. You feel the difference between platinum and other precious metals, because of its density and weight.

Platinum jewelry should be cleaned using a good prepackaged jewelry cleaner or have it professionally cleaned by Jeffrey Jewelry. Signs of wear will inevitably appear in even platinum, but it's durability and strength prevents metal loss. Platinum can be polished if it does develop visible scratches to brink back its beautiful original shine!  

Gold was among the first metals to be mined and worked because it commonly occurs in its elemental form in deposits. It is beautiful and imperishable, and exquisite objects can be made from it. Craftsmen of civilizations around the world used gold lavishly in decorating tombs and temples, and royalty. Gold objects made more than 5,000 years ago have been found in Egypt. 

Pure gold (fine gold) is softer than silver but harder than tin. Its beauty and luster are unmatched. The extreme malleability, ductility, and softness of pure gold make it practically useless for most jewelry applications. In karated gold, there is a balance of metals in the non-gold percentage. 
24 karat 100% Gold  /   18 karat is 75% pure Gold
14 karat is 58.3% pure Gold  /  10 karat is 41.7% Gold         

Gold colors and alloying elements:
- Pure gold (yellow ) is too soft for most jewelry use
- Yellow Gold can be alloyed with various metals for different shades and purities.
- White gold was originally developed to imitate platinum, and is usually an alloy containing 25% nickel and zinc.
Rose/Pink Gold has additions of Copper for reddening