Month: August 2014

Beny Sofer is a long-time diamond trader with a great deal of experience. For thirty years, Sofer has been one of the leading names in loose diamonds. But who could be around such sparkling beauty all the time without wanting to create something with it?

Thus, Sofer Jewelry was born.

As you might imagine, jewelry designed with a vast inventory of precious stones to choose from has a delightful focus on the diamonds themselves. All the stones are hand-picked from Beny Sofer’s collection.

Although the diamonds are perennial, the Sofer Collection runs the gamut through precious metals — 14k, 18k, and platinum. It doesn’t restrict itself to rings and pendants, either. The sheer variety of styles in earrings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants is quite astonishing. Clearly Sofer is determined to try every possible setting and metal combination for diamonds, and let you choose your favorite.

The company tagline is Get Noticed, and if your viewer has any eye for quality, you certainly will. The hallmark of Sofer’s line, if anything with such variety and depth can be said to have a hallmark, are the simple, classic styles with innovative embellishments. They can be worn by women who prefer a classic look, or by the more fashion-forward, and the pieces will complement either style.

As might be expected from a diamond dealer, there is perhaps more variety in the cut and color of the stones featured in his collections. Nearly every design can be customized for a particular stone or metal.

Perhaps the most common style and setting is pave and micropave, but these are still anything but boring. Sofer’s craftsmanship and eye for detail manages to highlight subtle patterns in the pave, underscoring the tremendous quality of the pieces. Color, depth, and alignment are all subtly utilized to create these uniquely elegant pieces.

Over the years, Beny Sofer has collaborated with several of the jewelry design world’s leading lights, such as Roberto Demeglio, who specializes in pieces that twist, spin and bend in previously unthought-of ways. Sofer’s eye for quality and craftsmanship allows him to select the best designers as well as the best diamonds. No matter your pleasure, you’ll find something to adore in the Sofer Collection.

Have we piqued your interest in this wonderful collection? Come visit us in Reston center to view the rest of the pieces and try them on. Perhaps you’ll find one to fall in love with.

https://youtu.be/RVQ1Zz8LPMc

Jewelry has always been made with precious metals — in fact, part of what makes them precious is that we find them beautiful and want to use them as adornment. But have you ever really thought about what precious metals? Here’s a primer for you.

Yellow Gold

Gold seems to have been almost universally valued since ancient times. It’s practically unique among metals in that it does not tarnish, rust or discolor in any way. This was a marvel to ancient peoples, and probably contributed to the high status of the metal. After all, a metal that didn’t rust seemed somehow more perfect than anything else.

Gold is too soft to be used in most of the places where metal is used, like machinery or tools. In fact, when pure, it’s too soft for most jewelry applications, which is why it’s mixed down (or alloyed) with other metals. 14 karat gold, for instance, is 14 parts gold to 10 parts alloy. 18 karat gold is 18 parts gold to 6 parts alloy.

Many types of metal can be alloyed with gold. When copper is alloyed with it, it creates rose gold. Nickel, silver, manganese or palladium help make white gold. There are many other potential alloys out there, but those are the most common.

White Gold

As we mentioned above, white gold is created by mixing whitish metals in with the gold to “bleach” it. Silver is perhaps the most common alloy for white gold. As you’ve learned, 18 karat gold is 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy. But what happens if the alloys are not enough to make gold look white? In that case, a shiny, lustrous white metal like rhodium is used to plate over the gold.

Platinum

Platinum is a less well-known metal, in part because it was discovered only three hundred years ago, and in part because it is very rare. Platinum is thought to have been deposited by meteorite collisions, and so is most commonly found in areas that are known to have experienced impacts.

Not only is platinum comparatively rare, it is also in great demand in the technology world, where its inertness, its resistance to very high temperatures, and its corrosion resistance makes it highly prized. All that and it’s very pretty, too! However it does contribute to its expense.

Because platinum is so unreactive, it is very hypoallergenic, which makes it good for people with metal sensitivities. Platinum is 95% pure, and because it’s so hard, it doesn’t need to be mixed with lesser metals like gold does in order to make durable jewelry. Some people have switched from gold to platinum to avoid having to worry about nickel being mixed in.