Odd earrings: what to do with the one that is left
A single earring is not a lost pair. What it can actually become, what a free estimate from a photograph tells you, and the 1 November cut off for a remade piece by Christmas.
Stone settings: what actually holds the stone in
Claws, rub-over, grain and channel: what each setting does to a stone, how to tell when one is working loose, and what can be done with the stones in a piece you never wear.
Mixing metals: how to wear gold and silver together
Why gold comes in different colours, what rose gold sometimes really is, and the simple ratio that makes gold and silver work together.
Hallmarks: what the marks inside your jewellery mean
A UK hallmark is a legal requirement over 7.78g in silver and 1g in gold. What 925, 375 and 999 mean, why a stamp is not a hallmark, and what the marks tell you about a piece you have inherited.
How jewellery is cast, and why no two pieces match
Lost wax casting, step by step, and the two routes into the mould that decide whether a piece is one of one or part of a run. Plus why the texture is decided after the metal, and what happens when the gold going in is your own.
Lockets: what actually goes inside, and why the catch fails
What really fits inside a locket, why the catch and the hinge are the parts that fail, how to count the pendant drop, and what to do with an inherited locket that will not shut.