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This Christmas Look for reliable jeweller CATALOGUE Novembers Pages Personalize gifts helpful jewellers can be worth their weight n gold to con buying and other valuable gems this Christmas It easy to be confused by the terms used to describe stones and so it important to llnd a jeweller you can trust says Diane Mlddleton of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial I A good jeweller can also help explain how gems ore evaluated and how gold and silver products are graded You should try to gain a basic understanding of these things before you buy Ask friends to recommend a reliable retailer who has provided good service and check reputations with a local Better Business Bureau Look for a merchant who has ex ten and experience in the field You should also be sure the jeweller is willing to spend some lime wen your If plan to buy a diamond ask the jeweller to show you a few ex and explain how they are evaluated According to the Canadian Jewellers Associat on ICJA each damond is unique The value of a diamond is deter mined by four factors known as the clarity color cut and carat weight says John CJA general manager refers to the number size position color and type of natural marks or Hows colled inclusions prcrcnt in most diamonds The Gemologlcal Institute of America grading system is com used in Ontario to evaluate diamonds On the scale clarity is graded as follows in order of decreasing clarity flawless Inter flawless IF very very small inclusions very small inclusions small Inclusions SI and Imperfect Inclu The system grades color on an alphabetic scale from totally colorless to Z light yellow or brown The best color for most diamonds is no color says Mr Theo The cut of diamonds can be for consumers to compare as there is no exact grading system far that characteristic The cut of a mond refers to its proportions and overall symmetry not its shape Carats and nts are the units of we for d One equals lOOpo nts or m ip the most obvious factor in determining the viluc of a diamond two diamonds of equal size may have viry unequal values depending on the r clarity color and cut The detailed grading used for diamonds t exist for all gems but there are standards which most jewelry can be judged Find out what those standards arc before you buy Jewellers can set vastly different prices for their merchandise so it important to da a lot of comparison shopping Ms says One store may advertise rings at a j0 per cent discount while a up the road sells similar items at a lower regular price If you done your homework and understand at least a bit about what you re looking at you be bet equipped to make an intelligent Mil For those people on your Christmas list who seem to have everything why not bundle up some of your homemade jams and jellies in a wicker basket and dress them up in fabric hats To make the hats cut a circle of cotton print fabric the diameter of the jar lid plus at least eight cen three inches depending on the height of the lid For example cut a cm five in diameter circle for a five cm two in jar lid Finish the raw edge pressing three millimetres in elastic over this mark and machine zag over the elastic being careful to avoid catching the elastic in your stitching Draw up the elastic so that it fits the jar tie the ends and trim Pull the cover over the jar lid and tie up with ribbon purchase says Ms M But keep in mind that even best profess may differ the value of a particular gem the Also Available Mumsettias Azaleas Christmas Cactus Cyclamen Jerusalem Cherry Florists NORTHVIEW HE ST GEORGETOWN Share the Spirit of the Holiday Season for local and out of town giving