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A snake chain diamante necklace, Nina Ricci. Features a flat gold tone snake chain with diamante feature in centre. Gold tone. Necklace length 16.93 in. Box. Nina Ricci was a loved icon of Parisian Society and its fashion. In 1932, she created her couture house in her name which grew phenomenally throughout the 1930's. Nina Ricci's partnership with D'Orlan Jewellers created a stir in the jewellery world with the development of their high standard plating process, which included a 22 carat tripe-plated finish over a pewter base metal that ensured a consistency of colour. Today, the fashion house still continues to create couture garments, and the perfume, jewellery and accessories continue to be highly respected successes.

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  • Carat - A carat (abbreviated "ct") is a unit of measurement used to describe the weight of a diamond or other gemstone, and separately is a unit of measurement used to describe the weight of precious metals such as gold,.

    For gemstones, one carat is equal to 0.2 grams or 200 milligrams. The weight of a diamond is one of the Four Cs (along with cut, colour, and clarity) that are used to determine a diamond's value.

    It is important to note that a diamond's weight does not necessarily correspond to its size. A diamond's cut, which affects how well it reflects light, can make a diamond of a lower weight appear larger than a diamond of a higher weight. Additionally, the carat is not the only factor to determine the value of a diamond, other factors such as clarity, colour and cut are important too.

    In the gold industry, the purity of gold is measured in carats (abbreviated "ct"), with 24 karats being pure gold and lower carat numbers indicating a lower purity level. So, for example, 18 carat gold is 18/24 or 75% pure gold, and 12 carat gold is 12/24 or 50% pure gold.
  • Diamante / Rhinestone - A diamante and a rhinestone are both imitation diamonds made from glass, rock crystal or acrylic. Originally rhinestones were rock crystals mined from the Rhine river Rhine in the 18th century, but the term is now associated with any imitation diamonds. Diamantes and a rhinestones are used in costume jewellery, in clothing and accessories, and were especially popular in the 1930s,
  • Paste / Rhinestone / Diamante - Paste (or rhinestone or diamante) is the name given to a coloured glass composition used for imitation gemstones, or to imitation gemstones made of glass.

    Although the technique of glassmaking had been known for thousands of years, but it wasn't until a lead glass with similar optical properties to diamonds were invented by a German jeweller working in Paris (either "Stras" or 'Strasser") in the early 18th century that "paste" gemstones became popular.

    There was no social stigma attached to wearing imitation stones, and they were worn in situations where highway robbery was a possibility. The 18th century settings were of very high quality, equivilent to real gemstone jewellery.

    In the nineteeth century the quality of paste jewellery declined and it has remained the poor cousin to genuine gemstones ever since.

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A snake chain diamante necklace, Nina Ricci. Features a flat…