FAQ
WHAT IS THE AFFINER'S JEWELRY MADE OF?
All of our jewelry is made with recycled 14K or 18K solid gold and lab-grown gemstones.
WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF YOUR STONES?
We offer a wide range of different diamond quality, all depending on your budget and choice of cut and carat. Please see each product page for specific details. Just send us an e-mail at info@affinerfinejewelry.com if you wish for another quality.
WHAT IS YOUR RETURN POLICY?
We offer a 30 day free return on all our products in the webshop – including free shipping (within Sweden). Find our Return Policy here.
Just send us a mail at info@affinerfinejewelry.com, and you will get your shipping label.
CAN I MAKE MY OWN CUSTOM MADE DESIGN?
Of course! Just send us an e-mail at info@affinerfinejewelry.com or DM us on Instagram @affiner_finejewelry. Read more about the process here.
WHAT IS A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND?
A lab-grown diamond is a diamond. It is also known as cultivated, created or man-made. In this day and age, you can mine diamonds and you can grow diamonds. Both are just as brilliant, just as hard and just as everlasting because both are just diamonds. Real Diamonds.
Our diamonds are grown in selected laboratories that recreate the same conditions that form diamonds underground. Physically, they are exactly like mined diamonds and are graded similarly.
WHAT IS A MOISSANITE?
Moissanite is a rare, naturally occurring mineral also known as Silicon Carbide (SiC). Since it is so rare, moissanite used in fine jewelry is sustainably grown in a lab.
IS LAB-GROWN GEMSTONES FAKE?
No! They are real gemstones, just as mined ones are. The idea of it as “fake” has been made up by the diamond industry (mined). The chemical structure of a lab-grown gemstone is identical to the one mined from the earth.
ARE LAB-GROWN DIAMOND AND MOISSANITE THE SAME?
No, even though both are composed of carbon, they are distinctively different minerals with different crystal structures and optical properties. The confusion between the two gemstones comes from the fact that in regular lightning, most people can´t distinguish them from one another. Moissanite is not a diamond simulant and should never be classified as such since it is a gemstone of its own - just as emeralds, sapphires and other precious gemstones are.
DOES MOISSANITE LOOK LIKE A DIAMOND?
Diamond and moissanite are so similar in appearance that most people can not tell them apart in regular lightning.
DOES MOISSANITE SPARKLE AS MUCH AS A DIAMOND?
No - It actually sparkles more!
Most people love diamonds because of its brilliance and sparkle – diamond has a high Brilliance Refractive Index (RFI) at 2.42. Moissanite actually has a higher BRI than diamonds (2.65) - and even higher levels of brilliance and fire than diamonds.
IS MOISSANITE AS DURABLE AS A DIAMOND?
Let´s differentiate toughness from hardness (two commonly misunderstood labels when it comes to gemstones.) Hardness is characterized as a gemstones' resistance to scratching. Toughness is a gemstones' resistance to chipping or breakage. Rated at 9.5 on the Moh's hardness scale, moissanite is the second hardest gemstone used in fine jewelry. Diamonds, rated at 10 on the Moh's scale, is the only gemstone harder. Moissanite is, however, tougher than a diamond – actually the toughest gemstone on the planet. This is due to the fact that diamonds have many naturally-occurring fracture points throughout the gem.
WHY ARE LAB-GROWN GEMSTONES SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL?
Lab-grown diamonds are a more sustainable and completely conflict-free option for natural ones and can be easily traced back to their origin. They are an ethical choice for the modern and conscious consumer.
Since they are cultivated in a laboratory and not mined from the earth, the ethical and environmental issues related to these gemstones are almost non-existent. There are good working conditions and minimum environmental impact.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 14K, 18K AND 24K GOLD?
Because pure gold (24 karat) is much too soft to wear as jewelry, other metals are added to it to enhance its durability. It’s about striking the perfect balance between the warmth and purity of gold and adding just enough alloy to ensure the jewelry’s longevity, or to give it a particular hue (like white or rose gold).
8 karat gold is made up of 75% gold and 25% alloy. This type of gold is referred to as 18 karats because 18 out of the 24 parts that make up the gold are pure gold. 18k gold is usually the purest form of gold used for rings, watches and other wearable jewelry. 14 karat gold is made up of 58.3% gold and 41.7% alloy, or 14 out of 24 parts gold.