Crews Jewelry: The Design Experts
Q. Why is my white gold ring turning yellow?
A. Pure gold in its raw 24K state comes out of the ground yellow. Whitening alloys such as nickel are added to give white gold its signature color. For example, in an 18K ring, 18 parts are gold and 6 parts are alloys. Over time, the rhodium plating on the white gold will wear and take on a slightly yellow tinge. Periodic coatings of rhodium, a white metal from the platinum family, will revive the original bright white of your white gold jewelry. Rings typically will need to be redone every one to three years depending on a person’s body chemistry and how much the piece is worn. Crews Jewelry can replace the rhodium on your ring in-store; we usually like to have the piece two to three days in order to make sure all the stones are tight, and the ring is clean and polished for the rhodium to adhere properly.
Q. I would like to custom design a piece. Where do I start?
A. Find your style first; browse through pictures of pieces that you like and save the pictures. Second, do you have any jewelry pieces that you are not wearing, or that are inherited, that the stones can be used from? Most jewelers will allow you to trade in your old pieces of gold or platinum jewelry toward credit for the custom piece being made. Be sure to take your pictures of what you like and any jewelry pieces that you intend on using or trading in with you to the store. At Crews, we then work with you to create a design of your liking using your stones. We will then have a cad-cam (computer aided design-computer aided manufacturing) and 3D picture produced of the piece for you to view. Once the cad-cam is approved, we will have a wax pattern of the piece made for you to view. This allows you to see the actual size of the piece being made and for us to make sure your stones will fit properly. Once this is approved, the ring will be cast in a precious metal of your choice, either 10K, 14K, 18K gold or platinum. The piece is then given to our master jeweler to have all the stones set. The last step is to deliver this stunning piece to a very happy customer! ■
Written by Carolyn Pope and Stacey Stauch.
Crews Jewelry is a family owned and operated store in Grandview, Missouri, that has proudly served the community and the jewelry industry for over 45 years. Generations of customers have made Crews Jewelry their store of choice for all their quality jewelry purchases and repairs. This holds true because of our experience in the jewelry industry, our ethics and the relationships we have built and maintained with our customers. We offer personally selected diamonds, colored gems, fine jewelry and can create uniquely crafted custom jewelry. A master bench jeweler on site provides jewelry repair, we also offer watch repair and insurance appraisals. 13003 13th Street, Grandview, Missouri, 816-763-9666 and crewsjewelry.com.
