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Recycled gold and ethical jewellery are two of the most used and least explained terms on a jewellery website, so let me cut through it: recycled gold is gold refined from old jewellery and scrap back to pure metal, and once refined it is chemically identical to newly mined gold. At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we remount heirlooms and work with recycled metal, so these labels are not abstractions to us. Here is what each one actually means, and which parts are marketing. What recycled gold really is Gold does not wear out. A wedding band from 1955, dental...

For IGI vs GIA on lab-grown diamonds, the short version is this: both are real, independent grading labs, but as of late 2025 they report lab-grown stones very differently, and that difference is exactly what trips up shoppers. At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we only sell certified stones, and the certificate question comes up at the counter almost every day now that lab-grown is so common. Here is what each lab does and how to read what you get. A diamond certificate (the trade calls it a report, not a certificate, but everyone says certificate) is an independent lab's...

A signet ring is a flat-faced ring meant to be engraved, and this signet ring guide covers the three things people actually ask about: what to put on the face, which finger to wear it on, and whether it still reads as a men's piece in 2026 (it does not have to). At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we do our engraving in house and make signets to order, so we have cut a lot of initials and a few family crests onto these. Here is how to choose one. A short history (it starts with wax) The signet is...

A tennis necklace, also called a riviera necklace, is a single row of diamonds set all the way around the neck, and in 2026 it has become the statement piece people reach for over a big pendant. At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we have built and repaired plenty of these, and the questions are always the same: graduated or uniform stones, how many carats, what length, and natural or lab-grown. Here is how to think about each one. The word riviera comes from the French for shoreline, and that is the right image: an unbroken line of light following...

If you want a tennis bracelet buying guide that tells you what actually moves the price, start here: the cost of a tennis bracelet comes down to total carat weight, the quality of each stone, the setting, and the metal. At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we build these to a budget all the time, and the same line bracelet can run from a few hundred dollars to well over twenty thousand depending on those four levers. Knowing which lever to pull is the whole game. A tennis bracelet, sometimes called a line bracelet, is a flexible row of identical...

A curated ear is a planned arrangement of several ear piercings, built up over time so the studs and hoops work together rather than looking random. The "curated" part means you map the placements first, then add piercings as each one heals, instead of getting them all at once. At Vanhess Jewellery in Coquitlam, BC, we have an in-house piercer, and the most useful thing we do is talk people out of doing everything in one sitting. A good ear stack is paced. Here is how to plan one. Know the common placements Before you plan, it helps to know...