Frequently Asked Questions

It is a common mistake to buy something that you like rather than noticing what she likes. Jewellery is an extension of the wearer's personality, and therefore should reflect their personal style. There are few things you can do to make sure you get it right:

1. Notice what she likes to wear already. Does she have more yellow gold, or white? Does she like colourful things, or prefers to keep her jewellery simple?

2. Listen to her hints. Most women know exactly what they like and are not afraid to let you know. If she says she doesn't like pearls, that is a clear indication not to buy pearls for her.

3. Consider why you are purchasing the jewellery. Different pieces have different meanings.

4. If you are still in doubt, let her choose the piece herself.And don’t worry, if it all goes pear shaped, you can always bring the jewellery back in and exchange it for something else.

If you feel that you want to buy her a nice piece of jewellery, there is no set of rules that say you cannot, and many women would be too shy to ask for jewellery from their partner, especially if it is early days. Take the initiative, and let her know you would like to buy her something special, or surprise her and take her breath away. The choice is yours, either way the result is sure to be a very happy woman.

Jewellery comes in every price range, so it really is up to what feels right for you. If it is so expensive that it will cause a strain on your relationship, then it probably is not the correct purchase for the moment. That’s why working with a custom jeweller is amazing, we can work to your budget and create a really unique and beautiful piece that is sure to give her all the feels.

We can get most rings resized, so this is not a problem. 

When considering buying a diamond the 4 C’s are really important: Cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight. 

The diamond's cut is the most important diamond characteristic because when it is good, very good, or excellent, it is what makes your diamond sparkle and shows the diamond quality. You could buy a diamond with excellent clarity and colour, but it’s the cut of the diamond that allows it to be seen. This is what makes the cut of the diamond the most important diamond characteristic. 

The second most important of the 4 C’s is colour. The colour of the diamond is classified on a letter grading scale from D to Z, with D being the best and Z being the worst. A diamond with a colour grading scale of D, E, and F is excellent and considered a colourless diamond. There is no warmth to the diamond to the naked eye. G, H, I, J are classified as “near colourless.”

Next is clarity. All diamonds have flaws, but it is the number of flaws that a diamond has, along with the type of inclusion, and location that will determine its overall clarity. Types of inclusions include: crystals, pinpoints, needles, etc. Inclusions can either be white or black carbon. Diamonds are classified by a diamond clarity grade. The clarity grade ranges from flawless (FL) to included (I). 

Finally Carat is also called carat weight because it refers to how much a diamond weighs rather than how big the diamond is. A one-carat diamond weighs 0.2 grams. Because diamond carat refers to how much a diamond weighs and not the size of the diamond, the carat weight is the least important of the 4 C’s of diamonds. Two diamonds with the same diamond carat weight but different shapes can be significantly different in size.

All in all you need to consider what is most important to you, and go from there. Keeping the 4C’s in mind you can make the best choice for you and your budget.

Lab grown diamonds are as real as diamonds mined from the earth in every way except that they are grown in a lab and they offer exceptional value when compared with the same quality rare, earth mined diamonds. They have the same chemical, physical and optical properties as mined diamonds. They are also more ethical as they do not involve mining. 

Natural diamonds formed deep in the earth under extreme pressure and high temperatures as long as three billion years ago. Volcanic activity brought them to the surface where they lay in a type of volcanic rock formation known as kimberlite pipes. Lab grown diamonds made for gem-quality use were produced in a lab for the first time in 1971. They are made in two ways:HPHT diamonds (High pressure, high temperature) are grown in a lab. Graphite is placed in a large machine that crushes it under extreme pressure and temperatures that mimic the conditions that natural diamonds were grown in. CVD- Chemical vapour deposition method involves breaking down the molecules of a carbon rich gas, such as methane, into carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are then deposited layer by layer on diamond seeds (very small bits of natural diamond) to produce a square-shaped diamond.Over all when you are looking for value for money a lab grown diamond will provide just that. If you are looking for an investment, choosing a natural diamond would prove to be a better choice. Both come with their own certifications.

You cannot tell the difference with the naked eye, so no one will know just by looking if they are natural or grown, no matter what they try to tell you.

White gold is made of a mixture of pure cold and white metals, like nickel, silver and palladium, usually with a rhodium plating. White gold is alloyed with other metals to make them whiter and more durable, however it does need to be replated every few years.

Yellow gold is made of pure gold mixed with metals like copper and zinc. It is historically the most popular choice for wedding bands, and the easiest to maintain out of all three cold colours. It also happens to be the most hypoallergenic of the three golds. 

Rose gold is pure gold mixed with copper and silver alloys. The copper and silver help strengthen the god and give it its rose colour. The more copper used the deeper pink the gold appears. 

Absolutely, we specialise in custom designs and remodels. If you are interested in designing or customising your own piece you can book in a complimentary consultation and our knowledgeable team will take you through the process from start to finish. It is a really exciting and fun process, and one we are well known for.

We offer both ZipPay as well as a layby service for your convenience.

We sure do.

Yes. In most cases we can have your jewellery repaired.

We understand that these things happen. Bring your ring in, or give us a call, and we will find a way to get you wearing your ring as soon as possible.

There are certain limitations to resizing a ring if a significantly larger or smaller ring is required. This is to ensure the quality and integrity of the ring. All resize requests are therefore assessed on a case by case basis to ensure the best possible outcome.

Although we do not provide insurance ourselves, we do recommend QReport for all your jewellery insurance needs.

To be clear, the Moissanite is not a diamond imposter, it is in fact a very rare gemstone with it's own unique properties that make it different to a diamond in significant ways..

Moissanite share a lot of optical similarities to the diamond although they are chemically and compositionally different. In fact, Moissanite have a higher refractive index than diamonds do (more sparkle).

In addition to this is the hardness of the Moissanite stone.
(MOHS scale). On this scale diamonds are a 10 and a Moissanite is a 9.5-9.25. Followed by the Ruby (9), Sapphire (9), Emerald (7.5).
This ranking makes Moissanite the seconds hardest natural stone known to man.

Moissanite are incredibly strong and never change colour or lose their sparkle. They are also completely traceable, conflict-free and eco-friendly.

Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds.

Lab grown diamonds are composed of crystallised carbon just like natural diamonds so the two have the same appearance and the same physical, chemical and optical characteristics.

Lab-grown diamonds are created using extreme pressure and heat inside a machine rather than the bowels of the Earth. Lab grown diamonds are identical to earth mined diamonds in every way, except that they are grown in a lab. They have the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as mined diamonds however, they are free from all forms of conflict, they do not impose ecological harm and damage to our environment and they do not require any diamond mining.

No. You cannot tell the difference with the naked eye.

One of the only ways to differentiate between a lab grown diamond and a mined diamond is to examine the inscription on the girdle of the diamond. Under 30x magnification, a lab-grown diamond will reveal a unique laser inscription, which is one of the only ways to identify whether the diamond is indeed mined or lab grown. Physically and chemically they are identical.

What many people don’t know is that there is such a thing as natural Moissanite, only it’s so rare and hard to come by that it’s impossible to have natural Moissanite jewellery.

The jewellery on the market today is a testament to advances in science and technology that made it so. Originally discovered in a meteor crater in Arizona by Henry Moissan, and then later replicated successfully by researchers from the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, and began it's use in jewellery in the 1990's.

Natural moissanite is only found in a few places in the world, mainly in meteorites and upper mantle rocks. Now you know!

The benefit of a Moissanite as opposed to a natural diamond is that it’s a lot more affordable. If a 1carat diamond costs $6000, a similar Moissanite might only cost $1000.

There are also some that think buying a natural diamond is an investment over choosing a Moissanite or Lab-Diamond, but again this has a lot to do with who you are talking to.

We at Leskes Jewellers on the Sunshine Coast believe that jewellery is an investment in yourself, and it's value will always remain relative to who is purchasing it.

Moissanites can be quite similar in appearance to diamonds, and have been used as substitutes. They come in a variety of colours as well, so they can take on a totally different look. The best thing is to drop into our Sunshine Coast Jewellery Shop and have a look for yourself.

Yes.

One major way that the Moissanite & lab-grown diamond trumps natural is that mined diamonds have a significant impact on the environment. At Leskes Jewellers we only source diamonds that are mined with human rights in mind, and only deal with select gem dealers to ensure that if you do purchase a mined diamond, you can feel good about its origins.

In terms of durability, Moissanite ranks second only to diamond when it comes to gemstones. Diamonds are a 10 on the MOHS scale, but Moissanite is a 9.25, which is the second hardest gemstone used in jewellery while sapphires and rubies sit at 9 and morganite, aquamarine and emeralds are an 8. If you are looking for durability, moissanite is hard to beat.

If you ask your local jeweller about Moissanite, you might get a range of responses. Some might be honest and tell you the truth, whereas others might try to convince you otherwise as natural diamonds are many jewellers bread and butter, so it is to their advantage to steer you in this direction.

We disagree, and think that it is totally up to you what you prefer, we think they are all great and stock a range of moissanites and both ethical and mined diamonds.

Yes we do. Here at Leskes Jewellers distance is not a barrier. We would love to welcome you into our virtual shop. The consultations are complimentary, and just as personal as if you had walked through our doors in person.

We also regularly have pop-ups in Melbourne, Victoria. Keep an eye out on our website and socials for dates.

Absolutely. We ship world wide.

Shipping costs are calculated at check out of included in your quote. Shipping timeframes vary based on your region.

Import duties and taxes may be relevant to international shipments outside of Australia.

Our preferred shipping method is FedEx. This service is tracked and will require a signature upon delivery.

All of our jewellery is custom designed to order, apart from the designs in our showroom. As there are many elements that go into a custom design, the time frames vary from piece to piece. For an accurate timeframe please get in touch with our team.

We ship nationally with Australia Post, signed for and tracked. Internationally our preferred shipping is with FedEx which also requires a signature upon delivery and is tracked.

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