Jewelry
Cut, colour, clarity, carat, in that order
The four C are taught in the order that matters and bought in the reverse. Getting the order right is worth about thirty per cent of the price.
4 min read · 12 September 2026
Jewelry · Measure once, properly
Ring size and setting
Convert a circumference or the diameter of a ring you own into every national sizing system, and match a setting to how you actually use your hands.
Loading the instrument
Measure at the end of the day when fingers are largest, and in a normal room rather than a cold one. Both make a half size of difference.
Read next
The reading behind it
Jewelry
Settings: the six that hold and the two that do not
More stones are lost to a worn prong than to theft. How each setting fails, and how long you have before it does.
2 min read · 8 September 2026
The Friday file
One material, one number, one thing worth knowing
A short letter on Fridays: a single material examined, the arithmetic behind a purchase people get wrong, and the one line from the week worth keeping. No offers, because there is nothing to sell.