525 Fourth St.
Graham, TX 76450
(940)549-2282
Toll Free 1-866-549-2282

Newton's Jewelers was founded in 1875 by George C. Newton in Forney, Texas. Four generations and 129 years later, Newton's is still serving the people of Graham, Texas and beyond.

Offering fine jewelry and diamonds, gift items, jewelry and watch repair; Newton's can meet all your jewelry needs.

Stop by our store, located on the North side of the square in downtown Graham, Texas, and let us fulfill your dreams.

525 Fourth St. - Graham, TX

Birthstones :

• January - Garnet
• February - Amethyst
• March - Aquamarine
• April - Diamond
• May - Emerald
• June - Alexandrite
• July - Ruby
• August - Peridot
• September - Sapphire
• October - Opal
• November - Topaz
• December - Blue Zircon

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Ruby

Which color would you spontaneously associate with love and vividness, passion and power? Obviously this will evoke the color red. Red symbolizes love, it emanates warmth and a strong sense of life. Red is also the color of Ruby, the King of gemstones. After all, in the fascinating realm of gemstones rubies are the generally accepted emperors.

For thousands of years Ruby has been considered on of the most valuable gemstones of our Earth. It has got all it takes for a precious stone: a wonderful color, excellent hardness and an overwhelming brilliance. Besides, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in the finer qualities.

For a long time India was considered as the classical country of Rubies. The literature of India contains a rich and varied knowledge collected and handed down for over two thousand years. Even the term "corundum” which we use today is derived from the Sanskrit word "kuruvinda”. In the Sanskrit language Ruby is called "ratnaraj”, which does in fact translate as "King of Gemstones”. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for this King of Gemstones: Whenever a spectacular Ruby crystal was found, the emperor sent out his notables to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today Rubies decorate the insignia of many Royal Houses. But are they really all Rubies? Read on to find out more!

Only a Bit of Chrome

Ruby is the red variety of the corundum mineral, one of the hardest minerals on Earth which also includes Sapphire. Pure corundum is colorless. Slight traces of the color creating elements such as chrome, iron, titanium or vanadium are responsible for the color. These gemstones show an excellent hardness. On the Moh’s Scale they achieve a hardness of 9, second only to diamonds. And only red corundum may be called Ruby, any other color is denominate as Sapphires. The close relationship of Ruby and Sapphire has been known since the beginning of the 19th century. Up to that time, also red Garnets or Spinels were thought to be Rubies – and due to this mis-classification the so-called "Black Ruby” as well as the "Timur Ruby” decorating the British Crown Jewels are probably actually no Rubies at all, but Spinels.

Some Rubies show a wonderful silky shine, the so-called "silk” of the Ruby. The reason for this phenomenon are finest rutilum needles. And now and then we will come across one of the very scarce Star Rubies. Again the rutilum mineral is involved here: it is embedded asterisk-shaped within the Ruby thus causing the charming light effect which is termed "Asterism” by the experts. If such Rubies are cut as half-dome shaped cabochons, this will result in six-ray stars which seem to magically glide across the surface of the moving stones. Star Rubies are expensive rarities Their value is assessed according to beauty and attractive color, while transparency is secondary. Fine Star Rubies, however, should always display rays which are completely shaped including the rounding, and the stars should be situated right in the center.

Ruby-red means Passion

Red like Ruby. Ruby-red. The most important characteristic about that valuable stone is its color. There is of course a reason for this: the name "Ruby” was derived from the Latin word "rubens” meaning "red”. The red of Rubies is in a class all by itself: warm and fiery. Two magical elements are associated with the symbolism of this color: fire and blood, implying warmth and life for mankind. And thus Ruby-red is not just any old color, no, it is the epitome of color: hot, passionate and powerful color. Like no other gemstone Ruby is the perfect symbol of powerful feelings. A ring set with a precious Ruby does not really symbolize a calm and moderate sympathy, but rather passionate and unbridled love which two people feel for each other.

Birthplace of Fine Rubies

Which is the most beautiful Ruby? This an excellent question. After all, a Ruby may show very different shades of red depending on its origin. The range of the different reds is quite considerable; compared to hotel categories one might say it ranges from luxury accommodation to simple and plain inns. For example, id the gemstone experts talk about Burmese Ruby this indicates the top luxury category. However, it does not necessary follow that the stone has to be of Burmese origin. It is basically an indication of the fact that the color of said Ruby is the typical shade originally shown by stones from the famous occurrences in Burma, nowadays called Myanmar: a satiated red with a slightly bluish hue. Sometimes "dove-blood-red” is also mentioned, but the term "Burma-color” is far more precise. An expert will immediately associate this color with the legendary "Mogok Stone Tract” and the gemstone center of Mogok in the North of Myanmar. Here we will find the famous Ruby occurrences of the country situated in a mountain valley surrounded by high summits. By hard labor gemstones are brought to daylight in the "valley of Rubies”, stones with a fascinating brilliance second to none. Unfortunately, fine qualities are quite scarce here, too. The color of Burma Ruby is considered to be exceptionally vivid. It is said to display its unique brilliance in any light, natural or artificial.

Color above (almost) Everything

As stated above: color is Ruby’s most important feature, and transparency is secondary only. Therefore, then, inclusions do not effect the quality of a Ruby, unless they decrease the transparency of the stone or are located right in the center of its table. Quite the contrary applies: inclusions within a ruby are something like the gemstones fingerprints, stating its individuality while at the same time proving its genuineness like a certificate provided by Nature. The cut is essential: only a perfect cut will underline the beauty of this valuable and precious stone appropriately to make it really the "King of Gemstones”. But just as true love is rare indeed, so are really perfect Rubies. And if you find one, it is bound to cost a small fortune. Nevertheless: once you found "your” Ruby, do not hesitate: go for it and keep it!

Rediscover Your Favorite Jewelry -

• Jewelry Cleaning and Inspection
• Gem Resetting
• Resizing Rings
• Restring Pearls
• Earring & Clasp Repair
• Watch Repair

You should have your jewelry cleaned and inspected every six months to check for wear and damage. By following this schedule, you can save on costly repairs or replacement of lost stones.

Celebrities and the Platinum Heart

More than twenty showbiz types have joined with the Platinum Guild for the "Women with Heart" project. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Faith Hill are just three of the stars who signed on to design their own heart pendant in platinum. The hearts will be auctioned off, and the profits from each will be donated to different charities. This is, no doubt, an effort by the Platinum Guild to boost the image of platinum as the metal of choice for everyday jewelry - as well as for wedding bands and bridal rings. As more platinum and white-gold rings make their way onto the hands of America, it makes sense that platinum and white-gold styles, as well as white-yellow combinations, are making their way to the fashion forefront. For more information about diamond and colored gemstone jewelry, stop by Newton's Jewelers at 525 Fourth St. in Graham or call (940)549-2282.

How To Buy A Diamond :

It all starts with the 4 C's...

Special Gemstones and Jewelry Care Tips

General Information

Caring for jewelry is a necessary part of owning fine jewelry. With proper care, your jewelry will bring you continued satisfaction of ownership over many years. We are bringing you this information to help you in caring for your jewelry and gemstones to get the desired longevity of your investment.

Some tips to remember when caring for your jewelry include:

• Avoid wearing fine jewelry when you're performing manual labor tasks, such as housework. Especially if you are submersing your hands in liquids.
• Clean your jewelry periodically. This will help ensure the fine appearance and will help it last. See the cleaning techniques below for the specific type of jewelry you own.
• Use a soft brush to help remove dirt on the prongs of larger gem jewelry. A good brush to use is an old clean toothbrush.
• Use plain alcohol or vodka to help reduce greasy film on diamond jewelry prior to performing other cleaning.

Gold Information

Gold is a rare, soft, and very valuable metal. It is valued on a karat system where 24K gold is pure gold, and 10K gold is 10 parts gold with 14 parts alloy. Karat values in between correspond to a parts karat + parts alloy = 24 value.

Some tips to remember when caring for gold jewelry include:

• Be wary of makeup, moisture, and chemicals that may affect your gold jewelry's appearance.
• Keep gold jewelry out of swimming pools with chlorine; chlorine can damage it over a period of time.
• Check your gold jewelry for scratches or other damage, and bring it to your jeweler if there is any; he or she may be able to repair it.

Silver Information

Silver, one of the world's most useful metals, is also one of the world's most valuable metals. It can achieve a great polish and does not tarnish in its pure form. Most silver jewelry is silver combined with other metals (alloys). This makes it more suitable for general jewelry use.

Some tips to remember when caring for silver jewelry include:

• Silver is scratch-resistant but not scratch-proof.
• In addition to the general jewelry care steps, silver jewelry care can benefit from special silver jewelry cleaning solutions. Check with your jeweler about these.
• Prevent your silver from being exposed to direct air and light contact.
• Avoid placing silver in chlorine-containing materials.
• Be selective in what you use to clean your silver, i.e. pads, cloths, etc. Felt works well, as do special cleansing cloths designed for silver cleaning. Other materials, including tissue, should be avoided. Ask your jeweler for more information.

Platinum Information

The purity of platinum is often higher than that of gold. Platinum jewelry is usually in the neighborhood of 90%+ pure. It also more "solid" than gold in terms of how resistant it is to tarnishing by chlorine, etc. It is very strong; plus, it is a very popular choice in jewelry making.

Some tips to remember when caring for platinum jewelry include:

• Fortunately, platinum is very durable and does not lose its polish very easily. Cleaning patterns are the same as other metals.
• For jewelry that combines platinum with other fine jewelry components (like gold), clean those substances and care for them as you would if they were not paired with platinum. Also, keep in mind the necessary steps for caring for these other components.

Cultured Pearl Information

Cultured pearls have a living organism origin. They are highly susceptible to damage and are very delicate; cultured pearl jewelry owners should be careful with their cultured pearls.

Some tips to remember when caring for cultured pearls include

• Be careful where you store your cultured pearl jewelry. Metal and other materials can damage the surface of the cultured pearl.
• Cleaning cultured pearls need only involve soap and water. Other cleaning agents may damage your cultured pearls.
• Remove traces of cosmetics and other such materials from your cultured pearl jewelry before placing it in its storage place.
• Wrap your cultured pearl jewelry in a tissue or other suitable holding device before placing it in its storage place.
• You should take your cultured pearl jewelry back to your jeweler for restringing once a year.

Carat Weight -

The Larger the diamond, the more rare and valuable it becomes. Diamonds are measured in carat weight. One carat is 100 points. Ex: A 75 point diamond = 3/4 carat or 0.75ct. carat is expressed as "carat" or "ct".

Color -

The highest, rarest and most expensive color is D and goes down in alphabetical order. D,E and F are considered colorless. G, H and I are considered Near colorless. J, K and L are faint yellow and M, N, O are light yellow. The color and the price keeps going down until you reach fancy yellow and then it starts to go up again.

Clarity -

The better the diamonds clarity, the more rare and valuable it is. All Diamonds have inclusions, even Internally Flawless diamonds. You just need more magnification to see them. Diamonds are graded with a 10x magnification Loupe. There are several grades of clarity which we will get into but they all fit into one of two categories. Ones with eye visible inclusions and ones with no eye visible inclusions. Diamonds that show eye visible inclusions are I Clarity, either I1, I2 or I3. I1 diamonds have one or two very tiny eye visible inclusions. I2 have more and I3 are heavily included. Those that are completely eye clean are most desirable. SI2 and better diamonds are completely Eye Clean. SI2 and better Diamonds require a 10x loupe to see the difference. An SI2 will look exactly like an IF to the naked eye. Flawless "FL" and Internally Flawless "IF" are the rarest and most expensive diamonds. The next grade is VVS1 and VVS2. This stands for "Very Very Small" Inclusions. Then Very Small inclusions, VS1 and VS2 and Finally Small Inclusions SI1, SI2 and SI3.

Cut -

The Better the proportions of a diamond are the more Fire, Sparkle, Scintillation, and Brilliance it will have. This also directly affects the price of the diamond. Ideal cut diamonds are rarer and cost more. Ideal cut diamonds have a table % between 52 and 57%. There is no dimension on depth but most people prefer the depth to be between 59 and 62.5%. There is also another train of thought that believes that the perfect diamond has a 60-60 make. that means that the depth should be as close to 60% as possible with a few degrees variance either way and the table should be as close to 60% with a couple of degrees variance either way being acceptable. If you stay within these parameters, you should end up with a very beautiful diamond. You can stray one or two degrees outside of these parameters, but the farther away from ideal you go, the more it starts to affect the beauty of the diamond. Below is a diagram of what happens when a diamond is out of shape. If the diamond is too deep or two shallow, the light will leak out of the diamond through the bottom instead of shining brightly back up into your eyes.

Cost -

Some people consider Cost to be a fifth C. We can help you with this C by educating you about diamonds, so that you can make an informed decision about which diamond to buy. The more you know about diamonds, the more pleasant your buying experience will be.

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