The Journal

Jewelry for mom she will actually wear: studs, pearls, hoops and initial pendants, by budget, with Christmas order-by dates.

The jewelry gifts men actually wear: chains, pendants, bracelets and rings, how to get the size right, and what to give at every budget.

How to choose Christmas jewelry your wife will wear every day, by her style and your budget.

How 10K, 14K and 18K gold differ in color, hardness and value, and which to choose for what.

14 parts gold in 24: what 14K and 585 mean, how stamps are regulated, and the marks that mean plated.

Solid gold and lab-grown diamond gifts at every budget, chosen from our collection, with what suits whom.

The Pink Star, the Blue Moon, the Hope and the Cullinan: what the most expensive diamonds sold for, and why.

Water won’t hurt solid gold. Chlorine, soap and grit can. What to keep on and what to take off.

Green, black or red marks under jewelry: what causes each, whether solid gold is to blame, and how to stop it.

Why 14K gold scratches, why 10K is harder than 18K, and what Vickers and Mohs numbers mean for jewelry you wear every day.