The Oath Journal
Buying guides, gemstone and birthstone guides, gold and silver know-how, and care advice from the Oath team, for choosing and wearing fine jewelry with confidence.
New · Metals & Materials
Platinum, titanium and 18K yellow gold are the best metals for sensitive skin. Learn which metals contain nickel, what to avoid and how to choose earrings.
Engagement & Diamonds
Metals & Materials
Metals & Materials
The occasions coming up, and the guide for each.
Meaning, color and the jewelry that suits each stone.
Jan
Garnet
birthstone guide
Feb
Amethyst
birthstone guide
Mar
Aquamarine
birthstone guide
Apr
Diamond
birthstone guide
May
Emerald
birthstone guide
Jun
Pearl
birthstone guide
Jul
Ruby
birthstone guide
Aug
Peridot
birthstone guide
Sep
Sapphire
birthstone guide
Oct
Opal
birthstone guide
Nov
Topaz
birthstone guide
Dec
Turquoise
birthstone guide
Eight cornerstone guides that cover what to know first.
Buying, Style & Craft
Gemstones & Birthstones
Metals & Materials
Gifts & Occasions
Buying, Style & Craft
Buying, Style & Craft
Gem quality, buying guides, real-vs-fake tests and the twelve birthstones.
Gemstones & Birthstones
Learn how to tell if a ruby is real: at-home loupe tests for natural inclusions, the tells of synthetic and simulant stones, and when a G...
Gemstones & Birthstones
Most colored gemstones are treated in some way, from heat to dyeing to oiling. Here is what each does, why disclosure matters, and how ca...
Gemstones & Birthstones
Learn how to tell if a sapphire is real: at-home loupe tests, the difference between natural, heated, and synthetic stones, and when to g...
Choosing the ring, the diamond and the wedding band.
Engagement & Diamonds
A lab-grown diamond is a diamond: same carbon, crystal, hardness and brilliance. Learn how it is made, how it is identified and why it mu...
Engagement & Diamonds
What a promise ring means, which hand and finger it goes on, how it differs from an engagement ring, and how to choose one and give it wi...
Engagement & Diamonds
Left hand in the US, UK and France; right hand in Germany, Russia and Greece. The country map, the ring order, and the truth about the ve...
Gold karats, sterling silver, platinum and how each metal wears.
Metals & Materials
Platinum, titanium and 18K yellow gold are the best metals for sensitive skin. Learn which metals contain nickel, what to avoid and how t...
Metals & Materials
Learn how to tell if jewelry is real gold: what karat stamps such as 14K and 585 mean, which home tests work, and how a jeweler confirms ...
Metals & Materials
Platinum is naturally white, dense and nickel-free; white gold is lighter and needs rhodium replating every one to three years. Compare u...
Holiday, anniversary and price-tier gift guides.
Gifts & Occasions
Anniversary jewelry gifts by year: the full gemstone and metal list, the milestone years worth planning for, and how to choose a piece th...
Gifts & Occasions
How to choose a Christmas jewelry gift that actually fits: what to give by relationship, which pieces need no size, which gems last, and ...
Gifts & Occasions
How to choose fine jewelry as a gift: reading the recipient's taste, navigating metal and stone decisions, and matching the piece to the ...
Chains, rings, bracelets and how to wear them.
Men's Jewelry
The men's jewelry trends worth following: layering, bold statement chains, black diamonds and dark stones, the signet revival, and person...
Men's Jewelry
How to style men's fine jewelry for a formal event: the black-tie signatures, what pairs with a tuxedo versus a dark suit, coordinating m...
Men's Jewelry
New to jewelry? A guide for men who don't usually wear it: the easiest first pieces, wearing them comfortably, choosing a metal, and buil...
Cleaning, storage and keeping pieces looking new.
Jewelry Care
Clean silver jewelry safely with soap, warm water and a polishing cloth. Learn how to remove heavy tarnish, what to avoid and how to keep...
Jewelry Care
Gold jewelry dulls from oils, lotion, and daily wear. Here is how to clean solid, plated, white, and rose gold safely at home, and when t...
Jewelry Care
How to clean, store, and care for fine jewelry by metal and stone type. Practical guidance on gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, pearls, a...
The questions people ask most, answered in a line.
All 147 guides, by topic, A to Z.
Solid gold, platinum and sterling silver, set with genuine gemstones.
