At Kim Bartlett Master Jewellers we take great pride in the workmanship and quality of our work. We are committed to creating the best customer service possible and keeping our excellent reputation of supplying high quality jewellery made with great attention to detail.
As part of this commitment we are very pleased to announce that our Diamonds of Excellence® now include Passion8 Diamonds® – a trusted Australian owned brand, innovators and leaders in diamond cutting, and pioneers in original authentic true Hearts & Arrows diamonds.
Passion8 is a trusted Australian brand, sourcing only conflict-free and natural diamonds, from DeBeers’ DTC and Russia’s Alrosa.

Be inspired by Australia’s leading diamond brand.Celebrate beauty, brightness and sparkle forever…

KIM BARTLETT MASTER JEWELLERS from Jepson Media on Vimeo.

A reputable jeweller is the first step to an intelligent diamond purchase. Ensure the jeweller is experienced, knowledgeable, and has the qualifications to give you advice on your diamond. Your jeweller should help you feel at ease during such an important purchase.

How do you determine if a diamond retailer is knowledgeable and ethical? The best way to determine a seller’s credibility is by becoming an informed buyer and by asking questions.

One question rarely asked to help determine diamond competence is: How would you describe the quality of the cut of this diamond? Professional diamond salespeople are able to compare diamonds with poor and mediocre cuts with those that are well cut and explain why any cut is inferior or superior. It is not sufficient for a diamond retailer to simply describe a diamond as a fine make or a poor cut. Anybody can read the clarity or colour grade indicated on a diamond grading report but it takes skill and experience to provide information and understanding about cut quality just by looking at a diamond.

Competent jewellery salespeople should be able to volunteer a variety of information about the loose certified diamonds and rings in their store. If a salesperson can’t do this, then ask if there is somebody more knowledgeable who could assist you. Retailers should be willing to tell you both the positive and negative characteristics of a piece and should be able to give you concrete information about quality features instead of just saying “this is a beautiful stone with a great cut”. The more informed and knowledgeable the salespeople are, the more capable they are of helping you make a wise choice.

Choose your qualified diamond merchant just like you would choose your doctor, lawyer or any other professional. Good diamond retailers have formal training in gemmology so they can accurately identify and describe diamonds and diamond characteristics – a gemmological credential such as a GG (Graduate Gemmologist) or FGAA (Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Australia) is an essential requirement. Formal training in diamond grading from an internationally recognised institution is important, along with accredited professional trade experience. If you’re not familiar with a jeweller in your area, ask family members, friends or co-workers for recommendations.

Knowledgeable jewellery professionals will clearly explain the 4Cs of diamond quality and encourage you to compare a number of diamonds in your price range.

Ask about the store’s guarantee policy as well – it’s a good sign when jewellers are willing to back up their merchandise in writing with guarantees.

Buying a diamond can be a significant purchase both emotionally and financially, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Purchasing a diamond should be a memorable and pleasant experience.

Choosing platinum for your jewellery is the perfect way to express your own individuality, strength and style. It is beautiful, versatile and elegant, yet it has hidden strength and resilience. The density of platinum makes it more durable than other precious metals. It does not change shape or wear away, so gemstones are held firmly and securely. That’s why many famous gemstones, from the Star of Africa to the Hope Diamond, are set in platinum.

Platinum is a diamond’s best friend. It is highly durable and extremely dense, making it a very protective setting for diamonds. A setting surrounding your diamond crafted from platinum will always hold it securely, ensuring a lifetime of wear for your jewellery and peace of mind for you. Platinum contains no yellow hue or alloys to tinge a diamond’s brilliance, and its natural white lustre is unaffected by time, forever enhancing a diamond’s sparkle and making your jewellery burst with radiance. Platinum does not wear away or require repeat visits to a jeweller to be re-plated.

Platinum is also extremely versatile, with remarkable qualities that have led to astonishing applications. From Fabergé to Cartier, the world’s greatest jewellery designers have always preferred working with platinum. In addition to its strength and density, platinum has another remarkable quality – pliability. Platinum is so pliable that just one gram of the metal can be drawn to produce a fine wire almost 2km long. This quality has enabled jewellers to craft some amazingly versatile designs and creations, which couldn’t be fashioned from any other precious metal. And in terms of purity, platinum jewellery is 95 per cent pure, as compared to 18ct gold, which is 75 per cent pure.

Although platinum jewellery is becoming more popular, it’s still the exception, and there is very little platinum in existence – it is found in very few places around the world. Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold. In fact, if all the platinum ever mined were poured into an Olympic swimming pool, it would be scarcely deep enough to cover your ankles. By comparison, gold would fill more than three pools.

The process of making a piece of platinum jewellery requires a high level of craftsmanship and for jewellers not used to working with platinum, it can appear extremely difficult. This is because platinum’s properties are quite different to those of gold or silver. Craftsmen sufficiently skilled to bring out the subtle beauty in platinum jewellery are rare.

A knowledgeable and experienced jeweller will be able to give you advice and guidance in choosing or designing a beautiful piece of platinum jewellery that will bring you pleasure for many years to come.

DUO Magazine
June 2011, Page 41

Colour never goes out of fashion…
So after the introduction of our beautiful halo ring design, and due to its overwhelming popularity (it SOLD less than 48hrs after it left Jay’s bench), we decided to create a similar design using a brilliant cut champagne diamond.
With a total diamond weight of 1.93ct – would you say “YES!” to a champagne diamond ring?

Whether it’s for yourself or for someone you love, knowing what you do and don’t like is essential. Often people who desire a unique and individual design choose to have a master jeweller create their ring from scratch. The ability to describe and convey your taste to a jeweller is the key to getting it absolutely perfect. Our advice is to research anywhere and everywhere you can, and then bring together concepts that you like to create a distinctive style that will be admired for years to come.

Ensure you have time to get some good background knowledge on the characteristics of diamonds, including carat, colour, clarity and cut, and the types of materials available for the manufacture of the ring – the more you know the happier you will be when it comes time to making the big purchase.

It is also important to establish whether:

• The store has a long-standing and solid local reputation.
• The salesperson possesses a sound gemmological knowledge.
• The diamonds come with a well-known gemmological certificate.
• The shop presents a detailed receipt or an accredited valuation with your purchase, which is essential for insurance purposes.
• The shop has a busy repairs service with a quick turn-around time. It’s usually a good indication of customer trust.
• The store offers warranties and guarantees on your purchase.
• The salesperson will let you examine the diamond through a loupe and on a white background. Even an untrained eye can see the difference between an apple and a pear.

With all these options it might seem overwhelming when it comes time to decide which engagement ring to chose. But take your time – it’s a once in a lifetime event, so make it count.
An engagement ring can be one of the biggest purchases you ever make, so if you’re not familiar with a jeweller in your area, ask family members, friends or co-workers for recommendations.
The more research you do before you make the purchase, the happier you’ll be afterwards.