Most people are more familiar with australian opal than the mexican variety. Opals consist of veins of silica which are found in the host matrix rock. In the case of australian opal veins of opal are often found in ironstone which may be polished along with the opal to produce boulder or koroit opal. Mexican [...]
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If properly cared for, your Sterling Silver or CZ’s will retain their luster and shine for years to come. Much like Fine Diamonds, your Silver and CZ’s would love a little T.L.C. from time to time and this is what we suggest.. First, what is Sterling Silver? Silver is a precious metal and much like [...]
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Tourmaline is not really just one gemstone. Tourmaline is actually several different, but closely related minerals, members of what is called The Tourmaline Group. These gems come in rich and vivid colors and are often a mixture of more then one color. Black opaque tourmalines can Sparkle nicely and produce sharp crystal forms. Tourmalines can [...]
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A Bit of History Amethyst comes from the Greek word Amethystus, meaning “not drunken”, probably due to the wine-like color, and often symbolized sobriety. The most highly prized of the quartz family, amethyst is seen in the jewelry of royalty and adorning Bishops and Cardinals, and was one of the twelve gemstones of the breastplate [...]
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JUMP RINGS Open Jump Rings are not soldered closed. They generally come in light, medium or heavy. The following will give you an idea of the different types. Light – Usually .020-.025 inches diameter (.645mm to .511mm) in wire thickness or 22 – 24 gauge Medium – Usually .030 inches (.813mm) which is about 20 [...]
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PURPOSE The purpose of this guide is to help you find a good quality stone,after all this is a buyers guide. i am not here to slander other sellers. Lets keep this simple and informative, i have been making ammonite ,or ammolite gemstones since 1990 and selling it to a few select retailers on a [...]
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Argentium Sterling Silver is a modern sterling silver alloy which modifies the traditional sterling silver alloy (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper) by replacing some of the copper with a rare metallic element called germanium. Argentium Silver came about as the result of research by Peter Johns at the School of Art & Design, Middlesex University, [...]
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Opal: Color: An orangy crystalline glow if put up to light, but when held in hand runs the gamut from opaque white to crystalline orange. All opals have a background color and texture upon which brilliant color plays in ever-shifting patterns are shown, in every color of the rainbow. Moh’s hardness: 5.5 – 6.5 Refractive [...]
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We thought we’d share with everyone our tried-and-true methods to prevent tarnish on sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry is easy to care for if you follow a few simple steps with a minimum amount of time and effort. Storing silver jewelry for a prolonged time without proper care causes it to tarnish. Tarnish on [...]
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Avoid storing in acidic materials, including some types of wood, most cardboard, and paper. Acidity can tarnish metal and cause pitting on both metal and stones. Plywood and particle board can also cause adverse reactions over time, due to acids in both the wood and the binder. The plasticizers found in most plastics can seriously [...]
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