Rose quartz has long been one of my favorite gemstones; it certainly makes for some striking rose quartz jewelry. It has a few unique traits that you simply won’t find in other stones or gems. For example, the texture of the rocks themselves also brings to mind a sort of rough hewn mixture as if Mother Nature herself had difficulty putting it together.
A little info about rose quartz:
Rose quartz is a type of quartz which exhibits a pale pink to rose red hue. The color is usually due to trace amounts of titanium, iron, or manganese, in the massive material. Some rose quartz contains microscopic retile needles that produce an asterism in transmitted light. Recent X-ray diffraction studies suggest that the color is due to thin microscopic fibers of possibly dumortierite within the massive quartz.
In crystal form (rarely found) it is called pink quartz and its color is due to trace amounts of phosphate or aluminum. The color in crystals is apparently photosensitive and subject to fading. The first crystals were found in a pegmatite found near Rumford, Maine, USA, but most crystals on the market come from Minas Gerais, Brazil.
As a precious metal, caring for your silver is an easy, but meticulous process. At the same time, however, you don’t want to leave your jewelry to hands of time, only to have them tarnish and rust with age. Simple care will avoid the hassles of attempting to restore jewelry that’s so far damaged that it is beyond repair, which would save you the pain of having to throw away silver jewelry sets. If there is no tarnish on your silver, use a phosphate-free detergent to clean it after use. Silver that is used then gently washed and dried immediately, will require seldom tarnish removal.
~When first noticed, tarnish is easily removed. It becomes increasingly difficult to remove as it eventually turns to black. Frequent light cleanings, (washing the object with a phosphate-free detergent), then drying with a soft cloth is better than waiting until the tarnish gets so difficult to remove that more abrasive polishes would be needed.
~When polishing or drying always use a clean, soft cotton cloth. Certain items may require a clean soft cotton ball.
~Rub the object in a straight, back-an-forth manner so to maintain a uniform appearance. Avoid rubbing in a circular motion.
~With the smallest amount of polish possible, use a large cotton ball and turn the surface being cleaned – avoid touching the non-silver portion, gemstone, or hollow part of the item with the polish. Wood, amber, precious stones, gems, and ivory insulators can easily be damaged.
~ After cleaning, if you notice a purplish stain after cleaning your silver, do not attempt to remove it. This stain, (oxidized copper), is called firestain and is commonly found on many colonial through nineteenth century pieces. The stain develops in sterling silver when oxygen penetrates the outer surface during brazing, oxidizing the copper. Fine silver is left on the surface when acid chemically removes the oxidized copper. These pieces will show this stain after many years of polishing.
If you’re getting ready for that big date on Friday night, you’re probably planning on wearing an outfit that compliments your hair and complexion. You are probably also planning on accessorizing with matching jewelry. But before you don your handmade jewelry, you should consider whether or not they will look good with your hair color. You want to look your best to get your guy’s attention – so don’t fall short when it comes to picking your jewelry.
Find the precious metal that matches your coloring. Brunettes, redheads and grays look best in silver jewelry, while blondes look better in gold. If you have black hair you will probably look good in either silver or gold. Don’t forget to match your jewelry to the clothes you are wearing. For example, if you are wearing a silver top, you won’t want to wear a gold necklace. Black clothing can be worn with any color of jewelry. Match jewelry with other jewelry. Don’t wear a ruby bracelet with an emerald ring.
I was stumped for a present. What do you buy someone who had seemingly everything already? That is the problem that I was faced with when thinking of a gift for my successful older sister. She is so much more of a shopper than I; there was not a good solution in sight. The answer was so simple though. The gift that I got her had to be such a unique gift that she could not find it anywhere else. Then I did some research and found that there were plenty of people moving away from designer corporate to designer individual.
I really liked that people were making things for themselves and I decided to get into the market. I bought my sister a lovely set of handcrafted earrings from a store I found online. She really enjoyed the gift and I have never been happier with a purchase.
Like most collectors of unique jewelry, I once did most of my shopping at seasonal craft fairs, estate sales and auctions. There was very little way of knowing whether I would find any worthwhile pieces in a given day; in fact, more often than not I would come up empty. This trial-and-error style of shopping began to wear on my patience and my pocketbook – it wasn’t cheap driving miles from my home in hopes of tracking down a stylish bracelet.
In recent years, online shopping has changed all that. Now it’s possible to target the precise piece of handmade artisan jewelry that interests you, to read about its composition, and to admire it in color photos – all before even making a purchase. I’ve become so spoiled by the variety and the ability to pick and choose that I can never see myself going back to the old method of jewelry shopping.
Of all the items that are passed down from one generation to the next – either inherited or given outright in an almost ceremonial fashion – jewelry is perhaps the best known example. It’s not uncommon for women to set aside rings, broaches, lockets and other valuables for their descendents. Unfortunately, many of these items become scratched and damaged out of sheer ignorance.
It’s critical that certain pieces of jewelry are kept separate from others – namely the diamonds and other hard stones. These stones can cause a disastrous effect when mixed together with gold or silver pieces, which are easily damaged. Rose quartz earrings rate a 7 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, with 10 being a diamond and 1 being talc powder. In general, keep quartz away from jewelry that features seashells.
With the ever increasing popularity of department stores and retail chains, design and fashion is more standardized than ever. Nowadays it takes a conscious effort to find clothing and accessories that set you apart from the crowd. Shopping at smaller boutiques and specialty stores will help you find trendy, original apparel.
One of the easiest ways to make your ensemble distinct is with jewelry and accessories. Instead of going for the traditional, metal pieces at the counter of the department store, look for handcrafted artisan jewelry. The attention to detail and innovative design of these pieces will give you an eye-catching, unique look.
For thousands of years the bluish-green pebble known as turquoise has been prized as a rare and valuable gemstone. After being mined for generations, many of the world’s original turquoise mines have been depleted of the stone. Most of the mining for the gem is time-consuming and painstakingly done by hand.
Much of the new turquoise is found as a derivative material during larger copper mining excavations. Traditionally found in Middle Eastern regions and jewelry, turquoise is now a staple for jewelers around the globe. Today there are many imitation and synthetic turquoise substitutes, but people still pay top dollar for authentic turquoise jewelry.
It’s unfortunate that imitation jewelry is often classified under the derogatory label of “knock offs.” In reality, much of what we believe to be genuine silver jewelry is actually constructed from zinc alloy, iron and nickel. These gorgeous pieces, which are sometimes called nickel silver, are both lightweight and tarnish-resistant. Many finely crafted artisan necklaces are fashioned from nickel silver.
For those who simply must know if their silver jewelry is authentic, there are a number of effective methods. The National Gold and Silver Marking Act of 1981 stipulates that all sterling silver sold in the U.S. must be stamped with the number 925 – corresponding to the 92.5 percent silver content. This marking can generally be found on the clasp of the jewelry. Rather than focusing on the actual silver content of an item, however, many jewelry mavens are satisfied with the aesthetic charms of nickel silver.
There’s no disputing that silver is one of the most glamorous decorative metals around. By its very nature, silver tarnishes over time. It seems as though the Internet is overflowing with off-the-wall remedies for that problem, but be advised: specialized cleaning kits and miracle cloths are not necessary. In fact, you probably already own all the materials you’ll need to restore that elegant luster to your handmade necklaces.
Place a torn sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a drinking glass and top it with your silver jewelry. Next, add a pinch of salt over the top along with a sprinkling of baking soda. Add water and observe as the tarnish is transferred from your jewelry to the foil. Afterward, keep the polishing to a minimum. Tiny flecks of the soft metal come off with each swipe of a rag. Bear in mind that nickel silver jewelry is resistant to tarnishing, so it can save you all of this hassle.