Archive for the ‘Jewelry Facts & Tips’ Category
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 by Jen
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Birthstone jewelry makes a great gift for any lady on her birthday. There are both modern and traditional birthstones to choose from. The modern stones are typically less expensive and thus make nice, affordable gifts.
See the chart below for a list of modern and traditional birthstones for each month:
| Month |
Modern |
Traditional |
| January |
Garnet |
Garnet |
| February |
Amethyst |
Amethyst |
| March |
Aquamarine |
Bloodstone or Aquamarine |
| April |
White Cubic Zirconia, White Topaz |
Diamond |
| May |
Emerald |
Emerald |
| June |
Alexandrite |
Pearl or Moonstone |
| July |
Ruby |
Ruby |
| August |
Peridot |
Sardonyx or Peridot |
| September |
Sapphire |
Sapphire |
| October |
Rose |
Opal or Tourmaline |
| November |
Citrine |
Topaz or Smoky Quartz |
| December |
Blue Zircon, Blue Topaz |
Turquoise or Lapis Lazuli |
Check out some of my favorite birthstone jewelry by clicking the photos below:
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Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 by Jen
For many of you, beading has become a fun hobby and a way to customize your own unique jewelry. One question that I hear a lot is how to determine what length to make a bracelet. I’ve compiled some hints to help you figure out what bracelet length is right for you when beading a bracelet.
Basically you will want to make sure that you are taking into account the diameter of the beads that you plan to use, since this is going to be a majority of the bracelet. This will also help you figure out how many beads to buy. Start by measuring your wrist, leaving a little slack for a comfortable fit.
Next you’ll subtract the length of the clasp, toggle, etc. The result is the desired bead length for your bracelet.
To assure that a finished bracelet will fit correctly, compensate for the diameter of your beads. For round beads, simply add three beads to the measured length of your strand. For any other shape, triple the diameter of one bead and add enough beads to your strand to equal that number. For example, using tube beads with a 3mm diameter and a 5mm length means you’ll need to add two extra beads to your bracelet: 3 x 3mm = 9mm. Two 5mm-long beads will add 10mm to your bracelet length, compensating for the diameter of the beads with 1mm to spare.
For some unique beads to use in your next beading project, click the pictures below:
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Friday, August 8th, 2008 by Jen
Ever wondered why your sterling silver jewelry tarnished, or how you could prevent sterling silver jewelry from tarnishing? If you store your sterling silver jewelry in open air, you expose it to air and humidity, which can cause it to tarnish. Tarnishing is normal process that is caused by oxidization and moisture from air and even sunshine. All high quality sterling silver is subject to tarnishing. it is a common misconception that only sterling silver-plated items or silver-tone items will tarnish.
Tarnishing sometimes first appears as a golden glow and can quickly turn to black. If you wear your jewelry regularly, body oils will help avoid some tarnishing. This is why your favorite charm bracelet that wear every day might not tarnish, and an item that you wear less often will appear to tarnish more quickly.
To reduce tarnishing, try keeping your sterling silver jewelry in an air-tight protective bag made of tarnish proof cloth or a plastic zip lock bag made of Mylar or polyethylene.
If your sterling silver jewelry does become tarnished, often you can simply rub your sterling silver jewelry gently with a clean, 100% cotton cloth to remove excess dirt and restore shine. Be sure not to rub too hard, because sterling silver is a soft metal that can be bent and scratched. Rub in a lengthwise motion.
Other helpful tips for keeping your sterling silver jewelry looking great:
1. Always remove your jewelry before using abrasive chemicals such as bleach, alcohol, etc.
2. Clean your jewelry before storing it
3. Prevent tarnishing by cleaning before the silver becomes tarnished
4. Lotions can wear away at the finish on your sterling silver, so avoid wearing them on surfaces that come in contact with your jewelry
5. Remove jewelry when doing household chores
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Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 by Jen
The birthstone for August is Peridot, which is actually a variety of the gemstone olivine. While olivine is fairly common, gem quality peridot is more rare.
You’ll recognize peridot by it’s olive green color. Peridot is actually one of the only gemstones that only occurs in one color. The intensity and tint of the green, however, can vary.
Peridot can be found in both Arizona and New Mexico. About 80% to 95% of the world’s production of peridot comes from the San Carlos Reservation in New Mexico. You can read much more about peridot on the USGS website.
Whether shopping for a special birthday gift, or treating yourself to this beautiful gemstone, you’ll love these genuine sterling silver peridot jewelry items:
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Friday, August 1st, 2008 by Jen
Who couldn’t use a little extra good luck? Lately I’ve seen a lot of celebrities, like Paris Hilton, wearing lucky clover jewelry. I’ve always had a lucky clover charm on my charm bracelet, but I started to wonder what that little clover actually means…
According to Wikipedia, each of the four leafs stands for: Hope, Faith, Love, and Luck. Definitely four things we could all use, so I definitely see why so many ladies, celebrities or not, are adorning clover jewelry.
Apparently the four-leaf clover is extremely rare - only 1 in every 10,000 clovers! Luckily clover jewelry isn’t that hard to find! Click the pictures below to check out some of my favorite clover jewelry:
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Sunday, July 27th, 2008 by Jen
When choosing a necklace length, sometimes it is difficult to picture what a certain length will look like when you wear it. I thought I would share this chart that shows you where several popular necklace lengths would fall:
As a quick reference, a choker is typically 12-14 inches. That length would also be appropriate for a child. A 16 inch necklace chain would fall just above your collarbone. The most popular medium length is 18 inches for women and 20 inches for men.
Once you know what length you prefer, check out some of my favorite necklace chains below:
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Thursday, July 24th, 2008 by Jen
Turquoise jewelry is one of those classic summer accessories that never seem to go out of style. It’s the perfect shade for almost any summer outfit, and it’s a really affordable gemstone.
Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle has a great article about summer jewelry, also commenting about how turquoise jewelry is really a must-have for summer.
I was interested, so I did a little research and found out some really cool things about turquoise jewelry. For centuries women around the world have believed that turquoise has the ability to attract luck, love, and money, and that turquoise jewelry has healing and protective powers. Turquoise got it’s name from 16th century Europeans who mistakenly thought that the turquoise they were buying from traders was originating from Turkey, rather than Persia. Turquoise is also an alternative December birthstone.
How do you care for turquoise jewelry? Be sure not to expose it to oils, perfumes, cosmetics, chemicals, heat, or direct sunlight. You can keep it from scratching by storing it separately from other jewelry pieces. Feel free to wash with water as needed, but be sure to dry the gemstone thoroughly afterwards.
For some of my favorite turquoise jewelry, click the pictures below:
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