The piece we are featuring this week is a smoky quartz ring! Quartz has long been known for it's healing and mystical properties, and smoky quartz is no different. Smoky quartz is said to have powers to protect you from negativity, and to also amplify the power of other stones you might be wearing. Nevertheless, it's brown hues perfectly compliment any outfit during the Fall season! 

This week we are featuring a fantastic piece of amethyst in the rough, combined with Balinese scroll type pattern. The rough amethyst is polished, simultaneously providing a rustic look and a classy finish. 

This week we are taking a look at one of our specialty pieces - a pair of dangling earrings, put on French wire, with 2 beautiful larimar stones. The piece is handcrafted in Bali, Indonesia. You can stare into the larimar as if you were staring right into the water. 

Continuing on with the theme of the month, we will discuss another topic surrounding opals. Did you know that there are many different kinds of opals, and that opals can be found all across the world. It turns out that while Australia's opal production dominates the opal market (around 95% or so of the world's supply), there are other opals out there that come from places you would normally not even think about. Let's examine some of the lesser known, overshadowed opals of the world.

Ethiopian Opal:

Ethiopian opals obviously come from the country they are named for, Ethiopia. It wasn't until 1994 when opals were discovered in Ethiopia, and later there were more discoveries in 2008 and 2013. Now you can find all kinds of opals coming from there, from precious to fire opals, to black opals. Furthermore, opals from Ethiopia are usually cheaper than their Australian counterparts, so they make for a great choice among opal seekers. Ethiopian opals come from the Shewa province, and 2 different regions of the Wollo province. Most of the opals from the Wollo province have orange and reddish tones in them.

Mexican Opal:

The opals from Mexico are known for their fiery, orange hues that radiate with color. There are some examples of opals that display this fiery color, and also the brilliant play of color of a precious opal. Those sorts of specimens are typically rare, so what you commonly see is what is called a cantera opal. Most opals found in Mexico are embedded into a rock called rhyolite, and because it is difficult to extract the opal from the rock without causing any damage, it is often just cut into a cabochon with the rhyolite still part of it. 

Peruvian Opal:

What makes Peruvian opals distinct from all other opals is their lack of play of color, which is the sensation that happens when various colors in the stone radiate in a neon, kaleidoscope type way. Peruvian opals are solid colors, coming in blue and pink. These opals are usually made into cabochons and beads.

Brazilian Opal:

Brazilian opals come from the Northeast region of Brazil in the state Piaua, and are not mined on a large industrial scale, but with generators and even hand digging. Because opals from Brazil have a much lower moisture content than other opals, they have crystal opals that have otherwise unusual fire colors not seen in other opals. Most of the opals are semi-transparent to see-through. There is only a small amount of black opals that come from Brazil.

And those are just a few examples, but there are even more than that! Next time you are looking for opals, considering looking for some of these kinds and you will most likely find something that really catches your eye. 

Sources used:

https://geology.com/gemstones/opal/ethiopian-opal....

https://geology.com/gemstones/opal/fire-opal.shtml

https://geology.com/gemstones/opal/peruvian-opal.s...

https://www.opalauctions.com/learn/a-z-of-opals/br...

Continuing with the theme of October, we bring you some more helpful info about opals! While opals are known for their unique radiant beauty, one of the drawbacks to owning them is their propensity for cracking. Lab created opals offer the benefit of being very hard, which is an advantage over real opals, but they just aren't quite the same in terms of color. Opals are usually somewhere between 5.5-6.5 on the Moh's hardness scale, which means they are leaning towards the softer side. 10 is the hardest number, which is what diamonds are. So, let's discuss a few ways you can better take care of your opals to make sure they aren't going to crack on you. 

Solid opals:

We will distinguish between solid opals and doublets and triplets from here on out. With solid opals, the hardness is roughly equivalent to the same hardness as glass, to give a familiar reference point. Avoid wearing your opal in any kind of tougher environment, such as doing any gardening, lawn mowing, furniture moving, or anything else where you might be in danger of having the stone get scratched. Solid opals are fine to be around water, so hand washing is ok. Just make sure you aren't subjecting them to temperature extremes, like very hot or very cold, or very low humidity. This too will also risk them cracking.

Doublets & Triplets:

 There are some differences when caring for doublets and triplets compared to solid opals. Doublet and triplet opals are comprised of multiple layers being glued together, so being exposed to water for longer periods of time will damage them by splitting those layers apart from each other. You will notice the opal begin to appear cloudy looking if this happens to it. If you shower with it a time or two, or get caught outside in a rainstorm, there's no need to worry: prolonged exposure is the issue.  

Cleaning Opals:

Solid opals can be cleaned with a mild detergent with warm water and a soft brush or a cloth. Do not use any harsh chemicals (such as bleach), ever. That's generally true for most jewelry, but it's especially true for opals. Doublets and triplets, being more delicate, should be cleaned with a damp cloth, and a mild detergent. Do not soak them or submerge them in the water; again, prolonged water exposure will ruin them. Furthermore, avoid ultrasonic cleaners like the plague, as the vibrations they produce can cause a solid opal to crack, and a doublet or a triplet to get water damaged. If the opal is looking dull or scratched, bringing it to a professional opal cutter can be a good idea so they can polish it up. 

Finally, if you are going to store your opal for a while, you can put it in a sealed plastic bag with a cloth in there for padding and protection. If it's going to be stored for a long period of time, add a few drops of water in a cotton pad and put it up against the opal so as to keep the stone from drying out in low humidity environments. 

There you have it! Those are some simply ways to take care of your opals, and keep them looking beautiful for years to come. 

Source used: http://www.opalsdownunder.com.au/learn-about-opals...  

One of the birthstones for the month of October is opal. The other is pink tourmaline, but opal is the better known of the 2 stones. It is also a stone that is given to celebrate the 14th wedding anniversary, but we won't focus on that for this blog post. More so, we want to focus on something we commonly hear from people who aren't born in October. It usually goes along the lines of something like, "Oh, I like opals, but I don't wear them because I heard it's bad luck to wear them if you weren't born in October." Some have even said they know of someone that had something bad happen to them, supposedly because they wore opals without being born in October. We are going to quickly dispel this myth, because after you hear the backstory of it, you will never be worried about it again. 

It turns out that the origin of the belief that wearing opals brings bad luck can be traced back to a novel. Yes, that's right, a novel. There once was a novel called Anne of Geuerstein, by a man named Sir Walter Scott. The novel was published in the year 1829, and the particular scene of interest is with a character named Lady Hermione. In the story, Lady Hermione always wears an opal, and is later accused of being some type of demoness. When a few drops of holy water fell on her opal, the drops put out the fiery color of the opal, and cause her to become ill. When she retreats to the bed in her room, the next day she is found as nothing but a pile of ash. Thus, the association with opals and terrible luck is born. The general public interpreted this scene as some kind of warning to avoid opals because of the misfortune they can bring, but this turned out to be a lazy reading of the book. However, Sir Walter Scott's novel ended up destroying the opal market in Europe for nearly 50 years. Opal prices plummeted down by 50% not long after the book was published. 

What finally reversed this trend was a discovery made in Australia in 1877, when a black opal found in South Wales. This resurrected the opal market, and led to a decline in opal production in Europe. This discovery actually led to a  shift in the balance of opal mining in the world away from Europe and to Australia. Today, most of the world's black, white, and even blue opals come from Australia. 

Ironically, throughout most of opals' written history, they were thought to be a stone of good luck because of their color, and their ability to show multiple colors. It just goes to show how one misunderstanding can lead to huge consequences. And there you have it - the reason why opals came to be thought of as bad luck, and why it's a myth!

Sources used:

https://www.jewelsforme.com/opal-meaning

https://www.gia.edu/opal-history-lore 

We are now officially into the start of Fall 2018! Or, Autumn if you prefer. With the arrival of the Fall season is also the arrival of new colors. Unless you live out in a desert, the colors of our outdoors is changing. The lush green of the trees and grass gives way to more brightly colored orange, yellow, brown, and golden tones. These are the more earthy colors, if you will. While most jewelry is good to wear in all seasons, we want to mention a few colors that could be good to wear this fall. 

1. Earthy Colored Gems

There are various gems out there that represent the various colors that we normally associate with Fall. Look towards gems like citrine, smoky quartz, yellow diamonds, and topaz, just to name a few. Citrine is like a match made in heaven with Fall, as it exhibits the exact blend of yellow and brown hues that we see in the changing leaves and in many other places. Yellow diamonds, while not as valuable and clear as white ones, are gaining in popularity. Diamonds which have that light yellow and brownish tones are formed that way due to the presence of some kind of element in the crystal structure that affects how light gets absorbed into the stone. The term "champagne diamond" was coined by the Rio Tinto diamond mine because they wanted to make their brown diamonds sound more luxurious and appealing. Nevertheless, they possess a beauty of their own and work great for Fall!

2. Earthy Colored Stones

There are other naturally occurring stones out there that wouldn't be referred to as gems, but they certainly are used to make beautiful jewelry. Look at Amber, Jasper, and Agate as examples of stones that would work very well for Fall colors. What makes amber an interesting choice is in a sense, you are wearing what was once a tree. After all, amber is essentially derived from fossilized remains of long ago extinct trees. That is a very simple way of putting it, of course, but what better way to be in touch with Fall than to be wearing what was a part of a tree?  

3. Rose Gold

Rose gold is a great option to wear during Fall just because of the color of the metal itself. While rose gold isn't exactly the same yellowish color you see outside during Fall, it comes pretty darn close. The funny thing is, rose gold isn't technically gold, in the sense that by definition, it is not pure gold. It is what is called an alloy, which simply means any mixture of metals. You could call it blended whiskey, not a single malt, if you will. Rose gold comes about when pure yellow gold is mixed with silver and copper. The copper is what gives it that pinkish tinge that we all recognize. The higher the karat amount, the more pure gold is in it. Because of the strength copper provides as a metal, it really adds durability to rose gold, making it a great metal to wear everyday.

There you have it! Those are just a few quick suggestions for you as you are looking for things to wear during the Fall season.

Sources Used: 

https://www.naturallycolored.com/diamond-education...

https://www.balticwonder.com/blogs/news/where-does...

https://www.romadesignerjewelry.com/blogs/educatio...

When determining the quality of various gemstones, especially diamonds, there are 4 different factors that contribute to the overall value of a given gemstone. Those 4 factors all begin with the letter C, and while they are most often used to help value diamonds, they apply to other gemstones as well. We will be referring to these 4 Cs using diamonds from here on out, but just know that all of this information also applies to virtually any gemstone. 

The 4 Cs are:

Carat 

Color

Clarity

Cut

It wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) created these standards of judging diamonds, which later became universally adopted by all. Before this, there was no universal standard by which to objectively judge the value of a diamond, and instead it was all subjective. The introduction of the 4 Cs created 2 new breakthroughs for assessing diamonds - the first being that there was now a universal vernacular that everyone could adopt to be able to uniformly communicate about diamond quality; secondly, diamond shoppers, provided they are careful to educate themselves about the 4 Cs, could now also know exactly what kind of diamond they are getting for the money they are spending. Now let's take a closer look at each C so we can understand them better. 

Carat - This one is perhaps the most simple of the 4 Cs. Carat weight is a measurement used to determine how much a diamond weighs, which tells you how big or how small a diamond is. There is also a smaller unit than a carat, which is called points. Anything under a carat will be referred to by how many points it is, i.e. a .5 carat diamond could be called a 50 point diamond. 

Color - This one is actually a little counterintuitive, as when it comes to diamonds, less color means more value. This is not necessarily true of other gems. The color is graded a letter grade system from D to Z, with D being the most colorless, and Z being the least. Many of the colors are subtle enough that an untrained eye cannot tell a difference, but the surest way to determine the color grade is to view the stone under controlled lighting conditions, and comparing it to a master stone. 

Clarity - Diamond clarity refers to how free of inclusions and blemishes a given stone is. Quite simply, the fewer the blemishes, the more valuable. Inclusions are internal, while blemishes are external. Both are the natural byproduct of the fact that diamonds are nothing more than carbon subjected to extreme amounts of heat and pressure deep under the earth's surface. Evaluating these inclusions and blemishes comes down to examining how many there are, how big they are, the position they are in the stone, etc. There is no diamond perfectly free of inclusions, but the closer it comes to that, the more valuable it will be. 

Cut -  Cut is all about how a diamond is cut, which is important because of how the cut allows the light of a diamond to really shine through. When we talk about a diamond's cut, it's what we often refer to as its shape, such as round or oval-shaped. However, what the cut is really all about is how the cut allows light to refract and radiate through the stone. It's all about the stone's relationship with light. It takes very delicate skill to properly cut a diamond so that it will deliver that beautiful sparkle everyone expects from it. Round is the most common cut. Of all the 4 Cs, cut is the most complicated one to analyze. 

And there's is what can be considered just a brief overview and introduction into the world of diamond/gemstone evaluation, which, although there are many technical factors at play, it can also be thought of as more of an art form than a science! 

For further reading, check out GIA's guide they put together: https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/4cs-diamond-quality/

https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/diamond-carat-weight/

https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/diamond-color/

https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/diamond-clarity/

https://4cs.gia.edu/en-us/diamond-cut/

A question we often get about our jewelry is: are these real stones? We carry a wide selection of both gemstones and natural stones, and some CZ's (synthetic stones), so of course it's a fair question to ask. The short answer to the question is yes, the vast majority of our stones are real. The only exceptions are a few pieces with CZ stones in them, or the more obvious zirconia stud earrings. However, today we'd like to give a more thorough answer to this frequent question.

As an everyday jewelry/gemstone buyer, you will generally encounter stones that have undergone some kind of treatment to enhance their appearance. Some people don't pay any attention to whether or not a stone is treated, while others wonder whether a stone is treated or not, or to what extent. The truth is, you could say all stones are treated in the sense that all stones get altered from their natural state in order to fit into man-made jewelry pieces. This is what jewelry makers have been doing for countless years and generations: cutting, shaping, polishing, and manipulating naturally formed gem crystals to craft a piece of wearable art. But taking it a step further, there are also other techniques which have been developed to do more than just cut or polish a stone, which actually change a gem's color and clarity. These treatments can not only enhance appearance, but can also alter the hardness of a stone as well. Some treatments are permanent, others last a long time, and others only last a short period of time. Here are some of brief overviews of various treatment techniques that exist. 

1. Bleaching

Bleaching involves using a chemical to alter or reduce a color in a porous gem. This treatment is often used in conjunction with dyeing. 

Examples: jade, pearls 

2. Dyeing

Dyeing is the process of adding colored dyes into porous and more fractured gems in order to change their color. This is often used as a combination process with bleaching, after bleaching has been done.

Examples: pearls, coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli, hoplite, jade, chalcedony, quartz, emerald, and ruby

3. Surface Coating 

Surface coating alter's a gem's appearance by adding a coloring agent like a paint to the back surfaces of gems, or applied to all of the surface, or a portion of the surface. This is done to affect the gem's color. 

Examples: diamond, tanzanite, topaz, coral, pearls, and quartz

4. Fracture Filling

Fracture filling involves actually filling in fractures or cavities on a gem's surface with different materials such as glass, resin, wax, or oil in order to conceal the gem's inclusions and flaws. This also can improve a gem's stability, or in the most extreme cases even add weight to it.

Examples: diamond, ruby, and emerald

5. Heat Treatment

Heat treatment is simply exposing a gem to very high temperatures in order to change its color and/or clarity. 

Examples: amber, amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, ruby, sapphire, tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon (virtually any and every gem is commonly heat treated)

There you have it folks! Most gems you see in finished pieces of jewelry are not in their rough state, but rather have treated in some fashion to enhance in one way or another, to make it more aesthetically pleasing to jewelry buyers. That doesn't mean a treated gem isn't a real one though!  

For further reading, check out the source we used: https://www.gia.edu/gem-treatment

One of the most common questions we receive from customers about our jewelry is whether it will tarnish, or if it will turn their fingers green. Well, there's good news and bad news, sort of...Yes, sterling silver does tarnish (that's the bad news). The good news? It's not going to turn your fingers green. Here's some more good news - sterling silver, even after it has tarnished, can be cleaned up. Why does sterling silver tarnish? And how can you prevent it from tarnishing in the first place? Read on for the answers!

First thing's first: sterling silver, contrary to what some might believe, is not pure silver. Sometimes we hear people ask us if our jewelry is pure silver. Technically, no it is not, but that person is asking the wrong question. The better question is, is it real silver? Real sterling silver jewelry has a stamp on it that reads "925". You might be asking yourself, "What do the numbers 925 have anything to do with sterling silver jewelry"? Good question! It's because the standard for something to be considered sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, and the other 7.5% is combination of metals. Any metal that isn't pure and is instead of combination of metals is known as an alloy. So technically, sterling silver is an alloy. One of the most prominent metals in the sterling silver alloy is copper, and copper is actually the main culprit when it comes to seeing tarnish on sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver, when it is exposed to the air, will naturally tarnish over time. The other metals (again, mainly copper) are reacting to various agents in the air, like the moisture and sulfur content. More polluted air will cause the tarnish reaction to happen even faster. Other chemicals that are found in everyday products like deodorant, lotions, and perfumes can also contribute to speeding up the tarnishing reaction. So how can you prevent that from happening?

There are a few different methods available to you to prevent or slow down the tarnishing process in your silver jewelry. And, we will also cover a couple of methods of how to clean up your jewelry should you find it is already tarnished.

To prevent tarnish:

1. We recommend that while you are not wearing your jewelry, keep it in a sealed ziplock plastic bag with all of the air pushed out of it. Pushing all of the air out will create a vacuum where the pollutants in the air will no longer be able to react with the metals in the silver. 

2. Keep your jewelry away from sunlight, heat, and moisture as much as you possibly can. These are all things that contribute to the tarnishing process. That doesn't you shouldn't wear your jewelry outside, but if you aren't wearing it, you can at least store it some place where those variables are eliminated. 

3. Do not wear your jewelry in the shower, or leave it in a bathroom, or near a pool or hot tub. The humidity in the air is going to cause the tarnishing process to speed up!

To clean up tarnish:

1. Use a polishing cloth. Polishing cloths are treated specially to clean tarnish off of several precious metals, not just sterling silver. A word of advice on polishing cloths - don't wash them! They are going to turn black and dirty looking, which is because of all the tarnish they are removing, but if you wash it, you will be washing the treatment right out of it.

2. If I polishing cloth isn't getting all the tarnish off of your silver jewelry, fill a bowl with some warm water and baking soda. The baking soda should help to pull the tarnish off of the silver. If your jewelry has gemstones or pearls, be very careful not to submerge them in the solution - it's only the silver you are trying to clean! 

3. If that still doesn't get it all, use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. They use ultrasonic vibrations to remove tarnish and grime from jewelry. Here is an example of one you could look at: https://www.amazon.com/Magnasonic-Professional-Ult...

Note: we have never used that specific product and we are not endorsing it, just rather giving you a place to start looking.

And as a last resort, if nothing else worked, take it to your local jewelry for them to use their polish wheel to buff out the tarnish. This should only be needed if your jewelry is extremely tarnished, as the methods stated above should work in almost all cases!