Sunday, January 20, 2008

Pearls Jewelry

Pearls Jewelry by Puripong Koomsin



From Audrey Hepburn and the English Crown Jewels to long necklaces done by fashion giant Chanel, there is absolutely no doubt to the timelessness of a great pearl jewelry. Pearls are a wonder of nature, like most jewels are. Born from an irritation in the inner lining of mollusks (oysters and pearl mussels create pearls that are considered valuable); it becomes something beautiful and spectacular. There are different kinds of pearls, they come in different shapes, sizes and colors. The rounder the pearl is the rarer and much more expensive it tends to be. Pearls are either salt water or fresh water pearls, cultured or natural. The environment of which the pearl is created greatly contributes to how a pearl will turn out.

STORAGE - Pearl jewelry cannot be haphazardly thrown in with the other jewelry in your armoire. Pearls have a softer surface compared to other jewelry. In fact, pearls are located in the lowest rung when it comes to hardness with diamonds being at the top. So, if you throw your pearls with other jewelry that contains sapphires, rubies, emeralds, etc. or even gold links that have sharp edges on them, you are endangering your pearls from getting scratched or damaged. The best thing to do is to put the pearls in a separate container. If you do not have the luxury, the time or the space to store your jewels separately, then you could get inexpensive felt or velvet pouches that you can buy in craft and fabric stores. Keep your pearls in these pouches so that they do not get scratched by harder gemstones.

CLEANING - There are a lot of jewelry cleaners that are available in the market. DON'T use them with your pearls. Again, as said, pearls have a softer cover in comparison to other gems. Commercial jewelry cleaners can damage the surface of your pearls and cause them to loose their luster. When you need to clean your pearls, the best thing to do is to clean them with a dilute solution of soap and water. This will help remove the dirt and still keep your pearls intact. For better results, use warm water when cleaning them and soak them for at least 10 minutes. Don't leave them on too long because it can also damage the pearl and make it loose its luster. Another tip that will keep the pearl clean and help it keep its shine longer is to put on your perfume first before putting on the pearl. This way, you do not get any of the oil and the alcohol from the perfume directly on the pearls.

MAKING THEM LAST - Pearls need to be restrung at least every year or when the string they are attached to becomes frayed. Re-stringing pearls help avoid a fiasco of having your pearls rain down all over your floor with you getting on your knees looking for each individual piece. Restringing can be done by a professional; your local jeweler can probably do the job for you.

About the Author
If you enjoy reading this, you may enjoy to read more about Brighton Jewelry and Jared Jewelers or Kay Jewelers

See More Pearl Jewelry>>>

Monday, January 7, 2008

Wedding Ring Selection Tips


Wedding Ring Selection Tips by Anna Bloggy

One of the most important parts of the wedding ceremony is the exchanging of wedding rings. It is emblematic of the magnificence of your love for each other. The rings symbolize the true and unending love the couple is vowing to each other. Moreover, the wedding rings are the one very special token from your wedding that you will preserve for a long period; even longer than the gifts you receive during your wedding, which will be there for several years!


The initial step for getting a perfect fit is to decide wearer's ring size. The best thing is to take along with your to the shop, the person for who will wear the ring, and select from the available collection of rings. Though in many such cases, the surprise factor of giving the gift will be absent, it will help you see that the ring fits well on the finger of the wearer. Wedding rings come in silver, platinum, white gold and yellow gold. These types differ in their costs. First determine the type of metal you prefer in accordance with your budget and naturally, as per your sweetheart's choice. When the metal is chosen, you need to decide the stone to be engrafted in the ring. Decide the size, shape, color and type of the stone that befits your budget. Diamonds are the best choice but you can also prefer colored stones like rubies, emeralds and sapphires, which are having some astrological grandeur.


Silver wedding engagement rings are very in many parts of the world. Very much like gold and white gold, silver is a very popular precious metal used to make wedding rings of different shapes and styles. Where did the wedding ring come from? And why this treasured metal holds the key to so many souls? By custom, the bride's ring used to be silver while, whereas the bridegroom's would be gold. Today nearly any kind of metal can be used for making the wedding ring of both the bride and the groom. Silver wedding rings are usually worn on the ring finger of the left hand. This tradition goes back many years as far as medieval era.


For matching the wedding and engagement rings, it is essential to use the same cherished metals. For instance, you may not want one ring to be silver and the other one gold, as they would appear really odd jointly. Another important thing to note is that the gems on both rings require to be the same. Many people like to have diamonds on the engagement ring and birthstones on the wedding ring. But when placed together the wedding and engagement ring set looks tacky, so only select one gemstone for both.


In case you or your sweetie engage in some physical labor, it is advisable to look for a heavier, broader ring. This can minimize damage to the wedding ring and it will be able to last long. It is also better in this case to have a smooth stone that fits well in to the ring. In case there is some risk of the stone getting caught somewhere, there is a possibility of losing the ring and so a smooth surface is always better here. Many of us love an etched wedding ring. If you and your partner were among such people, a more classic type ring would be desirable. This gives much room for inscribing.


Seeking other alternatives in place of wedding rings is not at all a way of discouraging wedding jewelry completely. Actually, there are some people who disapprove wedding rings owing to their religious, cultural or financial conditions. Wedding jewelry is meant for those who like to wear them and find solemn symbolization behind the custom. Purchasing wedding rings need not have to be a forced custom. Rather, you should take decisions in accordance with what works best for you.


About the Author
Wedding Engagement Ring website provides more information and tips. Be sure to visit Author's Website at http://weddingengagementring.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Gemstones 101 - The Ruby



Gemstones 101 - The Ruby by Kevin chang

Ruby is one of the four precious gemstones along with Sapphire, Emerald and the Diamond। Ruby as a mineral is hard; it only comes second to the diamond when it comes to hardness.

The color of the Ruby comes in different shades of red - from light pink to blood red। This color is due to chromium. The word "Ruby" come from "rubber", the Latin word for red.

Although Ruby is the birthstone for the month of July, it is a common gift for lovers in February in time for the Valentines। Its deep red color shows passion and power. In the past, royalties wear a Ruby to make use of its believed to be magical powers to fight against evil. According to myths and legends, the stone grows darker to warn the wearer of imminent perils. Even today's modern royalties still use Rubies to adorn the insignia of their households.

Ruby is faceted into different styles of cuts and marketed as high class jewelries। The most preferred cuts are the brilliant and step cuts. Some rubies that have asterism are polished and shaped (the result is called cabochon) instead of faceted to display the best effect of the stone. Asterism is an inclusion that can greatly increase the value of the Ruby. Rubies with transparent asterism are highly prized. Some rubies, although extremely rarely, can show color changes, an effect called chatoyancy.

The prices of Rubies are highly depended on the color। The Pigeon Blood Red, which is the brightest red Ruby, is exceedingly expensive. Clarity follows color in determining the Ruby's price. Clear Rubies have higher prices. It is easy to spot any clear Ruby that has been treated to fool buyers. This can be noted with the absence of needle like rutile inclusion.

There are many acceptable practices to treat Rubies to enhance the quality। The most common accepted treatment practice is using heat. Heat treatment can improve color, and remove blemishes on the stone. Most lower cost rubies are heat treated.

A notorious way of treating Rubies to enhance them is the Lead Glass Filling method। This is done by filling the fractures inside the ruby with lead glass to greatly improve the look and shine.

There are also synthetic Rubies that have been in the market since the 19th century। The introduction of the flame fusion process has made synthetic Ruby production possible. To the unaided eye, synthetic rubies may have no apparent imperfections. These imperfections can only be noticed hen magnified. Synthetic rubies are the answer to the people who want to avail of the stone's elegance without spending huge amount of money. But synthetic rubies cannot be considered an investment compared to the natural ones.

Some Ruby varieties include Burmese Ruby, Star Ruby, Cat's Eye Ruby, Stynthetic Verneuil Ruby. An unnamed 38.12 carat ruby holds the record for having been sold for $5,860,000 at an auction in 2006.
Science laboratories have used rubies for the first laser which used artificial ruby crystals। The phosphorescence property of ruby makes it perfect for lasers.

About the Author
To learn more about ruby gemstones and other loose gemstones, please visit www।gemstoneeducation.com

See more ruby jewelry >>>