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Gemstones and Precious Metals
This section only covers the stones and
precious metals used for the creation of our jewelry.
Natural stone. It is often dyed to enhance its natural color, so it comes in many colors. It sometimes contains opal substances. Agate will chip and crack rather easily. Natural stone. It ranges in color from green to blue-green. It derives its name from the Amazon River. They are natural stones and also can be dyed. Amethyst is purple, lilac or mauve. The deep colors are the most valuable. It is sometimes heat treated to create Citrine. Becomes paler with direct sunlight. It is part of the quartz group. It has tiny inclusions that give it a sparkling effect. Aventurine can be found in green, blue, peach and brown. Dyed serpentine beads. It resembles genuine black Jade, but is less expensive. Also known as Poppy Jasper. Has deep brown, brick, red and cream colors. Handcrafted stone. A brownish red to orange, translucent to opaque chalcedony variety. Dyed stone. A calcium carbonate with a trace of carotene. Its color ranges from white to red. Coral is fragile. Protect it from scratches. Avoid large temperature changes. Natural coral has a distinctive wood grain texture which can help identify it as the real thing. Natural stone. Blue dumortierite is an aluminum borate silicate. It is also called "blue denim stone". It is a versatile gemstone, looking great with jeans or a suit. Natural stone. Rich, dark golden stone. Items are made by combining a layer or layers of gold permanently bonded to a base metal (usually brass). Five percent of the total weight is gold. Gold-Filled has a long life and is tarnish resistant. It is not less than 10K. Man made glass. Thousands of shiny flecks in a medium brown stone. Jade It comes in green, lavender, pink, yellow and white. There are two types of Jade: Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is rarer and the highest quality is known as imperial Jade. Jadeite comes in many colors: red, yellow, green, lilac, black, orange, white, pink, blue and brown. Nephrite Jade is more common and is often used in chinese carvings. It comes in various tones of green. Finished jewelry made with this gemstone is valued in price and as a collectible. Natural stone. Jasper comes in red, brown, green, grey-blue, and yellow. It is mostly striped or spotted. Often is multi-colored. Jasper is often sealed with petroleum products. Natural stone. It is a secondary mineral of copper. Has bands of light and dark green. Malachite is sensitive to heat and acids. Do not wash with water or ultrasonic cleaners. Dyed stone. Is a high-grade dolomite marble. Is widely used in fine costume jewelry. Pearl is formed in an oyster as a reaction to a foreign object. Cultured pearls are created by adding a piece of shell inside an oyster. Layers of nacre grow over the added substance. Pearls are generally white, brown, silver, cream, black or pink. Natural pearls are the most expensive, followed by cultured pearls. Fresh water pearls are cultured in freshwater mussels and tend to be relatively inexpensive. They are sensitive to acids, dryness, and humidity. Freshwater Pearl Grading: A Grade - Extremely well shaped, white, high luster,very minor surface blemishes. B Grade - Well shaped, white to light cream, high luster, minor surface blemishes. C Grade - Irregular shape, off-white, medium luster, surface is irregular. D Grade - Same as C grade, but one or more of the characteristics are excessively bad. Natural stone. Dark to flesh red-pink with black inclusions of manganese oxide. Dyed a soft pink. Have good clarity and many are handcrafted. Serpentine Gets its name due to its color and markings that resemble the skin of a snake. Can be found in yellow, green, brown and black. Has white streaks. Mainly a magnesium silicate. Natural stone. Its color ranges from royal blue to light blue and also white. The white streaks are calcite. Items are made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper or other alloy. It will tarnish in time, taking an "antique" look. Natural stone. Tiger Eye is black with iron oxide staining which gives it yellow and golden brown stripes. It is often heat treated. This is permanent, so no extra care is required. The color varies from greenish blue to sky blue shades. The green color is caused by iron and the green color is caused by copper. Often it has brown, grey or black veins or spots. It is a relatively soft gemstone. Parafin polish, polyresin polish and stabilization are the treatments currently applied to turquoise. Paraffin and polyresin might darken or add a surface waxiness. The stabilization process increases the durability and hardness of the gemstone. Natural stone. Opaque granite rock with main parts being quartz, feldspar and greenish epidote. It was named after its place of discovery in South Carolina. Items are made of sterling silver covered with 22KT yellow gold. It is long lasting, and feels and looks like pure gold.
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