Jewellery Info

In this section I am going to share with you the information and tips which I have picked up over the last 6 years of my jewellery making journey. There's lots of useful, educational and fascinating information on many jewellery related topics which will help you when making your jewellery purchases and prevent you from making costly mistakes. There's also tips on how to care for your jewellery to keep it in top condition -saving you money and keeping you looking gorgeous!

• -All about pearls
• -History of Pearls
• -Natural vs Cultures Pearls
• -Care of Pearls
• -Birthday stones
• -Traditional birthday stones
• -Modern birthday stones
• -Anniversary Stones
• -Zodiac Stones
• -All about Gemstones
• -Traditional properties of gemstones

All about pearls

Black Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Necklace Beautiful 5 -6mm black cultured freshwater pearl necklace. This classic necklace measures 17 " long and everyone should have one! To buy this necklace click here

How pearls are made

Pearls are our gift from nature, the only gemstones grown inside of a living organism. These stunning jewels are formed within oysters or molluscs when a foreign body, perhaps a grain of sand or a parasite invades the shell of the oyster and embeds the soft mantle tissue. As a result, the mollusc or oyster secretes a substance called nacre, the same substance which makes up the interior of a mollusc's shell, which builds up in layers around the irritant, forming a pearl.

In nature, usable pearls are extremely rare as only a very small percentage of oysters ever produce a pearl and then very few will be of a quality, colour, size and shape that can be used in jewellery. The chances of these rare pearls ever being found by man further reduces the availability of quality natural pearls making them very scarce indeed. Hence, in history, pearls were afforded only by the wealthiest people, often used in royal jewels. This rarity and demand for quality pearls has led to the development of the cultured pearl industry which has made pearls more available and reliable in quality than ever before.

Cultured Pearls.

White Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Necklace Beautiful 5 -6mm white cultured freshwater pearl necklace. This classic necklace measures 17 " long and everyone should have one! To buy this necklace click here

The cultured pearl industry and the subsequent farming of pearls as seen today, all started in the 13th century in Japan. A method of giving nature a helping hand in producing pearls was developed and then trademarked by Kokichi Mikimotot in 1916. These pearl pioneers discovered that by inserting a little foreign body, or 'nucleus', into the mollusc's's shell, they could stimulate the production of a pearl - the nucleus would be coated with nacre in the same way as a natural pearl is formed. Mikimoto perfected this technique, experimenting with different molluscs, different water temperatures and mineral contents of the sea water and eventually was able to produce stunning, perfectly round quality cultured pearls. This same method is now employed for producing freshwater, akoya, tahitian and south sea pearls. Pearl farming, much like any other type of farming produces an annual harvest of quality , affordable pearls, now available to all of us. The only way of telling the difference between a completely natural pearls and a cultured pearl is by using an x ray to reveal the artificial 'nucleus' of the cultured pearl.

Cultured pearls come in many different shapes, sizes colours and qualities. Naturally occurring colours tend to be white, pale natural pink and black depending on the type of mollusc's used and the mineral content of the waters they grow in. Different shapes are produced using differing nuclei, eg coin, heart and stick shaped pearls. Finishing treatments are also employed, some pearls may be bleached to make them appear whiter and others being dyed in all colours of the rainbow.

Pink Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Necklace Beautiful 5 -6mm pale pink cultured freshwater pearl necklace. This classic necklace measures 17 " long and everyone should have one! To buy this necklace click here

The cultured pearl industry is now big business, stretching from the northern tip of Australia to the southern tip of China where the warm, unpolluted waters make this practice possible. Although we do still occasionally hear of natural pearls coming to market, these are increasingly rare and expensive, a full strand being worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds!

Pearl production is good for our environment as it is very sustainable and requires unpolluted waters. Unlike many other gemstones which require mining, some of which is less than ethical, pearl farming causes minimal damage to our world, another reason to love pearls.

How to care for your pearls.

Large white cultured pearl drop earrings. By Dawn Woodward. These huge (10 -12mm) drop shaped white cultured pearls make simply stunning earrings. To Buy these now, click here.

Pearls need special care and attention, their beauty will last a lifetime if they are looked after properly. Being made of a soft porous natural form of calcium carbonate , pearls need to be protected from harmful chemicals and abrasives. Firstly, store your pearls away from anything which may scratch them as this will damage the surface lustre. Keep them in their own box or silk pouch away from other jewellery. Take care with harmful cosmetics, eg perfume, hairspray, make-up and body lotions as these may well damage the beauty of the pearl also. If you follow the tip that your pearls should be the last thing you put on as you are about to leave the house, after all of your other grooming is complete you'll give them the best chance of staying gorgeous.

After wearing your pearls you may like to wipe them over with a soft cloth to remove any dust or grime. Never use chemical jewellery cleaners as they may be harmful to your pearl surface. Seek specialist advice from a reputable jewellers if you are unsure about cleaning your pearls.

And enjoy! They'll take you anywhere and ,in my opinion, are a real winner for a classic, elegant look.

Brithday Stones

Stuck for a birthday present or wondering what you birthday stone is, here are a few suggestions:-

Traditional Birthday Stones

January	Amethyst
February	Garnet
March	Bloodstone
April	Diamond
May	Emerald
June	Alexandrite
July	Ruby
August	Sardonyx
September	Sapphire
October	Tourmaline
November	Citrine
December	Turquoise

Modern Birthday Stones

January	Garnet
February	Amethyst
March	Aquamarine
April	Diamond
May	Emerald
June	Pearl
July	Ruby
August	Peridot
September	Sapphire
October	Opal
November	Topaz
December	Turquoise / Blue Zircon / Blue Topaz

Anniversary Stones

All the way up to 80 years ( who's been married for that long?!) that's a lot of married bliss...! See what you can expect for your next wedding anniversary....mine will be a wristwatch or a carnelian, not sure which I'd prefer!

(Alternative stones are listed in brackets.)

1	Gold (Peridot)
2	Garnet
3	Pearl (Jade)
4	Blue Topaz (Blue Zircon)
5	Sapphire (Pink Tourmaline)
6	Amethyst (Turquoise)
7	Onyx (Yellow Sapphire, Golden Beryl)
8	Tourmaline (Tanzanite)
9	Lapis Lazuli (Amethyst, Green Spinel)
10	Diamond (Blue Sapphire)
11	Turquoise (Citrine, Yellow Zircon)
12	Jade (Opal)
13	Citrine (Moonstone, Hawk's Eye)
14	Opal (Agate, Bloodstone)
15	Ruby (Rhodolite Garnet, Alexandrite)
16	Peridot (Red Spinel)
17	Wristwatch (Carnelian)
18	Cat's Eye / Chrysoberyl (Aquamarine)
19	Aquamarine (Almandine Garnet)
20	Emerald (Yellow or Golden Diamond)
21	Iolite
22	Spinel
23	Imperial Topaz
24	Tanzanite
25	Silver (Tsavorite, Green Garnet)
30	Pearl
35	Emerald
40	Ruby
45	Sapphire (Cat's Eye)
50	Golden (Imperial / Golden Topaz)
55	Alexandrite
60	Diamond (Star Ruby)
65	Blue Spinel
70	Sapphire (Smoky Quartz)
75	Diamond
80	Ruby

Zodiac Stones

Whether you're into this stuff or not, hey, it's another excuse for more jewellery!

Capricorn	(Dec 22 - Jan 20)	- Ruby
Aquarius	(Jan 21 - Feb 21)	- Garnet
Pisces	(Feb 22 - March 21)	- Amethyst
Aries	(March 22 - April 20)	- Bloodstone (Jasper)
Taurus	(April 21 - May 21)	- Sapphire
Gemini	(May 22 - June 21)	- Agate
Cancer	(June 22 - July 22)	- Emerald
Leo	(July 23 - August 22)	- Onyx
Virgo	(August 23 - Sept 22)	- Carnelian
Libra	(Sept 23 - Oct 23)	- Chrysolite (Peridot)
Scorpio	(Oct 24 - Nov 21)	- Aquamarine
Sagittarius	(Nov 23 - Dec 21)	- Topaz

All about Gemstones

Gemstones are another example of beautiful, naturally formed jewels from the earth. It's hard to believe when we see the huge array of colours , geology and patterns that these wonderful stones have been formed naturally in over millions or thousands of years and are Mother Nature's gift to us. Gemstones are cut and polished for use in jewellery and it is often the skill used in the lapidary process which brings out the real beauty of the natural stone, making gemstones so beautiful to wear. Amethyst, jade, onxy, quartz, tigers-eye, jasper, agate to name but a few, we all have our favorite gemstones,they look wonderful and some people believe that they have various healing properties also. Whether you believe in this sort of thing or not (and I'm not advocating that you do), it's fascinating to learn about the traditional properties and how they have been used over the centuries, so here's a little more information on them:-

Traditional Gemstone Properties

Agates	Balancing physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies; perceptiveness, strength, inspiration, awakening talents.
Amazonite	Success, joy, self-expression, awakening heart, soothing, harmony, balancing.
Amber	Soothing, calming, cleansing.
Amethyst	Contentment, spirituality, dreams, healing, peace, happiness, love, intuition.
Ametrine	Intellectual stimulation, attunement, releasing, dispelling tension, connecting.
Apatite	Intellect, achieving results, healing, insight, humanitarianism, meditation, balance, creativity.
Aquamarine	Courage, purification, peace, intuition, self-expression, balance, preparedness.
Aventurine	Healing, money, mental agility, visual acuity, peace, opening heart, motivation, leadership.
Azurite	Intuitive energy, dreams, healing, insight, stilling the mind, concentration, self transformation.
Bloodstone	Courage, intense healing, renewal, strength, victory, intuitive decision making.
Calcite	Purification, peace, calming, memory, awareness, appreciation of nature.
Carnelian	Precision, analytical capabilities, physical energy, verbal skill, peace, spirituality.
Celestite	Verbal skill, healing, compassion, calming, growth, intuition, hope.
Chrysocolla	Easing heartache, stamina, wisdom, peace, love, communication, vitality, inner strength.
Chrysoprase	Balancing male-female energy, love, grace, compassion, clemency, personal growth.
Citrine	Intuition, comfort, protection, creativity, physical energy, wealth, mental awakening.
Coral	Diplomacy, quieting emotions, visualization.
Crystal Quartz	Intensifying energy, spiritual development, healing, raising consciousness.
Diamond	Courage, strength, healing, protection, spirituality, mental abilities.
Dumortierite	Self-reliance, stamina, patience, recognition of potential, understanding, communication of ideas.
Emerald	Love, domestic bliss, sensitivity, loyalty, memory, mental capacity, harmony, focus, eliminating negativity.
Fluorite	Stability, impartial reasoning, responsibility, concentration, health.
Fossil Stone	Accomplishments, improvement of one’s environment, communication, innovation.
Garnet	Health, removing negativity, awareness, commitment, regeneration, order, insight.
Hematite	Mental attunement, memory, calming, balance, focusing energy and emotions, peace, inner happiness, transforming negativity.
Howlite	Awareness, calm, emotional expression, observation, patience, eliminating negativity.
Iolite	Intuition, spiritual growth, healing, balance, releasing discord, awakening to inner knowledge.
Jade	Fidelity, dreams, realization of potential, peace, accord, resourcefulness, accomplishment.
Jaspers	Protection, nurturing, joy, awareness; balancing of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual energies.
Labradorite	Alignment, spiritual connection, transformation, clarity, peace, progression, discernment.
Lapis Lazuli	Wisdom, intuition, awareness, objectivity, clarity, creativity, expanded consciousness, dreams, purity, courage, serenity.
Lepidolite	Hope, stress reduction, birth, peace, spirituality, physical strength, luck, protection, emotional balance.
Malachite	Transformation, insight, clarifying emotions, fidelity, loyalty, practicality.
Marble	Charitable actions, original thinking, alleviation of sorrow.
Moonstone	Introspection, reflection, beginnings, insight, tenderness, harmony, peace, travel.
Mother of Pearl	Mental clarity, intuition, sensitivity, imagination, adaptability, cooperation.
Obsidians	Clarity, deflecting negativity, protection, healing.
Onyx	Self-control, decision making, intuition, recognition of personal strengths.
Opal	Creativity, spontaneity, relationships, memory, happy dreams and changes.
Pearl	Purity, faith, charity, innocence, integrity, focus, wisdom, spirituality, sincerity, fertility.
Peridot	Warmth, friendliness, understanding, openness in love and relationships, regulation of cycles.
Pyrite	Defense, prevention, protection from negativity, physical wholeness, memory.
Rhodocrosite	Love, emotional balance, cleansing, renewal, relaxation, expansion of consciousness.
Rhodonite	Peace, generosity, attention to details.
Rhyolite	Change, variety, progress, creativity, transcending barriers.
Rose Quartz	Love, peace, happiness, gentleness, healing emotional wounds.
Ruby	Nurturing, spiritual wisdom, attainment of values, economic stability, protection from distress.
Sapphire	Joy, peace, beauty, intuition, prosperity, fulfillment of dreams.
Serpentine	(see Jade)
Smoky Quartz	Dissolving emotional blockage, clearing the mind, cooperation, personal pride, joy in living, attentiveness to the moment, protection.
Sodalite	Wisdom, logic, calmness, healing, stress reduction, companionship, self-esteem.
Sunstone	Alleviating fears, energizing, cleansing.
Tanzanite	Communication, intuition, protection, symmetry, decision-making, spirituality.
Tiger Eye	Practicality, peacefulness, clarity, intelligence, intuition, new experiences, financial stability, calmness, releasing inhibitions.
Tiger Iron	Artistic endeavors, beauty, vitality.
Topaz	True love, success in endeavors, understanding of interrelationships, expression of ideas, trust, health, personal expansion and growth.
Tourmaline	Energizing, soul-searching, releasing.
Turquoise	Spiritual attunement, cleansing, healing, protection, valor, soothing, peace of mind, guidance through the unknown, romantic spontaneity.
Unakite	Balance, re-birth, foresight, emotional balance.
Zoisite	Dispelling laziness, facilitating advancement.