February 16, 2008

Caring For American Indian Jewelry

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 1:02 pm

American Indian jewelry is one of the most popular styles of jewelry sold throughout the United States. In fact, American Indian jewelry is so popular that men and women all around the world purchase it. Despite the fact that a large number of individuals purchase American Indian jewelry, most individuals do not know how to properly care for their prized possessions.

When it comes to cleaning and caring for American Indian jewelry, it is important to remember that are a wide variety of different jewelry pieces. Jewelry can come in the form of necklaces, bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, and more. While each piece of jewelry may be unique, they are often cleaned and cared for the same way.

The most important way to care for American Indian jewelry is to keep jewelry pieces clean. There are many individuals who do not care for their jewelry as much as they should. This is often because many feel that it is easy to clean their jewelry if needed. It is true that you can clean all pieces of American Indian jewelry, in one way or another, but constant cleaning may cause damage to a unique item.

To prevent normal wear caused by excess amounts of cleaning, American Indian jewelry owners are encouraged to take precautions to ensure the appearance and value of their jewelry stays the same. The easiest way to do this is to not wear jewelry pieces when doing a number of tasks or activities. These tasks and activities include, but are not limited to, doing dishes, taking a bath, swimming, or housework. Water combined with multiple chemicals could severely damage a fine piece of American Indian jewelry.

Preventative care can also include keeping American Indian jewelry stored in a cool, dry location. Instead of leaving a piece of jewelry out on a dresser or a kitchen counter, jewelry owners are encouraged to at least keep it in a jewelry box. If American Indian jewelry is being stored along side other jewelry pieces, it may be a good idea to place it inside a cloth. A wide number of jewelry stores and traditional retail stores sell small cloth jewelry bags. These bags can be effective at protecting a treasured piece of jewelry.

When cleaning American Indian jewelry, it is important that certain chemicals not be used. Chlorine, salt, and other household cleaning products can severely damage American Indian jewelry. If not properly cleaned, a piece of jewelry could experience discoloration or lose settings. Most American Indian jewelry suppliers and sellers recommend cleaning their jewelry with water and a small amount of soap.

Many individuals make a large mistake when it comes to cleaning their American Indian jewelry. That mistake is using commercial jewelry cleaning products. These commercial products are sold in a wide variety of retail locations. A large number of these jewelry cleaning products contain chemicals that can be harmful to American Indian jewelry. It is important to note that not all jewelry products are harmful to American Indian jewelry, but a large number are. When in doubt, it is advised that an American Indian manufacturer or jeweler be contacted.

Owning a piece of American Indian jewelry is a treasure in itself. If properly cared for and cleaned, a piece of American Indian jewelry can become a family heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation. In this day and age, family heirlooms are few and far between, making them even more important then ever.

Edward Charkow - EzineArticles Expert Author
January 29, 2008

Larimar Sterling Silver Jewelry

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 11:43 am

Silver is long being used as a precious metal for making jewelry. The superb ductility and favorable malleability make it an ideal material for jewelry. The most important characteristic that makes silver so widely popular is its wide availability that makes it not as costly as gold or platinum.

However, silver has a problem. It tarnishes and decomposes, rendering it inappropriate for long term use. This problem has led silver manufactures come out with some alternatives, such as silver alloys, which, apart from retaining the original characteristics of silver is long lasting. Among these alloys sterling silver is unique.

Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copperan alloy that can be worn without the fear of the silver getting darker in shade. The unique combination of silver and copper helps this exclusive class of retain its class, magnificence, and luster years after years.

Larimar sterling silver jewelry are now the best known in the world. These are versatile, flexible, inexpensive, and are easy to model, making them the favorite for jewelers as well as customers. There are a wide number of online jewelry stores offering exclusive sterling silver jewelry of various designs and costs.

Wholesale Larimar is a leading online jewelry manufacturer offering exclusive pieces of sterling silver jewelry online. What makes its offering attractive is the range of sterling silver jewelry featuring Larimar, an exclusive and rate brilliant blue gemstone.

Ryan Smith, developer of high quality content for online marketing, online shopping, travel and tourism, real estate, and a variety of other websites.

Content copyright © 2006 by Ryan Smith, all rights reserved.

This content was written by Ryan Smith. Please contact Ryan Smith for any further details.

September 28, 2007

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Earrings But Were Afraid to Ask

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 9:34 pm

It is thought that earrings date back to 3000 BC where they originated in Asia and
appeared in 2 formats, one being the simple hoop earring and the other the more
elaborate pendant earring.
The oldest earrings ever found by archaeologists were discovered in royal graves in
Iraq and date back to around 2500 BC. Gold, silver and bronze hoop earrings have
also been found dating back to 2000 BC in Crete. In those days it was customary to
bury jewellery with the dead.

In 16th century in the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt a type of earring called an
earplug became fashionable and these fitted snugly into a wide stretched hole in the
earlobe. This type of piercing is seen on the sculpture of Tutankhamen.
Poverty in the Dark ages meant that work with precious metals dwindled although
some goldsmiths preserved designs that were to later emerge in 7th century Greece.
The most popular earrings then were the pendant type and they often featured
a bird or likenesses of the gods Eros and Nike.

In the 2nd century during the Roman Empire, earrings became a popular way for
rich women to show off their wealth and the use of precious gemstones in the
jewellery also became more popular.
During the Middle Ages, earrings became less popular and practical due to the
popularity of elaborate hairstyles and headdresses. In fact for a time it was
considered immoral for respectable married woman not to have their heads covered
in public.

In 16th century Italy, hairstyles changed with hair being swept away from the face
leaving ears exposed although for another 100 years things stayed the same in
England, Spain and France with the wearing of high collars keeping earrings out of
fashion.

By the 17th century, earrings became very fashionable accessory for the well
dressed lady across the whole of Europe. One of the most popular designs of those
times were the very large heavy pendant type earrings called girandoles which were
great favourites of Queen Victoria. These earrings required a substantial amount of
precious metals and gemstones and so were very heavy, which meant that most
people that wore them suffered from elongated earlobes.

Although earrings were popular with wealthy people throughout the ages, they were
also popular with poorer people who adopted their own styles which were less
elaborate and made from less expensive materials.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that earrings were completely revolutionised.
Different fittings appeared such as screw and clip on as well as those for pierced
ears and it also became the norm for women to wear earrings in the day and not
just for special occasions.

The 1960’s marked a massive change for the wearing of
earrings when designs became completely unrestrained and it became common to
see men also wearing earrings although most only usually wear one earring. Women
began to collect earrings and with so many designs available the choices were
endless.
Today the choice is even greater and the popularity of earrings increases with many
people now having more than one set of piercings in which to display their
jewellery. Modern materials such as titanium and different types of plastics have
also become popular in the making of earrings because of their lightness, design
possibilities and in the case of titanium because of its hypoallergenic qualities.

There is now a never ending choice of different types of earrings from modern
trendy cheap and cheerful everyday earrings to the more expensive gold, silver or
platinum earrings inlaid with diamonds and other precious gemstones.

Written by John Lewis of Love2Have and Earrings UK. Love2have specialises in quality handcrafted designer
earrings made here in
the UK by small independent designers.

August 6, 2007

Silver Choker Will Guarantee You A Gasp Of Delight From The Recipient

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 3:20 pm

There are some jewelry gifts like silver chokers, where even if the person giving them were blind, the sounds and noises that usually tend to come from the recipient of the gift would in fact tell all, without one having to see the sheer delight, ecstasy and joy.

Wire jewelry in general usually has that kind of effect and quite often elicits gasps of delight and shocked joy from recipients, but a silver choker in particular will bring out the extreme and even the coolest and remotest of persons will tend to react in one way or another.

This is not really surprising when one considers the appearance and sheer beauty of this wire jewelry piece. For instance imagine a choker made with a 16 or 12 gauge wire of sterling silver? Actually the gold alternative to this is bound to be a 14k gold filled wire.

The sheer beauty and elegance of the sterling silver choker is a site to behold. Little wonder that silver chokers tend to elicit such extreme and noisy reactions.

Chokers, silver or otherwise are made to a client’s specific order and this elegant and beautiful neckwear is commonly secure with a hook clasp that allows for the easy hanging of a pendant and easy closing as well.

It is important to note here that the smaller the gauge of the silver, the larger the diameter of the wire and not the other way round.

There are few pieces of jewelry that can be more attention grabbing than a silver choker.

Visit the personalized baby gift idea site for the brainwave that will help you find that unforgettable gift.

August 4, 2007

New Low Cost Jewels Make Luxury Affordable For All

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 2:29 pm

For centuries sparkling, beautiful jewels have been THE sign of wealth and luxury the world over. Wearing quality jewelry makes just about everyone feel special and look better. Jewels have had such a long and lasting importance in our world that we give them as a sign of our most treasured possession — a long-term relationship.

Increasingly, wearing fine jewelry can be a noticeable sign of your success and achievement. Walk into a business meeting wearing an eye-catching ring, bracelet, or watch and your stature immediately rises as perceived by those around you. Your ideas seem more important and your power to prevail increases.

Centuries ago only Kings and Queens could afford jewels. Even in recent years, only the well-healed could afford a nice selection of quality jewels.

You could expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $5,000 for a nice piece of jewelry. That meant either wiping out your retirement account or making monthly payments, sometimes for years.

Today all that has changed for the better. Recent changes and discoveries in the jewelry market have made wearing fine jewelry more affordable than ever in history. Gold rings with genuine stones can now be purchased online and elsewhere for well under $100. I recently found a genuine white gold diamond ring for just $129.99.

Another option that is used today to keep the costs affordable is to use a sterling silver base and coat it with gold. Prior to this method, the only affordable jewelry was to use sterling silver but it had the disadvantage of tarnishing. This new method offers many advantages. It does not tarnish because it is gold plated, it is more beautiful than sterling silver and it is certainly more affordable.

Those kinds of prices put fine jewelry in a whole new light. For many of us, the $100 to $150 range falls into the realm of an easy purchase. You can buy it just because it makes you feel good without having any impact on your budget.

New much lower jewelry prices mean you can have a different style or color of jewelry to go with each of your suits. You can have a several-piece collection of similar designs to go with each of your favorite dresses.

Perhaps even more important, it’s easy to give nice jewelry as a gift, even if for no other reason than you were just thinking how much you value the recipient.

Simon Fischer is founder of YourDeamIzHere.com specializing in a very wide selection of affordable high-quality rings, bracelets, earrings, watches and more. Many items are below $100 and $150. See his collection now at www.YourDreamIzHere.com

August 3, 2007

Discerning Diamonds

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 10:16 pm

Cut, colour, clarity and carat are used to determine a great diamond. Though you don’t need to find the most expensive diamond to find the one whose beauty speaks to you.

Cut refers to the angles and proportions that a skilled craftsman creates to turn a rough stone into a polished diamond. It also refers to the shape of the diamond.

Diamonds are graded on a colour scale established by the Gemological Institute of America, ranging from D (colorless) to Z. Red is one of the rarest, and most desirable colours for diamonds.

Carat is a measure of weight, not size. One carat is 200 milligrams. The word carat comes from the word carob. Carob seeds, used by ancient civilizations for measurement, are extremely similar in weight and 1 carob used to equal 1 carat.

Clarity is possibly the most important of the factors affecting the quality and price of any diamond. Clarity literally means “clearness” and refers to the diamond’s ability to allow the free passage of light without obstruction or absorption. Any inclusions, cleavages, cracks, or other natural features inside or defects on the surface will stop light from passing through the stone.

De Beers advertising over the last century has established a “tradition” that a woman should receive a diamond ring as an engagement symbol. De Beers have extended the diamond engagement ring “tradition”, by brainwashing us to believe that a diamond eternity ring should also be a tradition on the first wedding anniversary, or the birth of a first child.

Whatever you decide to buy and for whatever the reason that you decide to buy it, a diamond can represent one of life’s deepest emotional investments. It may eventually be passed down to your children and your grandchildren, not because of what it originally cost but because of what it means.

Copyright Glenda Erceg.

For more diamonds and jewels resources visit http://www.diamondjewelsinfo.com.

Glenda Erceg - EzineArticles Expert Author

This article may be used without permission as long as it is shown in its entirety with links intact.

June 24, 2007

Buying Diamonds: 6 Handy Tips on Choosing the Right Diamond

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 5:13 am

1. I can’t help myself but to keep on emphasizing this to anyone who wants to buy a diamond online: LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT DIAMONDS! Sorry, I don’t mean to shout. But in reality, many people are still very ignorant about diamond, believe it a not, there are jewelers who are unable to differentiate a diamond cut from a diamond shape. Everyone is so hyped up about the carat weight and has totally forgotten about the other 3 characteristics of a diamond.

Still unconvinced? Here’s another great reason to start learning about diamonds. Remember this saying: “Diamonds are women’s best friend.”? You want to win your girl’s heart with her ‘best friend’s’ help and yet you do not know anything about a diamond? You might even get yourself scammed before you even present the stone to her.

Anyway you aren’t trying to get a qualification in gemology, so it won’t take you years or months to learn something about diamond. There are plenty of articles and information on the 4C of a diamond. Spend some useful time in the library or internet and learn about diamonds. Who knows, you may become an expert in diamonds.

2. Prioritize the 4 characteristics. There are much more about diamonds than just the 4C. But at the end of the day, the 4Cs are still the major factors influencing the quality and price of a diamond.

Before you start prioritizing the 4Cs, you got to know what your girl actually likes about a diamond. If she like big one, go for a diamond with big carat weight but with poorer quality in terms of color, cut or clarity. If she likes the brilliance of a diamond and doesn’t mind the size, choose one with excellent cut and clarity. Whichever the case is, prioritizing the 4Cs will give you a better idea of what diamonds will suit her taste as well as your budget.

3. With your list, do some price research at the jewelry retail stores. Based on your list, the dealers should be able to give you a rough estimate on the market price. If the price is out of your budget, try to go for a grade lower than your expectation and you may eventually find one that suits you well.

Another alternative is to purchase online jewelry stores. Online jewelry stores make use of technologies to cut down on expenses and hence they are able to offer you much competitive prices, about 30% lower than average US retail price. The top online jewelry stores often have excellent search engine to save you the time and trouble of searching and comparing diamonds prices.

4. Whether you are buying diamond offline or online, being comfortable with the dealer is very important. If you found online jewelry stores or retail stores with great prices and feel tempted to take out your card and start buying anything, cool down first.

If you have been doing researching, you would have come across information on cubic zirconium diamonds. These synthetic diamonds are D-color graded, flawless and cut to perfection. In short, a CZ diamond is a ‘perfect’ diamond. It is brilliant, flawless and yet cheap. Their prices do not increase exponentially with their quality unlike diamonds.

There are also some natural diamonds which have undergone treatments to reduce its blemishes thus enhanced its appearance. It is still a low grade diamond but dishonest dealers may try to pass it off as a good graded diamond and sell you at a higher price.

Before you start swiping your hard-earned money away, do some research about the jeweler as well. Ask your family, relatives or friend who have purchased from the dealer. Online forum is a good place to ask around and there are plenty of sites that review on jewelry store online. Give the jewelry store a visit or call their hotline, talk to their staffs and decide for yourself if you are comfortable with the store.

5. Always remember to ask for a money back guarantee. Especially if you are intending to buy online, be doubly sure the store has the complete details about their return policy, which should include information about the validity period, what to do if you wish to return your purchase and their address. As a rule of thumb, online stores should offer you no less than 21 days return policy. In fact, most of them have a return policy of 30 days.

6. Remember to ask about the grading report as well. Certified diamond should come along with a grading report by reputable gemology organizations such as GIA or AGS. Some dealers certified their diamond by in-house gemologists and they may be using different grading standards from GIA or AGS. After you have purchase your diamond, get it appraised again with the grading report by a trained gemologist.

About The Author:

Kelvin Ong is the owner of The Perfect Engagement, a website that offers reviews on online jewelry stores selling engagement rings and on books about marriage proposals and diamond engagement rings. The Perfect Engagement has a growing collection of marriage proposal ideas and diamond guides.

June 15, 2007

Buy Glow Necklaces

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 12:26 am

Glow necklaces are worth purchasing. They are economical and are available in varied colors and shapes. The glowing light of the glow necklace tempts one to own it. Glow necklaces are available in various colors. They are available in retail shops, wholesale shops and also in gifts and novelty shops. It is commonly used by children. The glow of a glow necklace lasts for a few hours. Gold ornaments to be purchased require lots of investment and planning. Adding to this, we need to have some knowledge before buying gold ornaments. Unlike gold ornaments, glow necklaces are cheaper and can be bought on-the-go.

Glow necklaces are available in many colors like pink, yellow, green, white, red, and blue. They are made using tinted castings and clear castings and offer bright colors. They are available in tri-colors. Glow necklaces are available in two qualities: the “superior” and the “premium” quality necklaces.

The price varies depending on the composition and quality of material used inside the product. The glow necklaces are worn in all special occasions, events and parties. Glow necklaces give life to a party. Glow necklaces are good fund raisers for any charity. Any display of glow necklaces at a bar or a concert fetches a huge amount of money. They are known to be the most prominent promotional products. Children are fascinated by glow necklaces. This explains the purchasing strength of glow necklaces.

Glow necklaces glow for long hours. If glow necklaces are kept at room temperature, they will have their glowing capacity for the longest period. One cannot resist buying glow necklaces, as they are economical as well as affordable. Glow necklaces capture one’s attention when worn. In a party it looks radiant and brings everyone towards it.

Glow Necklaces provides detailed information on Buy Glow Necklaces, Cheap Glow Necklaces, Glow Bracelets, Glow In The Dark Products and more. Glow Necklaces is affiliated with Glow Stick Dancing.

June 6, 2007

Kabbalah Jewelry

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 5:14 pm

Amulets and good luck charms have existed since the dawn of history. Their purpose was to provide emotional security for people, success in their endeavors - mainly hunting, war, success in growing crops, overcoming illnesses - and, essentially, any and every good thing a person could want for one’s family and oneself. The tribal healers or wizards gave out the amulets. With the development of urban settlement and the changes in the belief patterns and religions, this role was passed on to religious priests and, in effect, it is they and people possessing similar special attributes as well, who still deal with this today. As was said, the amulet provides the person with emotional help, which is meant to operate on a subliminal level. The kabbalah amulet solves the issues of a person’s lack of confidence on two levels: the first being a lack of belief in one’s abilities, and the second being a lack of knowledge regarding the future.

One can distinguish between overt amulets (which can be displayed) and hidden amulets (which cannot be displayed). Another way to distinguish among amulets would be the division between those designed for a person and those designed for a place (a home or place of business). These amulets could be uniform - where anyone may purchase the same amulet - or they could be personal amulets, which can be made to order (each one tailor-made according to a person’s needs) by people with special attributes who are privy to the secret of their preparation. Unlike the many claimants who openly declare their knowledge, there are a few, modest persons who are really privy to the secret of amulet making. A final distinction would be between a shaped amulet and a written amulet. Most of the amulets today are of the written type.

According to Kabbalah, the letters created the world.
This indeed is a sentence that seems logical and clear to us, since without verbal communication we are unable even to move from our place. The story of the Tower of Babel is a famous one - when work on the tower was halted and the people dispersed the moment each had his own language and all communication collapsed.

However, each letter possesses its own unique, powerful energy.
Combining letters, words and sentences gives power according to the position and content of the words or letters.
Finding the letters and the words, and constructing sentences suitable for the amulet’s purpose, is the important secret of its composition.
An amulet can be written on almost anything, but materials that endure over time and are impervious to environmental conditions are preferable. The main power of the Kabbalah amulet is drawn from its written contents, but the writing surface itself has a value of its own, even if a lesser one.

The texts used by the amulet writers are mainly those of the Holy Scriptures such as the Bible, with the emphasis being on sentences from the Torah (Five Books of Moses), though also from Psalms and other books, and the texts of various prayers as well. There are those who use words of a certain meaning relevant to a topic using direct methods of writing (copying the entire text), or indirect, such as writing a word composed of the first or last letters of an entire sentence. There are ways to write a sentence with all the words joined in order to keep the amulet incomprehensible to any person.
Because it was God who created human beings and the world as well, therefore the paths to the wisdom of creation are common to man and the world. As a result, these codes provide aid and assistance to the person when they are integrated into the amulet.

It can be said that choosing a word or a sentence is done according to the type and purpose of the amulet. The names of angels in charge of the spheres appropriate to the content and purpose of the amulet are added to many amulets.

Amulets also vary by the purpose they fulfil.
Kabbalah-Corner offers a wide range of Amulets that apply for:

Kabbalah amulets for Health
Kabbalah amulets for Finding one’s soul mate
Kabbalah amulets for Financial success
Kabbalah amulets for Fertility
Kabbalah amulets for Protection and against evil eye

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May 31, 2007

Gold Jewelry – Is the High Cost of Gold Affecting the Designers?

Filed under: Online Jewelry Resources — admin @ 4:04 pm

Gold has been pricing out over $580.00 an ounce in recent weeks. Earlier this year the price was $730.00 an ounce. On May 12th, the price reached a 26 year high of $732.00 an ounce. Since then, prices have dropped twenty-two percent which still leaves the price in the $580.00 an ounce range.

Prices for gold jewelry seems to depend more on the design value of the jewelry than the actual amount of gold contained in it. According to the World Gold Council, sales in the United States seem to be rising. The Council believes the US customers buy gold for adornment, not the investment value of the jewelry

Since jewelers place their orders months in advance, it will be interesting to see what merchandise is available for the holiday season. With the fluctuating prices, it will be more difficult for both designers and retailers this year.

The gold in the stores now, was purchased prior to this recent instability of the price. Since gold is at a high now, the gold in our stores for the holiday season will have been purchased at almost all-time high prices when the inventories must be increased for the seasonal sales.

Some retailers, including Blue Nile, an online jeweler, is not totally passing on the higher prices to the consumer. This creates lower profit margins for designers but make gold a better buy for the consumer.

Shop wisely. Check prices. If you can be flexible, your will find exactly what you want at an affordable price. Give the “Gift of Gold” to your special person

Nan is an Accountant and RealEstateAgent with an interest in GoldJewelry she makes giftbaskets which include all types of gold jewelry.