Valentine’s Day Jewelry Spotlight at VDay-Gifts.com

If you’re looking to give your special person jewelry for Valentine’s Day, make sure to checkout VDay-Gifts.com’s Valentine’s Day Jewelry Spotlight! They spotlight great pieces of jewelry most women would love at great prices!

Pink Sapphire – The Blushing Gemstone

Even though it is pink, this gemstone is a member of the corundum family of sapphires. In fact, there are a multitude of colors available besides blue and they are referred to as “fancies”.

Chemical composition
The chemical composition of this lovely hued gemstone is aluminum oxide with a little chrome for the shades of pink. These gemstones were formed thousands of years ago as they were exposed to the earth’s heat and pressure. It is possible that some pink sapphire earrings and other pieces have been heat-treated to create a deeper shade of pink.

Origins
Today, the stones from a pink sapphire necklace probably came from either Madagascar or Brazil. These locations yielded up huge deposits when discovered in the 90s. Prior to that, the pink gemstone was quite rare as limited numbers came out of parts of Asia like Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Burma.

Special occasions
Like many gemstones, the sapphire is assigned as a birthstone. September babies can call this precious gem all their own. To be different, surprise a birthday girl with pink sapphire earrings instead of the expected blue. She will blush with pleasure at the unique gift.

This lovely pink gemstone can also be used to celebrate a 45th wedding anniversary. A pink sapphire necklace is a great way to let her know she’s still as lovely as that blushing young bride from 45 years ago. Speaking of love and romance, it is makes a great gift for Valentine’s Day. Yes, the ruby owns that holiday, but a pink heart-shaped pendant says the same thing.

A bit of trivia
Ancient cultures often attached special powers to gemstones that they came into contact with. They were influenced by the fiery colors, crystal transparency or the way they resembled the moon, the sun and the ocean. Sapphire has its own lore and legend attached to it.

To show how storied its history is, this gemstone was referenced in the Bible as well as in Greek mythology. According to the myth, Prometheus was the first being to wear the gem as jewelry after he stole it from the gods. But, maybe the most important characteristic is that, according to Indian culture, wearing it wards off evil spirits. Whether it works or not, could it really hurt to wear a pink sapphire necklace as a protective talisman.

Care and cleaning tips
Corundum is one of the hardest minerals on the planet. It is second only to the diamond which has a rank of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Corundum has a rank of 9. This means that cleaning pink sapphire jewelry is easy. At home, pieces can be soaked in warm soapy water and scrubbed with a toothbrush. Ultrasonic cleaners and steamers are also safe to use. Because of their hardness, it is safe to wear this gemstone everyday.

Pink is a lot of things, but mostly it is feminine and sweet. Any girl would blush with delight to open a box containing a pink sapphire necklace.

A pink sapphire necklace looks elegant, feminine and sophisticated. It can make a great gift for a September girl who is special to you. Find the perfect jewelry for yourself and your loved ones at http://www.gemaffair.com Gemstones for Valentine’s Day are on sale at VDay-Gifts.com.

How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry – Simple Steps You Should Know to Prolong the Life of It

Many people face a dilemma when it comes to cleaning their precious sterling silver jewelry. You have to take care especially if your jewelry is antique. Harsh chemicals and vigorous cleaning might snap off pieces of the jewelry so it is essential to do the cleaning gently. There are a number of steps one must follow while cleaning such jewelry. Here they are:

First you should choose a mild cleansing agent for your jewelry. A soap or shampoo based cleaning agents always enough to get your silver shining. You should not use strong cleaning solutions as this can damage your silver beyond repair.

It might even react with the silver and decrease its weight. You can choose from common household items like baking soda or tooth paste. Most stores stock cleaning liquid especially formulated for silver jewelry. You can take one of those too.

You should first polish off the surface dirt and concretions using a soft cloth. You should use straight and direct stokes to take off the dirt. Circular motion might harm your jewelry and scratch it as well. You can also use a soft bristled brush to clean out difficult to reach areas.

The last step is to dry your jewelry thoroughly. This will prevent any ugly stains from remaining on your sterling silver jewelry. You can use any absorbent material to wipe off the liquid. It is necessary to use soft cloth to do this in order to avoid any scratches.

After this do not forget to store the jewelry in an air tight container. If you don’t have one, a velvet or satin lined jewelry box will do just fine. You must keep the jewelry separately though.

A little care and gentle cleaning can go a long way in helping you maintain your sterling silver jewelry in pristine condition for years to come.

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Where to Shop For an Inexpensive Engagement Ring

If you’re like most Americans who are on a budget these days, just because you are trying to save money doesn’t mean that you want to come off as cheap when shopping for an engagement ring. However, there are places you can shop to find an inexpensive engagement ring for your fiancé. And, even better, if you take these suggestions, you won’t end up with a cheap ring that will earn you the ridicule of your friends, but instead, will be one that your fiancé will be proud to wear on her finger for the rest of her life.

One of the first places to look when shopping is the Internet. There are a number of local websites where people can place classified ads to sell their old jewelry, and engagement rings are items that are quite popular on these sites, especially for couples who have decided not to get married or are going through a divorce and cannot otherwise get rid of their ring. You’ll be able to find engagement rings priced far below retail price. However, since most of the people who post engagement rings for sale aren’t licensed dealers, you will want to get it appraised by your own independent appraiser before you actually hand any money over for it. While you can definitely find an inexpensive engagement ring through the classified ads and used engagement ring market, you do not want to get taken advantage by someone trying to pass off a fake ring as one that is real. Also, you’ll want the person you purchase an inexpensive engagement ring from through the classified ads to provide an original receipt for the ring. This is the best protection you have from getting caught buying a ring that turns out to be stolen.

If you don’t want to buy from an individual, visit a local antique store or a reputable online antique store to shop for an engagement ring. Because the diamonds often are cut in a way that is no longer popular, or because the diamonds have a slight tint to them, you’ll discover that antiques are a great choice for an inexpensive engagement ring. Keep in mind, though, that depending on the intricacy of anything carved on the band, you may or not be able to have the it sized to fit your fiancé. This means, you might want to bring your fiancé with you when you shop for an antique engagement ring so she can make sure that it’s the right size for her finger, especially since she’ll be wearing this for the rest of her life. However, you can potentially save a great deal of money if you buy an antique engagement ring instead of a modern, brand new ring. Or, if you prefer, you’ll be able to buy one with a larger diamond in an antique ring than you could buy in a new ring, so you can spend the same amount of money but get twice the ring you otherwise might afford.

Used and antique rings are two great options when you are considering purchasing an inexpensive engagement ring for your fiancé. There is such a large used and antique ring market out there right now, that you’ll have your choice of sizes and styles when it comes to picking your dream ring, and you won’t have to settle for something less than what you want.

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Personalized Jewelry – A Short History

The history of jewelry is tidily connected to the history of mankind. Some may argue that it is not proper to use the term personalized jewelry for those ages because the term itself appeared in the 60s of the last century. But quite a few experts agree that the jewelry of Antiquity had its unique purpose and distinct owner. Also the common practice from those ages was to bury the jewelry with its owner. And now we are able to tell about the person’s life by the jewelry he owned.

Historians largely agree that the first signs of any kind of decoration were perforated snail shells dating some 75000 years ago. Copper was the first metal used to craft jewelry from and was introduced around 5000 B.C.

Mediterranean cultures began working gold for making jewelry around 3000 B.C. Egyptians valued gold for its luxury and ease of crafting which lead to making fine gold jewelry as symbol of wealth and power. Mesopotamian jewelry was manufactured from thin metal leaf with the usage of lot of precious an semi precious stones. Some centuries later the Greeks mastered the making of colored jewelry. Amethysts, pearl and emeralds were their favorite gemstones.

In China, both men and women wore jewelry to demonstrate their nobility and wealth. They used more often silver than gold and jade was their favorite stone.

The Romans had a lot of resources across the Europe and their African territories. They diversified the materials used in their jewelry. Women wore different necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, clasps and earrings. Men wore only rings but sometimes on every finger. They used to wear rings with embedded carved stone that was used to seal letters and other documents. This stone had their family sign or initials and we could say this was the first appearance of personalized jewelry in the sense we put to this phrase today.

After the fall of the Roman Empire the Franks and Celts continued to use solid gold in its jewelry like the Romans. Byzantium was more influenced by the eastern and Greek techniques and used light weight gold.

The age of exploration gave the jewelry makers a large variety of stones to use and made available some examples of of jewelry from other cultures. These were the reasons for the flourishing making of jewelry in the 17th century across Europe but mostly in France and Italy. Some gems like emerald, topaz, amazonitel, iolite, spinel, chrysoberyl, lapis lazuli, ruby, turquoise, amethyst, peridot, opal and garnet were among those used by jewelers at that time.

The second half of 18th century was a milestone in the history of jewelry making. A new technology of developing cheaper metals and artificial stones made possible the birth of jewelry for the masses.

Of course the wealthier had fine jewelry custom made for them by some goldsmith artists. Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari and Faberge were the most famous and their trademarks continue to be synonyms of exquisite value and quality.

The beginning of 20th century saw the developing of high quality jewelry in mass production. The forms and shapes were simpler than before.

Somewhere around the end of World War II the taste for fine artistic jewelry reappeared and jewelry become what we know it now. And in the late sixties and early seventies a new fashion emerged – wearing bracelets with the name of the person. This was named personalized jewelry and came in various shape and materials.

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The Difference Between Real and Fake Jewelry

The law requires metal to be marked by the maker and the metal quality. For sterling, the mark will be either the numbers 925 (meaning 92.5 % silver, which is sterling) or a “sterling” stamp with the words. Near the clasp should have the mark, it would be at the end of the chain if anything. Sometimes the mark is on a little flat looking ring at the end of the chain, so check around.

Sterling silver will tarnish and on some people it tarnishes quickly due to body chemistry, but on others it may never tarnish. To keep tarnish from happening, sterling is very often plated with another metal to protect the sterling and keep the tarnish from happening. The plating will be a metal called “rhodium” which is very bright or another metal recently used on silver that looks more the color of silver. However, the chain can be sterling and still have the plate on the outside to prevent tarnish.

Other than that, the only real way to tell if something is sterling silver is to test it. For example, like an acid test done by a jeweler. Generally a test will cost some money, not a lot, but maybe not worth it, depending on what you paid for the chain. On a large heavy chain, the test might be worth it, but that’s all up to you.

I suggest thinking about where you got the chain from and whether or not you got it from an established business. An established business would serve little purpose in selling anything fake for sterling silver. Always look for both a sterling marks and a stamp or symbol for the manufacture as I said before. Both of those marks should be there.

Here’s some information on how to tell if the gold on your bracelet is really gold. The chlorine in bleach is dangerous to gold jewelry, so it’s best not to test gold in bleach, or else you’ll ruin your jewelry. Stress points like where the metal has been hammered, bent over stones in prongs, formed by chain making machines and the like are the most affected by chlorine. Soldered areas are sometimes affected by chlorine. White gold is most easily damaged but apparently this happens with yellow gold also at stress points in the metal.

Chlorine will cause a darkening on gold, but on yellow gold it looks almost like a very pale gray color. White gold reacts the same way but sometimes goes darker. This is the chlorine reacting to the metals in karat gold. All jewelry metal of 18k, 14k and 10k has other metals in the recipe when the metal is made. Pure gold is mixed with mostly silver and copper (with nickel or palladium with white gold) to make metal strong enough for jewelry.

The karat mark shows how much pure gold is in the mix. For instance, pure gold is called 24k. Now, 10k will have 10 parts pure gold and 14 parts of the other metals, all adding up to 24 part. 18k gold will be 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts other metals, all adding up to 24 parts. That is how it goes with karats.

Yellow gold is not as dangerously affected by chlorine in bleach and a good buffing should make it ok, that is, if it is really gold. The best way to see if it is real karat gold is to have it tested. That means an acid test or a test using one of the newer electronic gold testers some jewelers use. That is what I would recommend.

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Tips For Choosing Appropriate Native American Jewelry

Native American jewelry has grown as a popular form of jewelry, meant for making its wearer look fashionable and also for gifting to special people in your life. From traditional treasures of native jewelry designs, the contemporary craftsmen bring out the outstanding pieces of jewelry to make you and your near and dear ones look charming. If you are shopping for the first time, you must know the factors for making a good choice among huge variety of this form of jewelry.

Choose According to Product

Native jewelry can decorate every eligible part of your body with enthralling creations. From necklaces and pendants to bracelets and rings, one can keep on finding some wonderful designs. The chains and earrings are other set of designs featuring in this form of jewelry. Apart from these usual jewelry forms, you can also choose products like watches prepared in native jewelry style. Similarly, there are items like bolo ties and belts to compliment your wardrobe.

Choose According to Material

The Native American jewelry designs make use of variety of minerals for creating breathtaking designs. You have no reason to consider these materials less than precious stones like diamonds and precious metals like gold and platinum. Some of the frequently used materials for native jewelry include turquoise, coral, gaspeite, lapis, oyster, jade and many more. The good thing about all these materials is their availability in different colors, so that you have really tough time while making the final choice.

Other Factors Influencing Your Decision

Though, all jewelry pieces in the category of native jewelry are reasonably priced, you can still keep your budget in mind while making a purchase. If you are gifting these jewelry items, you can learn about tats and preferences of the person, who will be receiving the gift. However, it will be hard for the recipient to resist getting delighted on receiving these gifts.

Thus, conduct a good market research and choose a renowned online destination for making a selection in the category of native jewelry. After all, these fine jewelry pieces can become the treasured possessions for you or the person receiving them as gifts.

Apart from women, men have also started participating in the process of purchasing native jewelry. So, if you want to compliment your women’s style with this form of western jewelry, you certainly need to learn about men’s jewelry collection in this category. Our website, http://www.redhandjewelry.com/, can serve as the deserving place for you. Find unique jewelry for Valentine’s Day at VDay-Gifts.com.

Winter 2008 and Spring 2009 Jewelry Trends

If you’re making handmade jewelry to sell at craft shows, holiday bazaars or even specialty boutique stores then you definitely want to maximize your potential for selling more jewelry by building in some of these jewelry fashion trends into your own pieces.

A lot of jewelry makers and artists don’t think about trying to follow fashion trends and their sales end up suffering for it. Even if you already have a backlog of jewelry inventory I’ve found that you can sometimes introduce little changes that will make those older jewelry pieces have much more appeal to a wider audience. Make the 2008 Winter and 2009 Spring season the time you turn your jewelry making style a little more fashionable and see your sales increase!

Warm and Dark: There are lots of different predictors of color pallette trends for the winter, but all you really need to know is dark and warm. This means that dark reds, oranges and even some darker yellow colors are all very popular. I’ve seen a lot of people wearing dark red gems and stones a lot, usually with a darker color or patina coated metal as well. Don’t forget colors like brown, black and even muddied greys can be dark and warm

Formal Wear: The winter holidays bring a number of dances and parties and gatherings of all sorts, some formal and some informal. For formal events diamonds never go out of style, but instead of being draped in many different jewelry pieces and accessories expect to see people wearing one or two unique and large pieces. If you are making jewelry for formal events you may want to consider making an eye-catching pendant, cocktail ring and earring combination all using over-sized semi-precious stones or gems. As always, pearls and diamonds are always great for formal events, but fake pearls and large costume jewelry pieces can be popular and add sparkle just like anything else!

Gold vs Silver: Silver’s cool feel always makes it a hit in the winter months with the way is goes so well with the silvery shimmer of snow, but gold is making a comeback, especially with those warmer colors and bigger stones we’re seeing.

These are just some of the many new and exciting jewelry fashions that hot for the upcoming cold months. If you’re making your own jewelry then you’ll definitely want to pay attention to these trends and keep them in mind as you make your own pieces, either for sale or for wearing on your own!

You can read the expanded article and learn a whole lot more about what to expect with 2008/2009 new jewelry trends and read over 140 more articles about making and selling your own handmade jewelry at http://www.BeadJewelryBlog.com Find valentine’s day jewelry at VDay-Gifts.com.

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