Have you ever wondered what exactly is a birthstone and what do the stones signify? Briefly, birthstones are precious stones and gemstones that are associated with a particular month. There is a rich history behind the popular birthstones that people wear today in their rings, bracelets, pendants and other jewelry, and I would like to share that story with you.
Many scholars believe that earliest use of birthstones dates back to Biblical times and that the tradition arose from a description of a jewel-decorated ceremonial breastplate worn by Aaron, the brother of Moses. Mentioned in Exodus, this breastplate had 12 jewels, each one representing one of the tribes of Israel. Exodus cites the following stones on Aaron’s breastplate: ruby, topaz, beryl, turquoise, sapphire, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, chrysolite, onyx and a jasper.
When shopping for an engagement ring or other diamond and gold jewelry, you’ll find there are many ways to make diamond appear larger. A diamond’s cut, shape, and setting all have impact on apparent size. So, when choosing a diamond, use these five techniques if you want to buy a diamond engagement ring that looks larger than its true carat weight.
1. Consider Fancy Diamond Shapes
Fancy shaped diamonds usually look larger than round diamonds of equal weight.
Especially look for diamonds with elongated shapes, such as marquise, oval and pear shaped diamonds.
2. Choose a Pavé Setting
Amethysts generally come in the color purple, and are used as an ornament. In fact, the Amethyst was one of the first gemstones that man used for jewelry. Ancient people believed that Amethysts have the power to prevent intoxication, protect travelers, assure victory and give business success to the wearer. The word “Amethyst” comes from the Greek “a” meaning “not” and ” methuskein” meaning “to intoxicate”. According to Greek myth, the goddess Diana turned a nymph into amethysts because Bacchus, the god of wine loved her which caused Diana to be jealous.
If you are fascinated by gold, as most humans have been for the past 7,000 years, then you might find the following facts about the beautiful metal that you may be wearing on your neck, wrists and fingers to be quite interesting and in some cases surprising as well
Gold and copper were the first metals to be discovered by man, around 5000BC, and together with silver these three metals are found in the metallic state in the earth’s crust.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the mining and production of gold was halted for nearly 1000 years until the Spanish discovered America in 1492.
Gold is a pure metal first found by early man. It is very workable in its naturally occurring pure state and has been used by craftsmen for the past 11,000 years.
Revered for millennia gold is now the material of choice of people across the globe as an expression of love. Let’s look more closely at the fascinating story of gold.
The chemical element gold has atomic number 79 and its chemical symbol is Au from the Latin aurum. Soft, lustrous yellow it is a malleable metal. Gold is known as one of the transition metals and its atomic weight is 196.967, and it belongs to group 1B in the periodic table along with copper and silver.
The precious metal of gold has fascinated humans for thousands of years. But how do we actually get it out of the ground? Let’s take a look at the most common ways to mine gold.
There are two main gold mining methods, one is called “placer” and the other is “vein” mining. And another type of mining is when gold is collected as a by-product in the mining of other metals.
Placer Mining
Placer mining is practiced when the metal is found in unconsolidated deposits of sand and gravel from which the gold can be easily separated because of its high density. The sand and gravel suspended in moving water. Much heavier metal sinks to bottom and is separated by hand.
The best way to buy an engagement ring is to let her pick it out herself! After all, your fiancé will wear this ring every day and it must feel good on her finger and it must suit her lifestyle. It may take trying on many diamond shapes and setting styles in gold or other precious metals to determine the best ring for her.
But perhaps you want to choose ring? If surprise is a factor of if you don’t want your fiancé to be involved with pricing and payment then here are tips to that may help you to pick the right ring.
Diamonds are the glamorous stones that decorate the finest jewelry in the world, but just what exactly are diamonds? How are they formed? Where are they found? If you are curious about these questions then read on because I would like to share with you the most important facts about diamonds.
First of all, diamonds are made of carbon. Charcoal and graphite are also composed of carbon, but their chemical structure is different. In diamonds each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral structure, like a pyramid.
In the first article of this series we have seen how gold jewelry was developed in the ancient Sumerian civilization as well as in Egypt and Crete. The technique of making fine gold jewelry spread to Greece, to Northern Europe and to the Celtic people as well. Now let’s look at the role that gold jewelry played in the pre-Roman era and during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
In the 7th century BC the Etruscans of central Italy were also making fine gold jewelry. The Etruscans perfected the difficult technique of granulation, a technique in which the surface of the metal is covered with tiny gold grains.
Which gold or silver jewelry settings are most durable? Which gold or silver jewelry clasps are most secure and which are the easiest to manipulate? How long is a gold choker necklace? If you can understand jewelry terms and jewelry components, it is easier to buy the right jewelry when shopping for gold or silver jewelry online and off. So here is a brief guide to some of the most important jewelry components.
Choosing Necklace Length
Most necklaces are one of several standard lengths. When lengths vary you can use the standards to help visualize how a necklace will fit.