Jewellery Buying Guide

JEWELLERY BUYING GUIDE

MATERIALS

STERLING SILVER

925 sterling silver: premiun silver compose of 925 parts silver to 75 parts copper

GOLD VERMEIL

Vermeil is a very specific type of premium gold finish. It is a combination of a very thick layer of gold over high-quality sterling silver. A minimum thickness is require for the plating on gold vermeil to be at least 2.5 microns. This ensure high quality pieces

9 K SOLID GOLD

9k solid gold, is gold with 37.5% purity. Also knows as 375 gold

STONES

ONYX

A powerful protection stone, Black Onyx absorbs and transforms negative energy, and helps to prevent the drain of personal energy. Black Onyx aids the development of emotional and physical strength and stamina, especially when support is needed during times of stress, confusion or grief. Black Onyx fosters wise decision-making.
Black Onyx can be useful in healing old wounds or past life issues.
Black Onyx helps one to become master of their own future.

MOTHER OF PEARL

Nacre (/ˈneɪkər/ NAY-kər also /ˈnækrə/ NAK-rə), also know as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent

It is a stress relieving stone; relaxing, soothing and calming to the emotions. Mother of Pearl stimulates our intuition, imagination, sensitivity and adaptability. It helps our emotions become more harmonious and balanced. Calming and soothing to temper or feelings of fear. It enables you to more easily express feelings of love. Mother of Pearl helps with clarity in decision making and is helpful for endurance, organisation and for home life.

RED MOSS AGATE

Semi-precious gemstone formed from silicon dioxide. It is a form of chalcedony which includes minerals of a green colour embedded in the stone, forming filaments and other patterns suggestive of moss. Despite its name, moss agate does not contain organic matter and is usually formed from weathered volcanic rocks

BLOODSTONE

Is a variety of chalcedony, which is crypto crystalline quartz. When it is green, the color comes from chlorite particles, dotted with bright, distinctive red spots of iron oxide that resemble blood, hence its name. The stone is a symbol of justice. It can have a glassy to waxy luster.

Wear or carry Bloodstone to increase mental clarity and to aid in decision-making. It provides a mental boost when motivation is lacking, and can revitalize the mind and body if you are exhausted.

Bloodstone stimulates dreaming and heightens intuition. It is marvelous for increasing creativity and cultivating a project from the idea stage through to actualization. It encourages blessings and prosperity

CARNELIAN

Carnelian is composed of Silicon Dioxide and is a crypto crystalline quartz (Chalcedony) belonging to the Quartz group of minerals. This stone is formed when quartz crystals have iron impurities. The colour of the crystal depends on the level of iron in the crystal.

Calling on Carnelian for its incredible healing powers is nothing new. In the middle ages, healers believed in Carnelian crystal healing properties and used it to help ease the tension and stress of Viking marauders sacking villages and other drawbacks to living in the dark ages. Featured in a variety of shades ranging from orange and red to brown, use this ‘worry stone’ to bring out your childlike playfulness and spontaneity with its warm and sunny vibes.

The Carnelian crystal not only boosts courage and self-confidence, but on a cellular level it purifies the blood and improves circulation, a must-have for any stressful situation

CITRINE

Citrine is a transparent, yellow variety of Quartz, ranging in color from pale to golden yellow, honey or almost brown, and may contain rainbow or sparkle inclusions. The name comes from the French word citron, meaning lemon. It was used as a gem in Greece as far back as 300 B.C.

Citrine energises every level of life. Citrine attracts wealth, prosperity and success. It imparts joy, wonder, delight and enthusiasm. Raises self-esteem and self-confidence. Stimulates the brain, strengthening the intellect. Citrine promotes motivation, activates creativity and encourages self-expression. Enhances concentration and revitalises the mind. It releases negative traits, depression, fears and phobias. Emotionally balancing

SMOKY QUARTZ

Is a grey, translucent variety of quartz that ranges in clarity from almost complete transparency to an almost-opaque brownish-gray or black crystal. Like other quartz gems, it is a silicon dioxide crystal. The smoky colour results from free silicon formed from the silicon dioxide by natural irradiation.

Smoky Quartz was known as a Stone of Power. To the ancient Druids, it was sacred and signified the potent dark power of Earth gods and goddesses. In other cultures it guided souls to the afterlife, served in shamanistic rituals and tribal ceremonies, and was utilized in magic and scrying to connect with spirits of the lower worlds. Smoky Quartz’s phenomenal power, then and now, lies in its ability to protect and ground one physically and spiritually to this world, and to absorb and transmute significant amounts of negative energy and release it into the Earth to be neutralized naturally. It provides a vital shield against psychic attack, emotional and environmental stress, and is used extensively in healing and meditation.

GARNET

Garnets ( /ˈɡɑːrnɪt/) are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.

All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition.

Legends and folklore place garnet among the most ancient of talismans. Not only was it prized as an ornamental jewel, but its strong curative powers and protective energies made it invaluable.

Garnet is also known for its utilization of creative energy. It grounds spirit forces within the body and helps in the ability to work lovingly on the physical plane. It represents primordial fire, the creation of the world out of chaos, purification and love. It is a stone of strong, intense feelings.

The distinctive title Garnet is derived from the Latin name Granatum, a pomegranate, because of the resemblance the granular varieties of Garnet bears to the seeds of that fruit.

Garnets were used in the former Czechoslovakia as far back as the Bronze Age, and in Egypt more than five thousand years ago. They were used in Sumeria around 2100 B.C. and in Sweden between 1000 and 2000 B.C. They were also popular in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. According to the Talmud, the only light on Noah’s ark was provided by a large Garnet. In Europe during the Middle Ages, Garnet was used to enhance truth, faith and constancy, and to dispel melancholy. As a Warrior’s Stone, Garnet served as a talisman in the Crusades for both the Christians and their Muslim enemies.

Garnet is said to have been one of the twelve stones in the Breastplate of the High Priest, and has been used as a sacred stone by the Native American Indians, the South American Indians, the Aztecs, the African tribal elders, and the Mayans. It acts with speed to expand one’s awareness due to the flash of lightening contained within, and enhances one’s internal fire to bring creative powers to implementation.

BLACK DIAMOND

Popularly referred to as “the black diamond,” the Carbonado diamond exists only in Brazil and Central Africa. They are considerably more rare than white diamonds, which have been found almost everywhere. Carbonados have some amazingly unique properties due their polycrystalline structure, akin to many millions of miniature diamonds smashed together into one. The Carbonado does not refract light like a typical diamond, but rather absorbs it, making it black in appearance. In addition, while white diamonds are cut from a single crystal that can be fractured along a natural line, the polycrystalline composition of black diamonds makes them so strong that they require a 20-ton hydraulic press to break. Because they are so difficult to cut and polish, stores that sell diamonds are less likely to carry black diamonds, but they have been nonetheless used in jewelry to a much lesser extent than their refractive kin.

But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the black diamond is its chemical composition. Whereas white diamonds are composed entirely of carbon, black diamonds contain traces of nitrogen and hydrogen. Their chemical make-up, the fact that they have been carbon dated at over 3.8 billion years old (more than 2 billion years older than any other diamond), and their very limited location, has led some researches to make the interesting hypothesis that Carbonados may actually have extraterrestrial origins. Stephen Haggerty, Ph. D, and his team at Florida International University in Miami, have postulated that a stellar supernova provided the heat and energy to create the Carbonados, which were then transported to Earth on an asteroid. At that time, Brazil and Africa were still connected, so the theory accounts for their particular localities.

DIAMOND

A diamond (from the Ancient Greek: ἀδάμας adámas, meaning “unbreakable”, “proper”, or “unalterable”) is one of the best-known and most sought-after gemstones. Diamonds have been used as decorative items since ancient times; some of the earliest references can be traced back to 25,000 – 30,000 B.C.