Jewelry Savvy » Pearl Jewelry

Jingle, Jangle, Jewelry: What to Give the Girl Who Has Everything

Jennifer — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:47:43 +0000

This Valentine’s Day, don’t get your mother, girlfriend or wife another practical gift. A beautiful piece of jewelry will put a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face.

Diamond stud earrings or a simple tennis bracelet are classic and always in style, but for the girl who has everything, try something breathtakingly different. The experts at Jewelry Television recommend their favorite gift ideas.

Black and White and Iced All Over
Diamonds are the hardest known gemstone on earth and are traditionally colorless. But this season rare black diamonds are paired with white diamond shimmer. Black and white diamond earrings set in sterling silver complement a cocktail dress as well as jeans and a T-shirt—and everything in between. Shades of gray are splashed across the runways and this season’s charcoals, heathers and slates call out for a little black and white diamond shine, perhaps in the form of a cluster bracelet that shines like moonbeams dancing off the ocean.

Fit for a Queen
Once upon a time, the price of pearls was so extravagant they caused wars and were worn only by royalty. In fact, pearls have been called the “queen of gems.” A simple pendant, bracelet or drop earrings featuring Tahitian, Freshwater, Mabe or Akoya pearls will make her feel like the queen you know she is.

A Cut Above
This season, it’s all about the cut. The runways feature lean, precisely fitted suits and geometric lines dominate jewelry as well. Rings and necklaces featuring shaped and polished cabochons and other vintage-inspired shapes in bold colors make a statement. Unique designs and contrasting colors are used to create memorable looks in pieces such as multi-colored journey slides and bracelets featuring the graduated shades of the same colored gemstone. Large carat weight stones with defined patterns flatter the fashionable global mix of clothes in the style pages.

Luxury Lite
Retailers are now offering high-end, designer looks for less than designer prices. With Jewelry Television’s Luxury Lite collection, you can give her substantial gold jewelry with natural gemstones at a fraction of the cost. The Luxury Lite collection features a large variety of styles, but this season, tuck the vintage and estate looks of elaborate rings and satin finished pendants into fashion’s latest ruffles, pleats and twists.

For more information, check out Jewelry Television’s Learning Library at jtv.com for the most comprehensive resource on jewelry and gemstones on the Web. You can also check your local listings to find the network on your cable system, Direct TV or Dish Network.

Courtesy ARAcontent

Pearl And Diamond Jewelry Can Make A Very Special Gift

Jennifer — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:08:15 +0000

It is believed that the most intimate and beautiful gift you can give a woman is jewelry. The jewelry you choose for her would very much depend on how special that woman is for you; the more special, the more expensive would the jewelry be.

The Combination Of Pearl And Diamond Jewelry

The pearl and diamond jewelry is a special combination because it consists of two very beautiful stones. Well, the pearl is not exactly a stone, but the result of the defensive mechanism of an oyster. When a foreign body enters by mistake in our body, our body fights it back by forming pus around it and eliminating it.

Similarly, the oyster reacts to a foreign object invasion by forming a hard nacre coat over it, which is a crystalline substance produced by this mollusk. After a while (read that as a few months), the pearl is created. Unfortunately, in order to get to the pearl, the oyster is killed. This is how the natural pearl is formed.

Man made pearls or cultured pearl follow the same process with only one exception. The foreign object is forcibly pushed into the oyster to kick start the process. The pearls thus formed are in no way inferior to the natural ones.

Now that you know how a pearl is formed, you would be able to look at pearls from a different point of view; this is after all, a master piece of nature. The real value of a pearl is judged by its size, color, shape, luster, thickness of the nacre and its texture. It is very rare to get two identical pearls because of their formation – hence, real pearl jewelry is usually expensive.

The diamonds are far more expensive and choosing one would always be very difficult to the untrained person. The value of a diamond depends upon the four Cs – carat, color, cut and clarity. Carat refers to its weight with one carat weighing about 200 mgs. You will find that mentioned on the jewelry as tcw (Total Carat Weight).

The color of a diamond should be normally crystal clear. In fact diamonds are said to be able to reflect the slightest amount of light magnificently, for which they are believed to shine as fire even in darkness. However, most diamonds have some amount of impurities trapped into their core for which they reflect different hues – pink, yellow, red, blue and so on.

When you look for clarity it refers to the overall look of the diamond. Does it look flawless, or does it look like it caught something within? The clearer the stone is, the higher would be its price.

Lastly comes the cut – this is what differentiates the diamond from a dull, lusterless stone. There are three popular cutting styles – the princess cut, the brilliant cut and the emerald cut. The style of the cut would determine the brilliance of the stone and hence, the brilliant cut is he most expensive while the emerald cut is the least.

Now that you understand the background of the pearl and diamond jewelry to a large extent, you would be able to choose the right type for your gift. It is important to have these two components matched evenly in your choice of jewelry. If the pearl and diamond jewelry consists of a poor choice of pearls, the diamond’s beauty would be diminished by the lack of quality of the pearl. At the same time, if the diamond quality or color in the pearl and diamond jewelry does not match well, the overall show of the pearl and diamond jewelry would be sabotaged.

Maintaining and Storing Precious Pearl Jewelry

Jennifer — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:17:45 +0000

Pearls require special consideration when storing and caring for them. This is because they are grown in nature. Some pearls develop naturally when a foreign object gets lodged in an oyster or clam. The object is covered by a substance called nacre until a milky pearl is formed. While it is possible to find a natural pearl, cultured pearls are becoming the norm. These are man made pearls that are grown and harvested in farms. The foreign object is inserted into the oyster and then nature takes over. The longer the pearl remains in the soft inner lining the larger and more valuable the pearl becomes.

The unique way that a pearl develops made it a mystery to many for a long time. Currently much is known about how pearls are formed, and that information helps determine how to store and care for them properly.

Because pearls are natural objects they require more delicate care than metal jewelry. For example, you should avoid having your pearls come in contact with manufactured chemicals, including, hair spray, perfume, make up, or skin care products. You should put on your pearl jewelry after applying these products, as they may damage a pearls luster and color.

You should always take your pearls off before washing yourself, or applying additional makeup, creams, or lotions. As soon as you remove your pearl jewelry you should wipe them down with a clean cloth. This cloth should be soft and free from lint. Never rub pearls with an abrasive cloth as it may wear off the layer of nacre.

If your pearls get dirty, you can take them to a jeweler to be professionally cleaned, or you can clean them yourself with a cleaner formulated especially for pearls. Do not use regular soap as that may damage the pearls. You should also avoid solutions that contain bleach, ammonia, or other harsh detergents. Refrain from putting your pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner of any kind.

Other household products, such as citrus juice or vinegar, can also damage pearls. Heat can also be harmful to pearl jewelry. Heat can crack and discolor precious gem.

You should also pay close attention to how you remove your pearl jewelry. You should always grasp the metal part of the piece to remove it carefully. If you touch the pearl constantly when taking your jewelry off you can loosen the gem and may risk losing it. In addition the oils from your skin can damage the pearl.

In addition, if you wear your pearl strands regularly, you should have the stringing checked by a jeweler. The cord should be checked for integrity. If it is showing signs of wear or damage you should have it repaired or replaced. The string should be knotted between each pearl to prevent the loss of all of your pearls if the cord breaks. Likewise, if your pearl is on a ring, you should have the mounting checked as well.

When storing your pearls, there are several factors to consider. You should avoid storing pearls with other jewelry that may scratch or damage the pearl. Store them alone in a jewelry bag or cloth pouch.

Refrain from storing your pearl jewelry in locations with dry air as this may damage the pearls as well. Most safety deposit boxes contain dry air so you should avoid storing your pearls there.

Pearls are soft and delicate by nature; therefore, they should be taken care of and stored cautiously. It is important to clean and care for your pearls so they will remain beautiful and bright for years to come.