Gemstone jewelry is enjoying a revival both for the simple beauty of the stones as well as renewed interest in traditional beliefs about the healing properties of certain stones. The history of the stones can be as fascinating as the color and cut. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A common home solution that is ideal for the maintenance of your diamond gemstone is a non-abrasive cleaning agent such as in ammonia based household cleaner, often used as a window cleaner. A less chemically abrasive solution in cleaning your diamond is a mixture of one-part vinegar to two-part cold water. Dip your diamond gemstone in the cleaning solution and gently wipe in circular motions with a cotton swab. Rinse the diamond in warm water and pat dry with a lint free cloth.

Diamond gemstones that are set into a jewelry piece require special attention to its care. Not only are abrasives harmful to your gemstones but, chlorine and strong ammonia based solutions are harmful to most precious metals and can promote premature erosion of your jewelry.

Diamond jewelry settings should be cleaned with caution in order not to loosen the gemstone from the delicate posts that secure the precious stone in place. Cleaning the jewelry piece can be accomplished by mixing a solution of one-part mild liquid dishwashing soap with two-part warm water. Use a cotton swab to dip into the solution and then use small circular motions to clean the entire jewelry piece. Take exceptional care around the prongs of the setting to ensure that the gemstone stays in place and does not become loose. Thoroughly rinse the diamond jewelry piece with cool water and lightly pat dry with a lint free cloth.

Occasionally, you will come across a jewelry piece that has become encrusted with sediment due to improper storage or neglect. To bring the diamond jewelry back to life with restoring its original luster, you may want to consider using a professional jewelry cleaning solution found at many jewelry outlets in your area. An ultra sonic cleaning kit can safely remove grime buildup, which is a process of using a commercial cleaning solution and high frequency sound waves.

Although, self cleaning your diamond jewelry is practical and wise for most uses, heirloom diamond jewelry should be restored by a professional jeweler that is bonded and insured. A professional jeweler will be able to identify the alloys within the precious metals that your heirloom diamond gemstone is set in. Taking the extra precaution in preserving the value of your investment will be their first and foremost concern.

Tigers eye was originally mineral called crocidolite which through a transformation of heat and pressure became chalcedony quartz. The gem Tigers eye formal name is psudomorph which is a Greek term meaning “false form”. This happens when one mineral replaces another mineral the change occurs when quartz changes into crocidolite into a golden brown stone called Tigers eye or a bluish stone called hawks eye.

How does Tigers eye have the different colored lines?

In the process of changing from quartz the crocidolite is dissolved and the quartz has changed form into long fibers giving the different shades of colors in the stone when penetrated by light.
The small traces of the crocidolite remains as a trace of iron which makes the soft golden traces in the gem, the less iron held in the stone the more likely it will form into the blue of the Hawks eye gem. The Tiger’s eye gem is usually cut en cabochon in order to best display the vertical fibers of color within the gem. The golden fibers may be as long as 5 centimeters and are very thin fibers making it a very difficult gem to cut without destroying the natural lines.

Where do Tigers Eye gemstones come from?

Tigers eye is mined in South Africa, Australia, the USA, Canada, India, Namibia, and Burma. It has great historical and mythical value in the African regions due to its cat eye like appearance. The native African tribes thought it to be a magical stone that was once the eye of an all powerful ancient wild cat that roamed the grasslands of the region hunting humans for food.

These cats were greatly admired and feared by the tribes and so the stone was believed to have the powers of the animal and when worn on ones person it gave you great power and courage. There where many amulets made from this stone and worn by worriers in battle and hunters on their journeys to bring food back to the village.

A handful of people still believe in these things until today. Gypsies of today still maintain the practice of wearing special jewelry and amulets to protect themselves from evil eye and ward off bad spirits. Books like Manifest Your Destiny and The Secret mention about the power of negative and positive energies, which can emanate from people and influence the happenings in their lives.

Scientifically, Einstein’s theory of relativity and others prove the existence of energy and vibration, which influences the overall Universe. For example, you might have thought hard of your close friend or lover for some long minutes. All of a sudden, the person calls you or comes to your house. Some people call this telepathic power. Vibrations of thoughts from you might have reached the other person.

Therefore, the person decides to call you or visit you. If you were to ask him or her, he or she may answer that the visit or call was for no reason in particular. Therefore, in the case of charms, there might be a possibility for others to influence the thoughts of a particular person with the intention of possible harm. When a person looks at another person with a bad intention in his or her mind, the look eye is called as evil eye.

Charms are used with the intention of harming to another person or causing distress to another person’s life. There could be a number of reasons, which may cause people to resort to using charms or give the evil eye. One of the most common reasons is pure jealousy or envy. The feeling of envy or jealousy could be for any reason. It might be because the victim is beautiful or handsome, wealthy, well known or simply leading a good life.

Some people wear amulets or special charm jewelry to protect them from evil eye, evil spirits or charms. Others do that by maintaining positive thoughts in spite of whatever bad incident, which happen in their lives. Positive vibrations neutralize the negative ones. Perhaps, it is the power of positive thoughts of those who wear amulets or special jewelry, which actually protects them from the vibrations of negative energies. The wearer of an amulet or special jewelry usually believes in the power of the item. Thus, he or she creates positive energy, which nullifies the negative energy.

One of the most prominent gemstones is Sapphire. There are actually three of them that are deemed as the world’s well-known gemstones. This is with the inclusion of Emerald, Ruby, and not to mention, Sapphire stones. These three become as prominent as they are called so, because of several interesting factors. A feature that is extremely distinct from the rest of the sprouting gemstones in the beauty and fashion industry.

A Glimpse to the History of Sapphire Gemstones

It has been a common belief that gems bring magic, charm and good luck to anyone who gets a hold of them. Same connotation goes to the Sapphire gemstones.

Talking about magical gemstones, Sapphire realizes the essence. Hearing the word alone would let you foresee some sort of magical thought, embedded in such precious stone. Try to hear it one more time, Sapphire… doesn’t it sound magical? Delightful as it sounds, the reflection of Sapphire, likewise invokes a Sapphire blue flower, blue water and blue sky.

Sapphire depicts the concept of a blue color, per se the blue gem. Way back in the 18th century, blue gemstones belong to the hyacinth nomenclature. However, such classification was found out erroneous. It is recently revealed that Sapphire gemstone falls in the corundum categorization. And so, this is what we suppose. What’s more at present, Sapphire is already patented by other colors than just blue. This is together with yellow, violet, purple, pink and orange colors.

Sapphire has become even more prominent during the middles ages. It was during this period when Sapphire rings came to existence. The blue sapphire rings were greatly favored by the Clergy. The rationale behind this choice was their belief of Sapphire representing heaven. In one way or another, this strengthened their faith.

On the other hand, magicians utilized the sapphire stone to aid them in their quest to fight against evil, as well as to control spirits. These people also believed that Sapphire influences the healing of different kinds of sickness, likewise, in dealing with curses.

The influence of blue sapphire rings never ended on such epoch. Apparently at present, sapphire rings and jewelries still remain the enticing items that anyone wishes to own. In the United States, sapphire gemstone also bequeaths special adoration. As a matter of fact, prominent sapphires are flaunted in several American museums.

• The best way to go about buying the sapphire wedding rings is to go with your future husband or wife. A simple discussion with one’s spouse can help to find the right sapphire rings.

• It is important to choose the right bands for the sapphire wedding rings. The bands have to match the personality of the person wearing them. These bands have to be matched with the engagement rings. This is because these two are usually worn together by both the groom as well as the bride.

• The sapphire wedding rings should be chosen according to one’s lifestyle. The wedding rings should not interfere in any way with one’s lifestyle. One should be able to work properly while buying these rings. For an instance people involved in hard labor should not choose the delicate bands. For such people the best rings would be the ones that have a lower setting. On the other hand for people who have a luxury lifestyle flaunting the rings is not a problem, so they can easily buy the ones with a large size sapphire.

• The band metal you choose should be good enough to fulfill all your requirements. The three most popular options for people usually are platinum and white/yellow gold. White gold is very popular because of its easy compatibility with a variety of gemstones. The yellow gold is used traditionally because it offers a classic look to the person who wears it. You have to understand that there is no point buying the bands with a lower carat value as it does not hold well when used regularly and the higher carat value is very expensive to buy. So you have to settle for a band that lies in between the lower and the higher carat value.

• It helps to check out the various cataloger as they will offer you a lot of options. Checking out the various cataloger can help to make an informed decision.

Oversized studs and chains are the trademarks of hip-hop jewelry and are preferred by celebrities such as Sean Combs, or P. Diddy. At the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, he sported a diamond ring, bracelet, and watch from Jacob and Company. Rapper 50 Cent is another celebrity who is hardly ever seen without his hip-hop jewelry. On his web site, 50 Cent offers more affordable, though just as flashy, bling-bling for those of us who do not earn the megabucks that he and his fellow celebrities rake in. There are also many other web sites that offer low-priced hip-hop jewelry inspired by popular rap artists.

Hip-hop jewelry comes in many shapes and sizes, all of them meant to catch the eye and attract attention. Heavy chains of silver or gold (or both) can oftentimes be seen on celebrities such as LL Cool J and Ja Rule in their music videos. Hip-hop jewelry web sites offer fully ‘iced-out’ bling-bling, or watches, rings, bracelets and earrings that are heavily decorated with real or faux diamonds. So-called ‘spinner’ watches and rings are big best sellers in the hip-hop jewelry category. Also available are customized, removable gold, silver and platinum teeth which may be studded with jewels and gemstones, so even the pearly whites can have their share of hip-hop jewelry.

Women celebrities are keeping pace with their male counterparts when it comes to wearing hip-hop jewelry. Stars such as Beyonce, Lil’ Kim, Ashanti and Missy Elliott are regularly seen in pictures wearing large diamond jewelry items of various colors. Even young female celebrities are getting on the bling-bling bandwagon. Teen stars like Jo Jo and Hilary Duff are said to be avid hip-hop jewelry enthusiasts and count themselves among the large number of bejeweled stars today.

Large, ostentatious pieces of jewelry did not start becoming popular only because of the hip-hop cultural phenomenon (think Elvis Presley and Tom Jones), but hip-hop has altered the jewelry market in a big way. Fans see what their favorite celebrities are wearing, and there are numerous options for them to emulate their idols – at least in terms of fashion. Jewelry has always been a part of popular culture, and today’s hip-hop jewelry and the celebrities who wear them are even more so in this age of instant information.

Amethyst

Amethyst is a type of quartz that comes in shades of purple. It is a highly accessible stone and used in all types of jewelry. This gemstone can vary greatly in quality and color and is the birthstone for the month of February. There are 14 different locations where Amethysts are abundantly found today.

Aquamarine

This light blue gemstone is the birthstone of March and is a favorite of jewelry designers today. It can range in shade from almost white to sky blue and can be rather expensive. This stone belongs to the beryl family of gemstones and is abundant in Brazil.

Bloodstone

The vivid red spots in this stone give it it’s name, but the stone itself is really green jasper. The spots come from iron oxide deposits within the stone. This stone was used in ancient times for many carvings and was a favorite of Christian martyrs. A German Emperors seal carved in
bloodstone is on display at the Louvre museum in Paris.

Emerald

One of the more expensive stones, this birthstone of May is the stone of love and life. One of the most popular gemstones of all time, it has been used in many crowns and scepters. Emeralds range in shades of green, but the deepest ones hold the most value and can even cost more than diamonds.

Opal

One of the most opulent gemstones, this stone is a combination of fiery colors like a rainbow of sparks. Opals are used in many different jewelry settings and are a favorite gemstone of jewelry wearers today. Originating from Australia, this stone has great history and lore.

Ruby

This red stone has long been associated with love, passion and power. One of the more precious stones, it is considered the King of gemstones and has been extensively used in crowns and jewelry of Kings, Queens and Emperors. Mined mainly in India, the finest rubies are quite rare and expensive.

Sapphire

When we think of sapphire, we mostly think of the deep blue stone, but in fact, this stone can come in many colors. This stone belonging to the corundum group of gemstones is hard to find and highly valued. Second only to diamonds on the hardness scale, sapphires can be more expensive than diamonds especially the most prized specimens.

Topaz

With it’s rich golden glow, Topaz is often used as a symbol for the setting sun. Though typically a golden brown, Topaz can also be found in blue, green, pink and red. This birthstone for November is a hard stone but can crack with a hard blow so care should be taken when wearing.

These are just a few of the many stones that are used in modern jewelry designs today. Some designs use just one stone or incorporate many different stones for more color and interest. Perhaps you have picked a favorite from the list above, or if you are like me, you love them all!

Gold charms make a perfect gift since they are available in an assortment of various shapes, sizes and styles. They are investments in gold that will certainly enhance the personality of the person you gift them to. One can choose to wear a charm with a bracelet or even a chain around the neck. Charm bracelets are available in single, double as well as triple links. You can begin by gifting a charm bracelet with a single charm. Over time, one can keep adding more charms to the bracelet, with each charm or pendant having its own story. These charms can be reminders or tokens of the wonderful experiences of life. Since charms are so unique in their own little way, it would be better if you consider the following important factors when gifting one:

Charms and pendants are almost one and the same and very similar. While a charm hangs on a charm bracelet, a pendant hangs around the neck on a chain. Although, charms are usually smaller than pendants, this need not necessarily always be true. Some choose to wear larger charms on a bracelet and smaller ones around the neck. It is a matter of individual style and preferences.

Since gold charms can very easily become a part of ones personality and identity, it is advisable to have a good idea about the person you intend to gift it to. Besides knowing about what style and size he or she would prefer, it is also worthwhile to find out if he would like it in yellow or white gold. Although, charms and pendants are also available in silver, it would make more sense to stick to long lasting metals like gold that do not tarnish.

Charms and pendants are available in two forms- flat on the back or 3-Ds. It would be prudent, if you put in some effort to find out which one would the person you are gifting it would prefer. If you are purchasing it online, search for a website that enlists the charms as 3-D. If it does not state the charms as 3-D, then most probably they are flat or concave in shape.

Since, you are making an investment in gold that is going to create a story, paying due attention to the important characteristics of the charm or the pendant will be beneficial. Most of the websites state the size and the weight of the charm. This will enable you to know how many grams of gold have gone into the making of the charm and also if it is solid gold or hollow from inside. Do not get lured into buying if the weight is not listed. This only indicates that the charm is overpriced.