Baby Bauble: Celebrate Your New Arrival with the Lasting Gift of Jewellery

July 31, 2012 · 0 comments

Mariah Carey Wearing Diamond Jewellery (Photo Credit: David Shankbone)

The greatest gift that your wife will get after enduring the discomfort and stress of nine months of pregnancy is, of course, your healthy newborn child snuggled in her arms. But recently, fathers have been taking it a step further and giving new moms baby bauble jewellery to help them commemorate their occasion.

When the gift is given varies: before the birth, after the birth in the delivery room, or even when you bring the baby home. Some of them consider the jewellery a “thank you” to their wife for carrying and bringing this child into the world. Others simply want to make this special day even more memorable for the new moms!

The practice has gained popularity after several celebrities, including Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson, received gifts of jewellery from their partners after giving birth.

Whatever your reasons are for giving a “baby bauble,” it is always a welcome gesture, and many dads turn to fine custom designer jewellery since it is a meaningful and lasting gift.

Ideas for Baby Bauble Jewellery

Diamond Jewellery – This is the traditional choice for baby bauble jewellery because of the gemstone’s significance. A diamond tennis bracelet or diamond studs that tie in with the design of your engagement ring are classic gifts.

Birthstone Jewellery – Another way to make a baby bauble more meaningful is to incorporate your new child’s birthstone into any types of jewellery: a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, or earrings.

Family Ring – Or what about celebrating your newly formed family? You can incorporate a birthstone to represent each family member so that all of you will always be close to her.

Family Circle Necklace – This is a special type of ring pendant that includes the birthstones of the family members, often incorporating their names in engravings as well. It also sometimes includes a tree design, perhaps to indicate the family tree, or the tree of life.

Bracelet Charms – If you plan to have more children in the future, you can get a charm bracelet and add the birthstone of your first child – and then when you add more members to your family, you can buy your spouse a birthstone charm to represent each of the births of your children.

Stackable Rings – This is a popular alternative to the charm bracelet that still allows you to “add” as your family grows.

Engraving – Just like many people engrave the date of their marriage on the inside of their wedding rings, you can memorialize your child’s date of birth on the baby bauble. Alternately, you can include the baby’s name, or a special message that represents the day to you.

Eternity Ring (Photo Source: Sirtentalot)

Locket – Allow her to keep her baby close to her heart at all times! If you give it to her while she is still pregnant, she can keep a small picture of the ultrasound in it before the baby’s arrival, and then change it out for a newborn photo after the birth.

Eternity Bands – This is another fantastic way to express your commitment to your wife and your family – forever. You can either go with diamonds all the way across, or do a pattern that includes all family members’ birthstones to make it feel more personalized.

Not sure what your newborn’s birthstone is? Here’s a list to use as a reference.

Birthstones (Photo Source: Bryce_Edwards)

January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Sapphire
October: Opal
November: Topaz
December: Turquoise

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Get Tropical with the Gemstone Amazonite

July 28, 2012 · 0 comments

Amazonite Gemstone (Photo Source: LamouriDanielle)

Amazonite — the name alone conjures up images of dense green jungles and mighty blue rivers. This gemstone was indeed named for its evocative colour, and specimens can range from light green to blue-green. Some deposits of the stone can even be mistaken for turquoise. But it’s actually highly unlikely that amazonite was ever present in the Amazon riverbeds of South America — a simple case of a name that’s more descriptive than it is factual.

What is the History of Amazonite?

Although no amazonite deposits have currently been found near the river that gives the gemstone its name, some legends tell of the famous female Amazon warriors giving green stones to visiting men. Although it is more likely that the stone in these ancient stories was jade, the similar colour of the two gems may have caused the confusion.

The use of amazonite has been traced back to Ancient Egypt. Archaeologists have discovered ornaments and jewellery carved out of the gemstone. The Ancient Egyptians placed a high value on the gem and considered amazonite to be “the stone of courage.” An amazonite ring was found among Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s treasures, and some say that the seventh chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead was carved into amazonite.

Amazonite Bead Necklace (Photo Source: Etereal9)

Amazonite is now called the “hope stone” because some people believe that it can soothe the wearer and inspire confidence and creativity. Even today, people choose to wear amazonite when they need to boost their resolve and get in touch with their warrior spirits.

Where does Amazonite Come From?

Historically, amazonite was found almost exclusively in Russia, near the Ilmen Mountains. More recently, rich amazonite deposits have been discovered in several parts of the United States including Pike’s Peak, Colorado, and Amelia, Virginia. Amazonite has also been collected from many other locations, including:

  • India
  • Madagascar
  • Kenya
  • Zimbabwe
  • Namibia
  • Australia

There have even been some amazonite sources discovered in Brazil, but not near enough to the Amazon riverbed to justify the stone’s name.

How Does Amazonite Get its Colour?

Amazonite is technically a type of feldspar, the most common mineral found in the earth’s crust. The gemstone is classified as a microcline feldspar, which forms in igneous rocks like granite. But not all microclines boast amazonite’s distinctive blue-green colour. The turquoise hue is acquired when small amounts of lead and water are present during the forming of the feldspar.

Amazonite and Pink Quartz Eggs (Photo Source: Mukumbura)

What are the Most Common Uses for Amazonite?

Because amazonite is a relatively soft gemstone, it is easy to carve and is often made into beads or cabochons and featured in designer jewellery. The stone can be polished to a high shine due to a lustrous quality known as “schiller,” which refers to reflections from within the multiple planes of the mineral’s grain creating an iridescent effect when the stone is polished.

Because amazonite is one of the softer gemstones, care must be taken to prevent the stone’s surface from getting scratched. Though the gem is durable enough for everyday jewellery, the stone is better suited for necklaces, pendants, and earrings that aren’t exposed to the same amount of wear and tear as a bracelet or a ring.

Amazonite jewellery can be cleaned with warm water and a soft cloth. Never use harsher cleaning methods such as heat, acid, or steam cleaning. Be sure to store your amazonite jewellery away from harder gemstones or any other object that could scratch and mar the stone’s beautifully smooth surface.

Due to its relative inexpensiveness, amazonite can be a great choice for adding a splash of colour to your jewellery. Sometimes considered one of the alternate December birthstones, a beaded amazonite necklace or beautifully carved pendant can be a great present for a special someone with a winter birthday.

But you don’t have to be born in December to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of amazonite jewellery — the gemstone is the perfect gift for one and all.

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Where do Olympic Gold Medals come from?

July 25, 2012 · 0 comments

The 2012 Olympic games will begin on July 27 in London, awarding top athletes with medals for their achievements.

World-class athletes around the globe dream of having gold medals placed around their necks with their country’s national anthem blaring on the sound system in celebration of their hard work and dedication.

But are these golden prizes actually made exclusively of gold? And what are the silver and bronze medals given to all the second- and third-place finishers really made of?

2012 London Olympic Gold Medal Design

JCK spoke to Kennecott Utah Copper, a division of Rio Tinto Mines, who provided the metal used to create the 4,700 medals awarded at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Advisor of communications Kyle Bennett explains: The gold medal is made of 92.5 percent silver, 1.34 percent gold, with the remaining percentage copper; silver medals are composed of 92.5 percent silver, and 7.5 percent copper; bronze medals consist of 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc, and 0.5 percent tin.

The medals started out as iron ore in the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah. The ore was extracted through a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week process of drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, crushing, and conveying. Valuable materials were then filtered during the concentration process. The smelting process—which entailed heating and melting the copper concentrates—removed the copper from the other elements in the ore. During the refining process, precious metals—including gold and silver—were separated from the copper. This extensive process is the same process that is used to extract the same gold, silver and platinum that is used in your designer jewellery and engagement rings.

Unfortunately they are not made from gold, silver and bronze respectively but the good news is that they are still made from precious metals!

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Platinum and Gold – the Differences are Elemental-ry

July 20, 2012 · 0 comments

Platinum Necklace

With all apologies for the bad attempt at a pun, the statement is a true one. Although gold has traditionally been the setting of choice for diamond rings, an increasing number of women are turning to platinum when it comes to their engagement jewellery, and it’s not just because platinum is a scarcer and more valuable precious metal than gold. While the two metals have many similarities, gold and platinum also have a number of chemical differences – and in nearly every way, platinum comes out on top.

Platinum and Gold Feel Substantial and Are Made to Last

Platinum and gold are both considered “transition metals” on the Periodic Table of Elements. They also share the same face-centered cubic (also known as cubic close-packed) crystal structure, and the atoms in elements with this type of crystal structure are very tightly packed. What the heck does that mean for you when you’re buying jewellery? Basically that the face-centered cubic crystal structure of platinum and gold tends to make them denser and harder than other elements on the periodic table. You’ll have jewellery that feels substantial and is made to last.

However, despite sharing gold’s crystal structure, platinum is a denser metal. This makes it harder and more durable than gold, and more resilient over time. The more closely packed molecular structure also ensures that any gemstones held in a platinum setting will be more tightly secured within the ring. Gemstone security can be an important consideration when it comes to selecting the setting for diamond jewellery.

Gold Ring

Other Important Elemental Differences between Platinum and Gold

By virtue of its greater density, platinum is much more resistant to wear and tarnish than gold. Part of the reason is the difference between the two metals’ responses to scratches. Gold jewellery actually loses small fragments with every scratch, meaning that over time the gold will be weakened and more likely to break. By contrast, no metal is lost when platinum jewellery is scratched. Instead, the metal atoms are displaced and the jewellery will develop small bumps or pits that can be easily smoothed out by a jeweller.

Although both platinum and gold jewellery will require some maintenance over time, gold will need more frequent trips to the jeweller for ring rejuvenation. Many women choose platinum for their engagement rings simply because of this durability factor. An engagement ring will most likely be worn every day throughout a woman’s life, and going with platinum can provide much-needed protection for a piece of jewellery that’s constantly being exposed to potential wear and tear.

Platinum Ring

Finally, platinum’s white colour is an important factor when it comes to using the metal as a setting for diamond engagement jewellery. The most valuable diamonds are colourless, but when set in yellow gold, they may take on a slightly yellow tint and appear less valuable than they really are. Going with white gold can solve this problem temporarily, but white gold’s rhodium coating will need to be replaced every 6 to 10 months to maintain the colour. Platinum’s shiny white finish will last forever, and will heighten the beauty of a colourless diamond like no other setting.

Is Platinum or Gold a Better Choice for Engagement Jewellery?

When it comes to selecting material for jewellery that will be worn for a lifetime, platinum’s durability, setting security, scratch resistance, and white colour make it a great choice for the setting of a diamond ring. Platinum’s higher monetary value can also add significance to a truly important piece of jewellery. Gold may be the traditional choice for engagement jewellery, but if you can afford it, platinum is certainly something you should consider!

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Gaze Into a Crystal Ball to See the Quartz Gemstone

July 13, 2012 · 0 comments

Quartz Crystal Ball (Photo Source: MsCaprikell)

Want to see what your future holds? If so, then the quartz gemstone is where you’ll want to turn! Ever since medieval times, they’ve been used for divination. In fact, you’ve probably even seen these crystals formed into a sphere for just this purpose.

To this day, the quartz gemstone is known for its unique energy. Clear quartz crystals vibrate on all colour frequencies of the spectrum and are celebrated for their ability to clear our negative energy and assist with meditation and aura cleansing. Quartz jewellery is even believed to benefit the health and spiritual well-being of the wearer. Try to find another gemstone that’s even half as magical!

But you don’t need to invest in a crystal ball for yourself to take advantage of the beauty of quartz. Across the world, quartz is one of the most common minerals used for jewellery and hardstone carvings.

Not all types of quartz are suitable for jewellery, but those gemstones that are suitable are incredibly popular, particularly for gold jewellery. And you don’t have to be limited to the clear variety of quartz. There are many different types of quartz, and a myriad of ways that it can be cut or carved in order to create unique, custom jewellery.

Rock Crystal Quartz and Silver Obelisk (Photo Source: Mauro Cateb)

Rock Crystal

This is generally considered to be the “standard” quartz variety. Transparent and colourless, it most closely resembles ice. In fact, in the past people actually believed that it was a compact form of ice. Some beautiful rock crystal gemstones even have the clarity and shimmer of water. Rock crystal is fairly common in smaller sizes, but large gemstones without flaws are far more rare. Rock crystal makes stunning carved pieces of jewellery, and many art deco jewellery designs feature a black and white combination of rock crystal and onyx.

Smoky Quartz Ring Photo Source: Mauro Cateb

Smoky Quartz

This brown, transparent kind of quartz, which is incorrectly known as smoky topaz, is often used for unique faceted cuts. The hue can range from a light brown to nearly black, and even some grey colours are included under this name.

Rutilated Quartz Teardrop (Photo Source: Mauro Cateb)

Rutilated Quartz

In most cases, inclusions (or flaws) make a gemstone less valuable, as would only seem natural. But rutilated quartz is different. This unique gem is actually valued more for its inclusions. In fact, the more “flawed” it is, the better! Rutilated quartz gems are transparent rock crystals that contain a pattern of golden rutile needles, often called “Venus hair.” Each pattern is completely unique, and many are gorgeous. Another variety of quartz valued for its inclusions is tourmalinated quartz, which contains black or dark green tourmaline crystals. This particular variety of quartz is known for its enhancement of psychic abilities.

Rose Quartz Teardrop (Photo Source: Mauro Cateb)

Rose Quartz

This style of quartz has a very pale, delicate colour of pink and can range from transparent to translucent. Truly transparent rose is incredibly rare – and usually the colour is so pale that you don’t notice it unless the gemstone is quite large. Translucent rose quartz, however, is far more common. It is the type of quartz that you will most often see used for beads.

 

Tiger's Eye Quartz Ring (Photo Source: Mauro Cateb)

Tiger’s Eye Quartz

So named because cabochon cut gemstones of this type show a small ray of light on the surface, called the chatoyancy, which resembles the eye of the tiger. (Perhaps a good gift for a Rocky fan? Okay, I admit it, a bad joke.) This type of quartz has a golden colour that is caused by the presence of brown iron in the gemstone.

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Ten Truly Rare Gemstones

July 7, 2012 · 0 comments

Many people think that diamonds are rare because of the value we put on them, but when compared with other gemstones, they are actually fairly ubiquitous. In fact, when stacked up against the ten gems in this list, diamonds are practically a dime a dozen – not counting, of course, the actual amount that they cost.

So, what are these rare gemstones? Read on!

Painite. Despite sounding like something out of a comic book, painite is in fact a real gemstone. Named for British mineralogist Arthur C. D. Pain after he discovered it in the 1950s, painite is a dark, opaque gem known mostly for its rarity. It’s a bit more common today after the recent discovery of a repository of the gem in Myanmar, but up till 2005 there were only 25 painite gems known to exist, and The Guinness Book of World Records listed it as the rarest gemstone mineral in the world.

Alexandrite Fire Agate Pendant (Photo Source: Different Seasons Jewelry)

Alexandrite. A member of the emerald family of gemstones, alexandrite is famous – for those who know it at all – for its amazing ability to change colors depending on the type of light hitting it. Out in natural sunlight, alexandrite looks greenish blue, but under incandescent lighting, it actually seems to be a gorgeous purplish red.

Tanzanite. Found almost exclusively in Kilimanjaro’s foothills, tanzanite is said to be 1000 times more rare than diamond. Just like alexandrite, this gem exhibits shifts in its color when viewed in different lighting conditions. You can also “change” the color by rotating these gemstones and viewing them from different angles.

9.78 Carat Tanzanite Pendant Set in 18 Karat Gold (Photo Source: Gemteck1)

Benitoite. Three things distinguish benitoite as a rare gem. The first is that it has only been found in gemstonequality at its namesake – the San Benito River in California. The second is that under UV light, this beautiful blue stone actually glows like fluorescent chalk. And the final thing that makes it stand out – even though it was originally discovered over a hundred years ago, the reason for this glowing quality is still unknown.

Poudretteite. So rare that even though this gem was first found in the 1960s in the Poudrette quarry in Quebec, scientists didn’t realize that it was a new mineral until 1987, and there weren’t enough for it to be thoroughly examined and described until just under a decade ago. Most people will never see a poudretteite gemstone in person.

Benitoite (Photo Source: How I See Life)

Grandidierite. Yet another gemstone that has the ability to change color, grandidierite has been known to appear green, blue, and white. Its rarity is largely due to the fact that the gem has so far only been found in Madagascar, with few very exceptions. One of these exceptions, those, is notable for being the only specimen that is clean faceted.

Musgravite. Though this gemstone was first found in 1967, no one recovered one large enough to cut to shape until 1993, and even 12 years later, there were only eight musgravite gems of comparable size. Though it can be found in several areas of the world, including Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and Greenland, musgravite is still quite rare.

Red Beryl (Photo Source: Ryan Somma)

Jeremejevite. These rare gemstones were originally thought to only be available in Siberia, where it was discovered in the late 19th century, but since that time it has also been found in Namibia. For our money, it wins for having the most complicated-looking name of all these rare gems.

Red Beryl. The gem with a thousand names, red beryl has at times been called a scarlet emerald, a red emerald, and bixbite. In comparison to rubies, which are themselves incredibly rare, you are 8,000 times less likely to encounter a red beryl gemstone. Because of this, a single carat cut red beryl stone can go for as much as $10,000 in U.S. dollars.

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