The Gem Gallery Blog

Archive for February, 2010

As most of us know adornment has been around since Neanderthal man. Bits of bone, rock, shell, even flowers and leaves made up accessories for both man and woman. Glass came into existence at a much later time. Some where around 2340-2180 B.C. These excavations took place in Mesopotamia, and in the Caucasus region, known today as Russia. A vast number of glass beads were found, artistically crafted and a number of manufacturing methods used.

It was Egypt, however that manufactured such an enormous variety of beads in so many different materials that virtually everyone wore them. They were used not only for jewelry but for adornment from sandals to aprons. Most of these beads and finery was made for funerals, however. Of course the most prized stones and jewelry were made for the wealthy.

Actually glass beads are known by the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties. The Egyptians were first to manufacture for large commercial market about 1400 B.C. The New Kingdom of the Eighteenth Dynasty is considered the world’s first glassmaking epoch. Glassbeads took the place of precious and semiprecious stones. During this time all kinds of designs and styles of glass beads came into being.

A decline in glass making skills occurred in Egypt after the Nineteenth Dynasty ended. Glass virtually disappeared after the fall of the New Kingdom about 1085 B. C. It was revived in Ptolemaic times, when Alexander the Great founded Alexandria. Glass produced during this time is reported to include some of the most beautiful and complex beads ever made.

Diamonds are the widely accepted birthstone of the month of April. Aside from diamonds, however, there are other April birthstones. Opal is the Mystical birthstone. April overlaps two zodiac signs, Aries and Taurus. The birthstones of Aries are bloodstone and diamond, jasper is its planetary stone, and all three are considered its lucky charms; the birthstones of Taurus, on the other hand, are sapphire, turquoise, amber, and blood coral, its planetary stones are emerald and aventurine, and its lucky charms are sapphire and diamond.

Diamonds most commonly mined in Africa (such as Ghana and Zaire), Australia, Brazil, and USSR. They are often colorless, but can come in other colors as well. The diamond, also known as the King Gem (the pearl being the Queen Gem), symbolizes purity and eternal love and faith, pertaining to its durability. It is considered by others as an emblem of invincibility and courage. It is believed among the Hindus that a diamond with flaws such as specks is bad luck.

The diamond takes its name from ancient Greek, essentially meaning “unalterable” or “unbreakable.” Due to its hardness—a 10 according to the Mohs Scale—it is considered perfect for everyday wear, immune to scratching and mild blows. Equally good characteristics are its beauty and rarity, making it a very glamorous jewelry gift, especially as engagement and wedding rings for couples. Though it is durable, it still can chip with sharp impact because of their innate brittleness, so it must still be handled with care. It also must be stored separately from other jewelry as it can scratch them and other diamonds as well.

Another one of the April birthstones is opal. Mostly coming from Southern Australia with its black kind coming exclusively from the Australia itself, opal is considered to be very old, even dating back to the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs still existed. It comes in many colors and its highest quality is considered more expensive than a diamond. Its name being derived from the Latin “opalus,” meaning “seeing jewel,” in addition to being able to heal, it is believed to increase mental capacities such as one’s creative imagination and other unexplored, unused mental powers in addition. Black opal is said to be extremely lucky.

Opal’s hardness is 6 to 6.5. Caring for opal jewelry entails avoiding getting it wet, scratched or exposed to heat. They are said to radiate hope, happiness and truth and along with other April birthstones, when turned into rings, they are considered special as they are believed to bestow upon the wearer the virtues of the gem.

Gold is available in a wide selection of colors ranging from red to gray. By combining gold with other metals, colored gold alloys are produced. For example, rose gold contains copper and green gold contains silver. The richness of the color is regulated by how much of a particular metal is added. A deeper rose color is achieved by adding more copper. More than one metal can also be used to produce less common colors. Grey gold contains both copper and iron. Although the base metals are mixed in different quantities to produce these gold alloys, the actual amount of gold does not change. Both 14 karat rose gold and 14 karat blue gold contain the same amount of gold.

Not all gold alloys are suitable for jewelry making. The main purpose of adding base metals to gold is to improve its properties. Pure gold is too soft; making is susceptible to dents and scratches. Some base metals however, are better than others. Purple gold can be made with aluminum. Unfortunately, the resulting alloy is difficult to work with, making it an uncommon color in jewelry.