Jade has had a special place in the long and rich history of Chinese art and culture. In many ways, the reverence for jade demonstrated by the Chinese and other Asian cultures rivals the West’s obsession with gold and diamonds! Throughout Asia, jade was known as the gemstone of royalty. It was worn by kings and noble families, and was even placed in their tombs after their deaths. It was believed that jade would protect them in the afterlife, and prevent their bodies from decaying. In time, the legends grew, and jade came to be accepted as the royal gemstone with magical powers. In order to truly grasp the emotions and sentiments that Asians attach to this gem, one must spend time in the jade market of Hong Kong, or at the more upscale Christie’s House jade auctions that are organized from time to time. Ancient civilizations were first attracted by the hardness and durability of jade, and used it to fashion crude tools, implements, and weapons. It was only later that jade was seen as an ornamental material that could be used to fashion jewelry, figurines, and vessels. When used in jewelry, jade is cut in to cabochons and beads. It is frequently used to make silver pendants, earrings, and necklaces. Outside the world of fashion jewelry, artists use this material to carve out intricate sculptures and figures. The clear, emerald green stone is the most valued. Over the years, the large variety in color and patterns exhibited by this stone have made it a popular gemstone with jewelry designers.

During the second half of the 19th century, mineralogists discovered that jade was not a unique mineral! Since then, two minerals – jadeite and nephrite have both been recognized as jade. Both stones are quite hard and take a good polish, making them ideal gemstones for fashion jewelry of today. Jadeite has small, interlocking crystals. This crystalline structure gives jadeite a high degree of toughness and hardness. Jadeite is often found in hues of green, white, pink, reds, black, brown and violet. From the point of view of a chemist, jadeite is a metasilicate of iron, calcium, and magnesium. Other impurities are found in minor quantities, making subtle changes to the characteristics of the mineral. For example the presence of iron or chromium gives jadeite a green color. Although similar in appearance to jadeite, nephrite is quite different from jadeite. For one, nephrite is harder and tougher than jadeite. Green is the most common color for nephrite, although the mineral can occur in almost any color. Today, Canada is the chief producer to gem-quality nephrite. A large deposit of nephrite is also being exploited in southern Wyoming in the United States. Other countries producing jade include Burma, Central America, Brazil, Canada, Japan, India, Siberia, Finland, and Tanzania.

Dale Arnold
http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/jade-the-gemstone-of-asian-royalty-748734.html

http://www.TopDrawerChoice.com releases video on the handmade gemstone jewelry of Donna Engebretson, a specialist in the art of granulation whose jewelry is characterized by high karat gold and gemstones.

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Technorati Tags: gemstone, handmade, jewelry

The Gemstone Guilds are:
1) AGTA
2) GLDA
3) GJX

Google Search these affiliations and it will give you sources.

http://www.worldgemstonejewelry.com
Feast your eyes on the latest collection of genuine gemstone jewelry offered by World Jewelry. Gemstone experts travel the world collecting exquisite pieces of jewelry with exceptional gemstones. The prices will surprise you. The World Jewelry gemstone jewelry collection includes deliciously bright green peridot, large vibrant purple amethysts, deep rich firey red garnets, rare genuine pink tourmaline, natural unheated blue sapphires, vibrant cool aquamarine, unheated rubies, colorful moonstones and more. All of the jewelry is sterling silver and comes with a money back guarantee. The gemstone jewelry offered at http://www.worldgemstonejewelry.com is all handmade and the gemstones are 100% natural. Therefore, the piece of gemstone jewelry you find for yourself is totally unique.

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Technorati Tags: amethyst, aquamarine, beaded, diamond, emerald, garnet, gemstone, handmade, jewellery, jewelry, jewels, loose, madeira, natural, necklace, necklaces, peridot, ruby, sapphire, tanzanite, topaz

I already have a few places I find worth looking at – where would YOU suggest?

http://www.silverstall.com/ have been around for longer than most and have a real business address – not a PO Box number.

I make hand-made jewelry. No diamond and gemstone stuff but mostly glass, metal, magnetic, and plastic beads. I make earrings as well with the same medium. I want to just print up basic business cards when I setup shop at local flea markets, bazaar’s, and festivals. Also I need help with a slogan to go with it for my website. Help Please!

With my jewelry business, I just picked 2 unique woman’s names and put them together.

For all times jewelry has remained the most desired gift for a woman. However, choosing an appropriate piece of jewelry isn’t easy despite a big amount of offered adornments. Some adornments suit for every day and are good for any dress and occasion – they are rather small and moderate, but elegant and always fashionable. Other ones are meant for celebrations – parties, anniversaries, weddings. This kind of jewelry is allowed to be more remarkable. However, the most expensive adornment doesn’t always mean the most suitable one.

The latter-date fashion is rich in the astonishing variety of designers’ know-hows. One can get lost while choosing jewelry from thousands of perfect examples of jewelers’ art. However, no matter what, you will never make a mistake if you choose classics. It has passed the most difficult test – time check-up. It includes chains plaited in all possible ways – the adornments offered by famous Coco Chanel and enthusiastically accepted by public that remain popular up to this very day.

Rings take a special part in jewelers’ art. They are worn by almost every woman. But are they really beautify? Indeed they are, if suit to a person’s style. Women of a small height with tiny hands would rather wear narrow rings with one or several small jewels. Rings with oval or pear-shaped gemstones visually make a hand more delicate and refined. Girls and young women are recommended to wear rings with one small jewel, for middle-aged women rings with bigger jewels or scatterings of tiny ones are preferred. For shorter fingers one shouldn’t choose large wide rings. It is not recommended to wear more than two rings.

Jewelry, as long as clothes, is meant for emphasizing all one’s benefits and stressing all attractive features. An appropriately selected jewel can attract attention to an eye color, necklaces or chains with pendants – to delicate neck skin. It is not recommended to wear a big amount of jewelry or adornments that disagree in style or color.

Jewelry is different for every season and occasion. In summer the choice of adornments is almost unlimited. However, in winter, clothes and jewelry should be more moderate and reasonable. The adornments for the winter season are not very remarkable – small clips or earrings to emphasize complexion would suit perfectly.

Diamonds and other jewels, pearls, golden and silver adornments look most impressive in the evening light. Large brooches, pendants, necklaces, big earrings, bracelets of various colors of shine perfectly combine with evening dresses. Sometimes a tiny piece of jewelry can change a person completely, if the adornment is stylish and correctly selected. Appropriate earrings create harmony between one’s figure and the shoulder line. Earrings with pendants or large and round ones are not recommended for women with broad face or glasses. Such kind of earrings would rather be worn by young and middle-aged women with oval face. Small flat earrings perfectly suit for round-faced women. Young girls would rather avoid large earrings.

A high-necked dress combines with either beads or earrings. For a lower-cut d?collet? both kinds of adornments can be used.

Bracelets are usually worn on the right hand. Moreover, bracelets with jewels should fit tightly to the hand and the hoop-shaped or chain-shaped ones should be loose. For both hands only twin bracelets can be worn. Thin wrists can be beautified by a set of delicate bracelets. However, such kind of adornment isn’t the best choice for a woman with plump hands – it would hide all her attractive features.

On the whole, one can wear large and tiny adornments, a single one or a set of jewelry, colored and of various shapes, materials and combinations. There is only one condition – jewelry should be of impeccable taste.

However, this is only theory. While choosing jewelry, a man can hardly determine a personal style of a woman to select the best adornment. Here are several simple pieces of advice that can help you in this challenge:

1) Look and listen!

To understand what jewelry is preferred by a women sometimes a quick research of already existing adornments is quite enough. In that way, you can determine her individual style and understand which adornments are still lacking. For example, if your special person wears pearl necklace she will be happy to be presented with a pair of refined pearl earrings. You can unexpectedly show her pictures of jewelry and ask her about her likes and dislikes. Her answer will help you in your research.

To select a ring you can measure the diameter of her ring. That will be necessary for a shop assistant to offer the needed size.

If your special person has thin fingers then buy her a wider setting or smaller gemstone, as larger gemstones on thin settings will have tendency to twist and turn. If you are set on a larger gemstone then have the jeweler modify the ring with the addition of 2 small spheres of gold soldered at 8 and 4 o’clock on the inside of ring shank. This will allow the ring to slip over the knuckle but provide a tighter fit around the finger keeping the gemstone on top for everyone to see.

2) Appreciate her personality!

If she is a romantic kind of person, present her with a heart-shaped pendant, necklace or a ring with a heart-shaped gemstone. If she prefers classics or business style then an elegant diamond ring, a pair of refined diamond earrings or a flat-unit chain is the best choice.

Earrings are an excellent choice, but it is important to know if she has pierced ears or prefers clip-on mountings. Does she like long earrings or does she prefer studs.

But you can do even more than that! Sun, dolphins, butterflies and other beautiful shapes would be really appreciated by her. You would rather avoid ultrafashionable designers’ adornments or a just-for-a-party style since you are sure she would definitely like that.

3) Ask her friends!

Her sister, mother or friends can tell you about her likes and help you choose the best sphere for research. You can definitely ask her by watching what attracts her attention at the jeweler’s.

4) Do homework!

Knowing what colors she likes to wear can help you in deciding what color of gemstone would match her wardrobe, especially if its earrings or a necklace. Know her skin tone or dominant make up color as different colors of gold look better on different skin tones or make-up colors.

Your beloved one can be unsatisfied if you present her with a jewel that doesn’t agree with her horoscope.

Jewels and gemstones are believed to have special features and supernatural powers according to the Zodiac signs. They say, precious gemstones give magical protection to the people that have them as talismans. They help in achieving goals, granting wishes, protect from illnesses and misfortune.

Jewels are often involved in various legends, superstitions and beliefs. Only presented or bought jewels are considered to be true talismans.

Know about all dates that are important for her. Presents are not just for birthdays or Christmas – they are always welcome.

5) Present stylishly!

If you choose a pendant remember about an appropriate chain, so that she could wear it at once. You would rather pack it into a beautiful box and present it together with flowers. Romantic atmosphere would also be perfect for such occasion!

To be sure about the present for the next time you can buy a set of jewelry and present it in parts. For example, you can give her a ring for Christmas and the earrings from that very set – for the wedding anniversary.

6) And the most important one:

If you are still unsure about a gift – present her with a diamond ring.

Most of the women want a large diamond; remember that a larger diamond creates the illusion of power, wealth and influence. But to some women that may not be comfortable to wear. So it is always better for your special person to be humble with a smaller diamond which will not clash with her persona, something she may feel at ease wearing that is more humble to her soul. This will avoid a gaudy yet risky to wear ring also in fear of having it stolen. The size of the ring has to be decided as per the size of the finger also – the bigger the finger the bigger the diamond, the smaller the finger the smaller the diamond. Otherwise, the ring may once again look overawing unfit to her beautiful finger.

Such gift is relevant at all times – actually in this case the fact is much more important than a diamond size.

Mikhail Podlinev
http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/beauty-in-jewels-for-any-style-and-season-97664.html

The Earth yields up a rich variety of gemstones that can be used in jewellery making, with every hue and colour imaginable available to incorporate into stunning pieces that will compliment any outfit. The choice of which gemstone to include in a piece is purely down to the individual and is subject to all kinds of influences including birthdate, fashion or even superstition.

Birthstones are a good place to start. Each zodiac sign has a particular gemstone associated with it, and giving someone a piece of jewellery that incorporates that stone shows the recipient that much more thought has gone into the piece. The gemstones range from the lavish such as sapphires, emeralds and rubies, to the more subtle like moonstone and lapis lazuli. Because of the sheer range of gemstones available, you can spend as little or as much as you like and still have a beautiful piece of jewellery with a hidden meaning, which will be cherished by the recipient.

Breaking down gemstones by colour is also an alternative. If you like red but can’t afford to buy a high quality ruby, then you could look at cheaper alternatives such as garnets or spinel. Spinel can range in colour to a delicate pink through to a deep red and can look every bit as stunning as a ruby. Garnets offer a deeper shade of red with hints of violet and purple in them. They’re popular in eastern jewellery and can be used to produce exotic looking jewellery at a fraction of the cost of most rubies.

For blue stones, sapphires are the first choice, but even though these range in colour, quality and price, there are other alternatives. A particular favourite is the deep royal blue of lapis lazuli, which is often flecked with gold within the stone. This can produce a stunning effect with gold findings. Lapis can also be bought as beads as well as cabochons, meaning that the stone can be used in necklaces or as a setting for a ring, for example. Kunzite is another alternative that has a violet tint and is a relatively cheap alternative to precious gemstones such as sapphires.

Not strictly a gemstone but still valued highly in jewellery making, amber is a perennial favourite. Its warm, golden tone compliments silver findings perfectly and it has a honey-like lustre that is hard to resist. It can be a difficult gem to work with as it is very soft, but the results it produces are well worth the effort. Baltic amber is the most highly prized, but Middle Eastern amber can range in tone from a golden yellow to a deep red.

The most obvious green gemstone to go for is emerald, and surprisingly these can be far less expensive than you first think. Again, quality stones will cost more, but if you’re willing and capable of doing a little work to refine a lower quality stone the effects can still be beautiful. Peridot is a cheaper alternative and is a much paler green with a translucency that is extremely delicate and effective for use with small findings.

The opal carries a great deal of superstition with it, but is probably one of the most beautiful gemstones to work with. It ranges from a milky white to deep blue or even the rare ‘fire opal’, which is like a small firework captured in stone. Its ability to catch the light and produce a rainbow of colours is dazzling, and opal retains its popularity even today.

There are thousands of gemstones to choose from, and a good supplier will carry a full selection, ranging from top-quality emeralds and rubies right through to cheaper but no less beautiful alternatives. Don’t be afraid of including gemstones in your jewellery making – the results can be inspiring.

Adam Hunter
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/gemstones-for-jewellery-making-745050.html

recently i bought ruby’s,corals,cz’s.i planned to keep them in checkin baggage.is it safe?

Yes. There is the problem that the baggage handlers will help themselves to whatever they want in your luggage, and your items will not arrive at their destination with your luggage. And if you read the fine print on your ticket, the airline will not reimburse you or take any responsibility for items like this.

NEVER check anything that is critical or valuable to you, or anything that is valuable to someone else. Always carry those items on. That includes valuables such as jewelry, cameras, or electronics (including the power supplies!). It also includes things that you can’t do without, such as medication.

Beaded jewelry is appreciated all over the world because it comes in many different colors, can be easily matched with any outfit and most of all it is totally affordable. A beautiful beaded necklace is not very difficult to make at home. All you need is a sample pattern, some colorful beads or crystals, a string and a toggle clasp. Thousands of lovely designs are available on the internet which can be utilized to make gorgeous and one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry articles. Handcrafted jewelry is attractive because it also reflects your inner taste and personality. You can choose personalized charms and lovely beads to make a choker at home that expresses your style.

Strong, nylon-covered wires or strings are often used for making beaded chokers. These wires are flexible so that one can easily twist and turn them to create wonderful designs. There are many types of beads available on the market that can be used for making beaded jewelry articles. Some of the popular ones include glass beads, luster beads, pony beads, seed beads, and faceted beads. If you are making a personalized choker or bracelet you can also choose alphabet beads made of plastic. These beads are available in packs and are priced by weight. They are quite inexpensive.

Some other types of beads are also utilized by jewelry makers all over the world. These beads, although not very popular, are simply exquisite. A gorgeous beaded necklace can be made by using these beads which include cloisonné beads, lampwork beads, bugle beads, vintage beads and lead crystal beads. In addition to these, artificial gemstone beads are also commonly used to impart an expensive look to the choker. Fake pearls and simulated gemstones including diamond simulates come under this category. Artistic jewelry articles are made by using furnace glass beads and vintage beads.

First of all you need to determine the length of your choker. There are different styles of necklaces and all are prepared by using different string lengths. For example there is a Y-shaped choker which can be made with a dangling crystal pendant or a large gemstone. A briolette wrap necklace is another choice which can be made by using wire techniques. These techniques include how to make a simple, double or a wrapped loop, how to make a spiral and a connector, how to make a briolette wrap and how to make jump rings. You need to master these simple tricks to make lovely beaded jewelry at home.

So, you see there are countless ways of making a gorgeous and unique beaded necklace with your own hands. Once you have perfected the basic steps needed to create a beaded jewelry article, you would want to try many different patterns and artwork to turn your imagination into lovely pieces of jewelry. Beaded chokers are admired all over the world and they can also be given as memorable gifts on all occasions. If you also want to make your own personalized beaded choker, check out various options available along with the collection of multi-colored, beautiful beads and crystals.

Imran ali