Stone of the Month November: Sunny Citrines

The Citrine comes in a range of yellows varying from lemonade to a rich Madeira color. This gemstone, in all its shades, goes wonderfully with earth tones and makes a great gemstone to wear during the fall. Keep the Sun shining throughout the year with a Citrine. Citrines are unique stones. The nicest and largest citrine stones can be found on rings where your fingers can show off the beauitful stone and where light passes most easily and from many different angles. A gift of Citrine is symbolic for hope and strength. With its sunny brightness, this gemstone is ideal for helping anyone to get through the tough times in life!

Caring for Citrines
With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs’ scale, the citrine is a very tough gem. However, even super heroes have their weaknesses. It should be noted that citrines should be kept away from prolonged exposure to strong light or heat. If you keep this tip in mind your citrine will one day make a great family heirloom.

Alternate Birthstone
Yellow Topaz is an alternate gemstone for those born in November. It's golden color was believed by the Egyptians to be the glow cast by the sun god Ra. Yellow Topaz ranges in color from a peachy blush to a deep cognac. A gift of this gemstone is said to symbolize friendship and to strengthen one's capacity to give and receive love.

Pearls, Round, Clean and elegant . . .

Dear Renee,
I am looking at different pearls to buy online. I find many different types in many colors. I also find pearls which are really cheap and some which really expensive. Can you briefly explain how some pearls are like 20 dollars and others are like 1000 dollars.
thanks
Heather Jenkins, Miami, Florida

Dear Heather,
Pearls are the more complicated Jewelry pieces to understand since there are so many types and ways to acquire them that the market has created a robust price varied jewelry market. Basically with pearls it depends if they are natural or from a farm. A pearls true value weather akoya, freshwater, or cultured lies in its lustre and shape. The more round and perfect a sphere the pearls are and more lustrous or high lustre a pearl is will determine how valuable the jewelry will become. Since today off round pearls and multi colored pearls are in style as well as metal/pearls jewelry combinations rather than expensive pearl strands there is far more pearl jewelry available to the customers at great prices. Pearls once reserved mostly for necklaces and necklace strands have made a comeback as they are widely used now for earrings, pendants, bracelets and rings. Click Here for more information on Pearls.

Stone of the Month: Blue Sapphires

The blue sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September. September is the month of the Virgo, the month of serenity. This gemstone is so known for its representation of trust that it is accepted in many countries as the alternate stone for an engagement ring. It is said to symbolize stability, permanence, and everlasting faith.

The blue sapphire is best suited for a woman with a well-balanced lifestyle and a strong sense of individuality. A woman who is open to spirituality, new ideas, and ventures best represents this stone. Blue is an attractive color, easily worn on any occasion with a wide variety of colors. This fancy stone comes in all shades of blue, from light pale blue to dark midnight blue.

The September Gift
The sapphire stone makes an easy gift for anyone born in the month of September. The sapphire represents independence and adventure, so it would be appropriate to buy the sapphire for a woman starting a new job, career, or business. A sapphire makes a perfect gift for a woman with beautiful blue eyes. Great sapphire gifts include earrings pendants which offer subtle yet pleasing jewelry to be worn in september. Sapphires are also available in Pink a great color for the summer and also a new alternative to the blue sapphire in September.

Peridot is the stone of the month.

Peridot as the healing stone. . .
This beautiful stone is said to have many different powers. It is supposed to increase strength and physical energy, as well as reduce nerves and upset feelings. Peridot is also said to relieve anger and rage. Physically, the stone was said to help the liver and adrenaline glands, lungs, sinuses, and protect against injury. Mythically, the stone was believed to make dreams come true if it was worn to bed.

The brilliant green peridot is designated to the summer month of August. This radiant green stone is the perfect stone for the end of summer months. The peridot is a great accessory for a summer outfit and is also pleasantly worn in the beginning of the fall. The peridot is generally worn during the day. However, it could simply brighten up any evening attire.

Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August or the color of the zodiac sign, Leo. The gemstone makes a perfect gift for anyone born later in the summer. In addition, peridot is the anniversary jewel for the 16th year of marriage.

What is Sterling Platinum?

Dear Renee,
I see the terms Vermeil, Sterling Platinum and Sterling Silver. What kind of jewelry are these types and what is the difference in each. Is this costume jewelry?

Cindy Schlagger, Miami, Florida

Dear Cindy,
This is an interesting question. First off sterling silver is usually regular silver jewerly with a .925 or 92.5% silver content in the metal. This is the most common silver and what is found in regular silver jewelry. The term "sterling platinum" has become new and trendy but actually it is sterling silver plated over with platinum. Usually this gives the jewelry a much more shinier and crisper finish.

Vermeil is usually Gold plated over sterling silver. It is a similar idea to "sterling platinum" but it gives the jewelry a gold look, which is unique, shiny and much less expensve than 14Kt yellow gold. Today many pieces of beautiful jewelry are made from vermeil and worn by all segments of the population. Vermeil and Sterling Platinum have become very chic and popular in the last few years.

Understanding and Caring for Silver Jewelry

Dear Renee,

I have many silver peices of jewelry I have accumulated over the last few years and someone told me there are ways to make them look new. Also why does silver tarnish so easily and gold does not?

Marsha Meyers, Springfield, Illinois.

Good question Marsha! Silver jewelry is usually significantly lower in value than most gold items due to the metal factor. The great advantage to creating jewelry from silver is that it is a very versatile metal. Silver jewelry usually requires less care than gold since it is a harder metal. Silver is mixed with other alloys usually copper to make it more durable. Sterling silver the silver used in most fine jewelry is the best quality of silver available due to its high 92.5% silver content.

Silver can be scratched if care is not taken, therefore it is important to store it in a soft pouch and wear it with care. Silver can usually be buffed and polished proffessionaly by any qualified jeweler. Keep your silver away from any chemicals such as hairspray. You can care for your silver jewelry with a delicate jewelry cleanser. Although there are many chemical solutions for cleaning and restoring silver you must always be careful with these solutions since they can damage gemstones or other components of your fine silver jewelry. To limit the tarnishing of silver use silver cleaning solutions with a silver jewelry cleaning cloth on the same piece, cleaning once every 2 months. However, the best way to prevent tarnishing is to wear you silver jewelry as often as possible.