Tiger's eye (also called tiger eye) is a chatoyant gemstone that is usually a metamorphic rock with a golden to red-brown colour and a silky lustre. As members of the quartz group, tiger's eye and the related blue-coloured mineral hawk's eye gain their silky, lustrous appearance from the parallel intergrowth of quartz crystals and altered amphibole fibres that have mostly turned into limonite.
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In ancient times Lapis Lazuli was most highly regarded because of its beautiful color and the valuable ultramarine dye derived from it. Its name comes from the Latin lapis, "stone," and the Persian lazhuward, "blue." It is rock formed by multiple minerals, mostly Lazurite, Sodalite, Calcite and Pyrite, and is a rich medium to royal blue with gold flecks (pyrites). Lower-grade Lapis is lighter blue with more white than gold flecks, and is sometimes called denim Lapis.
]]>Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79, making it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. In its purest form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions. Gold often occurs in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, in veins, and in alluvial deposits. It occurs in a solid solution series with the native element silver (as electrum) and also naturally alloyed with copper and palladium. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, often with tellurium.
]]>Agate is a rock consisting primarily of cryptocrystalline silica, chiefly chalcedony, alternating with microgranular quartz. It is characterized by its fineness of grain and variety of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of host rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.
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Bronzite is a member of the pyroxene group of minerals, belonging with enstatite and hypersthene to the orthorhombic series of the group. Rather than a distinct species, it is really a ferriferous variety of enstatite, which owing to partial alteration has acquired a bronze-like sub-metallic luster on the cleavage surfaces.
]]>This Jasper stone is found in only in western Australia.
]]>Sodalite is a rich royal blue tectosilicate mineral. First discovered by Europeans in 1811 in the Ilimaussaq intrusive complex in Greenland, sodalite did not become important as an ornamental stone until 1891 when vast deposits of fine material were discovered in Ontario, Canada.
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Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of the silicate mineral chalcedony. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color.
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Benefits of Stainless Steel in Jewelry:
Worldwide, pewter is actually the fourth-most-common metal for jewelry making.
What is Lead-Free Pewter?
In the old days, pewter contained lead as a hardener. Since lead can be toxic, people would be prudent to limit exposure to any vintage pewter. Belmont, through our NEY Metals brand, supplies safe, lead-free pewter alloys for applications that may come in contact with skin or food. Of course, this includes jewelry, tableware, or utensils. Besides tin, pewter alloys may contain small amounts of copper, silver, antimony, and/or bismuth. Jewelry makers may select the type of pewter alloy because of its hardness, its appearance, or their planned casting or molding techniques.
Reconsider Pewter Jewelry
At some points in history, pewter has been called the poor man’s silver, but this isn’t really a fair description of this useful alloy. Some benefits of using pewter for jewelry include the lower price, lack of concern over tarnishing, and especially, the pliability of pewter that make it possible to create elegant and complex designs. Many fine jewelry makers use pewter because they can offer more affordable jewelry; however, others focus on pewter because it is the right metal for their designs.
]]>sterling silver is used in every type of jewelry imaginable to create looks that can be both timeless and trendy.
Modern jewelry designers are flocking to this noble metal because it's the perfect combination of malleability, beauty, and durability.
Sterling silver jewelry is appropriate no matter what the occasion may be. Silver adds a classy touch to any look. Its versatility even extends to how it looks with other metals.
Maybe you want to add sterling silver to a jewelry collection that already has a lot of white gold or platinum pieces. You don't have to worry that your new jewelry won't match your outfits like the old collection did.
In fact, you can even wear sterling silver jewelry with a white gold or platinum piece and still create a look that is put together. The colors are close enough that you won't look like you're mixing up jewelry. Instead, you'll create a new image that is uniquely you.
sterling silver jewelry doesn't contain metal additions that can cause an allergic reaction. People who are allergic to metals such as nickel and or brass can wear sterling silver jewelry without much worry. This is especially important for accessories like earrings -- you can wear them without fear that a piercing will get infected.
The metal addition to sterling silver is usually copper, which isn't as likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Don your silver with confidence knowing that you won't face any consequences later.
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