gems & metal info
I am not a gemologist. I don't want anyone to think that I am an expert. But I love stones and other materials so I try to learn as much as I can. I will share here what I know and provide more expert information from people and professionals who I trust.
I also try to stick with vendors I know and trust when purchasing my stones and materials. If stones are treated I want to know so that I can tell you. There's nothing wrong with treated stones, in my opinion, as long as it's known and disclosed. In fact it is illegal for a vendor (or jeweler) to claim that a stone is natural if it has been treated in some manner. Almost all stones, gems, and materials have been treated in some manner. Whether dyed, heat treated, irradiated, or otherwise altered in a manner to bring out the most beauty, I feel that as long as the treatment is permanent and lovely it's okay.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
- Sterling Silver
Probably one of the most commonly used and known metals for jewelry, sterling silver is a precious metal comprised of 92.5% silver and 7.5% "other" metal, generally copper. If you are super, super sensitive then you may experience allergies with sterling, but I find that this is rare. Depending on where the sterling is made it can have different types of 'other' metals that will affect the quality. - Fine Silver
An excellent choice for anyone who finds they have a sensitivity to sterling silver. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. It is softer and more precious than sterling silver, and it is highly tarnish resistant. It may develop a slight yellowish hue over time if not worn or kept properly stored. Keep in a ziplock style bag or jewelry box with tarnish resistant cotton. - Karat Gold
Some people are surprised to learn that karat gold (14k, 18k, etc.) is not 100% pure gold. Gold is an incredibly soft metal and to use 100% pure gold in jewelry would be impossible. 14k gold only contains 58.3% gold! This is why some people are actually allergic to 14k gold jewelry - it's not the gold they are allergic to, it is the other metals that are mixed in to create a harder material (silver, copper, nickel, and zinc).
18k gold jewelry has 75% gold content, making it much more valuable than 14k gold. The higher karat a piece of jewelry has, the more valuable. The most valuable being 24k gold, which is 100% gold content. 24k gold is not generally recommended for use with rings or bracelets which are more likely to get damage with everyday wear and movement. Earrings and necklaces made with 24k are more likely as they are worn in ways that are more protected. - Gold Filled
A great alternative to 'real' gold. You get a beautiful gold look with 'real' gold (usually 18k to 22k) on top of a base metal core. A great website describes it in much greater technical depth if you are interested: http://www.artisanplating.com/articles/goldfilled.html. I love using gold filled wire and findings in my work because it really does offer so many different alternatives and allows more people to wear the lovely look of gold. - Vermeil
Another alternative to 'real' gold, to me this is slightly more precious than gold filled, but there are disagreements between artisans as to which is better. I like Vermeil (pronounced ver-meal) because it is gold over sterling silver. So if the gold ever starts to wear, what you have underneath is another precious metal instead of a base metal. I also like the color of most vermeil pieces better ... it generally is a 'richer' looking gold color. One reason other artists prefer gold filled metal is that gold filled does use a thicker layer of gold over the base metal compared to vermeil. Both are excellent alternatives to the expense of gold. - Base Metals
I try to stay away from jewelry pieces that are base metal, except for when I work with copper. Most inexpensive costume jewelry from places like Target or Walmart are going to be a base metal of some sort. These are much more likely to cause irritation to the skin for anyone who is sensitive. These metals will also tarnish or discolor much more quickly. - Copper
Copper is a type of base metal, but it also can be a beautiful jewelry component of its own. It tarnishes much more quickly and is much softer than sterling silver. I like my copper jewelry both shiny like a new penny as well as tarnished. You can shine it up with the same type of polishing cloth used for sterling. You can also use a clear nail polish to paint on rings so that your skin won't turn green as it reacts to the copper.
And now we'll look at gemstones. My very favorite gemstone database is on the Rings & Things website. Russ is one of the owners and he is so cool! Some of the data I have can be found there but they have a ton of information. So go visit their gemstone index if you just have to have more. I'll try to focus on stones that I love and use in my work.
Most gemstones are treated in some way, shape, or form. Generally it is to protect or enhance the stone's beauty. I trust Rings & Things and the Jewelweaver more than any other vendors in the industry. If they tell me a stone is natural and untreated, I believe it. But it's a rare thing to find a truly untreated, 100% natural stone. Even natural Sleeping Beauty Mine turquoise (one of my very favorites) is almost always treated to protect it because it is a soft stone. That's okay with me. I'd rather have a gorgeous stone that is protected than an untreated one that falls apart with use.
- Agate
I love agate. You can find it just about anywhere, in every color of the rainbow. We used to hunt agates at my grandma's house by the river. But agates aren't just rocks and they include some stunning examples of nature's artwork.
Blue Lace, Botswana, and Crazy Lace agates are three of my favorites. They cover a broad spectrum of colors from a pale icy blue to a crazy wild combination of yellow, orange, and red. - Amazonite
Mostly seen in it's icy green/blue form, it also comes in a Russian Amazonite, deep teal green color. I have some amazingly beautiful Amazonite and Russian Amazonite beads. They're always nicely cool to the touch and feel great when worn. - Amethyst
Did you know that Amethyst is in the Quartz family? An incredibly popular gem stone, it comes in a variety of purple shades from royal purple to the lightest violet. Amethyst is February's birthstone and is believed to protect the wearer from drunkenness. Amethyst can lose its color if exposed to sunlight for too long...try to keep your Amethyst protected from a lot of direct sunlight. - Apatite
I LOVE Apatite!!! It comes in so many beautiful colors and is such a lovely gem. It's not generally as well known as other gemstones because it is softer than most which makes it a little harder to use. All Apatite that I've seen come in nice small size beads and are used as accents, usually in necklaces. Apatite was long thought of as an apetite suppressant (that's it, I'm wearing Apateite from now on!) but is used for many non-jewelry purposes (I was surprised to learn that, as a mineral, it makes up 60% of our teeth and bones!). - Chalcedony
Pronounced kal-SEH-doh-nee, there is so much information about this lovely gem that I could never include it all here. It falls under the same family as Carnelian, Jasper, Agate, and Onyx. Chalcedony has been used for hundreds of years for a variety of purses. In ancient times, it was used as protection against idiocy and depression. In the Victorian era it was very popular as material for carved cameos. - Charoite
With amazing color and depth, Charoite has an almost mother of pearl finish of irridescent design. Another hard to find stone, I managed to purchase some outstanding beads at the 2006 Tucson gem show. Discovered by the West in 1978, Charoite is only found in Russia along the Charo River. Russians are said to have discovered it as early as 1947, but this is a desolate part of Russia where political prisoners were exiled. Experts aren't sure why it's only found in this one location. Read more about Charoite on my blog. - Cherry "Quartz"
Cherry quartz isn't really quartz...it's a beautiful manmade glass reportedly only created by one factory in China (though I'm sure by now others are producing it). Sometimes called strawberry quartz, this is less accurate because there is a naturally (though rarely) occurring Strawberry Quartz stone (I've never seen any!). Other "fake" quartz (not really fake...it's real glass) includes Blueberry, Pineapple, Opalized, and anywhere else where "quartz" is in quotes. - Fossilized Coral
Another favorite stone because each and every piece is completely unique. These stones are created by nature from ancient coral fossils that have turned into agate. Fossilized Coral is the official state stone of Florida. - Gaspeite
Pronounced Ja-Spite. A beautiful apple green stone that is exceedingly rare and hard to find. Luckily I got some wonderful quality stones from one of the few known sellers who (according to another source) has purchased the last available rough. It's only going to get more rare as time goes on, unless they find another mine. Discovered in the 1960s and named after the location where it was found (Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada), Gaspeite looks beautiful with brown matrix and without. It is said to reduce stress and bring spirituality into the every day existence. - Garnet
Did you know that garnets can be just about every color, except blue? One of my very favorites is the raspberry pink color of Rhodolite Garnets, but I also really like Tsavorite Garnets which are a deep evergreen color. Spessartine Garnets can be any number of shades of orange, red, brown, or yellow. Purple-red garnets are most common, while other more rare garnets lik Tsavorite, Spessartine, and Rhodolite are more precious and thus much more expensive. There are literally dozens of different 'trade names' for garnet. Garnets can be found all over the world with a lot coming from the United States. Garnet is also January's birthstone. Read this great USGS article about Garnets. - Labradorite
Pronounced lab-rah-door-ite. This flashy gemstone is one of my favorites (aren't they all!). A rainbow of colors can be found in this fun gem...from blue to green, yellow to red. It has been found among artifacts of Maine Native Americans, though it wasn't officially discovered until 1770 in Labrador, Canada. - Lapis
Otherwise known as Lapis Lazuli, it was officially the birthstone of December until 1958. Its deep Arabian Nights blue is the most prized color, but it also comes in different shades, including a less intense shade of blue with white matrix known as "Denim Lapis." I prefer the deepest blue color of Lapis with golden flecks of Pyrite that almost make it shimmer. But any Lapis can be integrated into wonderful designs. - Pearls
Oh how I love pearls! They come in every shape, size, and color under the moon and sun. New techniques in raising and treating pearls have given us so many opportunities to own pearls. Brides for ages have required pearls on their big day. My mother bought me my first pearls for my wedding day. And I was in awe. How such a beautiful thing can come from an oyster escapes imagination. Luckily, there is a lot of information that tells us how pearls are created.
"Cultured" pearls are pearls that have been nurtured by a worker who implants the oyster with an "irritant" like a preformed bead. You may have seen pearls in the shapes of crosses, flowers, and even hearts and starts. Inserting a preformed shape allows this type of pearl to form. The oyster takes the irritant and forms layers of nacre to create the actual pearl. Of course natural pearls are created in the exact same way - an irritant enters the oyster and the oyster forms nacre in response - but in the natural process the natural pearl is not helped along by human hands.
Natural perfectly round pearls are of course going to be the most rare, and the most valuable. Naturally colored pearls are also rare and extremely valuable, no matter the shape. Black pearls are the most rare and valuable type of natural (and cultured) pearl. A perfectly round black pearl can be as expensive as a diamond.
An amazing and interesting history of pearls can be found on Wikipedia.
Techniques to get colored pearls are much better today than previous ways - dying techniques are more advanced and companies even use irradiation to get a desired color. Dying techniques have advanced enough that most dyed pearls will not 'bleed' their color unless exposed to a lot of direct sunlight (fading) or submerged in water (which I wouldn't suggest for any pearls - especially those strung on silk). Irradiation brings a color to the pearls that is permanent, and this is my preferred treatment when I look for colored pearls. - Peridot
The official birthstone of August, Peridot is a lovely yellow-green colored gemstone created under tremendous pressure deep within the earth. It's rumored that Cleopatra's favorite stone was Peridot. It is a delicate stone that should be treated with care, especially when cleaning. It is thought that Peridot helps slow the aging process and increases patience and confidence. - Rhyolite
Sometimes called Rainforest Jasper, this stone is actually a volcanic rock and is chemically identical to granite. The colors found in Rhyolite stones range from deep olive or forest green to white crystals. It's a gorgeous stone that displays a variety of patterns. The word Rhyolite comes from the Greek word for stream. Maybe it's the flowing bands that Rhyolite displays. Learn more about Rhyolite. - Sapphire
Oh, Sapphires...they are supremely divine. Did you know that they can come in practically every color under the sun? Brown, orange, green, red, pink, purple, yellow, and of course the most prized color of cornflower blue. I went sapphire digging with my family in third grade in Montana and I will never forget the experience. We found the most incredible sapphires (okay, they look more like rocks to me now, but back then they looked like diamonds!) in a wide range of colors. Tundra sapphires are my current favorite - mined in Tanzania they come in an Autumn inspired rainbow of colors from the deepest cognac to the palest lemon yellow. Learn more about sapphires here. - Tanzanite
An amazing and very rare stone, it is found only in one place in the world, Tanzania. The most desired (and expensive) stones are clear through with a deep purple-blue color and clean to the eye. But even in 'lesser' quality stones, Tanzanite is gorgeous. Learn more about Tanzanite. - Topaz
This is a gemstone that I have come to enjoy and appreciate more and more. Sometimes found in color from a pale champagne to a deep London blue and even bright pink, Topaz is most often colorless. The brighter and more brilliant colors are more precious, and more rare. "Imperial" Topaz is a term used to distinguish actual Topaz from other stones that are often mistaken for Topaz like citrine and smokey quartz. Prices for Topaz can vary greatly depending on the quality and color - colorless and brown Topaz can sell for less than $8/ct while Imperial Topaz can sell for $1,000/ct to $5,000/ct! Palagems has a great Topaz history and buyers guide write up. - Turquoise
There is so much about Turquoise that I could never post it all here. Needless to say, the most highly prized Turquoise today is from the Sleeping Beauty Mine is Nevada. It is the most gorgeous sky blue color and has very little (if any) black matrix (which some might consider a flaw if you actually prefer some matrix in your stones). Turquoise comes in a variety of shades from deep sea green to bright sky blue.
Most Turquoise on the market today is at least stabilized to make it harder and less delicate. It's a fairly soft stone in nature so stabilizing it ensures longer wear. There are also stones that are dyed to look like Turquoise so it can be difficult to know if you are getting the 'real' thing. I purchase from vendors who purchase from other vendors. I will always tell you as much as I know about the tpe of Turquoise used in my work. I personally prefer Sleeping Beauty Turquoise with little to no matrix but I will work with all kinds of Turquoise. It's all beautiful!
If there are any gems that I haven't covered here, and you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend visiting Rings & Things' gemstone index. It is a great wealth of information.