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Sunday, June 18, 2017

In Arizona, the Apaches had made several raids on one particular settlement. After these raids, the military and some volunteers banded together and followed the tracks of the stolen cattle back to where the Apaches lived. At dawn, they attacked. The Apaches were completely surprised and outnumbered in the attack. About two-thirds of the Apache warriors were killed by the first volley of shots. The rest of the Apache warriors retreated. As they were almost completely surrounded, the only place for them to go was to the edge of a cliff. Rather than die at the hands of a white man, these last warriors chose death by leaping over the cliff's edge. The apache women of those who had died gathered at the base of the cliff, and for a moon they wept for their dead. They mourned, not only because their warriors had all died, but also because the fighting spirit of the Apaches had died with them. Their sadness was so great that the Great Spirit encased the tears of the Apache women into black stones we now call apache tears.

Rough apache tears (obsidian)

Nature's gems

Titanite with Clinochlore

#jewelleryfacts365 319/365 Diamond fact

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Cubic zirconia (CZ) is the synthesized material is hard, optically flawless and usually colorless, but may be made in a variety of different colors. Its commercial production began in the USSR in 1976. In 1977 cubic zirconia begun to be mass-produced in the jewelry marketplace. By 1980 annual global production had reached 50 million carats (10 tonnes). [source]

Color grading a white diamond is really about the absence of color. Any hint of color lowers the value of the diamond, and the stronger the color, the lower the gem's worth. The color grading scale established by GIA, and recognized around the world, has letter grades to describe the increasing presence of color.

Bead Day

#jewelleryfacts365 318/365 Diamond fact

Friday, June 16, 2017

Moissanite. Without special testing equipment, distinguishing it from a natural diamond is very difficult. Moissanite, in its natural form, is very rare. It has only been discovered in a small variety of places from upper mantle rock to meteorites. Moissanite was introduced to the jewelry market in 1998. It is regarded as a diamond alternative with some optical properties exceeding those of diamond. Its lower price and less exploitative mining practices necessary to obtain it make it a popular alternative to diamonds.

Record-Size Natural Moissanite Crystals Discovered in Israel

Jewellery photography

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Thursday, June 15, 2017

Among gems, diamonds are actually the most common. If you doubt this ask yourself; “How many women do you know that do not own at least one diamond?” Now ask the same question about other gems.

The Cullinan III and IV brooch

Jewellery masterpieces

Bell Epoque diamond brooch by Cartier

#jewelleryfacts365 316/365 Diamond fact

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

A Christian pastor has discovered one of the world's largest uncut diamonds in Sierra Leone's Kono district. The diamond, weighing 709 carats, is now locked up in Sierra Leone's central bank in Freetown. It is one of the 20 largest diamonds ever found. Freelance, or artisanal, miners are common in Sierra Leone's diamond-rich areas, reports the BBC's Umaru Fofana.

Artisanal, or freelance, miners are a common sight in Sierra Leone's diamond-rich Kono district

Nature's gems

Gorgeous gemmy ruby red Realgar clapsed by translucent Calcite scalenohedrons, from Jiepaiyu Mine, China

#jewelleryfacts365 315/365 Diamond fact

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

An estimated US$13 billion worth of rough diamonds are produced per year, of which approximately US$8.4 billion are from Africa (approximately 65%).

An internally flawless 100 carat diamond described as 'perfect' by experts is expected to sell for a staggering £16 million. The Type IIa diamond, which is in a classic emerald cut and is 'whiter than white', was mined by De Beers in South Africa. Its current owner spent more than a year studying, cutting and polishing the rough diamond to deliver the spectacular stone. [source]

Jewellery masterpieces

Antique C 1810 Georgian Victorian 14k Gold Carved Salmon Coral Floral Necklace

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Monday, June 12, 2017

The largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found at 3106.75 carats (621.35 g). It was cut into 105 diamonds including the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, 530.2 carats (106.04 g), and the Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, 317.4 carats (63.48 g), both of which are now part of the British Crown Jewels.

The Great Star of Africa

Monday motivation


#jewelleryfacts365 313/365 Diamond fact

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Today, diamonds are located in the diamond-rich density fraction with the help of X-ray fluorescence, after which the final sorting steps are done by hand.


Nature's gems

#jewelleryfacts365 312/365 Diamond fact

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Approximately 130,000,000 carats (26,000 kg) of diamonds are mined annually, with a total value of nearly US$9 billions.

Gahcho Kué, co-owned by De Beers Canada and Mountain Province Diamonds, is located at Kennady Lake, about 280 km northeast of Yellowknife. (Image courtesy of De Beers Group)

Craft Day

What I've knitted while taking  break from blogging....


#jewelleryfacts365 311/365 Silver fact

Friday, June 9, 2017

Silver has more malleability than any element except gold. One grain of silver can be made into a sheet one hundred and fifty times thinner than a piece of paper.

Cake decorated with silver sheet

Jewellery photography

#jewelleryfacts365 310/365 Gold fact

Thursday, June 8, 2017

The visors of astronauts' helmets are coated in a very thin, transparent layer of gold (.000002 inches) that reduces glare and heat from sunlight.

Gold astronaut's helmet 

Jewellery masterpieces

A basket of flowing flowers and leaves with all of the basket, leaves and branches being comprised of diamonds. The petals of each flower are various colored sapphires with a diamond set in the center. On each side of the cascading floral design the bottom section moves so when worn the diamonds and sapphires would reflect even more color and brilliance. It is comprised of 4.12 Ct.T.W. of diamonds and 21.08 Ct.T.W. of colored sapphires. It measures 2 3/4 inches tall by 2 1/4 inches wide. The diamonds are F to G color with excellent clarity.

#jewelleryfacts365 309/365 Ancient Rome jewellery fact

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

The senators and equites of Ancient Rome wore golden rings as did the the legionary tribunes. The plebeians wore iron rings unless when they were presented with a golden one for their bravery in war or as a reward for special services.

This is an ancient Roman iron signet ring set with its original sard intaglio, dating to the 1st century A.D. The intaglio is finely cut with a hand, grasping two wheat stalks and a poppy. This is a reference to the goddess of the harvest Demeter and Persephone goddess of the Underworld. The intaglio has chip to the lower edge, it is firmly set in the ring. This has been stabilized and conserved to a museum display standard, thus is not really suited for wear due the age of the ancient iron.

Nature's gems

Rare Rhodochrosite flower From South Africa Credit: Rod-Kylee Douds

#jewelleryfacts365 308/365 Ancient Egyptian jewellery facts

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

The amulets were equally important protectors of the living as well as dead. Specific amulets were made for the afterlife, as funerary jewelry was popular in ancient Egypt.

Funerary Jewelry, Dynasty 18

Jewellery masterpieces

Antique Cameos: old victorian, shell, coral and hardstone cameos, vintage jewellery

#jewelleryfacts365 307/365 Pearl fact

Monday, June 5, 2017

There is a special vocabulary used to describe the length of pearl necklaces. While most other necklaces are simply referred to by their physical measurement, pearl necklaces are named by how low they hang when worn around the neck. 

A collar, measuring 10 to 13 inches or 25 to 33 cm in length, sits directly against the throat and does not hang down the neck at all; collars are often made up of multiple strands of pearls. 

Pearl chokers, measuring 14 to 16 inches or 35 to 41 cm in length, nestle just at the base of the neck. 

A strand called a princess length, measuring 17 to 19 inches or 43 to 48 cm in length, comes down to or just below the collarbone. 

A matinee length, measuring 20 to 24 inches or 50 to 60 cm in length, falls just above the breasts. 

An opera length, measuring 28 to 35 inches or 70 to 90 cm in length, will be long enough to reach the breastbone or sternum of the wearer; 

and longer still, a pearl rope, measuring more than 45 inches or 115 cm in length, is any length that falls down farther than an opera.

Fresh water pearls, peacock black color, princess length

Monday motivation


#jewelleryfacts365 306/365 Pearl fact

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Biologically speaking, under the right set of circumstances, almost any shelled mollusk can produce some kind of pearl, however, most of these molluskan pearls have no luster or iridescence. The great majority of mollusk species produce pearls which are not attractive, and are sometimes not even very durable, such that they usually have no value at all, except perhaps to a scientist or collector, or as a curiosity.

Scallop pearls

Nature's gems

Aquamarine

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Saturday, June 3, 2017

South Sea pearls are the largest and rarest of the cultured pearls – making them the most valuable.

White South Sea pearl

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Friday, June 2, 2017

All the gold that has ever been refined throughout history could be placed in a cube measuring 65.5 feet (20 meters) on a side.  

Jewellery masterpieces

Gem cameo of Apollo, cameo by Saulini, English 1880
Birmingham Museum

#jewelleryfacts365 303/365 Platinum fact

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Although platinum has been around for centuries, it has only been used to fashion jewelry for less than two centuries. It is both an ancient and a young metal.

Jewellery photography

#ombre #sapphires and #dumotorite #silverearrings are available in my #etsy shop. #etsyfinds #earrings

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