Why chose costume jewelry?

Costume Jewelry Makes You Look Rich and Fashionable

By: Wholesale jewelry

Fashion jewelry, also known as cheap jewelry and costume jewelry, is a low-cost alternative to expensive jewelry. Every woman wants a fine collection of bracelets, necklaces, pendants and ear-rings, and most have some exquisite pieces of genuine jewelry, but a wide collection of real gold and diamonds is not affordable for most.

This is where cheap jewelry comes into play. While it is true that, at the lower end of the market, much fashion jewelry is of low quality and is rightly called 'junk jewelry', it is also possible to get some beautiful cheap jewelry that can make you look rich and fashionable. These fashion jewelry (cheap jewelry) might not be pure gold, but will be gold plated, and will be much more affordable than luxurious jewelry.

Cheap jewelry originally became popular in the thirties when it was used as a low-cost fashion accessory for specific outfits. Cheap jewelry was an immediate hit and has been hugely popular ever since. Often, cheap jewelry is made from cheaper materials such as plastic, glass, base metals, and synthetic or non-precious stones. Although some of the more expensive cheap jewelry will use gold plating, semi-precious stones or something else, and the jewelry are still very cheap.

These cheap jewelry can even make people think they are the real luxury jewelry. Nowadays more and more people choose cheap jewelry for the sake of cheapness and cost-effectiveness. Now that cheap jewelry can function as luxuries and much cheaper, then people have no reason not to choose cheap jewelry.

About the Author

http://www.jewelryget.com/ offers cheap jewelry, wholesale jewelry and jewelry wholesale.

(ArticlesBase SC #1154022)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Costume Jewelry Makes You Look Rich and Fashionable

Jewellery for the Woman in your Life

Buying Jewellery For Women! A Guide To Choosing A Perfect Gift

By: Amy - Find Jewellery

Most women desire jewellery but often do not buy it for themselves as it is a luxury item. Giving the right jewellery as a gift can allow you to demonstrate how well you know the lady you are giving it to. It symbolises strength and longevity so it is a good gift to give to an important lady in your life, whether that is your girlfriend, wife, sister, mother or a friend. Choosing the right item can be a daunting prospect; this guide is here to try to help you to choose the perfect gift whatever their style.

Research

The first thing to consider is what she already wears. Most women will have a few items of jewellery that they love. Use these as a guide when you buy your gift.

The things to look out for are:

·The colour and type of metal she prefers. Silver, gold and white gold are the most common.

·What type of jewellery she wears. Does she have her ears pierced? If so note if her earrings are studs or drops. How about bracelets or necklaces? Try and think about the size and shapes of the items and the length of the chain of her necklaces.

·The colours that she wears. Look at both her jewellery and the colours of her clothes. If you wish to buy jewellery with coloured stones it is normally best to try to coordinate it with what she already wears. Red; start with garnet or ruby. Blue; try topaz or sapphire. Green; peridot or emerald. Yellow; citrine. Purple; amethyst. If you are unsure about colours then perhaps stick to jewellery that does not have a stone or go with diamonds or clear cubic zirconia which go with just about everything.

If you are still unsure try talking to friends and family. They are likely to be able to advise you about her preferences.

My top tips for buying the perfect gift

·Play fairly safe! If you are not 100% sure about what to choose, you should probably buy something that fits in with the research you've done.

·You could go for something that matches another item in her collection. For example if she has an amber pendant, try to find earrings to match.

·Alternatively find out her birthstone. If you need to know her birthstone you can find various birthstone jewellery here. Choosing birthstone jewellery is a lovely way to personalise a present.

·With jewellery choose quality over quantity every time.

·If possible buy real not imitation stones.

·Precious metals such as silver or gold are better than cheaper alternatives like copper. Not least because base metals such as copper could turn her green!

Good Luck! If you have any concerns please phone or email us. We will be happy to talk you through your options.

 

About the Author

Amy works as part of the customer service team at Find Jewellery helping customers in both the shop and online store find the perfect gift. You can find Amy, and the rest of the Find Jewellery team at http://www.findjewellery.co.uk

(ArticlesBase SC #778964)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Buying Jewellery For Women! A Guide To Choosing A Perfect Gift

Make your own Jewellery

Jewellery Making

Making, wearing and possibly selling your own jewellery is very satisfying. This site How to make beaded jewelry can help and give you all the information, guidance and inspiration you will ever need. Not only does it help with all items you will need to create beautiful items, it has a photo gallery to give you inspiration.

Opals

All of Nature’s splendour seems to be reflected in the manifold opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightnings, all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Australia is the classical country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.

Numerous legends and tales surround this colourful gemstone, which can be traced back in its origins to a time long before our memory, to the ancient dream time of the Australian aborigines. It is reported in their legends that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colours of the rainbow. That was the birth of the Opals.

Up to the first half of the 19th century, Opals were relatively rare. But then their career boomed suddenly and made them one of the most popular gemstones, and the start of this development brought them to the gemstone cutters of the gemstone centre of Idar-Oberstein. In the era of Art Deco the Opals experienced their flourishing, with contemporary gemstone artists preferring them to all other stones because of their subdued charm, which in turn was excellently suited to be combined with enamel, another very popular material of those days.

Opal’s colour play emanates a very special attraction and fascination. But what causes this phenomenon? This question was impossible to answer for a very long time. Only when in the 1960s a team of Australian scientists analysed Opals with an electron microscope, it was discovered that small spheres from silica gel caused interference and refraction manifestations, which are responsible for the fantastic play of colours. The spheres, which are arranged in more or less compact structures, succeed in dissecting the light on its passage through the gemstone and turning it into all the colours of the rainbow, always new and always different.

For ages people have been believing in the healing power of Opal. It is reported to be able to solve depressions and to help its wearer find the true and real love. Opals are supposed to further enhance the positive characteristics for people born under the zodiac sign of Cancer. Black Opal is recommended to those born under Scorpio, and Boulder Opal is the lucky stone for Aries.

The fantastic colour play of Opal reflects changing emotions and moods of people. Fire and water, the sparkling images of Boulder Opal, the vivid light flashes of Black Opal or the soft shine of Milk Opal – striking contrasts characterise the colourful world of this fascinating gemstone. Maybe this is the reason why it depends on our daily mood which Opal we prefer. Opals are like human emotions: you always experience them different and anew.
Source: www.gemstone.org

Pearls

Pearls are organic gems, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for just one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance.

Today pearls are cultured by Man. Shell beads are placed inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearls are later harvested, the oyster has covered the bead with layers of nacre. Most cultured pearls are produced in Japan. In the warmer waters of the South Pacific, larger oysters produce South Sea cultured pearls and Tahitian black cultured pearls, which are larger in size. Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels, mostly in China.

The quality of pearls is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and lustre, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Fine pearls do not have any flaws or spots in the nacre: it has an even, smooth texture. Other factors which affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and colour: rose tints are the most favoured.

Cultured and natural pearls can be distinguished from imitation ones by a very simple test. Take the pearl and rub it (gently!) against the edge of a tooth. Cultured and natural pearls will feel slightly rough, like fine sandpaper, because of the texture of natural nacre. Imitations will feel as smooth as glass because the surface is moulded or painted on a smooth bead.

Source: www.gemstone.org

Garnet Gemstone

Aren't garnets those wonderful deep-red gemstones you often find in antique jewellery? Well yes, to a certain extent, a deep, warm red indeed being the colour most frequently found in garnets. Sadly, however, far too few people are aware that the world of the garnets is far more colourful than that. Spectacular finds, especially in Africa, have enhanced the traditional image of the garnet with a surprising number of hues - even if red does continue to be its principal colour. Thanks to their rich colour spectrum, garnets today can quite happily keep pace with changes of style and the colour trends of fashion. And thanks to the new finds, there is a reliable supply of them too. So in fact this gemstone group in particular is one which gives new impetus to the world of jewellery today.

By the term 'garnet', the specialist understands a group of more than ten different gemstones of similar chemical composition. It is true to say that red is the colour most often encountered, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, a tender to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some fine earth-coloured nuances. The only colour it cannot offer is blue. Garnets are much sought-after and much worked gemstones - the more so because today it is not only the classical gemstone colours red and green which are so highly esteemed, but also the fine hues in between. Furthermore, the world of the garnets is also rich in rarities such as star garnets and stones whose colour changes depending on whether they are seen in daylight or artificial light.

The warm red of the garnet illuminated Noah's Ark

Garnets have been known to Man for thousands of years. Noah, it is said, used a garnet lantern to help him steer his ark through the dark night. Garnets are also found in jewellery from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. Many an early explorer and traveller liked to carry a garnet with him, for the garnet was popular as a talisman and protective stone, as it was believed to light up the night and protect its bearer from evil and disaster. Today, science has taught us that the garnet's proverbial luminosity comes from its high refractive index.

Gemstones for every fashion trend

Anyone who loves what is pure and natural and the warm, sun-bathed colours of late summer will be fired with enthusiasm by the colour spectrum of the garnet. Today, garnets mostly come from African countries, but also from India, Russia and Central and South America. The skilled hands of cutters the world over work them into many classical shapes, but also increasingly into modern, imaginative designer cuts. Garnets remain convincing with their natural, unadulterated beauty, the variety of their colours and their tremendous brilliance. Anyone acquiring garnet jewellery can be assured that the joy he or she derives from this beautiful gemstone gift from Nature will be long-lasting and undimmed.
Source: www.gemstone.org

Sapphire

In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day which casts its spell over us. However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colours: not only in the transparent greyish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colourful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.

Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. Blue is also the favourite colour of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this colour, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust. Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a colour which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolises loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing. Perhaps the most famous example of this blue is to be found in music, in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". And the blue of the sapphire even appears where nothing at all counts except clear-sightedness and concentrated mental effort. The first computer which succeeded in defeating a world chess champion bore the remarkable name 'Deep Blue'.
If there is talk of the sapphire, most gemstone aficionados think immediately of a velvety blue. It's a versatile colour that becomes many wearers. A blue sapphire fits in best with a well balanced lifestyle in which reliability and temperament run together and there is always a readiness to encounter things new – as with the woman who wears it. The fact that this magnificent gemstone also comes in a large number of other colours was known for a long time almost only to insiders. In the trade, sapphires which are not blue are referred to as 'fancies'. In order to make it easier to differentiate between them, they are referred to not only by their gemstone name but also by a description of their colour. In other words, fancy sapphires are described as yellow, purple, pink, green or white sapphires. Fancy sapphires are pure individualism and are just made for lovers of individualistic coloured stone jewellery. They are currently available in a positively enchanting variety of designs - as ring stones, necklace pendants or ear jewellery, as solitaires, strung elegantly together or as sparkling pavée.

However, the sapphire has yet more surprises in store. For example there is an orange variety with a fine pink undertone which bears the poetic name 'padparadscha', which means something like 'lotus flower'. The star sapphires are another rarity, half-dome-cut sapphires with a starlike light effect which seems to glide across the surface of the stone when it is moved. There are said to have been gemstone lovers who fell in love with these sapphire rarities for all time. And indeed the permanence of relationships is one of the features that are said to belong to this gemstone.

Source: www.gemstone.org

Bloodstone: The Martyr's Gem

Bloodstone, green jasper dotted with bright red spots of iron oxide, was treasured in ancient times and served for a long time as the birthstone for March. This attractive chalcedony quartz is also known as heliotrope because in ancient times polished stones were described as reflecting the sun: perhaps the appearance of the gem reminded the ancients of the red setting sun, mirrored in the ocean.

Medieval Christians often used bloodstone to carve scenes of the crucifixion and martyrs, for which reason it was also dubbed the martyr's stone. According to the legend about the origin of bloodstone, it was first formed when drops of Christ's blood fell and stained some jasper at the foot of the cross. A beautiful example of carved bloodstone with the seal of the German Emperor Rudolf II can be seen at the Louvre in Paris.

Even today, finely pulverised bloodstone is used as a medicine and aphrodisiac in India. Perhaps that explains why it is now rather difficult to find fine specimens of bloodstone on the market. Bloodstone is mined in India, Australia, and the United States.

Source: www.gemstone.org

Ruby Gemstone

Which colour would you spontaneously associate with love and vivacity, passion and power? It's obvious, isn't it? Red. Red is the colour of love. It radiates warmth and a strong sense of vitality. And red is also the colour of the ruby, the king of the gemstones. In the fascinating world of gemstones, the ruby is the undisputed ruler.

For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent colour, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.

For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for it. Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households.
Some rubies display a wonderful silky shine, the so-called 'silk' of the ruby. This phenomenon is caused by very fine needles of rutile. And now and then one of the rare star rubies is found. Here too, the mineral rutile is involved: having formed a star-shaped deposit within the ruby, it causes a captivating light effect known by the experts as asterism. If rubies of this kind are cut as half-dome shaped cabochons, the result is a six-spoked star which seems to glide magically across the surface of the stone when the latter is moved. Star rubies are precious rarities. Their value depends on the beauty and attractiveness of the colour and, though only to a lesser extent, on their transparency. Fine star rubies, however, should always display rays which are fully formed all the way to the imaginary horizontal line which runs through the middle of the stone, and the star itself should be situated right in the centre.

Birthplaces of fine rubies

Which is the most beautiful ruby-red? Good question. The red of a ruby may involve very different nuances depending on its origin. The range of those nuances is quite wide, and could perhaps be compared to hotel categories, from luxury accommodation down to a plain inn or hostel. For example, if the gemstone experts refer to a 'Burmese ruby', they are talking about the top luxury category. However, it does not necessarily follow that the stone is of Burmese origin. It is basically an indication of the fact that the colour of the ruby in question is that typically shown by stones from the famous deposits in Burma (now Myanmar): a rich, full red with a slightly bluish hue. The colour is sometimes referred to as 'pigeon-blood-red', but the term 'Burmese colour' is a more fitting description. A connoisseur will immediately associate this colour with the legendary 'Mogok Stone Tract' and the gemstone centre of Mogok in the North of Myanmar. Here, the country's famous ruby deposits lie in a mountain valley surrounded by high peaks. Painstakingly, gemstones of an irresistible luminosity are brought to light in the 'valley of the rubies'. Unfortunately, really fine qualities are quite rare even here. The colour of a Burmese ruby is regarded as exceptionally vivid. It is said to display its unique brilliance in any light, be it natural or artificial.

The journey to the world's most important ruby deposits takes us further on to the small town of Mong Hsu in the North-East of Myanmar, where the most important ruby deposits of the nineties lie. Originally, it was believed that these rubies would hardly prove suitable for use in jewellery, since untreated Mong Hsu ruby crystals actually display two colours: a purple to black core and a bright red periphery. Only when it had been discovered that the dark core could be turned into deep red by means of heat treatment did rubies from Mong Hsu begin to find their way on to the jewellery market. Today, the Mong Hsu gemstone mines are still among the most important ruby suppliers. In the main, they offer heat-treated rubies in commercial qualities and sizes between 0.5 and 3 carats.

Ruby deposits also exist in neighbouring Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Rubies of Vietnamese origin generally display a slightly purplish hue. Rubies from Thailand, another classical supplier, however, often have a darker red which tends towards brown. This 'Siamese colour' - an elegantly muted deep red - is considered second in beauty only to the Burmese colour, and is especially popular in the USA. Ceylon rubies, which have now become very rare, are mainly light red, like ripe raspberries.

Other ruby deposits are located in Northern Pakistan in the Hunza Valley, Kashmir, Tadzhikistan, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan. But rubies are also produced in India, where deposits with relatively large crystals were discovered in the federal states of Mysore and Orissa. These crystals have many inclusions, but they are, nevertheless, eminently suited to being cut as beads or cabochons.

As we have said, colour is a ruby's most important feature. Its transparency is only of secondary importance. So inclusions do not impair the quality of a ruby unless they decrease the transparency of the stone or are located right in the centre of its table. On the contrary: inclusions within a ruby could be said to be its 'fingerprint', a statement of its individuality and, at the same time, proof of its genuineness and natural origin. The cut is essential: only a perfect cut will underline the beauty of this valuable and precious stone in a way befitting the 'king of the gemstones'. However, a really perfect ruby is as rare as perfect love. If you do come across it, it will cost a small fortune. But when you have found 'your' ruby, don't hesitate: hang on to it!
Source: www.gemstone.org

Zircon

Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. Zircon has long played a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable.

In the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honour and wisdom in its owner. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-coloured', although zircon comes in a wide range of different colours.

Natural zircon today suffers on account of the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Many people are unaware that there is a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon.

Zircon occurs in a wide range of colours, but for many years the most popular was the colourless variety, which looks more like diamond than any other natural stone because of its brilliance and dispersion.

Today the most popular colour is blue zircon, which is considered an alternative birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a bright blue colour. Zircon is also available in green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orange.

Zircon is mined in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, and other countries.

Zircon is one of the heaviest gemstones, which means that it will look smaller than other varieties of the same weight. Zircon jewellery should be stored carefully because although it is relatively hard, zircon can suffer from abrasion and the facets can be chipped. Dealers often wrap zircons in individual twists of paper so that they will not knock against each other in a parcel.

The wide variety of colours of zircon, its rarity, and its relatively low cost make it a popular collector's stone. Collectors enjoy the search for all possible colours and variations.
Source: www.gemstone.org

Diamonds

Diamond is the modern birthstone for April

Fancy coloured diamonds are not a mass-market product such as those which are advertised everywhere and sold by numbers. They have more personality than that. Fancy coloured diamonds are almost as much fun as coloured gemstones! Like coloured gemstones, each one is different. They come in fabulously expensive pale pinks and blues, pale to bright yellows, oranges, greens, and all those brown colours that are now given names like cognac and champagne. So, buy a diamond instead of a coloured gemstone if you must, but at least consider a fancy coloured one which will give your jewellery more character, more individuality and more colour!

Source: www.gemstone.org

Packing for the Move

We were moving to another country, It was the perfect opportunity to do some serious sorting of my wardrobe, drawers and suitcases full of “packed away just in case” clothes and all the accessories that go with it. I figured the easiest way was to look at what I had, sort out complete outfits and match them up with the accessories that I wore with them... the plan was to get rid of all the extras.
To a degree the plan worked. I ended up with some fabulous outfits, finding items I forgot I had. Some I had never thought of putting together, matched with items from my drawers full of Jewellery I had not worn in years....I save everything as things have a habit of coming back into fashion..... I remember owing a pair if 3" platforms many many moons ago....and look at what the teens of today are wearing!... platforms!
Anyway, back to the sorting.... it was, in principal, an easy plan. Except it wasn’t .....It works out that I have around 6 tops that match and one skirt or pair of trousers. So the dilemma, do I keep 1 or 2 and disgard the rest? If so, which ones do I keep, the newer ones, or the ones I love & wear the most? You see where I am coming from here huh! I tried every which way to look at it... I sorted them into seasons, I tried work & leisure, I tried colours and trends... but no matter which way it went, it was impossible to decide.
After much soul searching, humming & arhing, I came up with a new plan....Ship the lot!
So 6 boxes of clothes, 2 boxes of shoes & a box of bags & accessories later, here we are, in the new house, with new things to learn, new people to meet & new places to go, but with all my much loved old items.

Summer Dressing

At last, summer has arrived and with it a range of elegant and affordable designs. I love the long flowing tops and dress that have it the streets this year. It’s a "hippy" summer where anything goes, although walking the towns recently, there are a few looks that should be avoided! "you know who you are". Dressing up any outfit with the range of accessories available is child play. Almost every high street shop, including some supermarkets, have a vast range of the most exquisite to the most obscene looking jewellery. No dress, skirt or pants outfit looks complete without the full ensemble of rings, bangles, necklaces,scarf’s, hats, shoes etc. These are the items that can make or break an outfit. This year seems to be the year of "big" everything seems bigger and brighter. We have seen an unprecedented boom it everything a women needs to “beautify “ her look. There seems to be no set pattern, no following of a trend, just pure, unadulterated, joyous individuality.... and it’s about time too! Designers, possibly hit by the recent recession, have had to take a real look at what the market wants rather than what they think we want, and out of it has come personality and sensuality. With down to earth, nature loving looks using woods, amber and clear semi-precious stone, to princess like dainty sparkling trinket delights, any look can be highlighted and complemented. A word of warning, always look in the mirror before leaving the house, big is beautiful but try to not go over the top. You want to make the outfit not break it!