Today, we felt like going to a Gem Show. Fortunately, there was one nearby – that had both free admission and free parking!

We went to a MalicJewels Jewelry & Gift Show. It was delightful. Really nice glass pendants, pearls, all types of beads, loose stones, rings, and many other types of jewelry. One vendor had Tibetan jewelry and bowls. There were great prices on beads. The show was towards the small side and very enjoyable.

So for something different to do, try a gem show. You never know what wonderful jewelry and gemstones you will find.

We talked to a friend about how she chooses earrings. Her earrings always look great so I am sharing what she said (and how she said it) here.

Earrings With Personality

I have a wide variety of tastes and what I like when looking for earrings. I enjoy ones that are unique, but not extreme. I usually look with a friend and base my decisions on whether those type of earrings have looked good on me. I lean towards medium size silver hoops because I think that they are classic and almost always in style. Plus they are able to dress up an outfit that may be more casual. I also look for studs that fit comfortably and with a dash of color.

What to Do When Have Multiple Piercings

Since I have several pierced holes in my ears, I usually wear at least four earrings at a time. I like earrings that highlight and accentuate what I am wearing or my eyes. I am not a big fan of earrings that are so over the top that they are the main thing that others noticed. I think that small studs with different colored gemstones are adorable and a great accessory. I also think that studs that are small, but creative are awesome. For example, I have worn small studs that were made of sterling silver that were shaped like hands or I also wear a pair that is geckos. I think that adds a hint of fun and humor as well as depicts part of of who I am.

Metals Are Important

One aspect that is crucial for me is checking out the metal. Although it is fun to get some funky cheap earrings, I know I personally am aware that I need to change them because the mental used may cause discoloring. It is important to monitor the amount of time I will be wearing earrings because I want to keep my ears in good shape.

Shopping Tips

I think shopping for earrings can be a lot of fun, it is usually the small details that may attract me more to a pair. I also think it is important to try out what new styles are and I usually have seen someone wearing them or they are displayed prominently at the store. Although I mentioned that I am not a fan of the over the top earrings, it is important to have a few fancy pairs that may compliment an outfit or display some fun. Earrings are a great way to show some of an individual’s personality and it is all about what makes you feel comfortable and confident.

You may also be interested in: Tips For Choosing Earrings

We know that true happiness comes from within. Yet, often people say jewelry makes them happy. Is there any truth to this?

If you look into the French and Latin derivation of the word, jewel, it means “that which causes joy”. Historians are known to say that in prehistoric times jewelry was regarded as a symbol of happiness.

When birthstones were first created, they were to help you develop your strengths and lessen your weaknesses. As such, they have been used to create a more positive life.

For those that believe in gem therapy, many stones like poppy jasper and amber are used to help one be happier.

For us, jewelry is a reminder of the love from the person who gave it to us — which can even be the love from yourself. When thought of in this light, yes! Jewelry can make you happier by being a symbol of love.

See also:

• Using Jewelry To Help Your Goals

Charm Bracelet History

In ancient times, people wore charm bracelets or an amulet to drive away evil spirits or bad luck. In ancient Egypt, they believed that their gods could identify them when they died if they wore charms. Medieval knights wore charms to protect themselves in battle.

Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets and it started a fashion among the noble class in her time. Wearing charm bracelets is back in style again. After the movie Pirates of the Caribbean in 2006, charm bracelets using charms of swords, crosses, and skulls were dangling on many wrists. Since then, all types of charm bracelets are being worn and loved.

Types of Charm Bracelets

Traditional charm bracelets have become popular in both Europe and North America. This type of bracelet consists of a chain where you can add different beads or charms. The charms are gold, silver, or Murano glass and are interchangeable to allow the wearer to design her (or his) own look.

Italian charm bracelets, however, have flat links that hook together to form a bracelet. While traditional charms dangle, Italian charms feature individual pieces snapped flat onto the surface of the link. Italian charms use stainless steel backing with mostly flat design to on top for individuality. These charms don’t dangle and are less likely to get caught on things.

Many Styles – One Bracelet

One of the wonderful things about charm bracelets is that they are changeable, which make them versatile pieces of jewelry. They are popular and do not go out of style. As there are so many choices in charms, some people change their charms daily.

Tips for Choosing a Charm

Consider what you love. Do not just pick a kind of charm just because all others have it. Though it is not wrong to join a fad, be certain it something that truly speaks of your personality. In that way, you can carry it more confidently. Consider the occasion and the outfit you are going to wear. Try to be a trendsetter and find your own style. If you are planning to give one as a gift, consider the personality of the one who will wear it. Some women prefer to wear just a few simple charms; others prefer to have a wide variety chiming on their wrists. It is all a matter of taste.

Charms can be simple or fancy. Simple silver animal designs are very popular. If you love gold and diamonds you design a very elegant charm bracelet. Pick what suits you. Wearing charms can get you to smile if you add ones that represent activities you truly enjoy.

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If you are thinking of giving a necklace as a gift, whether it’s a birthday present or a wedding gift to a friend or family member, picking a necklace that fits the style and taste of the person is crucial. You have to know what necklace works for this type of woman and what doesn’t. If you want her to wear it during special occasions or whenever she goes to school or work, you’re going to have to choose carefully depending on the person’s taste, preference, dress style, etc. In order to help you with your necklace shopping, this article discusses the four important steps in choosing the right necklace for yourself or as a gift for your family and friends.

Tips on How to Choose a Necklace:

• The first step is to decide how much you are going to spend for the necklace in question. If this is a necklace for everyday wear, then you can always keep the budget at a medium level. If it is meant to be worn for special occasions alone, then the budget’s going to have to go a little higher. Decide carefully since jewelry, particularly necklaces, can be expensive if you choose 14 kt gold or platinum.

• The next step is to figure out what necklace would fit the person’s sense of style. The necklace accentuates the person’s outfit, so you have to choose if the necklace is going to be a choker, a princess necklace, opera, uniform necklace, and the like. For example, collar necklaces are usually most suitable when wearing V-necks and off-shoulder tops. A woman who loves clothes with high necklines can wear princess necklaces.

• In relation to the previous tip, you can also choose based on the lifestyle of the person. If she’s, for example, a career woman doing executive work at a prestigious company, then you can get her a matinee necklace that will definitely enhance her appearance and boost her confidence. If the person you’re giving the necklace is planning on going to a formal dinner or gathering, you can get her an opera necklace that works with high necklines.

• Lastly, look into the craftsmanship of the necklace. Sure, posh necklaces with popular brands like Tiffany and Cartier are undoubtedly crafted well, but if you’re buying less expensive necklaces you have to make sure that the craftsmanship is good. You can tell by the strength of the necklace, if the locks don’t break easily, the links don’t open up (especially if they hold pendants), etc.

You don’t have to worry about where to find a good necklace or if there are necklaces that fit your criteria or expectations. Jewelers as well as ordinary sellers from all over the world are now venturing into e-commerce where they can find customers beyond their location and who are looking for jewelry and all kinds of precious accessories for different occasions. You’ll find those that concentrate on a certain theme, like religious or Celtic necklaces, or who cater to all styles and designs.

See also:

• How to choose a bracelet
• Tips for choosing earrings

Happy New Years! At the beginning of each year, many of us make goals. Yet, how do we stick to these lofty sentiments during the whole year? Here are some ways to use jewelry to reinforce your goals.

Fitness Goals

If you are hoping to get more in shape this coming year, perhaps wearing a sports related charm will help keep you inspired. Alternately, a sports watch can be a daily reminder as well as an aid in achieving your fitness goals.

Other Goals

We have found that daily reminders really do help boast the chances of completing goals. As such, inspirational jewelry is a good choice for any goal you want to achieve. It is beautiful to wear and may inspire you to really follow that dream.

New Age Approach

As a farther reaching idea, there is gemstone therapy as a way to reach your goals. Black onyx is very affordable and is said to help one break bad habits. Black Onyx is 20% off at Gemisphere.com through Fri 1/8/10.

Wishing You the Best Year Ever

Whichever method you use, we are hoping you have a wonderful 2010! Thank you for reading this blog.

You may also enjoy: New Years Resolutions

With the holidays quickly approaching jewelry is a natural choice for many people in search of a gift. However, sometimes understanding the language of of jewelry can be complicated to understand. There is a whole set of terms and abbreviations that are used in the jewelry industry, but to be sure that you are purchasing a quality piece you must make sure that you take the time to understand what each of them means. Comprehension of jewelry markings and terms is an essential part of the jewelry shopping process.

Gold

Gold is one of the most popular mediums that jewelry can be crafted out of, and due to that popularity you want to be sure that you are getting top quality gold in your pieces. Gold is available in a variety of carats. You can typically find gold in either 10K, 14K, or 18K. The “K” stands for karat. Basically gold in its purest form is rated at 24 karats. Jewelry cannot be made out of 24K gold because it is too soft to stand up to the wear and tear on its own. Instead, jewelry makers mix the gold with other metals to strengthen it. So for example 14K gold has 14 parts of gold mixed with another metal. 18K has 18 parts and so on and so forth.

Marking Explained

Here is a break down of some of the imprints that you may find on gold jewelry:

K = Karat

GF = Filled with gold

GS = Gold Shell (Gold covering another metal)

KP = Karat Plumb, which is the precise amount of gold in the piece.

Silver

Silver jewelry is becoming increasingly popular. Due to that you will want to be sure that you understand the terms associated with silver. Silver that is used to make jewelry is typically referred to as sterling silver. Genuine sterling silver is actually 92.5% of silver mixed with an alternate metal like copper. Due to this you may find the decimal .925 imprinted on your jewelry. This means that the silver that you are looking at purchasing is the top quality that you can expect. However, you may find some other markings on the jewelry like Sterling or Taxco. These are also used to indicate the quality of product that you are dealing with.

Platinum

Though platinum may look similar to silver or white gold it is drastically different. Platinum is substantially more rare and more expensive that the other two metals and you will want to be sure that you are getting genuine platinum when you are paying the price for it. The most traditional marking that you will see is Pt which is actually the atomic symbol for platinum.. Often you will find it stamped on the jewelry, but you may also find a marking like Pt 900 or Pt950. These markings indicate the concentration of pure platinum much like the karat markings on gold. For platinum jewelry, 900PT is 90% platinum; 950PT is 95% platinum. Platinum jewelry is often purchased for its beauty as well as to avoid earring allergies.

Gemstones

Jewelry maker quite often utilizes the use of gemstones in them. There are a variety of stones that can be used ranging from semi-precious to precious stones. These stones are actually ranked with a system that has been developed by gemologist. Basically, this system rates each stone based on three of the 4 C’s. The 4 C’s are generally what are used by consumers to buy gemstones, and they stand for cut, clarity, color, and karat.

Cut

The cut refers to the shape that the gem is cut into. This can be one of many different choices, but some of the most common are round, square, marquis, or emerald. Basically different cuts give the stone different numbers of reflective surfaces. The more faces the gemstone has the bigger amount of sparkle the stone will produce. So consequently a round diamond will create more sparkle than an emerald cut diamond due to it having more surfaces to reflect the light off of.

Clarity

Clarity refers to how clear the stone is. Basically there are very few stones that are considered flawless meaning that they have no inclusions, or visible marks on them. There is a range that is used to indicate how clear a gem is. An F rating means that it is flawless where as an I3 rating means that you can see several inclusions with the naked eye. Below you will find a breakdown of the clarity rating system.

F = Flawless

IF = Cannot see any inclusions with 10x magnification

VVS1 and VVS2 = Has some inclusions, but they are difficult to see with 10x magnification

VS1 and VS2 = Small inclusions that are difficult to see with 10x magnification

SI1 and SI2 = Visible inclusions that can be see with 10x magnification

I1, I2, and I4 = Visible inclusions without magnification

Color

Color labels the color quality of the gemstone. This can vary from stone to stone, and what you want from stone to stone will also vary. If you are shopping for diamonds you are going to want to get as close to colorless as you can where as if you are purchasing an emerald or a ruby chances are that you are looking for a more rich and saturated hue.

Learn specifically about diamond markings and quality in our diamond buying guide
.
Lastly, karat refers to the size of the gemstone. Just as karat in gold illustrates how much of the metal is pure gold, the karat of a gemstone illustrates its relative size.

You may also like these useful posts:

• Facts About Platinum
• Gold Facts

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A woman may not always mean a girlfriend or a wife. She could be your mother, sister, or daughter so the reason for giving a ring will vary according to the relationship. Whatever it is, the paramount reason to give a ring is to express love. This article focuses on the romantic side of love.

1. A Promise of Love
The first important reason to give a woman a ring is to make a promise of love. It is the very reason why a ring is an important wedding symbol regardless if it has diamond embellishments or none, if it is gold or silver plated or solid platinum. You can get married without flowers and candles but never without a ring. It symbolizes an endless relationship, an endless promise of love because love is unending just the way a ring has no end.

2. An Expression of Gratitude
The second important reason to give a woman a ring is to express gratitude. Women do many sacrifices in relationships and men should admit that. They take care of the household and the children. They do little things that sometimes escape your notice. You can say thank you in so many ways but she will feel it more if there is a certain value involved. It is not all about the price but the sacrifice that goes with the giving. A ring does not necessarily need to be expensive but still it costs more than roses.

3. Make Her Happy
The third important reason to give a woman a ring is to make her happy. Receiving a nice gift would make her feel very special and it gives a certain kind of joy. It is only right to find ways to make her feel that she deserves the best. It is not a matter of feeding materialistic whim but just another occasion to fulfill a commitment of love.

4. Give Her a Reward
The fourth important reason to give a woman a ring is to give her a form of reward for her faithfulness and devotion to her family. Often, men neglect to show how much they value the way their wives take care of them. It is not everyday that you would give her a special gift. Perhaps, you can give it to her on her birthday.

5. Reassurance of Devotion
The fifth important reason to give a woman a ring is to give a reassurance of devotion and faithfulness. Relationships need constant reassuring especially for couples who are starting to get old. When she feels that she is not as beautiful as she used to be and starts to have some lumps on her belly, she becomes insecure. It is important to renew your promise of love especially with a precious gift. Perhaps, you can give this on your anniversary.

No one can buy a woman’s love with a single piece of jewelry she can wear on her finger but it expresses what mere words cannot say.

Purchasing gold jewelry is not as easy as buying luxurious watches. You really must be knowledgeable on how to distinguish real gold from cheap gold. It is known that the important factor in buying gold relies upon its karat. 24 karat is known to be made up of 100% pure gold. Most jewelry is 14 Kt or 58.5% gold.

So, if you found a gold necklace or other piece of jewelry, how can you tell if it is worth the price? Sometimes, you become mesmerized with its beauty and you are willing to buy it at any cost. Yet, this gold is expensive and of course, you want to be sure that you are getting what you have paid for. Here’s how to determine if an item is made of real gold.

Testing Gold

1. First, you may want to review its weight in grams since gold is better if it is heavier. This can also be sometimes much inexpensive than buying lighter ones.
2. Second is to check the karat markings, since all real gold are mark with its percentage of purity, the percentage begins to 10 to 24 karat gold.
3. Next, take a magnet test. If the magnet was unable to pull the gold then it means that you are on a reliable distributor.
4. Fourth will be the perfume test. It has been said that spraying a perfume on a gold jewelry would reveal its authenticity if it does not fade.
5. When worn, fake gold tends to leave green marks on the skin and eventually tarnish.
6. The final review for the product is the scratch test. This will reveal a fake or plated nugget just by scratching it.

The company’s reputation is also an important thing to consider in buying gold jewelry. This is to ensure you that you have somewhere to go if you have any further concerns after making your purchase. It is better if you will personally buy it, at least you’ll get the feel of the jewelry itself.

What A Jeweler Can Tell You

If you are not convinced with the pre-tests given, you may ask for another jeweler’s assistance to identify if it is a cheap gold or not. Jewelers may perform a chemical test to reveal the piece’s property. They may also just look it under a magnifying lens or is commonly known as the jeweler’s loop to determine its quality. If you want to do the chemical test yourself, you may purchase a nitric acid test kits which covers the karats ranging from 10 to 22. Since there some incorrect purity markings, nitric acid test is the best option to test its quality.

Now, if you have done all the suggested tests and you are still not certain with the piece you want to buy, then it is better for you to get over it and find a new piece that you feel confident about instead.

Karat Markings

You must be aware of how much karat is it in your gold jewelry since most jewelry in the market is not made from 100% pure gold and it tends to be too soft that can be damaged easily. This is to avoid conflict and misinterpretation with the seller. Since gold jewelries are mostly processed by machines, hand-made patterns also add in the price. This is not to be confused with the expensiveness in the rate of its craft from the weight of its gold.

Your Style

Buying real gold jewelry is not just about how much gold it has or expensive it is. This is also about value. You must also consider the style if it is functional because you are buying it because of its purpose. If you are buying this for yourself, you may want to have a piece that would speak or connect to you. Real gold jewelry is timeless which may also be passed on for generations.

Always keep in mind that looks can be quite deceiving so if you are really into buying a real gold piece of jewelry always asks for a certification of authenticity.

You may also be interested in:

• Tips for Buying Gold Jewelry
• Fun Gold Facts

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Sometimes, deciding on what accessories to add to an outfit is the hardest part of getting ready for work. The clothes are laid out – but what sort of accents do you want to add? Here are some jewelry tips and ideas that may help you if you find yourself wondering what jewelry to wear:

• Start Out Simple – decide what types of jewelry you want to wear. A simple gold chain or pair of hoop earrings can add a very nice touch and matches most outfits. If going to work, this can often be all you need.
• Spice It Up – If you want something fancier, think about colors, sizes, and alternative jewelry types. A drab outfit really benefits from a splash of color or large pendant focal piece.
• Add Some Fun – Adding something whimsical or from nature can help ones mood throughout the day. If you are needing a bit more inspiration at work or some extra smiles, consider adding just a touch of something that gets you to smile.

Of course there are many other ways to choose jewelry. Matching the necklace to your neckline, the bracelet so it blends just right, and rings to give your fingers the right affect. Yet, we assume your jewelry box already has pieces that match your style – and are just having trouble choosing which piece to add today.

So live a little and have a bit of fun.

You may also be interested in:

• Matching Your Necklace To Your Neckline
• How To Choose A Bracelet
• Tips for Choosing Earrings

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