Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel Jewelry, Accessories & Apparel

Cubic Zirconium or CZ
Cubic Zirconium is undoubtedly the best diamond simulate available today. Cubic Zirconium has successfully established itself as the high quality and affordable diamond substitute in today's fashionable jewelry market. The untrained and naked eye cannot distinguish the difference between a real diamond and Cubic Zirconium. Even gemologists cannot tell the difference unless various testing and examination is done.
Two German mineralogists discovered the cubic form of zirconium oxide back in 1937. Russian scientists in the mid 1970's learned how to make this mineral in a laboratory. It wasn't until the 1980's when Cubic Zirconium became popular with jewelers. This is when an Austrian company began mass-producing Cubic Zirconium. Since then, with new developments in Cubic Zirconium production, we have been able to produce a new exciting line in many different colors.
Cubic Zirconium is an incredible hard material similar that of a real diamond and with the introduction of color, it has great potential as a gem to fulfill elegant fashion demand at a fraction of the cost.
The composition of this man made product is typically a combination of Zirconium Oxide and Yttrium Oxide both of which are opaque by nature. But when melted together under intense heat reaching almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooled under controlled conditions, they produce what we call Cubic Zirconium. Cubic Zirconium is colorless in its pure state. The various colors are achieved by mixing in small quantities of chemical additives.

Silver
Silver has always been a valuable metal every since it was discovered long ago before 4000 BC. Its popularity has done nothing but grow steadily throughout the ages as it possesses a unique ability to be able to keep with the current fashions of the times. The uses of silver range widely, from being used in film and computers to an invisible coating on thermal windows. Silver has been used in the currency of many countries and powers of the world. However, the basic most notable use of silver is its beauty and appeal as an item of jewelry. However, the history of silver carries it’s own allure.
The first major silver mines were recorded around 4000 BC located in Anatolia (which is now Turkey). This was mostly the main source of silver for many of the growing cultures in that area of the world and others that would trade for silver. Around 3000 BC there are records of more intense efforts to mine silver as its value expanded worldwide. The Chinese are said to have improved on refining the silver around 2500 BC to make it even more alluring and sought after as well as easier to excavate. Throughout the passing years, mines in Greece became the main producers of silver for the rest of the world. This continued for many centuries till Spain came into power with it’s own deposits of silver that brought them power in trading. Spain became a main supplier of silver for most of the main countries in the area and used it’s silver to trade for valuable spices and other goods.
Silver began to accelerate throughout the world when North America and South America were discovered. Mexico and Peru were discovered to hold silver mines which dwarfed the silver deposits that had recently been mined to the east. Soon it was said that more than three quarters of silver in the world was mined from Peru and Mexico. With new technology came new ways to mine silver along with new refinement processes to enhance it’s value to an even new extent with its uses as well as beauty. Today, Mexico and Peru still produce the most silver in the world today. Australia comes in a distant third. It’s said that 1/5 of all the silver in the world comes from Mexico alone.
With all the mining of silver throughout the world came different styles and different ways to wear silver. Silver has always been known to enhance the beauty of precious stones such as diamonds when they’re set into a ring or necklace. Many powerful men and women throughout the ages would wear magnificent silver jewelry items to show off their power.
Silver jewelry comes in a different variety of styles and textures. The usual silver that is seen on jewelry is usually highly polished and reflects the light beautifully. However, silver also comes in a different variety of different finishes such as rhodium. It gives silver the characteristic of white gold with it’s silver but slightly darker finish.
One of the main drawbacks to silver jewelry is its tendency to tarnish. This is caused from the slightest impurities in the silver which react with the air. Silver polish and other remedies have been created through to the ages to keep silver looking its best.
The most popular silver today is sterling silver which is actually 92.5% silver. The other make up percentage is copper, zinc, or nickel. This silver is popular because it’s more durable than pure silver yet still maintains its beauty.
Today, silver jewelry is a big market that has many suppliers and consumers that constantly control the flux and shift of silver prices.

  

Care for Silver
Silver requires more maintenance then any other metal. Tarnishing occurs because silver reacts to pollutants in the air, which is then exacerbated by moisture and heat. Tarnishing can be removed by chemical tarnish removing solution.

  

Pearls
Pearls begin when a grain of sand, another piece of pearl, or any other irritant contained in the oyster’s shell. To protect itself the oyster secretes multiple layers of a calcium carbonate substance called nacre around the foreign object to isolate it from the rest of the oyster. After a few years, the original irritant is covered in a silky coat and that is a pearl.
Both natural and cultured pearls are born and grow inside live oysters. The difference between the two is that natural pearls are formed by nature, or by chance, and cultured pearls are made by man's assistance by injecting an irritant into the oyster. Today, most pearls are cultured.
Six factors to consider when Buying Pearls.

LUSTER - Luster is the brightness, sheen and/or glow of the pearl. What constitute a bright luster is the combination of surface quality and the inner glow of the pearl. With high quality pearls a glow will seem to emanate from within the pearl, especially when light reflects from its surface. Pearls that appear dull, too white, or chalky are not high quality pearls.

SIZE - Usually, the larger the pearl the greater its value is.

SURFACE- A clean surface is a sign of a high quality pearl. The more flawless a pearl is the greater value it will have. A pearl should be clean of bumps, cracks, and blemishes.

SHAPE - The shape of a pearl can be round, oval, pear shaped, half round, button-type (one axis flattened), circled, or baroque. The chances of an oyster producing a perfectly round pearl is very low and the value of a pearl is adjusted accordingly. Although, asymmetrical “baroque” pearls have appeal of their own and are generally less expensive, making them attractive to buyers on a budget.

COLOR- when purchasing a pearl always look for a brilliant color. The color range of a cultured pearl is black to pink. When deciding on what color you want your pearl to be it is best to choose according to your own skin tone. Overtones of green, blue, and pink can complement the right skin tone color, but look unattractive on the wrong skin tone. There has been somewhat of a general consensus that pink and silver white pearls complement fair skin tones, while cream and gold pearls complement darker skin tones.

UNIFORMITY - When selecting more than one pearl, uniformity matters. Since every pearl produced is one of a kind the more uniformed a strand or pair of pearls the greater its value.

Akoya Pearls - Akoya pearls come from the Akoya oyster, which usually come from Japan or China producing a saltwater cultured pearl. Akoya pearls are the most difficult to grow due to the low survival rate of the host oysters, only 5 out of 10 will survive the nucleation process.

Baroque Pearls - The name baroque refers to irregularly shaped cultured pearls that are very lustrous and quite attractive. Because of the shape these pearls are usually offered at a lower cost.

Biwa Pearl - Originally named after a lake in Japan these pearls are the first cultured pearls without nucleus, or with an organic nucleus, obtained from a freshwater mussel.

Freshwater Pearls - Produced in great abundance these pearls are the most moderately priced of all pearl because they are cultivated from freshwater mussels rather than saltwater oysters. What determines the tone of a freshwater pearl is the original shell the pearl was cultivated in. States the most famous type of freshwater pearl is the Biwa pearl, which are grown mostly in Japan and China.

Keshi Pearls-The word Keshi in Japanese means 'poppy seed'. Keshi pearls are sub-products of a pearl that range in size from very small to tiny. They form accidentally on many cultured pearl oysters.

Mabe Pearls - Mostly grown in Japan, Indonesia, or Australia these pearls are not grown within the oysters body, but rather against the inside of the shell of any kind of oyster. These pearls are mostly used in settings that hide their flat back and reverse side.

South Sea Pearls (also called White South Sea Pearls) - These pearls are cultured in warm salt water in tropical or semi-tropical oysters in the South China Sea, which include the Polynesian Islands, Borneo, Australia, Indonesia, and other Pacific countries. The diameter of these pearls usually ranges from 9 to 14 millimeter.

South Sea Shell Pearls- South Sea Shell Pearls are made of a 100% natural South Sea oyster shell. The pearls have the weight, feel and luster of genuine South Sea and Tahitian pearl. Perfectly round shape with a beautiful AAA surface quality they are hand knotted on silk cord at a very affordable price.

South Sea Tahitian Black Cultured Pearls - Grown in a variety of large oysters that are primarily found in the waters of French Polynesia, the unique color and large size of these pearls demand a high cost. The color of these pearls can range from gray to black with green or blue with iridescent overtones. These are the largest of all pearls, usually ranging from 8 to 14 millimeters.

CARE FOR PEARLS:
Pearls are very soft and need special care and attention. You should never store your pearls in a jewelry box next to other jewelry, because both the box and other pieces of jewelry can damage pearls by scratching and nicking, so keep them in a fabric lined box or fabric pouch.
Skin produces acids that can harm your pearls, so if worn regularly pearls should be wiped down with a soft cloth after every wear. A pearl necklace will gradually absorb acid from the skin that will eat into the pearl causing it to lose its luster. Wiping pearls of with either a wet or dry, soft cloth will prevent dirt from accumulating and keep perspiration, which is slightly acidic, from eating away at the nacre. If you desire you can even use a drop of olive oil on your cleansing cloth to help maintain your pearl’s luster.
Along with being soft and easily scratched, pearls can be damaged by chemicals and heat. Only use jewelry cleaner is clearly marked safe for pearls. Never use ultrasonic cleanser. Never use dish or wash detergents, bleaches, baking soda or ammonia based cleansers. Never use toothbrushes, or any other abrasive materials to clean your pearls. Always take off your pearls before you use any cosmetics, hair spray, and perfume. Avoid heat and dry air because both can cause pearls to turn brown, dry out, and crack.