Semi-Precious Stones: Stylish Things of Beauty

Want to make or wear impressive costume jewelry, but running on a tight budget? Using semi-precious stones is one good way to achieve this. These stones come in a wide variety and are highly accessible to almost everyone. Semi-precious stones preserve the effect of sophistication. Many pieces of jewelry made of these stones are pleasant to look at without seeming opulent. Depending on one’s own taste and fashion sense, these gemstones have the greatest potential to enhance one’s personal sense of style. Some semi-precious stones are also birthstones, which correspond to people’s birth months. Some people believe that wearing stones that correspond with one’s birth month increases one’s inner strength. This special trait makes jewelry made of certain semi-precious birthstones especially useful as gifts. Examples of such birthstones are garnet (January) and aquamarine (March). Another popular belief is that certain stones have their own unique “powers.” For example, wearing garnet is said to help ease the pain of a bad breakup, or cause jealousy between lovers. Amethyst is said to protect its wearer against the ill effects of alcohol, slow down intoxication and prevent hangovers. Turquoise is said to give emotional strength. Jade has always had enormous importance in Asian civilization; it is said to have the mystical power to protect its wearer against nightmares and other psychic attacks. Quartz is said to be among the most important of the semi-precious stones, because it calls upon the power of love — especially the rare rose quartz. Wearing rose quartz is said to increase one’s chances of finding or maintaining a good romantic relationship. Some pieces of bead jewelry are also made of semi-precious stones. The stones are threaded together with cords, making fine webs and accentuating intricate designs. Jewelry made of semi-precious stones is always popular, partly because of the beliefs associated with the stones — but mostly because they’re so pretty and can go well with anything one...

Green amber is a form of natural Baltic amber that has a very dark, rich green color. Amber of any color is formed from fossilized resin produced by pine trees, and most amber is between forty and sixty million years old. The green occurs when organic material from plants is trapped within the natural amber, giving the green color. The various chemical compositions and variations on the plant materials that became covered with the thick and sticky resin provide the variations and patterns in green amber. The tones and shades of green will vary within the amber, and the unique rich colors will captivate the eye and draw attention to the beauty of the gem itself. Green amber is considered to be more valuable than the more common brown amber, but the most valuable and rarest of ambers is the clear and completely transparent amber. Amber and legend In many ancient traditions and religions, amber is seen to have a special place. The ancient Chinese defined amber as “tigers soul” and wearing amber was believed to give the wearer the strength and courage of a tiger. The ancient Greeks believed that amber represented the tears of Apollo’s daughters, and considered the gems to ward off evil spirits. Due to the amber’s chemical composition, it first attracted mystics with its properties of transparency and the appearance of movement within the gem as the light hit from different directions. In addition amber would burn if heated in a fire, and this added to its qualities and uniqueness. Amber jewelry has been found that dated to the Paleolithic area, around 12,000 B.C.  Both the Celts and the Romans used amber as a rare commodity in trading. In the 1100’s Gdansk was the major center of amber production, and the Baltic area continues to be the largest producer of amber to this day. Green amber in jewelry The beautiful rich colors of green amber make it a natural match for both silver and gold jewelry. Green amber (like all amber), while considered a gemstone, is one of the few gems that is not of mineral origin. The more colored and patterned the green amber is the more the jeweler can use these patterns to work into the setting of the gem. Green amber that also contains fossilized material is very rare and very valuable. Green amber is a soft gem, and is very warm to both the touch and to wear. It is not cold against the skin like other gems, and amber collects and stores static electricity. Very lightweight, amber is an excellent gem for earrings as it adds little weight to the metal that it is set in. Green amber is used in making bracelets, necklaces, rings and all other forms of jewelry.  Green amber is easily cared for with simple polishing or buffing to remove the slight scratches that may occur on the surface of this soft...