Unakite - An Unusual Gemstone

Unakite was first discovered in the Unakas mountains of North Carolina. It is an altered granite composed of pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote, and colorless quartz. It is usually found in various shades of green and pink and is usually mottled in appearance. In this beautiful copper pendant, the setting is quite stunning and is made from pure rose copper. The focal stone is unakite, and has shades of green and pink in it. This is a beautiful piece of fashion jewelry that is quite affordable.

Jasper in Today's Fashion Jewelry

Jasper has been a popular gemstone for fashion jewelry since ancient times. This stone is found in many colors and patterns, which in turn means that the stone can be paired with base metals like copper as well as with precious metals like silver. In this beautiful copper pendant, the focal bead is red jasper, and setting is beautiful rose copper. The red jasper and the rustic rose copper are magic together!

Artistic Onyx Jewelry

Onyx is a microcrystalline form of quartz. The quartz crystals in onyx are so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eye and the stone appears glassy. This stone is found in many shades including black, red, blue, green, yellow, and white. It is believed that the Greeks and Romans wore Onyx jewelry many centuries ago. The word Onyx is taken from the Greek word ‘Onux’ meaning ‘fingernail’. Intricate copper pendants often have onyx beads as the focal stone. This particular pendant has a naturally red onyx which is cut in the inverted teardrop shape. The stone and setting compliment each other perfectly to create his superb copper pendant.

Copper & Onyx - The Perfect Combination for Fashion Jewelry

Greek mythology has an interesting explanation for the origin of onyx. Legend has it that while Venus was sleeping, the mischievous Cupid cut her fingernails and left them on the ground. The gods turned the cut nails to stone (onyx) because no part of a heavenly goddess would be allowed to perish. This particular pure copper pendant is yellow in color. This is a large and unique pendant, and the rustic copper setting was crafted with great care and skill. This large pendant – about 2.5 inches long – is a definite attention getter.

Artistic Copper Pendants - Perfect Fashion Jewelry

With the resurgence of copper jewelry, copper pendants are gaining a special place in the world of fashion jewelry today. Copper costs less than US$2 a pound today making it very affordable for making jewelry. There are a variety of copper pendants available in the market today. Copper has a beautiful natural color because of which it can be used as the only material in the pendant. Copper crosses for example, are popular with men and women. The copper pendant in the picture shows a second type of copper pendant. Here, the artistic pure copper setting is paired with a blue onyx stone. Onyx is believed to have the ability to control overpowering emotions as well as being able to soothe anxieties and fears.

Affordable Gemstones in Fashion Jewelry

Indian rubies are suitable for fashion jewelry. These stones are typically heavily included. Because of this, their color and transparency is not as good as gem quality specimens. By the same token however, they are quite cheap relative to gem quality rubies, and are therefore well suited for fashion jewelry. This copper pendant is a good example of the application of Indian rubies in fashion jewelry. The stone is natural Indian ruby in dark purple. The copper setting is beautifully crafted and the rustic copper color compliments the focal stone well.

A Unique Copper Pendant

Onyx is a microcrystalline form of quartz that is found in a variety of colors. Some common colors include black, red, brown, green and yellow. The stone used in this pure copper pendant is an interesting shade of light blue. The stone is cut with a smooth finish, which is quite common for this stone. Rarely if ever is onyx used in the facet-cut form. The rose colored copper setting is simply superb. The design in copper is very intricate and as you can imagine, required skilled crafting. With all its beauty and uniqueness, this copper pendant costs just US$20. This is a perfect example of where fashion jewelry can look great and yet be very inexpensive.

Onyx in Copper Jewelry

Onyx is one of the many forms of quartz found it nature. It is further classified as a microcrystalline for of quartz in that the individual quartz crystals cannot be seen by the naked eye, or even under moderate magnification. Onyx is found in a wide range of colors including black, reddish brown Onyx (Sardonyx), red, blue, green, yellow and white. The specimen of onyx used in this beautiful copper pendant is green in color, and is framed in a superbly crafted setting of pure copper. This is a large pendant, measuring nearly 3 inches in length, and does what a good piece of fashion jewelry is supposed to do – look good and draw attention while at the same time being affordable!

Jasper and Copper - A Winning Combination in Fashion Jewelry

Jasper is a relatively common stone that is found on all continents and many countries around the world. The beauty of jasper is that despite being a relatively cheap stone, it is found in such a wide range of colors and patterns that you can almost always find a setting to compliment any setting that you choose. In the pure copper pendant shown in this picture, the focal bead is an unusual form of jasper with mysterious shades of brown, green, red and black. The stone is set in an artistic setting of pure copper. The warm rose color of the copper and the unusual jasper specimen blend together perfectly to create a stunning and unique piece of trendy fashion jewelry.

Unusual Stones used in Copper Jewelry

When buying yourself a piece of fashion jewelry, you want to choose something that is cheap, pretty, unique and trendy. Successful jewelry designers recognize these traits and seek to meet these criteria in their creations. Take for example the large copper pendant shown in this picture. The focal bead is tiger eye, which is a beautiful stone but relatively inexpensive. Similarly, copper is quite cheap, especially when compared to precious metals such as silver or gold. But the low cost in no way comes at the sacrifice of its beauty. So by combining two relatively inexpensive materials, this innovative designer has created a large copper pendant that is sure to get a positive reaction from all.

Why Choose Copper Jewelry

Copper pendants are the perfect fashion jewelry. Copper is relatively inexpensive metal and today costs less than US$2 per pound. Copper is also a beautiful metal and its rustic rose color is quite warm and earthy. This color allows it to be combined with a variety of semi precious and precious stones. In the copper pendant shown in this picture, the focal bead of the pendant is a deep green peridot. This is a large and unique pendant that is sure to get you a great deal of attention and compliments. Because the materials used in this pendant are inexpensive, a large copper pendant such as this that measures approx. 1.5 in. by 2-in. is very affordable!

Affordability - The Key to Fashion Jewelry Today

Fashion jewelry today is targeted towards teenagers and young adults. In order to gain popular acceptance, fashion or costume jewelry should be unique, trendy, and above all – affordable. Fashion jewelry designers have to be particularly innovative in using materials that are inexpensive, yet combining them to create the perfect blend of beauty and affordability. Consider the copper pendant with the jasper focal stone shown above. This large (3 inch long) pendant could have been made with sterling silver instead of copper and the resulting piece would have been just as attractive. However, the cost of the finished item would likely have put it out of reach of many fashion jewelry fans. Similarly, the use of jasper – a relatively common stone – instead of a precious stone such as an emerald or diamond, has the same cost controlling effect as the use of copper instead of silver. Just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to look good!

Unique Fashion Jewelry

Fashion jewelry today must satisfy at least two main criteria. First, the piece should be attractive and trendy. In this respect, wearing jewelry that is relatively uncommon becomes quite important. The second consideration is that it should be affordable. The copper pendant shown in the above photograph is a good example of trendy and popular costume jewelry. The focal stone is a polished cab of bright red coral stone. The stone is framed in an exquisite setting of pure copper. The rose copper setting and the bright red stone work well together. This is a large pendant is approximately 1.5-in by 3-in. and quite affordable even in today’s difficult times. One unique fact about coral is that it is one of only two gems used in jewelry that are created by living creatures (the other being pearls). All other gems used in jewelry today are a result of geological processes that occurred over several million years on or below the crust of the earth.

Copper in Today's Fashion Jewelry

Copper has been known to man for a few thousand years now. It has wide and far reaching applications in our day to day lives. Copper is also used to create artistic copper pendants and other beautiful jewelry. As a metal, copper is relatively easy to work with because it is ductile and malleable and can be easily fashioned into a wide variety to forms and shapes. The color of copper compliments a wide variety of precious and semi precious stones. The copper pendant shown in the picture above for example, has a large unakite stone as the focal bead. The stone is greenish in color with shades of red and pink. This colorful stone matches the copper setting perfectly, and together they create a large pendant – about 3 inches long – that is unique, trendy and inexpensive.

Copper Jewelry Makes a Comeback

With the current economic problems around the world, copper is making a strong comeback in the world of jewelry as a whole, and in fashion jewelry in particular. Copper is relatively inexpensive. A pound of copper is currently priced at less than US$2, while gold is nearly US$900 an ounce! So copper is the perfect metal to be used in fashion jewelry. The copper pendant shown in the photograph above is an excellent example of affordable fashion jewelry using base metals such as copper. The setting is pure copper and quite stunning! The warm mahogany obsidian stone at the center of the pendant is the perfect accent. This large pendant is about 4-in long. It makes a fashion statement. It is gorgeous! And above all, it is quite inexpensive.

Copper Settings for Pendants

Copper is a base metal that is commonly used in fashion jewelry today. While the innovative designs and patterns used in today’s copper jewelry have come a long way over the years, the basic concept of using copper is jewelry goes back a few thousand years. Copper is a soft metal that can be easily turned into beautiful pieces of artwork that are contemporary and affordable. Take the copper pendant shown below, for example. The focal bead is jet black ONYX and the setting is pure copper. The rose colored copper is a good compliment to the black onyx stone. The copper pendant is quite large, measuring about 3-in. in length. Yet, it is quite affordable!

The Wonderous Green Gemstone - Peridot

Peridot is deep green stone that is often used as the focal bead in sterling pendants. Peridot and olivine both belong to the beryl family of gemstones, although the physical and chemical properties of the two stones are quite different. Peridot typically is a combination of iron silicate and magnesium silicate. Ideally, iron silicate or fayalite is less than fifteen percent. Above this content, the color of the stone can change to yellow or brown, both of which lessen the value of the stone. Facet cut stones that are less than 5 carats in weight are commonly used in fashion jewelry. The cost of the stone goes up with size. Stones larger than fifteen carats are rare and can be quite expensive. Some of best specimens of peridot today come from the Hindukush mountains near the Afghanistan – Pakistan border. This deposit, located at an elevation of over thirteen thousand feet, and was discovered in the mid nineteen nineties. The area is quite rough, and mining can only occur in the summer months after the snow has melted and the roads leading to the mines are passable.

The Allure of Topaz Jewelry

Topaz is quite famous for its stunning blue color. However, it most commonly occurs as a transparent colorless crystal. Other colors including pale blue, yellow and some times even light brown can be found in nature. Other less common colors include orange, pink, red or violet. Light that travels through the stone is bent to different degrees based on the properties of the incident light. Therefore, when viewed from different angles the stone can exhibit a range of colors. This is one of the properties that has made topaz a favorite for sterling pendants and other silver jewelry. Topaz is a hard stone, rating an eight on the Mohs scale. Topaz should not be cleaned using ultrasonic cleaners or harsh chemicals or steam cleaners. A q-tip with warm soapy water should be able to get out most grime without damaging the stone.

The Attraction of Opal Jewelry

Opal is non-crystalline and hydrated silicon dioxide. Opals have no definite shape, and can contain appreciable amounts of water. Water contents as high as thirty percent have been reported, although ten to fifteen percent is more the norm. Its specific gravity is quite low, ranging from 2 to 2.5. Sterling pendants with opal focal beads are quite common. These stones typically are quite light colored, and so they are sometimes paired with other more flashy gems such as rubies and sapphires. Mild colored specimens are generally less expensive than stones with bright and bold colors. Specimens with a bright luster are more desirable than dull ones. White opals are popular and quite common. At the other end of the spectrum, black opals are rare, sought after, and expensive.

Amethyst - A Beautiful Gem

Amethysts are a form of crystalline quartz. Amethyst crystals in nature can be quite large. The characteristic purple color of amethyst is a result of two secondary elements - manganese and iron. Manganese causes the stone to be purple in color. The iron content influences the intensity of the color. Darker colored stones are rarer are more expensive than lighter colored specimens. Recently however, the lighter colored Rose of France has become quite popular in jewelry designs. It is a February gemstone and is common in sterling pendants and other fine as well as costume jewelry. Amethysts are strong stones and as such, requite minimal care. These stones can be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner. Or, they can be cleaned using warm water, a gentle soap, and soft cloth. Prolonged exposure to heat and sunlight may alter the color of the stone.

Eye of the Tiger in Jewelry

Tiger eye is a relatively inexpensive gemstone that is used to make a wide variety of jewelry including sterling pendants, necklaces and bracelets. It has warm earthy colors that jewelry fans find quite endearing. Being a form of quartz, its properties are quite similar to those of quartz. It generally has a hardness of around 7 and a specific gravity of approximately 2.67. The stone contains iron oxide in the form of vertically oriented fibers that are luminescent. This property is called chatoyancy, and gives the stone the appearance of the feline eye. The stone is sometimes heat treated to change its color. Heat treated stones have a reddish color, and the change is irreversible. South Africa and Australia are the world’s largest producers of tiger eye. Some of these best quality specimens also come from these countries. Myanmar, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Namibia, and the United States of America are some of the other producers of this stone.

Agates in Jewelry - Common and Cheap - But Beautiful!

Agates are found all over the globe and are commonly used to make sterling pendants, brooches, other jewelry. Agates are a form of silica with crystals that are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the naked eye or even under moderate magnification. Impurities within the silica matrix give the stones interesting colors and patterns. They are found in many colors and patterns, with blues and greens being some of the less common colors. Agates from Botswana are famous for their very bright colors and intricate patters. While they are more expensive than other less colorful agates, Botswana agates are still relatively inexpensive when compared to other gemstones. The presence of iron oxide in silica gives the stone orange to brownish-orange colors. These specimens are called fire agates and are commonly found in South America and Mexico.

The Beauty of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is often incorporated into designs for sterling pendants, bracelets, and other jewelry. It has a light color and is almost transparent. Its neutral color compliments all skin colors, making it a popular gemstone. Although the name might suggest an association with sea or water, it is important to note that this association is only limited to the color of the stone, not its origin. Nonetheless, there are countless maritime legends associated with this gemstone. It is also called the gemstone of mermaids. Aquamarine is a March birthstone and is said to be lucky for Scorpios and Geminis. Stones with a darker and deeper blue are more expensive than light colored stones. Lighter colored stones are sometimes heat treated to improve their color. Larger stones tend to hold their color better and are usually deeper in color than smaller stones. Specimens with flaws or inclusions in them are less desirable than flawless ones.

Coral - The Gift from the Seas

Coral is a form of calcium carbonate that is formed from the skeletal remains of small sea creatures called polyps. It is commonly used to make sterling pendants, necklaces and bracelets. Coral and pearl are quite unique in that they are both created by living creatures. Most other gems used in fashion jewelry are inorganic and found on or near the surface of the earth. Under the right conditions of sea water temperature, coral reefs can continue to grow for over thirty years. Most of the coral used for jewelry today is found in the Mediterranean Sea and from the Pacific Ocean off the coats of Japan and Taiwan. Black coral was once found off the coast of Mexico; but this resource is generally depleted significantly. Coral that is free from fractures, cavities, or other anomalies is considered to be the highest grade coral, and is quite rare and expensive. Coral is generally treated before it can be cut and polished. In some instances, it may be dyed to enhance its color.

Jade - The Revered Gemstone

For a few millennia now, jade has been revered by ancient civilizations of Asia. It has been used to make carvings, statues, and other ornaments. The use of jade in jewelry such as sterling pendants, necklaces and bracelets came much later. An examination of records suggests that jade was first mined over 5000 years ago. Because of its strength and hardness, it was initially used to make primitive tools and hunting equipment. Later, man recognized the beauty of the stone and began to use it for decorative carvings and other aesthetic applications. Gemologists today recognize both jadeite and nephrite as jade. Jadeite is less common and is found mainly in Asia. Nephrite is more common and can be found in Burma, China, South America, Central America, Russia, Central Europe, and Canada.

Jasper as a Gemstone

Jasper is a common opaque semi-precious gemstone that is used in the design of sterling pendants, necklaces, and other silver jewelry. Nature has provided jewelry buffs with many varieties of jasper. Dalmatian jasper resembles the skin of the breed of dogs of the same name. The yellow and red dots of poppy jasper resemble poppy flowers. Landscape jasper, which is only occasionally used in jewelry, has surface patterns that resemble beautiful scenic views. Leopard jasper has orange and tan spots that resemble the markings of a jungle cat. It is believed that jasper protects the wearer from physical and mental dangers. It wards off negative energy and helps victims of depression. It is believed to aid with stomach ailments and complications related to pregnancies. Fancy jasper in particular, has brightly colored patterns, and is believed to cheer people up and generally improve the mental health and well being of the wearer.

The Story of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli lapis as it is sometimes known for short, is a popular semi-precious gemstone used to make sterling pendants and other pieces of fashion jewelry. Artifacts found during archaeological excavations in present day Iraq and Egypt suggest that this material was used in jewelry making for at least five thousand years. From a geological standpoint, lapis is a rock made up of a variety of different minerals. These minerals include hauynite, lazurite, sodalite, calcite and pyrites. The characteristic blue color of the stone is due to lazurite and sodalite. The sparkling specs are pyrites. Calcite is usually seen in the form of blotches and streaks. Lapis may also contain some amounts of other secondary minerals such as noselite, diopside, augite, mica and hornblende. Lapis typically occurs as a metamorphosed amorphous mass, usually found in conjunction with limestone deposits.

Innovative Silver Pendants

Jewelry and geology have always been closely linked. Most of the natural materials used to create jewelry are mined in various forms. In a silver pendant for example, the focal stone is probably extracted from the ground, cut, polished, and then set in silver. Silver of course, is mined, refined, and purified and then used in jewelry making. At times though, the linkage between geology and jewelry is more complex...more innovative....and therefore more interesting! Take a look at this short video:



In each of these silver pendants, the focus is a large natural ammonite fossil. Ammonites were a group of marine animals that are now extinct. The ammonites first appeared on earth about 400 million years ago, and became extinct about 60 to 65 million years ago. Combined with a simple sterling silver setting, this 60 MILLION year-old fossil makes a perfect contemporary piece of beautiful fashion jewelry!!