Jewelry Designs

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sage Jewels donates unique one-of-a-kind jewelry design to Sorority's fundraiser Silent Auction



Sage Jewels will be donating a unique one-of-a-kind jewelry design to support the Ivy and Roses Community Fund and Pi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Signature Fundraiser Silent Auction to be held on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 7:00 PM - 11:30 PM the Association of Black Cardiologists Conference Center in Atlanta Georgia.

You may follow this link to purchase tickets to this event:

http://ivyandroses.eventbrite.com/

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Turqouise



One of the first gems ever mined, turquoise delighted traders on the Silk Road, and is still associated with the Middle East. Apart from the exotic charm of its unbelievable rich colour, this association owes to the Persian Empire's role as the premier source of the world's turquoise for 2000 years. In present day Turkey, which the stone was most likely named after because of erroneous assumptions about the stone's origins, turquoise can still be seen adorning the insides and outsides of mosques everywhere.

Jewelry communities worldwide enjoy it as polished cabochons, seeking to showcase the unique green-blue colour that rightfully earned itself a name on the colour wheel. These provocative hues are caused by copper and aluminum deposits in the earth's crust, and are often discovered in veins and crevices as byproducts of copper mining projects in arid regions.

Even though turquoise is relatively soft, it handles polishing well, and is also occasionally faceted. Still, one should make sure to care for their turquoise jewelry, and protect it from cosmetics, heat, and bright light, which threaten the gemstone's natural lustre.

Turquoise has been thought to aid the body's healing process, centre the emotions, and provide physical protection from harm.

Source: http://www.stonesandfindings.com/jewelry-making-articles/articles/turquoise

Lava Beads



Lava beads refer to beads that are made from volcanic material, cut and faceted into a variety of shapes and sizes. Lava beads are very lightweight, and most tend to float since they are made of hardened magma and ash. As a result, they can only be produced in areas where volcanic material is available. Depending on the area and the mineral content of the lava, the lava beads will either be very dark in colour and close to black, reddish-brown or reddish grey. Stones and Findings carries a selection of black Lava Beads in a variety of shapes.

Designing with Lava beads is very easy and fun. Due to the dark colour of the bead, you can virtually add any other colourful bead, crystal or freshwater pearl in a combination that works for you to create stunning classic or funky summer pieces. I love to take a funky strand like the Diamond Cube Lava Beads and add some beautiful Red Coral for contrast and you've created a fun and versatile piece. Feel free to also add some sparkly Crystal pieces , or small sterling silver or gold filled beads for some shine.

No matter what design you come up with, Lava Beads are bound to be a success due to their unique look and feel. They will complement any funky, colourful or sparkly jewellery bead. So click here to view our selection, and start designing with Lava Beads today!

Source: http://www.stonesandfindings.com/jewelry-making-articles/articles/lava-beads

Coral



In Ovid's canonized tale of Perseus' quest to slay Medusa, the Greek hero is not only credited with defeating the most heinous of Gorgons, but also with discovering coral for the first time: when he finishes using Medusa's head to petrify a sea monster, Perseus notices that Gorgon's blood has hardened nearby seaweeds into wonderful red coral beads. Ovid's mythical prehistory also tells us that Poseidon lived in a palace partially built of coral, and that Hephaestus, the ultimate craftsman, first used coral to build his early inventions. Like the Greeks, the ancient Egyptians also applied coral beads to decoration, and are known to have employed it in royal burial ceremonies. Coral and coral beads even have a long history of use by senior monks in Tibet, and has been labeled one of the seven jewels of Buddhism as described by ancient Sanskrit texts. Coral has been used reverently, by many cultures and since time immemorial, for its intriguing visual characteristics and metaphysical properties.

Nowadays, while fewer people believe that it can protect against evil spirits, the bold visual effect of coral beads is felt by all, and is commonly used to accent skin tones and complete the look of a high-impact outfit. It should be noted that the red coral beads used by modern jewelers is actually markedly distinct from other kinds of coral associated with barrier reefs: coral beads in the jewelry world refers specifically to corallium rubrum, an oceanic strain that is distinguished by its durable, opaque, and bright red skeleton. The incredible softness and porous property of coral (by gemstone standards) also means that it can be effectively dyed. This happens often, and is in some cases merely to accentuate the original colour or to achieve a more uniform surface. Polishing coral beads is also used almost universally to replace the original matte exterior with a high-gloss sheen. Value is determined by surface smoothness, absence of blotches and scratches, and natural colour; while red is by far the most common variety, corallium rubrum, or 'precious coral,' as it is known, also occurs in many different colours- blue being among the rarest.

Chemically, precious coral is remarkably similar to the other organic gemstone giant, pearls. Both are at least 9 tenths calcium carbonate, and both are, of course, provided by underwater life forms. While huge trawling nets have been used to harvest precious coral in the past, today it is collected in a non-destructive and environmentally friendly way: handpicked by divers.

Source: http://www.stonesandfindings.com/jewelry-making-articles/articles/coral

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Kazuri Bead Story

Use Sage Jewels and Kazuri for your next fundraiser

Kazuri offers unique programs for non-profit organizations to utilize Kazuri beads to raise funds. The beauty of the hand crafted beads, the story of Kazuri and the popularity of the beads make this a profitable and rewarding opportunity for any organization.

Sage Jewels welcomes the opportunity to work with non-profit organizations in the development of a unique jewelry design for your fundraising efforts.