As probably most of you have realized, if you love silver jewelry, you need to buy your size when you buy a ring, because no one wants to size your ring to a different size.
Do you know why?
Its not the silver. Like gold, or platinum, silver can be sized. But finely made silver jewelry is plated, in either rhodium or in gold, and even sometimes in platinum.
The rhodium (or gold) needs to be stripped off of the silver before sizing, which requires heat. Silver is a soft metal, so when the rhodium is stripped off, it leaves tons of little bubbles in the metal. It then can be sized but almost impossible to get a nice smooth finish in replating. And....this process costs a fortune, more that the original piece in some cases.
There is someone on Amazon that is selling size 7 for one price, and size 8 for twice the price. He must be resizing his inventory, and that's the reason the larger size is so expensive. Its much better to special order an original ring in the right size, and to wait for it to be manufactured.
I have been asked this question often in the last few weeks, and wanted to share it with all of you.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
"Playing with Faux Stones"
http://track.mybloglog.com/js/jsserv.php?mblID="2008120719370086"
Half the fun of wearing faux stones is having everyone around you thinking they are real.
If asked, the choice whether to tell or not tell, is totally yours. But, to pull if off, (if you choose to go this route),you must know what the faux stones look like in real gems. The more knowledgeable you are about the "real" stone in nature, the more you can "wow" your audience.
I have had people think more than once, that I have been a "very good girl" this last year, because of the beauty of the jewelry that I am wearing, backed by my knowledge of gemstones. No one even asks me if its "real", they just assume that it is.
So this is a guide of what to say, when people comment about the beautiful faux jewelry that you are wearing....and of course, I hope it is mine! *smile*
White cubic zirconia (cz)
Small sizes, white diamonds, medium sizes, white diamonds, and if you really have ballsy, large stones, white diamonds. You can also call large stones white topaz, which might be more comfortable for you.
Canary cubic zirconia (cz)
There are truly real canary diamonds on the market, usually worth thousands and thousands of dollars. They are considered "fancy color" diamonds in the industry. There is also now a new "cultured" diamond that is canary, that is also many thousand of dollars. (Cultured means that it has the same optical, chemical and physical qualities of the real stone.) The beauty of canary cz is how affordable it is, it looks like the real thing, and you can dazzle without all the expense.
If the stone is yellow cz, then it looks just like citrine, which is a member of the quartz family. It also looks like some of the colors of the "cultured" diamond, so you can call it either gem.
Champagne cubic zirconia (cz)
Champagne is another color of true natural diamonds that is very expensive. Larger stones in Champagne look like Imperial topaz, which is a stunning stone that is mined in Brazil. Imperial Topaz is rarely seen, except in very high end jewelry stores, so champagne is an affordable alternative to the stunning real stone.
Black cubic zirconia (cz)
Black cubic zirconia looks just like black diamonds, which are natural, and very fashionable right now. Black and white diamond jewelry is very "hot" in fine jewelry.
In larger stones, black cz looks like black spinel. Thailand is the main source but Australia is also a major producer. With a hardness of 8.0, uniform nature, high reflectance and lack of cleavage, black spinel makes excellent gem material. Black cz looks just like it.
Pink cubic zirconia (cz)
Yes, there are real pink diamonds available from nature, and they are absolutely sensational, but untouchable in price by the normal jewelry lover. Small pink cz, look just like the real pink diamond. In larger stones, pink cz looks very much like Kunzite. Kunzite is a fabulous pink stone, originally discovered in Sunny California in the early 1900s. The problem with the gem stone, Kunzite, is that it loses its color in sunlight....permanently. Your fabulous pink cz will remain beautifully pink for years to come. Again, you can enjoy pink cz at a fraction of the price of either of its real counterparts.
The other fascinating thing about pink cz is that the color changes from pale to bright, depending upon the light it is in. A very fun stone.
Created Sapphire
Created sapphire looks just like real sapphire, whether is is pink, blue, purple or created red ruby. Created or synthetic mean exactly the same thing, and the terms are used interchangeably. My customers tell me my blue sapphire is the most beautiful available on the market. You can easily fool your friends with this one.
Synthetic or created opal
The stones I use in my line are Japanese, and have amazing internal color. People will think that you own a very expensive real opal from Australia. There are less expensive opals available both in synthetic form and in nature, that don't have the dancing colors in the stone. If you buy from Sophiemiller.com, you get dazzling stones.
Faux Turquoise-
Well, this one is obvious. Ours is faux, but it looks darn close to the real thing. Check it out.
A little fun fact- most Persian Turquoise, which is the expensive stuff, was and is mined in Arizona. I have no idea how it got its name, "Persian".
Faux Red Coral-
Again this one is a no brainer. Mine is faux, but it look amazingly like the real thing, except sometimes I use sizes that would be difficult to find in the real stone by the way that coral (organic) grows. Look at it this way, by wearing mine, you are not damaging a precious natural resource.
Black onyx-
This is not an expensive stone in nature....so this is one case where I use the real thing. Set surrounded by white cz, and walla, its a fabulous real/faux combo look a like.
Glass pearls
This one is easy. In larger sizes, they look like South Seas, except, perhaps, they are too perfect. The natural ones have flaws, slightly un-round, less shiny surfaces....some surface blemishes, but glass pearls look great and are so affordable, what the heck.
These are the stones that I currently have posted on my website. I work in 35 different stones....so as my online collection grows I will continue to give you all the ammunition that you need to wear your jewelry from me with confidence and joy.
Thanks so much for reading this. I am happy to get into conversations or answer any of your questions. Just post a comment below.
Hugs, Sophie
Half the fun of wearing faux stones is having everyone around you thinking they are real.
If asked, the choice whether to tell or not tell, is totally yours. But, to pull if off, (if you choose to go this route),you must know what the faux stones look like in real gems. The more knowledgeable you are about the "real" stone in nature, the more you can "wow" your audience.
I have had people think more than once, that I have been a "very good girl" this last year, because of the beauty of the jewelry that I am wearing, backed by my knowledge of gemstones. No one even asks me if its "real", they just assume that it is.
So this is a guide of what to say, when people comment about the beautiful faux jewelry that you are wearing....and of course, I hope it is mine! *smile*
White cubic zirconia (cz)
Small sizes, white diamonds, medium sizes, white diamonds, and if you really have ballsy, large stones, white diamonds. You can also call large stones white topaz, which might be more comfortable for you.
Canary cubic zirconia (cz)
There are truly real canary diamonds on the market, usually worth thousands and thousands of dollars. They are considered "fancy color" diamonds in the industry. There is also now a new "cultured" diamond that is canary, that is also many thousand of dollars. (Cultured means that it has the same optical, chemical and physical qualities of the real stone.) The beauty of canary cz is how affordable it is, it looks like the real thing, and you can dazzle without all the expense.
If the stone is yellow cz, then it looks just like citrine, which is a member of the quartz family. It also looks like some of the colors of the "cultured" diamond, so you can call it either gem.
Champagne cubic zirconia (cz)
Champagne is another color of true natural diamonds that is very expensive. Larger stones in Champagne look like Imperial topaz, which is a stunning stone that is mined in Brazil. Imperial Topaz is rarely seen, except in very high end jewelry stores, so champagne is an affordable alternative to the stunning real stone.
Black cubic zirconia (cz)
Black cubic zirconia looks just like black diamonds, which are natural, and very fashionable right now. Black and white diamond jewelry is very "hot" in fine jewelry.
In larger stones, black cz looks like black spinel. Thailand is the main source but Australia is also a major producer. With a hardness of 8.0, uniform nature, high reflectance and lack of cleavage, black spinel makes excellent gem material. Black cz looks just like it.
Pink cubic zirconia (cz)
Yes, there are real pink diamonds available from nature, and they are absolutely sensational, but untouchable in price by the normal jewelry lover. Small pink cz, look just like the real pink diamond. In larger stones, pink cz looks very much like Kunzite. Kunzite is a fabulous pink stone, originally discovered in Sunny California in the early 1900s. The problem with the gem stone, Kunzite, is that it loses its color in sunlight....permanently. Your fabulous pink cz will remain beautifully pink for years to come. Again, you can enjoy pink cz at a fraction of the price of either of its real counterparts.
The other fascinating thing about pink cz is that the color changes from pale to bright, depending upon the light it is in. A very fun stone.
Created Sapphire
Created sapphire looks just like real sapphire, whether is is pink, blue, purple or created red ruby. Created or synthetic mean exactly the same thing, and the terms are used interchangeably. My customers tell me my blue sapphire is the most beautiful available on the market. You can easily fool your friends with this one.
Synthetic or created opal
The stones I use in my line are Japanese, and have amazing internal color. People will think that you own a very expensive real opal from Australia. There are less expensive opals available both in synthetic form and in nature, that don't have the dancing colors in the stone. If you buy from Sophiemiller.com, you get dazzling stones.
Faux Turquoise-
Well, this one is obvious. Ours is faux, but it looks darn close to the real thing. Check it out.
A little fun fact- most Persian Turquoise, which is the expensive stuff, was and is mined in Arizona. I have no idea how it got its name, "Persian".
Faux Red Coral-
Again this one is a no brainer. Mine is faux, but it look amazingly like the real thing, except sometimes I use sizes that would be difficult to find in the real stone by the way that coral (organic) grows. Look at it this way, by wearing mine, you are not damaging a precious natural resource.
Black onyx-
This is not an expensive stone in nature....so this is one case where I use the real thing. Set surrounded by white cz, and walla, its a fabulous real/faux combo look a like.
Glass pearls
This one is easy. In larger sizes, they look like South Seas, except, perhaps, they are too perfect. The natural ones have flaws, slightly un-round, less shiny surfaces....some surface blemishes, but glass pearls look great and are so affordable, what the heck.
These are the stones that I currently have posted on my website. I work in 35 different stones....so as my online collection grows I will continue to give you all the ammunition that you need to wear your jewelry from me with confidence and joy.
Thanks so much for reading this. I am happy to get into conversations or answer any of your questions. Just post a comment below.
Hugs, Sophie
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