Milton Gems Jewellery News

Today we’ve added a few new silver charms to our collection.  One that I think will be popular is pictured to the left - they’re initials charms.  You can choose the letter you want and because of the way they’re made (with a lobster claw) they can be attached to a chain to make an initial necklace, or bracelet.  They can even be added, of course, to handbags, zips, mobile phones and the like.  Perfect for giving to someone you love - just don’t forget and send them the wrong letter!

Two other charms we’ve added are shown below - a pair of scissors charm and a flower flip flop charm.  The scissors don’t open (just wanted to put that in) but as with all our charms, they’re incredibly detailed and would be a great gift to give to a hairdresser.  The flip flop is pink and green enamel set in silver and made to remind you of summer days!

I shall be putting more silver charms up tomorrow - I think it might be a heart day in honour of Valentines Day that’s just been.

Martin.

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December’s birthstone is Turquoise, and is also known as the 5th and 11th wedding anniversary stone. Its hue can range from the common green blue to a light sky blue. It is believed by some that turquoise got its name from “pierre turquoise” which means “Turkish stone” in French.

Click here to see our range of turquoise birthstone jewellery - December.

Some people believe that the name comes from the Persian word “fiouze” which means turquoise. The Egyptians mined turquoise as far back as 6,000 BC. Some may be surprised when they hear that the finest turquoise comes from Iran, not the American Southwest. You can find special pieces in areas such as Arizona and New Mexico, and areas such as Australia and Afghanistan.

For centuries turquoise has been treated as a holy stone and as a good luck charm. Ancient Egyptian tombs from about 3,000 B.C. hold the oldest proof of human kind’s interest in turquoise. There were beautiful artifacts decorated with this popular gemstone that were buried with the royal dead.

The tomb of Queen Zer was unburied in 1900. There was a turquoise and gold bracelet found on her wrist, making it one of the oldest pieces of jewelry ever found.

Turquoise has had a sacred place in the religious rites of North American Indians and by the Tibetans who include it in their rituals and ceremonies. People all over the world believe that turquoise has the power to promote mental and spiritual clarity to enhance wisdom, trust, understanding, and kindness.

Click here to see more from our range of december birthstone jewellery

Ancient Persians thought that the sky blue gemstones could be used as protection to ward off unnatural death if worn around the neck. This stone is known worldwide as being a good luck charm to help avoid accidents.

Turquoise is not only beautiful its bright colour offers self confidence to different personalities, and is commonly given as a token of friendship. Turquoise is linked to faithful and long lasting relationships.

Come and take a look at our turquoise jewellery

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The birthstone attached to November is citrine, which is said to increase creativity and feelings of joy. Citrine is also given as the anniversary gemstone for the 13th year wedding anniversary. The name comes from a French word for lemon, “citrin”, and comes in a variety of quartz.

Click here to see our range of november birthstone jewellery - citrine

Citrine is mined abundantly in Brazil but has been found in areas of Bolivia. The colours range from a vivid yellow to deep oranges as well as a favorite the “Madeira red”. You can mine natural citrine in the Ural Mountains of Russia, France, Madagascar, and Dauphine.

Citrine has been used for improving the function of the body’s organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, and the digestive system. Many healing practitioners all over the world use Citrine to remove harmful toxins from the body and treat muscular disorders.

Like all other forms of quartz, citrine has been believed to have magical powers. For centuries people have carried citrine with them as protection against the plague, and evil people. It has also been used as a type of charm that protects against snake and spider bites.

Giving citrine as a gift to someone special symbolizes your wishes for hope and strength. Citrine is glowing with sunshine yellow brightness which makes it perfect to brighten someone’s life.

See more of our citrine jewellery - the birthstone of november

Mental health citrine has been known as being highly powerful for simulating someone’s mental capacities and enhancing creativity. Some believe that wearing citrine will improve your memory, give you more energy, and make you feel more optimistic. The magnetic powers of citrine are said to relieve depression and fear.

There is a large amount of citrine that is offered in the huge market today, and most of it is heat-treated amethyst. In fact natural citrine is lighter than the heat treated gems which tend to be a darker orange-brown or a reddish-brown colour.

Click for more citrine jewellery

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Opal is said to enhance insight and dispels fear, and is known as being the birthstone of October. Opal is also given to as a 14th wedding anniversary present. Opal gets it name from the Greek work “opallus” which means to see a change in colour. This is obvious because opal has the ability to reflect wavelengths of light for a beautiful vision. There are more than a dozen different colours of opals.

Click here to see our opal birthstone jewellery - the stone for october

Opals are mined from deposits located mainly in Southern Australia, but there are still areas where you can find small amounts such as Mexico, Nevada, Brazil, and Czechoslovakia.

Opal is actually a non crystallized silica which is a mineral found near the earth’s surface in the areas where ancient hot springs once were. Roman’s referred to this gemstone as “Cupid Paederos,” which means a child as beautiful as love. The Romans also believed that opals fell to earth from the heavens in a flash of lightening.

On crowns opals symbolize hope and purity for ages. Ever since the 14th century there have been several cultures that have thought that this stone was an Eye Stone which watches over royal families. They thought that the opal was the king of all gems because it has the variety of all the colours in the rainbow.

Click here to see more pieces of opal jewellery - the birthstone of october

You can purchase a black opal which has a dark body hue compared to most other opals, a white opal also referred to as a milky opal, a boulder opal which is very dark and magnificent in colour, the crystal opal which has a transparent or semi transparent body tone and include forms of black and white crystal, and finally the fire opal which is an American name meaning an opal that has a specific red hue.

It doesn’t matter which colour of opal you purchase just make sure you know what the hue symbolizes.

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September’s birthstone is sapphire and is known to bring physical and emotional balance. Sapphire is also commonly given as the 5th and 45th wedding anniversary. The Greek word for blue “sapphirus” gives sapphires their name.

Click here to see our sapphire september birthstone jewellery

Sapphires have long been a tradition for priests who think they symbolize purity, as well as king s who thought they symbolized wisdom.

Compared to other gemstones, sapphires, like rubies, are a variety of corundum. Sapphires come in magnificent colours that range from pink and lavender hues to a rare orange colour and the most popular deep blue sapphire that helped earn its name.

Sapphires have been mined since the 7th century BC in an area of India now known as Sri Lanka. They are also found in other areas around the world such as Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Madagascar, America, Thailand, Myanmar, Tanzania, China, and Myanmar.

The way that corundum crystals are formed it causes large sapphires very rarely making the largest ones very valuable. The 563 carat Star of India which is on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. This sapphire is known as the most famous of star sapphires, which are cut to reflect light from inclusions within the stone and reveal a bright six pointed star pattern.

Click here and see more of our beautiful gold september birthstone jewellery

It was said that a venomous snake put in a vessel made of sapphire would immediately die. Sapphires have earned a reputation as begin a great all purpose medicine and have been ingested as an antidote to poison. Sapphires have also been ground into powders as a remedy for things ranging from colic to mental illness.

Egyptians once associated the clear sapphire with the eye of Horas, the “eye in the sky”. Sapphires were used by Greeks to tap into their subconscious mind by opening of the “third eye”.

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August’s birthstone is Peridot and comes from the Arabic word “faridat” which means gem. Peridot is often referred to as the evening emerald because when put under artificial light it has a green glow. Peridot is also used as the 16th anniversary gemstone.

Click here to see our range of peridot August birthstone jewellery

Ancient Greek and Roman jewellery was heavy in peridot and has been popular all the way back to 1500 BC when the Egyptians began mining it. Egyptians referred to the stone as the “gem of the sun” and even believed it had the ability to lower anxiety, enhance verbal communication, and help in the success of marriages.

The transparent colours in peridot come in a variety of greens ranging from a light yellowish green to a dark olive colour. The truer the green hue is of the peridot the most expensive it is going to be. If there is any slight colour of brown in your peridot it greatly lowers the value as well as any visible flaws.

You are able to find peridot crystals in the black sands of Hawaii where this specific gemstone is quite abundant. You are able to find peridot here in large sizes. The Hawaiians believe that peridot is the tears of Pele, their volcano goddess.

While peridot is most abundant in Hawaii you can also find it as far away as Burma, Norway, Brazil, Australia, the Congo, and even Arizona. Where ever it is found it is an amazing gemstone.

Click here to view more of our August birthstone range of peridot jewellery

Peridot is said to have helped dreams become a reality and has been given the symbol of fame, strength, and vitality. Peridot is found in Europe in medieval churches, heavily decorating treasures including the Cologne Cathedral.

It is known that Egyptian priests drank from cups made of peridot with the belief that it would draw them nearer to Isis, the goddess of nature.

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Ruby is July’s birthstone and is known to have fire and emotion properties. Ruby is also known as being the anniversary gemstone for the 15th and 40th marriage anniversary. Ruby mining began over 2,500 years ago and is still found in areas such as Burma, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Cambodia, America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Click here to see our range of ruby jewellery

Ancient Hindus referred to rubies as the “Lord of Gems”. They are well known as one of the most prized of all gems throughout all periods of history. The intense fiery glow of rubies is known to come from its internal eternal flame.

The ruby is a symbol for many as everlasting love and is a combination of mineral Corundum which is called sapphire when it is any other colour except red. Only the colour red is referred to as ruby.

However there are many beautiful shades of red rubies ranging from an orangey red to a more purplish red. The highest valued rubies are true red in colour.

See more of our ruby july birthstone jewellery here

Rubies are known for being a durable gemstone and are only surpassed by the magnificent diamond in regards to hardness. Ancient legends say that you should name make faces at a ruby in a museum or ignore it as it will grow dull if not appreciated.

Royalty selected rubies believing they could help protect them against evil by anticipating its arrival. Monarchs believed that rubies had the power to darken when it sensed danger, and then return to its original colour once the threat was gone.

The Balas Ruby is a special type of “spinel” which is a hard glassy mineral. Bohemian rubies are derived from rose quartz, while Siberian “rubies” are in fact red or pink tourmaline. Rubies are a truly magnificent gemstone and are great as a gift for anyone.

Take a closer look at our ruby / july birthstone collection - click here.

Martin.

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You may know what your birthstone is but do you know the significance that comes along with it? If you were born in the month of June then your birthstone is Pearl. The ancients believed that Pearl has truth and beauty properties.

Click here to see more of our pearl - june birthstone jewellery

It is now known that Greeks actually believed that pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the Love Goddess shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea. Arab legend states that pearls were made when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the moon and then swallowed moonlit dew drops.

Pearl is also widely known as the anniversary gemstone for the 3rd and 30th years of marriage. For centuries pearls have been found on crowns, jewellery, clothing, and temples. They were even known to be a favorite of Cleopatra. They are simple enough to be given to young girls and are a common gift for a first communion.

See more pearl / june birthstone jewellery here

Magnificent pearls come in a variety of colours that range from delicate rose white to black. When it comes to pearls the higher the luster or orients the more valuable it is. It may be hard to imagine that these coveted treasures come naturally from the mollusk.

Deep sea divers seek out natural pearls in The Persian Gulf as well as the waters off Japan, the South Pacific Islands off northern Australia, and the coasts of Panama, Venezuela, and California.

Other than the popular round shaped pearls commonly seen there are also large hemispherical cultured pearls known as mabe. These fresh water pearls are elongated in different interesting shapes and colours. The South Sea cultured pearls can grow upwards of 10mm.

There was a time when only those with royal status could wear something as precious as pearl jewellery, but these days they are seen on people from all over the world. Pearls are the perfect gift for anyone of any age.

See page one of our pearl jewellery or page two of our pearl jewellery category.

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In New Zealand abalone is called paua in the Maori language. It is difficult to harvest paua and the rights can only be granted under legal Maori customary rights. The daily recreational limit is 10 paua per diver with a minimum shell length of 125 mm. The Ministry of Fisheries says that in the years of 2004 and 2005 approximately 1,000 tons of paua will be poached with about three fourths of that undersized.

Click here to see our Paua Shell jewellery

New Zealand’s polished paua shells are common souvenirs because of their beautiful blue, purple, gold and green hues. If you transport unprocessed abalone shells out of New Zealand you are breaking the law.

The amazing colour of paua shells are completely natural are polished to gain maximum luster to show the true colours on the shell.

Paua is a certain species of abalone that is only found around New Zealand. Locals only utilize the natural paua that has washed up on the shoreline. They don’t use fake colour enhancers, plastic resin coatings, or dyes like some manufacturers do who sometimes harvest thin paua shells.

There are three different species of Paua found in New Zealand including silver paua- Haliotis australis, Paua- Haliotis iris, and Virgin Paua-Haliotis virginea. Paua is a Maori name that was given to a small group of mono-valve mollusks found in their coastal waters.

Paua are found in the shallow coastal water along rocky shorelines in depths of about one to fifteen m. They feed on nearby seaweed and can survive the strong tidal surges because they can cling to the rocks with their muscular foot.

The paua is actually ionic in New Zealand and its black muscular foot is considered a delicacy while its shell is used in jewellery and as keepsakes because it is one of the world?s most attractive shells.

We have two category pages with paua shell on it - paua jewellery category one and paua category two.

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We have been busy putting more items on the site and that includes a batch of beautiful paua shell jewellery.

Click here to see more of the paua shell jewellery!

I’m in the process of putting together an article on paua shell - it comes from the sea around New Zealand but the greens and blues are amazing.

We have two paua shell category pages at the moment - we are going to see how popular they prove to be and, if they’re liked by customers as much as I like them, we’ll be putting more on.

M.

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By far the most precious and coveted of the birthstones, diamonds are formed deep within the earth where there is enough intense heat and pressure for carbon to crystallize. Diamonds are the main choice for engagement rings. The diamond also symbolizes the 10^th and 60^th years of marriage.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR APRIL BIRTHSTONE JEWELLERY RANGE!

Diamonds are so beautiful that ancient Greeks believed they were splinters of stars that had fallen to earth. Some even believed that there were tears of the Gods. The exact origin of diamonds is a mystery to scientists and geologists.

India is thought of as having the first large source of diamond mining. Ancient Hindus called the diamond Vajra, meaning lightening because of the sparks of light that it emits as well as its incredible strength. By far the most beautiful stone on the planet, it is also known as the hardest substance in the world.

Diamonds are found today in Australia, Botswana, Russia, and South Africa.

For quite some time diamonds have been known for having certain medicinal properties. In the middle ages gemstones were thought to heal illness if the person took the diamond in their bed with them.

It is believed that Cupid’s arrows were tipped in diamonds so it makes sense that over the years this beautiful stone has gotten a reputation as being the gift of love.

Diamonds used to be reserved for only royalty and others who were entitled to their symbolism of strength and courage. In 1477 Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy and set a tradition of diamond engagement rings.

Interestingly enough early Egyptians believed that the vena amoris also known as the vein of love ran directly from the heart to the third finger on the left hand.

Giving a diamond for any reason is sure to be appreciated.  Have a look at our April birthstone jewellery here.

Have a closer look at the Milton Gems diamond category pages - diamond jewellery page 1 and diamond birthstone jewellery page 2.  Our birthstone jewellery page is here.

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As promised, I’ve been adding more silver charms to Milton Gems.  Not too many today but I felt in a red mood - all the charms are a nice, bright red colour!

The first one you can see to the left is a five pointed star charm.  As always, with a lobster claw so you can fix it easily.

Below you can see two more charms.  What better way to celebrate summer than with a nice, juicy red strawberry?  Well, I can’t guarantee you the sun and nice weather but we can send you a strawberry charm to remind you of better weather.  And give a symbol of your love with the red heart charm - show someone you care.

Remember - you can see all our charms in our silver charm category here.

Martin

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Apart from the silver charms that we added yesterday (and we’re going to be adding some more today) we have added some more exciting pieces of silver jewellery.

The necklace to the left is of crystals and silver and it’s on a 17 1/2 inch rubber thong - all in all, an unusual necklace.

We’ve added 2 more new necklaces and can be seen below.

My personal favourite is the 3 colour flower necklace - it’s simple, elegant and effective.  Three different flowers each with a different colour.  The chain is approx 16 inches long and each flower is around 33mm in size and in total the necklace weight about 23grams.

Another necklace with a flower is the bright silver one shown - the silver has a hammered finish which is effective.  The chain is approx 17 1/2 inches and the flower is around 29 mm in size.  Check out the flower necklace here.

All in all, we have some very nice pieces that we’re putting onto Milton Gems Jewellery - you’ll love them, I’m sure.

Martin

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I’m just in the process of adding a new category to Milton Gems - silver charms.  We have found a fantastic charm supplier who has the most intricate silver charms.  As you can see from the picture to the left, the amount of details is enormous - look at the bootlace and the heel and top of the boot shimmers in the light as well.  Take a closer look at the boot charm and you’ll see what I mean.

I’m in the process of adding the new charms - new ones will be listed daily.  Some of the ones I’ve started with are listed below

Martin

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Take a look at our new three coloured silver flower necklace.  Each of the flowers have a brushed effect and they are approx 33mm in size.  The length of the chain is 16 inches and in total, weighs around 23 grams.

It has a lobster claw clasp and is hallmarked to show proof of being sterling silver.

Click the image to see more of the flower necklace or you can see our range of necklaces.

Martin

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It’s a strange business.  You put on pieces of jewellery you really think will do well and it doesn’t fly out the door.  But you put on something that you’re not sure about and people love it - and this silver pearl bunny rabbit belly bar is one of those situations.  It’s nice - it has a silver pearl for a body and silver face, ears and bunny feet.  For hygiene reasons it’s on a 316L surgical steel bar as are all our belly bars.

So - can you give a bunny rabbit a nice home?  Do you fancy some bunny jewellery?  Take a closer look and click on the picture or see more from our range of belly bars.

Martin

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This pair of delightful flower shaped stud earrings are made from sterling silver with marcasite and mother of pearl. 

Quite large for stud earrings, they are approx 19mm from side to side and weigh approx 2.9 grams each (5.9 grams in total).

Each of the petals are mother of pearl and edged with marcasite and also have a centre of marcasite.  They are hallmarked sterling silver.

We also have a mother of pearl and marcasite flower pendant to match.

See more of our marcasite and mother of pearl stud earrings here.  Our marcasite earrings category is here.

Martin

[tags]marcasite earrings, mother of pearl earrings, flower earrings[tags]

Having just posted about a dragonfly pendant, I thought I’d put up a page about dragonfly jewellery in general.  They are certainly popular and we are in the process of growing our collection of dragonfly jewellery.

 The picture to the left is of a dragonfly brooch which is silver with a marcasite body and mother of pearl wings.

Take a closer look at the dragonfly brooch here.

 The image to the left is of a dragonfly pendant which has wings of mother of pearl and clear cubic zirconia stones in its body all set in 925 sterling silver.

Click and take a closer look at the dragonfly pendant here.
This is a dragonfly belly bar which is silver and surgical steel (for hygiene).  It has a coloured stone between its wings.

Click here to see more from our belly bar range or see more of our dragonfly belly bar here.

As mentioned earlier, we are actively adding more dragonfly pieces and feedback has been extremely positive.

Martin

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Dragonfly Jewellery remains popular and some of our most popular jewellery pieces are shaped like dragon flies.  Just like this pendant, in fact.

The dragonfly is set in sterling silver and its two pairs of wings are made from mother of pearl.  Its silver body has clear cubic zirconia stones in it.  In size, the body is approx 23mm (not including the bale) and 31mm wide (wing tip to wing tip).  The total weight is around 2.4 grams.  As with all our pendants, it doesn’t include a chain but the image shows a snake chain which can be ordered from the dragonfly pendant page.

Check out the silver dragonfly pendant in more detail.

Martin

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