About Jewelry / Accessories

All About Turquoise

2009-11-05T07:00:30Z

I think we often visualize the color blue when we hear the word turquoise, but it's a gemstone that exists in other colors, including my favorite, bright green Orvil Jack turquoise from the Blue Ridge Mine in Nevada. Even blue turquoise is varied though, because you'll see everything from pale shades of the gem to a bright robin's egg color, all with different amounts of the metallic veining called matrix. Turquoise is the December birthstone but it makes a wonderful gift for anyone, and many pieces work just as well for men as they do for women. Read a few facts about turquoise before you go shopping--it will help you understand the different grades of turquoise that are on the market.

Turquoise Bracelets
Turquoise Necklaces
Ancient Gold & Turquoise Brooch

_{Bracelet by Benny and Valerie Aldrich}

All About Turquoise originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 07:00:30.

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Classic Gifts: Heart Pendant Jewelry

2009-11-02T10:12:17Z

Classic jewelry is always an appropriate gift. I'm talking about pieces that never go out of style, like heart pendants. Designs do change with the trends, but most hearts are timeless. This collection of heart pendants includes traditional and contemporary jewelry, and everything is sorted into groups based on price (starting under $25) to help you shop within your budget. Don't worry if your giftee doesn't care for pure tradition -- the collection includes hearts for every taste.

Classic Gifts: Heart Pendant Jewelry originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 10:12:17.

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November Birthstone Rings

2009-10-31T10:30:14Z

Topaz is the November birthstone, and it's a gemstone that is usually treated to improve or totally change its color. Blue topaz is created by irradiating very pale topaz, and topaz with specific names, such as Mystic Topaz and Rainbow Topaz are gems that have been coated and enhanced to change their appearance. I think you'll find something you like in this collection of topaz rings. They're all sorted by price to help you stay within your budget.

November Birthstone Rings originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 10:30:14.

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How to Identify Bakelite Jewelry

2009-10-28T08:00:03Z

Bakelite is a lightweight plastic that was originally used for industrial purposes, until jewelry makers found that it was perfect for manufacturing inexpensive bracelets, rings, pins and other kinds of jewelry and accessories. Bakelite was a hot item with shoppers in the 1930's and 1940's and much of it is collectible today.

How to Identify Bakelite Jewelry originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 08:00:03.

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Which Precious Metal is Your Favorite?

2009-10-23T09:06:08Z

Everyone has a favorite precious metal, one we gravitate back to even if we wear something else occasionally. Do you choose a metal by its color or by its content? If you like white metals you have multiple choices. Three are sterling silver, white gold and platinum. If you like yellow metals you probably wear a lot of gold--it's a versatile metal and its color can be changed dramatically depending on the other metals that are added to it, like the ingredients that add the pink tones you see in vintage jewelry and in Black Hills Gold. There are other choices too, including titanium, which doesn't usually cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to other metals. Stainless steel isn't a precious metal, but we see it used in more jewelry lately. There's a metal to suit every taste and budget.

More Metals

Why Did My Skin Turn Green?
Exploring Precious Metals
About Gold Purity
Metals for New Body Piercings

_{Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images}

Which Precious Metal is Your Favorite? originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 09:06:08.

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Before You Engrave Your Wedding Rings

2009-10-21T09:20:34Z

As if you don't have enough to think about when you're shopping for wedding rings. Two things you definitely should decide before you engrave a ring are what method you want to use for the engraving and what you want to say. Rings can be engraved by hand or by machine, and while the methods are very different, both techniques offer excellent results. There are some standard things you should do before you engrave, like making sure the ring is sized correctly. And you'll want to get the answers to several important questions before you feel comfortable handing the ring to the jeweler.

Before You Engrave Your Wedding Rings originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 09:20:34.

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Internal Diamond Flaws

2009-10-21T09:00:53Z

Flaws inside a diamond are called inclusions, but did you know that some types of diamond inclusions affect a diamond's clarity and value more than others do? It's usually best to avoid diamonds with certain types of flaws, but other kinds of inclusions aren't anything to worry about. It only takes a little time to get familiar with inclusion differences -- do it before you buy a diamond and you'll be ready to ask the right questions when you go shopping.

Internal Diamond Flaws originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 09:00:53.

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Does Your Diamond Change Colors?

2009-10-16T12:00:09Z

There's a sneaky little characteristic that can make a diamond appear to change colors when it's carried from one kind of lighting into another. Let's say you're in a jewelry store and the diamond you love looks nearly colorless. You buy the diamond and take it home to show everyone. When you remove it from the case the diamond looks like it has more of a yellowish tint than it did in the jewelry store. What happened?

The shift might not be your imagination -- the diamond is probably affected by a characteristic called fluorescence, which makes diamonds appear to change color when they are exposed to ultraviolet light (fluorescent and natural). That means your brand new diamond jewelry might look totally different inside under standard incandescent lights than it did under the jewelry store's fluorescent lighting. The change can be a pro or a con, depending on your attitude and the type of color shift that occurs. Here's why.

_{Photo � Paul O'Driscoll / Getty Images}

Does Your Diamond Change Colors? originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 12:00:09.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry

2009-10-13T06:30:24Z

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to wear the pink to show your support for breast cancer victims and survivors. With every year that passes we see a wider selection of breast cancer jewelry and accessories, and some companies donate a portion of the proceeds received from breast cancer jewelry sales to cancer research and educational programs. There's something for every budget in this pink ribbon jewelry collection.

_{Photo � Femail Creations}

Breast Cancer Awareness Jewelry originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 06:30:24.

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Jennifer Hudson Jewelry Profile

2009-10-10T18:53:53Z

Jennifer Hudson came to the national scene in 2004 as a finalist on Fox's American Idol, and it wasn't long before she landed the role of Effie (an Oscar win for her) in the movie Dreamgirls. It's been just five years, so Jennifer's jewelry "bests" are still emerging, but one style seems to be consistent -- she often wears large chandelier earrings to celebrity events. Ongoing musical and screen careers keep Jennifer busy, but maybe not as busy as the new person in her life will -- brand new baby boy, David Daniel Otunga Jr. (named for his father).

_{Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images}

Jennifer Hudson Jewelry Profile originally appeared on About.com Jewelry / Accessories on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 18:53:53.

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