Saturday, April 26, 2008

Necklaces In The Past

Archaeologists say that the necklace was first worn by man in the Stone Age. In the year 2004, some scientists were digging a South Africa caves and were able to discover 41 mollusks that were believed to have been strung together to be some kind of neck jewelry some 75,000 years ago.

Gold began to be used for neck jewelry in 2500 B.C. Gold neck adornments as well as gold chokers were unearthed at a location called Royal Grave of Ur, which is a place located in what is known as Iraq. In 2000 B.C., bead neck jewelry that were made and used by Sumerians started to make use of alternating patterns of colored gemstones and stones as well as metals like copper and silver.

Meanwhile, neck jewelry, which were worn by ancient Egyptians, evolved from the simple stringed beads to the more complicated patterns, including the pectoral and the 'broad collar' type. These necklaces were worn by both women and men, and mostly by royalty and wealthy citizens. When the owners die, they even request for these necklaces to be buried with them.

In around 480 to 300 B.C., which was the period of the Classical Greek, a lot of necklaces were in the form of three-dimensional pendants. These necklaces were usually in the form of seeds, heads or acorns and were hanging from a row of different or similar flat elements that were commonly like rosettes.

When the second and third centuries came, the act of wearing multiple necklaces at the same time became a trend. Sometimes, the types of necklaces worn indicated the class or level of wealth or class of the person wearing it. Necklaces became popular in all kinds of styles, designs and forms they came in. Over the next couple of centuries, necklaces became unpopular but regained their fame during the late 14th century.

Today, there are many trend, Pearl is one begin in the latest part of century and forever being demand in royal family as a sign of label, continue become popular in the jewelry trend, recently freshwater cultured pearls being fashionable and affordable price for every women.

By Bill Pratt

Pearls All Girls Will Love It

Pearls have long been cherished for their exquisite beauty, unique qualities, and timeless elegance. Throughout history, women have loved to wear pearls because of the way that their lustre casts a soft radiant glow onto the skin of the wearer. Is it any wonder then that pearl bridal jewelry has become the adornment chosen by so many of today's brides? Nothing enhances the special glow of a happy bride better than the look of fabulous pearls draped on her neck, wrist, and ears.

The wonderful thing about pearls in the modern era is that there are so many different styles, shapes, sizes, and colors available.

You may wonder how to find just the right special pieces among all of the options. Keep in mind the personality of the bride, the style and formality of the wedding, and the look and details of her gown. The elegance of pearl bridal jewelry is the perfect accent to the gorgeous satins, silks, and laces of wedding gowns.

Jewelry should compliment the neckline of the wedding dress, so a v-neck would look great with a long pendant, a strand would be just right with a scoopneck gown, and a high neck might call for just a striking pair of earrings and a bracelet. The classic strand of akoyas or a simple pendant are wonderful for the traditional bride.

A woman wearing a gown with sparkle might prefer her pearl bridal jewelry [out]to be accented with Swarovski crystals. There are also great handcrafted and custom pieces available, in every design imaginable.

Brides looking for more casual jewelry will love the look of affordable freshwater pearls mixed with sterling silver. And for true drama, try one of a kind pearl bridal jewelry made with black pearls or created in multi strand designs. The wide array of colors also makes pearls ideal for bridesmaids and more adventurous brides.

The beauty of pearls shows very well in photographs, which is especially important for wedding pictures, since you will have them forever. (A special note to all of you brides wearing strapless gowns: a bold necklace and earrings are a must so you do not look naked in your close up shots!)

One of the most wonderful things about pearls is their timelessness. The pearl jewelry that you wear on your wedding day will always be in fashion, and when you wear it over the years, it will remind you of that romantic day.Check this out if you are want to lean more about the history of pearls. By Bridget Mora

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Houston Jewelry

Many people choose to accessorize their outfits with different items. Houston jewelry is one of the most frequently used items to make your clothes take on a different look. What you wear with your clothes will affect whether they look more casual or dressier for fancier occasions. The choices that you make in these items will affect the way that you look.

Both men and women enjoy wearing Houston jewelry to accessorize. Men do not often look at it as much as women do. However, they also wear these items. They may not see it as accessorizing but they will wear it just the same. Unlike women, though, they often wear the same pieces over and over again rather than having separate pieces for different purposes. The most common items that many men wear include necklaces and rings.

Women, on the other hand, will likely possess many different pieces of Houston jewelry in order to have a wide range of choices. They will own different colors of metals as well as different gemstones to match each of the different outfits that they may wear. They will own jewelry that is more casual and some that is fancier for those special occasions. Women also wear a wider range of items including bracelets, necklaces, earrings and more. They have more to choose from but they also use these items differently than men do.

Each person has their own individual tastes. These tastes will effect which pieces of Houston jewelry that they choose to own and which ones they choose to wear for certain situations. These items can tell a lot about a person's personality and what they are trying to portray about themselves. In fact, which items a person chooses to wear with an outfit can even cause one particular outfit to look either casual or fancy. Who knew that jewelry was so powerful?

Many people choose to wear Houston jewelry to create a new look for themselves. They will choose their items based on what they are wearing and what they will be doing that day. Certain pieces are best for a fancy dinner party while others are more suited for a quiet day in the office.

These pieces can truly change the way others perceive you.
By Andre Zayas

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Swarovski Crystal

Swarovski Crystal (Austrian) jewellery is gaining more and more popularity in the world of fashionable and stylish accessories and jewellery. Women and even men are caught in the allure of the rich and varied colour and excellent quality of Swarovski Crystal. There are a number of reasons for this growth in popularity:

Swarovski Crystal jewellery looks good and goes well with almost any outfit - you can see a total transformation of a plain little black dress with the addition of Swarovski crystal accessories. They look equally well on your journey to the supermarket or your journey down the isle.

They can be worn day or night to enhance an outfit. Crystal is a hard material and to cut these in such a way that they have a hundred identical facets in several directions is a very complicated task. This however, is what gives the end jewellery piece the ability to capture and reflect the light in such a magnificent way.

There are so many wonderful colours to choose from. There are several basic colours that are common, such as Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald, Siam and so Forth. Then there are variations of these colours like Light Sapphire, Dark Sapphire, Light Siam, Dark Topaz, Smoked Topaz, Light Colorado Topaz and so on.

Your only difficult decision is choosing which colour! The popularity of these magnificent crystals have resulted in the creation of a number of retailers selling individual beads, make-your-own jewellery books and all the tips of the trade to allow a total beginner to make their own jewellery.

For those less adventurous have a browse online to view some beautiful Swarovski crystal sets as well as rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and tiaras.
By Lou Bee

Friday, April 18, 2008

Buy Cultured Pearl Jewelry

There are a couple more jewelry and accessories, which could be considered as more elegant, compared to pearl jewelry.

However, a lot of people still think that pearl jewelry could be a bit expensive for their taste. Actually, what some people do not know that pieces like a pearl necklace, pearl earrings and pearl jewelry sets could be affordable as long as you would be shopping wisely. So here are some guidelines to help you out choose your pearl trinkets.

The first would be the matter of choosing natural or cultured pearls. Natural pearls are those pearls that are crated by an oyster naturally. They usually are able to create them from an irritant or a parasite. Only around one in every hundred oysters are able to create a pearl naturally and only around one in ten of those would turn out to be quality pearls.

On the other hand, cultured pearls are made similarly however the introduction of a parasite or irritant is done in a controlled environment. And so, cultured pearls or freshwater pearls turn out to better in quality compared to most natural pearls.

Similar to diamonds, pearls are graded based on the various qualities that they have.
By Bill Pratt

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Status in Texas Jewelry

Many people view their jewelry as somewhat of a status symbol. They feel that their jewelry will speak to others about who they are and possibly even how much money that they have left to throw around. In reality, this perception that others get from the jewelry that you wear is not entirely accurate. However, many in Texas like to take advantage of this perception of the gold jewelry that they wear.

Gold in Texas has long been perceived as being worth a lot of money. Thus those who wear a lot of jewelry will give off the perception that they have a lot of money. Some people like to make others think that they are rich and have money. Others do not like to give off a false impression but are not willing to give up the gold jewelry that they wear. Regardless of whether or not they intend to give the impression that they have money, there are those who will think it.

Having a preference for gold in Texas does not mean that you can afford to buy the jewelry that you desire. Many who prefer this type of jewelry cannot afford to purchase it and may be forced to seek out an alternative. For many of these people, silver jewelry may be the only alternative that they can afford but it does not offer the same look. Finding gold plated sterling silver jewelry to wear instead of spending all of the extra money on the pure jewelry instead. Sterling silver jewelry is much cheaper and this alternative offers the same look people desire.

The desire for the look of gold in Texas can be very powerful. With the state of the economy, many people can no longer afford the more expensive jewelry. They will need to find alternatives to achieve the same look they desire while spending less money.
By Andre Zayas

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Freshwater Pearl Necklace

Unlike akoya seawater pearls, freshwater pearls are grown in ponds, lakes and rivers and most of these pearl farms for freshwater pearls are found in China. With the new improved techniques of culturing pearls, China farms have been able to produce not only large quantity of pearls every year but its quality of freshwater pearls are becoming as good as akoya pearls.

Freshwater pearls are very much cultured pearls. Freshwater pearl necklaces are designed with matching size pearls in many lengths and styles. Most popular length size is princess length (16”-18”) designed with pearl size between 6mm to 9mm (millimeters) of different shapes. One doesn’t have to spend fortunes to buy these freshwater pearl necklaces. Large freshwater pearls production has not only helped the pearl jewelry industry in boosting sales but customers can now buy at much affordable prices. Quality of freshwater pearls is excellent and pearls are really attractive.

Freshwater pearl necklaces come in wide array of colors such as white, pink, peach, lavender, pink and black. Among most popular sizes for freshwater pearl necklaces, young girls often go for small size freshwater pearl necklaces whereas others prefer to wear higher pearl size freshwater pearl necklaces around their necklines. Pearls natural beauty and its lustrous appeal have always attracted women of all age.

Brides love wearing freshwater pearl necklaces and have often gifted their bridesmaids with all types of pearl jewelry to appreciate their love and friendships. Its very common among men to present their loved ones with freshwater pearl necklaces on their marriage anniversaries. Freshwater pearl necklaces are the perfect gifts for graduation or for valentines.
By Kheri Chawla

Sunday, April 06, 2008

History of Bracelets

The earliest known bracelets hark back to 2500 BC, worn by the ancient Sumerians of Southern Mesopotamia. Bracelets, along with other jewelry like anklets, earrings, necklaces, and rings, were worn by the women to show off the wealth of their husbands. As such, they were a symbol of status – much like some jewelry is to this day. They often had religious connotations in addition to the perception of wealth and adornment. Bracelets were enjoyed for many centuries after this time but emerged as highly coveted pieces of jewelry in Ancient Egypt in 2000 BC.

However, bracelets became increasingly popular with men during Grecian times – soldiers wore defensive bands of leather often decorated with gold, silver, and other gemstones on their forearms. They were called Bracels, from the Latin term for arm, “Brachium”. The Grecian women realized that these accessories would look good on them, so they began wearing smaller versions – called Bracel-ets. The idea took favor and the fashion spread far and wide.

The history of bracelets spans ages, reaching up to the present time. They have been crafted from different materials, and have always been popular – bracelets have varied according to dress styles and, of course,dictated by fashion. Bracelets are worn by men and women alike today, and bracelets today are not only of traditional materials, but also of acrylics and modern plastics. They make for trendy, unique items of jewelry. Some bracelets are also crafted from metals like titanium and zirconium, which have become popular because of their lightness and hypoallergenic properties. By Eric Hartwell

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Pear Diamond Engagement Ring

In choosing the perfect engagement ring for your beau, aside from the price and the size of stone, an important consideration is the shape of the gem as well. The pear shape diamond engagement ring may not be a conventional choice but any engagement rings that profess love are truly fit for the woman you love.

The pear diamond engagement ring is also known as the teardrop shape. It is actually a cross between the oval and marquise shape of stone. You may have seen this type of engagement ring as popular cuts for earrings and pendants but lately this type of shape is making its way on engagement rings as well.

Unknown to many, the pear shape diamond engagement ring or teardrop diamond is cut and perfected by a Flemish in the name of Lodweyk Van Berquem as early as the 1400's. Although this diamond engagement ring did not gain much popularity because gemologist and jewelers feel the design was a waste of diamond.

Since this diamond is cut in a way that one end is round and elongated and the other tip is pointed, so most part of the gem is cut away.

Fortunately with the advancement in technology, different machines and methods for cutting the diamond is invented so not much of the diamond is wasted. The pear diamond engagement ring would be perfect as a solitaire but you can have it styled set and designed with other stones or precious gems to accentuate the diamond itself.

The most controversial pear diamond ring would probably be the one actor Richard Burton gave to his lady love Elizabeth Taylor. It was a 69.42 carat pear diamond. Eventually it was sold in 1979 for three million dollars $3M that helped build a hospital in Botswana.
By Alice Sy