Sterling Silver Summer Jewelry Fashions Of 2007

Speaking for myself, the world of seasonal ‘Haute Couture,’ or high fashion as we know it, is exactly that…High! In fact, in financial and physical terms it’s so high that it’s completely out of my reach! Unfortunately no excuse, financial or otherwise, is good enough to appease the skinny fashionista that sulks beneath the surface of this mushrooming 30-year old mother of two on a budget! So how can I shape up and get myself in tune with this summer's fashions?

Well, aside from an on-hand 24-hour liposuction crew, more face-lifts than downtown New York and the sweetest of one-cal sugar daddies…not much! Happily, with the on-line world of information and affordable choice, those inconvenient inadequacies, stretched elastics and even tighter purse strings are as they say, excuse my French, ‘Passé.’ With the Internet’s choices, there really are no excuses not to update our wardrobes and still stay within budget! So what are the hottest fashion tendencies, colors, accessories and jewelry styles for the summer 2007?

Some of the most appealing concepts and styles for this summer are ‘Futuristic’ –based around geometrics in metallic silver and gold, ‘Monochrome’ – Beat classic black and white styling, ‘Tribal’ – Ethnic global styles and ‘Baby Pastel’ colors that dominate this summer’s tendencies.

Monochrome is everywhere this summer from Dior, Givenchy to YSL. Think of the concept a long the lines of the Beat generation of the 1960s, and the model Edie Sedgwick of Warhol’s Factory.

Black and whites are incredibly classy, sophisticated and above all easy to put together. All clothing is acceptable, but especially hot are mini dresses, slacks and shorts. Go for patterns of big bold swirls, stripes, diamonds, checks and dogs-tooth just as long as they are black and white your safe.

A far as accessories are concerned big black sunglasses are a must, and when I say big I mean Jackie Onassis big. Jewelry is preferable in 60’s hip styling, big hoop and drop earrings, cocktail rings and bracelets echoing the New York monochrome set. Some really lovely matching gems to consider are black onyx and black and white mother of pearl, again this would look better set into silver for the overall look, and considering silver is the in-color highly appropriate.

Tribal, also referred to as Ethnic, is an amalgam of styles inspired by materials, patterns, textures and colors from a smorgasbord of different cultures across the globe from Antarctica to Zanzibar. These warm, human ‘Roots Vibes’ fashions are reactions to the often hard-edged and overly pretentious hi-tech modern lifestyles, bearing witness to a welcome revival in the belief of good old human values.

Bold prints are the order of the day, but nothing is written, it’s up to your tastes and what look you want to go for. For me the safari flavor is one I find especially appealing, not animal prints - save that for the accessories, but Katharine ‘African Queen’ Hepburn sophistication – cotton desert shorts or slacks with wedge-heeled espadrilles and fitted linen military shirts in pastels. Colors are essentially neutral and earthy with bleached out whites and grays, and as is the case for most fashions this season pastel tones like café crème, silver peony, tarragon and golden apricot.

Tribal clothing styles are as eclectic as their multi-cultural foundations and the organic fabrics and materials used: cottons, linen, flax leather, silk, satin and hemp. Organic materials play an especially strong role in the jewelry. Add handmade natural gemstone jewelry such as Shiva shell earrings, mother of pearl rings, and of course wood bangles in abundance. Silver, one of the key color tendencies that pops-up everywhere this season, should be your jewelry base; multi-layered silver bangles are especially good for the Tribal look.

The futurist style is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the earthy Tribal and Boho styles. It is also one of the most daring trends to come out this summer. Vogue dubbed it: Space Odyssey, inspired by Kubric’s 2001 movie and David Bowie’s glam-rock Ziggy Stardust. These clothes have a futuristic hard edge, an 80s touch with a twist of punk-rock attitude.

As a complete look this is definitely not for Walmart on a Monday afternoon, it’s high shine and high-octane glamour using amongst other standard materials foil and Perspex! But that doesn’t mean you can’t use elements of these shiny silver metallic materials as belts, shoes, accessories and jewelry in day-to-day wear.

It goes without saying that silver jewelry is a must for this style. Go for geometric shaped silver jewelry for that futuristic look: stars, squares, circles and oblongs. Choose plain unadorned hammered cuff-bracelets, charms and hoop earrings. If you want to include some gemstone jewelry, try white Shiva shell and multicolored mother of pearl inlay, which are consistent with both the Tribal and this ‘Barbarella’ futurist style.

Colors & Accessory Tips

Pastels: Yellow is big this summer, sky blue and golden apricot too. Balance with neutrals.
Patterns: Oversized big polka dots, bold floral, Gingham, animal print - include some humorous personality in your get ups!
Skirts: particularly long white ones with lacy ruffles.
Mini Dresses: 60’s styling don’t be afraid to show those legs off!
Wedge Espadrilles and Platforms: Great with shorts and minis.
Hair bands: Wide and bright or slender and feminine.
Silver Accessories: Shiny glittering handbags– Bling it up!
Bold Jewelry: One large item or an assortment of smaller ones bunched as one - big wooden bangles, layered and cuff silver bracelets and beads.
Jewels & Gems: Bling-Bling natural gems and crystals, blue and yellow topaz is a favorite.

So there it is, my message going out to all the ‘Not So’ beautiful women past their expiration dates with little hope of return, is this…It’s never too late! So get online and start shopping for those summer deals now, and feel like a million for a couple of bucks!!


Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written by Silver Fox for SilverShake, an online retailer of summer jewelry fashions for 2007 and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Sterling Silver Jewelry: Etymology Of Amethyst Part II

The ancient Hebrew word for Amethyst was ‘Ahlamah,’ this was derived from the word ‘Halom’ meaning ‘To Dream.’ There can be little doubt that this etymology shows a strong spiritual link between the gem and its believed powers to create visions.

In the same way the Greek ‘Amethystos’ was derived from words associated with the gems powers to prevent intoxication: ‘A,’ meaning ‘Not,’ + ‘Methyskein,’ meaning ‘Make drunk.’ This last word was derived from ‘Methys,’ meaning ‘Wine.’ The Greek compound of these words became ‘Amethystos’ which later was interpreted in Latin as ‘Amethystus,’ ‘Ametiste’ in Old French and finally ‘Amethyst’ in Middle English.

Although the exact beginning of the word Amethyst, and its connection to wine and curing drunkenness, cannot be pinpointed it must have been somewhere prior to 300 B.C. and the Septuagint who used the Greek ‘Amethystos,’ in their translation of the Old Testament. The association of Amethyst to wine may well have originated from this classical Greek tale of Bacchus, also known as Dionysus god of ecstasy, wine and the vine.

“The god Bacchus, offended at some neglect that he had suffered, was determined to avenge himself, and declared that the first person he should meet, when he and his train passed along, should be devoured by his tigers. Fate willed it that this luckless mortal was a beautiful and pure maiden named Amethyst, who was on her way to worship at the shrine of Diana. As the ferocious beasts sprang toward her, she sought the protection of the goddess, and was saved from a worse fate by being turned into a pure white stone. Recognizing the miracle and repenting of his cruelty, Bacchus poured the juice of the grape as a libation over the petrified body of the maiden, thus giving to the stone the beautiful violet hue that so charms the beholder's eye.”

In the first century A.D. Pliny the ‘Elder’, author of the world’s first encyclopedia ‘Natural History’ gives a more practical origin and meaning behind Amethysts name: “The name which these stones* (Pliny believed there were four types of Amethyst) bear, originates, it is said, in the peculiar tint of their brilliancy, which, after closely approaching the color of wine, passes off into a violet without being fully pronounced; or else, according to some authorities, in the fact that in their purple there is something that falls short of a fiery color, the tints fading off and inclining to the color of wine.”

Next Pliny continues on Amethysts’ supposed curative powers: “The falsehoods of the magicians would persuade us that these stones are preventive of inebriety, and that it is from this that they have derived their name… statements which, in my opinion, they cannot have committed to writing without a feeling of contempt and derision for the rest of mankind.”

Some two thousand years later J.F. Kunz, chief mineralogist for Tiffany’s, in his book ‘The Curious Lore Of Precious Stones’ gives a less skeptical and very credible reasoning behind Amethysts name and associated powers: “From the various descriptions of this stone given by ancient writers, it appears that one of the varieties was probably the purple almandine or Indian garnet, and it is not improbable that we have here the reason for the name amethyst and for the supposed virtue of the stone in preserving from drunkenness. For if water were poured into a vessel made of a reddish stone, the liquid would appear like wine, and could nevertheless be drunk with impunity.”

This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Copyright © www.silvershake.com. All Rights Reserved.

Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Modern Etymology Of Sapphire

The earliest written records that show conclusive proof of both the words Sapphire, and lapis lazuli being used to describe the gems as we know them today, comes from the 12th Century A.D. ‘Silk Road’ travelogue: The Travels of Marco Polo. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254 A.D., and was only six years old when he set out on his first trip to China. At the age of seventeen Marco, accompanied by his uncle and brother, set out for China again. They passed from southern Europe through Armenia, Georgia, Persia, Afghanistan and into what was Turkestan.

It was during his travels through the latter area, now known as Badakhshan in Afghanistan, that Marco Polo fell ill, and was forced to stay for one year to regain his strength. During this time he made many excursions into the surrounding areas, and in doing so came across the now famous Badakhshan lapis lazuli mines, which were a recorded source of the blue gemstone for ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as far back as 3500 B.C.

“We went three days journey from thence, without meeting any inhabitants, to the province of Balaxiam, Balascia or Balasagan, which is inhabited by Mahometans, who have a peculiar language…In this country the famous Ballas rubies are found, and other precious stones of great value, particularly in Sicinam…In other mountains of the same province, the best lapis lazuli in the world is found, from which azure or ultramarine is made.” In this passage Polo refers to lapis lazuli, the same gemstone that the ancients previously referred to as ‘Sapphirus’. Literally translated lapis lazuli means stone of ‘Azure’, the word we now use to refer to a shade of blue. The modern English ‘Azure’ is derived from the French ‘Lazur’, in turn originating from the Arabic ‘Al-lazaward’ and the Persian ‘Lajward’, named after the city of Lajward in Turkestan where lapis lazuli was mined. The Lajward lapis lazuli deposits were sourced from the 12th to 14th Centuries.

In this period, the Persians had a particular type of pottery called ‘Lajvardina’, which were ceramic vases with a dark blue glaze that was made from a dye derived from lapis lazuli. Another word Polo uses to describe the ‘Azure’ dye in his writings was Ultramarine; this described the same blue pigment made from lapis lazuli. Literally translated Ultramarine meant ‘Ultra’-‘Beyond’ and ‘Marinus’-‘Of the sea’, because lapis lazuli was imported to Europe from distant Asia by sea.

After his convalescence, Marco Polo resumed his travels visiting China where he served as translator at the court of Kublai Khan. He became one of the emperor’s favorites, being appointed high posts in his administration and was sent on a number of special missions in China, Burma and India. It was during his travels from Burma to India that he visited the island of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka.

“Sailing from Angaman 1000 miles west, and a little to the south, we come to the island of Zelan or Ceylon…This is the finest island in the world, and its king is called Sendernaz…They grow no corn except rice; and they have plenty of oil of sesame, milk, flesh, palm wine, Brazil wood, the best rubies in the world, sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems.” These two passages from Polo’s travels act as comparative proof: one showing lapis lazuli originating from the Badakhshan mines in Afghanistan, the other showing Sapphires originating from Ceylon. Marco Polo’s texts give conclusive evidence that a clear distinction had been made between the two gem types, and that their use was current in Europe by at least the end of 12th Century.

After serving 17 years in Kublai Khan’s court, and accumulating great wealth in jewels and gems, Marco made the perilous 2-year journey back to Venice. Three years after Marco returned to Venice, he fought in a war against the rival city of Genoa and was captured. Marco Polo spent a year in a Genoese prison where a fellow inmate, a writer of romances named Rustichello, noted Marco’s travel stories.

After being published Marco's book became the most influential travelogue on the Silk Road ever written in a European language, paving the way for thousands of Westerners into the east for centuries to come. However, his travels into the mystic east weren’t rivaled for another 600 years, remaining the most comprehensive written documentation of Asia for that period of time.

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of gemstone silver jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Definition Of Topaz

Topaz (To-Paz): The roots of the word Topaz first burgeoned into life in ancient Egypt, circa 300B.C., under the Pharaoh Ptolemy II. However, what the Egyptians, Greeks and subsequent Romans came to refer to as Topaz was in fact what we call Peridot. In reality the mineral known as Topaz, has only been officially recognized since the 17th Century. At that time, hundreds of kilos were sourced from Saxony in East Germany, later massive deposits were also found in South America.

Topaz was first discovered in the ‘New World’, under the reigning Portuguese colonialists, in the Brazilian mines of Villa Rica near Ouro Prêto. From these mines came a colored Topaz never seen before. Owing to the Portuguese royal family’s love of these gems, this variety received one of Topaz’s most prestigious titles: Imperial.

‘Imperial’ Topaz is the most coveted of all the Topaz family. Its name is used to denote colors that fall between a scintillating golden and orange-brown, for the most part Imperial Topaz is sourced from the mines of Ouro Prêto in Brazil. Another highly prized Topaz is the pink variety, which is sourced from Brazil and also the Katlang region in Pakistan. Most Pink Topaz derives its color from chromium present within the gems crystal structure. Heating the dark-yellow variety of Topaz can also produce Pink Topaz. Naturally occurring Yellow and Brown Topaz owe their colors to ‘Color Centers,’ the infamous ‘Swiss,’ ‘Sky’ and ‘London’ Blue Topaz are often derived from these two sources by a process of irradiating ‘Out’ the Yellow and Brown ‘Color Centers.’

Color centers are the cause of color within some Topaz crystals; they result from defects within the atomic structure of the crystal, which cause certain colors to become visible by the absorption of other light waves. Color centers are formed due to exposure to gamma rays; this irradiation may be from both natural and artificial sources. When exposed to radioactive sources, both natural and artificial, electrons within the atomic structure of Topaz can be removed from their normal sites. Some electrons are bounced around, eventually coming to rest in a vacant part of the atomic structure called a trap. Electrons in specific traps absorb a certain range of light wavelengths, the visible color that you see is the color that is not absorbed by these trapped electrons.

Naturally occurring ‘Colorless,’ or ‘White,’ Topaz takes a very high polish and is wonderfully clear and transparent. A relative new comer to the Topaz family is Mystic Topaz, which is produced by taking ‘Colorless’ Topaz and applying a thin layer of titanium oxide via physical vapor deposition. This process is similar to the method used in coating camera lenses, and produces an iridescent effect across the gems surface. Mystic Topaz, coming in a wide variety of colored nuances, is extremely popular and one of the most successful colored gemstones available today.

Topaz crystallizes from fluorine-bearing vapor in last stages of solidification of igneous rocks. In mineralogical terms it is a silicate of aluminum and fluorine denoted by the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2. It is found in association with granite rocks, within pegmatite veins and in secondary concentrations such as streambed alluvial deposits.

Topaz crystals form in the rhombic system of crystallization, and its crystals are prismatic. Topaz possesses a perfect basal cleavage; therefore gems should be handled with care. Despite this fact, Topaz is one of the hardest minerals known to man attaining an 8 out of 10 on the Moh’s hardness scale, second only to corundum and diamond. Most Topaz is transparent to translucent with a vitreous glass-like luster. However, naturally occurring Pink and Red Topaz is often included due to the presence of the impurity chromium. These pink colored Topazes are so rare that the inclusions are, much like with ruby, tolerated and even valued as identifying fingerprints.

Topaz is sourced from the mines of Ouro Preto and Minas Gerais in Brazil, the Ural and Ilmen Mountains in Russia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Saxony, Norway, Sweden, Japan, Mexico and the United States.

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.


Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of topaz silver jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Sterling Silver Jewelry History: Jason The Argonauts And The Lydians

During the 6th and 5th Centuries before Christ, the Lydian empire with its impregnable capital of Sardis perched high on Mount Tmolos changed world history. Contrary to the neighboring Phrygians, who had been in Anatolia since just 1200 B.C., the Lydians were an ancient race whose origins were planted in earlier Hittite cultures. Lydia, lying at the Mediterranean end of an ancient trade route that led all the way to the Arabian coast of Mesopotamia, had always been prosperous, but under the reign of King Alyattes II and later his son and heir Croesus, it became one of the richest empires in Asia.

After beating back the attacking Cimmerians, who had previously overrun King Midas’ neighboring state of Phrygia, Lydia absorbed Phrygia, its wealth and all its lands including the source of King Midas’ wealth: the electrum-rich Paktolos River. To extract precious metals from the river, the Lydians dredged the river’s sediments, filtering out the electrum, gold, and silver particles using sheepskins. The lanolin, a waxy material found in wool, captured the precious metals but allowed sand to wash over it. The fleece, now laden with glistening precious metals was then hung, dried and then burnt at a high temperature. After the fire burnt out the gold and silver metals were easily extracted from the ashes, it is widely believed that this method of extraction gave rise to the legend Jason and the Argonauts and the ‘The Golden Fleece’. However, contrary to the myth, concrete proof of Lydia’s metallurgical prowess and its use of the river’s precious gold and silver ores were later found at archeological excavations near Lydia’s capital city, Sardis.

Archeologists, on discovering an ancient industrial quarter near the Paktolos River just outside Sardis, exposed a variety of objects including a blow-pipe nozzle, bellows, ovens, crucibles, cupules, and waste-materials, which corroborate that the local smiths had the ability to separate gold and silver from placer electrum by cementation and cupellation processes. Further discoveries of stone moulds also testify to the Sardians' utilization of their local supplies of gold and silver for the making of fine jewelry.

However, the gold and silversmiths of Lydia didn’t make history with their ability to produce fine jewelry, but with the world’s first monetary system. While the much earlier established civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt were still bartering in the form of silver ingots, silver rings, and other items of precious metals, Lydians were using coins with a mark of authority at a fixed exchange value.

In the 6th Century B.C. under King Alyattes II coins, as defined in Webster’s dictionary as “Gold, silver and copper metal certified by marks upon it to be of a definite exchange value and issued by government to be used as money.” were produced in great numbers.

The ‘Trite’, the most common Lydian denomination of its time, was made from electrum alloys and usually consisted of 53% gold, 45% percent silver and 2% percent copper. It was supposed that the coins were minted for trading, in respect to the fact that Sardis was located at the western end of a major trade route that extended east all the way to the Babylonian gulf in Southern Mesopotamia. However, this has been largely dispelled due to the fact that these gold and silver electrum coins being of far too large a value: about a month's subsistence in total.

Also, despite the large quantities of production, no gold and silver electrum coins were found in or around archeological digs associated with market trade in the Lydian empire, or elsewhere along the extensive connecting trade routes used at the time. It is instead believed that these gold and silver electrum coins were intended as trade for tax payments, religious offerings, wedding presents, hospitality offerings, or salaries to mercenaries.

Whatever the case, Lydia was the first example of the transition from an agricultural barter economy to a commercial monetary urban economy. Today, scholars believe that the Lydians invented the world's first free market, and created gold, silver and electrum coins because they were the first to recognize their profit-making potential. This was proved in Lydia’s economic growth, which in less than a hundred years under King Alyattes II and his son and heir Croesus saw it go from a kingdom to an empire. Indeed, it is from this period that the expression ‘As Rich As Croesus’ is derived.

This monetary phenomenon quickly spread through the rest of Asia, Asia Minor and Europe. It was during the reign of Croesus, who had begun to build diplomatic ties with mainland Greece, that the Athenian statesman Solon visited Lydia. During his stay Solon, who later formed the weight standards for the silver Athenian drachmas, became influenced by Lydia’s ingenious gold and silver monetary reforms and carried the idea back to Greece.

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of 14k gold plated sterling silver jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Sterling Silver Jewelry History: King Midas And The Paktolos River

After King Priam’s defeat at the hands of Agamemnon’s Greek army led by Achilles, Troy was eventually absorbed into the Hittite empire. More than a hundred years later, in 1200 B.C., the great walls of the northern-most outpost of Asia-Minor fell again, this time to the Phrygians.

By 1190 B.C. the Phrygians, a race of people originating from southern Europe definitively ended the Hittite reign of Anatolia with the sacking of their capital Hattusas, and eventually penetrated as far south as the Assyrian border to the east of Anatolia. By the 8th Century B.C. they had created the political state of Phrygia in western Anatolia. The states capital Gordian, originally named after a poor peasant farmer called Gordias, was located slightly southwest of what is today modern Ankara.

According to Phrygian legend, the farmer Gordias was appointed King by the gods. In tribute to them he tied up his ox-cart outside the temple as a reminder to all not to forget the nobility of humble origins. As time passed into centuries another legend grew around the bound cart.

According to the oracle of Gordian, only the rightful ‘King of Asia’ could unravel the ‘Gordian Knot’ that tied the cart up. In the winter of 333 B.C., an army of mercenaries led by a young man called Alexander came to Gordian. As had many before him, Alexander rose to the undefeated 400-year challenge, but instead of trying to untie it with his hands Alexander took his sword and slashed the knot in two…that Alexander became ‘Alexander The Great’.

Today, the saying cutting the "Gordian Knot" is an expression meaning to solve a difficult problem with a bold solution. However, this is not the most famous of Phrygian legends. King Gordias, having had no heir to succeed him had adopted a son who came to the throne in 725 B.C., his tale is one of the first and most famous legends on the perils of wealth:

According to classical mythology Dionysus, or Bacchus as the Romans knew him, was the Olympian god of wine. Unsurprisingly popular, he was especially venerated in the Asian Minor city-state of Phrygia where he held a cult status. Dionysus, son of Zeus, was followed by a group of satyrs, half-human half-goat figures. One day Silenus, the eldest of the satyrs and also Dionysus' tutor, drunk himself paralytic and passed out in the King of Phrygia’s rose garden. The Phrygian ruler who took great pride in his roses was no less than King Midas. After Midas had found the aging satyr, he treated his alcohol poisoning and guided him back to good health.

Dionysus, in gratitude for saving Silenius’ life, asked what King Midas wanted in return. After some consideration Midas asked that everything he touched should turn to gold. Granted with his wish Midas amused himself by touching everything around him, watching it turn to gold. However, his gift soon manifested itself as a burden when he found that even the food he touched turned to gold. Dying of hunger he asked his daughter to feed him, but in the process she too turned to gold. Consumed with grief Midas pleaded that the gift, turned curse, be lifted. Dionysus instructed Midas that if he washed in the Paktolos River that flowed through the kingdom, he would be cured. Midas did as he was told and after bathing the spell lifted. But in cleansing the King of his curse the river became laden with the precious metal.

One of the first parables created on the evils of excessive wealth, the ‘Midas Touch’ is the stuff of legend. However, neither King Midas nor his bounty of precious metals is myth. King Midas ruled over Phrygia during the 7th Century B.C. until he committed suicide when Gordian fell to the Cimmerian invasions. Up until then, under Midas, the Phrygian city-state witnessed a golden age.

This wealth was due to the Paktolos River, which also ran through the neighboring city-state of Lydia. The Paktolos, still flowing in Anatolia today, was laden with a naturally occurring precious metal called electrum: an alloy of gold and silver. Enriching the economies of both Phrygia and Lydia, the Paktolos River’s bounty of precious metals ensured that the two regions became the most coveted areas of Anatolia and the known civilized world.

“…Paktolos glad to gratify Dionysus murmured as he poured the gold sowing water upon the purple sand, and the gilded fish went swimming in wealthy sounding where the rich ore lay deep.” – From Nonnos Dionysiaca Greek Epic 500 A.D.

In 696 B.C. Cimmerian attacks ended Midas’ rule of Phrygia and the sacking and burning of Gordian. Having occupied Phrygia and assumed its wealth the barbaric Cimmerians, from whose name Crimea is derived, continued to invade Anatolia pushing into the neighboring city-state of Lydia until the 620 B.C. when the Lydian armies finally defeated them. Phrygia’s wealth of gold, silver and electrum was then absorbed into the Lydian empire where it would be forged into a radical concept that would change the world forever…

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of vintage jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

History Of Sterling Silver Jewelry: The Indus Valley

In the majority of Neolithic India, as in most parts of the world at that time, people fashioned jewelry out of seeds, feathers, berries, flowers, bones and shells. But in the northern Indus valley cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappan, men and women were already wearing jewelry made of gold, silver, copper and set with precious and semi-precious gemstones.

The Indus valley civilization, preceding the Vedic, existed from 3000 B.C. to 1500 B.C., and was built in and amongst the fertile lands of what is known today as Pakistan. The Neolithic Indus valley people like others, domesticated animals and harvested crops of cotton, sesame and barley. However, contrary to the belief that these regions only possessed an agricultural economy in this period, archeological evidence of jewelry and other fine items found at the Indus cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappan, show the people as having been sophisticated urbanites whose cities were bastions to art and culture.

The brick cities, acting as focal points for a kind of centralized state, towered high above the Indus plains and were established along important trade routes that connected the ‘Far East’ with the ‘Near East’. They were visible for large distances, a landmark to the prosperity of their rulers, inhabited by generations of merchant classes, skilled artisans, farmers and sea-faring adventurers engaged in extensive trading.

Proof of the Indus people’s impact on Neolithic trade was found when archaeologists excavating Mohenjo-daro and Harappan found engraved seals written in cuneiform, the world’s first written language whose origins lay in Mesopotamia in the Near East. The seals, describing the contents of sacks, were used to close bundles of merchandise, as cord marks on the reverse side testify. Similar seals were also found in ports on the far-away Persian Gulf near modern Bahrain, and amongst Mesopotamian sites at the city of Ur.

The seals originating from the Indus sites described cargos of textiles, and luxury goods such as semi precious gemstones, ivory, carnelian beads, pearls, mother of pearl and jade sent to Persia and Mesopotamia in exchange for gold, silver, tin, copper, lapis lazuli and turquoise. Bitumen from Mesopotamia, where it occurred naturally, was also imported and used as the binding glue in mother of pearl inlay in precious items of jewelry and ornamentation. These products and their seals found in various Indus archeological sites bare testament to the presence of foreign traders living amongst the Indus people.

The Indus civilizations were ethnically diverse incorporating many cultures and creeds. Many terracotta, bronze and stone figurines found at the Indus sites display a variety of different styles of clothing, headdresses and ornamentation indicating a multi-ethnic civilization. Some of the figurines were adorned with multiple chokers and necklaces, which appear to represent beaded ornaments of gold, silver, and semi-precious gems. The complex casting techniques used in the production of the metallic figures, made by the French ‘Cire-Perdue’ meaning ‘Lost-wax’, also points towards a culture of knowledgeable and sophisticated metallurgists far in advance of their epoch.

Further excavations of Mohenjo-daro’s lower levels, revealed the living quarters of metal workers specializing in the production of copper and bronze implements, and also weapons. Flat axes, spears, knives, arrowheads, chisels, saws and razors were caste in smelting furnaces then hammered into shape. Silver, reserved for smaller precious objects, was smelted and molded into vases, vessels, seals, pendants, and brooches. Other crafts in the city included the manufacturing of beads made in a variety of different shells, ivory and semi precious gem types such as alabaster, lapis lazuli and turquoise from Persia, amethyst from Maharashtra, and jade from Central Asia. However, by the third century B.C., after the reign of Buddhist emperor Ashoka, India was mining its own extensive gemstone resources, and had become the world’s leading exporter of precious and semi-precious gemstones.

By 2000 B.C. the Indus valley civilizations were disappearing due to internal decline. The eventual demise of the Indus Valley Civilization came about in 1500 B.C with Aryan invaders from the north firstly destroying the outlying villages and then overrunning the cities of Harappan and Mohenjo-daro. The Indus civilization with their highly advanced knowledge of process metallurgy, gem cutting and jewelry production were eventually pushed further south into India where they created a legacy of fine arts for which India is known the world over.

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of vintage jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Caring For Your Sterling Silver And Rhodium Plated Jewelry

Silver in all its luminous apparitions, has co-reigned alongside gold for more than 6000 years as the ‘Queen of Precious Metals’. However, of all silver’s heirs it is sterling silver with its intrinsic beauty, value and durability, that has ensured itself a place in the history books as one of the most popular mediums of personal adornment.

Owning a prestigious item such as sterling silver jewelry should be undertaken with an eye on the future. Like all precious metals, sterling silver’s value increases with time, and one day your jewelry could well become a priceless family heirloom, so looking after it now can only pay dividends in the future. However, to understand the proper care and maintenance of your sterling silver jewelry it is first necessary to look into sterling silver’s background.

Both silver and sterling silver are precious metals, and both closely related, but they are not the same. Pure silver is quite soft and because of this won't hold its shape; sterling silver was invented as a more durable form of this highly malleable and lustrous metal, lending its hardwearing properties to the creation of frequently worn jewelry.

Sterling silver is 92.5 percent true silver; the remaining 7.5 percent is comprised of an alloy, usually copper or zinc. Sterling silver tarnishes, this is caused by a reaction between the silver and the sulfur containing oxygen particles of the air. The following guide gives you some useful advice on preserving your sterling silver gemstone jewelry in the state you want for future generations.

Storage

Store your sterling silver jewelry in a dark, cool place away from direct sunlight or other sources of extreme heat such as radiators. A perfect place is in a jewelry box in amongst your clothes.

Sterling silver jewelry, as is the case with all fine jewelry, should be stored alone in a separate compartment in a jewelry box or in its own soft pouch. Not doing this will eventually result in scratches, or even breaks if there are gemstones in the jewelry.

Never store your sterling silver jewelry in paper, cardboard, or cotton filled boxes, as these contain trace elements of sulfur. For best results, place the items in a sealed, airtight plastic bag or jeweler's sulfur-free tissue prior to boxing and wrapping.

Cleaning & Polishing

Over time, sterling silver will develop a mellow patina caused by ‘Oxidization’, which results in an ‘Antique’ look where tarnish builds up in the fine details giving your sterling silver jewelry a beautifully unique air. You may or may not appreciate this aspect; you should consider this before making any attempts at cleaning your jewelry.

The best way to preserve and encourage the tarnished ‘Antique’ look to sterling silver jewelry can be done by not cleaning the jewelry with water, and not wearing the jewelry in the shower or bath.

The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your sterling silver jewelry as often as possible.

If your sterling silver does become tarnished, it is easily restored to its former glory by using warm water with a mild soap, rinsing it and then making sure to thoroughly dry it with a fine soft cloth. Soaking is discouraged.

Use a soft cloth, similar to the cloth provided with spectacles, in light even strokes for cleaning the wider surface area, and cotton buds or Q-tips in the same manner for getting in to more difficult corners.

Never use tissues or hard brushes, including toothbrushes, when cleaning or polishing your sterling silver, as they will leave scratch marks. This is especially important if there are gemstones such as pearls mounted into your jewelry.

Polishing should be done quickly, and all traces of polish should be removed afterwards. Leaving traces of polish behind can dull the design by clogging engraved areas.

Silver pastes, treated polishing cloths or other sterling silver cleaning materials should be used under the guidance of your local jeweler, this is especially true if there are gemstones as these chemicals can destroy them.

The Dos’ & Don’ts

Always take your sterling silver jewelry off before applying suntan lotion, skin creams, and swimming in chlorinated or salt water.

Never wear your jewelry when working with detergents, bleaches, ammonia or alcohols; these chemicals will cause discoloration, damage and loosen any gemstones.

Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. They are a porous stone and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently with a moist soft cloth until clean.

Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Care

Some sterling silver jewelry is plated with rhodium; this is designed to make your jewelry tarnish resistant. Caring for rhodium-plated sterling silver jewelry requires a different approach than non-plated sterling silver jewelry.

Clean it with a soft polishing rag or fine cleaner, but never use chemical based silver cleaners because this will damage the rhodium finish and also the inlaid gemstones.

If you own antique sterling silver jewelry or rhodium plated sterling silver jewelry we recommend that you seek expert advice from your local jeweler who will be able to instruct you on the best brands of jewelry cleaning products in your area.


This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!


Copyright © www.silvershake.com. All Rights Reserved.

An Introduction To The Definition And Etymology Of Sterling

Sterling, Ster-ling (noun): British money; the ‘Pound Sterling' basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom.

Sterling, Ster-ling (adjective): a superlative meaning the ‘Highest in quality”.

Sterling Silver, Ster-ling Sil-ver (noun): A Silver alloy of .925 parts purity to the 1000, with no more than 7.5% copper or nickel used to make objects of art such as sterling silver jewelry.

Although in today's world the Pound ‘Sterling', and ‘Sterling' Silver have two separate meanings they share the same roots, coming from convergent sources related to ancient British currency.

One speculated origin of the word ‘Sterling’ dates from the Middle-English language, circa 1100 to 1500 A.D., and its word for ‘Little star’: ‘Sterrling’. Stars were a regular feature on English silver pennies minted after the Norman conquests of England. The reason behind this was due to the event that the Norman king, William the Conqueror witnessed when crossing the English Channel, on his way to fight Harold the king of England at the battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Looking to the heavens William saw a shooting star, Haley’s Comet, flash across the sky. This was taken as an omen, and after he won the battle gaining the throne of England the stars became a regular feature on Norman England’s Silver currency.

Another proposed origin for the word ‘Sterling’ comes from ‘Easterling Silver’, which was used to refer to a type of Silver coin used as currency in an area of eastern Germany known as the ‘Easterling’. The area was founded around the consolidation of five towns that engaged in substantial trade with England in the 12th Century, they paid for goods imported from England with a currency made of 925 parts Silver.

The English soon noticed the unwavering durability and value of the German coins renaming them ‘Coins of the Easterlings’. Soon enough by decree of the first ‘Plantagenet’ king, Henry II, the alloy was set as the standard for English currency. The metal refiners of Easterling were expedited to England to start refining the Silver for coin production, where the term ‘Easterling Silver’ was later abbreviated to ‘Sterling Silver’. These first editions of ‘Sterling’ currency are known as the ‘Tealby Pennies’, and were introduced as the English currency by King Henry II in 1158. From this period till the mid 20th Century, although the content and purity wavered, Sterling pennies made from Sterling Silver remained a constant feature in British currency.

As units of currency, the British ‘Pound Sterling’ originated from the weight values of a Troy pound of Silver. The Troy weight system came from what was called the ‘Troy System of Mass’, which dates back to 9th Century France and the city of Troyes under King Charlemagne. Troyes was a major European trading city for precious metal and gemstone dealers in the early Middle Ages.

A Sterling Troy pound, consisting of 12 ounces, equaled 240 sterling pennyweights: a pennyweight was literally the weight of a penny. A pennyweight weighed 24 grains; a grain was the weight of a grain seed from the middle of an ear of barley. Originally the British ‘Pound’, before decimalization, reflecting the Troy weight system, consisted of two hundred and forty ‘Sterling’ silver pennies.

In 1971, the UK currency was converted into the metric system in line with rest of Europe. And although the term ‘Pound Sterling’ is still used to refer to British currency made of gold or paper, it is used in a solely figurative sense.

Today, the Troy ‘Ounce’ enjoys exclusive use as a measurement of weight for precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, and gems such as opals. And Sterling Silver, while no longer used in circulating currency anywhere in the world, is a respected grade of silver of high purity and hardness used for durable jewelry in daily use.

This article was written by David-John Turner for the Silvershake website, an online retailer of silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get gemstone silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Copyright © www.silvershake.com. All Rights Reserved.

Filigree Sterling Silver Jewelry History – 1000 A.D. To 1900 A.D.

n. Filigree /filligree/:From the Latin ‘Filum’, meaning ‘Thread’, and ‘Granum’ meaning ‘Seed’. Filigree is the art of curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of precious metals, and uniting them at their points of contact by means of gold or Silver solder.

Introduction

Perfected over millennia, incorporating the ancient techniques and styles of vanished civilizations, Filigree is without a doubt one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms known to man.

Unlike the mass of jewelry produced today Filigree jewelry is totally handcrafted, calling for hours of concentration on the part of its maker. The knowledge behind Filigree’s meticulous creation, passed down from generation to generation, remains a closely guarded secret kept in the hands of lapidary masters stretching from the islands of the Mediterranean sea to the shores of East India.

The Celts And Filigree

After a long absence, Filigree reestablished itself in northern Europe with the Saxons, Britons and Celts who were from an early period extremely skilful in several kinds of jewelry metalwork. In fact, the Celtic jewelry perfected between the 10th and 11th Centuries in Ireland displays more thought in its design and intricate patterns than any other period in Filigree’s history. Two examples are the infamous Tara brooch, a ring fastener with a pin for piercing and holding clothing in place, and the stunning two-handled chalice called the Ardagh cup. Irish Filigree is designed in such a way that one thread can be traced through the entirety of a network of complex coils and knots, the intricate threads appear and disappear without breaking continuity or balance, finishing by being incorporated into the head or tail of a serpent or monster.

The Renaissance & Filigree

The 15th and 16th Centuries marked the dispersion of the somber Middle Ages, and the rise of the Italian ‘Renaissance’, meaning ‘Rebirth’, expressing for the first time the values of the modern world. Artists and artisans of this period found their inspiration in the revival of ancient Greece and Rome, and jewelry became once again an integral part of dress. Solemn religious subjects were gradually replaced by classical and naturalistic themes and Filigree and enameled jewelry combined with faceted gemstones were for the first time united in sculptured pendants, brooches, necklaces and chains.

The 17th To 18th Centuries And Filigree

However, in the 17th Century due to refined methods of faceting gems the emphasis moved once more from precious metals to gemstones, and the diamond became the preferred item for jewelry. The 18th Century brought with it industrial development and mass production. Cheaper materials were utilized, in addition to gold and semi-precious gemstones, including base-metal alloys, paste to make imitation gemstones, steel and cast iron. With these cheaper methods of production jewelry techniques changed their emphasis from the artisans to less skilled mechanical processes of stamping and cutting out patterns and settings. It was during the end of the 19th Century that Peter Carl Faberge, jeweler to the Russian Tsars, reintroduced an exacting craftsmanship into jewelry design. Similar to the artisan jewelers of the Renaissance, Faberge specialized in the contrast of colors and materials, and his most original designs are those that combine gold Filigree, and colored gems such as alexandrite named after the Tsar Alexander on his birthday in 1830.

The 19th Century And Filigree

By the late 19th Century, a counter-culture movement in the decorative arts challenged the austerity of Victorian society. Art Nouveau burst upon Europe and America with a romantic glory of swirling dainty lines. Figures of girls with dreamy expressions and swirling hair, dragonflies and peacocks with iridescent colors and stylized floral themes dominated jewelry. Filigree, enameling and Pliqué A Jour, the pulling of enamel through wire to give it a stained glass look, were used and established jewelers like Louis Comfort Tiffany although continuing to use diamonds and pearls reintroduced classical gemstones like opals and moonstones.

The Edwardian Epoch & Filigree

After the death of Queen Victoria her son, Edward VII, became king of England. In comparison to the austerity of Victorian England Edward’s reign marked a joyous return to elegance in styling, clothing and jewelry. Edwardian jewelry coincided with the Art Nouveau movement, and the delicate Filigree work that could now be fashioned echoed the laces and feathers worn by Edwardian ladies of the period. Diamonds and pearls were worn in profusion, either alone or with colored gemstones. Because of the metal strength of platinum, yellow gold was replaced as the metal of choice for jewelry. Silver and white gold, were used for the first time in Filigree and it was everywhere from brooches, bracelets, earrings, tiaras and beautiful delicate and lacy diamond rings, and with king Edwards love of elegance men's jewelry came into its own.

Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of filigree jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!

Filigree Sterling Silver Jewelry History 3000 B.C. To 400 A.D.

n. Filigree /filligree/: From the Latin ‘Filum’, meaning ‘Thread’, and ‘Granum’ meaning ‘Seed’. Filigree is the art of curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of precious metals, and uniting them at their points of contact by means of gold or Silver solder.

Introduction

Perfected over millennia, incorporating the ancient techniques and styles of vanished civilizations, Filigree is without a doubt one of the oldest and most beautiful art forms known to man.

Unlike the mass of jewelry produced today Filigree jewelry is totally handcrafted, calling for hours of concentration on the part of its maker. The knowledge behind Filigree’s meticulous creation, passed down from generation to generation, remains a closely guarded secret kept in the hands of lapidary masters stretching from the islands of the Mediterranean sea to the shores of East India.

The Egyptians And Filigree

Filigree’s intricate lace-like trellises are entwined in mystery. For eons it was believed that Filigree had its roots planted in the classical Greek period 400 years before the birth of Christ. However, in the 1920s archeologists lifted the lid on two of the most significant finds this century, revealing that Filigree was in fact more than 5000 years old.

The first discovery was of a Filigree knife sheath dating from 2600 B.C., found in the royal tomb of the Mesopotamian Queen Pu-Abi. The second was the discovery of several gold and Silver rings with exquisitely formed Filigree shanks dating from 1350 B.C., found in the legendary tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tut-ankh-amun.

The Phoenicians And Filigree

Later discoveries, similar to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Filigree but dating from 1000 B.C. were found in Phoenicia, present day Lebanon. Archeologists concluded that the seafaring Phoenicians had been influenced by the two cultures through widespread trade in gold and Silver.

The Phoenicians spread their skills throughout the Mediterranean; many settling in southern Italy integrating with the Etruscans, a civilization of the 7th century B.C. dedicated to the arts. The Etruscan artists fused traditional geometric designs with the Phoenician’s oriental influences of floral and figurative designs, refining Filigree to such an extraordinary degree that to this day their designs remain unsurpassed even by modern jewelers.

The Greeks And Filigree

In the eastern Mediterranean the Greeks had been using Filigree techniques since the time of the Trojan wars and were quick to integrate the refined Etruscan style into their jewelry. Necklaces were decorated with Filigree flowers and tassels, hoop earrings with Filigree disks and rosettes. With the conquests of Alexander the Great Greece attained a wealth of gold and Silver booty plundered from the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians and Indians. And from 323 B.C., during the Hellenistic period, Greek Filigree became prolific from southern Europe to India influencing craftsmen throughout the massive empire.

The Romans And Filigree

By 133 B.C. Rome had absorbed the entirety of the Greek Empire and its economic wealth. And with the rise of the Roman Empire a new phase of jewelry design was ushered in with the use of colored gemstones. Roman craftsmen applied gold and Silver as settings for emeralds, sapphires, rubies, peridots, garnets and pearls. However, Roman jewelers, in order to emphasize the gems rather than their settings preferred plainer geometric shapes to the detailed styles of classical Greek jewelry, and techniques like Filigree and granulation fell out of fashion.

The Byzantines And Filigree

By the 4th Century A.D. the Roman Empire in Europe had fallen into the hands of the barbarian tribes of the Goths and Vandals, the ‘Dark Ages’ ensued and Rome’s art forms were lost. However, the East of the Roman Empire known as the Byzantine Empire became a repository of classical learning, preserving the artistic heritage of the Greek and Roman artisans. The Byzantine Empire was Christian, and rich, this is reflected in the opulent gold and Silver icons, book covers of gospels and panels of reliquaries crafted in the monasteries. The large surfaces of these objects were encrusted with precious stones cut into cabochons and decorated with fine Filigree, granulation, engravings, and enameling techniques known as cloisonné.


Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Written for SilverShake, an online retailer of filigree jewelry and sterling silver jewelry at wholesale prices. Purchase today and get silver jewelry worth up to $60...Free!