What is Crystal?

Derived from the Greek word krystallos, which has been translated as 'clear ice,' crystal refers to some of the most impressive and bizarre mineral outgrowths found in nature. Seeking to emulate these wonderfully strange and beautiful forms, man has successfully produced glass crystal since George Ravenscroft established his innovative glasshouse in London, England, in 1673. Mixing lead oxide with molten glass during the heating process, Ravenscroft was able to create a glass of unprecedented sparkle and consistency.




The more lead oxide that is added to the glass, the more refractive and visually stunning the finished product will be. However, this comes at the cost of dramatically increased rigidity, and the crystal therefore becomes much harder to blow. At this stage, crystal is usually manufactured by an incredibly skilled and coordinated team of glass blowers- from 4 to 7 people working in synchronized fashion- and takes a tremendous amount of physical strength, breath control and stamina.

After the initial shaping of the crystal object or bead, it is soaked in an acidic bath that effectively removes any imperfections from the exterior. The crystal then enters the cutting phase. Because the crystal is so amazingly hard, diamond-tipped wheels are required to cut flat facets into the surface. For shallow engraving and/or imagery, small, slow-moving copper wheels are used in a procedure that can take hours to perfect the crystal bead or object surface.



No two crystals are identical, and through a long, multi-stage process, the final product is accomplished by an experienced and creative team whose craft is still being refined after centuries of development.



Click here to browse Crystals at Stones and Findings

What is Cubic Zirconia (CZ)?

Cubic zirconia is most commonly thought of as a diamond substitute, and rightfully so. What shouldn't be overlooked, however, is the fascinating history and set of distinct qualities that make cubic zirconia wonderfully notable and unique all on its own

As a synthetic substitute, cubic zirconia has somewhat the same effect as gold vermeil, sterling silver, and cultured pearls: it allows the everyday jewellery enthusiast to enjoy the aesthetic marvels of a truly precious substance (diamonds, in this case) without paying an arm and a leg. To anyone without a professionally trained eye, diamonds and cubic zirconia beads are virtually indistinguishable.



As a naturally occurring phenomenon, zirconium oxide was discovered by German mineralogists in 1937. Many people don't know that it occurs naturally at all, but it certainly does, albeit in incredibly scarce quantities. Natural cubic zirconia is so rare, in fact, that upon first discovery it seemed insignificant- there simply wasn't enough to make use of.



The discovery became immensely significant, however, in 1973, when Soviet scientists at the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow finally perfected synthesizing the substance. Three years later their discovery was published, and by 1980 cubic zirconia was in commercial production on a massive scale. The explosively fast rise of cubic zirconia in world attention and market prominence simply goes to show how hungry the world was for a good man-made diamond substitute.

Diamonds, of course, are much harder in density, but cubic zirconia is still incredibly hard by gemstone standards (8.5 on the Mohs scale, where most gemstones are around 5-6) and therefore immensely durable and basically scratchproof. Another little recognized fact is that since cubic zirconia is synthetically produced, it is almost totally flawless in terms of surface consistency and irregularities, where diamonds are often marked by natural discolorations and other imperfections.


Cubic zirconia is often dyed as well, which is something that only happens as 'enhancement' of natural colour with diamonds. Presumably, the relatively low cost of cubic zirconia encourages more liberal experimentation with things like colour and cut. Far from being a just a cheap diamond copy, cubic zirconia is a gemstone medium in its own right.




Click here to browse Cubic Zirconia at Stones and Findings

Freshwater vs. Saltwater Pearls

Dear Professor Pearl,

I still don’t quite get it… What are the differences between saltwater and freshwater pearls?

Linda,
Hamilton, Ontario

Great question, Linda! Freshwater and saltwater pearls definitely have their differences. However, all pearls are made in the same way. When a small piece of sand or other debris gets stuck inside the mollusk’s shell, it is slowly coated by layer after layer of nacre, also known as mother of pearl. Eventually, the intruding particle is ejected back into the water as a finished, natural pearl. Since this process can take as long as several years, culturing pearls in farms was developed by Japanese scientists in the early 20th century. The outside of a cultured pearl is still made entirely of nacre- which gives it the natural pearls’ trademark iridescent lustre- but the inside is actually a core of other organic materials placed inside the shellfish to produce pearls in 6 months or less. What’s more is that cultured pearls are very hard to distinguish from totally natural ones, even with the help of scientific instruments. These days, natural pearls are rare and difficult to retrieve, so the vast majority of both saltwater and freshwater pearls are cultured in farms.

Saltwater pearls come from oysters that reside in, you guessed it, oceans and seas. They are usually more round than freshwater pearls, which are often a potato-like shape. Different colours are common among saltwater pearls depending on where they come from. Soft pink is the natural hue, but steely grey and purple pearls are also found in Tahitian waters, and Australian seas are known for light grey, white, and slightly golden pearls. Pearls from the South Seas can also get very big, but are lacking in the surface quality and market value of, say, the Japanese Akoya pearl. It can generally be said that saltwater pearls are more expensive than freshwater pearls because they are rarer and harder to farm; storms in open water and oyster diseases are the culprits of many a lost pearl, and saltwater pearl operations are costly at the best of times.

Freshwater pearls come from mussels that live in rivers, streams, and lakes. They are available in a wider variety of colours like white, cream, pink, lilac, and peach, but are also commonly dyed to produce a virtually limitless palette. Again, freshwater pearls aren’t usually as round as saltwater pearls, but they are still judged on the same criteria whether cultured or all-natural: roundness, surface quality, and size.

In summary, saltwater pearls are more expensive because of scarcity and cultivation issues, but freshwater pearls are often indistinguishable anyway. It has been found that specialists cannot, even with the aid of x-rays & ultrasound equipment, tell the difference between a freshwater and a saltwater pearl.

Hope that answers your question, Linda! Thanks for writing.
~Professor Pearl

Write to Professor Pearl with any questions you have about gemstones, precious metals, jewellery making techniques, or the accessory industry: profpearl@stonesandfindings.com

Metal Allergies -- Sterling Silver and Gold Karats

People are allergic to metals for 2 main reasons; nickel and, less often, from salts leaching out of copper. Nickel is the main concern with roughly 12% of all women and 6% of males are allergic to nickel. Furthermore, even people with no history of nickel allergies will develop them over time if their skin makes regular contact with nickel. Most metals used in jewellery making such as silver, gold, rhodium, platinum or palladium are not known to cause allergic reactions in their pure forms. However, these metals are commonly alloyed with other metals to reduce cost, to make the metal more durable or to make the metal easier to work with.



Semi-precious and fashion jewellery comes predominately in a gold or silver tone. For gold tones, it can be karat gold, gold-filled, or achieved with gold plating over a base of sterling silver- a process known as gold vermeil- or, simply brass coated with clear lacquer. Brass, even with lacquer coating, is never recommended for jewellery making because it tarnishes extremely quickly and discolours to a patina green or black and leave marks on the skin. Copper has a fairly good reputation among people with sensitive allergies, but it too can generate rashes on the skin of the wearer as a result of the salts that are gradually teased out of the metal, causing dermatitis with prolonged exposure.

While karat gold and gold-filled can be brought back to their original shine, plated metals can not, and more people tend to be allergic to plated jewellery. Plating is thin and comes off easily with wear, and also there is leaching of the base metal. For these reasons, is not recommended for better quality or hand crafted jewellery. It is most often used in imported and low-end mass market jewellery.




Since people aren't allergic to gold but rather the base metals it is alloyed with, high purity is ideal. The higher the karat, the more pure, the fewer people are allergic to it. Unfortunately a person with a strong sensitivity to nickel will find that even 18 karat gold may be totally unwearable- after all, it is still only 75% pure gold. The same holds true for gold-filled, which also has different levels of gold purity.



Silver tones in jewellery are most commonly achieved with sterling silver, nickel-plating over a base metal, or pewter with a lacquer coating. Pewter has a steel grey colour, which is not desirable for some markets. It is a popular casting metal, but it is also soft, making it a less favourable metal for findings such as earring hooks and clasps. Pewter has a remarkably clean allergy track record, and problems only arise when the metal is alloyed with, surprise surprise, nickel. Many manufacturers go out of their way to notify clientele that their pewter is nickel-free, and you shouldn't be shy about inquiring if you are ever unsure.

The same people who react to low-karat gold jewellery will almost certainly also react to cheap silver jewellery, a function of the same culprit: nickel. Silver-looking articles sold for bargain prices have been found to contain as much as 78% nickel, sometimes coated with a silver layer that unfortunately does little to protect the skin of the wearer. Even worse is nickel silver, or so-called German silver, which is 90% nickel and 10% tin. Nickel is incidentally also responsible for occasional allergic reactions to surgical grade stainless steel (8-12% nickel), which for that exact reason is rapidly being replaced by titanium for body implants and orthodontic work.

Sterling silver, finally, is also sometimes partly alloyed with nickel, but has rarely been known to cause breakouts or rashes. This is the case because sterling silver is still (by definition) 92.5% pure, with the remainder usually accounted for by copper, which in such small concentration has never been reported to cause skin maladies. In cases where nickel is used as well as copper to make up sterling silver's remaining 7.5%, the percentage is still far too low and inactive even to offend the skin of someone with strong nickel sensitivity.

When gift giving, you should always be sure how sensitive the intended recipient's skin is. When designing for resale, one should always be conscious of perceived value. Sterling silver and gold are much more popular and this value will translate into more sales. If time and effort is to be invested in a unique design and hand crafting, one should use only sterling and karat or gold-filled metals.

Silver Earring Components

Silver Earring Components
by C.S.

There are limitless possible earring designs. However, popular Earrings have certain Jewellery Components in common. These Jewellery Components fall under the general categories of: Earring Hook component, and Findings, and sometimes Chains for longer earrings.

Earring Hook Component

This is the Earring Component that attaches the earring to the ear. It can be in the form of a Earring Hook, Earring Stud, Clip-On Backing. Stones And Findings carry a number of Silver Earring Hooks, Silver Leverbacks, and Silver Earring Studs. Sterling Silver Earring Findings, as well as Gold-Filled Earring Hooks and Gold-filled Leverbacks, and Gold Filled Earring Studs Gold Filled Findings.



Open ended Sterling Silver Earring Componentsallow for Semi-precious stone beads crystals to be inserted, and then a loop to be made for additional Earring Drops to be added. This allows for rather unusual accents for your Earring Designs.

Leverback Earring Components

Leverback Earring Components are wonderful and preferred by many Jewellery Designers because they don’t fall off the ear no matter how active the wearer is, and no matter how much their ear piercing has been stretched. The best Silver Leverback Earring Components come from Italian and Chinese factories, using Italian machines. Stay away from Silver Leverback Earring Components made in India, Thailand, and Bali. The spring mechanisms are not as strong, and don't spring back the way Italian machine made ones do. The price difference for Silver Leverback Earring Components is negligible, but the quality is highly noticeable.

Earring Studs

Earrings Studs are sometimes preferred to Earring Hooks, especially for those whose ear piercings have been stretched. The Earring Stud hides the stretched holes, which Earring Hooks do not. Silver Earring Studs and Gold-Filled Earring Studs are better than base metal because they come into contact with the skin. Some people are allergic to base metals, and even if there is a protective plating, the inside metal will leech out, sometimes changing the colour of a person’s skin. Earring Studs have more contact area with the skin.

Sterling Silver Wire

Silver Wire is one of the single most useful Jewellery Components ever invented. Stones And Findings has a variety of shapes and gauges Sterling Silver Wire. In Jewellery Making, Silver Wire can be used to weave, connect components, thread beads, tie and frame, and embellish beads. Silver Wire can also be hammered and twisted into shapes and be, in itself, the centre of the Jewellery Design.

SHAPES OF STERLING SILVER WIRE

Round Silver Wire

Round Silver Wire is the most commonly used in Jewellery Making. As most bead holes are drilled round, round Silver Wire fits the best. Unlike square Silver Wire, round Silver Wire will not show edges and you don't have to worry about misalignment. Round Silver Wire is the best for beginners. They are also the most readily available of all Silver Wires. They come in spools, coils, and foot-length straight pieces.

Square Silver Wire

Square Silver Wire are needed in certain projects where round Silver Wire just will not work. For example: when you need hanging pieces not to swing or swivel. You can use Square Silver Wire as the cog that fits into a square hole. Square Silver Wire also produces a nice faceted look for fancy wire wrapping.

Half Round Silver Wire

Half Round Silver Wire is available at some specialty bead stores. It has some properties of the square Silver Wire when you need things secured, but also can provide the aesthetics of round wire when wrapped.

Sterling Silver Wire Hardness

Silver Wire is generally available in 4 grades of hardness: hard, half hard, soft, dead soft.

When to use Harder vs Softer Silver Wire

With thicker Silver Wire, it is better to work with soft or dead soft wire. Hard Silver Wire, in thicker gauges is very difficult to manipulate. For thinner Silver Wire, you have more flexibility. Depending on your project, you should select Silver Wire hardness accordingly. If you wire wrapping many little light weight pearls or beads, you should use soft or dead soft if the beads are very small. The harder the Silver Wire, the more difficult it is to manipulate, so if you're making many wraps, it will get tiring if the Silver Wire is hard. If what you're wrapping is heavier, and you need it to be more secure, use harder Silver Wire. It won't bend or unwind as easily. If the holes in the beads are larger, then you can use thicker Silver Wire that is soft. However, the Silver Wire will cost more.

How to make Silver Wire Harder or Softer

The process of making Silver Wire harder is called Tempering. You can do this yourself by hammering, or tumbling. The more you manipulate Silver Wire, the stiffer it becomes.

The process of making Silver Wire softer is called Annealing. This would be done by exposing the Silver Wire to high heat, such as a flame. This will re-align the molecules of the Silver Wire. Annealing is one of the basic techniques learned in a silver-smith class. It is essential to working with silver, and it is not as easy as tempering, and requires a lot more equipment. Fortunately, Silver Wirecan be ordered already soft.