What does your jewelry tell the world about you? Well, my dear, what day is it? Most women switch up their jewelry from time to time Some days it's a big choker, others it's a dainty laveliere adorning your neck. At any rate, here's a quick rundown on what your gemstone choices say.What Your Gemstones Tell The World Girls who love pearls tend to be more traditional and take the long view on life--in earlier times, collecting and matching pearls took decades. They're symbolic of wisdom, purity, and success. And let's face it--throw on a strand of pearls with jeans and t-shirt and you look good.Turquoise and Boulder Opals are evocative of the wide open and spaces and adventure--the Navajo believed that turquoise stones were pieces of heaven that had fallen to earth. These are larger and rougher cut stones, and are not usually faceted for brilliance--rather, they are polished to be big and bold and make a statement.Other semi-precious stones--agate, labradorite, kyanite, quartz, and tourmaline, for example--are more known for their spiritual properties. In crystal form, they're used for healing and to benefit from their metaphysical effects. Women who wear lots of semi-precious gemstones are a little more open to new adventures than the diamonds-and-pearls crowd.Choosing Your Stones Mohs Scale The gemstones you choose for your rings and bracelets also say a lot about how you like to spend your free time, or even the sort of career you have. The Mohs Scale of Hardness categorizes stones based on exactly that--the higher the number on the scale, the harder the stone and the more durable it is for everyday wear. Diamonds are the perfect 10, and rubies and sapphires (mineral: corundum) come in at a 9. Quartz (amethyst, citrine, and prasiolite)have a high rating on Mohs, as does Topaz. Agate (chalcedony), tourmaline, opals, moonstone, and turquoise are all a 7 or below on Mohs, so are better suited for earrings and necklaces. Opals and pearls are exceptionally soft, and you should never let either of them get wet.
Affordability Here's a fun fact--precious gemstones are no more rare than semi-precious, in fact some of the latter stones are harder to come by--the Boulder Opal is one example. But a good-sized Boulder Opal is going to cost a fraction what even a small sapphire would cost, so you can really grow your collection of semi-precious stones.If you're a woman who likes bold statement pieces and you're on a budget (and really, who isn't?) don't despair. Some gemstones simply don't exist in big pieces--Princess Diana's 12-carat Ceylon sapphire is an unusually large stone and worth hundreds of thousands, even without the history. A semi-precious star sapphire, on the other hand, can easily measure .5 inches across and still cost less than $100.
Alternative Stones Sometimes, you want the look of precious stones for fun, everyday wear. These are some really affordable alternatives to the Big Three.Spinel instead of rubies--Red spinel has the same deep red saturation that a ruby has, and it costs thousands less for a good stone. A red spinel looks great set in either a white or gold metal, and glow against your skin.Kyanite subs for sapphires--the intense blues of kyanite mimic fine sapphires, and are gorgeous in white gold settings. Kyanite--even the highly desirable deep sapphire color--is relatively inexpensive, so you can build a collection of kyanite pieces--and no one will be the wiser.Tsavorite and emeralds--it's really almost impossible to find dead ringers for emeralds; the color is just too pure. Tsavorite comes as close as anything, and is quite affordable. Set in yellow gold, a good Tsavorite stone would fool any but the most experienced in gemstone identification.Your moods and whims change, so there's no reason your jewelry shouldn't reflect your feelings on a given day. Feeling fine and want the world to know? Wear a leather cuff with a big Boulder Opal. Are you going into meetings and need a power look? Layer semi-precious bracelets and put Baroque pearls in your ears. Be capricious--let your jewelry be as individual as you are. And stop by Ginger Blossoms Jewelry when you're ready for something new. Get in touch and I'll design something custom just for you, or shop my current selections.
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