Fashion jewelry is not merely the custom to wear certain gems or metals. It refers to much more than that: to fulfilling one’s fantasies and enriching lives by satisfying psychological needs, to peppering existence with a variety of colors, shapes and textures, to tickling senses and giving wings to dreams. Considering this, let’s take the example of amber jewelry, one of the oldest and most astonishing creations of beauty lovers. Fashion has a strong word to say in sustaining amber jewelry and every year new beautiful creations are available on the market.

Combined with precious metals, amber can become an exquisite jewel. The beauty of amber jewelry is a result of good polishing and precise cut of a variety of amber stones. The color of the stones used to make amber jewelry is often gold, but amber can also come into many various unusual colors like: black, green, ivory, yellow, red, orange and even white. Natural amber may contain insects, feathers or flowers. Its colors are a feast to the eye and it is unique due to the fact that it imprisons something, unlike other precious stones. There are amber stones 30-90 million years old and they really represent frozen moments in time. Those treasures are a way to look back into well preserved moments of a life that existed in the past.

Amber jewelry is an original choice also because it has some interesting properties. It has a nice pine smell when you rub it on a piece of cloth, it’s warm and it contains succinic acid (a substance known for its therapeutic properties). The stone is not really a stone, but a resin that can become soft and malleable when heated and that can be chiseled very easily by jewel makers. Amber can be shaped in the most wonderful ways creating unique pieces.

This unusual stone is not used only for jewelry. It is in fashion and, therefore, artists use it to create amber sculptures and to decorate beautiful unique items with it. Amber jewelry is often used as magical amulets which protect from bad luck. It is also thought that amber jewelry can heal diseases from sore throats to anxiety. So, amber is an organic gem that people love not only for decorative purposes.

Amber jewelry was not always in fashion. A long time ago, the amber stone was considered to have flaws and was rejected from an esthetical point of view. Although it had periods in which its beauty was denied, there were moments in time in which amber jewelry was used as a diplomatic gift for princesses and princes. In the mean time, people used it in powders for curative purposes.

Because it began to be much appreciated, people started faking amber jewelry and they created quite an industry. Fake amber jewelry is everywhere nowadays, but there are some inexpensive ways to see if your stone is man made or not. You can test your amber gem’s authenticity by putting a heated needle on it. If the smoke smells like pine the gem is amber, but if it smells like plastic it’s definitely fake. For a non destructive way of testing, you can also rub the amber gem with a piece of cloth and smell it. If it smells like pine, it is a natural resin. The bad taste can tell you whether it is made of plastic not. If obtained through a chemical process, the just washed amber can taste poorly. Some other clues can also tell the truth about it. Amber does not melt, but it will burn. It will float in a bowl where you put one part salt and two parts water, while plastic and copal will sink.

If you do own real amber jewelry, you have to know how to protect it and save its value for many years to come. To clean your amber jewelry all you need is warm water and a clean piece of cloth. You mustn’t use any soap or detergent on it because they might ruin the amber’s structure. Even salad oil, butter or lard can destroy the resin. Amber jewelry has to be protected from heat or excessive cold because extreme temperatures may deteriorate it. A soft cloth is needed for wrapping each piece of amber jewelry in order to avoid contact, get scratched or become dirty.

There are many legends built around amber. It is said that the yellow resin is made of tears from the sun or (in Greece) from a nymph. Amber is also present in Ovid’s work as an incredible god like material which is out of this world. Even if you don’t believe that amber has incredible powers, there is no possibility of denial that amber jewelry is special. Wearing amber jewelry will give a more mysterious and unique look because the amber stone is itself an enigmatic gem which preserves history and charms the eye.

Your jewelry is an important investment, and it retains its appearance and value longer if it is properly cared for. Here are some tips to ensure the long life of your gems.

How to Clean Gold Jewelry

Gold is tarnish-resistant, although it can get smudged and grimy. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils can cover your jewelry and cut down on its brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes this residue and restores the original luster of your jewelry.

Even though many commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, a basic solution of detergent and water goes a long way to restore the radiance of gold, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Every now and again it can be helpful to soak the gold jewelry in a mixure of 1 portion ammonia and 6 parts water for about a minute. Make sure to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a soft cloth or chamois afterwards.

Professional jewelry polishing cloths are an efficacious and inexpensive way of keeping your gold collection glittering and radiant. These treated cotton cloths help to dislodge tarnish and to buff jewelry to a brilliant shine.

Never wear jewelry in the swimming pool or while doing chores. Though gold is said to be non-reactive, the fact is that contact with chemicals such as chlorine in pools or household cleaners will discolor or even damage your gold jewelry mountings.

When you are not wearing your jewelry, proper storage is essential. Be careful that pieces don’t tumble together in a crowded jewel box if you want to avoid scratching and loss of radiance. Ideally, store your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewel case, or even a compartmentalized box so that every piece of jewelry resides in an individual soft cloth pouch. In damp climates, storing jewelry in small resealable plastic bags can extend intervals between cleaning, especially for silver.

It’s important to check the stone settings of your jewelry sometimes for any damage to the bezels or prongs. Immersing the jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a couple seconds will restore the gorgeous sparkle to cloudy stones. It’s critical to dry the jewelry thoroughly after cleaning prior to wearing or even storing. Pave set (glued in stones) jewelry should never be soaked in water while cleaning gold jewelry, as these glues, especially those used in older jewelry, are often not waterproof.

Special Gems

Diamonds, sapphires and rubies are relatively hard, though the later two can still sustain scratches. However, pearls, emeralds and opals are softer and need a gentler touch. Emeralds and opals contain water in their matrix and may crack if they are allowed to dry out. Regular application of cod liver oil from the drugstore every few months is recommended by antique jewely dealers. Pearls should be worn frequently to expose them to skin oils. If they dry out, their luster will diminish, so don’t clean them with alcohol or detergents . Avoid exposing pearls to vinegar and other acids, as they will dissolve. To clean pearls, simply wipe them with a soft damp cloth.

Ultasonic Jewelry Cleaners

Do not use them on pearls and opals — they will be damaged.

Silver Cleaner

Line a broad flat dish with tinfoil, then place your silver jewelry in the dish spaced out so they pieces do not touch. Mix together 4 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Pour this over the silver and leave for a few minutes until tarnish is dissoved, then rinse and polish with a soft cloth.

Make sure you remove the silver as soon as it is clean, and don’t let it soak for hours as the electrolytic reaction will continue.

Archeologists believe the necklace was born during the stone age about 40,000 years before than previously believed. April 2004, scientists were excavating a cave in South Africa discovered forty-one mollusks that may have been strung as neck jewelry about 75,000 years ago.

Before this discovery the oldest known necklace to have been found about 30,000 B.C. They are made mostly of shells, bones, stones, animal teeth or claws, strung on a thread. Basically the same concept is used today though there are some variations

In 2500 B.C. gold was starting to be used in neck jewelry. Gold neck adornments and chokers have been discovered at the Royal Grave of Ur. They are in what is now known as Iraq. 2000 B.C. was when Sumerian bead neck jewelry started to use alternating patterns of colored stones and gemstones and metals such as copper or silver.

Ancient Egyptian neck jewelry evolved from simple stringed beads to complicated patterns and include the ‘broad collar’ and pectoral type. They were worn by both sexes, mostly royals and wealthy citizens. They were often buried with their dead owners.

During the Classical Greek period from about 480 to 300 B.C. most necklaces were three dimensional pendants. They were mostly in the form of heads, seeds, or acorns. They were suspended from a row of flat elements usually some type of rosettes.

Alexander the Great in 356 - 323 B.C. conquered the Orient. Gold was plentiful throughout the Greek Empire. It was often used on making in necklaces and other types of jewelry for several centuries.

In Ancient Rome the wearing of jewelry was frowned upon. Laws regulated how much gold could be worn by women or buried along with the dead. From about the first century on, Roman Jewelry began to distinguish itself. Gemstones came into use and were usually cut in circles or rectangular shapes.

In the end of the second century gold piercing techniques were invented. It produced a lace like quality in gold neck jewelry. The favored style of the time was a chain of differently colored gemstones connected by gold links.

In the second and third century it became popular to wear multiple necklaces all at the same time. The types of neck jewelry sometimes indicated the level of wealth or class of the wearer. Necklaces were very popular in whatever form could be made. Over the next few centuries the popularity of wearing of necklaces waned significantly. In the late 14th century necklaces started to regain their popularity due to fashions d้colletage.

Since then however, necklaces are very popular among all the classes. A favorite gift of children to their mothers is the famed or infamous macaroni necklace. What mother doesn’t love such a gift from the heart? They are precious not in gemstones or gold but in sentiment and heart value.

Necklaces are worn now for a variety of reasons not the least of which personal adornment. Many people wear medals that are religiously significant such as those with images of the Saints or Jesus Christ. Many wear a plain cross while still others will wear a Crucifix which is a cross on which the image of the body of Christ is fastened. It stands to reason that it can be said that necklaces have been and will remain a piece of jewelry that is completely versatile in its design and the intent of the wearer.

Though pearls are common as parts of more expensive jewelries, they were for long, have been reserved only for the richest people of the noblest standards. Before 1900s, a single pearl necklace can never be equated to anything. It is known to be been the most expensive stone throughout history and was hailed as the Queen of Pearls.

Who first discovered pearl and recognized its uniqueness are questions that are still to be answered. But according to George Frederick Kunz, the first American gemologist firmly stated his belief that the first people who appreciated pearls and brought them to market is an ancient fish eating tribe which existed somewhere in the Indian coast.

And since the first discovery of the pearls, its glory has continued until the present age. Traces of pearls in history tell us that it has been well credited in many of the ancient worlds, specifically ion China, India, Egypt, and the Roman Empire.

The Romans are notably the craziest people over pearls. This is marked by specific times in Roman history when pearls played the central part. The most celebrated of these is the banquet in Cleopatra’s hall.

To convince Mark Antony that Egypt is above conquest, she showcased her land’s wealth and heritage by giving the most expensive dinner in all history. During the said dinner, Queen Cleopatra crushed a piece of a large pearl from a pair of pearl earrings. She dissolved the pearl in a goblet of wine or vinegar and drank the liquid down. This account ended with Mark Antony declining the dinner and the matching pearl earring. He then gave the admittance that the queen won.

The popularity of pearls rose at the height of the Roman era. On one account by Suetonius, he mentioned that the General Vitellius sold a single pearl earring and used the money to finance an entire roman army campaign.

The Romans are the craziest with regards to pearls but the Arabs have the deepest love for the gem. This affection over the pearl is evident in the Koran, especially in the section where the Paradise is being described.

All these craze on pearls had run down in history due to the gem’s rarity. However, by the turn of the century, pearls became practically a common jewelry. Most present users actually no longer appreciate the values of their pearl necklaces, pearl earrings and the likes. This is brought forth by the mass production that has revolutionized the status of the most valued gem.

The great irony in the most glorified gem is that even the lesser priced cultured pearl rivals the quality of the most expensive natural pearl there is. In a sense, its value was lost over the “synthetically” produced pearls. Though this became a very welcomed source of the rare pearls, this resulted to unfair treatment of the once exulted gem.

The major manufacturers of these cultured pearls are Japan and China. Kokichi Mikimoto developed a technique of producing the gem “on demand”. But while he painstakingly created his methods, Tatsuhei Mise and government biologist Tokichi Nishikawa independently created the similar process of pearl culturing.

Chinese producers adopted their methods, and the 1970s astounded the world with the immense number of literally “cheap” pearls. Thus the coming of relatively cheap pearl earrings, necklaces, pendants and other pearl accessories.

The glory has ended and new trends of pearl production have arrived. So what’s in store for pearls now?

Sterling silver is gradually coming back to fashion, as many jewelry savvy shopper know, this affordable jewelry is making a comeback on the expense of the more traditional gold jewelry.

If you are not familiar with sterling silver jewelry you should know that it has been around for a long time, the main problem is that sterling silver is not as robust as gold and does not survive time as well as gold. Sterling silver jewelry is for the “now” and it is certainly making its appearance well noticed by all.

Modern times call for a lighter and elegant metal to compliment the darker colures used today by the fashion industry, the sterling silver accompanies these tones fantastically and is also one of the more affordable metals on the market.

It is well known that silver is the most common of all the precious metals, sterling silver is perfect for use in the jewelry industry because it is strong enough to work with.

Sterling silver jewelry is made of a combination of silver and copper, most of the metal used is of course the sterling silver. The differences between the metals have made sterling silver cost much less than gold and therefore be a direct competitor for shoppers hearts, while the older generation usually prefers the traditional gold, young people and fashion savvy shoppers have a tendency to go for the sterling silver and enjoy a lower price for a stunning sterling jewelry.

One issue with the sterling silver is cleaning, sterling silver is durable and has a great shining potential, but it needs cleaning, experienced sterling silver jewelry have learn to differentiate between a daily, regular cleaning and a more through professional cleaning. In accordance with today’s lifestyle sterling silver jewelry is for people on the go, and it needs to be maintained and worn in a certain way, because of its tendency to get dirty it is recommended to apply make up before putting on your jewelry, but these small and petty precaution steps are nothing compared to the glamour of a unique designed sterling silver jewelry.

When shopping for sterling silver jewelry be advised that sometimes it is referred to as just Sterling or “.925”,because of its relative friendliness sterling silver can be processed and designed in many ways, allowing shoppers to enjoy an abundance of sterling silver jewelry, rings, earrings, bracelets and many more kinds of jewelry are produced by all jewelers around the world to comply with the growing demand of the public to the sterling silver jewelry.

Do not be deterred by the need to clean the sterling silver jewelry, it is like most other metals and at its best when cleaned and maintained well, but sterling silver jewelry will keep shining as long as you take good care of it. Sterling silver jewelry is becoming the sensible choice to those of us who do not want to spend a lot of money on jewelry and still want to be fashionably updated, sterling silver is gaining a lot of popularity because of its features, and it looks like its going to take a while for sterling silver to go back to anonymity.

Among the most well known diamonds is the Hope. This 45.52 carat steel blue diamond is currently on display at the Smithsonian. The legends of the ill-fortune and curse bestowed on the possessor of the Hope Diamond are many. This diamond was donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. The Hope was originally a rather flat, blocky 110-carat rough.

The Dresden Green stands out among the natural colored diamonds. It is the largest green diamond in the world weighing 40.70 carats. This diamond is historic, large and has a natural green color with a slight blue overtone. These facts make it virtually priceless.The Conde Pink is a pear shaped and weighs 9.01-carats. This pink diamond was once owned by Louis XIII.

The Tiffany Yellow diamond a beautiful canary-yellow octahedron weighing 287.42 in the rough (metric) carats discovered in either 1877 or 1878 in South Africa. The gem after cutting boasts the extraordinary weight of 128.54 carats. And until recently, was the largest golden-yellow in the world.

The Koh-I-Noor ( Mountain of Light ) is now among the British Crown Jewels. This diamond weighs 105.60 carats. First mentioned in 1304, it is believed to have been once set in Shah Jehan‘s famous peacock throne as one of the peacocks eyes.

The Agra is graded as a naturally colored Fancy Light Pink and weighs 32.34 carats. It was sold for about 6.9 million in 1990. Since this sale, it has been modified to a cushion shape weighing about 28.15 carats.The Transvaal Blue is pear cut. This blue diamond weighs 25 carats. It was found in the Premier Diamond Mine in Transvaal, South Africa.

The Great Chrysanthemum was discovered in the summer of 1963, in a South African diamond field. This 198.28-carat fancy brown diamond appeared to be a light honey color in its rough state. However, after cutting, it proved to be a rich golden brown, with overtones of sienna and burnt orange.

The Taylor-Burton Diamond is a pear-shaped 69.42 carat diamond. Cartier of New York purchased this diamond at an auction in 1969 and christened it “Cartier.” The next day Richard Burton bought the diamond for Elizabeth Taylor. He renamed it the “Taylor-Burton”. In 1978, Elizabeth Taylor put the diamond up for sale.

Prospective buyers had to pay $2,500 each to view the diamond to cover the costs of showing it. Finally, in June of 1979, the diamond was sold for nearly $3 million dollars.