Did you know.....

Turquoise is formed, over a span of millions of years, by a chemical reaction that occurs when water leaks through rocks which contain specific minerals such as copper and aluminum.  The percentages of those various minerals in the rock dictate the gemstone’s shade.  Turquioise is one of my very favorite stones!! 

Did you know......Coral color ranges from white to red. Coral is not actually a gemstone, it is actually calcified skeletons of sea creatures that grow in branches that look like underwater trees. Beautiful coral jewelry is made and worn in many parts of the world, most coral is found in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Pacific, the most valuable colors of coral are red, black, and pink which is known as angel skin coral. Coral in the form of coral stone and gold jewelry is among the most ancient of gem materials, coral jewelry has been made in many parts of the world and used for adornment since prehistoric times. Coral inlays and coral jewelry  have been found from the Iron Age. Coral has a history of religious significance.

Did you know.....Rhodium is a precious metal. In fact, it's about ten times costlier than gold! But it is generally not considered a feasible material to make solid jewelry from because it is stressed and brittle, is very difficult to "work" properly for jewelry making, and it's price is very volatile (sometimes it's 5x as costly as gold, sometimes 25x) But rhodium is fabulous as a plating for jewelry because it is glitteringly, dazzlingly, white and mirror-like. It's like chrome, only more so, and much whiter.  Rhodium plating makes diamonds look bigger and better because it's so bright that it's hard to see where the stones end and the metal begins....Nothing sets off diamonds like rhodium plating does!