Monday, September 15, 2008


Reminiscent of the notorius "Star of India", admired by kings and queens, given as an engagement ring from Prince Charles to Princess Diana, the sapphire has an imperial and exotic pedigree. Persian rulers believed that the sky was the reflected blue of sapphires, and many believed that the Ten Commandments were originally written on sapphire (although in both cases the word sapphire likely referred to lapis lazuli). In the middle ages, the sapphire was prized by wizards and savants alike for what many believed were its magical powers and efficacy as a lucky charm. At times, because sapphires are known to change from a blue during the daylight to a purplish or violet blue during the evening, sapphires were used to test a woman's chastity. The legend goes that if a sapphire turned blue-violet, then the lady was unfaithful while remaining a steady blue meant that she was true. Poor women who were unlucky enough to be tested under the evening light! Sapphire belongs to the family of minerals known as corundum (just as the ruby does). While the word "sapphire" most likely came from the Greek language, the word "corundum" comes from the Tamil language (spoken mainly in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in India). The sapphire gets its blue colour from iron and titanium dioxide. Corundum is the second hardest stone (the diamond is the first) registering an 8-9 on the Moh's Scale of hardness. Most sapphires are heat-treated today to obtain their dark blue colour, a process which really only mimics what Nature would do more slowly.



I love to work with sapphires, especially when the sapphires are of a larger size. I was fortunate enough to find some largish faceted rondelles that you see in some of the jewelry here. All the sapphire braceletshere can be found on the Cluny Grey Jewelry page of Sapphire Bracelets including the bracelets which also feature lampwork beads and mother of pearl. The sapphire earrings can be found on the Sapphire Earrings page.

















Monday, September 8, 2008

This beautiful pendant is a subtle blend of beauty, elegance and style. Round pink sapphire shines with an exceptional sparkle and the brilliance of the full cut round diamonds just adds to the sparkle. The pink sapphire used is African pink sapphire, which is celebrated for its brilliance and of course the lovely color. A very feminine and graceful design. Marquise shaped diamonds add a distinct appeal adding interest to the classic border design.
I love pink sapphires for their subtlety and elegance. Pink sapphire jewelry makes great accompaniment with almost all outfits – daily office wear or a special dinner out. Pink sapphire jewelry is also hot in fashion with trend setters like Paris Hilton often spotted in pink sapphire jewelry.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

CHUR, Switzerland (Reuters) - Diamonds really are forever. Algordanza, a small company based in the mountainous southeast of Switzerland, uses the ashes of dead people to make diamonds as a permanent memento for their nearest and dearest.

read full detail at yahoo news

Reuters Photo: An Algordanza employee shows an example of a diamond next to ashes in Chur August...