The Beading Gem

We are all familiar with the 4 C's of diamonds - the cut, carat, clarity and color - which determine the quality of this gemstone. But did you know about the 5 S's of cultured pearls?  Pearls are assessed and graded by their shape, size, shine, surface and shade.

This system was first developed by Autore for the South Sea, Tahitian and Akoya pearls. Watch this video to learn more about this classification system.

It is important to know as much as possible about the materials you work with.  Knowing what to look for when purchasing a gemstone is a given as its quality affects the price.  Customers who buy gemstone jewelry also expect you to know something about the stones you use.  Yet, many artisans are in the dark about gemstones. Misinformation also abounds.  So getting educated about gemstones is a good thing.

I love pearls. It's not just because of my own name but because of their beauty and the long history behind them.  We should be thankful for the early pioneers in pearl culturing who made pearls affordable today.


The innovation continues especially in China where over 90% of the world's freshwater pearls come from.  Chinese pearl farmers have worked hard at producing ever larger pearls over the last couple of decades - with sizes well over 20 mm rivaling that of South Sea (saltwater) pearls.

I've been having fun with this cool online tool, the Puzzlemaker from Discovery Education. It's very easy to use and free, the way we like it. You can generate as many as you like for some family or party fun.

So try out my very first crossword puzzle with a gemstone theme and see if you can solve it quickly!

Somewhere in the middle of Siberia is one huge hole in the ground. The Mirny or Mir Mine is the second largest excavated hole in the world and the largest open pit diamond mine.

It's 525 meters (1,722 ft) deep and has a diameter of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). The mine is so deep that it's a no fly zone for helicopters after some were sucked down due to the downward draft of the air currents!

Pearl Paradise : Golden South Sea Pearl Pendant

In my previous article, we "visited" China where most of the world's freshwater pearls come from. Now it's time to do another arm chair journey to see where saltwater pearls come from.

If you love pearls, especially the large, luscious natural colored and rarer kinds, then the saltwater pearls are for you.  The pictures here were kindly provided by Jeremy Shepherd, the CEO of Pearl Paradise from one of his trips to the South Seas - New Zealand, Australia and French Polynesia - to visit saltwater pearl farms there.

It's no coincidence with today's date. I think the Diamond Ring mug would make a wonderful April Fool's Day present! Or even a joke mug for yourself because it showcases a supersized bling ring as you drink your favorite cuppa!

In the world of diamonds, size does matter, so why not mega-carat your diamond albeit on a mug?

Source : NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

Remember the old Beatles song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"? Well, there are really diamonds in the sky. But far, far away.

Astronomers have discovered an extremely carbon-rich planet - the first of its kind - which suggests its terrain may be littered with diamonds.  The lead scientist, Dr NikkuMadhusudhan said, "You might see land masses and mountains made up of diamonds". It's core is likely made up of molten diamonds or other carbon compounds.

Just recently China put on display in Wenchang, Hainan, the world's largest luminous "pearl". These are not really pearls as we know them but a rare kind of glow in the dark (phosphorescent) fluorite.

This giant luminous pearl specimen, which weighs in at 6 tonnes and is 1.6 m (5 feet) high, took 3 years to grind into a sphere!

Remember Dan Aykroyd of the Ghostbusters? The Canadian comic, actor, musician, UFO believer and screenwriter is also a winemaker using "snob-free grapes" (Dan Aykroyd Wines).

He is part owner of Diamond Estates Wines in Canada which produces the Crystal Head Vodka. The amazing skull bottle alone is worth keeping, never mind the vodka! It's made by Bruni Glass in Italy.

Golden Pearls via WikipediaThere is nothing wrong with fake gemstones. They are affordable and fun so long as they are never sold as the real thing. That would be fraud.

But did you ever wonder if the jewelry you bought or acquired was real? Or if you have got some of your bead supplies horribly mixed up and need to tell them apart?

Here are quick tests for genuine gemstones that don't require special equipment.

Cabbing Rough on Etsy (UPDATE - shop is no longer active) is actually a family affair - Laura, Karl, her husband, their kids and Grandma Connie. Their story could be summed up as follows - a family that rocks together, stays together!

It's also a feel good turnaround story at a time when so many businesses are struggling. Cabbing Rough started after Karl had to close down his flooring business 2 years ago.  The stalled economy and Laura's health were but two reasons which forced him to do so. He got the idea for a hand cut cabochon business from rock collections and his desire to help Laura who was making jewelry to sell and bring in some income.

Minerals and Crystals Part 2 of 2
Yesterday's post featured the Mohs scale. We, as jewelry making enthusiasts are mostly interested in the crystalline minerals at the top of the scale like quartz, rubies, diamonds. But near the bottom of the scale, at number 2, is gypsum, the stuff used for making drywall.

Those of us who incorporate gemstones in our jewelry designs are well aware of the Moh's scale of mineral hardness. It's a relative scale which rates how scratch resistant one mineral is against another. It is but one of several ways to define hardness and classify minerals in material science - the modern ones are much more precise.This old scale was named after the German mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs who created it in 1812 but the idea of comparing relative hardness dates back to the ancient world.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a large island off the southern tip of India. The island is actually briolette shaped which suits this gemstone rich country. Sri Lanka itself means "magnificent island". The Indians call it Ratnadeep or Gem Island. Both are well deserved for it is truly a treasure island.

Everyone included me just loved Marcy Coral's pink opal beads. Thanks Marcy of Jewelrygeeks.com for such a generous gift! You've caused a lot of serious drooling.

Some of you who left comments declared opals to be your favorite gemstone. I wonder if those who did have birthdays in October? As most of you know, there is a superstition about opal being unlucky if it is not your birthstone.

Facebook Fun
Part 2 of 2
Calling all Facebook fans! If you like to give virtual presents to your friends and family,and are tired of the usual birthday cakes and cutsey gifts, try out this latest app from the locket manufacturer, Heartsmith. It was launched on Facebook last month.

Synthetic diamonds can be made from many carbon sources ... even Michael Jackson's hair ! But did you know earlier this year some Mexican scientists published their method of creating diamonds from a liquid? Not just any liquid, they used tequila. The aim is to manufacture industrial diamond films. Really.

I came across these really clever jewelry related products and just had to share.

Ring Sizer Coasters
A couple of really innovative jewelry stores are using one of the cleverest marketing ideas I've come across in a while. They are interactive ring sizer coasters meant to be used in bars and restaurants to help bashful and clueless swains figure out what their lady love's ring sizes are.

The Canadian Jewelry Exchange not only has their store name and website on the coasters but they have this printed on: "Come on, he's not a mind reader. Let him know your ring size and leave the rest to us." Women are supposed to casually dangle the coaster on their ring finger in front of their boyfriends.