JEWELRY NEWS

Colorful Flower Jewelry Bursts Into Bloom For Summer

Always bright, always in bloom, colorful flower jewelry is the perfect accessory to brighten your wardrobe, not only in summer, but all year round. And unlike fresh flowers whose beauty fades with time, the beauty of floral jewelry is everlasting. This season, floral designs are springing up everywhere as part of a popular trend toward softer, more natural, and timeless jewelry themes.

Today's floral designs can be modern or traditional, realistic or symbolic, and range from delicate rosebuds to bursting flower bouquets.

Many pieces feature brilliantly colored enamels as well as beautifully faceted gemstones that come in a rainbow of vivid colors with a range of hues, tones, and saturations as varied as those of the natural blossoms the resemble.

Also popular are floral styles displaying luminous pearls, either pure white, or dramatic dark Tahitian pearls, or luscious freshwater pastel pearls in a garden of delightful colors. Choose from a wide variety of pearl rings, pins, pendants, necklaces, and bracelets, frequently set with sparkling diamonds.

Floral jewelry comes in white, yellow, pink, and green gold, platinum, and sterling silver, It often displays a delicate textured finish that gives petals depth and definition.

Birthstone Gifts...

Everyone's Personal Favorite

Both men and women are always thrilled to receive a birthday gift of jewelry containing their own personal birthstone. For centuries, these precious gems have been specially dedicated to people born in a specific month. And, since ancient times, these historic gems have been thought to reflect personal traits and bestow special powers on those born under their sign. Surprisingly, today's birthstone jewelry is very affordable and comes in dozens of styles.

Passion and power are attributes offered by the brilliant fire-red ruby to those born in July. Since ancient times, ruby was known as "the king of gems" and was even noted in the Old Testament as one of the gems in the breastplate of Aaron, the high priest. Ruby is hard and durable with a bright, dazzling sparkle.

For centuries, these two historic gemstones have been thought to bring happiness and courage to those of August birth. Peridot is a bright, transparent yellow-green gem called "the gem of the sun" in ancient times. Opaque red-brown sardonyx, which is a form of precious quartz, has long symbolized bravery.

Ever since wise King Solomon chose sapphire for his famous royal seal, beautiful cornflower blue sapphire has symbolized wisdom and clear thinking for the September born. In addition to blue, sapphire also comes in every color of the rainbow except red, which is ruby. Called by the ancients "the gem of gems," it is hard, sparkling, and very durable.

How to Build a Year-Round

Pearl Jewelry Wardrobe

Pearl jewelry is the most feminine of all jewelry. The pearl's lustrous sheen and color tones emulate delicate skin textures, and they go with everything. Whatever a woman's skin color, hair color, or clothing color, pearls will blend beautifully. To build a pearl jewelry wardrobe, begin with the basics and then add fashion pieces later.

Necklace. The first piece to own is a necklace of matched white pearls, whether a choker (15-16 inches), a princess (18 inches), a matinee (20-24 inches), or an opera length (30 inches). A necklace shortener, which is a two-part hinged clasp, lets you transform your pearl necklace into a variety of different lengths and styles. A jeweled enhancer also adds excitement.

Earrings. Next add a pair of pearl earrings: studs for everyday basic wear, mabes for more drama, clusters of drops for a dressier look.

Pin or Brooch. Once you have the two most important pieces, consider adding a pearl pin or brooch. You might prefer a classic circle pin or a dramatic freeform gold and pearl brooch if you wear jackets or business suits often.

Pendant. If you regularly wear fold or platinum chains, a pearl pendant can give your chains an exciting and dramatic new look.

Fashion Ring. Next, you might like to highlight your hands with a pearl fashion ring. Choose either a classic pearl solitaire, and elegant cluster ring, or an attractive bypass style. You might also choose one of the dramatic mabe of South Sea pearl rings in sculptured designs with diamond accents.

Bracelet. Of course, no jewelry wardrobe would be complete without a stylish pearl bracelet, You can match your necklace with a single or double row of pearls, or try a bolder fashion look with a pearl and gold link design. Or why not select a dramatic multistrand mix-and-match creation using pearls of different sizes, shapes, and colors

Focus on Fashion

Jewelry Trends

for Summer 2001

Coming on strong for the summer season is the sleek and simple linear look, especially line-style bracelets, vertical bar-like motifs, and geometric designs now being shown in gold, platinum, and silver. There's also a strong surge to elegant black and white jewelry styles featuring black and white diamonds, black onyx and white gold, as well as black Tahitian pearls set in platinum. Look for dramatic black and white rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pendants, and cufflinks.

At the same time, there's a new and exciting use of warm colored gemstones such as citrine, amber, mandarin garnet, opal, amethyst, and red spinel. Also new for summer are many refreshingly big and bold jewelry designs in bright yellow and pink gold.

Gemstone Buyer's Guide

Amazing Amethyst...Lush, Lovely

Color At A Remarkably Low Price

Treasured for thousands of years, beautiful, transparent amethyst is one of the most popular of all colored gemstones. Extremely rare in ancient times, amethyst is said to have rivaled diamonds in value. The sparkling purple gem only became affordable after the discovery of large deposits in Brazil and Uruguay at the beginning of the 20th century.

Amethyst is the most important member of the quartz family. It ranges in color from a lovely pale lavender, to a rich reddish violet, to a deep, velvety purple red. It is also a hard, durable gem, measuring 7 on the Mohs scale, which means it is suitable for everyday wear in any kind of jewelry.

Amethyst gets its name from the Greek word "amethystos" which means "not intoxicated" and for centuries it was worn for its supposed ability to prevent drunkenness. An ancient myth tells how it got this power. One day a nymph named Amethyst was attacked by ferocious tigers owned by Bacchus, the god of wine. To save her, the goddess Diana turned her into pure white stone. The remorseful Bacchus then poured the juice of grapes over the stone giving it a lovely purple color...and the power to prevent intoxication.

Amethyst is a bright and lively gem, and today, probably offers the greatest amount of beauty for the least amount of money.

Anthony and Cleopatra...And

the Legendary Pearl Cocktail

Next to Romeo and Juliet, the world's most famous star-crossed lovers were Anthony and Cleopatra. Mark Anthony (83-30 BC) was a Roman general, big and boisterous, with a fun-loving disposition. Cleopatra (51-30 BC) Queen of Egypt was charming and clever, with a playful and devious personality. The lovers delighted in carousing around the city of Alexandria, and regularly challenged each other in frequent outlandish escapades.

One time, Cleopatra bet Mark Anthony that she could serve him a dinner so expensive it would never be equaled. According to Pliny the Elder, writing a the end of the first century AD, the banquet was indeed luxurious but no more so than Cleopatra had served on other occasions.

Mark Anthony thought he had won the bet until Cleopatra, who was wearing two huge pearls on her ears valued at $1,300,000 in today's money, removed one and dropped it in her huge cup of wine where it quickly dissolved. She drank it down and the judge of the wager then declared that Anthony had lost the bet.

What's wrong with this romantic tale? A pearl will not entirely dissolve even in boiling vinegar unless it is pulverized first. Cleopatra's pearl did disappear. But chances are that the Queen simply swallowed it whole and recovered it later.

This Fall,

We're off to Antwerp...

"The Diamond Capital

of the World"

As master IJO Jewelers, members on the Independent Jewelers Organization, the world's largest Buying Group, we have the ability to buy direct form Antwerp's leading diamond cutters, saving you heavy importer's and distributors' costs.

This opportunity allows us to select from Belgium's vast inventory, exclusively for you, top-quality diamonds in the size, shape, and price range you desire.

If you would like to own a spectacular handpicked diamond and enjoy once-in-a-lifetime savings, now is the time!

Call us today or stop by and we'll help you find the diamond of your dreams, to fit your personality, lifestyle and your pocketbook!

Allow us the privilege of being your personal diamond broker.

What's New, What's Hot

Say Hello to New Double-Diamond

Hoop Earrings

These slim, new hoop earrings are set with glittering diamonds on the inside surface as well as on the outside, so the diamonds are visible form every direction. These hot new designs sparkle brilliantly with every move of your head. And they come in a variety of large, medium, and small sizes in 14K white and yellow gold. One of this season's most popular fashion accessories, diamond hoop earrings portray confidence, style, and sex appeal, plus they're perfect for both daytime and evening wear.

The Jewelry Doctor

Don't Take Your Gold Jewelry In The Pool

Swimming and summer just naturally go together. But next time you plan on taking a dip in the pool, be sure to remove your gold jewelry first.

Most pool water contains chlorine, which is a useful disinfectant. However, ever when highly diluted, chlorine can be harmful to all kinds of karat gold jewelry...yellow, pink, and especially white gold. Studies have shown that even tiny amounts of diluted chlorine in pools, resort spas, and Jacuzzis can erode the nickel alloy in white gold, and possibly cause prongs to snap and mountings to break apart.

Chlorine is present in many ordinary household chemicals such as bleach, detergents, soaps, and cleansers. They can leave chlorine deposits that could damage your gold rings, So when using these products, always remove your gold jewelry or wear rubber gloves.

Stop in with Your Questions

As members of IJO we are part of the largest Buying Group in the world, almost 900 jewelers strong, bringing you exclusive styles and the best values in the industry. As professional jewelers, we have a responsibility to our customers and our community... to maintain standards and preserve your fine jewelry investment.

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