Today: Sapphires and Cameo Necklaces

It is already September, and that means that the Cluny Grey Fall Collection comes out this coming week! September also means that the sapphire is the gemstone of the month. So for those of you looking for birthstone jewelry, or those who just love sapphires, above is a sapphire bracelet made with sapphires and sterling silver. And yes, even the golden yellow gemstones that you see is a sapphire as well! The sterling silver filigree and flowers makes this unique bracelet pretty and feminine. And below are sapphire earrings, also with sterling silver, that hang from leverbacks. Happy Birthday to all the Virgos and other September birthdays!

Below is an iolite bracelet made with the gemstone that is also known as the "water sapphire". In fact, some people actually prefer iolite to sapphires since it is easier to find less expensive iolites that have a translucent or transparent blue colour - especially in beads. This three strand iolite bracelet has a pretty true pink rose quartz faceted rectangle and a sterling silver toggle with freshwater pearls bezel set into the ends of the bar. The following 3 pairs of earrings are also made of the gemstone iolite; the iolite earrings include faceted rondelles of iolite, iolite coins hanging from sterling chandeliers, and faceted iolite nuggets hanging from sterling posts set with white freshwater pearls.

The rose quartz bracelet below features some of our favorite lampwork beads which have an incredible depth that isn't showing up that well on camera. The bracelet is punctuated by sterling silver Karen Hill Tribes charms and a single smooth emerald nugget.
Below is the latest antique style jewelry: first, a golden necklace with pretty rhinestones in a peridot colour that sparkle and shine; second, a silver art deco style pendant hangs from a silver chain and flashes small clear rhinestones surrounding a large Azores blue rhinestone.



Following are cameo necklaces (remember that these are made usually of plated metal). Below a blue cameo is surrounded by rhinestones and set in silver; a second fan-shaped piece has a single rhinestone. The cameo pendant hangs from an oxidized silver chain.
The gold cameo has 6 little rhinestones set into the gold filigree. The cameo hangs from a gold and freshwater pearl necklace. Another gold cameo is set into a heavy metal bronze oval, surrounded by pearls and accented by three dark aqua rhinestones. This cameo necklace hangs from a freshwater pearl necklace also.


Immediately below, a silver cameo with a single tiny rhinestone on the neck of the cameo.
CLUNY'S NEW FALL COLLECTION OF JEWELRY WILL BE FEATURE ON THIS BLOG ALL THIS WEEK! STAY TUNED!

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Sapphire: September's Exotic Birthstone

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.

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The Season of Sapphires

The sapphire is the September birthstone (although many sources will list lapis as an alternate). It is a very popular precious gemstone probably since a large percentage of people say that their favourite colour is blue. However, the sapphire, although know for its beautiful blue, comes in many, many other colours.
The sapphire is a corundum (like the ruby!), made of aluminum oxide, and created by heat and pressure deep within the earth. Other elements are responsible for the colours of sapphires such as iron and chrome. There are pink sapphires, green siapphires, and I have quite a few yellow sapphires in my own stock as well as some white sapphires. When corumdum is red, it is called a ruby. So is a ruby a sapphire? Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. It is the red colour caused by an element in the sapphire that makes a ruby, a ruby!



Sri Lanka, once known as Ceylon, was one of the earliest places to mine sapphires successfully. Sapphires are also found in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Brazil. Today the largest suppliers of sapphires are Australia and Africa.
Many legends have grown up around the mysterious blue of the sapphire. The sapphire gemstone has been believed to represent wisdom - and even to endow one with wisdom if worn constantly. Thought of as a "mind-opening" gemstone, it is thought to prevent jealousy and bring truth and health to the wearer. Perhaps this is why in ancient times it was believed to be an antidote to poison.
The first two pictures represent jewelry on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. The bracelet is made of rather large (9mm-10mm) faceted sapphire rondelles and - yes! I added lampwork beads to a sapphire bracelet! These are good borosilicate lampwork beads that have beautiful shades of sapphire in them, and then a faint glimmer of green and a hint of a dark red. They are perfect for sapphires. See the bracelet on the Sapphire Bracelets page of our website.
The earrings are made of faceted sapphire rondelles and sterling added to give them a slightly "Moroccan" look. They are on the Sapphire Earrings page.
The last bracelet is a combination of two favourite gemstones I recently got in. The pink Peruvian opals are some of the most glowing and beautiful I've ever had although they are not very large. The pink colour is wonderful. And the aquamarine gemstones I just got in from Thailand are beautiful. I decided to combine the two beauties just for fun!
Otherwise, custom orders are keeping me busy. I try to make one or two new jewelry pieces a week to put on the website to keep it fresh. So keep looking, you may find your heart's desire (and a great piece of jewelry to wear when you're with him!)

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