Above:  Left, Silver hinged Bohemian garnet bracelet approx 1800’s; Center, 14k yellow gold vintage garnet earrings

For those of you fortunate enough to have a January birthday, then Garnet is your beautiful birthstone. Most of us are familiar with the deep red color of garnets, but there are also shades of green, blue, purple, black, colorless, orange, and yellow to choose from, so not to worry if red isn’t your color. They are found all over the world, but Africa currently supplies the majority of garnets today.

The name “garnet” has its roots from the Latin “granatus,” meaning “pomegranate,” referring to their vibrant red color. Garnets are actually a group of minerals. The significant varieties being pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular (including hessonite and tsavorite), uvarovite and andradite. Over the years, garnets have been used in jewelry as well as an abrasive in sanding and polishing. 

Since the Bronze Age, garnets have dazzled us with their beauty in jewelry design throughout the world. It is one of the oldest known gemstones and has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs decorating the Pharaohs. The ancient Greeks and Romans also valued this lovely gem and used garnets as signet rings to seal documents. Hunza warriors from Kashmir would shoot garnet pellets fastened to their arrows with the belief that the garnets would inflict bloody wounds. During the Middle Ages, garnets were considered a symbol of Christ’s blood.

Above: 10k yellow gold garnet ring and 14k yellow gold garnet necklace

The symbolism of garnets includes associations with the heart and blood, as well as protection from harm. Garnets were often worn into battle, and are also a symbol of love and friendship. They stood for the safe return of a loved one and were often exchanged as tokens between friends that they would meet again.

If you choose to research garnets, then I suggest looking up the newly discovered Blue Umbalite garnet, which was discovered in Tanzania’s Umba Valley and first reported in 2017. The Umba Valley is a wonderful source of unusual colored garnets. We are also fortunate to have garnets here in Washington State at Vesper Peak in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest!

Above: Gold-filled Bohemian garnet necklace from Stuttgart, 9kt Georgian Mourning brooch from 1819 engraved, 9kt Bohemian garnet pin

Since garnets are relatively hard (Mohs scale 6.5-7.5), they are also quite durable for everyday wear in jewelry. As long as they are not subjected to hard blows or rough wear, they can be worn in rings on a regular basis. You can clean your garnet jewelry briefly in an ultrasonic cleaner, making sure to rinse and dry with a cloth.

All pieces above are currently for sale in the shop! Scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter to book an appointment for more details.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION? CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST BOARD WITH SOME LOVELY GARNET COLOR ALTERNATIVES BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW.

For those of you that were lucky enough to be born in December, you have your choice of three birthstones! All three are in beautiful shades of blue and have incredible stories.

14k gold cabochon turquoise vintage necklace Turquoise

Among the world’s oldest jewelry stones, turquoise necklaces, bracelets, and earrings were found in ancient Egypt and Persia, as well as in early Meso-American and Chinese civilizations. In North America, the first turquoise appeared to be mined by the Anasazi and Hohokum people in 200BC.

Turquoise is often considered to be a gemstone that promotes good health, good fortune, and also protection from evil. The Apache tribe would attach turquoise to their weapons to ensure greater accuracy in the hunt. The beautiful turquoise stones were also used as a form of currency for many North American tribes.

When choosing a piece of turquoise jewelry, be aware that the beautiful color of your turquoise can be altered by perfumes, cosmetics, oils, and chemicals. Always remember to clean your turquoise jewelry with warm, soapy water and do not put it in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Zircon

Zircon is the oldest mineral on earth at 4.4 billion years! It sometimes contains slight traces of uranium, making it mildly radioactive, but poses no risk to your health.

With blue being the most popular color of zircon since Victorian times, zircon comes in a variety of colors from yellow, to green and even a brownish-red. Zircons are a “doubly-refractive” gemstone, which means that under the microscope, you will see twice as many facets. This makes for an extraordinarily brilliant and lustrous gemstone!

In the Middle Ages, it was thought that zircons could induce a night of sound sleep and drive away evil spirits. It was also believed that zircon promoted riches as well as honor and wisdom.

If zircon is a stone that you wear, make sure to clean it in warm, soapy water with no ultrasonic cleaning. Zircon is at its best brilliance when it is clean.

Tanzanite

Discovered in 1967 by a Masai tribesman in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania, this gemstone was originally identified as “blue zoisite.” The name changed to tanzanite in honor of the country of origin. In 1968, Tiffany & Co. chose to launch a major campaign to promote tanzanite, and it is now enjoyed by many jewelry wearers around the world.

Tanzanite is also noted for its pleochroism, as described in an article from the Gemological Institute of America:

“Tanzanite’s appearance is influenced greatly by its pleochroism, which is the ability of a gemstone to show different colors when viewed in different crystal directions. Tanzanite’s pleochroism was documented in scientific papers not long after its discovery. In 1969, American Mineralogist described the gem’s pleochroic colors as `red-violet, deep blue, and yellow-green.’ Today, most gems are heat-treated, which removes or reduces the yellow-green or brownish pleochroic color, maximizing the blue and violet.”

Tanzanite is always beautiful in earrings and pendants and can be worn in special-occasion rings. If you would like to wear a tanzanite ring every day, make sure that it is in a protective setting. When you clean your tanzanite, do not use an ultrasonic. Simply use warm, soapy water.

The pieces above are currently in the shop!
Click the image below for more inspiration on my Pinterest board.

JEWELRY Q&A

Answer:

This is a question that comes up often, and I think there are a few things to consider.

I always recommend finding out what your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance policy deductible is. Then, if your item is worth more than the deductible, it is a good idea to have it appraised and insured.

That being said, I would still consider having an appraisal done for any item that—even if it doesn’t hit your deductible—is sentimental and/or impossible to replace. This way, if something should happen you would have a detailed description and photos of the item for your records as well as to show your insurance company. If you don’t want to spring for formal appraisals on all of your items, at least spend some time photographing your jewelry from many different angles.

Also, keep notes (and receipts) on your jewelry and keep everything in a safe place!

Do you have a jewelry question you have been curious about? Send me your questions and I will include them in my posts and newsletters: info@lisaesztergalyos.com

One of York Minster’s architectural gems, the Chapter House contains some of the Minster’s finest carvings and in 1297 was used as the location for the Parliament of King Edward I. The octagonal space dates from the 1280s and its magnificent, vaulted ceiling is supported by timbers in the roof, instead of a central column, which is the earliest example of its kind to use this revolutionary engineering technique.

November brings all the fall colors of Autumn, and you can find no better example of this than in the warm colors found in Topaz. The Greek word for Topaz is “topazion,” meaning “fire” and for those of you born in the 11th month, you have several color options to choose from with Topaz. The most traditional tones being yellow to amber, but there are also some unexpected colors like red, green, violet, brown, pink, and many different shades of blue.

The most valuable form of Topaz is called “Imperial” or “Precious Topaz,” which is a reddish-orange gem with pink undertones.

An alternative to the Topaz birthstone is the Citrine, which is a pale yellow to dark amber quartz. As one of the more inexpensive gemstones, Citrine is an excellent choice for a bigger pendant or ring. Natural citrines are rare, and most that are found in the market today are actually amethyst stones or smoky quartz that have been heat-treated to produce their yellow and orange color.

The topaz birthstone instills strength and wisdom to the individual who wears it. Topaz is also a symbol of love and fondness and is sometimes referred to as “The Stone of the Merchants,” as it promotes success and achievement in business. An excellent gemstone to carry in your pocket or put in the cash register at work!

Both Topaz and Citrine are thought to have a calming and healing effect. Another reason to consider adding one of these gemstones to your wardrobe! Check out my pinterest board for inspiration! 

JEWELRY Q&A

ANSWER: I THINK IT IS PERFECTLY FINE TO WEAR YOUR RINGS AT THE GYM AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY ON YOUR FINGERS! 🖐️ IT IS MUCH BETTER TO HAVE A DEDICATED CHAIN THAT YOU WEAR THEM ON THAT IS NOT TOO LONG TO GET IN THE WAY AND HAS A STRONG CLASP. THIS WAY, YOU AREN’T LEAVING YOUR RINGS IN A LOCKER (OR IN THE POCKET OF YOUR SHORTS) AND THEY ARE “ON YOUR PERSON” SO TO SPEAK.

Even if you feel like your costume jewelry is okay to wear lifting weights, just be aware that they can easily bend out of shape!

Do you have a jewelry question? Send it my way and I will be sure to answer it via social or during my monthly newsletter!

Black Friday Offer!

Pamper yourself and your jewelry. Come in on Friday, November 29th for a glass of champagne and some much-needed escape from the Black Friday masses while I clean and check your rings.

Leave with a jar of complimentary jewelry cleaner and sparkly clean jewelry!

Giving Back

Artist Trust invites visual and jewelry artists to submit up to three works to be considered for inclusion in their 2020 Benefit Art Auction in March of 2020. The submission form is open! All submissions are due by November 4, 2019 and it is a wonderful cause.

2019 Sterling Silver Holiday Ornament

This year I will be continuing with my limited edition of 30 sterling ornaments.

Design unveiling will be on Black Friday at the shop, so let me know if there is a particular number that you are collecting and I will be sure you are on the list!

Dear Jewelry Lovers,

I have decided to go paperless, and I’m finally embracing the technology at hand. I will be updating my website and diving into social media for the first time. With these changes, I hope to showcase new items that come into the shop, as well as answer the many jewelry related questions I receive each day.

This will be a monthly newsletter that promises to offer value for my clients but I also understand that not everyone wants or needs a newsletter! I hope you will consider my newsletter as an informative and helpful jewelry-related read each month but if you wish to unsubscribe you can do so at any time by clicking the link below.

20% off Repairs in October