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Diamonds have been in use for jewelry for thousands of years. It is thought that they were first used and actively mined 3,000 years ago in India, but there is also proof that it was used there about 6,000 years ago. In those days it was virtually impossible to cut or polish the diamonds.

The recognition of diamonds as jewelry truly rose in the Eighteenth Century, at which time more ‘modern’ techniques permitted the acts of cutting and polishing to be achieved more easily. Successful marketing ploys helped make diamonds more popular to the general population.

Cartels of diamond miners and retailers such as De Beers restricted the quantity of diamonds which has successfully held the price artificially high for decades. An instance of extremely successful marketing is Argyle or brown diamonds in Australia

Brown diamonds were thought to be useless for jewelry because of their filthy colour. However, one mine in Australia produces 7,000 kg of brown diamonds a year, so initiated a campaign to make them desirable. These days, they may be worn as jewelry in Australia and sell nicely.

Because of the high cost of diamonds and the restricted supply, jewelers have sought a man-manufactured, cheaper alternative. Cubic Zirconia is one of the best man-made diamond-like substances that they have come up with so far.

Some people would rather buy cubic zirconia than real diamonds because they do not like to be manipulated and in the end cheated by the diamond firms. Surveys suggest that many diamonds have been improved to raise their perceived value and that much too many diamonds are too highly priced.

Some others are shying away from diamonds for reasons of conscience. ‘Blood Diamonds’ and forced child labour have made the headlines. The conditions in these forced labour camps is horrendous and was accurately depicted in the film ‘Blood Diamond’ with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Cubic zirconia is a very decent reproduction of diamonds and is difficult to distinguish from the real thing without specialist tools and a thorough knowledge of gemstones. Many well-known rich people are refusing to wear diamonds, not because they cannot afford them, but because of their above associations.

There are several other options to cubic zirconia including moissanite and nexus, but cubic zirconia is the firm favourite. Russian cubic zirconia is among the principal forms of the ‘gemstone’.

It is worth stating here that cubic zirconia does not exist in nature, although its raw form zircon (zirconium silicate) and zirconium dioxide does. Russian cubic zirconia is made to the specifications set down by the Gemological Institute of America.

If you are content to wear cubic zirconia, you will be treading the green path in jewelry and saving lots of money as well. Cubic zirconia is approximately 25% of the cost of diamonds, so you can afford to spend more on the setting rather than on the stone. Cubic zirconia looks fantastic in a solid platinum or pure gold mounting.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with Amber in Poland. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Jewellry but Watches.

Blue and green are two of the most popular colours among people and with nature – the sea, water, the sky and plants are all green or blue or turquoise, a greeny-blue. Turquoise is the colour of the open sea. It is not a difficult colour to like and it matches with most colour schemes.

Turquoise is not a especially rare gemstone, but it is rare in its finest state. It is mined in many countries including the USA, Iran, India and China. The word turquoise derives from an old French word for Turkey or Turkish, because it was first imported into Europe from Iranian or Persian mines via Turkey.

Turquoise is easily smashed and is just slightly stronger than glass, having a hardness of 6. Turquoise is one of the oldest mined gemstones and still, most of the world’s mines are small and hand-operated.

Some of the Iranian mines are 2,000 years old and still productive. However, the most ancient mines are on the Sinai Peninsular and they are known to be at least 3,000 years old as they were worked in the era of the pharaohs.

The colour fluctuates through greens and blues because of the existence or minerals. If there is more copper present the stone will become bluer and if there is aluminium or iron, it will become greener.

Iranian turquoise is some the best quality in the world and is used mainly in the jewelery industry. Turquoise from some other places, like the south-western states of America, is of lower grade and is too chalky and powdery for this use.

Unfortunately, chemists have discovered methods to enhance this gemstone, so that unless you are an expert or purchasing from a trusted source, you could easily end up purchasing poor grade turquoise that has been treated. This is the case with other gemstones as well.

Some of the tricks that they use are:

Chemicals can be applied to intensify the natural colour of the gem

Resin can be soaked into the pores of porous, friable, low-grade turquoise to ‘stabilize’ it – ie prevent it flaking and crumbling.

Totally untreated, natural turquoise of pleasant appearance is very rare and so very costly. It would be very hard to impossible for a layman to detect whether a stone has been treated or not, but you are unlikely ever to come across any.

Whatever, grade of turquoise you have, you will have to take care of it because it is quite soft, easily scratched and quite easily crushed to powder.

Therefore, do not leave it to rattle about in your bag and store it wrapped on its own in a cool, dark box. Extremes of temperature may harm it as well. Turquoise is naturally porous, even if it has been drenched in resin, so do not permit oils or perfumes to soak into it.

If you have to wash a turquoise, you will need nothing but a soft fabric and warm, but not hot, water. Dry the stone right away after washing with a second soft duster. Be careful not to score the surface with the dirt that you are cleaning off.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with Baby Birthstones. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Jewellry but Watches.

Horse lovers and riding aficionados often like to demonstrate their affection for the animals and their hobby. There are a number of methods of doing this. Children might decorate their bedrooms with wallpaper with horses on it or wear badges.

I saw a car a while ago with the registration plate “HOR5E” and I have seen men wearing rings with a design of a horse running inlaid into the stone in gold. Women frequently wear brooches of a similar design or only the head of a horse.

Equestrian jewellery is smart and also timeless enough to be worn on any occasion. A beautiful horse’s head drawn in tiny diamonds makes a dazzling brooch, but so does one fashioned from gold or silver. In fact, numerous jewellers are realizing the popularity of equestrian jewellery.

Although the horse’s head brooch is almost certainly the most traditional article of equestrian jewellery, pendants are also well-liked these days. The jeweller can craft a larger figure when it is suspended about the neck than if it is pinned to the hair or clothing.

You might not have seen the type of jewellery that I am describing, but I bet that you have seen the Lucky Horse Shoe displayed somewhere. The Lucky Horse Shoe is just another aspect of equestrian jewellery. Many women like to wear them about their necks or on a Charm Bracelet.

The most famous symbol of a horse is almost certainly the Ferrari logo. The Ferrari logo of a rearing horse not only adorns their cars, but can also be seen on official Ferrari memorabilia such as Ferrari jewellery, Ferrari watches and Ferrari shirts and jumpers.

However, equestrian jewellery does not just come in the shape of the horses themselves. The accoutrements to riding are also often represented in jewellery. Men frequently use cuff links in the shape of tiny stirrups and women frequently wear silver or gold riding boots on their Lucky Charm bracelets.

Besides the above-mentioned equestrian lucky charms, I have also seen horse buckets, saddles and hunting horns on ladies’ charm bracelets or as single charms hanging from the ears or about the neck. They can also be worn as larger pieces as brooches.

Much of this type of jewellery is meant for the more well-to-do horsey set and for girls as they go through their horse-loving stage. Therefore, the articles are made in two distinct types: costly and the not so expensive – otherwise very few girls would have the opportunity to show their affection for their large four-legged friends.

The last group of people that can often be seen wearing equestrian jewellery is the gambler who likes to bet on horse racing. This is usually a man, but certainly not always.

These men will frequently wear pins of some kind depicting an aspect of their love of the sport and the animals. They may also think of them as lucky charms too.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now concerned with Good Diamond Quality. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Jewellry but Watches.