"Elf" of Knowledge - Pearl Care

DIG, our "elf" of knowledge, likes to drop a few "pearls" of wisdom on the occasion (I promise that's the last play on words!). Mostly how to care for your jewelry. 

Today's "Elf" of knoweledge: never let your pearls get wet! Originally pearls were strung using silk. Today we use nylon. Nylon is more durable and doesn’t stretch out as quickly as silk. Regardless, if the string gets wet it’s more likely to rot which means the string will break. If any pearls are lost it will be difficult to try and match a replacement.

Today's Look

Absolutely love these citrine earrings from Designs In Gold. Chambray shirt from Anthropologie. 

www.designsingoldnashville.com

- Lisa

Today's Look

"Rocking" some tourmaline earrings. www.designsingoldnashville.com

GEMSTONE PENDENTS AND THE DRUNKEN HISTORY OF AMETHYST

Working in a jewelry shop is so tough. This morning I had to put on a few of our necklaces and experiment with layering gemstone pendants with a chunky silver chain. I chose these hand-made pendants from Designs in Gold featuring amethyst and citrine. The twin gem pendant is a combination of a cabochon-back amethyst and citrine; both gems have faceted tops for maximum sparkle.  The matching single gem pendant is also citrine. The stone holds beautiful silk bands that are a naturally occurring feature in the stone. The gem pendant necklaces are layered with a complementary heavy silver chain. Each link is individually sauntered, and a tag charm for a engraving adds a feminine touch.

Upon researching amethyst, I discovered that the stone has a bit of a wild and ancient history. It was worn in Ancient Greece to guard against intoxication, and its Greek etymology translates to “not intoxicated.” The hardness properties of amethyst make it great for carving, and wine goblets were often made of amethyst in Ancient Greece. (And I thought crystal was fancy!) According to a medieval French poet, the Greek god of wine Bacchus is responsible for the color of the purple stone.

As far as the suggestion that amethyst guards against intoxication, I’ll have to wear this pendant and do a little research. I’ll report back.\

-Caroline