JK Gems

Women tend to gravitate toward other women that have the same style. As a result, friends can often end up having the same clothes or jewelry as each other. This is fine when you’re younger, since best friends like to match, but it can be embarrassing when you’re older and wanting to have a unique look. If you all shop at the same stores and like the same things, how can you avoid this?

Choosing a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry is the answer. You can find independent jewelry makers at local fairs and markets or online. Often, they’ll make custom pieces depending on your favorite colors and styles. Find unique necklaces, rings or bracelets with colored beads to make your friends truly envious. They’ll want to be copycats, but they won’t find a replica of your new piece of jewelry no matte how hard they try!

Last year I visited a convent just outside of Spokane, WA and had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with a few nuns. Admittedly, I know little about the Catholic faith and the various prayers and rites that the religion practices. One item that I had seen before but didn’t understand the significance of until I went there was the rosary.

Rosaries are a set of prayer beads that are used with an accompanying devotional prayer. The beads are used to count the amount of Hail Mary’s and other prayers that are recited as part of the meditation practice. The custom was established in the 16th century by Pope St. Pius V.

I’m the sort of person who goes into conniptions when I see another woman wearing an identical article of clothing. It’s nice to carve out your own fashion niche, feeling safe in the knowledge that you’ve created your own distinct style. That’s why I’ve always chosen to buy my jewelry from craft shows. Each summer, I stroll around the local arts festivals in search of one-of-a-kind necklaces.

This year, I noticed a serious shortage of new styles. Not only that, but there were markedly fewer retailers hocking their wares at the craft fairs. I asked one woman why that was, and she told me that many people are going online these days to satisfy their unique accessory needs. That was all I needed to hear. Before the day was out, I returned home and did some shopping on the Web.

The pearl necklace stands out as a timeless, elegant piece of jewelry fit for queens, actresses and models. Matching necklaces fetch exorbitant prices in part because of their rarity. In reality, genuine pearl necklaces are so scarce that they aren’t a viable option for the average woman. Luckily, there are a number of equally extravagant substitutes that don’t cost a pretty penny.

Semi precious gemstone necklaces offer style and sophistication at an affordable price. These necklaces have the power to breathe new life into a stale ensemble. They can be found in all manners of style and color, which means you won’t have any trouble matching preexisting outfits. Gemstone necklaces are practical in casual and formal situations alike, and they are virtually guaranteed to draw compliments.

Jewelry is the perfect gift for women of any generation, but there are so many options to choose from that it can be hard to decide what to buy. Rings can be difficult to buy because you need to know the woman’s ring size. Necklaces and earrings, on the other hand, are one-size-fits-all. Plus, it’s usually easy to tell what kinds of necklaces and earrings a woman prefers just by looking at the ones she usually wears.

Necklace sets consist of necklaces and matching earrings, and they make extra special and useful gifts. A woman can look coordinated and put together by wearing both the necklace and earrings at once, or she can mix and match each of the pieces with other items in her jewelry collection. Choose a necklace set in her favorite color, or in a color that goes well with colors she often wears. They’re also available with many different types of stones, so you could choose a necklace set that features her birthstone or another stone that is special to her.

When you purchase a necklace, there’s nothing more important than the length of that necklace. If it doesn’t fall in a convenient place, the beauty and aesthetic of the necklace can be completely destroyed. After all, if it’s too long, it can often slip underneath the neckline of a shirt, and this completely obscures the pendant itself. If it’s too short, it can be uncomfortable, and this often means the wearer will eventually discard the necklace.

This is why so many people turn to beaded necklaces. These can usually be adjusted with a few simple jewelry tools and a little bit of know how. If it’s too long, simply remove a small section of the beads from the strand and re-adhere the jump rings. If you want to make these kinds of at-home jewelry adjustments, all you’ll need is a pair of needle nose pliers and the confidence that you won’t irreparably break the necklace!

If you’re interested in all things jewelry, there is a huge selection of books that put jewelry at the forefront. Of particular interest to the jewelry aficionado would be “Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry.” This book details Taylor’s extensive and impressive jewelry collection. This ideal coffee table book contains beautifully shot images of Taylor wearing her jewelry as well as standalone shots of some of the more stunning pieces.

Taylor, an avid collector of some of the world’s most famous gems and jewelry pieces, also recounts exactly how she obtained these well known pieces. While the book focuses on these exotic and expensive pieces, Taylor was noted for her ability to transform everyday items into something extraordinary. Just like her character in “Gone with the Wind,” who was able to pull off a dress made of drapes, Taylor could wear any number of handmade necklaces and transform them into something greater than themselves. This skill was made evident throughout the pictorial exploration of her jewelry collection.

Quartz is a well known mineral to geologists and the general public by virtue of its common use in jewelry. On one hand, geologists know it as the second most abundant mineral present in the Earth’s crust—beaten only by feldspar. A geologist might also describe it as composed primarily of silica, or they might simply label it as a seven on the Mohs scale of hardness. But all of these properties are generally lost to the public. Instead, the public knows quartz as the main component of many reasonably priced jewelry sets.

Perfect for necklaces, earrings, or bracelets, quartz comes in a variety of colors. There is one common form of quartz, which is clear, but it also appears in purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), milky white, and many more varieties. Another common and popular form is rose quartz, which is pink in color and most often seen in a rose quartz necklace or rose quartz figurine. No matter which color of quartz you find most appealing, the mineral always offers jewelry and other items an element of beauty.

I’ve always fancied the various colors and shades of green, whether emerald, chartreuse, or the sea green of the Puget Sound.  I suppose its coincidence that I came to live in the Pacific Northwest where the sea is green all the time.  I can recall mornings looking out onto the Puget Sound, seeing the dawn peek over the islands on the horizon, and reflect against the green sheen of the water.  It’s a wonderful feeling, because of all the other places I’ve visited where the ocean met the land, the Puget Sound is the only place where the water isn’t just a different shade of blue. 

Despite persistent comments from friends and family about my green obsession, I drive a forest green car, live in a light green house, and I just adore my Emerald Isle beaded necklace.  I can’t help it, I just love the color green!  Even though the Pacific Northwest is now my home, when I lived in the Midwest where there were no oceans for a thousand miles, I often thought of swimming in a green sea!