Extra, Extra…The Month of June Carries 3 Birthstones!!

Let us a wish a very happy birthday to all of the early summer babies, the twin Geminis and crabby Cancers!  As if boasting claim to 2 very cool zodiac signs weren’t enough, you have to declare 3 gorgeous gemstones of your own as well.  June is marked with the Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone as it’s 3 birthstones, talk about taste!

pearls in shell2We all know Pearls, the lustrous and lovely gems known for their purity and grace, available in a range of colors from black to white and just about everything in between.  The only gem harvested from living sea creatures, pearls need no polishing or faceting to reveal their natural beauty. This is certainly the most popular and well known of the 3 June birthstones.  Keep checking back here, we will be exploring this gemstone in further detail in upcoming posts.

alexandrite bothAlexandrite, not so well known as the popular pearl, is a very rare, strikingly beautiful gemstone.  It was only just discovered in Russia in 1831, a very young gem in our history.  Viewed in natural daylight or fluorescent light, this gem is a glowing and gorgeous shade of green, bright and reminiscent of Caribbean ocean waters.  But indoors, under lamplight this gem radiates warm, raspberry red tones.  Due to it’s extreme rarity, it is not frequently used today in modern jewelry, though synthetic Alexandrite can be located.

moonstone Last but not least, we have the mysterious Moonstone.  First thing we should mention regarding Moonstone, you guessed it, it does not come from the moon!  It received it’s name from the visual effect it creates when it is moved about.  The shimmering surface appears to be fluid and actually moving, this phenomenon is called adularescence.  In ancient times people believed they could see the waxing and waning of the phasing moon in the Moonstone’s surface, securing this gemstone it’s name.  It is most often seen in pale blues, but light browns, oranges and greens are common in India as well.  Unfortunately, jewelry these days lacks the use of the beautiful and feminine Moonstone, but this gem was very popular 100 years ago during the time of French Art Nouveau.

Loaded up with this information, June birthday shopping just opened up a lot more options!  If you are a June baby, which stone are you?  Are you the innocent, pure Pearl type… perhaps you’re the enigmatic and eccentric Alexandrite or maybe the mysterious and mystical Moonstone is more your style?  Whichever personality you may be, you are fortunate enough to have not 1 or 2, but 3 very different and equally beautiful birthstones to choose from…what fabulous luck!

 

Just what is a “carat” anyway?

So we all know that we want more of them when determining the size of our diamonds, but what exactly is a carat, just what does it mean?  The English word carat made it’s appearance in the mid 15th century and comes from the Italian word carato, a word they took from the Greek keration (diminutive of keras meaning horn) or possibly the Arabic qirat,  Simply said, carat means carob seed or small horn literally.

Carob seeds?!?!  Now what in the world do carob seeds have to do with diamonds…well nothing really.  But, way back in the day, carob seeds were used as a measure of weight, often when weighing gold (yes, related to gold karats which is a whole other story but to be told at a later date!).  It was once thought that there was no variation in the weight from one carob seed to the next and so it was deemed a reliable unit to measure by.

We have since wizened up to the carob seed theory, and at the 4th General Conference on Weights and Measures (that sounds like a really fun party…yawn) the word carat was now to be used for measuring the weight of diamonds.  Now when I think about diamonds in carats, I am considering the stone’s size, but it is actually the weight, the measurement of the mass of the stone in question.  And just how exactly do we figure this magical number?  One carat is equal to 200mgs.  For us non-metric folks, that is 0.2g = 0.007055 ozs.

In terms of diamonds, a paragon is a flawless 100 carat stone…how wouldya like to wear that beauty!?!? 

Today we measure our diamonds, gemstones and pearls in carats and leave the carob seeds for grinding into that cocoa like stuff we coat raisins and nuts in.

The stars shine in hoop earrings!

All the ladies of Hollywood are being spotted in big, bold hoop earrings.  Beyonce, Halle and Taylor all caught on camera with larger than life hoops!  Golden Chariot has sizes and styles for everyone, come and see which pair is for you!!  Shop at the link or click on any image for descriptions and purchase info.

http://www.shop.goldenchariotinnovativejewelryinc.com/Hoop-and-Huggie-Earrings_c27.htm

beyonce hoops halle hoops taylor hoopsER011 ER014 ER015 (2) ER019 (2) ER022 ER025 ER030 ER048 ER071 (4) ER073ER034 (2) ER036

Feeling hot…hot…hot!

Now it’s starting to feel like summer, finally!  I think it’s time to start peeling back a few layers and show off some skin.  Less clothes and more exposed skin is our cue to accessorize!!  Ankle bracelets are a must with sandals or flip flops and earrings are required to glam up a messy bun or ponytail.  Keep it simple, daytime summer styles should be light and casual.  Simple links and cute charms for bracelets, chains and pendants.  Hoop earrings in all shapes and sizes are right-on for this season but a light pair of danglers can work beautifully too!  Think fun and sun and inspiration will strike…here are a few ideas to get you started.  You can click on any of the images to link up for descriptions and purchase information.

Two-tone, dangle heart earrings

Two-tone, dangle heart earrings

Scale pattern, bangle bracelet

Scale pattern, bangle bracelet

Large, etched gold hoops

Large, etched gold hoops

BW053 (2)

Cute hearts link, gold ankle bracelet

This Just In!!

Check out the beauty that just came in…Gorgeous ladies ring featuring blue topaz, 14K white gold with white and blue diamonds!  Simply elegant and totally beautiful.  Follow this link or click on image for full description and purchase information.   http://www.shop.goldenchariotinnovativejewelryinc.com/14K-White-Gold-Blue-Topaz-w-Blue-White-Diamond-Halos-Ring-RW093.htm

RW093

14K white gold ladies ring featuring blue topaz in halos of blue and white diamonds