Category Archives: Educational

All kinds of informative topics relating to jewelry.

HELLO 2015!!

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The New Year has arrived and we are just beginning to settle in…heading back to school and work, starting to think about how to lose those holiday pounds, practicing writing 2014, and the annual reinvention of our looks.  So, just what is 2015 going to bring us in fashion and how are we going to incorporate these latest trends into our own personal styles?  Let us explore what is trending in 2015!!

First off, this year’s rule of thumb is it’s “All About the Details“, intricate designs with major attention paid to the fine points.  Whether we are doing bold, chunky pieces or delicate dainties, all eyes will be focused on the special features captivated within each design.

Old will be new again as vintage styles make another return with an emphasis on the 60’s and 70’s.  Another old friend making a comeback this year is classic yellow gold, especially in pretty pendant necklaces and intriguing earrings, while white takes a backseat.  We say goodbye to the simplicities of grey, beige and bland, and cheerfully welcome an onslaught of colors…purples, reds and pinks will top the list of faves, and rainbows will rule!  Colored diamonds explode onto the scene, starring in just about everything the designers have to offer.  Out of this world, statement jewelry is now for everyone, making it’s presence seen in every accessory…earrings, bracelets, necklaces…there is certainly a style to suit every personality.  We give love to the layered look in stack-able rings, layered necklaces and climbing earrings.  Finally, cuff bracelets make a break out in mega chunky metals and leathers paired with charms.

I have picked out a few faves from our newest edition with their inspirations from Fashion Week.  All of these pieces are available and more at our store.  Cruise our pages and start off 2015, your way!!

http://www.shop.goldenchariotinnovativejewelryinc.com/

2015 blog chandeleir earrings GE 023 ER0752015 blog statement ring RW105 RW106 RW107

2015 blog statement necklace DSCN1593 NW040 (2) NW026   NW018 NW019 NW013

2015 blog stackable rings RW040 (4) RW01nRW02 RW035

2015 blog colorful mega PW035 - Copy PW033 - Copy GE

 

Cocktail Anyone?

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With summer upon us, many will be poolside reaching for a refreshing, frozen cocktail treat.  This brings to my mind the term “Cocktail Ring”, let us explore this a bit further.  Images of over-sized, exaggerated jeweled rings pop into my head.  Bright, bursting flowers and giant stones in intricate settings, all of these pictures gives one a sense of celebration!

cocktail ring drawing2A cocktail ring in it’s simplest definition is;  a large, dramatic three dimensional ring, often featuring a large stone complimented by several smaller stones.  These gorgeous and gaudy accessories though once worn exclusively to cocktail parties and the like are now worn for any and all occasions, including to the office or laundromat!

cocktail ring 30sFirst introduced into popular culture in 1930’s Prohibition Era, the cocktail ring continued to gain popularity through the 40’s and 50’s as cocktail parties became the place to be.  Nowadays these trinkets are usually spotted at theater events, awards shows and fancy pants dress-up parties… though a special occasion to don a cocktail ring is absolutely not a requirement.

cocktail ring menWhat about the gentlemen, can he wear one too?  When it comes to fashion, there is no discriminating, YES, the boys can get in on this as well!

cocktail ring selena gomezDue to the abundance in size and quantity of stones needed to create these treasures, generally cocktail rings are crafted with semi-precious stones and are considered costume jewelry.  Few of us can afford a 5 carat sapphire surrounded by rubies, emeralds and diamonds.  Less expensive, (but equally as beautiful) gemstones like garnet, topaz and cubic zirconias of every color are more often used.  I imagine our Hollywood starlets wear whatever their hearts desire, but the rest of us can look just as glamorous.

Whatever you style, taste or budget, there is a certainly a cocktail ring for you…want to see what we have to offer for both ladies and gentlemen?  Click on the link below for rings by Golden Chariot Innovative Jewelry Inc. http://www.shop.goldenchariotinnovativejewelryinc.com/Rings_c2.htm

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

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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?

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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.