Rings & Things Jewelry Blog

For centuries, the word jade applied to green gemstones brought to Europe from China and Central America. It wasn't until 1863 that society realized the term "jade" was being applied to two different minerals. These two gemstones, nephrite and jadeite, are relatively hard to distinguish from each other, and both are still called jade. Varieties of serpentine have also been confused with jade throughout history, and some serpentine is still called jade. In fact, the Chinese word for jade is appli …

Quartz gemstone beads and pendants from Rings & Things: Options include multicolor rutilated quartz, clear rock crystal quartz, rose quartz, smoky quartz, tourmalated quartz, druzy quartz and more. Members of this semiprecious gemstone family share the same chemical composition (silicon dioxide) and similar physical properties. All semiprecious beads described here are types of macrocrystalline quartz (crystals recognizable with the naked eye), just like citrine and amethyst. True quartz can …

Opal Gemstone Beads from Rings & Things: Opal beads have the same basic chemical composition as quartz, but usually contain 6 - 10% water. Because of this, opal jewelry components should be protected from heat and strong light. Loss of water can cause opals to crack and/or lose iridescence. Opal beads can be oiled to prevent dehydration. Make sure to keep your opal beads away from detergents, ultrasonic cleaners, metal polish, acids and strong solvents. Birthstones for October include Opal, …

Jasper is a semiprecious chalcedony (or microcrystalline quartz), and is usually red, brown or green. Its patterns are much less regular and defined than agate, the other chalcedony variety. Another difference between the two is that jaspers are generally opaque, while agates tend to be translucent (or at least contain translucent bands). This distinction stems from the stones' composition. Jasper contains microscopic "grains" of crystalline quartz and agate has microscopic "fibers" of crystalli …

Rhyolite gemstone beads can look very similar to jaspers, and the popular green variety of rhyolite is sometimes called rainforest jasper. Similarly, the type of rhyolite that displays red, yellow, brown, and pinkish spots is descriptively called leopardskin jasper. Rhyolites, igneous rock chemically identical to granite, have beautifully markings which originated when rhyolitic magma and lava cooled from a molten state too quickly for crystals to form. Rhyolite occurs largely in the U.S.A. Type …

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue   Designer Tips  Unspool approximately 26" of copper wire. Pull it smooth with flat nylon-jaw pliers.Trim the end neatly (flush) with flush cutters.Use ring-bending pliers to make as many equal sized coils as you can easily fit on the pliers.Using good flush cutters, snip each coil apart so you have identically-sized links. Carefully trim ends so the ends of the links line up flush. If you have any gaps, your solder join will not look good and will not be …

Amethyst Gemstone Beads and Pendants: Amethyst is the most highly prized variety of quartz and if not for its widespread availability, would be very expensive. With its luscious color, it is the official birthstone for February and one of our best-selling gemstones. Amethyst is formed in silica-rich liquids deposited in gas cavities (geodes) in lava. It occurs in crystalline masses, but the crystals are generally not well developed, so they are generally found as clusters of crystal points. Thou …

Amazonite (sometimes called Amazon stone) is a rare blue-green variety of microcline (a feldspar mineral) used as a semiprecious stone. Its brilliant color was once thought to be caused by copper, but now is attributed to the presence of lead or possibly iron. Amazonite is an opaque stone, often found with white, yellow or gray inclusions and a silky luster or silvery sheen. Even when polished, amazonite beads maintain a somewhat raw, natural texture that makes this pale blue-green stone ev …

Looking to make custom birthstone jewelry? Here you'll find birthstone jewelry-making supplies, including genuine gemstone beads for each month, European crystal in classic birthstone colors, and birthstone charms and connectors including rivets, links, drops, ear wires and earring posts -- set with crystals, cubic zirconias and zodiac symbols. Whether you have a business making birthstone and bespoke jewelry, or you're making something special for yourself (or as a gift), this section is o …

This is a lovely summery design with secure wire-wrapped links, and can also double as  November birthstone jewelry (citrines) or June (pearls).Created by: Veronica Greenwood Designer TipsUsing a 12" piece of wire, wrap one 4mm citrine bead, one 4mm apatite, and one 4mm citrine around a section of the 26mm hammered link.Using a jump ring, attach all three hammered rings to the center link of your chain.For wire-wrapped loop instructions, and most secure way way to open and close jump r …