Rings & Things Jewelry Blog

Jump directly to illustration of gold-fill vs. gold plate.What are Elements and Alloys? Metals can be elements or alloys. Elements are the basic building blocks of chemistry. Examples of elements: Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and niobium (Nb).Lead (Pb) is an element that was popular for 1,000's of years as an ingredient in casting alloys (and some other alloys) because it makes some metals softer, less brittle and/or helps them melt at lower temperatures. Lead is now known …

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 …

What is Polymer Clay?Brands & StylesTools & TipsWhere to Buy ItResourcesWhat is Polymer Clay? Polymer clay is a manmade, non-toxic polymer-based alternative to natural clay. Its only real similarity to natural clay is that it is shaped while soft and then heated for hardening. Owning a kiln is not necessary for polymer-clay work, since the temperatures needed to bake it are easily achieved in a home oven (265° to 275° Fahrenheit). Each polymer-clay brand is made with its own "recipe," u …

Glosario español-inglés de términos relacionados a la joyería-bisuteríaSpanish-English    |    English-Spanish Many of us sell to, or buy from, Spanish-speaking countries and people. It can be hard to track down the specialized words for beads, findings and other jewelry-related terms, so we thought we'd share this glossary with you. Additions and questions are always welcome! Hay muchos de nosotros que venden a los países y a la gente de habla hispana, o que compran de ello …

What is "Nickel Free"?The term "nickel free" can be confusing since jewelry marked nickel free is still allowed to contain a very small amount of nickel ... but it is such a tiny amount that it takes extremely sensitive instruments to measure it.The European Union's (EU) Nickel Directive limits the amount of nickel that may be released onto the skin from jewelry and other products. This type of measurement is distinct from measuring the percentage of nickel that exists in an alloy's composition. …

Antiqued: Beads or Findings that have had their surfaces treated to appear oxidized ("distressed" or aged). Antiqued metal beads have either a genuine patina, a plating, or a other coating which simulates an oxidized or tarnished surface. Antiqued bone beads are dyed a darker hue, often with the use of natural dyes such as tea. The crevices of antiqued beads, charms and findings often appear darker while the raised areas are often polished, to mimic the appearance of actual old, worn beads. …

Most Common Question:Q. What is a gross?A.  For any item, one gross (often abbreviated "GR") is 12 dozen.      1 gross = 12 dozen = 144 pieces (72 pairs).      1 half-gross = 6 dozen = 72 pieces (or 36 pairs).Why a "gross"?  We believe this is because in the 1800s and early 1900s, many jewelry findings, such as filigree findings and other common jewelry-making components were made in Germany, and sold by the dozen or the "big" measurement, the gr …

We strive to provide you with clear, honest information, in a complicated and ever-changing world of jewelry-making materials.Our products are made of over 500 different materials (various semi-precious gemstones are over 200 of these), and our website has been growing and changing since 1996 -- so it can be a challenge to keep this all updated and easy to find! The materials defined below account for approximately 80% of the items in our website, and we're adding more all the time!&nb …

No gemstone is more creatively striped by nature than agate. This distinct and dramatically banded variety of chalcedony is composed of quartz layers. This composition varies greatly and can be of many colors. The other chalcedony family, jasper, has less-regular patterns and is less defined than the agates. Another difference between the two is that agates tend to be translucent (or at least contain translucent bands), while jaspers are generally opaque. This distinction stems from agate being …