Rings & Things Jewelry Blog
Metals
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
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Dec 2nd 2021
Gemstone Index: Amethyst
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
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Dec 1st 2021
Gemstone Index: Amazonite
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
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Dec 1st 2021
Polymer Clay 101
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
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Oct 27th 2021
Spanish-English Jewelry Glossary
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
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Oct 26th 2021