Organic jewelry is fast becoming more and more popular all of the time. Organic jewelry is defined as “Jewelry that is made from items that were once living organisms or were produced by living organisms” Organic jewelry include such items as amber, pearls coral, botanicals, ivory, wood, bamboo, bone, jet, stone, and a variety of other substances.

Whether you are looking for organic jewelry for body piercings or for earrings more and more jewelry stores are specializing in selling organic and natural forms of jewelry. Amber in particular is a very beautiful gem that is a “fossilized tree resin” (or pine tree sap) that comes from extinct trees (similar to the conifer trees of modern times) that were believed to have grown in forests over 20 million years ago.

Insects and air bubbles became trapped inside of the amber and this allowed for the creation of beautiful and very intricate designs. As the years went by the amber transformed in the forest into a golden and very warm and inviting color and in some cases it was a green colored kind of gemstone.

Pearls are considered one of the most majestic and stunning gems in jewelry today. Whether they are cultured or natural, these are created by living creatures and considered organic works of art.

A natural pearl begins when a foreign object or particle becomes stuck in an oyster or a clam’s soft inner body.

The object becomes lodged and the oyster cannot expel it. In an act of self-defense the oyster begins coating the particle with layer after layer of a substance called nacre. Nacre is also referred to a Mother of Pearl. Nacre is a crystalline substance that will build up over time creating a pearl.

Nacre will produce a shiny, iridescent appearance. The oyster will continue to coat the foreign article with layers of nacre as long as it remains inside the oyster’s body. The process usually takes several years to produce a pearl.

How pearls are created?

Cultured pearls are created in a similar way. The major difference is that these are produced with the help of humans. People who make cultured pearls are often referred to as pearl farmers. They insert beads into oysters in an effort to mimic nature. They place the beads in locations where the oyster cannot expel it. The oyster then coats the bead with nacre, the same way it would do in nature.

Platinum is a strong, durable metal. There is proof that it was first used several thousand years ago. Today this versatile metal is commonly used in high quality jewelry around the world.

The history of platinum begins in ancient Egypt. Over 3000 years ago, Egyptian metal smiths perfected the art of working with platinum.

In fact, a coffin that was over 2500 years old was recently dug up showing signs of platinum in its construction. The coffin belonged to a high priestess and was decorated with elaborate hieroglyphics. These hieroglyphics were drawn with melted platinum. When the coffin was exhumed the luster and shine of the platinum was still evident.

There are also signs that platinum was used in South America as early as the fifteenth century. This was a common ingredient in many artifacts that have been discovered from that continent. Though the South Americans could not melt the metal, they sintered it with gold and charcoal to make it easier to work with. Recently there was an ingot found made of 85 percent pure platinum.

Sterling silver is an affordable metal that has been used since ancient times to make jewelry and household items. Sterling silver is a versatile metal that is known for its beauty and durability. In fact, if cared for properly sterling silver items can last a lifetime.

Many experts agree that silver jewelry is an interesting balance of beautiful and practical. This is because jewelry is nay made from pure silver. This is because pure silver is too soft to be an effective metal to wear. To get around this pure silver is combined with alloys to add strength and affordability to the precious metal.

Copper is the alloy used most frequently to add durability to silver. Copper not only strengthens the metal but it does not affect its spectacular color. In addition other metals may be added to help reduce the risk of tarnish. This combination is what differentiates pure silver from sterling silver.

Jewelry made from sterling silver is very popular. Sterling silver is versatile, beautiful, and affordable. Sterling silver is also easy to distinguish quality pieces. Sterling silver is so popular because of its affordability and beauty. Sterling silver can be buffed to a higher polish than any other metal.

Silver has been a popular material to make jewelry from since ancient times. It is an affordable and versatile metal that is known for its beauty and durability. In fact, if cared for and stored properly sterling silver items can last a lifetime.

Since pure silver is too soft to be useful to make silver jewelry it is usually combined with other metals to make it stronger and more affordable. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver; the other 7.5 percent is a mixture of other alloys, such as copper. Because these alloys are directly mixed with the silver they won’t wear down over time like silver plating would do.

Copper generally makes up the entire remaining 7.5 percent of the metal’s composition. This is because copper can add to the metals durability without taking away from its color or beauty. Because of this, adding copper does not take away from the value of the silver.

How can you avoid tarnish from silver jewelry?

While copper can do much to strengthen the silver jewelry, it also makes silver jewelry more susceptible to tarnish. Tarnish is described as a darkening of the metal as the silver reacts with the gases, such as sulfur or hydrogen sulfide, in the air. In order to avoid tarnish build up, you should store your sterling silver jewelry in tarnish resistant cloths or bags.

The Scrimshaw technique is one of the few art forms that experts say originated in America. Scrimshaw technique has been popular since the 1800s and involves etching a picture onto whale bone or ivory and then filling in that picture with ink to bring out the artwork. The Scrimshaw technique originated with sailors trying to pass time on their long journeys on whaling ships out of New England.

While early forms of Scrimshaw technique was seen on Dutch whaling ships as early as the 17th century, Scrimshaw technique as it is known today was born in the 18th century on American vessels.Before 1820, whale bones and ivory were used as bartering tools for Scrimshaw technique. However, they lost the trading value as trade items when there became a surplus of sperm whale teeth in the early 1820s.

This is when the art of Scrimshaw technique came into popularity. Whaling voyages usually lasted anywhere from three to five years. The ships were usually overstaffed, leaving the sailors with plenty of time on their hands between whale sightings.

Etching artwork on whale bones and ivory became a creative way to pass the time. Sailors would keep their artwork as gifts for loved ones, mementos of the voyage, or trophies of the whales they’ve slaughtered.

Contrary to popular belief there are actually two kinds of the jade gemstones. These two kinds are jadeite jade and nephrite jade.

The two minerals share the same name, but they have very different chemical compositions, gemological properties, and appearances. These two types may also be known as soft and hard jade.

This has a strong association with the ancient Chinese culture, and ancient Chinese societies used this for decorations, knives, needles, and axes. Ancient Chinese people viewed white jade as the most precious of all jade, and saw green jade as being inferior to the ancient jade.

The Chinese people used Green jade as decoration. The view and the uses of this changed with each Chinese dynasty.

During the Tang dynasty, this was reserved for the royal families. On the other hand, during the Song dynasty, the technology of making this became easier, which made it popular and obtainable by the common people. Although this is associated with China, most jadeite is found in Burma, and has only been shipped to China since the late 18th century.

The Bronze Age was a milestone of discovery for the world’s largest archipelagic state because narrative accounts had it that the period was the beginning of the art of sterling alphabet beads in Indonesia.

As early as fifth century BC, there were items found all throughout the country.

The most massive were the bronze drums called the Moon of Pejeng which has been adorned with gems made of carnelian, glass, gold and shell as well as with other metals.

History of sterling alphabet beads

In Brief

Since the birth of Christ, it was said that the natives who were living in the islands of Java and Sumatra were already practicing the cultivation of rice.

Irrigation was abundantly developed together with the buffalo- drawn plows that were employed by the farmers in the fields.

Due to their livelihood, the inhabitants were able to accumulate a great amount of wealth which ushered to their want of refinement especially in the area of jewelry. By 1000AD, the art of silver alphabet beads flourished in the world’s largest archipelagic state.

Ruling Dynasty

By the fourteenth century, the Majapahit Empire began to exercise their authoritative powers in the region of Bali.

Primarily used as a precious metal, silver beads have been one of the favorite accessories of both men and women at these contemporary times.

The kind of stone used for jewelries is very pliable which is even a little harder than gold. Due to its brilliant white gleam, a high level of polish is required.

If you notice, this mineral rampantly fashioned for ornamentations perfectly blends with various types of wardrobe, be it for casual gimmicks or formal cocktails.

Special Class of silver beads

Have you ever wondered what significance of “sterling” in silver beads is? The distinguished type actually creates the premium balance between “beautiful” and “practical.”

For example, the necklace you are wearing constitutes 99.9% pure of the precious metal. In just a matter of days, the chain would possibly break as you actively engage yourself in a dance party as you made all those groovy moves.

You might be asking yourself what is the connection. Well, it is simple as saying that the kind of stone used is very soft. In fact, more reinforcement is needed for functionality’s sake.

History of metallurgy would tell you that as early as the Bronze Age, people were already employing various kinds of minerals for mundane activities in their settlements.

Aside from being exposed to the dangers present in the wildlife, individuals who existed way back in antiquity were also very much in touch with the mystery of the open seas.

A proof to that are the shipwreck beads that were discovered respectively in the Uluburun Region and Orkney Islands.

Discovery of shipwreck beads

In the fourteenth century, a schooner cruised from Cyprus with a load of three hundred fifty copper ingots which little to the knowledge of the crew, would soon become shipwreck beads.

At the Uluburn Region, strong winds forced it to dock. As a result, large rocks hit the cedar skin of the boat thus causing major damage.

Soon after, the vessel sank towards the base of the ocean. The smashing incident was very hard to the extent that the craft crashed into a rocky and steep slope.

By 1982, a certain Mehmet Cakir went diving off to Turkey’s southern coast. During his underwater adventure, he was able to spot shipwreck beads that were scattered on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.