Hope's Corner - Rare Color Gems

Summer is here around the corner and Wixon Jewelers is blossoming with some new color gemstones. Once again, my husband and I went on a buying trip for loose gemstones about a month ago and we brought back some truly fabulous color.

Since Pantone just announced that honeysuckle is the color of the year I decided to find a gem in this bright pink tone. This brings us to my first find, the stunning 18.64 carat kunzite from Afghanistan that has a rich pink color with a hint of violet. This true pink is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.

If you love magic, especially the magic of science, you'll love our alexandrite, “the color-change gem”. Outside in daylight, it is a cool bluish mossy green but indoors, it is a red gem, with a warm raspberry tone. After a long search, I was lucky to find an amazing 3.84 carat black opal from Lightning Ridge Australia with a broad flash of bright reds and deep orange shades, that when held just right, create a shape that resembles the wings on a ladybug.

If you prefer more cool shades I found some amazing zircon in hues only nature could create – a stunning Caribbean Sea blue. The rare tourmaline I found is a deep blue-green color that is not only soothing and calming but is sure to inspire artistic expression and enhance your intuition – just as the legend says.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without a blue sapphire. I found a beautiful 10.27 carat velvet blue cushion cut sapphire. In ancient times, a gift of a blue sapphire was a pledge of trust, honesty, purity, and loyalty and it’s this tradition that made a blue sapphire the choice for engagement rings and is even more popular now since the announcement of the royal engagement.

I hope this has inspired you to add more color to your life. I am very excited to debut our new gems. Stop in and ask to see these beauties, but I must warn you, it will be hard to choose only one favorite!

~ Hope Wixon

Tips

Cleaning tips for your gemstone jewelry...

The best way to clean your gemstone jewelry is in a bowl of water with a few drops of ordinary dish detergent. Using an old soft toothbrush, scrub gently behind the stone where dust and soap can collect. Then just rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth.
Organic gems like pearls, amber, and coral require special care because they are porous. Make sure you don’t expose them to the chemicals in hair products, fragrances and cosmetics. Store them in a cloth-lined box or pouch and keep them away from other jewelry, which might scratch them. To clean them, simply wipe clean with a soft cloth.
To keep your gemstone rings looking brilliant, remove them before vigorous exercise or working with your hands. Some gem varieties might be damaged with a sharp blow. When removing your rings, don’t pull them off by the gemstone: this won’t damage the gem but it can, over time, stretch the metal that holds it in place, making the setting less secure.

Caring for your gemstone jewelry...

To protect the beauty of your gems and jewelry, make sure you store each piece separately. Gems may scratch each other or the metal in your jewelry.

Avoid creating a tangle of jewelry by wrapping each piece individually or keeping it in its own compartment. Especially when you travel, make sure your jewelry pieces don’t jostle each other in one bag.

If you have jewelry, perhaps passed down to you, that has seen better days or doesn’t suit your style, consider resetting the gems into a modern piece. Gems should be worn and enjoyed, not kept locked away in a safety deposit box.

This year’s red carpet brought us some big statement pieces with bold colors.

Green was the color of choice for stars. Annette Bening and Reese Witherspon both accented their black gowns with stunning emerald earrings. Amy Adams and Celine Dion were both adorned with diamond and emerald necklaces.

Of course diamonds also made their appearance on this year’s red carpet. At the SAG Awards Natalie Portman wore yellow diamond earrings at 27.95 carats. Helen Mirren accessorized her classy gown with a Cartier diamond necklace worth 1.6 million dollars! And stars like Catherine Zeta Jones, Jennifer Hudson, and Halle Berry wore diamond earrings and diamond bangle bracelets.

log-in | my wishlist | create account