28 February 2017

From Bench to Business - Steps to selling your designs wholesale.

If you are a jeweller-designer wondering about selling your creations to retail stores, boutiques and galleries, check out this must-read article from our client and friend Kate Hubley. She takes us through her adventure as she discovers what you have to consider and what you need to put into action to create your successful jewellery business.

Ring from Kate Hubley - K8 Jewelry Concepts Bijoux

This Vie en lumière ring in 19k white gold is a celebration of life, expressed in a lively shimmer of natural alexandrite and diamond pavé with purple titanium for a fun pop of colour.

More web site articles

From now on, you will find on our website articles of the trade that will help you sell colour gemstones! We hope!

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust.

Quartz is all around us everyday in rocks, sand, and even dust particles. Traditionally considered ‘semi-precious’, the vast quartz species contains many gem varieties.

Quartz can form as large single crystals (crystalline quartz) or as aggregates of many small crystals (polycrystalline quartz). Quartz is found in a wide range of colours, transparencies, and appearances. Those who believe in the esoteric properties of gems claim that quartz offers a variety of benefits and advantages to those who wear them.

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz. Its pale violet to rich purple colours are due to trace amounts of iron (Fe) in its structure. Natural amethyst often shows colour zoning. It is the birthstone for the month of February.

Amethyst has sometimes been called semi-precious and yet historically it was once considered one of the most prized and valued gemstones. 

Amethyst became more affordable and accessible in the 19th century when large deposits were discovered in Brazil. Today both high-end jewellery houses and more commercial fashion jewellery manufacturers use amethyst in their creations. Uruguay and Brazil are the major producers of amethyst and deposits are also found in many other countries including Bolivia, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Amethyst can be heat treated to produce the yellow colour of citrine or the green colour of prasiolite.

Rock crystal is the colourless variety of crystalline quartz. It is chemically pure quartz with no other chemical elements in its structure. The presence of various other mineral inclusions can cause interesting visual effects and appearances. There are many possible types of inclusions that can add to the beauty of rock crystal. Examples include: Rutilated quartz with golden coloured needle-like inclusions of rutile.

Rock crystal can be treated to change its colour. Irradiation treatment will produce the brown hues of smoky quartz; lemon, cognac, rose or green quartz according to the predominant elements present in the stone.

There are also polycrystalline quartz such as jasper, chalcedony and chrysoprase.