Introduction To Gems And Beauty

Jewellery as a subject has many facets. It can be dealt with in a strictly factual way, stressing the gemological and historical aspects or looked at in an uncomplicated manner, more suited to the possible origin of its name. The word custom wedding bands is still undefined but it is thought to come from the French word joie, meaning joy, or jeu, meaning game.

So this book seeks to court the lighter side and emphasize the beauty of jewellery and the lasting pleasure it can give the owner, however humble that item may be. Jewellery is  made up of gemstones and precious metals; part of the earth's treasure, they have taken millions of years combined with the interplay of the elements to produce.

Where gemstones are concerned each one is entirely different. Never duplicated, they form an individual work of art for the owner. Gemstones are an absorbing study and it may be well to point out a serious misnomer which has crept into common usage. That is referring to gemstones as semiprecious. As well as the five precious or principal gems, comprising diamonds, sapphires, rubies unique engagement rings, emeralds and pearls, there are hosts of others, all of them precious because they are not fabricated. Sometimes they are called lesser gemstones but it is imperative to realise that any natural gem is wholly precious and the semi part must be disregarded. It is just as wrong to say that someone is half-dead!

Owning jewellery gives a feeling of security and continuity. It is the one commodity that has a built-in value so that it can be handed on to make a bridge between one generation and another. Sometimes the design of a certain piece of jewellery does not please the recipient. In that case the item can be re-styled, thus preserving the continuity of the component parts. This re-cycling can provide a more suitable or up-to-date design for the new owner.

Jewellery expresses the personality of the wearer probably more than any other adornment. When choosing a piece it is advisable to 'fall in love' with it, because a treasured possession should have lasting appeal to match its durability; always remembering that jewellery must be treated with a certain respect as befits its precious quality.

Jewellery was originally worn by the leisured and the rich. Today the picture has utterly changed. Jewellery is for everybody and so is subject to the stresses and strains of modern living. There is no need to feel fearful about wearing jewellery: average care is all that is necessary.

The magic and mystery of jewellery is age-old. Based on legend and superstition, it is the one possession that preserves a fascinating mystique. It must be noted that for every unattractive superstition, there is usually a pleasant one. This can be seen in a subsequent chapter.

One aspect that needs stressing is the versatility of jewellery, where unique wedding bands enjoyment is concerned. There is a unique two-way pleasure about it, shared by the beholder, as well as the wearer. A piece of jewellery calls forth admiring remarks more than any other adornment. This, surely, adds to pride of possession and intensifies its attraction. As jewellery has a lasting beauty it sustains the visual appeal which never seems to flag.

When there is a developing interest in the subject of jewellery many spin-offs emerge. They include history and gemmology as well as fashion and the origin of words. This last angle is completely absorbing. In-depth study of names clarifies so much and gives extra meaning to a familiar term.

Diamond is said to come from the Greek word, adamas, meaning unconquerable. As this gem is most popular for engagement rings and love is meant to be unconquerable, what better origin can there be? Peridot, the lovely olive green stone has a somewhat baffling name but is supposed to come from the Arabic, faridat, meaning precious stone: this would of course, make more sense.
The origin of the word Pearl has not really been traced. It could come simply from the French, perk, or from the Latin, perla, or pilula meaning globule. Pliny has mentioned another Latin derivation, the word perna which describes a leg-of-mutton shaped shell-fish. A more obvious derivation is for Ruby.

This comes from the Latin ruber, meaning, simply, red. Emerald takes rather more explanation. Its possible derivation stems from the Persian word for green: zummurrud. It later appeared in Greek form as smaragdus wedding bands and subsequently was altered to esmeraude, emeraude and esmeralde. Finally, some time during the sixteenth century, it came to be known by its present name.

The Opal has a pleasingly simple origin and comes from the Sanskrit for stone or jewel. But Sapphire has a longer list. There is the Arabic, safir, possibly meaning blue. Then there is the Greek word sappheiros, which stems from the Sappherine Island in the Arabian Sea where sapphires were found in the time of the Ancient Greeks. Lastly there is the Latin, sapphirus, closely resembling the name it is known by today. Garnet, could come from two Latin words, either granum, meaning grain or granatus, a seed. Aquamarine, that sea-green wedding bands or sea-blue gem, is aptly derived from the Latin aqua meaning water and mare meaning sea.

The derivation of the word Amethyst is bound up with its mythological origin. It comes from the Greek amethystos. It is said that Bacchus, god of wine, was offended by Diana, goddess of the hunt. In revenge he vowed that the first person to cross his path would be eaten by a tiger. Unfortunately, a nymph much loved by Bacchus, on her way to worship Diana was the one to be attacked. In absolute terror she appealed to Diana to save her and, watched by Bacchus, she was turned into a sparkling white statue. As a gesture of repentance he, in turn, poured grape wine over it so that the stone assumed its beautiful amethyst colour.
The word turquoise has a connection with Iran.

This country is the oldest source of these gemstones, where it was called piruseh, meaning joy. When the Turkish merchants first introduced it into Europe they referred to it as, turchesa, the 'Turkish stone'. The French version, pierre turquoise also means 'stone of Turkey' and is the term used today.

The Zircon is probably best known when colourless but it also comes in yellow, red, orange and shades of green and a sky-blue. Because of the variety of colour its word origin can be more easily understood. Although uncertain it is thought to be adapted from the French zircone. It may have come from the Arabic zargoon meaning vermilion or even from the Persian word zargus which means gold-coloured. The Tourmaline also covers a wide range of colours, more, in fact, than the majority of gemstones.

Therefore the origin of its name, toramalli, from the Sinhalese is particularly apt, for it means 'coloured stone'. The derivation of the name Spinel, is somewhat obscure. It is thought to originate from the Latin spina meaning thorn or from the Greek word meaning a spark, because of its fiery colour.

Finally, when a gem is in the shape of a dome, without facets, it is known as, en cabochon. This comes from the French and means, literally, bald pate: a most picturesque term. It can be seen, from an interest point-of-view, that the origin of words, applied to jewellery, gives yet another dimension to the subject and inspires further study, as there are so many more gemstones to explore in this way.

How many people give their jewellery the care it merits as a treasured possession? The answer is, unfortunately, very few and yet it is so easy to achieve a sparkling effect with a minimum of effort. Guide lines suggest home-cleaning every three weeks or so, with a professional clean by a jeweller at least once a year. Cost depends on time taken, as is usual. If it is a simple, straightforward clean, the charge will be relatively low: possibly cheaper, by comparison, than similar services for clothes and hair.

There are many conflicting ideas about cleaning jewellery at home. The following is a safe method and produces excellent results. Use a liquid detergent rat,her than a soap-based one as the latter tends to leave a greasy deposit or film. The principal reason for cleaning jewellery every three weeks or so is to remove the film that builds up behind a setting, to which dust and dirt adhere, dulling the surface.

Make a mild lather in tepid to hot water, in a small bowl, and with a child's soft toothbrush gently clean behind the setting. Give about three rinses in clear water, to completely disperse the lather. Place the item on a piece of tissue to drain dry, then polish with a soft cloth.

Where diamonds are concerned and only diamonds, add a tablespoon of household ammonia to the lather. Swish the diamonds around in the suds and clean them briskly with an eyebrow brush. Rinse in luke-warm water and finally dip in surgical spirit to emphasise the brilliance and drain on blotting paper or tissue. Finally, polish with a soft cloth.

Certain gemstones should never be immersed in liquid, because of their particular structure. They are the opal, turquoise and pearl diamond wedding bands. Just apply a cloth dipped in the lather and then wipe in the same way, with several applications of clear water.

The best way to preserve jewellery is to keep it in a jewel case or roll. The pieces must be kept apart so that they do not scratch each other. The surface of a pearl is very vulnerable and reacts badly to hair lacquer and perfume. Indeed all jewellery should be removed while at the hairdressers to prevent contact with chemicals or lacquers. When dressing, jewellery should be put on last thing.

Jewellery should be kept out of the kitchen and bathroom. Steam and grease dull precious metals and gemstones and can cause a residue of dirt and dust to form. Handbags are also forbidden territory. Particles of face powder, tobacco and dust tend to erode delicate surfaces.

The result which comes from caring regularly for jewellery can add to its enjoyment.