SilverStones

SilverStones offers natural stone jewelry in semi-precious and fine gemstone jewelry. Once upon a time there was a rule as to what stones were categorized as fine gemstones but that rule no longer applies today. We categorize our opaque stones as semi-precious and carry natural stone jewelry in turquoise, lapis lazuli, denim lapis, Baltic amber, black onyx, and multi-stone jewelry with a combination of semi-precious stones. In our fine gemstone jewelry section we carry amethyst, topaz, citrine, freshwater pearl and multi-stone jewelry. The gemstones in this section are translucent stones. You will also find more fine gemstone jewelry in our unique handcrafted section with garnets and jewelry with a combination of semi-precious stones and fine gemstones with calcite, garnets, amethyst, peridot, moonstone, amber and mother-of-pearl (MOP).

We highly scrutinize the stones we offer on our website. You will find gemstone jewelry on the Internet that are glass replicas of translucent gemstones. These gemstones have no value and do not have meta physical properties, such as, what these stones will do for you. Watch out for the term fashion jewelry. The stones used in this jewelry are usually fake. Simulated is another word that means it is not a real gemstone. Read the descriptions carefully when buying turquoise jewelry. You will often find that it is not turquoise but colored to look like turquoise. There is another post on our blog regarding turquoise jewelry – how to identify real turquoise with pictures of what real turquoise looks like. Read our FAQ section on our website for more information on terms used to describe stones.

The ring shown above has a hot pink topaz faceted gemstone with six diamonds in a white gold setting. This ring is located in the fine gemstone jewelry section under the topaz. This ring is listed on another website on the Internet for $200.00 more than we charge. Shop SilverStones for quality sterling silver jewelry at an affordable price.

This sterling silver gingko pendant has a converter, the piece between the pendant and the bail. These silver pendants are made to be worn with our woven gemstone collars available in 16″ and 18″ lengths. We offer these gemstone collars in black onyx (shown left), lapis lazuli and turquoise. These gemstone collars are woven over a clear rubber cord to keep its shape unlike other woven gemstone necklaces you would normally find. This gemstone necklace can be worn alone with the clasp in the back or in front with the V-shaped bail and pendant. We offer several of these V-shaped bails with silver pendants to be worn on this type of necklace like our smiley face pendant, turquoise filigree pendant, horse cameo pendant, lady cameo pendant, sunflower pendant and our sunburst pendants available with several gemstone options. These gemstone necklaces with our silver pendants make a stunning accessory that can be worn with any outfit.

We also offer a smaller V-shaped pendant that can be worn on our genuine braided leather necklaces with a sterling silver clasp. This .925 sterling silver Fleur-de-Lis pendant is shown with a 6mm leather necklace. We sell these braided leather necklaces in 3mm and 4mm widths in 16″ and 18″ lengths. Other pendants that will accommodate this smaller V-shape bail are our smiley face pendant and leaf pendants available in round and rectangular shapes. If you would like to have this smaller bail for these pendants please include a comment with your order to have this pendant special made.

These large hole beads are the latest fashion accessories to create your own Pandora style bracelets. We offer 24 selections in these large hole beads with a 4mm hole available in amethyst (shown left), amber, lapis lazuli, aventurine, picture jasper, snowflake obsidian, rose quartz, mahogany obsidian, red jasper, smoky quartz, tiger eye, black onyx,  mother-of-pearl (MOP), and abalone mosaic. All of these large beads are made with natural gemstones. Some of these beads are available in faceted styles. You can purchase individual beads or buy a pack of three and save on your purchase.

The difference in these large beads vs. Pandora beads is it does not have the word Pandora stamped on the sterling silver insert. You will also find birthstone beads to wear on these Pandora style bracelets available on the Internet. These are not birthstone beads; they are colored glass to look like gemstones. We do not sell silver beads to go with these bracelets, what we do sell are the basic components to build your own unique bracelets.

In addition to these beads, we offer 3mm and 4mm leather cord bracelets in black, brown, and natural leather with removable end caps. These leather bracelets are listed under the silver bracelet category. Also available in the silver cuff bracelet section is a silver bracelet with removable end caps; in the silver necklace category we offer a necklace with removable end caps to wear these beautiful beads.

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If you are looking for a perfect gift for someone special in your life, these butterfly earrings are an excellent choice for a woman, whether the gift is for a graduate, a promotion, a wedding, the birth of a child or any other life-changing event.

These beautiful butterfly earrings are sterling silver with mother of pearl in the wings. The lower wings have a dyed mother of pearl with CZ accents along the edge. We also have a matching butterfly pendant to make a complete set.

The butterfly is a symbol of transformation. To the Mandarin Chinese, the butterfly is a symbol for long life. In Greek mythology, butterflies are linked to the human soul. The ancient Greeks also considered butterflies as the soul of those who passed away. In ancient mythology, the butterfly represented wisdom and courage. In the western world the butterfly stands for freedom, fun, and joyous times.

This large sun pendant makes a great conversation piece.  The sun is a symbol of power and strength which makes this a great pendant for a man. This sterling silver sun pendant is oxidized in the flame portion of this pendant. The center of this pendant has a large high domed black onyx cabochon. The backing if this sun pendant is solid sterling silver.

The sun has been use in jewelry making since ancient times. The sun is considered a female symbol, where the moon is considered a male symbol. In ancient times people worshiped the sun and that’s why there is sun jewelry.

So, what is the difference between black onyx and black agate? They are both agates. Black onyx and black agate are both banded stones. The difference is the width of the banding and as far as the price for a strand of beads; black onyx cost twice as much. These stones are dyed for a uniform color.  Many semi-precious stones are enhanced in some way, whether they are dyed to produce a uniform color or polished for a shiny appearance.

Another agate that is in this family of onyx stones is sardonyx. Sardonyx is also banded and has black, white, and brown streaks, like this necklace shown right.  Sardonyx is not dyed to show the beautiful patterns that vary from one stone to the next.

Mother of Pearl is used in jewelry to add contrast and beauty like this flower pendant that has black onyx in the center with mother of pearl petals (shown right). Mother of Pearl is also referred to MOP, an abbreviation of Mother of Pearl.

Mother of Pearl is also known as nacre, an organic composite material produced by some mollusk as an inner layer of the shell. Mother of Pearl is a very strong, resilient, and iridescent stone that reflects different colors depending on the angle the light. The main sources of this stone are the shell of pearl oysters and fresh water pearl mussels. Mother of Pearl is also used in decorative purposes in furniture, buttons, and fingerboard inlays in guitars.

We carry Mother of Pearl jewelry in our black onyx and turquoise sections of our online store like these pretty blue turquoise and Mother of Pearl post earrings set in sterling silver. Check out all the beautiful earrings and pendants we offer in Mother of Pearl jewelry set in sterling silver.

How are stones made to fit in jewelry? This piece on the left is a black onyx and mother of pearl (MOP) sterling silver slide pendant. This pendant has a stone inlay that was cut to fit this slide pendant. In natural stone jewelry stones are either cut to fit the piece or the stone has been reconstituted which means the stone has been ground to a powder then mixed with resin and pressed into the piece of jewelry. This is still considered a natural stone.

This cross pendant is an example of jewelry that has reconstituted stones. Hard to tell the difference isn’t it?

This natural turquoise stone ring, shown below, has a cabochon stone. Cabochon stones have been ground into a shape, polished, and have a flat back. This type of stone is either glued into the jewelry setting or depending on the type of setting may have the silver pressed around the stone to hold it in place. Semi-precious stones can be cut or reconstituted; translucent stones like amethyst, topaz, and citrine are usually cut into faceted shapes to catch the light to make them sparkle.

Beads used in making jewelry are tumbled and then drilled. When buying a strand of stones examine them closely, not all stones are real in other words they could be simulated (fake). Natural stones are always cool to the touch.

All women love pearl jewelry, it is a must have for any woman, a staple accessory. Shown left is our freshwater pearl festoon necklace in sterling silver. This simple but elegant pearl necklace is perfect for the office or a night out on the town.

There are two types of pearls, freshwater pearls and natural pearls. Freshwater pearls are a type of pearl from freshwater mussels that are commercially farmed. Today China is the only commercial producer of freshwater pearls. These pearls are grown by grafting. A suitable donor mussel is selected and a strip of tissue is cut from the mantel. This tissue is cut into 3-millimeter squares, then placed by a technician on the upper valve of the mussel and flipped over and more tissue is placed on the opposite side. Approximately 24 – 32 pearls are produced from one mussel (vs. 1 or 2 from the natural grown version). Typically a freshwater pearl harvest is bought while the pearls are still in the shell. The pearls are harvested for cleaning and sorting by size and shape. Pearls that have a strong colorization are pre-treated (maeshori) in a warm and cold chemical solution and then bleached. The pearls are then drilled and polished to be used in making jewelry.

Natural pearls are extremely expensive. Only one in approximately 10,000 oysters in the ocean will ever produce a pearl, of which a very small percentage would yield a pearl in the right size, shape, and color. Natural pearls occur when an irritant (shell, bone, scale, or parasite) lodges itself into a pearl producing mollusk such as an oyster, mussel, or abalone. The mollusk forms a nucleus over the foreign object and continues to coat it with layers of nacre over several years. When these mollusks are harvested then by chance a pearl may be found. All pearls on the market today are freshwater pearls that have been bleached and/or dyed. However, you may find natural pearls in vintage jewelry. To be certain the pearl is natural in vintage jewelry it is recommended it has an official gemological x-ray certificate.

When looking for fine gemstone jewelry here are some things to let you know whether it is real or not. The first clue is the price. One of our suppliers is the largest jewelry wholesaler in the United States. They also sell CZ jewelry, which is cubic zirconia, a hard synthezided material. We do not carry CZ jewelry, although some of our gemstone jewelry is accented with CZ’s. We tell you exactly what you are buying. With some of the finer gemstones their value is determined by the color, the darker the color the more valuable it is and these stones are usually graded. An AAA grading is the highest quality for fine gemstones. The second clue as to whether the gemstone is authentic is the setting. This ring shown is 14k white gold with diamonds on the sides. I would venture to say it’s a good possibility a gemstone in a ring like this would be the real thing but not always. I have seen rings like this with synthetic stones in gold settings. Why do they do this? The particular stone may be so rare or not large enough to make a ring like this one because it would cost a small fortune to produce it and there would be a very small market for it.

We sell this hot pink topaz and diamond ring just above the wholesale price. You could expect to pay hundreds of dollars more for this ring elsewhere. This particular ring is located in our fine gemstone jewelry section under topaz. We categorize our fine gemstones as being translucent stones. We offer amethyst, topaz, citrine and multi stone jewelry in this section.

If you are looking to buy fine gemstone jewelry that has large stones like this ring and not sure if it is real, send a comment and I will check. Many of the finer gemstones are only available in smaller sizes.

This is one of my favorite turquoise bracelets. This is a multi stone three-strand bracelet that has turquoise, spiney oyster, sponge coral and lapis lazuli with sterling silver findings. This bracelet with its multi colored stones goes with just about anything. This bracelet makes a great accessory for jeans or casual outfits.

You get additional protection when you wear a piece of jewelry like this because of the metaphysical properties of these gemstones and silver accentuates their powers. Turquoise attracts prosperity and success. Lapis Lazuli promotes intellect and creativity. Spiney oyster dispels impatience and depression. Sponge coral promotes emotional healing. Not only is this a beautiful bracelet; it’s a must have for people who need help coping with life.