Stones used in jewelry have been around since the time of Christ like this religious jewelry with coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli and moonstone. In Revelations – Chapter 21, verse 18 talks about stones used in the foundation of the walls used in the new city of Jerusalem.
“And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx (banded onyx); the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.”
Some of these stones I have not seen used in jewelry like sardius, beryl, chrysoprasus and jacinth. It could be that they are very rare or the stone is called something else today. I see new names for stones mainly jasper. Jasper is a beautiful stone that has a multitude of appearances with many names; a few of my favorites are picture jasper, brecciated jasper, ocean jasper, poppy jasper and red jasper. One supplier I use offers forty-five different types of jasper.
I would also like to bring to your attention the city of Babylon. Read Revelations – Chapter 18, the fall of Babylon. Babylon is not shown on a world map today but if you compare the ancient maps to the maps today, Babylon is Iraq.
This silver cuff bracelet has been marked down to $199.99 from $249.99. This bracelet could increase in price if the cost of silver rises tomorrow. The price of silver has dropped $7.27 an ounce in the past two days.
The reason for this post is to explain the pricing structure on the silver jewelry listed on SilverStones. Many of the higher priced items will drop in price over the next few days providing the price of silver does not increase. Some of this silver jewelry is set at a certain price and will not change when the price of silver increases or decreases from this supplier. Lower priced items from this supplier will not have much of a price reduction, as we did not raise the price on those items over the past two months. Closeout items are not reduced in price but are in low quantity and may not be available much longer. This sterling silver rose cuff bracelet is in closeout.
Another supplier we use will only change their price when the price of silver goes up or down $4.00. We have not been notified of a price change from this supplier but we do expect them to reduce their price providing the price of silver continues to drop. The other two suppliers we use just raised their prices. They may or may not reduce their prices and it could be awhile before they do. Any item that has a very small amount of silver will not have much of a price change.
You can expect to see a reduction in price in our necklace, bracelet, and pendant sections as well as some items in the turquoise section. It will take a few days before we can obtain the new price and update it on our website. In the meantime, check our Silver Jewelry Sale for discounts on our .925 sterling silver jewelry and gemstone jewelry.
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.
Why has the price of silver jewelry increased? The price of silver itself has been varying from $45 to $50 an ounce due largely to speculation and investors trying to protect their money. Demand also figures into the price of silver. Silver is not only use to make jewelry; it is also used in other products. Forty percent of silver is used industrially – in solar batteries, water purification systems, cell phones, circuit boards, plasma TV’s and radio frequency identification devices (RFID’s). It is estimated the global demand for silver, largely driven by India and China, will increase 36% by the end of 2015. Every year the world produces 550 million ounces of silver. The demand for silver worldwide is 850 million ounces a year.
In 1980, silver prices increased 10 times the previous levels from $5 an oz. to $48.70 an oz. The Hunt Brothers, oil tycoons, bought two million ounces in silver options and futures that caused terrible shortages and drove the price sky high. Investors followed the lead of the Hunt Brothers. These investors are still waiting on their return of $138 an oz. (adjusted due to inflation). When silver was high in the 80′s, profit seekers sold their silver jewelry and bouillons that caused the price of silver to drop sharply. Another factor on the price of silver was high fuel costs and inflation. Sound familiar?
In January of 2009, silver was $7 an ounce. In the past month the price of silver doubled. Today the price of silver is $46.53. Should you buy silver options and futures as an investment? Who knows? You could find yourself in the same situation as those profit seekers in 1980. According to Money News gold could hit $2,000 an oz. by the end of this year, today it is $1,564 an oz. I personally think gold would make a better investment. If you have gold or silver jewelry that is of good quality, don’t sell it unless you absolutely have to. Why do you think there are all these shops around wanting to buy your gold and silver jewelry, because they know something you don’t? The silver that is valuable is .925 (92.5% silver) and fine silver – 99.9% silver.
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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I have seen several websites on the Internet that claim they carry fine silver jewelry. What they are actually selling is sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry is high quality silver that is 92.5% silver. Technically, fine silver jewelry is marked .999, and is 99.9% pure silver. The difference is fine silver jewelry is hypoallergenic; people who are allergic to sterling silver choose fine silver jewelry to wear. There is not a lot of fine silver jewelry available unless a silversmith makes it. There are fine silver components available for those who make jewelry.
Another choice for those allergic to silver is .930 silver that is called Argentium silver. Argentium silver is at least 93% silver and has a touch of germanium to make this silver highly tarnish resistant. I love Argentium silver because it has the same look as white gold at an affordable price. We offer a few necklaces in this type of silver on SilverStones. These necklaces are a sub-category under the silver necklaces and chains section.
The floral ring shown above is .925 sterling silver that is mainly the type of silver jewelry offered on SilverStones. When you are shopping for jewelry you have to compare apples to apples. Silver-plated jewelry is a cheap version of silver jewelry that has a silver coating over another medal. Read the descriptions closely. The abbreviation SP is commonly used to describe silver-plated jewelry. Another type of plated jewelry is called antiqued; this is not antique jewelry but is silver or gold-plated over a pewter base. If you see an item that is really cheap in today’s market, it is most likely plated silver jewelry.
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.
Sterling silver is no longer a cheap option when it comes to jewelry. In January of 2009, silver sold for $11.03 an ounce; today the price is hovering $33.00 an ounce. This is why now is the time to buy your sterling silver jewelry. The price of sterling silver is expected to sky rocket. I have heard speculations it could rise to $600.00 an ounce.
Large pieces of sterling silver jewelry like this orchid pin can be quite expensive, however, typically the higher the price the less markup there is in comparison to small pieces of silver jewelry. If you want to buy something that will have a lot of value, buy the larger pieces of sterling silver jewelry like this orchid pin or a cuff bracelet. Not only will you get to enjoy wearing the jewelry but it will be an investment that will increase in value in the future.
If you see silver jewelry at a cheap price beware. It is most likely not sterling silver but silver-plated over another medal. If you see SP in a product description it means the piece is silver-plated. Sterling silver has to be 92.5% silver in order for it to be qualified as sterling silver. You will find more cheap silver jewelry on the market that is not sterling silver and it does not have the same value. This particular type of silver jewelry has much less silver in it (62% silver/38% copper). I recently found a supplier that stated their jewelry was 925 sterling silver. I emailed them to inquire if in fact is was sterling silver and they admitted that is was not and yes it was stamped 925. There is a top ranking silver jewelry site on the Internet selling their cheap jewelry but they price it as 925. I recommend you buy from a reputable supplier like SilverStones when buying sterling silver jewelry.
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.