Silver comes to us from Antiquity. It is considered one of the precious metals along with gold and platinum. Silver is a brilliant white metal. It is the best conductor of heat and electricity.

Silver comes in many purities. Silver in its commercially purest form is called 5-nines silver or fine silver. The 5-nines refers to the 5 nines in 99.999% pure. All silver alloys are made from fine silver.

Sterling silver, the best known alloy of silver, is 92.5 k fine silver and 7.5% copper, by definition. The addition of copper to fine silver makes it more durable and lasting. Sterling silver is used widely for jewelry and elegant flatware.

Sterling silver will slowly tarnish when exposed to air and moisture. The small amount of copper in the sterling silver alloy is principally responsible for the tarnish. Pure silver tarnishes very little, but is too soft for jewelry without being alloyed.

During wear sterling silver will attain its natural patina finish, however it some times will turn black is one eat's alot of egg products due to the sulfur in the body.

Coin silver is another common alloy of silver. Its usual alloy is 90% fine silver and 10% copper, although additional metals may be present in the alloy. Coin silver-tarnishes easier than sterling silver. However, the constant use of coins kept them clean of tarnish with a beautiful patina finish. The United States has not used coin silver for many years;   and all the U.S. silver coins have been slowly removed from circulation.

Many people ask where the silver we use comes from. It is a multi-step process from the ordering of silver to the point where it is delivered, processed and formed.

Fine silver, 99.999% pure is first purchased on the commodities market. It is delivered to an alloy house which adds copper, alloying it into sterling silver, 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.

The refined alloy is then delivered to a forming house, which will make sterling strip, sheet or wire for our die striking operation; or the forming house will make sterling casting grain which is used in  lost wax casting operation.

An interesting side note to the preceding steps is each process adds 8-10% to the cost per ounce for the silver.

The daily price for silver usually quoted each day in the financial news is the 5000 oz. price for fine silver before it is alloyed and formed. The actual cost per ounce for sterling silver is 20% to 25% higher than the daily quoted price due to alloying and forming changes.

Since the silver is purchased on the open commodity market, one cannot be sure of the actual source of the new silver. However, one can be reasonably sure that a percentage of it is from reclaimed and recycled sources. The delivery of the formed sterling silver is done by common carrier, such as UPS.

Gold

Gold has been sought after and treasured since ancient times. The Egyptians of Antiquity mined, refined and fashioned gold into jewelry and other items of wealth and status. These earliest mines appear in ancient Nubia with the earliest records dating from 3500 BC

Gold quality is measured in units call karats. Karats refer to the fractional parts of pure gold in the total alloy. Pure gold is 24K. The quality expression is always in karats: such as 10K, 12K, 14K or 18K. This literally means 10/24ths, 12/24ths, 14/24ths or 18/24ths fractional parts of gold. The resulting numbers are 42% fine gold in 10K gold, 50% fine gold in 12K gold, 58% fine gold in 14K gold and 75% fine gold in 18K gold. The remaining parts are alloy metals to make it harder and more durable.

Pure gold will not tarnish. However, lower karat alloys can tarnish in certain conditions, but tarnish will be slight to non- existent in 12K and higher alloys. The wearing of gold jewelry usually keeps it clean and bright.

Gold is alloyed to meet certain market and engineering requirements. 18K gold is sold for greater quality and gold content; while 10K gold is sold to meet markets that are more price conscious or where greater durability is needed.

All yellow gold contains copper and silver in its alloy. By varying the amounts of copper and silver, you can get pink or green gold. The more copper in. the mix the pinker the gold, the more silver, the greener the gold.

Many people ask where the gold  comes from.  Just like silver, the gold, 99.999% pure is first purchased on the commodities market. It is delivered to an alloy house which adds the alloy to make it into gold karat, the amount of alloy depends on the karat desired.

The refined alloy is then delivered to a forming house, which will make gold strip, sheet or wire for our die striking operation; or the forming house will make gold casting grain which is used in our lost wax casting operation.

An interesting side note to the preceding steps is each process adds a percentage to the cost per ounce for the gold.

Since the gold is purchased on the open commodity market one cannot be sure of the actual source of the raw gold. However, one can be reasonably sure that a percentage of it is from reclaimed and recycled sources.

Copper

Copper is the first metal early man mastered for tool and weapon use. Copper is very soft and easily formed.

Despite being soft and easily bent, metal tools made a gigantic leap in man’s technology. The discovery and use of copper resulted in the beginning of the Bronze Age in man’s history.

It is common knowledge that many people believe copper relieves the pain and suffering of arthritis. More often than not folklore is based in truth. However, it would be improper for us to make these claims directly.

Remember, when you wear a  copper bracelet, they are guaranteed to turn your wrist green.

Pewter

Pewter (white metal) is a metal that comes to us from the time period of the "Middle Ages" in Europe. Originally pewter was an alloy made of varying amounts of tin, copper, lead and antimony. Today, good pewter is made without adding lead and is known as lead-free pewter.   Pewter made with lead should not be used for any type of cooking or any process that might be food related due to the possiblilty of lead posining.

Pewter is very soft and easily bent. This is the characteristic of this alloy of metals. During the Middle Ages, it was primarily used for dinnerware, such as plates and drinking vessels. Pewter had to be used for domestic household uses as it was much too soft for weapons or farm tools.

Pewter can be cast very easily into intricate objects. This makes it an ideal metal for jewelry items.

Highly polished pewter has a blue-white color; but more often pewter is finished by electroplating in gold or white.

Base Metals

Base metal is a jewelry term that applies to the metals which are plated with any electroplated finish. It is the "base" for a plated finish.

Base metals are usually steel, brass, pewter or copper. These can be cast, die-struck or formed and then electroplated to get the desired finish.

Base metal jewelry items are designed to be inexpensive.

Electroplated Finishes

Electroplated finishes are available in many colors and compositions. The two most common colors in the jewelry trade are gold and white. This exists to make inexpensive base metals look like expensive metals, such as gold and silver.

Plated finishes are actual metal layers that are deposited out of solution with the use of an electrical current. The resulting layers are not very thick, but look like the real thing.

Inexpensive jewerly  uses plated finishes on necklaces and earrings- where heavy wear isn’t present. A plated finish is in appropriate for rings, because the heavy use will wear through and destroy a plated finish.

STONES

Black Diamond

To ones surprise, the chemical composition of black diamond is Fe, 02 or iron oxide or common rust. In black diamond the rust is extremely compact and has a hardness of 6% to 7 on the mohs scale. Fortunately black diamond is extremely durable as a gemstone in jewelry.  

Black diamond is mined in England and desired because of it’s mirror-like polish. Like diamond, it is faceted to reflect light that strikes its brilliant surfaces. A magical stone, it is thought to preserve life.

Black and White Onyx

Black and white onyx is a stone first popularized in the ancient Roman days. The ancients developed a method of permanently coloring clean gray agate to a pure jet black color. This was done to develop a quality black gemstone, there is no true black onyx. The resulting onyx is actually a better than natural onyx since it is harder and more enduring than the onyx one sees carved into little animals. Black and white onyx is especially rare due to its characteristic white bands;. The ancient black color contrasts with the distinctive white lines.  As a side note, if the white layers and lines were perfectly flat, this material could be used for making cameos. Black and white onyx is a refreshing gemstone from ancient times.

Blue Onyx

As with black onyx, blue onyx sold for jewelry purposes is been used in jewelry for centuries.

The blue onyx is colored  with a secret process that takes three months to complete. The process involves many steps and careful attention to detail. An expensive special agate must be used to insure a pure color. This special agate is gray and free from any naturally occurring coloration. The blue onyx produced is as delightful as a summer sky.

Brazilian Agate

Brazilian agate is formed in the same manner as all agate. Agate is a quartz mineral originally formed in the bubbles within a volcanic lava bed. When lava is released from within the earth, it contains dissolved gases. As the confining pressure decreases, gas bubbles form in the viscous lava. The bubbles range from marble size to several feet in diameter. Sometime later, hot hydrothermal water solutions containing dissolved quartz percolate through the lava beds filling the gas bubbles with liquid.

Changes in chemistry and temperatures precipitate the dissolved quartz out of the solution lining the bubble cavity with extremely fine layers of crypto-crystalline quartz. Crypto-crystalline is ’defined as being formed of extremely fine crystals; the crystal are so fine the agate acts as if it isn’t crystalline. The fine needles of quartz have minute spaces between them much like a sponge.

Since the quartz fills the cavity from the outside in, the oldest layer is the outside and the youngest in the center of the agate. The age of agate is 25-60 million years old. And there is no real way of knowing how long it took to form a single agate, but the time was probably lengthy. Since the layers are extremely thin, fractions of a millimeter in thickness, it must have formed slowly. Sometimes one can find a hollow agate with water on the inside. These are called Anhydrous meaning "with water." This water most likely millions of years old. After the agate is formed, it  has the sponge like porosity in the finely layered structure.

The natural coloration in agates are caused primarily by difference compounds of iron and manganese The browns and reds by iron and the blacks by manganese. These compounds get into the agate with water born solutions that migrate through the sponge-like porosity of the finely layered agate leaving the beautiful colors and patterns you see.

Brazilian agate is mined from eroded lava beds in the Brazil plateaus. This agate displays a rainbow of colors primarily derived from iron. The colors are usually reds, browns end yellows in multi-layered bands and plumes. Agate was known and used by the ancients. They believed it had the power to drive away evil and bring good luck.

Feather Stone

Feather stone characterizes the coloring and pattered found in Mother Nature’s feathers. The stones that make up, feather stone inlay are: Turquoise-the light blue, Jet-the black. and Red Jasper-the dark red. The rental strips are a non- tarnishing base metal. These stones are made of both natural and man-made materials. The resulting stones are rich in pattern and color.

Goldstone

Goldstone is a man-made gemstone. It has been around since the European renaissance and sells extremely well.

Goldstone is actually glass with copper crystals in it. It is made from a brown glass in which copper oxide is mixed. Upon cooling the copper oxide changes and turns into copper crystals. The resulting glass is brown with tiny sparkling crystals of copper. Goldstone is a most popular and attractive gemstone.

Green Jade

Two separate and distinct mineral species make up what we call jade; jade can be either the mineral species nephrite or the mineral jadeite, both are recognized as jade. Jade is most recognized as being green; however, it is found and sold in all the colors of the rainbow.

Jade is one of the most durable of all gemstones; this is due to its inter-grown fibrous structure. Jade is not extremely hard only 6-6% in mohs hardness; but it is TOUGH. In the field a person can tell whether or not an unknown boulder is jade by hitting it with your rock hammer; just don’t put your head in the path of the hammer as it rebounds off the jade boulder like a super ball. Only jade will make a hammer blow rebound so fiercely. Black jade is probably the toughest of all jades. You can take a   4"x4" slab black jade 3/16" thick  and dropp on to a bare concrete floor from six feet without breaking. It just bounces around. Jade is an enduring gemstone.

Montana Agate

Montana Agate is a quartz mineral originally formed in volcanic lava beds. When lava is released from within the earth it contains dissolved gases. As the confining pressure decreases, gas bubbles form in the viscous lava. The bubbles rangy from marble size to several feet in diameter. Sometime later hot hydrothermal water solutions containing dissolved quartz percolated through the lava beds filling the gas bubbles with liquid.

Because of chemical and/or temperature changes, the dissolved quartz precipitates out of solution lining the bubble cavity with extremely fine layers of crypto-crystalline quartz. Crypto-crystalline is defined as being formed of extremely fine crystals; the crystals are so fine, the agate acts as if it isn’t crystalline. The fine needles of quartz have minute spaces between them much like a sponge.

Since the quartz lines the cavity from the outside in, the oldest layer is the outside and the youngest in the center of the agate.: The age of agate is 25-60 million years old. However, there no way of knowing how long it took to form individual agates, but one can be assured it probably took a very long time. Since the layers are extremely thin, fractions of a millimeter in thickness, it must have formed slowly. Sometimes one can find a hollow agate with water on the inside, these are called: Anhydrous meaning "with water." This water is millions of year’s old. After the agate is formed, it still has the sponge like porosity in the finely layered structure.

The coloration in agates are caused primarily by different compounds of iron and manganese. The browns and reds by  iron and the blacks by manganese. These compounds get into the agate by water born solutions that migrate through the:, sponge-like porosity of the finely layered agate, leaving the  beautiful colors and pattern you see.

Mosaic

The stones that make up the Mosaic Inlay are: Turquoise-the light blue, Lapis-the dark blue, Red Jasper-the dark red, Melon Jasper-the yellow, Malachite-the green and Spiny Oyster-the orange red. The metal strips are a non-tarnishing base metal. These stones are made of both natural and man-made materials. The resulting stones are bright and colorful.

Mother of Pearl

Mother of Pearl is the iridescent shell lining of any pearl bearing clam or oyster, This lustrous gemstone usually has the same composition and quality as the pearls produced by the clam or oyster. The bright flashes of light are caused by light being reflected from the many layers that make up the pearl lining of the shell.

Paua Shell

Paua shell comes from the shallow coastal waters surrounding New Zealand. It is the shell from a pecice of abalone with an extremely colorful shell. The shell is somewhat smaller than that of its California coast cousin, but much more colorful.

Picture Jasper

Picture jasper is a natural gemstones mined in eastern Oregon and western Idaho. These mines produce scenic jasper with pictures that portray the mountains and waters where the rock is mined. The beautiful and varying coloration are caused by chemical rich volcanic waters slowly soaking through the then new rock formation. Legend has it that picture jasper is supposed to bring on long and restful sleep.

Pink Shell

Pink shell comes from mussels that live in the river beds of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee. The brilliant flashes of  color are caused by light being reflected from the many layers that make up the lining of the shell.

Red Jasper

Red jasper is found in most parts of the world ranging in size from small beach pebbles to massive solid deposits. Some say it stimulates energy while battling diseases of the blood and circulatory system. Ancients also believed that it could detoxify organs of the blood cleaning system like the liver. Red Jasper gets its red color from the oxides of iron in its crystal structure.

Snowflake Obsidian

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when hot lava cools extremely fast. The white snowflakes in the black background are a rare form of high temperature quartz that formed just before the rest of the lava cooled rapidly into glass. Ancient civilizations chipped arrowheads and tools from obsidian as it is easy to work. Some native cultures believe obsidian sharpens inner and outer vision.

Tiger Eye

Found primarily in South Africa, golden tiger eye is beautiful because of its always moving play of light. As legend goes, tiger eye is capable of bringing immortality to the wearer.

Turquoise

Turquoise is an extremely old gemstone, dating back to ancient Egypt. Today, we are using turquoise from the Tunnel mine, which is located on the Arizona-Mexico border. We are only using the finest blue turquoise available.

To improve the beautiful wearability of our turquoise, we stabilize the turquoise before cutting it. In the stabilizing process a polyester resin penetrates porous uncut rough turquoise to harden the turquoise and insure its beauty and durability. A great thing about stabilized turquoise is it will never change color from body oils and household cleaning products. Turquoise has been an important gemstone to many cultures dating back from antiquity continuing through the present in America.