The term Marcasite is actually a jewelry trade name because of the confusion between marcasite and white iron pyrite, and the term is applied to the small and faceted stones that are inlayed in Sterling silver.  The bright metallic luster of this opaque crystal, once faceted is a nice complement when paired with silver.

In the Victorian era, marcasite silver pendants, as well as other marcasite jewelry was very popular. Marcasite was prized due to its smoky black hue, as marcasite having a sparkle similar to that of diamonds. The classic Victorian design has stood the test of time and should be a standard addition to every modern woman’s jewelry wardrobe.

A professional gem cutter facets the marcasite in order to catch the light. Often marcasite is set with a bit of jewelers cement in the setting base, prior to being placed in the silver setting in order to keep it securely in place. With a good setting however you will never see the glue and this is something to look out for while shopping for a quality Marcasite Silver pendant.  If you do come across this, the craftsmanship is sub-par and best to be avoided.

You may notice while shopping for marcasite silver pendants, that similar pieces may have slight colored differences, that can range from a brassy yellow with a greenish tint, a deep smoky Silver - black, with a unique multicolor hue, which is most common and is actually a form of tarnish caused by oxidation.

When you’re choosing a marcasite silver pendant, it is a good idea to check the setting, to see if the stones are loose. Most modern marcasite pieces are made to look as though they are antique, so it can be difficult to judge if the marcasite is set in real silver.

To make sure that your marcasite silver pendant is genuine, turn the piece over and look for the silver stamp. A genuine silver setting will have some kind of “hallmark “stamped somewhere on the setting.  Most reputable jewelers will point this out for you or will not have a problem with you asking where it is. What you’re looking for is, a stamp that says either .925 or some form of the word Sterling silver.

Some jewelry manufacturing companies have their own unique imprint and this may be the only stamp visible.  Marcasite silver pendants that may come from other countries, such as England, the hallmark may be a picture or a symbol and this is an acceptable mark for genuine Sterling silver that your jeweler can verify.

Once you have chosen your marcasite silver pendant, keeping it beautiful is relatively simple but there are a few precautions to take in order to protect your piece.  A random occurrence with marcasite is a condition known as “pyrite decay “and although it only affects certain pyrite specimens, it is something to keep an eye out for. Pyrite decay is when the stone slowly disintegrates into a white powder over time. Although it is not that common in faceted stones, if this does occur, it is best to take the piece to a jeweler and have the affected stone removed, to prevent it from spreading to surrounding stones.

If your piece needs to be cleaned, it is best to use a soft jewelers cloth, instead of immersing your marcasite silver pendant into commercial cleaners, as this can damage not only the marcasite, but could act as a solvent to the jewelry cement and you could lose a stone. If your marcasite silver pendant needs a deep cleaning, it is best to take it into the jewelers. Ensuring that your beautiful marcasite silver pendant will last a lifetime.

There is nothing in the world more stressful than attempting to complete all of your Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. After fighting through crowds to pick through sparse leftovers in hundreds of stores for the perfect gift, eventually settling on a gift that is “good enough”, and then standing in line for an hour in an attempt to pay for that gift even a lobotomy may seem preferable; after all, you at least get to be knocked out for that!

With the busy schedule of the people of today, however, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for individuals to get ahead in the holiday rush. After all, stores have established hours which generally conveniently coincide with the time that most of the world’s population has to be at work. (More than one individual has speculated that this is not, in fact, a coincidence.) Deliberate or no, it is difficult for many to do their shopping in an actual store. Because of this, virtual stores are on the rise as people enjoy the ability to shop at any hour of the day or night from the relative comfort of their homes.

Shopping on the internet does not, however, eliminate one of the most pressing problems facing holiday shoppers: deciding what they should buy. For years the jewelry industry has done their best to provide shoppers with an all in one opportunity to select gifts for the special people in their life: a ring for Mom, a tie tack for Dad, a necklace for baby sister Sarah. It seems as though regardless of the individual or their personality there is something for them in the vast network of jewelry shops.

Buying the same gifts year after year can get monotonous, however, and jewelry stores have to constantly fight to stay on top of the market. They are consistently coming up with popular new products to attract in the needy consumer, and they have done it again with the advent of silver card pendants. Silver card pendants are pendants that attach to a card and can be worn as a necklace after they are given as a gift. Simple, right? The best thing is that regardless of who you are shopping for there is a silver card pendant that suits the occasion! Is your mother’s birthday coming up? Buy her a pendant sporting a birthday cake. Mother’s Day right around the corner and you haven’t even started thinking about what you’re going to get your mother? Buy her a pendant that says “I love you Mom” and send it with a card. Is your sister-in-law a new mom? Buy her a pendant that allows her to slip in a photo of her new bundle of joy and carry him or her with her wherever she goes.

As you can see, regardless of the occasion a silver card pendant makes the perfect gift. These can be purchased from almost any online specialty retailer; you have only to go looking.

The ageless beauty of a Silver Baltic Amber Pendant, timeless in the sense of fashion, as for centuries artisans have utilized Baltic Amber in jewelry, highly prized for its clarity and its ease to be able to fashion it into timeless pieces.

The Baltic Amber, such as what is in your Sliver Baltic Amber Pendant, is around the age range of 30 to 90 million years old.  Although it is often classified as a gem, with a hardness rating on the Mohs’s scale of a 2-2.5, it is actually a fossilized tree resin and this accounts for the varying ranges of colors within the amber, but the majority of Baltic Amber come from pine tree resins, often prized because of the inclusions of insects contained in the resin, although this can be rare.

90% of the world’s extractable amber is located in the Kaliningrad region of Russia along the Baltic Sea, where raw Amber is simply cast up from the sea floor by the waves and then collected at the ebb tide. True Amber is only slightly denser then salt water and was often caught in nets along the Baltic shore.

There are about 250 varying shades and colors in Baltic amber. The most common range from transparent honey yellow through warm orange, but also red on up to brown, so when choosing your Silver Baltic Amber Pendant you will have a variety of colors to choose from. All Amber is highly valued and it is just a matter of personal preference as to your taste in color, shape, and design, when choosing your Silver Baltic Amber pendant.

It is difficult to make sure that you are buying a real Silver Baltic Amber Pendant and not counterfeit amber pendant. There are several tests that one could do to determine if amber is genuine although in the case of finished jewelry it is not recommended, as it would damage the piece. The majority of tests involve heat and the use of salt water but this is usually only done with raw amber.  It is sad but there are a lot of counterfeit Baltic Amber silver pendants on the market and using price as a gauge is of no use in most cases. Purchasing your Silver Baltic Amber Pendant from a reputable jeweler or dealer will ensure that your piece is genuine.

Caring for your Silver Baltic Amber Pendant properly will assure that you are able to enjoy your beautiful piece for many years to come. Amber in general can change as time goes on, if exposed to the elements and common chemicals. To help stabilize its color and finish, Amber is often coated with a protective resin when used in jewelry. You will still want to take precautions with your piece.

Your Silver Baltic Amber pendant should not be stored or displayed in direct sunlight, this can over time change its color. It is also a good idea not to expose it to chemicals such as hairspray and perfumes as this can dull the finish and eventually damage your pendant. When storing your Silver Baltic Amber pendant, keep in mind that other pieces of jewelry with sharp edges can scratch and ding the Amber. Putting it into a separate area of your jewelry box or inside a pouch will help protect it. If you need to clean your piece, simply use a soft jewelry cloth.

There is nothing like the warm glow of a beautiful Silver Baltic Amber Pendant as an addition to your jewelry wardrobe. If you use care and precaution, your piece will last a lifetime.

There’s something about the cool white glow of a silver pendant, which has captivated our senses throughout human history. Since ancient times silver has been used to make coins, decorative items, and silver pendant jewelry, from this precious metal. It has maintained its popularity throughout the ages with artisans, due to its pliability as well as because of its strength.

There’s a lot that goes into the making silver pendants, from the time that it is brought up from the mine, to the time the silver pendant is sold on the general market. The silver pendant that is gracefully resting around your neck has gone through many transformations.  In most cases by the time the silver arrives to the artist, it is ready to be utilized in crafting jewelry according to what method he or she may choose.  The artist has a variety of options as to what form of silver he or she would like to work with. Often the artist is able to purchase pre -rolled sheets of silver in a variety of thickness or rolled wire in several different gauges and shapes, as well as silver blocks or scrap pieces of silver, that the artist uses to melt down and then pour into a mold, which is called casting.

Silver pendants can be made using different techniques, and can often represent the artist’s unique style.  One of the older forms of working with silver, because it is so soft, is to roll the silver out and then a rough shape, which will become the silver pendant, is cut out. Often the cut piece would be then pounded out with a mallet to flatten the silver and to temper it.  Silver pieces were also sometimes pounded over some kind form, which would give it shape and definition to the silver pendant. Pounded silver often has a very unique look to it because of the marks left by the mallet, it also ensures that each piece is one of a kind, and no one will have a silver pendant just like yours.

Another method, which is also very old, is called casting. Casting is when pieces of silver are melted down and then poured into a mold and allowed then to harden. The process of making the mold is an art form in itself and is commonly referred to as the lost wax method. The artist takes softened wax and basically sculpts the wax into the desired shape he/she wishes the finished silver pendant to be.

This is then placed into another mold, and plaster of Paris is then used to encase the wax sculpture, leaving an opening at the top. Once the plaster has dried it is then heated up enough to melt the wax within the plaster, leaving the shape of what will be the silver pendant inside.
The artist next melts the silver, until it becomes liquid than pours into the mold. Once the silver has solidified, the mold is then broken open and the silver pendant is then removed once it is cool enough to be handled.

The silver pendant is now ready to be finished with hand tools, such as filing down any burrs along its edges and then buffed and polished to the shining gleam we have come to expect with silver jewelry. Once completed the silver pendant is then ready to be packaged and sold on the market.

The jewelry that is in vogue changes from year to year as designers attempt to out-do each other in a game of one-upmanship. In the western world jewelry styles have undergone a complete makeover. Where once before jewelry was expected to be sedate and inconspicuous men and women of the west are learning what the men and women of the African countries have known for years; there is more to life than being sedate.

African-themed designs, particularly those from regions in South Africa, are all the rage in silver jewelry these days. With their flamboyant designs and brilliant colors the African nations have introduced a new era in silver jewelry. African jewelry draws heavily on nature; both the nature of the world around them and the nature of the human body. It is important when considering African pendants to recall that most of the citizens in South Africa do not share the same self-consciousness with regards to their bodies as the men and women of the Western nation. This is exemplified by their clothing; traditional African clothing is nowhere near as constrictive as traditional western wear. As a result of this lack of self-consciousness the African people draw heavily on the human body for inspiration in creating their jewelry. This is especially true of women; fertility icons and various other symbols of fertility are created from the unclothed image of the female body. While this may seem shocking to the women of the west, who are taught to view their bodies as something which must be hidden from view, the use of the female body in jewelry as a symbol of love and fertility is becoming more widely accepted.

The world around them also contributes heavily to African inspiration when it comes to designing their jewelry, a trend that is also working its way west as jewelry trends turn from the sedate and Christian to the outrageous and worldly. Suns, moons, stars and animals factor heavily in South African jewelry, drawing the wearer back to the days when the inhabitants of Africa lived beneath the sun with nothing but their wits between themselves and the elements. This jewelry often contains a raw quality despite the skill of its artistry designed to appeal to the heart of the wearer.

Perhaps the most popular of all of the South African jewelry designs, particularly pendants, are those created from ancient tribal symbols. Prior to the advent of the religion of technology African tribes paid homage to the forces of nature. This homage was reflected in the symbols painted by their tribe. Unlike many western designs, African tribal symbols all carry with them a deeper meaning. They were designed to speak to the gods and goddesses, mark an individual with their station in life and grant to the bearer of the symbol various new strengths and abilities not previously possessed. Their exotic nature and possible metaphysical properties are drawing those who wish to step outside the boundaries of their own narrow upbringing to them like a moth to the flame.

For centuries, man has used gems for a variety of purpose other than mere ornamentation. Gems were used to soothe and to strengthen, to bring good luck and to ensure a loved one a safe journey. Over time, cynicism has drawn man away from the mystical properties that were believed to inhabit each stone; however, with the renewal of many of the old beliefs concerning spirituality and the ever-increasing popularity of stone pendants men, women and children are beginning to once again learn about the hidden properties of the stones they wear.

- Amethyst is believed to aid in addictions and alcoholism. It is also believed that amethyst possesses soothing properties to aid an individual in distress. It enhances psychic ability and aids in meditation.

- Topaz is believed to help lift depression. It will also help the wearer to find great success and true love, and opens to them their inner creativity that may have previously been stifled.

- Chrysocolla will help soothe a person’s allergies. It also helps purify its wearer’s external environment and promotes inner harmony.

- Carnelian will help a person overcome their anger and achieve a cooler head.

- Copper will help to soothe the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis.

- Aquamarine is the choice of any who are going into a situation that will require them to display great courage. It also possesses certain protective properties and will help its wearer use their intellect.

- Azurite is excellent for clearing the psyche and increasing psychic awareness.

- Emeralds help increase the strength of the wearer’s memory retention and helps them achieve mental clarity. This is a particularly good stone for the elderly.

- Diamonds give their wearer confidence and mental clarity. They also bring inspiration.

- Obsidian is a grounding stone with protective properties. It will help reveal to the wearer their flaws and find the means by which to fix them.

- Jade will help to cure loneliness. It also helps the wearer to achieve a deep sleep and to recall any dreams which they may have had throughout the night which have escaped from their consciousness.

- Trilobyte will grant its wearer patience.

- Lepidolyte will help to counter the physical afflictions caused by stress and help the wearer overcome the outside world and attain inner peace.

- Turquoise will grant its protective powers to its wearer.

- Rubies represent love, wealth and protection for their wearer.

- Tigereyes are grounding, and allow their wearer to obtain a deeper insight into their inner self. This is also a stone to encourage continued optimism in life.

- Sapphires bring their wearer joy and peace, as well as prosperity.

- Onyx will aid in the grieving process for those whose hearts are troubled.

The metals in which the stones are set possess metaphysical properties all their own. Gold is well known for its reputable healing powers and its ability to attract positive energy. Gold encourages understanding. Silver is cleansing, providing a mirror to the soul and aiding the stones that it sets in retaining the full strength of their metaphysical properties; for this reason, silver is the preferred metal when creating jewelry with the various stones above.

The use of silver to make jewelry has been around for centuries, and although the silversmith techniques have changed somewhat throughout the years, the attention to quality and detail has not. Sterling silver, at one time was reserved only for those who were wealthy, and few could afford it.

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Admit it ladies, there is nothing better in life than the feeling of finding the perfect piece of jewelry. This will be the piece that makes your heart lighter, your appearance flawless and will finally attract the attention of the handsome bachelor two cubicles down who hasn’t even glanced your way since he started working with you a year ago. While it is unlikely that a piece of jewelry can solve all of these issues for you there is something comforting and confidence inspiring about wearing a beautiful piece of jewelry.

There is something even more inspiring about knowing that you shaped that piece of jewelry with your own hand. Those who have already learned how to turn their love of jewelry into a career will understand. At no other time will you be able to find a pendant, bracelet or earring set that suit you so perfectly than when you have created it yourself. It can be difficult, however, to learn the trade and, taking the theory, put it into practice.

Opal is one of the most sought after items for jewelry making due to its serene appearance and multiple facets of color. It appears as the ocean-as though the smooth appearance of its exterior is simply masking the other world underneath. Opal can be very difficult to work with. It is necessary to first have the proper tools. The easiest way to shape an opal is to use a flat lap machine with a polisher that will allow you to adjust the speed; opal is a soft stone, and excessive force will cause it to crack. This will ruin your masterpiece before you have even begun. A decent flat lap machine can be purchased for around five hundred dollars.

The purpose of the flat lap machine is to allow you to shape, smooth and polish your stone in one easy step. All you have to do is use the machine to shape your raw material into whatever shape you would like your pendant charm to be. The possibilities are endless; feel free to experiment. It may be wise to start your practicing on other, less expensive and less difficult stones to get the hang of it before you start using your opal. You can use these other stones for other projects later. Be sure that you take the proper safety measures when using your machine; the last thing that you want is to have an errant piece of opal go flying into your eye and ruining your vision so that you cannot focus on your masterpiece.

Once the stone is shaped it is time to turn it into a pendant. The easiest way to apply your charm to a chain is probably going to be to purchase a silver head pin, attach it to a loop and put it on a silver chain. There are hundreds of ways to finish a pendant, however; feel free to experiment!