Spanish Coins and Cobs
Friday, May 6, 2011 9:44:51 AM America/Los_Angeles
Q: Why are early Spanish coins called cobs, and what is a bit? During Spain`s 300 years of colonial rule, huge silver and gold deposits were discovered in the New World. Rather than ship this silver b...
Read MoreFacts About Roman Glass Jewelry
Friday, May 6, 2011 8:19:50 AM America/Los_Angeles
Our Roman glass is excavated in Israel from archaeological sites that date back 2000 years to the times of the Romans. The cit...
Read MoreWhy is some gold white and some yellow?
Saturday, January 29, 2011 2:47:05 PM America/Los_Angeles
In nature gold has a deep yellow color. This pure, or 24kt, gold is very soft and easily bent. Because of this, it is not ideal for use in jewelry. To improve the durability of gold, it is mixed w...
Read MoreTahitian Black Pearls
Sunday, December 5, 2010 2:23:17 PM America/Los_Angeles
Different varieties of oysters produce different colors of pearls. Practically all of the pearls in the world are harvested from just three species of oysters: the Japanese Akoya, the South Sea pearl ...
Read MoreAustralian Boulder Opal
Saturday, November 20, 2010 2:09:54 PM America/Los_Angeles
The Boulder Opal comes to us from small mine operators in Queensland, Australia. The conditions of the region are harsh, and the work to bring these gems to the surface is difficult. Many miners and t...
Read MoreEsquel Meteorite Jewelry
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 2:01:52 PM America/Los_Angeles
In the small town of Esquel, Argentina in 1951 a campesino was digging a watering hole for his livestock when he came across one of the most spectacular meteorites ever discovered. Named for the town ...
Read MorePeruvian Jewelry
Friday, October 29, 2010 2:38:00 PM America/Los_Angeles
What is a Tourmaline?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 1:38:53 PM America/Los_Angeles
Found in such varied locations as Sri Lanka, Siberia, and California, tourmalines are a family of gemstones noted for their variety of colors. They exist in hot pink shades known as rubellite, deep b...
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