- Sterling Silver Amethyst Pendant
A gemstone is a piece of attractive mineral which, when cut and polished, can be used to make jewellery and other items. Some items, such as lapiz-lazuli or amber and jet, are not minerals but rocks or organic material and still considered to be gemstones due to their use in jewellery. Most gemstones are hard but sometimes soft gems are used in jewellery because of their shine.
The classification of gems dates back to the ancient Greeks with a distinction between precious and semi precious stones. In the modern world the precious gemstones are considered to be diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire (due to their rarity) with the others considered semi precious. There can be exceptions; Tsavorite a rare green garnet is far more valuable than the average emerald. The classification of precious and semi precious stones have changed over the years due to their popularity and characteristics. As an example, amethyst was always considered a precious gem up until the 19th century when huge deposits of the stone were found in Brazil. In the last century peridot, cats eye and aquamarine have all been considered precious gemstones.
Nowdays all types of gems, both precious and semi precious are used in jewellery and at The Silver Jewellery Workshop we have a large selection of silver bracelets, pendants, rings, earrings and necklaces incorporating gems. Why not have a look in our store.
While most of us are used to wearing silver jewellery there is much more to silver than just jewellery. Silver has been mined for at least 6,000 years and man learned to separate it from lead around 3,000 B.C. Of all the elements silver is the best conductor of heat, used in solar panels and heated rear windows. It’s also the best conductor of electricity and is used in electrical circuits, hearing aids and pacemakers. A silver mirror can reflect around 95% of the visible light spectrum and because of it’s optical properties is used for components in telescopes and microscopes. An ounce of silver can be drawn into 8,000 feet of thin wire and one grain can be made into a sheet 150 times thinner than a piece of paper. The major producers of this precious metal are the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Peru, Russia and Australia. More than two thirds of the silver produced is as a by product of lead, copper and zinc mining and a third of the metal produced is used in the photography industry. Silver has incredible bactericidal properties; it’s salts chemically affect the cell membranes of bacteria causing it to die. The bacteria also can not build up a resistance, as they do to many antibiotics.
So the next time you wear your silver jewellery, remember there is so much more to this wonderful white metal.
