In times of rapid change, constants lend comfort to our lives. Since ancient times, jewelry has been one of
most popular gifts to give and to receive, and it still ranks among top gifts as a universal, particularly pearls and birthstones. Jewelry ranks just beneath flowers as gift that says "I love you," and it ranks just above flowers as a gift to convey that recipient is someone special. A gift of jewelry delights recipient and evokes a genuine smile.It's Style…
It's not price; it's style that determines whether your gift of jewelry is received in same spirit in which it is given. To give jewelry that delights, match gift to recipient's style. Jewelry is one area where you cannot give a gift that you would love to own. Your idea of a fashionable bauble may be another's idea of junk. Is intended's style casual or more formal, traditional or contemporary? You wouldn't give a Swatch watch to your great-grandmother any more than you would give a diamond tennis bracelet to your Goth niece. Select a compatible style and your gift will stand out among recipient's favorites and ensure that gift never finds its way to regifting closet.
The Many Faces of Pearls
Any woman over age of 30 appreciates a fine strand of pearls. They're elegant, timeless, and suitable for most occasions. Think back to your favorite old movies; most leading ladies wore pearls at some point during movie.
Pearls are only gemstone created within another living organism. Natural pearls are grown without any human intervention when a speck of sand or other irritant lodges itself inside an oyster. Deteriorating environmental conditions have rendered natural pearls all but obsolete.
Cultured pearls have quickly filled void. The only difference between a natural pearl and a cultured pearl is that human intervention is required to place irritant inside oyster shell. By controlling size and shape of irritant as well as environmental factors, cultured pearls guarantee greater quality control. You’ll find pearls in many hues ranging from white South Sea pearls to black Tahitian pearls, and covering a lot of territory in between: pink, green, blue and ivory.
Freshwater pearls sport a combination of interesting shapes and hues not usually found in saltwater varieties. Freshwater pearls come from Chinese rivers and lakes where Hyriopsis cumingi mussels can produce 50 pearls at once. They are usually less expensive than saltwater pearls, but no less elegant than their saltwater counterpart.
