The Meaning of Om
Hello!
A lot of people come into our showrooms and fall in love with our beautiful “Om”pendants (I actually have one myself). For sale both online and in our showrooms we have the following two designs
and in the past we have also commissioned some 9ct yellow and rose gold Om pendants. I find we get a lot of enquiries about the actual meaning on this symbol so I thought I’d let you all know in more detail, what this piece actually means…
The Om pendant is a representation of the Aum symbol which symbolises the infinite Brahman (absolute reality) and the very essence of the Universe itself. It is a very important symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikh and Jainism as well as many other religions and followings. The symbol is used in many mantras. A description of the meaning Aum can be found here: http://www.omsakthi.org
The symbol itself consists of three curves, a semi circle and a dot. The lower curve represents the waking state, the upper curve symbolises deep sleep, and the right side curve signifies the dream state. The dot symbolises the Absolute- illuminating the other three states.
In modern society, Aum has become important to people from all cultures and religions. In the Western world it has come to mean “Peace” and while this doesn’t hold its entirely true meaning, it allows Buddhism and Hinduism to be represented through Om and therefore portrays that Peace can be found through these religious paths.
Katie x
The Pros and Cons of Buying Gold
I found an interesting article on MSN a couple of days ago about the pros and cons of buying gold as an investment. It’s something I’ve been asked about a few times so I thought other people might be interested too! I’m not sure how comprehensive it is, but it certainly made things a little clearer:
http://money.uk.msn.com/investing/articles/morecommentary/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8793230
British Gold Mine
A British gold mine is set to be reopened within the next few weeks - this has become viable due to the dramatic rise in gold prices recently.
I have been in contact with their Chief exec who has said that they will be about 2 years from a point of being ready to sell the gold but that they will keep us up to date in the meantime.
Fair Trade - vote now!
Towards Fairly Traded Gold
Over the last six months we have been trying to find a source of Fair Trade certified gold, as we feel lots of customers would like to have this option. 24 carat grain for casting is starting to be reasonably available for making jewellery from moulds, but this just isn't practical for most one-off rings and, so we have been scouring the globe looking for a supply of 18 carat sheet and bars which we can actually use for individual bespoke rings.
After lots of frustrating dead ends, we hope to have found a project that can supply us with Fair Trade certified gold, artisanally mined in South America in a form we can use. The only scary thing is that we have to commit to a massive minimum quantity - about 15 times what we would normally order at once. So my question to you, blog readers, is this: Would you like to be able to use Fair Trade gold in your ring, bearing in mind that it will probably add about 1/4 to the cost of the average ring, and may restrict your design options? (we may only be able to get yellow gold for example). Please, let me know what you think using this poll. It's completely anonymous, so be honest!
If your feelings can't be encapsulated in a simple poll answer, please do feel free to email me on sophie at hkjewellery.co.uk with fair trade in the subject line.
Gem Cutting - Equipment & Techniques
I thought I would share with you some really interesting information that I found on gem stone cutting.
Cutting a Rough Gem Stone
Cutting a raw stone into a faceted and polished gemstone involves various stages. Each stage is critical to the final outcome. The stages are:
Marking
A rough stone is marked prior to cleaving or sawing to determine the direction of the grain or 'cleavage', eliminate waste, and bypass inclusions or imperfections. The natural shape of the rough stone will also be a major factor in deciding how to cut the stone.
Cleaving
Cleaving refers to splitting a stone along its grain by striking it. A rough stone is cleaved if there are conspicuous defects and or inclusions which would prevent it from being made into a single gemstone.
Sawing
The rough stone is cut to a shape that approximates the shape of the finished cut stone but without the facets.
Girdling
The rough is placed in a chuck on a lathe. While the rough stone rotates on the lathe, a second diamond mounted on a dop is pressed against it, rounding the rough diamond into a cone shape. This step is also referred to as rounding or bruting.
Faceting
The cutting and polishing of each facet is accomplished by attaching the stone to a dop stick and pressing it against a revolving lap (see 'Facetron' below). During this faceting stage the angles of each facet must be cut in order to maintain symmetry and produce maximum brilliance.
Brillianteering
If the primary Faceting or 'Cross-Working' is done by a separate craftsman, the final 40 facets of a round brilliant cut diamond's 58 facets will be cut by a Brillianteer.
Diamond Faceting design and Rough Evaluation
Diamond manufacturing factories use sophisticated electronic equipment for cutting and evaluating cut diamonds. Using the latest hardware and software to create highly accurate 3D models, these scanners allow the operator to pre-visualize a 3D model of the cut stone. HeliumPolish Scanners are used for Round Brilliant Cuts as well as Fancy cuts. A device called a Pacor Oxygen Scanner can be used for optimizing rough stones based on purity to evaluate inclusion removal or reorientation.
Diamond Bruting
Girdling or bruting the rough is a critical phase where the stone is placed on a lathe while a second diamond mounted on a dop is pressed against it, rounding the rough diamond into a cone shape. AutoBruters use the latest technology to preform 'non-contact' measuring to overcome inherent problems in the rounding process. Using live video and image analyzing software, potential out-of-roundness and any deviations from the desired dimensions and a computer will guide the machine to take necessary actions by slowing the bruting speed or pressure.
Gem Analyzers
An 'IdealScope' or 'H and A Viewer' (below, center) uses a lens with a pink/red reflector positioned in front of the diamond under a central viewing hole, allowing the viewer to see how much of the red/pink light refracts back from the diamond. The resulting pattern will be a good indicator of faceting proportion and symmetry.
For performing Cut Analysis on a finished stone, a Dia-Analyser (above, right) uses a camera to take photographs of the finished diamond while it is being rotated. The computer's software will digitize and then analyze the data to quantify all of the cut parameters.
Lapidary and Gem Cutting Equipment
The machine to the upper left (Poly-Metric Scintillator 88 Digital) and to the upper right (Facetron) are semi-automated faceting machines. Machines such as these have taken some of the guess-work out of stone cutting, but a skilled craftsman must cut a rough stone to its optimal size and take into account any inclusions or imperfections that must be eliminated in the cutting process. By examining the rough stone under a Loupe, the gem-cutter will decide which type of cut will show the stone's best attributes.
Cabochon Grinder
Facetron and Lapidary Gem Saw
The Facetron and Scintillator are water-cooled faceting machines designed to make cuts at precise angles by mathematically plotting out the depth and degree of a given facet. The rough gemstone is held by a chuck called a 'Dop' 'Dop Stick' or 'Dop Chuck' and ground against a grinding plate called a 'Lap'. The rough stone is held to the dop with hot-wax glue. By adjusting a dial indicator (protractor) the gem-cutter can control the degree of cutting angle to a tolerance measured in hundredths of an inch.
The image at centre/bottom is a rough gemstone attached to a dop stick. The image to the right is a combination lapidary gemstone saw (slab saw) and grinder.
Malachite
Hi
Here at Harriet Kelsall we are passionate about learning all we can about different and unusual stones. Below is some research that I did during my stone training on one of my favourite semi-precious stones - Malachite.
MALACHITE
HISTORY AND MYTH
Often found in massive form this beautiful mineral has been treasured for it's ornamental qualities for thousands of years and was notably sourced from the Ural Mountains in Russia. The name Malachite is derived from the Greek word "Malakhe" or marshmallow plant because of the startling green color. It was popular for ornamental use as far back as the ancient Egyptians who used it in both statues and adornments. They also ground it to a powder and, having mixed it with water, painted it on their eye lids. It was also used as a pigment for paint in Egyptian tomb paintings and much later in European art during the 15th century. The Romans used it to fashion amulets where it was known as Peacock stone and dedicated to the Goddess Juno. She was worshipped as a protector from the perils of natural disasters. There is evidence that Malachite was mined on the Sinai Peninsula as early as 4000 B C. Large deposits also existed in the Ural Mountains and Malachite was used to decorate the luxurious palaces of the Tsars. These showy specimens of fibrous crystals display from all sides and come from Zaire.
In metaphysical terms malachite is considered a stone of transformation and balance, assisting in ones spiritual journey. It is allegedly capable of stimulating ones intuition and insight whilst helping in recognizing and clearing past negative influences and experiences. It allows for insight into any emotional factors that may be manifesting as physical symptoms. It is also said to help unlock the meaning of dreams. Traditionally it was worn as a stone of protection.
STONE QUALITIES
Malachite’s banded light and dark green designs are one-of-a-kind, and give it a unique ornamental quality unlike that of any other stone. The light and dark green bands are so distinctive that malachite maybe one of the most easily recognized minerals by the general public.
Malachite is a copper bearing mineral, with as much as 58% copper content. The distinctive bright-green hydrous CARBONATE MINERAL malachite is a common but minor ore of copper. It is usually found in copper deposits associated with LIMESTONE, occurring with AZURITE as the weathering product of other copper ore minerals.
SOURCE
Large quantities of malachite have been mined in the Urals. It is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tsumeb, Namibia, Russia, Mexica, New South Wales. England and in the South Western US.
THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MALACHITE:
Colour is banded light and dark green or (if crystalline), just dark green.
Luster is dull in massive forms and silky as crystals.
Transparency is opaque in massive form and translucent in crystalline forms.
Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m.
Crystal Habits in its massive forms are botryoidal, stalactitic or globular. Crystals are acicular or fibrous and form in tufts and encrustations. Frequently found as pseudomorphs of azurite.
Cleavage is good in one direction but rarely seen.
Fracture is conchoidal to splintery.
Hardness is 3.5-4.
Specific Gravity is 3.9+ (slightly heavy).
Streak is green.
Other Characteristics: Weakly effervesces in acid.
USING MALACHITE IN JEWELLERY
Tumbled stones of malachite are possibly the most popular tumbled stones ever and are sold in rock shops around the world. Carvings and figurines of malachite are almost as common.
Malachite is also popular in jewellery, Native American South western jewellery especially. The stones inlayed in silver make a nice variance from the traditional turquoise jewellery. Instead of competing, the two green stones tend to compliment each other when placed together in the same settings. Other stones such as coral, mother-of-pearl, azurite, jasper and onyx used in the typically handcrafted jewellery also compliment malachite's green colours.
Although its massive carvable forms are well known, its crystalline forms are much rarer and only recently becoming widely available to the average mineral collector.
Many beautiful specimens of malachite contain special combinations with other minerals. Such combinations are some of the most colourful mineral assortments in the mineral world. They include such stunningly colourful minerals as dark blue azurite. So common is malachite that it is associated with almost every secondary copper mineral whether they are carbonate minerals or not.
New Zealand Inspired Jade Ring
I just wanted to show you a commission that I have just been working on which was particularly interesting!
After Gerard bought Tricia a unique ready to wear ring from our collection they came back 7 months later and arranged an appointment for commissioned wedding rings. Gerard was originally from New Zealand but is living and getting married in the UK. Gerard really wanted a New Zealand inspiration in his ring and had been made aware of 'Green Stone' when living in New Zealand as he had bought a carved pendant for his fiancée. Green stone is the colloquial term in New Zealand for New Zealand Jade.
Gerard had the idea that for his wedding ring he would like a ring of Jade that would be sandwiched between two rings of precious metal. As we talked through the design we developed the idea and I advised on the positioning of the Jade . Jade is a tough stone, more 'tough' infact than that of a diamond but at the same time it is very brittle. This is why Jade is often carved but one knock or drop of the ring and the Jade can shatter ! I suggested that the ring had a front and a back and that we positioned the Jade in a section at the front only so that it was not under the palm of the hand and less likely to be knocked.
I explained about the various shapes that the stones are available and regularly cut in. As you have probably seen before Jade is often carved into statues, vessels and in tableaux's and in jewellery, beads and cabochon stones.
Carved Jade
A cabochon piece of Jade.
The cabochon cut is a domed stone that is usually flat on the underside and curved on top. The stone is then held in a setting and the sides of the setting lip are pushed over the curve of the stone to hold it in by the setter. Cabochon stones are often cut in oval and round but Gerard did not want the ring to look like a ladies dress ring(!) and wanted the stone to be a little more angular in shape.
So at this point we relised that custom cutting a piece of Jade to place into the ring was the way forward. Custom cutting a stone is a lovely way to get an unusual shape that some times is not regularly cut or to fit an old ring where a stone has been damaged and needed replacing. However it can be a costly process so is worth considering all the options.
I spoke to our stone sourcers and was able to source a large piece of new Zealand Jade and have it cut in the exact specification for the design of the ring. The ring was to be made in yellow gold in the center with a deeper white gold band either side and a setting at the front to hold the Jade.
Angela (Project manager and trainee gemologist) and I made a trip to visit the stone sourcer to see the stone and to view the stone being cut by a Lapidary. We took the ring along with us and met Tim who showed us how it was done !!!! Tim had been cutting stones for over 28 years. When Tim first started he was cutting turquoise and Jade in South America. He came to England for the year and stayed ! He set up his own Lapidary company and ran it for 25 years and moved to our stone suppliers as their Lapidary and stone cutter two years ago.
First of all Tim looked at the large piece of Jade and selected a good light and solid area of the stone. We wanted a section with as little striations in the stone as possible so that it would not fracture in cutting and be vulnerable when in the ring.
It took a good few minutes to cut the small section from the large rough piece on this circular saw. This was done in the Slabbing Room on a lapping wheel.
He then began to refine the shape on the vertical diamond impregnated wheels. There were six grades of wheels getting less and less coarse from right to left.
The jade was then polished and ready for setting.
The ring was polished and cleaned as well ready for the stone to be set. Vic our in house stone setter set the stone and the ring was ready for Gerard.
The couple are getting married in three weeks time and after seeing the very excited bride to be in the showroom getting bridesmaids jewellery they are very please with the ring and Gerard is very much looking forward to wearing the ring. Hopefully we will have some photos to show you!
Celebrating bespoke jewellery
Four of us bunked off work early yesterday to go to the finals of the FSB British Small Business Champions Awards in Stratford. We were one of six finalists in the Central region and got treated to a nice dinner and lots of speeches.
We didn't actually win in the end - the award went to a family firm of costermongers whose fourth generation has brought a whole new area of business by selling directly to offices over the internet, which sounds great. The young man who won had very sweetly brought his parents along as his guests.
Harriet met a sea captain, who was the after dinner speaker, Captain William Wells.
We were also introduced to the Mayor of Stratford, who easily out-jewelleried everyone else in the room with her mayorial chain. Inevitably, she and Harriet were soon talking about how you could redesign it to make it more comfortable and easy to wear.
Apparently you have to have dresses specially made to go underneath and there is a discreet underpinning to keep it sitting correctly, which is a shame as it must make mayorial duties harder. Perhaps we think about jewellery too much (is that even possible?) but I know Harriet will have already redesigned it in her head...
Well, a lovely time was had by all, we met some interesting people and we got some great feedback about how we could have made our entry the one. Getting that far was a great testament to the fact that we do what we do really well, and give something back to the community we work in. Well done us.
V and A
Hi
I haven't managed to get up to the new V and A jewellery gallery yet but have read this review - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2008/05/11/st_jewellery.xml
Can't wait to get up there to see it!
Harriet
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/features/jewellery/index.html
Gemstone mystery
I found this very interesting....and it was fun working through.....
One of our customers bought in a ring with a 10-12mm round red/purple stone in it. The colour was quite rich and strong. She wasn't sure what it was, possibly a sapphire? synthetic? we decided to get to the bottom of it for our customer and our own curiosity! We originally thought to send it to one of our stone dealers for a closer inspection, however as i'm studying the foundation in Gemmology at GEM-A London ( www..gem-a.com ) we felt it would make better sense to take it with me to one of my classes and ask my tutor and fellow students for their opinions whilst having a good look and test the stone using the tricks of the trade :)
To identify a gemstone its always nicer to be able to feel the stone and look at it from all angles, however its difficult to do this when the stone is set into a piece of jewellery. You can still use the lustre of the stone, colour and identifiable features when having a closer look with a loupe, especially if the setting around the stone allows you to.
It was a real process of elimintion, this is how we worked through it:
At a glance synthectic sapphire? but strange colour, maybe coloured glass?
When tested on a refractometer we got a reading for quartz. A refractometer measures the ray of light - when a ray of light meets the surface of a polished gemstone, somelight is reflected, but most passes thought it. Because a gem has differnt different optical densiy from air, the light slows down and is bent from its original path (refracted) The amount of refraction within a gem is called a refractive index (RI) and this can be used to identify a stone.
Looking closer at the stone there was a slight variation in colour on the top half to the bottom half and a circle of black dots in the middle - the matkings too precise to be natural inclusions - could this mean its a doublet and two peices of material joined together......
When placing the stone into a cup of water it showed a colourless mineral at the top and the bottom of the stone which we believe to be Rock Crystal with red adhesive holding it together through the middle which gave the effect of a red/purple stone all over.
This stone appeared to be a Soude triplet.
Soude - soldered
Triplet - 3 layers
We got there in the end!
Angela :)
