Love for the Gemstones

I've never felt a particular fondness for quartz and other gem stones you see used in jewellery; mainly because I think I associated it with older women, and it just didn't appeal to my "hip" side. However, since working in a jewellery store for 3 years, I learnt a fair bit, and I developed a wee love for some stones in particular.

Alexandrite

I was cleaning a very lovely girl's ring, and when I exclaimed how beautiful it was, and how it was incredible because I could have sworn it'd changed colours, she told me the story behind it. It's a fairly "recent" discovered stone, found in 19th century Russia, and was named 'Alexandrite' in honour of Tsar Alexander II. This stone is believed to bring good fortune and love, and I can understand why, it's just absolutely stunning. They are expensive, but I am definitely going to invest in one in the future.

Sapphire

 

Bet you thought sapphires only came in that vivid blue colour, amirite? Well, I'm going to break that common stereotype right here and now, sapphires come in an array of colours! The only colour the sapphire doesn't come in is red - that is a ruby. My other half gave me a stunning ring with a dark blue sapphire which I absolutely love. It's been passed down within the women in his family, so it's even more special to me.

Mystic Topaz

Can you tell I love multi-coloured things? As much as I want the usual blue topaz, I also want to own the mystic topaz. The name is awesome, let's not deny it!, and I've rarely seen other women wearing it. The stone is coated with a thin layer of titanium to the underside through a process which changes the way the stone absorbs and reflects light. Because it's man-made (the colours), it's considered semi-precious.

Amethyst

It's name is derived from Ancient Greek which means "not intoxicated", because the ancient Greeks believed this stone protected its owner from drunkenness! In terms of spiritual and healing properties, it's believed that the stone brings peace, aids restful sleep and eases stress. My grandmother wore a necklace made out of little bits of amethyst, and I always think of amethyst in fondness because of this. I love it in its natural state best, I love running my hands over the cool, jagged lines.

Emma from Beauty and Rags is currently running a giveaway for an absolutely exquisite gold dipped amethyst necklace, and I would absolutely, absolutely love to win it! *fingers crossed* Hop on over and check it out here.

I'd love to hear what your favourite gem stones are! Leave a comment down below with your favourite stone and why you love it.

 

Almost The One Ring to Rule Them All

I'm a big fan of costume jewellery, as much as the real stuff. I worked in a jewellery store for most of my time in university, so I know a thing or two about the bling bling. I love something different, something I know not many people will have. At the same time, I'm not about to avoid something because I know it's "trendy" or a lot of people also own it.

This weekend I spent a fair bit of time in a shop I'd normally speed by on my way to the amazing 315 yen store. It's a costumer jewellery store, and it has a lot of rocking, trendy things in there that I wouldn't have noticed had I not actually gone in. From the outside, it looks like it sells the normal type of delicate chains and earrings commonly seen here in Japan, but once you go in for a closer look, there are many beautiful things to be discovered.

I have been lusting after a plain bar two-finger ring for a couple of years now, and I have not been able to find "the one" even after hours of searching on etsy and eBay. However, this weekend, I think I've found something very close to "the one".

As you can see from the misalignment of the bars in the ring, it's not a very high quality ring. Even though it was overpriced, I was happy to treat myself to something I'd been wanting for a while.

As you can see you can bend it to fit the size of your fingers - though surprisingly, it's the first ring in Japan that I've tried that doesn't bend to be as snug as I'd like it to be. I was definitely thinking, 'wow, this ring is definitely made for fat gaijin fingers!'. (P.S To those not familiar with Japanese words - 'gaijin' means foreigner, and it has a somewhat derogatory nuance to it depending on situation, and who's saying it, etc.)

Selfie of fat gaijin fingers as aforementioned. I think this ring will definitely spice up my otherwise boring work outfits!

What kind of jewellery person are you? Do you prefer rings, necklaces, earrings? Are you a silver, gold or rose gold fan?