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Showing posts from 2013

Determining Spacer Bead Size

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Many people use spacer beads to separate charms on bracelets, necklaces and charm holders, but figuring out what size to purchase can sometimes be challenging.  At Viridian Gold, we carry a selection of spacer beads, and each bead is available in several different sizes (see:  http://www.viridiangold.com/charms.html ) When determining what size spacer bead to purchase, first take into consideration what item of jewelry the bead will be added to - will it go on a chain necklace or bracelet, or a charm holder?  Next, figure out the millimeter width of the item on which you want to add the bead.  If it's a chain, how wide is chain?  How wide is the clasp?  If you are unsure, reach for the nearest ruler.  Rulers frequently have millimeter measurements opposite the inch measurements, and millimeters are what are needed for a chain width measurement.  Place your ruler on a flat surface in a horizontal position, and then place your chain across the ruler in a vertical position.  Make

Matching a Lost Earring -- A Success Story

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Ever lose one of your favorite earrings from a pair, and want replace it with an exact match?  This is a common problem, especially with gold prices having shot up in the last several years.  Why replace an expensive pair of earrings, if you can simply purchase another matching, single earring?  At ViridianGold.com, we have realized that some of our customers are trying to do just that, usually with huggie earring styles .  So, we try to make this process as easy as possible by providing, on our website, photographs and a table of dimensions for each of our earring styles. For most earrings, we include the length of the earring, which is the same as the diameter across, in the title. Recently, we had a customer order a single 14K Gold 10.25mm Hinged Huggie Earring, #4163  .  After receiving her order, she contacted us to get an RMA number so that she could return the earring.  As we spoke, I realized that she was trying to match a lost one from a pair, and she did not have a me

Dog Tags

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We have recently added some new, men’s jewelry for Father's Day ~ among them are several dog tag necklaces (with more coming soon).  After doing a little research on dog tags, I learned that the first military ID tags were issued during the beginning of WWI by the British Army and their imperial forces.  Two round tags, one of red and one of green fiber, were hung around the neck by butcher's twine.  On December 10, 1906, the Army tags were authorized in the US.  These were aluminum discs that were stamped with the name, rank, company, regiment or corps of the wearer.  In July, 1916, Army regulations decreed that all soldiers be issued two tags ~ one to remain with the body and one to be collected.  Two years later, the serial number system was adopted.* One common tale regarding notched dog tags that were issued between 1941 and 1970 was that the notched end was placed between the front teeth of casualties to hold the jaws in place.  But the notch was actually to ho

Silver Wedding Bands are replacing Gold

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With the price of gold at all-time highs, couples looking for traditional, white gold wedding bands are finding that sterling silver wedding rings are an economical, yet high-quality alternative.  Our silver bands are made in the same USA factory as our gold and platinum bands, using the same molds.  This means that the quality is unsurpassed--these are not cheap, flea-market rings that are imported from India or China, but are fully .925 silver, highly polished and free of pits and voids.  To be termed " sterling silver ", the silver content must be at least 92.5%, so these rings are marked "STER" on the inside surface to so indicate their fineness.  Over the years, these sterling silver rings will acquire a unique and pleasing patina which is the classic hallmark of quality silver jewelry. Our domed, "Comfort-Fit" sterling silver bands are available in widths from 2mm up to 6mm.  We also offer the more traditional, domed half-round style in sterl

Rosary Beads, Rosary Rings and Bracelets

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The Rosary, "rosarium" in Latin, means "garland of roses", and is prayed in honor of the Virgin Mary, since the rose is one of the flowers that symbolizes her.  A set of specific prayers, the rosary begins with introductory prayers.  Between those prayers and the closing prayer of the rosary are what is known as the decades.  Each decade consists of the Lord's Prayer, 10 prayers of "Hail Mary...", and a single "Glory be to the Father".  A meditation of one of the "Mysteries of the Rosary" (there are fifteen Mysteries, each of which recalls an aspect of the life of Christ) accompanies each decade.  For most people, "praying the rosary", consists of praying five decades. To help those who pray the rosary keep count of their prayers, rosary beads ~ in necklace, bracelet or ring form, are used.  At Viridian Gold, we have a sampling of all these.  Each of our Rosary Rings is available in 14K yellow or white gold, 10K yell

Jewelry for Lent?

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For Western Christianity, the first day of Lent, a movable fast that begins forty-six days before Easter, is Ash Wednesday.  For many denominations, this day is commemorated by the wearing of ashes on the forehead in a cross shape ~ a reminder of our human frailty, and of mourning and repentance before God.  The ashes are usually gathered from the burning of palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday, the day that announces Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, also the day that marks the beginning of His Passion. Lent is a time of preparation for the celebration of Christ's glorious Resurrection, and is marked by prayer, penance, repentance, fasting/self-denial and almsgiving.  You may be thinking, if Lent is such a serious, contemplative time, a time when believers "give up" or "offer up" something for these forty days, why is this post about jewelry? The answer is that, for many of us, our religious jewelry ~ our crosses, crucifixes, rosa