We just launched a new clearance jewelry page on our website, prices from 50-75% off. We add new items to the page every week and we are still offering FREE domestic SHIPPING.
From men's jewelry to women's jewelry to wedding sets, we have it all and all at an amazing price! While you're shopping our clearance jewelry make sure and check out the rest of our store, we are one of the only online jewelers to offer MAKE AN OFFER on all our regular priced items! More about make an offer to come later. Enjoy the site and let Judy or myself know if you have questions!
Ta Ta for now!
CaraLee - (360)-668-2658
OldCities buys and sells estate jewelry and antique jewelry. We operate on eBay, Amazon and have a direct selling website, oldcities.com. Our office is located in the greater Seattle, WA area.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, November 10, 2008
October Birthstone - Opal & Pink Tourmaline
October Birthstone Opal
Birthstone: Opal
Moh's hardness: 5 1/2- 6 1/2
Specific Gravity: 2.50
Color: All colors, partially play-of-color Chemical Composition: SiO2, nH2O, hydrous silcon dioxide
Shop Our OPAL Jewelry
The Opal treats the eye to an explosion of shimmering colors, not unlike those of a magnificent rainbow following a summer rain. The Opal derives its name from the Latin word "opalus," meaning precious jewel. Prized for its unique ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light, the Opal was called "Cupid Paederos" by the Romans, meaning a child beautiful as love. One Legendary explanation for this gemstone's origin is that it fell from heaven in a flash of fiery lightning.
Opal dates back to prehistoric times. It is a non-crystallized silica, which is a mineral found near the earth's surface in areas where ancient geothermal hot springs once existed. As the hot springs dried up, layers of the silica combined with water, were deposited into cracks and cavities of bedrock, forming Opal. This gemstone actually contains up to 30% water, so it must be protected from heat or harsh chemicals, both of which will cause drying and may lead to cracking or loss of iridescence. Opal must also be guarded from blows, since it is relatively soft and breaks easily.
A gift of Opal is symbolic of faithfulness and confidence. The powerful energy radiating from this fiery gemstone will surely illuminate any occasion.
October Alternate Birthstone: Pink Tourmaline
Birthstone: Pink Tourmaline
Moh's hardness: 7-71/2
Specific Gravity: 3.32
Color: Pink
Shop Our PINK TOURMALINE Jewelry
Pink Tourmaline has the seemingly magical property of pyroelectricity.
Scientifically speaking, this means that when heated, the gem takes on a static electric charge, making it capable of attracting lightweight objects. No wonder this gemstone was revered for it's mystical properties centuries ago. Considered the "stone of the muse," it is believed to stimulate the creative process of it's wearer.
Pink varieties of Tourmaline range in color from pastel pink to ruby red and are mined in Brazil, Afghanistan, Burma, and India. A gift of this stone is symbolic of hope.
Labels:
australian,
black opal,
estate jewelry,
october birthstone,
opal,
pink,
tourmaline
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Facts you should know about GOLD
Gold, recognizable by its yellowish cast, is one of the oldest metals used by humans. As far back as the Neolithic period, humans have collected gold from stream beds, and the actual mining of gold can be traced as far back as 3500 B.C., when early Egyptians (the Sumerian culture of Mesopotamia) used mined gold to craft elaborate jewelry, religious artifacts, and utensils such as goblets.
Golds aesthetic properties combined with its physical properties have long made it a valuable metal. Throughout history, gold has often been the cause of both conflict and adventure, the destruction of both the Aztec and Inca civilizations, for instance, and the early American gold rushes to Georgia, California, and Alaska.
About 65 percent of processed gold is used in the arts industry, mainly to make jewelry. Besides jewelry, gold is also used int the electrical, electronic, and ceramics industries. These industrial applications have grown in recent years and now occupy an estimated 25 percent of the gold market. The remaining percentage of mined gold is used to make a type of ruby colored glass called purple of Cassius, which is applied to office building windows to reduce the heat in the summer, and to mirrors used in space and in electroscopy so that they reflect the infrared spectrum.
Golds one drawback for use in industry is that it is a relatively soft metal. To combat this weakness, gold is usually alloyed with another member of the metal family such as silver, copper, platinum, or nickel. Gold alloys are measured by karats. A karat is a unit of equal to 1/24 part of pure gold in an alloy. Thus,24 karat (24k) gold is pure gold, while 18 karat (18K) is 18 parts pure gold to 6 parts other metal, 14 karat (14k)is 14 parts pure gold to 10 parts other metal, and 10 karat (10K) is 10 parts pure gold to 14 parts other metal. The less gold in jewelry the stronger the piece of jewelry is.
Golds aesthetic properties combined with its physical properties have long made it a valuable metal. Throughout history, gold has often been the cause of both conflict and adventure, the destruction of both the Aztec and Inca civilizations, for instance, and the early American gold rushes to Georgia, California, and Alaska.
About 65 percent of processed gold is used in the arts industry, mainly to make jewelry. Besides jewelry, gold is also used int the electrical, electronic, and ceramics industries. These industrial applications have grown in recent years and now occupy an estimated 25 percent of the gold market. The remaining percentage of mined gold is used to make a type of ruby colored glass called purple of Cassius, which is applied to office building windows to reduce the heat in the summer, and to mirrors used in space and in electroscopy so that they reflect the infrared spectrum.
Golds one drawback for use in industry is that it is a relatively soft metal. To combat this weakness, gold is usually alloyed with another member of the metal family such as silver, copper, platinum, or nickel. Gold alloys are measured by karats. A karat is a unit of equal to 1/24 part of pure gold in an alloy. Thus,24 karat (24k) gold is pure gold, while 18 karat (18K) is 18 parts pure gold to 6 parts other metal, 14 karat (14k)is 14 parts pure gold to 10 parts other metal, and 10 karat (10K) is 10 parts pure gold to 14 parts other metal. The less gold in jewelry the stronger the piece of jewelry is.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
June Birthstones - Pearl & Alexandrite
Pearl & Alexandrite Education - June Birthstone
Birthstone: Pearl
Moh's hardness: 2 1/2 - 4 1/2
Color: White, pink, silver, cream, golden- colored, green, blue, black
Chemical Composition: Calcium carbonate,organic substances and water.
Shop our Pearl Jewelry
From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusk, comes the Pearl, a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance. Ancient civilizations had many stories to explain the origin of June's birthstone, such as the Greek belief was that Pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the goddess of love shook from her eyes. According to Arab legend, pearls were formed when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the beautiful moon and then swallowed moonlit dewdrops, and the Ancient Chinese thought that these gems originated from the brains of dragons.
The scientific explanation for natural pearls is almost as mystifying as folklore.
When an irritant, such as a small parasite or a fish lodges in the flesh of the oyster, mussel, or clam, a protective substance called "nacre" is produced.
Over years, layer upon layer of shimmering nacre coats the intruder, creating a lustrous pearl. Natural pearls are relatively rare, so a process evolved in which a piece of shell or bead was placed inside the mollusk to stimulate the production of nacre. This results in a cultured pearl, which accounts for about 90 percent of the pearl industry.
Pearls have been a passion and even an obsession of people throughout the ages. They have been ground up and used in cosmetics and as medicine to treat heart and stomach conditions. Some cultures swear by pearls as an aphrodisiac. These gems have adorned crowns, clothing, and temples, and where said to be a favorite of Cleopatra.
June Birthstone Alternate: Alexandrite
Birthstone: Alexandrite
Moh's hardness: 8 1/2
Specific Gravity: 3.78
Color: Color changing stone from, green
to red, blue-green, to purplish-red
Chemical Composition: BeAl2o4 beryllium
aluminum oxide
Shop Our ALEXANDRITE Jewelry
Alexandrite is one of the rarest gemstones. It is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881) the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals.
The discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age. Although Alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble history.
Since it shows both red and green, the principal colors of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia.
Beautiful Alexandrite in top quality, however, is very rare indeed and hardly ever used in modern jewelry. In antique Russian jewelry you may come across it with a little luck, since Russian master jewelers loved this stone. Tiffany's master gemologist George Frederick Kunz (1856-1932) was also fascinated by Alexandrite, and the jeweler's firm produced some beautiful series of rings and platinum ensembles at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Smaller Alexandrites were occasionally also used in Victorian jewelry from England.
The most sensational feature about this stone, however is its surprising ability to change color. Green or bluish-green in daylight, Alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.
Alexandrite is very scarce, this is due to its chemical composition. It is basically Chrysoberyl, a mineral consisting of colorless or yellow transparent Chrysoberyl.
Labels:
alexandrite,
estate jewelry,
june birthstone,
pearl,
ring
Friday, November 7, 2008
Emerald Education - May Birthstone
May Birthstone Emerald
Birthstone: Emerald
Moh's hardness: 7.5-8
Specific Gravity: 2.78
Color: Emerald green, green, slightly
yellowish-green
Chemical Composition: Al2,Be3,Si6,O18,
aluminum beryllium sillcate
Shop Our EMERALD Jewelry
The name Emerald derives from Greek smaragdos. It means "green stone" and, in ancient times, referred not only to Emeralds but also probably to most green stones.
Emerald is the most precious stone in the beryl group. Often the Emerald is clouded by inclusions. These are not necessarily classified as faults, but are evidence as to the genuineness of the stone as compared with synthetic and other imitations. The experts refers to these inclusions as jardin ( French---garden)
Emeralds are always green, if the stone has too much blue in it, then it is Aquamarine. Pink beryl is Morganite, yellow beryl is Golden Beryl, yellow-green beryl is Heliodor. There is also a rare red beryl. An Emerald of the right shade of green can be more valuable than a Diamond.
Folklore has it that Emerald can help heal the physical heart as well as love. Emerald will help backaches when worn on the index finger of the left hand. Some cultures thought the Emerald would heal any disease of the eye, and others thought that the Emerald was a stone of great harmony, wisdom and love. Giving your lover an Emerald will bring the lover closer if the givers motives are pure love.
Labels:
chatham,
diamond ring,
emerald,
estate jewelry,
may birthstone,
pendant
Thursday, November 6, 2008
April Birthstone - Diamond
April Birthstone Diamond
Birthstone: Diamond
Moh's hardness: 10
Specific Gravity: 4.1
Color: Colorless, yellow,orange, brown, black
rarely red, blue, green, pink and purple
Chemical Composition: C, crystallized carbon
Shop Our DIAMOND Jewelry
Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth. They are more brilliant than any other natural gem. Their fire, durability, and rarity make them the most prized of gems.
The most popular diamonds are colorless. However, most diamonds have a light tint, usually yellowish or brownish. Yellow diamonds as of recently have gained popularity and are commonly available. Perfectly clear diamonds are much more valuable than tinted diamonds. Very rarely, diamond occurs in deep hues of red, blue, and green. Such diamonds, known as "fancies", are extremely valuable.
Only 20 percent of mined diamonds are used in jewelry, as most are unsuitable.
A flawless diamond is exceptional, even diamonds used as gems contain flaws.
A grading system instituted by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), was implemented to evaluate diamonds based on their clarity. Three additional evaluation systems were devised by the GIA. This leads to the four attributes, known as "the four C's", in which diamonds are evaluated. The four C's are, Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat weight.
Many gems resemble diamond. However, only few have a luster and fire similar to diamond. The closest to the Diamond is the created Moissanite.
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