Feature Birthstones: February & March

Image: www.Dreamstime.com

 February's birthstone is Amethyst.

Amethyst is the purple form of quartz, and the most desired of the quartz family. Shades include dark purple, lilac, lavender or mauve, yet top quality stones will be a medium deep purple with rose colored flashes.

Did you know ancient Romans and Greeks made drinking glasses of Ameythist in belief it would keep them from getting drunk?




February's alternate stone is Onyx.

Onyx is formed of bands of chalcedony in alternating colors.  The black variety is the most famous, yet not as common as onyx displaying colored bands. 

Onyx is a main feature in these Michal Golan clip earrings

Did you know slabs of onyx were famously used by Mies van der Rohe in Villa Tugendhat at Brno to create a shimmering semi-translucent interior wall?





February's birth crystal is also the Amethyst.

Amethyst stones can fade in sunlight. It is recommended that jewelry not be worn while sunbathing, swimming, in a solarium, or near a black light. Sudden temperature changes can also be harmful.

Did you know in 1993 a 9-foot cave was found near Maine which contained more than a ton of amethyst crystals? 

Amethyst Swarovski crystals feature  on these Michal Golan Clip Earrings

Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyst
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx
www.gemstone.org
www.dreamstime.com

Aquamarine Solitaire Ring and Aquamarine Earrings

March's birthstone is Aquamarine. 



Aquamarine (Latin's "aqua marina"  means "water of the sea") is a blue or teal variety of beryl though the most desired shade is a deep aqua-blue color. Brazil has the largest mine.

 

Did you know the largest aquamarine ever to have been cut is the "Dom Pedro" weighing 26 kg and designed by Bernd Munsteiner in 1992?




Image: www.dreamstime.com

March's alternate is Rock Crystal.

Rock Crystal is the name given to all clear colorless quartz.  The best source are in the famous Hot Springs area of Arkansas, USA.

Did you know that after the time of the Roman Empire, Persians made large vessels from rock crystal?



March's birth crystal is also Aquamarine.

Aquamarine is a very hard stone (Mohs Scale = 8), and trace amounts of iron give the stone its color.

Did you know that sailors believed wearing aquamarine would protect them from danger at sea, and prevent sea sickness?

Sources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquamarine.

www.gemselect.com/Aquamarine

www.galleries.com/Rock_crystal
www.ehow.com/about_5481182_rock-crystals.html#ixzz2K9Uj9OGs
www.ehow.com/facts_5464965_aquamarine.html#ixzz2K9WFKMeO

Valentine's Day is February 14th!

The 14th day of February is a time that many present their family, friends and other loved ones with flowers, gifts, candy, jewelry and more.  People celebrate relationships, the joy of being together, of love covering a distance, and family ties. But why?  Actually, it's not exactly known why February 14th is known as Valentine's Day.  A true history is impossible to obtain from archives, and centuries of time have made the day more difficult to trace.  There are several theories and traditions involving a noble named Valentine, as well as three early Christian saints all named Valentine who were, coincidentially, martyed on February 14th.  If you appreciate history, reading articles regarding a probable origin are quite fascinating.

I found out that the British Museum displays one of the earliest valentine's, sent in 1415 from Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife.  He was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the time. The modern version of St. Valentine's Day is said to have derived from both ancient Christian and Roman traditions.  Specifically, the Roman named Valentine who was executed on February 14, 270 AD for refusing to renounce his religion.

Today, Valentine's Day is a major holiday celebrated all over the world as a romantic holiday for many - a time to tell those close to us how much they mean to us, and maybe even a time to let someone unaware know how we feel. However celebrated, we try to make it special. 

If you are considering non-pierced earrings as a Valentine's Day gift, Cliptomania.com has hundreds of clip earrings including buttons, dangles and petite earrings with a heart theme.  Don't forget - Amethyst is the "birthstone" for February and also makes a great gift to remember the month of love.

Sources:

www.theholidayspot.com



FAQ: Should I use my iPhone to order?

We have the capacity to use the internet on our phones and on the run, giving us freedom to "get more done" while we continue to do what we do. It's fantastic in a lot of ways.

However, a few customers have commented that they have had trouble ordering from our website on their iPhone. Problems like the drop down menues not working, or choosing one shipping method and getting a different method. When tested, our website has always been working 100%, so we naturally consider these issues to be phone related.

We are an internet business and support advancing technology, yet we have our concerns when potential customer's cannot use our site to its fullest. Our pages are large and have a lot of information. We strive to give our customers helpful details about the earrings they are purchasing, because we want them to be confident they are choosing exactly what they want with their hard-earned money. We advise customers NOT to rely solely on the image to depict the product, but to read corresponding descriptions which always include sizes, color options and anything we believe might better describe each product.

We do not discourage customer's use of iPhone or any other phone to place orders with us, yet we suggest that it might not be the most practical if errors are to be avoided.  We want to give our customer's the best customer service coupled with quality products, and hopefully add them to our growing, satisfied customer base.

Cliptomania.com offers 500+ clip-n earrings for non-pierced ears. Styles include gold, silver, sterling, pearl, big and bold, bead, designer, kids, sensitive ears and more! Helpful pages on our website include style guide, birthstone and anniversary information, new arrivals, back in stock, a glossary and frequently asked questions. An Advanced Search  will allow customer to filter by designer, keyword, size and price.  Our sister site, www.earringinformation.com gives information on common clip adjustments, earring styles for particular face shapes, earring care, and more.