Press Release November 13, 2013

Cliptomania.com Participates in October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Date of Release:  November 13, 2013

As an annual international health campaign that was organized by major breast cancer charities and drug companies, and originating over 25 years ago, October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM).  In a concentrated effort, the campaign seeks to increase awareness of the disease, raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, treatment and cure, while promoting mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight.

Cliptomania believes that there are many facets in the battle to fight cancer. They decided to take up the challenge by raising awareness on their website, offering a special pink crystal ribbon clip-on earring with 10% of its sales to be double matched by the owners and given to a non-profit organization within the community serving the needs of cancer patients. They chose Jill’s House.  This organization’s mission is to provide affordable, temporary housing in a home-like environment for caregivers and patients receiving proton radiation to fight cancer.  Jill's House was named in honor of Jill Behrman, an Indiana University student who was abducted while riding her bicycle on the morning of May 31, 2000. It was also built in honor of Steven Howard, who lost his battle with cancer at age 19.

As a first time participant in October’s breast cancer awareness campaign, Cliptomania employees were privileged to speak or read comments by customers, who were purchasing the ribbon earrings, who also shared their stories of survival and how much this meant to them. On November 5, 2013, Cliptomania was excited to present Jill’s House with a check in the amount of $120. 

Cliptomania.com has been in business since 1999 as an internet only store dedicated to selling clip on earrings.   Cliptomania has decided to continue this yearly website campaign and donate to a local organization taking a stand in the fight against cancer.

Cliptomania.com, LLC

Candy Santo, CEO/Owner

P.O. Box 246

Ellettsville, IN 47429

Cliptomania@Cliptomania.com

www.cliptomania.com

Birthstones: April & May

April's Birthstone is Diamond.

The diamond is a widely known stone with outstanding physical properties, in particular the qualities which originate from the bonding of its atoms. The result is that the diamond is recognized for its hardness (10 on Moh's Scale) and it's thermal conductivity. 

Did you know a large and perfect (aka flawless and having no inclusions) diamond is called a paragon? A diamond with a weight of 12 carats held this title in the 16th century, but today, more than 99 carats are needed.



April's Alternate Birthstone is Quartz.

Quartz in it's purest form is called "Rock Crystal" or "Clear Quartz" because it is colorless and translucent.

Did you know the largest, recorded quartz crystal was 20 feet long and weighed more than 48 tons?

April's Birth Crystal is Cubic Zirconia.

Cubic Zirconium (CZ) is a lab-created gemstone that closely resembles a diamond, yet is heavier. Most people need a jeweler's eye to confirm if the stone is a diamond or a CZ.

Did you know that CZs are the biggest competitior against diamonds since production began in 1976?

May's Birthstone is Emerald.

Inclusions found in emeralds are considered part of their character, and used to assure the purchaser that the stone is natural. Such inclusions in most other gems are not acceptable.

Did you know that the emerald is one of the traditional four precious stones? The other three are ruby, diamond and sapphire.

May's Alternate Birthstone is Chalcedony.

Many precious gemstones are a form of chalcedony and include: Onyx, Avernturine, Agate, Mtorolite, Heliotrope, and Chrysoprase.

Did you know that hot wax will not stick to chalcedony? It was carved and used to make seal impressions.

May's Birth Crystal is Emerald.

Emeralds are considered brittle stones, and internal cracks may develop if the stone is banged against something or subjected to significant temperature changes.

Did you know the "Emerald Cut" was devloped for this particular gem in order to reduce the amount of pressure during the cutting process?

Sources:

www.gemselect.com/gem-info/emerald/emerald-info.php

en.wikipedia.org

Images:

www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-images....

Spring is Here!

....and so are our Speciality Section earrings including some of the below styles and themes!

EASTER, will be celebrated on April 1st of this year.

Here in Indiana, as of this writing,

we have received (hopefully)

our last snow of the season.

Yet, in other areas of the country,

 FLOWERS are popping up,

 BIRDS are singing,

and young ladies are getting ready for Prom- Clear Glitter &  Colored Glitter .

Cliptomania.com is an clip on earring internet only store featuring over 500+ non-pierced earrings in a variety of styles including Gold, Sterling, Hoops, Vintage, CZ, Childrens, Nickel-Free, Designer, Gemstone, Pearls, Museum Reproductions and more.  See our Homepage and begin shopping with us!

Gemstone Highlights: Malachite



Image from: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=free+images

What is it?

Malachite is an green banded, copper carbonate hydroxide mineral.  It results from weathering of copper ores, and is found deep underground where the water table fluids provide the perfect formative environment. Malachite is opaque in massive form, and translucent in crystalline form.

Image from: http://skywalker.cochise.edu

The name comes from the Greek for "mallow" a green herb, because of its resemblance to the leaves of the Mallow plant.  Its light and dark green bands make it highly recognizable, and a favorite medium for jewelry and ornamental use. The crystals give malachite a velvety appearance.


Malachite has been mined in large quantities in Russia. However, it is found worldwide with notable mines in Zambia, Mexico, England, France, Australia, Israel, and the United States.

On the Moh's Scale of hardness malachite rates at 3.5 - 4 which is quite a bit softer than some of the gems we have highlighted in previous blogs. Therefore, you'll want to read the care instructions for malachite jewelry below.

Ancient Use.

Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used malachite not only for jewelry, but ground it to use as eye shadow.  It was also the pigment in green paints until about 1800.  Archeological evidence indicates that the mineral had been mined in Israel for over 3,000 years.  The Malachite Room in the Hermitage Museum in Russia features "The Tazza," a large malachite vase, a gift from Tsar Nicholas II.

Earthsong Gemstone Non-pierced Drop Clip Earrings

Care of Malachite Jewelry:

Soft and a little brittle, malachite is also sensitive to acids and heat. Therefore, jewery should not be steamed cleaned or undergo ultrasonic cleanings. Soft and gentle cleaning is recommended. Clean it by wiping it with a slightly damp, soft, clean cloth. Never submerge the stone in water.  As malachite can scratch easily, store malachite jewelry separately from other jewelry.  Also keep it out of constant sunshine due to it's ability to fade.  Spray perfume or hairspray before applying jewelry as these chemicals are harsh on the stones.

Baoule Circle Bead Non-pierced Drop Clip Earrings

Folklore & Mystic Properties:

Malachite can be an alternative stone for May's emerald. Ancient mythical use included amulets to protect against the evil eye and to keep children safe from witches and other dangers.  Malachite is known as "the mirror of the soul" and thus reflects the inner feelings of the person wearing it; therefore, they advise, if you're in a negative mood, don't wear malachite.  On the positive side, malachite was said to get rid of nightmares and help wearer make good business decisions.

www.cliptomania.com is an internet store dedicated to non-pierced, clip-on earrings. 500+ styles, including gold, silver, pearl, sterling, nickel-free, hoops, crystals, designer, gemstones, big & bold and so much more. 

Sources

www.gemsociety.org/info/gems/malachite.htm

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachite

www.galleries.com/Malachite

Cliptomania Feature: Designer Katherine Kornblau

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KJK Jewelry was established in 1985 by designer and CEO Katherine Kornblau.  Since that time, Katherine has evolved from selling handmade jewelry from her little red wagon by the beach into one of the most versatile and respected jewelry designers in her industry today.  Expanding on a lifelong love of global art and culture, Katherine spent time in Lima, Peru, and Guadalajara, Mexico and studied at the Ecole de Louvre in Paris while completing her Art History degree at Oberlin College.  Her international education and interests are reflected in her designs and are ever popular with museums and art galleries both nationally and internationally.

All aspects of business, from initial design through production to shipping, occur in their New York studio.  Each piece of jewelry is carefully designed by Katherine before being handcrafted by her and her skilled staff.  Utmost attention is paid to the quality and the detail of each piece.  Being handmade in the U.S.A. enables KJK to precisely match the customer's needs.  It also enables KJK to continuously expand their product line and to promptly meet customer deadlines.

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Searching the world and reference materials, KJK brings designs that reflect our world's rich cultural diversity and variety of historical eras. Collections range from art deco to zoological, ancient Egypt to contemporary.

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Cliptomania.com is proud to offer earrings by Katherine Kornblau. Visit our website http://www.cliptomania.com/, and see Katherine Kornblau in Tomorrow's Heirlooms, or do an Advanced Search and filter by Designer to see all of her creations.

Gemstone Highlights: Jasper



Image: www.bernardine.com/gemstones/jasper.htm



Image: www.tademagallery.co.uk 

The word "Jasper" is a derivative from the Greek word for "speckled or spotted stone."  History traces jasper usage back to Assyrian, Latin, Greek, Egyptian and Hebrew eras.  There are biblical notations of the Hebrew priest's breastplate adorned with the stone (Exodus 28:15-21.)  Also, chapter 156 of the Book of the Dead required the amulet in the form of the Girdle Tie of Isis, placed at the throat of the mummy, to be made of red jasper, whose blood-like coloring would enhance the words of the spell: "You have your blood, Isis; you have your power."  Ancient Egyptians wore jasper scarabs as amulets. Black jasper was used for intaglio (hollowed out carvings) in Roman times. Jasper has also been used to adorn buildings, such as the Saint Wenceslas Chapel in Prague.

What is it?

Due to its grainy inclusions, it is grouped by itself, although it is considered a chalcedony (which is a rock texture made up of minute crystals.)  Jasper is a dense microcrystalline quartz, i.e. composed of very fine intergrowths of quartz and moganite.  On the Mohs Scale, denoting gemstone hardness where talc is a 1 and diamonds are a 10, jasper ranks at a 7.  It is typically opaque with a dull to pearly luster.  Because jasper polishes well, it is a frequent medium of cabochons, mosaics, and ornamental objects.  Color is attributed to finely disseminated organic, hematite or geothite particles.

The percentage of those foreign materials present in the stone determine its color, pattern, texture, and overall appearance.  Jasper is most commonly red and red-brown due to iron deposits, yet there is a variety of multi-colored, spotty and striped stones.  The dispersion of color and pattern labels its value.  Jasper has been given many names based on such things as its color, arrangement of colors, localities of occurrence, names of persons connected with the find, names that might appeal to potential purchasers or items made of jasper.  In researching this gemstone I found a minimum of 56 different names.

A black variety of jasper called "Lydian stone" was used as a touchstone, or a stone whose smooth surface when scratched with gold, silver or certain alloys, exhibits streaks that can be compared to streaks of known metals or alloys and thus provide a means of identification, including even measurements of such things as the material's gold content.

Where is it mined?

Jasper is found world-wide, though substantial mines can be found in Germany, Russia, France, India, Egypt and the United States.

Care and cleaning:

Jasper requires little care.  Simple cleaning of the stone with warm water and a soft cloth is appropriate to maintain its beauty.

Mystical Aspects:

Of course with 56+ names, I found that different stones have different meanings, mystical properties and healing powers attributed to them.  General mythology, especially with regard to the amulets, state that jasper is beneficial in the treatment of infertility.  It is also generally referenced as being protective in its ability to keep evil spirits away and protect against snake and spider bites.  As a balancing stone, it is said to be able to restore the body's energy, promote stabilization and healing, with the safest approach to wear the gemstone in skin contact to the troubled part of the body.  Noteworthy applications included the pancreas, sciatica and troubled toenails.  It is the mystical birthstone of October, and the "Bloodstone" jasper is the traditional birthstone of March.

https://www.cliptomania.com/ offers many non-pierced gemstone earrings including those made with Jasper.  To see them visit our gemstones & pearls page

Information Sources

en.wiki.org/wiki/Jasper

www.cst.cmich.edu/users/dietr1rv/Jasper.htm
www.gemselect.com/gem-info/Jasper/Jasper-info.php
worldwidestore.com
www.shopgemstone.com/jasper.html
"International Colored Gemstone Association" www.gemstone.org

Meet the Designer: Nancy Neill

After being inspired by her mother’s jewelry designs, Nancy Neill left her job and took up full-time jewelry making. Now, over twenty-five years later, she continues to create original pieces that flourish at boutiques & museums across the nation.

Nancy spent her early life in New England, where participation in all things creative and her respect for history began. In her teen years, the family moved to Athens, Greece and began an adventure that would influence her for a lifetime. Extensive travel throughout the Mediterranean and European countries, visiting historical sites and art museums left a permanent impression.

Her college years were spent in the Midwest, where she studied art history to learn more about all the art she had experienced. Studies also included art education for elementary students. Later courses in interior design complete her educational background to date.

Career experiences include advertising agency work, owning retail home furnishing stores, and apparel store management which finally landed her in the San Francisco Bay Area as advertising and special events coordinator for a luxury Italian handbag manufacturer. This exposure to the world of fashion accessories in the naturally beautiful and creatively stimulating Bay Area began Nancy’s adventures in jewelry design.

It started as a hobby, when her co-workers kept literally buying the jewelry off her neck. And so it began… when her mother said: "If I were you, I would quit my job and start making jewelry full-time!" Nancy says, "Always listen to your mother!"

After heeding this sage advice, Nancy collected found objects, beads, buttons, charms and other findings to create unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Soon, her work was in many boutiques throughout the San Francisco area and grew to be a nationally represented collection.

She has since relocated to beautiful Fox Valley in Northern Illinois, where each piece of jewelry is individually crafted by Nancy and her jewelry artisans. Inspired by nature and the world around us, each item is carefully designed to celebrate nature, to commemorate events or remember visits to special places, or simply to express the individuality of the woman who wears it.

By using pewter and brass charms, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, unique glass beads, and metal jewelry components, Nancy is able to create matchless pieces of art that capture the essence of what is life.

Cliptomania is proud to offer earrings by designer, Nancy Neill. Visit Nancy Neill under Tomorrow's Heirlooms section.