A Gem by Any Other Name

Written by A Beaded Affair

With profound apologies to Mr. Shakespeare, the title of my post plays on the famous line, "a rose by any other name".

Juliet says to Romeo, because their families hate each other, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet". Oh, how I wish that were true for the incredible Russian Chrome Diopside. My pictures can't begin to do justice to this incredible gem.
Gem quality chrome diopside could make emeralds weep and green tourmaline envious. It's deep rich kelly green in color with luster and brilliance to rival Tsavorite Garnet. But this poor gem shall probably never achieve the notoriety of any of the other green gems with a name like ....Chrome Diopside...no savy, no panache, no savoir faire. So sad for a gem which should be able to rival the best of them.

And the poor little gem, and I do mean little, since it's colored with chromium which inhibits growth, is rarely found in large sizes, suffers from, another problem. Mother Nature decided to hide this beauty in Russia.....Siberia in fact. Mining can only take place 6 months out of the year. The rest of the time it is buried beneath snow and ice in the perma frost. So, sadly, there is only a small amount of rough mined each year.

Doomed to a life of obscurity, buried in the ice, this gemstone is not well known and that has kept the price down. Of course that makes me happy since I intend to buy a lot of Russian Chrome Diopside.

Watch for faceted Chrome Diopside pendants coming soon to my store, A Beaded Affair , in sterling silver or custom order one in gold. This stone is worthy of it.

Back to Handmade Jewelry

Handmade Beaded Jewelry

When you head out looking for a piece of handmade beaded jewelry you need to put a bit of thought it into it before you start searching. Think about the person you're buying the gift for. What do they wear regularly? Do they like jewelry or do they save it for special occasions? Some people only wear jewelry at work, while others will switch out sets when they come home or head out for the evening. Take a moment to inventory the jewelry that your significant other wears.

Think about whether the jewelry you select should have any meaning. For instance, most people who love jewelry will often prefer gold or silver. Silver is a wonderfully flexible material, and you'll find that if you don't know which camp your lover falls into that silver makes a great compromise. It has a lovely, glowing sheen, and it tends to be harder than gold. Remember that pure silver is considered too soft to wear on a day to day basis, so think about getting sterling silver, or any other silver that has been alloyed to make it a little tougher.

The elaborateness of the piece of handmade beaded jewelry in question should also come into play. How complex are the decorations of the person that you are buying for? While some people prefer that their rings and necklaces should be very complex and detailed, other people prefer a real fluidity and simplicity of design. If your significant other is short and wouldn't mind looking taller, get longer necklaces with a V-shape. You'll also find that a choker or a U shaped necklace will shorten someone's appearance.

When you are looking for the pendants that will hang from the necklace, keep in mind that if your beloved has a fuller figure that they can complement their bodies with larger pieces. If your significant other is smaller, however, make sure that you don't overwhelm them with a piece that is too large.

Take a look and find out what is out there and make sure that you can make your loved one happy! Take some time to do your shopping and you'll find that finding handmade beaded jewelry that is one of a kind is a great deal easier than you think.