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DIFFERENT TYPES AND COLOURS OF MOONSTONE  Moonstone is the opalescent variety of orthoclase. Traditionally thought to be a good luck stone and linked to romantic passion, it was often offered as a gift between lovers. Moonstone can be transparent with a stong blue hue on the surface, or it can be milky with the appearance of inner light . It can have a striking cats eye or star effect.The hue is the result of the light reflecting off alternating layers of albite and orthoclase feldspar. The thin albite layers produce the desirable blue tone and the thick ort..

  All about the Amethyst Gemstone    Amethyst is known to be a purple variety of the mineral quartz and is often used to make beautiful amethyst jewellery including necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. The name amethyst  comes from the Ancient Greek where it meant “not intoxicated”. This stemmed from the belief that the stone would protect the wearer from drunkenness. The amethyst is a semi precious stone and is one of several forms of quartz.   Colours of Amethyst and Where it is Found in the World   Amethyst occurs in ..

  Interested in Danish silver jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top jewellery designers from Denmark   1) ANTON MICHELSEN  Anton Michelsen was born in 1809 in Vopenhagen, Denmark. His family had been metal smiths for generations. He undertook a goldsmiths apprenticeship in 1939 before moving to Copenhagen  where he continued his training at J B Dalhoff's workshop. He was also a student at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1836 he travelled abroad and worked at some of the foremost gold smithies in Paris, France and Germany. He ..

  Interested in collecting vintage and antique jewellery? Check out our illustrated guide to the top European costume jewellery brands to look out for..   1) CHRISTIAN DIOR   Christian Dior  was a very prominent and influential designer of the 1950's. His fashion designs were accessorised with opulent feminine jewellery, including asymmetrical crystal necklaces, animal pins and tremblers specially commissioned for each collection. At first he created jewellery for specific clients such as Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe, however jewellery designs wer..

The Complete  Guide to Vintage and Antique Bracelet Styles.  Check out our illustrated
guide to help you identify the different type of bracelets.

What is a Festoon, Riviere, Sautoir, or Lavalier necklace? Check out our illustrated guide to help you identify the different types of necklaces.   1) LAVALIER NECKLACE    A lavalier is a chain type necklace that ends in one large size pendant or tassel. Sometimes there may be additional smaller pendants dangling from the main stone. In the 1600's the lavalier got its name from Louise de La Vallière , a mistress of Louis XIV who often wore them.The lavalier was popular from 1900 to 1930 as the delicacy of the lavalier was a perfect match to&nbs..

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WHAT IS  SCAPOLITE? Scapolite is fairly unknown to jewellery makers,  despite it having good design  potential. It can be used as a transparent faceted stone or as a transulcent cabochon and is becoming more widely available. SCAPOLITE DERIVED FROM GREEK FOR  "ROD" OR "STONE" The name scapolite derives from the Greek words for "stone" and "rod" which in simple terms describes the shape of the scapolite crystals. Scapolite is also called "wernerite", named after the German geologist A.G.Werner. SOURCES OF SCAPOLITE Scapolite can be found in Brazil..

Bent Gabrielsen Pedersen   Bent Gabrielsen Pedersen (born in 1928) studied at the Danish College of Jewellery and Silversmithing which produced all the major artists in  Denmark. He was one of the first graduates from the college in 1953. After he left college he was hired by  Hans Hansen  where he took over the jewellery design department from Karl Gustav in 1953. He designed smooth silver "boomerang" type bracelets and earrings and "atomic" jewellery with enamel for Hans Hansen in the fifties.    L to Right -&nbs..

Hans Hansen - Denmark   Hans Hansen (1884-1940),was the founder of the Hans Hansen  firm which became known for superb Scandinavian modernist jewellery design. He was born in 1884, and started his workshop in 1906 on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. He made mostly holloware until he was succesful enough to take a chance with starting a line of jewellery. Karl Gustav - Jewellery Design  In 1932 he asked his son Karl Gustav (1914 - 2002 ) who was an apprenctice in  his workshop to design a line for him called "Future". Karl designed..