HAPPY NEW YEAR from TEXAS !

Happy New Year !

.

Well it is time to say "Good-bye" to the old year and "Hello" to the new. Welcome 2010 ! But for many 2010 will be the Year of the Tiger, which is also known by its formal name of 'Geng Yin', which doesn't start until February 14th, 2010.

.

As 2009 ends one looks back at what has been accomplished and what didn't get completed. So in looking back decided to take a look at all the jewelry pieces that have completed and try and decide which one was the best. That is an impossible task, so decided to look at the completed pieces in several catagories.

.

This Turquoise, Carnelian and Silver set was the most complicated to construct.

.

One of the most unusual pieces was constructed of Sea Jasper and Pearl Sticks.

.

The most expensive set is this set of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, Wild Horse Magnesite (Turquoise) and Ivorite with the Silver Pendant containing more Wild Horse.

.

Probably the most unusual stone used in a set was this Seraphenite (Russian Angel Stone) mixed with green Adventurine.

.

And for the most unusual, Lampwork Beads, Golden Jasper and Onyx will be hard to beat in this off-set design.

.

And one of the best selling stones is Hematite, here in a simple set mixed with Coral and an Arrowhead Pendant.

.

So ends 2009, we hope everyone had an enjoyable year and we look forward to seeing or friends and customers again during 2010.

.
.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from TEXAS !

Merry Christmas

to everyone - an English transliteration of Merry Christmas in various non-English languages not using their alaphabets follows. Hopefully I have not made to big of a mistake anywhere, but have tried to include the languages of every country we have heard from based on the language used in that country, and some also seem to include the New Year.

.

Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees

Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden

Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo

Chile: Feliz Navidad

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun

Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar

Finnish: Hyvaa joulua

Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar

French: Joyeux Noel

German: Froehliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka

Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova

Hindi: Shub Naya

Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig

Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Portuguese:Feliz

Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim

Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy RokSlovene

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt ÅrTagalog

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom

Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang

Yugoslavian: Cestitamo

.

.

Survey !

Please take a minute and complete the survey in the right-hand column on "Where you buy your Jewelry". Thank you for your interest.

Jewelry Metals Addition !

OK, so I forgot about what many people call, "Surgical Steel". It is a grade of Stainless Steel that is primarily used for posts for those wearing pierced earrings. The same material is used for 'body piercing' and short term body replacement parts.

.

Surgical Stainless Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, with chromium (12–20%), molybdenum (0.2–3%), and nickel (8–12%). The chromium forms a passivation layer of oxide when exposed to oxygen (air), so even though there is still nickel in the mixture, the chromium forms a layer that is too thin to be visible, which means that the metal remains lustrous. The oxide provides an impervious barrier to water and air, protecting the metal beneath thus it does not react to the human body. Mixtures of these metals are used for short term medical implants but are not considered for longer term (20 to 30 years). In cases where the implants are to be “permanent”, titanium alloys are preferred.

.
Titanium is a reactive metal, the surface of which almost instantly oxidizes on exposure to air, creating a microstructured stable oxide surface. This provides a surface into which bone can grow and adhere in orthopaedic implants but which is incorrodible after implant. Thus “surgical steel” may be used for temporary implants and the more expensive "titanium steel" for permanent ones.

.

Since the question dealt with what should you wear in your ears, you could choose either. The titanium however would just cost you an arm if not also a leg….

.

.

Tanzanite - Three Kinds !

True Blues: While in Tanzania last summer, gemologist Chris Smith, discovered that many Tanzanites come from nature already blued. Because every Tanzanite that is mined is sent for heating, it is assumed by almost everyone that all of these Zoisites need oven time to be baked to this gem’s distinctive violet-blue coloration. But during a visit last fall to Tanzanite One, the De Beers-like mining and marketing organization for most of the world’s tanzanite, gemologist Chris Smith, found that a significant number of mine-run Zoisites had already been blued in the ground. “I was quite surprised to see that quite a number of stones were coming from the ground with a natural blue color," said Chris. So Chris started a project to determine a means of identifying natural-color tanzanite. As part of the study, he found there were three kinds of stones being mined.

.

Natural Brown Tanzanite: The first and by far the most predominant are those with the root-beer bottle brown that need heating to be converted to blue; Natural Blue Tanzanite: the second have been partially naturally annealed by heat or lightning, so display an overall blue appearance but show brown in one direction; Annealed Blue Tanzanite: the third are stones that have been fully annealed and no longer possess any brown coloration.

.

Does this mean that there could be what Smith calls “a new niche market” for natural-color, as opposed to heated Tanzanite—similar to that for sapphire? Smith believes so, but is quick to say that the applications of his findings are better left to marketers rather than gemologists. And lately since Tanzanite is actually a Zoisite relative, green colored "Tanzanian" stones are starting to appear on the market.

.

Thanks to Chris and Colored Stone Magazine for the updated pictures.

.

.

Gem Fair Tucson 2010 !

Some additional Pavillions that have been added to the AGTA GemFair Tucson for 2010.

.
MJSA EXPO West:

The Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA) brings back the MUSA EXPO Pavilion to the Gem Fair this year. It is your destination in Tucson for tools, equipment, technology, packaging, services and supplies. MUJA will also hold bench jewelry demonstrations every day as part of their 'At the Bench Live' series.

.

COLORED DIAMONDS PAVILION:

As colored diamonds continue to rise in popularity, the AGTA has established a special pavilion to feature AGTA colored diamond dealers. This pavilion will be located in aisle 1600 on the GemHall floor. This pavilion will offer attendees a great selection of loose gemstones and finished settings.

.

Go to the following URL to see a listing of all exhibitors for the AGTA Show only:

http://www.agta.org/tradeshows/gft-exhibitors.html

.

.

Changes in the Pearl Industry !

If you've always been in love with pearls but not so much in love with the price tag on a typical strand of perfect pink-and-cream akoyas, you're in luck. The pearl has been through a major transition over the past decade; Chinese producers have begun culturing and marketing a whole new segment of freshwater pearls that are beautiful, colorful and best of all, affordable. Freshwaters, as their name suggests, are grown in freshwater lakes as opposed to saltwater, where traditional akoyas are cultured, mainly in Japanese waters. This change in pearl farming has meant profound differences in the variety of pearls available on the market. Chinese freshwaters offer greater choice, higher quality and lower prices.

.

.
Once considered a white gem, like diamonds, the cultured pearl is now being positioned by many dealers as a colored stone, with almost as many hues as sapphire or tourmaline. Mauve, brown or orange pearls from China now seem more common than the classic white akoya pearls from Japan. The vast majority - probably 95% - of pearls produced today come from the fresh waters of China, most of which are natural white, peach and lilac. Many farmers expand the range of color by dyeing freshwater pearls, but if they are white, mauve or peach, the color is usually natural. Plenty of white pearls now come from China, too, and they're grown in freshwater lakes, not saltwater bays, using mussels rather than oysters, where traditional akoya pearls come from.

.

The emergence of China as the world's leading pearl producer has brought unprecedented pearl diversity. Ask your jewelry retailer about Chinese freshwater pearls. the next time you are in the market for that string of "white lovelies".

.

Partial reprint from Firstnews England.

.

.