Monday, September 17, 2012

Necklace Chains Descriptions Part 2

Many of our favorite necklace chains actually have names for their specific designs. Here are 3 more popular neck chains and the description of their design to help you determine which one is right for your jewelry pieces.

Cable Chains - A cable chain is one of the most common and most basic neck chains that a man or woman can add to their jewelry wardrobe. They can be worn alone or with your favorite pendant or enhancer attached. They remind me of those paper chains we used to make during the holidays to decorate our home and holiday tree with. Each oval or circle is connected together in the opposite direction. They can be made from fashion jewelry metal, gold, sterling silver, stainless steel or even platinum.

Snake Chain - One of my favorite neck chains happens to be the snake chain because it is durable and so versatile. A snake chain is made up when the jeweler connects round metal rings, side by side. A snake chain feels very smooth against the skin and is very flexible. You mostly see snake chains in the female jewelry marketplace. You can wear the chain alone or with your favorite pendant or enhancer attached to it. Snake chains come in various metals so the prices can vary from super affordable to moderately expensive.

Ball Chain - I think most women and men have at least one ball chain in their jewelry box or at least have had one in the past. Many necklaces that you can purchase often come with a delicate sized ball chain. Just like the name implies, a ball chain is a series of round balls that have been connected to a chain. They can be made from various metals ranging from fashion jewelry metals up to the ultra chic platinum metal, so prices can vary widely. These types of chain are rarely worn alone and more often than not, they have a pendant attached to them.

Using these descriptions, you should be able to recognize and decide which neck chain is best for the jewelry piece you want to attach. Some chains are better than others for particular applications. They are all pretty in their own right and would look great in simple layers too.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Famous Emerald Jewelry of Imelda Marcos

Imelda Marcos is the Widow of the 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. She was well known for her huge collections of items, most notably her shoes and her jewelry. However, much of it was confiscated by customs when they fled the country and she was forced into exile.

Much of the jewelry collection owned by Imelda Marcos contains stunning pieces with large and pure gemstones. One particular piece of jewelry that Imelda prized was her set of Emerald earrings that were made for her by jewelry designers Van Cleef & Arpel.

Photo courtesy of http://djl.net/jewels
The earrings each contained 3 carats of beautiful emeralds, near flawless and a real piece of perfection. They feature beautiful clarity that is usually not seen in emerald jewelry and the deep rich green color is just exquisite. Surrounding each emerald are beautiful glistening white diamonds. These earrings are show stoppers and are just stunning!

The Emerald Diamond drops are just a splash in the bucked of the other amazing jewelry that she had. Also a part of her collection is two other amazing emerald pieces; a necklace and another set of earrings.

The earrings are pear cut emerald of pure quality, surrounded by clear almost perfect diamonds. The estimated weight of these earrings is 7 carats each. The Emerald necklace is a massive choker style that contains huge clusters of diamonds. 7 Emeralds surrounded by diamonds hang from the diamond choker. It is estimated that the necklace is over 35 carats in weight.

All of Imelda's jewelry was impressive and there is much controversy with the jewels. It is not clear where her collections are or how they were dispersed.