Jewelry Pool

Imagine lustrous green oceans made of emeralds and bright red spots of earth made from rubies. Form a sphere and hold them together with gold, don’t forget to cradle the assembly with diamonds. What have you got? The breathtaking, colossal golden sphere dotted with emeralds, diamonds and rubies. This 18 inch golden globe gives an almost accurate representation of the spoils taken by the Persian Conqueror Nadir Shah in 1739 from India’s Great Mogul.

Another piece among the crown jewels of Iran is a stunning box made from gold, diamond stones and huge slabs of verdant emeralds. There is also a snuff box made from carefully crafted pure emerald framed by gold.

Merely looking at the sultan’s writing box is impossible; one cannot help but stare. The (more than literal) weight and power of whatever the past sultans of Iran puts into writing are further accentuated by the exquisite golden box glittering with diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Probably the most fascinating in the collection is the emerald studded dagger adorned with an emerald-lidded watch in the handle. This piece was a gift from the Sultan of Turkey to the Sultan of Iran in 1747.

Anyone would turn green with envy or simply be stoned from simply having a glimpse at the crown jewels of Iran, displayed at the National Bank of Teheran. Seeing all that gold, emeralds, rubies, diamonds and sapphires, who wouldn’t?

Emeralds are mined from under the ground where the perfect combination of the elements, heat and pressure initiates the growth of precious crystals. These green colored stones, usually considered to be more precious than diamonds are the most prized and most expensive among all minerals composed of beryllium aluminum silicate- minerals collectively known as beryl. Small emerald stones could be sold at $1000 each and other pieces adorned with cut emerald could sell as much as $1.3 million.

Emeralds get their lustrous green color from either the presence of chromium or vanadium. Emeralds colored by chromium appear green when photographed with a Chelsea filter. Synthetic emeralds are also made in the United States. Chatham Created Gems uses a furnace to melt lithium molybdate then adds beryllium oxide, aluminum oxide, silica, chromium and a seed crystal. This crystal grows for one whole year at 1800 degrees Farenheit; the result is a 3000 carat Chatham emerald.

Egyptians have been known to mine them as early as 3500 BC and even the ancient Greeks and Romans were passionate admirers. Nowadays, collectors with extremely expensive taste from all over the whole world join in the craze for these precious green things. About a billion dollars worth of emeralds are mined every year. Half of this comes from Colombia, 20 percent from Zambian mines while 15 percent comes from Brazil. Zimbabwe and Pakistan are also significant sources of emeralds.

Several years ago, this precious stone was so close to being considered old-fashioned; they were mostly seen in old jewelry and traditional Chinese charms and trinkets. Looking it up in the thesaurus, I found out that “jade” is synonymous to descriptions such as emerald, olive, lime, and of course, green. In fact, a lot of people, including myself, have always thought that all jades were green. One can only imagine the great surprise brought about by the (literally) colorful comeback of the jade in the year 2007.

Ice jade looks like a milky and pale shade of gray. There is also a lavender-colored jade and the lovely black jade. Black jade appears to be a rare, inky, dark stone that shows hints of green only when held over a bright light. Because of this vibrant and multicolored return, designers went beyond designing the traditional Oriental style pendants and ornaments. The new designs include setting jade with other precious stones for a more glittery effect. The company Baerjewels sold fan-shaped lavender jade dangling earrings studded with diamonds at $7,900 a pair. Edward Chiu designed ice jade rings and black jade rings mixed with diamonds; these were priced at $3,500 each. For $6,500 per piece, La Putri offers a charming ice jade dragonfly brooch.

For all seasons and all occasions, jewelry would always make a good present. Shiny trinkets like necklaces, bracelets and charms would make pleasing gifts for both men and women, even for babies and young kids. The giver does not necessarily have to spend an insane amount of money to buy a piece of jewelry that will be appreciated; what’s required is for you to recognize the taste and lifestyle of the one accepting your gift. Who wouldn’t be pleased about getting these shimmery little chunks of luxury?

For babies, cute stud earrings make the perfect gift. These are safest for babies because stud earrings are easy to put on and they would not be vulnerable to getting pulled out accidentally and hurting the baby. Young girls love charm bracelets and necklaces with small and colorful pendants. Little boys would appreciate vibrantly colored digital wrist watches. Remember to choose sturdy designs that can withstand the (hyper) active lifestyle of kids.

For the teenagers, you can choose from a wide range of jewelry. How do you know which one to choose? That’s easy, all you have to do is find out which television shows, musical artists, celebrities and movies your friend prefers. A quick look at the fashion promoted by the media your friend is exposed to would give you a good idea on what type of jewelry would be best to give.

“Time is gold.”

This is an extremely popular, very nearly over-used and dreadfully old-fashioned aphorism.
Majestically conquering the risk of being unfashionably cliché, the wrist watch mogul Rolex has taken this maxim to heart and lived it, with a very literal approach. A closer look at some of the finest Oyster Perpetual designs from Rolex proves that time IS gold… and many other good things as well:
The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is made from white gold; its black face contrasts beautifully with the white digits and three white and red dials. This stocky yet classy watch was designed for the grueling demands of life in the fast lane.

The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master comes with a sturdy form. The watch and bracelet are made from white gold; the face of the watch is colored white, so are the hour markers that have silver trimmings. This beauty comes with a bidirectional bezel, Triplock winding crown and Oysterlock bracelet. The watch is tough yet elegant and one can wear it straight from the wild saline air to the well-mannered dinner table.

The Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust Pearlmaster is constructed from yellow gold. The white face serves as a charming background to the golden numerals and watch hands. The elegance and class is further accentuated by the diamond studs set along the rim of the watch.

All these designs are waterproof and “Superlative Chronometer”. The front and back, protected by sapphire crystal.