Arabic legend says opal fall from the heavens in flashes of lightening.  The Greeks believed opals gave their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease.  The Romans thought opal symbolized love and hope.  The Romans gave its name – opalus – that meant precious stone.  Europeans have long considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity, and truth.  Australian aborigines have a legend that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow to bring the message of peace.  At the spot his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow.  The superstition that it is unlucky for anyone born in any month other than October to wear an opal came from  the novel “Anne of Geierstein” by Sir Walter Scott written in the 1800’s.  Opal has actually been considered to be the luckiest and most magical of all gems because it can show all colors.  It was even thought to have the power to preserve life and be color of blond hair.  For ages, people have believed in the healing power of opal and it is reported to cure depression and help its wearer find the true and real love.  They are believed to enhance the positive characteristic of people born under the zodiac sign of Cancer.  Black opal is recommended for those born under Scorpio and Boulder Opal is a lucky stone for Aries.  Opals became prevalent in jewelry during the Art Deco period.

It is thought that opal formed 15 to 30 million years ago with one exception in Australia where at Mintabie it is thought to have formed about 400 million years ago.  It is formed in desert areas that have strong seasonal rainfall and rocks rich in silica.  The water seeping through the rock carries silica that is evaporated out in pockets of rock.  However opal still contains a significant amount of water usually about 3 to 10% and can be as high as 20%.

In 1849 the first opal blocks were accidentally found on the Australian cattle station of Tarravilla.  Prospecting started in 1890 at White Cliff in Australia.  Other famous opal areas of Australia are Lighting Ridge, Andamooka and Coober Peddy (aborigine word for “white man in hole”).  The largest opal found is 6,843 kilogram known as the Andamooka Desert Flame. 

Alex Sepkus Opal Ring

Source

Australia produces black and white opal.  Brazil produces white opal.  Mexico produces Fire Opal.  Peru produces Peruvian opal.  Ethiopia and Malawi produces white opal.

Properties

• Hardness:  5.5 – 6.5
• Toughness – very poor to fair.
• Reaction to Heat – High heat or sudden temperature change can cause fracturing.
• Reaction to Light – Stable but heat from intense light can cause fracturing (known as crazing)
• Reaction to Chemicals – Attacked by hydrofluoric acid and caustic alkalis

Loss of moisture and crazing can result from storage in airtight containers such as safe deposit boxes

• Clarity – Fractures, pits, surface blemishes, matrix, crazing (a fine network of cracks that resembles spider’s web).
• Most popular cut is cabochon.  The Mexican opal is often faceted as well.
• Confused with Ammolite, mother-of-pearl, labradorite, moonstone.  Imitations include opal doublet or triplets and synthetic opal (Gilson) and simulated opal made of glass (Slocum) and a Japanese plastic opal.
• Treatments/Enhancements –
  • Impregnation with oil, wax, or plastic – improves play-of-color and prevents or disguises fracturing.  Black plastic creates appearance of black opal – stability is fair to poor for oil or wax and excellent for plastic.
  • Sugar treatment – soaking in dye, silver nitrate or sugar and acid – creates or improves play-of-color and simulates appearance of black opal. – stability is poor to good
  • Smoke impregnation – creates or improves play-of-color and simulates appearance of black opal – stability is fair to poor because treatment is shallow and abrades or chips away easily.

Fire Opal Earrings

Types of Opals

• White Opal – translucent to semi-translucent with play-of-color against a white or gray bodycolor.
• Black Opal – translucent to opaque with play-of-color against a black or other dark bodycolor
• Fire Opal – transparent to translucent with brown, yellow, orange or red bodycolor.  This material often doesn’t have play-of-color is also known as “Mexican opal”, “Gold opal”, or “Sun opal”.
• Boulder Opal – Opal with dark base surface with play-of-color and occurs as pebble rock where the opal fills hollows.
• Harlequin Opal – transparent to translucent opal with effective segment like color patterns.
• Jelly Opal (Water Opal) – bluish-gray opal with little play-of-color.
• Crystal Opal – a few red reflexes on colorless, vitreous surface.
• Girasol – almost colorless, transparent opal with bluish luster
• Peruvian Opal – a blue-green mostly opaque with very little play of color opal found in Peru.
• Assembled Opal – precious opal layers and other material cemented together to improve durability and appearance.

Custom Boulder Opal Pendant

Play-of-Color

Play-of-color is caused by sub-microscopic spheres stacked in a grid-like pattern (like layers of ping-pong balls).  This structure breaks up light into spectral colors.  The colors depend on the size of the spheres.   0.1 micron in diameter produces violet.  0.2 micron in size produces red.  In between sizes produce intermediate hues.

• Pinfire or pinpoint – small, close-set patches of color.
• Harlequin or mosaic – broad, angular, close-set patches of color.
• Flame – sweeping reddish  bands or streaks that shoot across the stone
• Peacock – mainly blue and green

Care

• Cleaning methods
• Ultrasonic – Never
• Steamer – Never
• Warm soapy water – safe

Birthstone for October

14^th wedding anniversary stone

Beauchamp Jewelers cordially invites you to an evening preview of original designer handbags by artist Debbie Brooks. Debbie will be in our store to autograph her works of art and to unveil a new limited edition handbag inspired by Albuquerque’s annual Balloon Fiesta. We will also be featuring our new fall collections from designers Cherie Dori and Roberto Coin, including Roberto’s spectacular, CapriPlus designs. Come join the fun!

Friday, October 9 6 to 9 PM
Saturday, October 10 9:30am to 4pm

I heard a fabulous interview on NPR today with Madeleine Albright about her book Read My Pins. While she was Secretary of State she would wear lapel pins to all of her meetings with Heads of State and they often reflected her mood or made political statements. You can see a slideshow of some of the pins she wore and read an excerpt from her book at NPR.org.

If you would like to wear your emotions on your lapel you can check out some of the beautiful vintage pins at our web page, www.bcjewelers.com.

Roberto Coin has teamed up with Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns and CARE for his upcoming advertising campaign.

Turlington Burns, who has graced the covers of over 1,000 top fashion magazines, from Vogue to Time Magazine, has not only been a leader in the world of fashion as one of the most highly sought after models, but also an avid pioneer of women’s rights. Turlington Burns is involved in various charitable organizations, most notably as a spokesperson for (PRODUCT) RED and as CARE’s Advocate for Maternal Health.

As the previous campaign benefitted YouthAIDS, Roberto Coin has once again organized this campaign for an important cause. For 2009-2010, the campaign will support CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. According to Roberto Coin, Chairman/ Co-Founder of Roberto Coin Inc., “Our previous campaign with Christy was so successful and widely received. We are so pleased to be working with her again. We are proud to be in partnership with an organization such as CARE for all their extraordinary work they have done to empower women worldwide through education, healthcare, increased economic opportunities and human rights.”

The new campaign will feature jewelry from the Primavera, Classic Bold Gold, Cento Diamonds, Fantasia, Appassionata and the innovative CapriPlus collections. “Working with Christy is another exciting opportunity for Roberto Coin,” says Peter Webster, President / Co-Founder. “The new campaign also salutes an organization that invites people to go out and make a difference. At Roberto Coin, we believe that a cause related campaign is much more impactful than straight consumer advertising. This campaign recognizes both the work of Christy Turlington Burns and that of CARE.”

For more information about CARE log on to www.care.org

To support this cause you can visit Beauchamp Jewelers for a beautiful selection of Roberto Coin Jewelry.

About Roberto Coin

With headquarters in Vicenza, the Italian town famed for its jewelry, the company was founded in 1977 by the Venetian born Roberto Coin. The American subsidiary, Roberto Coin Inc., is based in New York on Fifth Avenue. In order to satisfy the diverse tastes of Europe, North and South America, East and Far East markets, each year more than 600 new models of jewelry is produced, whose high quality is keeping with the reputation of the Company. The driving force behind the creation of the jewels is Roberto himself, assisted by a team of highly qualified workers capable of blending age-old techniques with modern innovations to create the product for which the company is famous.

About CARE

CARE fights root causes of poverty in the world’s poorest communities. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. In nearly 70 countries, women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. Each year, CARE helps tens of millions of people around the world effect real, positive changes in their lives.

SOURCE Roberto Coin

For the complete press release visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/PRNewswire/release/205180.html

As a continuation of last month’s discussion of diamonds I will cover diamond clarity, 1 of the 4 C’s.

Clarity refers to the purity of the diamond. Approximately 15 % of the diamonds mined in the world are gem quality. The other 85 % is used for industrial purpose. Most diamonds have some sort of inclusions or characteristics even after they are faceted. It is extremely rare to find a flawless diamond. Diamonds are graded using several different scales. At Beauchamp Jewelers, we use the GIA scale which is the oldest and most accepted. (See scale and definitions below.)

Clarity Scale

GIA			FL		IF		VVS1			VVS2			VS1			VS2			SI1			SI2			I1				I2				I3
AGS			0				1			2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10

FL………..(Flawless) No inclusions or blemishes under 10 X magnification
IF…………(Internally Flaw) No inclusions under 10X magnification; insignificant blemishes on surface only

VVS1……..(Very Very slightly Included) Minute inclusions that are extremely difficult to see under 10X
VVS2…….. (Very Very slightly Included) Minute inclusions that are very difficult to see under 10X

VS1……….(Very slightly Included) Minor inclusions that are difficult to see under 10X
VS2……….(Very slightly Included) Minor inclusions that are somewhat easy to see under 10X

SI1……….(slightly Included) Noticeable inclusions that are easy to see under 10X
SI2……….(slightly Included) Noticeable inclusions that are very easy to see under 10X

I1…………(Imperfect) Obvious inclusions under 10X – may be visible to the unaided eye
I2…………(Imperfect) Obvious inclusions visible to the unaided eye, strong effect on appearance or durability
I3…………(Imperfect) Prominent inclusions visible to the unaided eye, strong effect on appearance and durability

It takes a trained gemologist with years of experience to accurately grade the clarity of a diamond. Even though diamonds are graded at 10 time the naked eye, a gemologist may use a microscope at 60 times the naked eye to discover characteristics in a diamond and then grade them with a 10 power loupe.

I have included some photographs taken under the microscope of interesting diamond inclusions and characteristics.

Hey, we just brought in a new artist her name is Debbie Brooks. She  paints and silksreens the most amazing images on handbags. Her bags are so unique. I love wearing things that not everyone else has. We met her this summer at one of the trade shows we attend. Her booth was jam packed . We women were packed around just to  get a peek. It was a buying frenzy!  The energy was akin to that of shopping the day after Christmas. . . wild. I selected a handbag for my little old self and purchased several dozen for the store. I love shopping vicariously!!!  If I can’t have each and every handbag  than I can at least have the fun of picking out dozens of these beauties  for friends . It was a tough choice selecting just  ONE of these darling bags  but I selected this reversable bag for myself.

It is awesome and  as we ladies KNOW. . . you always need the perfect little black bag. I love it!  As you can see from these two bags my choice was very difficult.

Oh what the heck I know my true nature and the bags are sooo affordable I will no doubt be adding to my collection in the near future. The coolest part of our meeting Debbie Brooks is that she has  agreed to create a custom handbag just for Beauchamps! She will be creating a  bag with our beautiful Sandia mountains in the background and hot air balloons in the forground to celebrate the  balloon festival  held here Albuquerque every October. Several of the gals on staff  are eagerly awaiting this paricular bag. We will be partying with Debbie  in our store the evening of Friday October 9th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. She is quite a live wire and lots of fun. This is her first visit to the land of enchantment so Debbie will be attending some of the balloon activities and playing tourist and getting to know us. So if you get the chance, stop in to meet her and have some munchies and check out her creations. She  will  personally sign her creations on both Friday the 9th as well as Saturday the 10th in the store. Hope you can make it!

Victorian Earrings, that is earrings made during the time period that Queen Victoria of England ruled are rare. During  the early period of  her reign  (1840-60) earrings were  considered very unfashionable. The Fashion of the times  dictated that a lady cover her ears so as not to appear to unduly forward.

 

 

By the mid 19th Century earrings were once again fashionable. Earrings were appropriate  for day, as well as evening. They were bold and made from a variety of materials. The  earrings below are crafted of tortoise shell and 14kt gold.

Victorian earring in original condition are pierced. It is not until the turn of the 19th Century that we find non pierced earrings.

 The creation of non pierced earring backs must have created quite a sensation. I imagine that the new invention was embraced by the fashion forward woman of the day.The piercing  of ones ears in the early 20th Century gradually fell from fashion.In the United States  it was not an uncommon perception that only gypsies and women of questionable virtue pierced their ears. 

One rarely finds similar pairs of Victorian Earrings. They are a fun item of antique jewelry to hunt for and what collector doesn’t enjoy the hunt!  Happy collecting! If you are looking for something specific, we can help you at Beauchamp Jewelers.

50 years ago you were given a diamond.  What?  You dont’ remember.  Let me give you some clues:  It’s a 45.52 Carat deep blue diamond.  It was discovered in the 17th Century at a mine in Golconda, India.  It was owned by Louis XIV of France and King George IV of England.  It is set in a mounting with 16 colorless diamonds and hung on a chain of 45 more diamonds.  It was a gift from Harry Winston.  It’s believed to be cursed and nicknamed America’s Crown Jewel.  Give up?  It’s the Hope Diamond, and it is yours.

Technically it was donated to the Smithsonian Institution which is owned by the people of the United States of America.  That’s right, the Hope Diamond belongs to you, and me, and about 300 million other people.  To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Hope Diamond donation to the Smithsonian Institution it is being reset – and you (the owner) have a say.  You can vote on how you think it should be set.  Visit the Smithsonian Channel website to vote on how you think the diamond should be set.  Legendary designer, Harry Winston, has designed 3 beautiful settings.  One of these will be used to display the Hope Diaimond during 2010 in honor of its 50th year on display.

Now, if only they would let me wear it for a night . . . .

When I go to parties and someone asks what I do for a living, I say, “I’m a gemologist”. Often the response is “You are a Gymnast?” or “You are a Geologist?” I tell them “No, I play with diamonds and rubies for a living. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it. It beats digging ditches for a living.

Just about the time I was ready to graduate high school, my parents opened a jewelry store in Northridge, CA. They hired me to clean jewelry and do errands. After being exposed to all these sparkling gems, I had many questions. And so began my quest for gem knowledge. I began my gemology studies at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Santa Monica in September of 1979. I was hooked! I excelled quickly and became top of my class. I graduated in February of 1980 and thought I knew everything about gems. I enjoyed my studies so much that I applied for a job at the Gem Trade Laboratory, which is a subsidiary of the GIA. The GIA’s Gem Trade Laboratory is known as the world’s authority for diamond analysis and gem identification. After being hired by Gem Trade Lab, I was retrained in diamond grading and analysis and found out just how much I didn’t know.

Twenty-eight years later, I thought I could share my years of being a gemologist with people who love gems like I do. I don’t claim to be perfect or know it all but I do have many years in the jewelry & gem industry and would be happy to answer questions that readers might have.

As a gemologist at Beauchamp jewelers I’m here to serve you by ensuring Beauchamp Jewelers has the highest quality and most beautiful diamonds in Albuquerque, as well as provide you with accurate insurance appraisals for your precious jewelry.

So where do I start? I thought that I would go over diamond basics and share some pictures with you.

The Four C’s

You may have already heard about the four C’s: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat. Today’s topic is Color.

Color actually measures the lack of color. That lack of color makes a diamond more valuable. There are a number of scales available from different organizations that help to label or identify the color of a diamond. Many of you may be familiar with the Gemological Institute of America’s color scale. The best color is D. There is no A, B or C in this scale. Why you ask? I was told that diamonds weren’t so pure as to be an A, B or C. But the main reason is so not to confuse the GIA scale with another scale that might have an A+ or a triple A (AAA) as their best quality. (Some independent jewelry chains have their own scales, to sell more diamonds. The only problem is that an A+ or AAA might only be a G on the GIA color scale.) So… D, E and F are colorless which means no visible yellow or gray or brown to the unaided eye. G, H, I, J, K are near colorless which means that the diamond would “face up” white to the unaided eye. L through Z colors continue to show progressive levels of color which should become obvious to the unaided eye. When you get as low as Z color the diamond will appear yellow but not so much yellow as to appear attractive and become a fancy yellow diamond. Fancy color diamonds are not on the D through Z scale and will be covered in the future.

A color grade is assigned to a diamond when it is clean and loose. It is very difficult to assign an accurate color grade to a diamond if it is in a jewelry setting because shadows and the color of the metal used for the jewelry may cast color into the diamond.

The proper way to color grade a diamond is to compare the unknown diamond to a group of diamonds that have already been graded for color. This group of diamonds is known as a Master Color Set of diamonds or Master Stones.

Master stones must be graded by a laboratory such as GIA or AGS (American Gem Society) for color accuracy. A master stone must be in the middle of the indicated color and not too far to one side or the other. It does not have to be flawless but must be free from inclusions that may impart color into the diamond or make it difficult to compare to another diamond. A master stone cannot be fluorescent. Fluorescence is a unique characteristic that only some diamonds possess. It may change a diamond’s color appearance in different light. Strong blue fluorescence may mask yellow in a diamond when viewed in daylight, however strong blue fluorescence may cause a colorless diamond to appear milky in daylight.

In any case, fluorescence may influence color.

If you love Antique jewelery (Jewelry that is at least 100 years old) You may have been lucky enough to come across a quintessential  piece of Victorian jewelery known as Micro Mosaic jewelery. (see figure 1 ) Pieces such as this lovely locket were all the rage, especially  for those that traveled abroad.  Italian artisans created these mosaics and they were purchased by tourists as souvenirs of their tours.  The images were created using small pieces of  cut glass known as tesserae.  The tiny sections of glass were painstakingly assembled to create beautiful images.  Jewelers would than  set these small mosaics into  jewelery.

Earlier examples of mosaic jewelry often depict images of Roman ruins and architectural motifs.  Later 19th Centuary mosaics tend toward  more  romatic images such as flowers.

The quality of workmanship in creating the mosaics as well as setting them in jewelry varies. Artist such Castellani were masters of this type of work. His creations were sought after in his day. Today a signed Castellani piece can fetch a handsome price. Compare the Mosaic work on figures 1 and 2 to that of  number 3.

Notice how much smaller the tesserae is cut in figures 1 and 2. Although the locket ( figure 3 ) is lovely, it is not nearly as fine as in the previous examples.

Fine quality Micro Mosaic work in is not commonly found.  It is always such a pleasure to find quality pieces in really good condition, especially when you think that this work was created by artists well over one hundred years ago. For those of you that are addicted to collecting, Micro Mosaic jewelry is not only beautiful but wearable art and it speaks so eloquently of a gentler time. Happy Collecting to you!

All three items pictured above are available at Beauchamp Jewelers along with many other pieces of antique jewelry from the Victorian Period, and other Eras as well.