At 65 carats, this gem pulled from a North Carolina farm is the largest emerald found in North America.
Go to http://is.gd/eOFOy for the full story
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An Emerald worthy of an Imperial Treasury
September 1, 2010
A little bit drastic, but …
June 14, 2010
With this hammer, & my smashed ring, I thee divorce
By Danielle Demetriou
in Tokyo
SAORI TESHIMA had long dreamt of the moment. Standing nervously next to her smartly-suited partner in front of friends and loved ones, a sparkling ring appeared before her.
But contrary to conventional wedding rules, the man at Saori’s side did not slip the ring lovingly on to her left hand before sealing their union with a kiss.
Instead, the pair were handed a hammer — and proceeded to smash the ring to symbolise the end of their five-year marriage.
The bizarre ritual is becoming increasingly popular among Japanese couples who choose to end their marriages with the same pomp and ceremony with which they began them.
From drinking toasts to never seeing each other again, through to rides in separate rickshaws to reflect the start of a new journey, the ceremonies consist of a string of symbolic acts to mark the definitive end of a marriage.
Their introduction is timely: more than 251,000 divorces took place in Japan in 2008, a figure blamed partly on the poor economic climate and the end of the salaryman-led family units which used to be the bedrock of much of Japanese life.
Yet with divorce still something of a taboo in Japanese society, the ceremonies have caught on as a way to formalise the separation publicly in a manner socially acceptable to friends and family.
Pioneering the trend for divorce ceremonies is Hiroki Terai, 29, an entrepreneurial former salesman from the Chiba district of Tokyo who dreamt up the idea after friends decided to separate last year.
Since setting up a company devoted to divorce ceremonies in March, he has been contacted by more than 700 people and conducted 21 divorce ceremonies — costing from Pounds 44 to Pounds 700 – with a further nine booked.
“A ceremony at the end of a marriage gives the couple and their friends and family the opportunity to gain emotional closure,” he said.
“Couples ranging in age from 21 to 57 have taken part in ceremonies so far. Some wear white dresses, a few opt for cakes, and it’s always very moving.
“Everyone deserves a new start. Two couples actually decided to stay together after the ceremony because it made them realise how much they still cared.”
Roland Kelts, a Japan culture expert and lecturer at the University of Tokyo, described how divorce ceremonies were a welcome tool for Japanese to deal with shifting family structures.
“Today’s Japanese women are well-educated and worldly,” he said. “They watch Sex and the City and wonder why their husbands are not more dynamic.
“And their husbands, having lost the security of lifetime employment and its perks, are wondering why their wives are so impatient. No wonder divorce has risen to a third of Japanese marriages.”
Saori Teshima, 34, and her husband Daigo, 36, who runs a wholesale fish company, has just “celebrated” a divorce ceremony to mark the beginning of their new lives.
The couple, who have a four-year-old daughter, split last year after Saori discovered that her husband was having an affair. Divorce papers are being processed. The event began as Saori, dressed in a casual dress over jeans, and a nervous Daigo, in white shirt and suit, gathered at the gates of a Tokyo temple with a dozen close friends wearing smart clothes and faintly bemused expressions.
A sombre atmosphere prevailed, as formal greetings were exchanged before the soon-to-be-ex man and wife were led to separate rickshaws which took them off to “Divorce Mansion”, premises owned by Mr Terai which serve as a kind of register office in reverse.
Following behind on foot, one guest Aoyama Tsuyoshi, 32, a health care businessman, said: “I thought it was a joke when I received the invitation. But I soon realised that they were serious as they want to start afresh after their marriage. It is a sad day but I am happy to be here to support them.”
Pandora makes the cover of Vogue Germany
June 1, 2010
Pandora are rightly very proud of the fact that they have made the cover of the June Vogue Germany magazine. Personally I loved the cover that had a very pregnant Demi Moore on it, but I’m not so fussed on this cover with Claudia Schiffer – something about her eyes and the amount of botox they’ve put into her lips! Inside the magazine is a fashion shoot showing a stunning Pandora ring which we happen to have in our store now.
Pandora on June Vogue Germany Cover with Claudia Schiffer
Choosing the Best Earrings for your outfit
May 27, 2010
Earrings should be carefully chosen to complement your outfit. Use these tips about size, colour, activity, hairstyle and more to achieve a stylish look.
Whether casual, business, or formal, no outfit is complete until it is properly accessorized. If accessories are picked at random, they may overpower an outfit and detract from the wearer, becoming a focal point rather than a complementary piece. When selecting earrings, it is vital to consider many factors, including size, colour, activities, time of day, and hairstyle in order to choose stylish & attractive pieces.
The first consideration for selecting earrings should be the day’s activities. If you are accessorizing business attire and will be answering telephones, large earrings with long posts will be uncomfortable and could create unnecessary noise. Similarly, large earrings are impractical for athletic activities, even if it is only a quick trip to the gym during lunch. Smaller earrings such as studs, small hoops, or single gemstones would be more appropriate and comfortable. Clip-on earrings are another fine choice, since they can be removed quickly and easily.
Colour is another prime consideration, and earring colour should match the outfit in one of two ways. If the majority of the outfit is one colour, earrings of a similar shade provide a coordinated look. If the clothing has significant embellishments or uses many different colours, the earrings can coordinate with one colour to highlight it and make it more noticeable, tying different elements of the outfit together. If an outfit is too complex to choose a single matching colour, or else no coordinating earrings are available, choose neutral earrings such as plain metallic hoops or studs, or small diamonds or pearls. These choices coordinate with a variety of outfits and will not overwhelm a complex ensemble.
Earring size is another consideration. A woman with petite features and a slender neck could look dominated by large earrings, while small studs may be lost on a woman with stronger features. Hairstyle must also be factored into earring size: long, flowing hair can easily hide small earrings or become entangled in a large, complex pair. Elaborate earrings look overdone when paired with a complex hairstyle, yet very simple earrings can look equally out of place. Earrings should be chosen to create a balance between facial features, hairstyle, and cosmetics.
The time of day and the occasion are also considerations when choosing the best earrings. Just as a formal gown may look out of place at a casual brunch, expensive or elaborate earrings may also be inappropriate for informal affairs. Diamonds and other gemstones are best reserved for evening wear or formal occasions such as weddings and other celebrations.
If you have multiple ear piercings, different pairs of earrings need to be coordinated with one another as well as with the entire outfit. Generally, only one set of earrings should be large or elaborate, typically the lowest set on the lobe. Several pairs of elaborate earrings create too much bulk, as well as risking entanglement. Higher earrings should be neutral or coordinate in colour or shape with the larger pair, such as using different sizes of hoops or choosing a variety of shades of the same colour. If an outfit has many colours, different studs can be chosen to highlight the range of colours.
No matter which earrings you choose, always be sure the backs are secure. Replacement backs can be metal or plastic, and should fit snugly but not so tight that they are difficult to remove. In an emergency, a small piece of pencil eraser can serve as a temporary back, but the earring should be cleaned afterwards to prevent possible infection.
Choosing the perfect earrings requires consideration of many factors. By noting activities, hairstyle, features, and other factors while choosing earrings, it is easy to coordinate an attractive outfit that complements the wearer without being overwhelming. Such attention to detail makes earrings necessary accessories that no carefully chosen outfit would be complete without
Reference www.essortment.com
The History of Birthstones
May 12, 2010
I never realised that the history of Birthstones was so old but according to several websites… 
The origin of the birthstone goes back thousands of years to the time of Moses. It was at his command that the Breast Plate of the High Priest was made with the twelve colours, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, and a corresponding gemstone was attributed to each colour. Over the centuries, the number twelve developed mystical proportions. There were twelve tribes of ancient Israel, twelve apostles, twelve foundation stones of the Holy City, twelve months of the year and twelve signs of the zodiac. As time passed, people wanted to own all twelve stones of the sacred Breast Plate and began wearing one gemstone set into a piece of jewellery each month and changing it as the months changed. Eventually, in a quest for individuality, people began wearing only his or her stone of birth all year, giving birth to the twelve birthstones. Each birthstone supposedly represents a magical power. Some were said to ward off evil, protect the wearer in battle, cure blindness, gout and palsy, and even immunize the wearer from drunkenness
Reference: www.wiki.answers.com
The History of Charms and Charm Bracelets
April 30, 2010
Once Upon a Time
Charms go back as far as the Neolithic era where man would pick up an unusual stone or piece of wood and carry it with him to ward off his enemies. Elaborate jewellery made of precious stones and metals emerged during the age of the Egyptian Pharaohs. It was during this time that the first recognisable charm bracelets and necklaces first appeared.
Like people of many ancient civilizations, the citizens of ancient Egypt lived very short lives by today’s standard – 30 to 40 years on average. With so little time on earth, they obsessively prepared for a prosperous life after death. Charm bracelets played a significant role in the preparation process. Charm wrist and neck bracelets were not only coveted as protective shields and signs of status in this life, they were also worn as ID tags to help the Gods guide the wearer and his/her possessions to the proper status level in the afterlife. Kind of an “if found, please return to” note from home.
. . . When In Rome
During the Roman Empire Christians would pull the “ichthys” (fish) charm from underneath their garments to identify themselves to other Christians to gain entry into secret, forbidden worship activities. The Jewish scholar of that same time would write passages from Jewish law on tiny slips of parchment and carefully insert the slips into a small, golden amulet that was worn around his neck. This of act reverence and piety was meant to keep the law close to the heart.
. . . Knights, Fights and a Little Extra Protection
Fast forward to the dark days of the Middle Ages, and we find that charms and amulets were put to use by knights and kings. They were most often used with incantations to wreak havoc on the occupants of enemy castles and protect warriors in battle. Charms were also worn on belts to represent family origin, political standing and profession.
General wearing of charms began to lose favor with the wealthy classes during the Renaissance as mass produced books emerged and superstitions faded. However, charms and amulets were still widely used by people of lesser means and education. The role of the charm remained relatively unchanged until the early 1900s.
. . . The Queen of Charm
In the early 20th century, the bracelets of Queen Victoria ignited the next big wave of charm wearing. It was at this stage that charms had a dramatic change of purpose. They went from being practical tools to becoming decorative fashion jewellery. Small lockets, glass beads and family crests that hung on bracelets and necklaces were all the rage.
. . . The Greatest Generation
The end of WWII saw the explosion of charm jewellery as we know it today. Soldiers leaving Europe and islands in the Pacific purchased little handmade trinkets as gifts to bring home to their sweethearts. Native craftsmen fashioned small bits of metal into little replicas of items common to the locale. Enterprising jewellers in the States quickly picked up on the trend to create charms for all occasions.
. . . Gumball Charms
I ran across these fun charms not long ago and fell in love with them. Made of celluloid (an early plastic) they are charms and little prizes that came out of gumball machines and candy boxes in the 1940s. These charms were collected by kids and worn on bracelets and necklaces of string and beaded chain (dog tag chain). Many of the themes are common – jungle animals, sports, sailing ships, army men, and family pets. But there were a number of commercial applications as well, primarily from comic strips. Popeye, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, the Seven Dwarfs, Orphan Annie are just a few examples.
. . . Bobby Socks, Disco, and the Go-Gos
By the 1950s, the charm bracelet was a must-have accessory for girls and women. Major rites of passage – 16th birthdays, graduations, weddings, travel and the arrival of children – were all recorded on the links of their bracelets. Today some of these vintage bracelets sell for two to three thousand dollars at auction.
The charm bracelet began to disappear from the fashion scene during the early 1970s. Disco was in and bare gold chains became the new status symbol. But in the mid-1980s charm bracelets reappeared. New-money heirs uninterested in the old baubles of their dead relatives were liquidating huge estates. Charms that had been out of circulation for decades were showing up in antique stores and flea markets. Savvy buyers snapped them up at cheap prices.
. . . There’s No Place Like Home
The boom in collectibles in the 1990s drove a huge demand for vintage charms and charm bracelets. A gold charm costing $10 in 1950 easily commanded $70 to $80. Vintage mechanical charms (charms with moving parts) often sold for over $100 and were highly prized by serious collectors. Even with the advent of massive buying and selling arenas like eBay, prices for vintage gold charms remain strong and show no sign of decline in the new century.
As the year 2001 opened, the fashion industry once again discovered the lure of the charm bracelet, flooding the market with new charm styles in all price ranges. Fashion giants like Louis Vuitton have brought the glamour back to charm bracelets, declaring them the must-have accessory for any occasion. And if the past is any indication, charm bracelets will be in style for quite sometime.
Reference: http://bit.ly/bS90P8
Ring, Diamond – Simply Stunning
April 29, 2010
Our latest advertisement in the Te Awamutu Courier shows a delightful Diamond Cluster ring, TDW 0.60 ct Was $2695 Now $2295
It would be an amazing Mothers Day gift on the 9th May!
To see the Te Awamutu courier edition in PDF format click on http://bit.ly/91aEoK
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Forget the perfect man, Find the perfect stone for your Diamond Ring?
April 16, 2010
I’ve just found this very light hearted read in ‘ESCAPE! Egypt Today’ about choosing the perfect Diamond for that ring or other significant piece of Jewellery. It’s very informative and gives a few good pointers when choosing the size of your Diamond. It talks a little about how Diamond Fashion is changing towards coloured stones, however in New Zealand we still tend to go after that traditional but exquisite White Diamond. See for yourself …http://bit.ly/dxGBX5
What’s hot in the Jewellery World
March 10, 2010
Vogue Fashion
This winter the look is long, layered and knotted. A fantastic way to achieve this look is with pearls. Wear several different length and coloured necklaces together and even tie one in a knot to create a feature.
Another way of achieving the look is with Pandora strings and Lariats and don’t forget their mix and match earrings.
