Unique Engagement Rings Archives - Page 15 of 23

Where is Garnet Found?

Garnet-Map3 Unique Engagement Rings — GIA Garnet Map

Garnet, most commonly the rhodolite variety, is the gemstone coupled to the month of January. Every species of garnet, and there are many, posses similar crystal formations and physical properties, but differ in chemical composition. These mineral variations form a set of closely related gemstones, called a mineral group. The gemstone species of garnet include pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, uvarovite and andradite. Most gem quality varieties of this mineral are a mixture of two or three of these mineral species. For example, rhodolite garnet, is a mixture of pyrope and almandine.

The most popular varieties of garnet include the reddish and purple hues of the gemstone. These shades have a very long history, appearing in pieces found in both ancient Egypt and Rome. The popularity of red garnet may stem from its amble availability. It forms in metamorphic rocks that are found on every continent.

Today there is a wide array of garnet hues available to choose from including reds, pinks, oranges, yellow, greens, browns, and even blues. New species and deposits of garnet have been found all over the world. Listed below are the locations where garnet naturally occurs and is mined to be transformed into beautifully faceted gemstones.

Brazil – Brazil is home to a vast array of garnet varieties.
Namibia – Namibia produces stunning spessartine garnets with strong orange hues.
Kenya – Kenya is home to the famous Scorpion mine that is world-renowned for its tsavorite garnets.
Tanzania – Tsavorite, a green variety of garnet, was first discovered in Tanzania.
Iran – A recent discovery of demantoid, a green garnet variety, has made Iran a new supplier of the gem.
Afghanistan – Afghanistan is one of the largest suppliers of spessartine garnet.
Pakistan – Dazzling spessartine garnets can be found in the Kashmir reign of Pakistan.
Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka is a major supplier of rhodolite garnet, the common deep reddish purple variety of the gemstone.
India – Red garnets can be found in Orissa, India.
Myanmar – Rare and beautiful reddish orange spessartine garnets can be found in Myanmar. Several other varieties are also mined here.
Russia – Russia is the original source of demantoid garnets, the rare deep green variety of the gemstone.

If garnet is your gem of choice, let us at Knox Jewelers help you custom create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to showcase this beautiful gemstone. The possibility are endless with a mineral available in so many sizes, shapes and a rainbow of colors. A Knox Jewelers custom created piece, featuring a beautiful garnet is the perfect way to celebrate any occasion falling within the month. Contact us today and lets get started. We have a vast inventory of garnets, in many colors, just waiting to be transformed!

2016 Colors of the Year

Pantone, the unrivaled expert on color and color technology, announced for the first time ever, two colors will be the Colors of the Year for 2016. Every year, the Pantone Color Institute reveals its predicted Color of the Year. This prophecy strongly influences the upcoming year in design. The hues, Rose Quartz and Serenity, should start to appear in home furnishings, fashion collections, and most importantly jewelry design. These pastel hues have already made an appearance in several of Knox Jewelers’ recent custom ring creations.

Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman, had this to say about the decision, “Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.” [1]

Rose Quartz is described as an alluring and gentle color that expresses both compassion and a sense of composure. On the other hand its compliment, Serenity, conjures feelings of weightlessness and relaxation. Both the pale pink and pale blue hues can be found in several gemstone options. Any of the gemstones featured below can be set in your one-of-a-kind creations! Fancy colored sapphire can be found in both a soft pink and blue hue, and is the only gemstone featured below that we recommend for use in engagement rings.

Pink Sapphire – Morganite

Pink Tourmaline – Rose Quartz

Blue Sapphire – Tanzanite

Chalcedony – Aquamarine

Let Knox Jewelers help you create your own custom jewelry with one or both of your favorite 2016 Pantone colors! There are so many colorful gemstone options to serve as inspiration for your next heirloom piece of jewelry. Now is your chance to create a work of art with the colors that represent the year to come.

If you are looking to design a piece that will be cherished for a lifetime by your loved one, we are here to help. Knox Jewelers specializes in unique custom jewelry designs and engagement rings. Pink and blue gemstones in any shape or size can be added to one of our custom created jewelry designs for a one-of-a-kind look!

Contact Knox Jewelers to find out more about our products or services, including our custom jewelry design. Let us help you to be on-trend with your jewelry in 2016. We look forward to hearing from you!

Pearls – The Perfect Gift for the Holidays

As we near the final days of holiday shopping, I am sure a few of you have not crossed that special someone off your list. If you are still at a loss in finding the perfect gift this year, I have one piece of advise. In the words of Jackie Kennedy, “pearls are always appropriate.” Knox Jewelers has several classic and more modern pearl options still available in-store that are ready to be wrapped and placed under the tree.

Pearls were once the most sought after gemstones in antiquity and even today they continue to have a following. They are a favorite of many legendary women including Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth. Synonymous with elegance and class, pearls are the only precious gemstone created by a living creature. A perfectly placed grain of sand in an oyster is the start to what will become a beautifully formed pearl.

It was once thought that pearl jewelry was something only to be worn for special occasions. In the present day, modern designs have allowed pearls to be worn everyday in fun and versatile pieces. Pearls in any form will always hold an air of elegance, whether they are set into a simple pair of stud earrings or an elaborate modern pendant.

If she is attending a quiet dinner with friends or a larger holiday party, pearls are an elegant complementary addition to any outfit. If you’re looking to add to or liven up her pearl wardrobe, we have selected some of our favorite holiday pearl jewelry options from our inventory and listed them below. Every woman would appreciate receiving one of these timeless and versatile pieces.

The Forever Classic

Pearl stud earrings are an everyday staple that could easily be the finishing touch to any outfit from casual jeans to a formal dress.

The Edgy Infusion

If she prefers her pearls with a modern update, this pendant featuring a black druzy and diamond-cut sterling silver beads could be the perfect show-stopping piece.

The Versatile Strand

Worn as one strand, twisted as two strands or even three, this classic knotted pearl rope could begin to be the piece she pairs with everything.

The Victorian Vibe

Whether she’s a Mary at heart, or more of an Edith, she will agree that pearls are a great addition to any antique inspired piece.

The Statement Earrings

If the staple stud isn’t your cup-of-tea try a bold colored drop pearl earring. These modern settings will never be called boring.

The Have-it-all Gift Set

Why choose one gift, when you can give it all. This freshwater pearl set includes a pair of stud earrings, bracelet and necklace strand. Wear them all together or separately!

If you’re holiday shopping for others, consider pearl jewelry and you might even have enough left over for a little self-gifting, too!

Stop in or contact Knox Jewelers today and let us help you select the perfect pearl jewelry for any occasion this holiday season!

Citrine – November’s Golden Gem

Citrine, along with golden topaz, is the official birthstone for the month of November. In recent decades citrine has gained popularity in the jewelry industry and has become a yellow gemstone staple in the marketplace. Its name is derived for the Latin word citrina which means “yellow”. Citrine’s durability, affordability and attractive color make it one of the most sought after varieties of quartz. Its color also makes its an affordable alternative to golden topaz and yellow sapphire. Everything you have ever wanted to know about this golden gem and how Knox Jewelers can help you to create the perfect birthstone jewelry will be revealed below.

1. Citrine is a gemstone variety of the mineral quartz.

Quartz is one of the most common minerals on earth. Its physical form can range anywhere from sand grains on a beach to large gemstone crystals of amethyst or citrine. Though they look very different, all quartz varieties are composed of the same chemical elements, silicon and oxygen. The size and color of their crystal formation is the largest difference between quartz species. Citrine is the pale yellow to brownish orange, transparent variety of this mineral. Other popular quartz gemstones include amethyst, smokey quartz and rock crystal. Gem varieties of quartz usually form in large crystals with exceptional clarity.

2. Citrine’s most popular colors are a deep yellow and a reddish orange.

Citrine is available in varying hues ranging from pale yellows to deep orange browns. Though the most sought after hues of citrine in the marketplace are vibrant and free of brown tints.

3. Citrine crystals found in nature are extremely rare.

The exact elements and environment needed for citrine quartz crystals to form is rare. Some natural citrine is mined in Bolivia, but the supply is incredibly scarce. Most citrine gems on the market today are produced by heat treating amethyst, which is also a quartz variety. Most of amethyst heated to become golden is found in huge geodes mined in Brazil.

4. Citrine owes its yellow and orange colors to trace amounts of iron in its crystal structure.

All varieties of quartz are mixtures of silicon and oxygen. Iron is the trace element that give citrine its golden color.

5. Fine quality and large citrine gemstones remain affordable.

Citrine is one of the most popular and frequently purchased yellow gemstones because of its availability and fair cost. Even fine graded citrine has an economical price. Sizable citrines remain modestly priced, as price per carat does not rise dramatically for larger sizes.

6. Quartz varieties, like citrine, have been used in jewelry for centuries.

Quartz in any form was commonly used in Europe and the Middle East as gemstones for carving. Citrine exclusively has been found as an ornament going back thousands of years. It was a popular decorative gem in Ancient Greece, and adorned weaponry in 17th century Scotland. More recently, citrine was a go-to gem in the Art Deco era where the gemstones large sizes lead to over-sized and elaborate pieces.

7. Before modern technology, citrine was often mistake for topaz.

It is nearly impossible to visually tell the difference between a faceted citrine gemstone and another of yellow topaz. The largest difference between the two is their hardness. A citrine has a Mohs Hardness rating of 7, well topaz is slightly harder with a rating of 8.

8. Gemstone quality quartz can be found all over the world.

Natural citrine, though rare, can be found in Bolivia, Spain, Madagascar, Mexico and Uruguay. Most of the amethyst that is suitable for heat treatment to become citrine is mined in Brazil.

Create the Perfect Jewelry with Citrine

If you are looking for a special piece of jewelry that will be cherished for a lifetime, we are here to help. Knox Jewelers specializes in unique custom jewelry designs and engagement rings. Citrine in any shape or size can add color to one of our custom created jewelry designs for a one-of-a-kind look!

Contact Knox Jewelers to find out more about our products or services, including our custom jewelry design service. We look forward to hearing from you.

Knox Jewelers Temporary Solitaire

Selecting jewelry for another person is a daunting endeavor. That undertaking is tenfold when choosing the most important piece of jewelry she will ever wear, an engagement ring. Knox Jewelers can help to educate you in every aspect of investing in an engagement ring, but we can not offer advice in one area, personal taste. That is where the challenge lies. If an element of surprise is important to you, but you have concerns about designing the ring of her dreams, then we have devised the perfect solution.

Knox Jewelers offers a temporary solitaire option that allows you to propose with the gemstone of your choosing without committing to a custom design. Once you have selected your perfect diamond or sapphire , it would be set into our white gold Classic Solitaire ring design for presentation. This ring setting offers an elegant four prong look with a streamlined high-polished band. If she would like to re-set the diamond after your proposal, you can come in together to custom create her forever engagement ring. The center stone would be moved into your new ring design and your temporary setting would be returned for a full credit towards your purchase.

Step 1 – Choose your perfect diamond.

Step 2 – Propose with your diamond solitaire and take her breathe away.

Step 3 – Custom create your one-of-a-kind engagement ring together.

A temporary solitaire can ease many obstacles one faces when selecting an engagement ring.

Making it a Surprise

Our temporary ring option gives you a way to veil your intentions. She will be completely unaware because you haven’t needed to hint around her taste in rings or asked her for ideas. There will be no quizzing of friends or family members, just so one can accidentally spill the big news. You can present your engagement ring exactly the way you would like to, and create a proposal story to remember for a lifetime.

Choosing the Perfect Ring

If you have already started to search for engagement rings, you are well aware just how many styles are actually available. Engagement rings today are amazingly varied. Every Knox Jewelers ring is custom created from the ground up and hand finished to ensure its heirloom quality. This can be a fairly large commitment in jewelry if you are unaware what she would like to be wearing for the rest of your lives together. A temporary solitaire can alleviate the pressure of choosing exactly the right ring and allow you to focus on other important parts of the equation, like choosing exactly the right diamond for you.

Working with a Budget

The center stone of an engagement ring accounts for a large percentage of its final cost. By first selecting a diamond or sapphire and proposing with a temporary solitaire, you are setting the tone of your budget while still allowing her to choose her ring style. Purchasing your final ring in two separate fragments, center stone and custom setting, would also allow you to spread out the cost of your investment.

A temporary solitaire is the perfect engagement ring option that solves the stress of choosing her ideal setting without ruining any surprises. Stop into or contact Knox Jewelers today and let us help you search for your perfect center stone to feature in our Classic Solitaire.