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Turquoise Necklace Facts and Beliefs

July 27th, 2009 Posted in Jewelry | 1 Comment »

Turquoise Necklace. ‘Pieces of sky.’ That’s how turquoise was called by some Native American tribes. Indeed, it requires no great stretch of the imagination to understand why turquoise was referred to as such. Just as the heavens could be a peaceful or stormy blue, so could turquoise seem to express different moods with its different shades of blue and green. Wearing pieces of sky in a turquoise necklace is a provocative and attractive idea.

Known as the birthstone of December, turquoise can be opaque or translucent, and a turquoise necklace made of beads conveys an iridescent, whimsical effect. Some jewelry designers set their turquoise necklaces in platinum, silver, or gold; at times, they use other gemstones in conjunction with turquoise for a complementary, enhancing effect. Chokers or neckbands decorated with turquoise are also popular as fashion accessories.

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The Ring – Step Back in History

July 23rd, 2009 Posted in Jewelry | 1 Comment »

The popularity of rings increased during the medieval period. People wore rings no matter if they were rich or poor. The most used materials in the making of rings are copper, iron, gold and silver. The class of the person was usually identified by the material the ring was made of.

Faceted jewels began to appear in rings around the 14th century. Some cultures have rings that are usually associated with them. Native Americans are associated with silver and turquoise jewelry. The Greek symbol of the fish, called the Icthus was used by Early Christians. The Irish Claddagh has an interesting story attached to it.

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The Cultural Techniques of Inuit Throat Singing

July 22nd, 2009 Posted in Inuit Eskimo | No Comments »

Basically throat singing is a way to express oneself. The art of throat singing is attached to the Inuit culture. In Inuit culture it was performed by women folks in order to entertain each other during leisure. Although there is no written document regarding the time of evolution of such singing culture, it gained much popularity in the form of throat singing CDs in the present era.

In throat singing two women would stand opposite to each other clasping the arms and start singing one after another. The lead woman would utter sounds through her throat which are relatively short, leaving some gap in between the syllables. The other one would try to fill up those gaps with her sounds. It is said that women used to breathe in one another’s mouth to resonate the sound. It is not that throat singing was performed by women only, men also used to sing it in groups.

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Types of Native American bracelets

July 22nd, 2009 Posted in Native American Jewelry | 1 Comment »

Every single piece of the Native American Jewelry is unique and hand made. The Native American jewelries are exclusively made by the means of the semi precious stones and the silver gems. Talking about Native American bracelets, they are typical bracelets worn by the Zuni, Navajo and Hopi people in the southwest portion of America. These bracelets are considered precious because of the high quality stones and the turquoise used in them.

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The History of Canadian Diamonds

July 21st, 2009 Posted in Diamond | 2 Comments »

It is said the sparkle from canadian diamond rings mimics the eerie and enchanting radiance of the Northern Lights. This is a bit of a romantic notion as it is actually the cut of the diamond, not its national identity that makes it twinkle like a Northern star. Still Canadian diamonds are among the whitest in the world. Thanks to stringent government regulations in the Northwest Territories they are also extremely high quality. This Canadian reputation for integrity means that canadian diamond rings are competing well in the gem stone jewelry market.

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Titanium Jewelry Myths

July 19th, 2009 Posted in Jewelry | 1 Comment »

To many people, titanium is a mysterious term. General understanding of the public for this metal is that it is a very hard substance, and some may know that is very light as well, especially for folks who own any titanium jewelry or watches. We would like to clarify some common myths about this metal and give brief explanation for each one.

Titanium is a newly found metal
Titanium is new to many industries and recently applied to many new applications, but the metal was first discovered in 1791, in England. It was discovered by an amateur chemist in an impure form called rutile. It was not used widely until the last century because the technique for extracting titanium from its naturally occurred ore remained a failure until 1910. It was used in many applications after it was shown that its alloys can be produced commercially by reducing titanium tetrachloride with magnesium in 1940.

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The Mystery Of The Opal

July 19th, 2009 Posted in Jewelry | No Comments »

There is no other stone that has the mystery of the opal. With its fiery colors and magnificent spectrum of color it draws you in and you are helpless to look away.

Every opal is different. There are no two stones the same. And every stone reflects the light differently depending on its depth and personal characteristics. This stone eludes a mystical aura without even trying.

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Rhinestones and Their History

July 19th, 2009 Posted in Jewelry | No Comments »

Rhinestones have a glittering past. Originally rhinestones where referred to Czechoslovakian or Bohemian glass dating as far back as the 13th century in Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Both have a history steeped in beautiful hand blown glass as well as molded and cut glass.

By 1918 glass was no longer limited to functional items. Czechoslovakian glass began to make its appearance in dazzling and brilliant jewelry. This Czech glass became known as rhinestones.

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List of Native American Indian Tribes

July 19th, 2009 Posted in Native American | No Comments »

The following is list of Native American Indian Tribes. There are over 2 million Native American living across the country, and most are part of one of the following tribes.

Abenaki Dakota (Sioux)
Maidu
Oto Spokan
Akimel O'Odham (Pima) Delaware
Makah
Ottawa Stockbridge
Alabama-Coushatta
Diné
Malecite
Aleut
Mandan Paiute Teton
Apache
Erie
Manhattan Papago (Tohono O'Odham) Tillamook
Apalachee
Maricopa Pawnee Tlingit
Arapaho
Gros Ventre
Massachusett PennacookTobacco Nation
Arikara
Menominee Penobscot Tohono O'Odham (Papago)
Arkansas (Quapaw)
Haida
Miami Pequot Tsimshian
Assiniboin
Hidatsa
Micmac Pima (Akimel O'Odham) Tuscarora
Hoopa
Mission IndiansPomo
Bannock
Hopi
Modoc Ponca Ute
Blackfoot
Huron
Mohave Potawatomi
MohawkPowhatan Confederacy Wampanoag
Caddo
Illinois
Mohegan Pueblo Wappinger
Canarsee
Iowa
Montagnais and Naskapi PuyallupWasho
Catawba
Iroquois Confederacy
MuskogeeWichita
Cayuga
InuitQuapawWinnebago
Cayuse
NarragansettQuechanWyandot
Cherokee
Kalispel
Natchez
Cheyenne
Kansa (Kaw)
Navajo Sac and Fox Yakima
Chickasaw
Kickapoo
Neutral NationSalish Yamasee
Chinook
Kiowa
Nez PercéSanteeYankton
Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Klallam
Nootka SarsiYokuts
Choctaw
Klamath
SaukYuma
Coeur d'Alene
Kootenai
Ojibwa (Chippewa) Seminole Yurok
Colville
Kwakiutl
Okanogan Seneca
Comanche
Omaha Shawnee
Cree
Lumbee
OneidaShoshone
Creek
OnondagaShuswap
Crow
Mahican
Osage Sioux (Dakota)

Native American Pendants

July 18th, 2009 Posted in Native American Jewelry | No Comments »

For couples seeking a unique Native American Pendants or wedding band, try to look at the Native American Jewelry designed rings. Many couples choose to Native American jewelry, because they want to reflect their heritage, believe in the symbolism, or the ideals which are manifested by such jewelry.

You do not need the U.S. to appreciate the beauty and know-how that goes into their jewelry. Many models are inspired by the spiritual beliefs of a tribal nation, and vary from tribe to tribe.

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