Beloved by numerous ancient cultures
and just as popular today, Turquoise is one of December's birthstones.
Read on to find out more about how it is formed, where it is mined and why is has always been so popular!
9. The most valuable turquoise gemstones can be found in Northeast Iran. Other notable deposits can be found in Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Mexico, Tanzania, and the United States.
10. The Ancient Egyptians are well known for their love of turquoise, as shown by the amazing artifacts unearthed in tombs. Probably the most well-known piece is Tutankhamun’s iconic burial mask which was richly inlaid with the stone.
11. And a lastly bonus fact for you... watch out for cheap imitations when you buy turquoise. If the price seems too good to be true, it is! Turquoise is often dyed and stabilized with resins to produce a harder stone which retains its color and polish, and reconstituted turquoise is made from small chips and "chalk" to which dyes and plastic resin is added. There's nothing wrong with using these stones, as long as you and your customers are away of the difference. Other minerals such as chrysocolla have also been used to imitate turquoise.
You've cut your bezel strip to size, filed the ends, soldered and carefully neatened up the solder join - only to find that the bezel is now too small for your stone! Don't worry, we've all done it.... and I'm going to show you an easy way to put it right.
Start with simple hammered rings and then learn how to adorn them with small cabochons!
A burnisher is a must-have for stone setting - and for many other jobs too! However, burnishers must be looked after carefully if they are going to give you the best results. To find out why and how to look after them read on!
Learn how to turn a nail into a great stone setting tool - with stone setting tips too!
And for weekly jewellery making tips and a place to share your work and ask for advice join The Jeweller's Bench Café facebook group! Just click on the photo...
The Jeweller's Bench is run by Joanne Tinley. She has been making her own jewellery for as long as she can remember and left her first career as a school teacher to set up business as a jewellery designer and tutor nearly 15 years ago. She is self-taught and like many people started with wire and beads. Learning how to solder, however, opened up a whole new world of jewellery making, one that she is keen to share! There is something so magical about watching solder flow through a seam, joining two pieces of metal together smoothly.