Sapphires for September

Sapphires are one of my favorite stones, and they are the birth stone for the month of September One of the most amazing things about sapphires is the range of colors they can be found in! Anything from colorless to blue to pink and even yellow and green!

Sapphires are ideal for jewelry because they are very hard and durable as a gemstone. Second only in hardness to diamonds, sapphires can be set in just about any type of setting without worry, however, it’s important to know, especially for cleaning purposes, if your sapphire has been exposed to any treatments, like heat.

It’s interesting to know, that clear sapphires are occasionally cut as microscopic lens, mainly because they are very hard and highly refractive. Gem-quality colorless sapphires are not common though. Rough colorless sapphires are usually light brown or grey when mined, and then heated to make them clear.

The most desirable blue sapphires are those with the cornflower blue color, which is commonly referred to as “Kashmir blue”. The word sapphire comes from the Latin word, sapphirus, meaning blue.

Sapphires belong to the category of gemstones called Corundum. Corundum gemstones all contain the crystalized composition aluminum oxide. What color a sapphire becomes depends on what other minerals color the stone during the development process. Red stones are typically colored with chromium, blue stones, typically colored with iron and titanium, and yellow sapphires get their color from iron.

The value of a sapphire depends on how rich the color of the natural stone is, along with it’s transparency. The most valuable stones have the best transparency and the richest natural color.

The most common treatments for sapphires is heat-treatments to enhance or change their color. Sometimes radiation is used to enhance a stone’s color, although this process is not very stable to light and another treatment called beryllium diffusion is also sometimes used.

In the United States, Montana is the largest producer of natural sapphires called “Montana” sapphires. These are typically small sapphires, and they come in a range of colors, but are primarily found in blue and yellow.

Chrissi

Jewelry For Your Next Adventure

Hello my beautiful friends!

I know this has been an unusual year for planning a vacation or even for travel in general, however as things open up, and the occasion does arise to venture out on the that next adventure, I have some tips for planning what jewelry accessories to take with you. Whether, it’s by plane, train or automobile…I know that I only like to carry a few jewelry pieces with me to my destination and I want to make them count.

What I specifically take, really depends on what the destination occasion calls for. Is this a fun vacation trip or a business trip? Trip to visit family and casual or a more dressy affair?

I’ll start with the business trip or meeting. For a standard business meeting, you can never go wrong with the classics. Simple hoop earrings (like these classic sterling silver hoops above), simple pendant necklace or a nice strand of pearls, conservative rings, nice watch and maybe a bracelet. Less is usually more when it comes to the regular business meeting, and that also means less to pack! Is this a power meeting with a client you are trying to impress? Go bold! Make a statement with a bold and unique necklace or ring. Make one piece a conversation starter, but not all. You don’t want to overdo the bling. Do you need to break the ice? Try this really usual Trilobite necklace (shown below) for a great conversation starter.

For a vacation trip I really like to have fun with my jewelry. Bold necklaces or earrings to accent that beautiful beach dress. Stunning ring for that nice dinner out with the husband or family. Eye-catching cuff bracelet like this beautiful Laguna Agate cuff bracelet (shown below) to grace your newly tanned arms. The possibilities are endless.

Is your vacation on the more adventurous side? If so, then I like to keep things a bit more simple and will usually wear a smaller pendant necklace, such as this 14kt gold and pink sapphire necklace (shown below) paired with some simple stud earrings. I keep it really simple, especially if I’m doing something like hiking, biking or horseback riding.

I usually don’t like to take too much jewelry with me when I travel, so I try to have my jewelry do double duty, and will usually take one bold piece (either a bracelet or necklace), a simple necklace for everyday wear and earrings I can wear for the majority of the trip. The idea is to have fun with your jewelry pairings and enjoy your jewelry no matter what the occasion.

When traveling, I know that storage can be an issue. If I’m flying, I will keep my jewelry with me in my carry-on for safe keeping, and when in the hotel, I’ll utilize the hotel safety deposit box that is usually at the front desk, or the safe that is in the room.

I do want to mention that most jewelry does not do well with chlorine, so if your next outing involves a trip to the hotel pool, just remember to take off your jewelry before it takes a dip in the chlorine. Sterling silver can be permanently blackened and pitted from the chlorine in the pool, and 14kt gold can become pitted from chlorine, so it’s best to not wear your jewelry while swimming.

I hope wherever your next adventure takes you, that you will have fun and a fantastic time!

All the best,

Chrissi

Looking Great for Your Next Virtual Meeting

Lately, I’ve had to attend a few more virtual meetings than I have in the past, and as COVID-19 is still here and still a part of our lives, I suspect virtual meetings will become a more normal way of doing business.

So, how do you dress and accessorize for your virtual meeting where you still want to look professional but yet, have a casual comfortable appearance?

The one thing I’ve noticed in particular when it comes to doing meetings online, is that our face and torso are front and center. Because of this, color, lighting and background are very important.

The type of call is also really important. Is this an interview for a new career or position? Board meeting for your favorite interest group? Meeting with your boss or business colleagues? All of these things are considerations when picking out what to wear for that next video call.

Here are a few things that I’ve noticed on my video chats that may help you standout and look your best on your next video chat.

Lighting is very important. Too dark, and you look hidden and unengaged. Too light, and you look washed out and pale. Most of the meetings I’ve attended where the lighting is too dark, it makes the participant appear uninterested or not engaged in the meeting. Too light, and the participant appears washed out and maybe a little sickly. It’s a subtle factor in how you appear to show up to your meeting.

I recently learned, that the best lighting is placed in front of you. For photographs, think standing in the doorway with the sun shining on you (not so bright that you squint), and you want to apply that same concept to your video meetings. For a reasonable fee, there are round LED lights that are perfect for this! Here is a great article on lighting for videos: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/best-led-video-light/. Natural lighting is definitely the best, but that is not always available.

Dressing for your virtual meeting is also really important, as it will convey the right message you are trying to send.

Pick out a color that is complementary to your background, and also flattering with your skin tone. For me, black is a great choice because my background is yellow and the black color usually absorbs some of the background color without making my skin tone appear too yellow. White makes me look too washed out. Dark navy is another one of my favorites, but go with what colors look best for you. If the meeting is a formal one, dress as if you were attending the meeting in person. That means a business suit, nice blouse or shirt, tie, etc.

For accessories, I’ve noticed that statement earrings are great because they bring attention up to your face and the eyes of the viewer in line with your eyes. You will notice that a lot of newscasters and talk show hosts wear bolder earrings during their interviews.

These beautiful handmade sterling silver hoop earrings are a great choice, because they are bold, light and easy to wear, but make a subtle statement:

A short statement necklace is also great, because it also brings the eyes of the viewer to the center of your face and neck. I would avoid anything too long, as it brings the focus down towards the end of the necklace and towards the bottom of the screen, which takes the focus away from you, and places it down below.

Do you use your hands a lot when you talk or for emphasis? Then think about a nice statement ring that will show up on video. The idea is to have your jewelry help enhance your virtual image, not detract from it.

Colorful jewelry is also great. Brightly colored gemstones such as turquoise, amazonite, amethyst, carnelian, to name a few, and bold statement pieces in silver or gold are great attention grabbers.

The idea is to look put together, confident, and your best!

Now go rock that next meeting!!!

All the best!

Chrissi