Jewelry Weblog

Millefiori Collection

2007-10-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

The Venetian Murrina originates from ancient Roman, Alexandrian and Phoenician glassware. Small segments of differently shaped and colored glass rods are laid close together and then fused into tiny mosaics, granting its name Millefiori, which means "a thousand flowers".

Please take a look at exclusive Millefiori collection where you can find:

Millefiori Animal Pendants
Millefiori Assorted Pendants
Millefiori Bracelets
Millefiori Cross Pendants
Millefiori Earrings
Millefiori Heart Pendants
Millefiori Rings

Millefiori Murano Glass

2007-10-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Millefiori owes it particular beauty to a very complicated and skillful process which was discovered by the glass makers of Murano. It starts out with Murano glass rods. These rods are made from taking a 1.5 meter metal pole with small mass of molten glass on it. (Please see picture 1). It is then dipped into different pots of other molten glass of various colors. (Please see picture 2). The multiple colors used in the glass create beautiful flower-like patterns, granting its name, Millefiori. As this mass increases in size, the molten glass is squeezed into a star or flower-shaped mold, which gives the final form of the pattern. (Please see picture 3.) A last layer of glass is applied to maintain the cylindrical shape of the rod. A second metal pole is then attached to the other side of the glass mass. (Please see picture 4). Two glass makers, one at each pole, pull the glass into a long, find rod by walking in opposite directions. (Please see picture 5).
1 23 4 5

After the cooling process, these glass rods can be sliced to reveal the pattern. The glass rods are sliced into desired thickness and size, resulting in the production of murrines. A murrine is each slice or piece of the rod. These individual pieces are then laid into a mold and melted. The most outer layer (the one used to maintain the cylindrical form) of each murrine will melt into each other. Once cooled, it can be removed from the mold and be incorporated into making various Millefiori jewelry items.

Although, the Venetian Murrina originates from ancient Roman, Alexandrian and Phoenician glassware, it wasn’t until 1968, when the production of murrine pendants began. All it took was a simple invention of a copper band in various forms (circles, drops, hearts, crosses, etc.) to create beautiful pieces. The slices of the Millefiori rods called murrines were placed into the copper mold and inserted into a kiln. There the murrines fuse together forming a compact shape. It is cooled and then polished to form a thin layer which is slightly convex. A final polish heightens its shine and is ready for use.

Murano Glass Jewelry

2007-10-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Many of our exclusive lines use a particular type of glass, called Murano art glass. Murano is actually one of several islands just outside of Venice, Italy. In this region, each of these islands focuses in a specialized handcraft; Murano is famous for their art glass making. Culturally rich with history, tradition, ancient techniques and art, Murano glass dates back as early as 982 and is the oldest glassmaking tradition in Europe. It incorporates its heritage with constant technical and artistic innovation to create beautiful art sculptures, vases, jewelry and more. Murano art glass is only made in Murano. Although, it is very much imitated, there is only one true Murano glass and it is protected by the Marchio del Vetro Artistico di Murano trademark. This trademark signifies that the Murano glass was made by an approved Muranese glassmaker. FashionIslandJewelry.com guarantees that our Murano Glass Jewelry products are authentic Murano art glass.

What you need to know about Cubic Zirconia and CZ jewelry

2007-10-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Cubic Zirconia
Gemologists agree that Cubic Zirconia is the finest diamond simulation because it comes closer than any other gem material to the characteristics of a diamond. Like diamonds, the best cubic zirconia are colorless (or white) and do not lose their brilliance. Given proper cleaning, the cubic zirconia will retain its beauty for years. Almost all the cubic zirconia in the market today is chemically cmrised of zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide. Individually, both of these materials are opaque, white ores, but when they are melted together under appropriate conditions, they combine to form an amazingly brilliant clear crystal. To fill the need for colors, manufacturers also produce a variety of colored cubic zirconia. Cubic Zirconia’s are cut in the same way diamonds are cut. The sizing of the gemstone is usually indicated by its weight in carats, a carat being one-fifth of a gram. Because the cubic zirconia is so dense and solid, it outweighs a diamond of the same millimeter size, weighing 1.7 times more than a diamond of the same millimeter diameter.

CZ Jewelry
A synthetic gemstone, Cubic Zirconia (CZ) so closely resembles diamond that only the trained eye can tell the difference.

Known for it’s bright sparkles and hardness, cubic zirconia is the durable and inexpensive answer to diamonds and comes in full spectrum of brilliant tones and shapes.

At FashionIslandJewelry.com, all of cubic zirconia items are made with Grade A quality stones with a high-shine finish.

Cubic Zirconia Bracelets, Cubic Zirconia Earrings, Cubic Zirconia Lockets, Cubic Zirconia Necklaces, Cubic Zirconia Pendants, Cubic Zirconia Rings, Cubic Zirconia Sets, Cubic Zirconia Wedding Rings

What you need to know about silver and silver jewelry

2007-10-17T00:30:00.001-07:00

Silver
Silver is a precious metal that has been used for thousands of years for various purposes such as ornaments, tableware, jewelry, photography and money. Its value as a precious metal was long considered second only to gold and in Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe, it was often valued more than gold. The principal sources of silver are obtained from Canada, Mexico, Peru, Australia and the United States. However, Mexico is the largest producer of silver.

Characteristics of Silver
Silver is one of the chemical elements in the periodic table and is called Ag, short from the Latin term Argentum. It is a brilliant, white lustrous transition metal that is very ductile, malleable and endures a high degree of polish.

Sterling silver is composed of 92.5% silver alloyed with copper to strengthen it. Silver has one of the highest reflectivity of any metal, giving it unmatched brilliance, making it perfect for jewelry designs. Silver also has extremely high electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. Despite all these wonderful properties silver is relatively abundant and easy to extract from ore, so it is, at the same time, relatively affordable making it ideal for jewelry that will appeal to a wide audience.

Silver Plating
The process by which one metal is coated with another using electricity, known as electroplating.

Nickel
Many times nickel, another hard metal known also as Ni, is placed between the coating and the silver because it facilitates the adherence and luster of the plating to the metal. When used in silver jewelry, this can cause irritation to those who are sensitive to nickel or have nickel allergies. For that reason, there is nickel-free jewelry available. Although, FashionIslandJewelry.com still carries some jewelry with nickel plating, 95% of our sterling silver jewelry is nickel-free and all of our nickel-free jewelry is clearly marked on the site.

* If you are an international customer, please note that use of nickel and nickel based alloys in jewelry may be illegal in your country. For example, European countries have officially banned nickel and nickel based alloys in jewelry due to the high number of nickel allergies.

Rhodium
Rhodium is a hard, durable, silvery-white metallic element that is used to form high-temperature alloys with platinum and is then plated on other metals to produce a durable corrosion-resistant coating. Rhodium, also known as Rh, is a member of the platinum group and found in platinum ores. It has a higher melting point and lower density than platinum. Rhodium is a very expensive metal, even more so than gold. Due to the scarcity of the metal, it commands a high market price.

Sterling silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium is resistant to scratching, abrasion and corrosion. As mentioned above, sterling silver has a tendency to tarnish rather quickly when exposed to harsh contaminants, such as sulfur and many others that are found all around us. Contact with skin oils and perfumes may also discolor silver, which requires frequent cleaning and polishing. Since rhodium plating is highly acid and chemical resistant, it will withstand such contact. Consequently, sterling silver is an ideal candidate for rhodium plating. In addition, rhodium is also frequently used to give silver jewelry a beautiful finish.

Silver Jewelry
The metal silver has been chosen for its beauty and luster in the manufacture of jewelry and silverware. Because it is malleable and easy to work with, silver has been fashioned in to rings, bracelets, earrings and other jewelry pieces. However, silver has a low resistance to pressure and can be easily bent. To make silver tougher and more durable, silver is often alloyed with other metals, which results in different types of silver. Based on the content of the other metals mixed in to the silver, silver is usually identified by hallmarks. A hallmark is generally an indication of metal content, purity and quality that is marked on individual pieces. Therefore, pieces using sterling silver are commonly tagged or engraved with 925 Silver or SS.

FashionIslandJewelry.com is one of the leading silver jewelry sites on the internet.