Ray
Tracey, Navajo - Sterling Silver |
About Native American authenticity.
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Ray Tracey, Navajo | |||||||||||||
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Rescue Mission |
What is Charoite?Charoite is an easy gemstone to indentify because of its violet to purple color an distinctive white, black and brownish swirls. Sugilite, another purple gemstone, is the closest in appearance but it lacks the distinguishing wispy white inclusions of Charoite. It is a relatively new stone, being first discovered by a Russian geologist in 1948 between the Chara and Tokko Rivers in the Siberia region of Russia. This is still the only place in the world it is found. It was not until 1977 that Charoite was scientifically identified as a mineral and gemstone and was named Charoite after the Chara river. Read about stones. |
About MalachiteMalachite has been carved into ornaments
and worn as jewelry for thousands of years, and in some ancient civilizations
it was thought to be a protection from evil if worn as jewelry. Malachite is generally
found with blue Azurite, and sometimes the two may occur admixed or banded together,
forming "Azure-malachite". Read
about stones |
Is it Mother of Pearl or Abalone?Mother of pearl, also known as nacre, is the outer coating of pearls and is also a protective layer that forms the lining of some mollusks including abalone. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent, which means that it changes color as the angle of view or the angle of light changes. Mother of pearl from most mollusks has a milky white or silver appearance, whereas mother of pearl from abalone has dark rainbow hues. Read more . . . |
About Silver100% solid silver won't tarnish but it is too soft to use for making jewelry - it could easily be scratched, dented and bent. Sterling silver has a small amount of one or more other metals usually copper, added to the silver. To be called sterling silver, the alloy must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. Sterling silver alloy is harder than pure silver but the added metals also can cause discoloration or tarnish. |
NOTE: Items in our Vintage Shop are either USED or NEW. They might come from inheritances, estate sales, private collections, and store liquidations. Many items are brand new (, New Old Stock) and in perfect condition while others may show tarnish, scratches and other signs of use. Major issues will be described in detail and shown in photos. Vintage Shop items are sold as described and are not returnable |
Horsekeeping
LLC - Definitions of Jewelry Age and Condition © 2015 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information | |
Patina | A dark or colored film of oxidation that forms naturally on metal exposure to air and other elements. It is often valued for its aesthetically pleasing appearance. |
Vintage | 30 years or older. |
NOS | New Old Stock. Retail store inventory from at least 10 years ago. |
Pre-owned | An item that has been used. |
