Anna Lin

The jewelry that is in vogue changes from year to year as designers attempt to out-do each other in a game of one-upmanship. In the western world jewelry styles have undergone a complete makeover. Where once before jewelry was expected to be sedate and inconspicuous men and women of the west are learning what the men and women of the African countries have known for years; there is more to life than being sedate.

African-themed designs, particularly those from regions in South Africa, are all the rage in silver jewelry these days. With their flamboyant designs and brilliant colors the African nations have introduced a new era in silver jewelry. African jewelry draws heavily on nature; both the nature of the world around them and the nature of the human body. It is important when considering African pendants to recall that most of the citizens in South Africa do not share the same self-consciousness with regards to their bodies as the men and women of the Western nation. This is exemplified by their clothing; traditional African clothing is nowhere near as constrictive as traditional western wear. As a result of this lack of self-consciousness the African people draw heavily on the human body for inspiration in creating their jewelry. This is especially true of women; fertility icons and various other symbols of fertility are created from the unclothed image of the female body. While this may seem shocking to the women of the west, who are taught to view their bodies as something which must be hidden from view, the use of the female body in jewelry as a symbol of love and fertility is becoming more widely accepted.

The world around them also contributes heavily to African inspiration when it comes to designing their jewelry, a trend that is also working its way west as jewelry trends turn from the sedate and Christian to the outrageous and worldly. Suns, moons, stars and animals factor heavily in South African jewelry, drawing the wearer back to the days when the inhabitants of Africa lived beneath the sun with nothing but their wits between themselves and the elements. This jewelry often contains a raw quality despite the skill of its artistry designed to appeal to the heart of the wearer.

Perhaps the most popular of all of the South African jewelry designs, particularly pendants, are those created from ancient tribal symbols. Prior to the advent of the religion of technology African tribes paid homage to the forces of nature. This homage was reflected in the symbols painted by their tribe. Unlike many western designs, African tribal symbols all carry with them a deeper meaning. They were designed to speak to the gods and goddesses, mark an individual with their station in life and grant to the bearer of the symbol various new strengths and abilities not previously possessed. Their exotic nature and possible metaphysical properties are drawing those who wish to step outside the boundaries of their own narrow upbringing to them like a moth to the flame.

When you are looking to be able to buy silver boy and girl pendants sometimes it’s difficult to get the best price when paying retail. Many of us look to finding a wholesale source in hopes of being able to save a little bit of money.  It seems though, that when you are trying to find a supplier of wholesale silver boy and girl pendants that every site on the Internet claims to be a wholesaler. Then you come to find out that the prices are not truly wholesale and the term seems to be a common catch phrase.

There really are true wholesale suppliers out there but there are a few things you may want to check into first before placing your order for wholesale silver boy and girl pendants. Often people are unclear of what a wholesaler really is, or how buying in wholesale works.

Wholesale by definition is someone who has access to a large quantity of goods, generally from the manufacturer, and is able to provide items to those are planning the reselling of them, such as a retail store.   Wholesalers often have a minimum purchase order requirement usually a minimum amount you will have to spend or a set amount of units you’ll have to buy and may require that you provide a tax identification number proving that you are intending to resell your silver boy and girl pendants. If you are looking for a large quantity of the same type item, this may be the way to go, if you’re planning to resell the wholesale silver boy and girl pendants, as the majority of wholesalers work in bulk.  .

There are wholesale suppliers that will allow you to choose your wholesale silver boy and girl pendants individually and by design sometimes for a slightly higher rate, but usually will still have a minimum order requirement. Shopping around for your wholesale silver boy and girl pendants are a good idea, checking into other suppliers could reveal a cheaper minimum order requirement.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a wholesale supplier and depending on the nature of your business, talking to other retailers could be your most valuable tool in locating a quality supplier for your wholesale silver boy and girl pendants. It is hard to judge from a catalog or web site the quality of any product, this can be even more difficult when one is trying to buy fine jewelry. In the world of retail who has the quality products and who does not, spreads like wildfire and by talking to other retailers you could avoid losing a lot of potential money.  Try not to rush into buying wholesale silver boy and girl pendants from just any wholesale supplier because if they’re legitimate and sell a quality product they will be around for a very long time.

Buying your silver boy and girl pendants wholesale, can really save you quite a bit of money in the long run, even if you’re not planning on running out and selling your wares. In the world of retail, a good wholesale supplier could make the difference of being able to continue to keep the doors open or having to close them.

With all of the different styles and varieties of silver gemstone pendants, you could basically have a different jewelry look every day for a year and never have to wear the same silver gemstone pendant twice.

Knowing what to look for can be more of a challenge, especially when you are trying to get the most for your money when shopping for a silver gemstone pendant. The quality of gemstones can vary greatly, but the taking the time to research characteristics and look of the gemstone, will helped to make sure that you know what to look out for, while shopping for a silver gemstone pendant.

In choosing a silver gemstone pendant, one of the first things you need to look at is the color. Sometimes gemstones are enhanced, usually with a dye, to darken the color of the stone. This is fine especially if you’re looking for a certain hue, and are made aware that it is enhanced and you made a conscious choice to purchase it. It is not however acceptable to be told it’s color is natural and then the next day you’re blouse becomes streaked with red stripes.

If you pick up a silver gemstone pendant and the color of the stone is a little bit too perfect and only $6.00, it is best to put it back down. Most natural gemstones have variations, color fluctuations, natural veining within its formation, such as with turquoise. This adds to the unique beauty of the gemstone, but extremely cheap but seemingly perfect gem stones are usually either fakes or enhanced to the point of perfection with the use of plastic resins. By you knowing what a stone is supposed to look like, it’s going to be one of your best defenses in making sure that the gemstone in your silver gemstone necklace is genuine.

Checking on the setting is the next thing you need to do, making sure that the gemstone is not loose within the setting.  Sometimes it takes a bit more than just wiggling the stone in the setting, so by giving it a little shake, you should be able to hear if it’s rattling around in the setting. The last thing you want to do is lose a stone from your beautiful silver gemstone pendant. In most cases the silver will be stamped with the mark somewhere on the back of the pendant, normally with a .925 and is a good indication that your silver gemstone pendant is one of quality.

Higher end quality silver gemstone pendants, with an excellent quality gemstone, can also vary in price, depending on the size, cut, and the weight of the silver or the rarity of the gemstone.  Generally this ensures you that have a silver gemstone pendant of genuine quality and will provide you with many years of enjoyment.

Purchasing a high quality silver gemstone pendant with confidence is easy and relatively pain free. Taking the time to be aware of the market, and by being an informed shopper will make sure that you were happy and satisfied with your purchase.

Since the beginning of time man has chosen his own path to follow when it comes to religion, and he has chosen his way of displaying his religious preferences. In some countries men shave their heads and women cover their faces before they go out into public. Catholic nuns cover themselves from head to toe in order to show their resistance to temptation. In Islam the men are willing to die for the cause of spreading their religion around the world and removing those who would challenge Allah. In Tibet there are men who have devoted their lives to the study and meditation of their religion, cloistering themselves off from the outside world.

For many individuals these methods of expressing their faith are a bit extreme. After all, every day around the world men and women of faith are going through their daily lives just like everyone else. The go to work and school, dress and talk like everyone else, marry, raise a family and eventually die of natural causes, passing on their legacy to their children. This does not mean that these individuals do not believe in the greatness of their god, nor does it mean that they do not walk in the path that he has established. They just do not choose to express their faith in such a dramatic manner.

One way that almost every woman and many men of Christian faith choose to show their beliefs is through their jewelry. Years ago the WWJD bracelet craze swept the nation. Men, women and children with no idea of the intricacies of the Christian religion proudly sported bracelets shouting “What Would Jesus Do?” Prior to that, however, jewelry played a very important part in the expression of belief in Christ. There are many who have faithfully worn their cross or their Christ on the cross pendants every day for years. Many others have laughed at them, asking them why they wear such a thing and why they would want to go around with a dead man hanging around their neck.

The answer is simple. This is their way of expressing their faith. For those unfamiliar with the history of the Christian faith it is said that a babe was born in Bethlehem who was immaculately conceived by the Lord upon the Virgin Mary. This baby was destined to die for the sins of all man on a cross at Calvary so that all man had to do was go before God and ask for forgiveness of their sins in order to be forgiven of their trespasses against God’s law. After their death, the souls of these individuals would go to heaven, a paradise where they will reside for eternity. The wearing of a cross or a Christ on the cross pendant serves to remind those who believe in the Christian faith of the sacrifice that was made for them should they ever decide to stray from the course set for them.

Throughout history men and women have had to find ways to hide various objects on their bodies in order to escape detection.  This could encompass anything from a secret messages during wartime to secret potions guaranteed to make a man or a woman fall in love.  Within these files could be hidden crystals for protection or the ingredients for a card.  The vial has lost neither its appeal nor its mystery in today’s society, and is now making a comeback as a sober accessory item.

Vials today are worn more for aesthetic purposes than practicality. Vials come in all shapes and sizes, from crystals to empty containers, and there is a vial to suit every taste. A vial worn at the throat will immediately garner interest and curiosity, as in the grand spirit of not being able to mind their own business everyone will want to know what is hidden within the vial. This is an excellent way to get a date!

A vial may serve a practical purpose as well, for those who find it necessary.  It may hold epinephrine pills for those who are allergic or special memoirs for those who have had to say goodbye. (Remember the infamous lock of hair given by women of the court to their champions (and vice versa) throughout history? A vial hung at the throat is an infamous location for hiding the lock of hair of a loved one.) Aside from a lock of hair a vial will hold a scroll, a small piece of jewelry, a photo or any other small piece of memorabilia. Since they can be purchased or created in almost any size it is simply a matter of matching the vial with the object you wish for it to hold.

Vials may be worn for metaphysical purposes as well. Vials were particular favorites of witches and powerful sorcerers in the fairy tales for hiding powerful poisons and other ingredients for their charms and spells. A cailleach may give a woman who was having difficultly conceiving a child a vial containing a potion to wear around her neck to ward off the evil spirits of infertility. A man going off to war may carry a crystal vial containing turquoise or obsidian for courage and protection made by his wife. Those who were more superstitious would often wear vials filled with holy water or garlic to ward off the vampires that lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting victims.
Modern day witches will use vials for these same purposes; to keep within them charms for protection for the wearer, or a spell to help them achieve their heart’s desire.

Doubtless the more skeptical would laugh at the possibility of a vail containing magical spells, calling it the nonsense of an old woman (regardless of the age of the giver.) Whether it is believed that the vial special powers or not it is still highly in vogue in the fashion world. They can be gothic or classic, crystal or metal. Whatever the case their appeal is as widespread now as it was in the days of King Arthur.

The use of silver to make jewelry has been around for centuries, and although the silversmith techniques have changed somewhat throughout the years, the attention to quality and detail has not. Sterling silver, at one time was reserved only for those who were wealthy, and few could afford it.

Thankfully, in the modern world Sterling silver has become much more affordable and one does not need to be wealthy in order to have a Sterling silver pendant within their jewelry wardrobe. In today’s market it is relatively easy to choose a quality Sterling silver pendant, if you keep your eyes open to the little details.

Sterling silver is made from silver ore, which is then combined with other metal alloys in order to give silver strength. 100% pure silver ore is very pliable and tends not to remain as it is formed and quickly loses its shape. The most common alloy used is copper and this is added to the silver, as this does not alter the color, but does provide it with the necessary strength to hold its shape, ensuring that your Sterling silver pendant will maintain its designed under normal use.

However, all jewelry that is claiming to be Sterling silver is required to be stamped or have some sort of recognized hallmark. Often it is simply marked. .925 or with a 9.25 and that refers to the minimum amount of pure silver needed in its composition in order to be called Sterling silver.   If the Sterling silver pendant that you are considering, is from another country it may be stamped with a symbol or a company mark and any jeweler can identify it for you if needed.

When you are shopping for a Sterling silver pendant, you will notice that the prices can fluctuate from day to day or from even store-to-store, as silver is considered a precious metal and tends to fluctuate as the market does. Keeping an eye on the average rate of silver in the market, can give you a general idea as for price. However if the price is too low, it usually indicates that either the piece is not genuine or that it may be Silver-plated. Usually if you turn it over and the Sterling silver pendant has a .925 you can be assured that it is genuine.

Keeping your Sterling silver pendant beautiful for many years to come requires very little effort. There are a few precautions that you should take in caring for your Sterling silver
Pendant, the most damaging is exposing it to certain chemicals such as bleach, ammonia, and acetone which can damage it beyond repair.

Using commercial jewelry cleaners should be fine if nothing mentioned above is listed in the ingredients.  Natural oxidation or tarnish often occurs on all silver, which can make your Sterling silver pendant look dull, using a jewelers cloth, sometimes also called a silver cloth, will often removed the tarnish by simply using a gentle rubbing motion. Storing your Sterling silver pendant in a tarnish proof cloth when you will not be wearing it will help protect it from scratching against other pieces and reduce oxidation. Sterling silver pendants are timeless additions to your jewelry collection and are meant to last a lifetime and they will with proper care and storage.

A very popular silver pendant amongst people, who are drawn to the Egyptian mythology, is the silver scarab pendant. Most people don’t know the mythology behind their silver scarab pendant even though the scarab is a prominent symbol in Egyptology.   Having an idea as to where the concept comes from for your silver scarab pendant helps deepen the symbolism and the meaning attached to it.

The ancient Egyptians have long held the scarab as sacred. They believed the scarab was the symbol of a sun god called Khepera, one of the aspects, attributed to this deity, was the ability to transform inert matter into active life. The symbolism associated with the scarab was derived from a dung beetle that lays their eggs within a ball of clay. From within this ball of clay the beetle would hatch and symbolized the creation of new life.  So a silver scarab pendant most often symbolizes creation or life.

The majority of amulets that the Egyptians made were mostly from carved soapstone and then glazed with crushed stones, sand, and gems, these were then worn or carried as a protective amulet. Egyptian style silver scarab pendants may seem like a common form of jewelry today, in ancient Egypt master Smith’s would fashion elaborate neck pieces of silver or gold which often included a scarab in its motif which were worn not only for adornment but for protection, in both this life and in the afterlife, as well.

Many of the silver scarab pendants that are on the market are imported directly from Egypt. The majority of silver scarab pendants are crafted using the casting method, which silver is turned to liquid under high heat and poured into a mold. And although they can make several at a time, each silver scarab pendant still needs to be finished by hand.

In the United States we are used to the standard of our fine silver being about 90% silver and 10% metal alloy, usually copper, to increase the silver’s strength. Egyptian silver is generally 80% silver and 20% metal alloy. Generally if it comes from Egypt it is not considered to be fine sterling silver. Although in Egypt the 80/20 mixture is considered to be fine silver by their standards.

This is something to keep in mind when you are purchasing a silver scarab pendant and is not meant to deter you if you choose to purchase your silver scarab pendant made from Egyptian silver, and this is for informational purposes only. You should be aware that because Egyptian silver is made with a 20 % metal alloy, you may notice that your piece will need more frequent cleanings to keep your silver scarab pendant looking like new.

Normally, if they are crafted and stamped on the back, they are domestically crafted and your silver scarab pendant will in general need the same amount of care as any other pieces of silver jewelry may need. With either domestic or foreign silver, caring for your piece is generally the same.

Using a soft jewelers cloth and a bit of polish, you would clean your silver scarab pendant with a gentle circular motion. Although nowadays they have silver polishing cloths that do not need silver polish in order to remove any tarnish that may have accumulated on your silver scarab pendant.

Imagine if you will for a moment in the gloom and doom that generally accompany a winter day spent at home.  The sky is gray.  The ground, covered with snow, has lost its luster and is also gray.  Everyone around is lamenting the snow, and their moods are gray.  All in all, winter can be a very gray, dull time.  So how can you spice up your mood and propel your way through winter with a smile?

Now imagine for a moment that it was summertime all year-round.  The birds in the trees.  The flowers blooming bright.  The waves crashing on the beach as you dance barefoot through the sand in the moonlight. While there is no way that you can be certain to make the sun’s hot rays shine all year round you can carry a reminder of those precious hours of freedom spent enjoying the heat and the atmosphere of the beach with you all throughout the winter with a silver sandal pendant.

Imagine walking around through the whole of the winter with a flip-flop hanging from a rope around your neck. Probably not the fashion statement you were going for in order to impress your boss, right? (If it was, make sure that you never quit that job. You will never find a boss that cool again.) Even though a flip-flop or a sandal immediately brings back all of the happy feelings you had when you were enjoying fun in the sun throughout the months of July and August it is generally considered rather tacky to carry a shoe around with you any place other than on your foot. Modern jewelers have changed this. They have created the type of sandal that was designed to be worn around your neck, so that when you find yourself stuck in the middle of the winter doldrums with no chance of escape you can touch your necklace, turn your thoughts inward and find the strength to get through until this hideous season is over and you can once again find happiness in the simple things in life; a smooth seashell, a colorful fish or that summer tan that will make you look and feel as though you just spent a holiday in the Bahamas.

Be careful! Wearing a sandal pendant does not mean that you are pining away for summer (even though you probably are), nor does it only represent the fact that you have an “X” slashed through each day and the little Christmas countdown clock counting down the days until Memorial Day when the pool opens up. Wearing a sandal pendant says a lot about your personality. It says, “I will not be a slave to conventional fashion. I will go my own way. I will find satisfaction in every aspect of my appearance, right down to something as small as my necklace” and, perhaps most importantly, a sandal pendant declares to the entire rest of the world slogging through dreary winter weather, “You can take the girl out of the beach but you can’t take the beach out of the girl.”

When “Jaws” first swept the nation the demand for shark’s teeth pendants soared out of control. Everyone wanted to feel as though they could carry with themselves the power of the shark. This may seem to be a ridiculous notion to those who believe that a tooth is simply a tooth when taken away from the giant, muscular mouth that it belongs to. It has long been rumored, however, that the teeth of a shark carry with them a great power of protection for those who are fortunate enough to wear them. It is perhaps believed that in some ways the strength and the spirit of the shark live on in these small remnants.

Every is familiar with the deadly potential of the great white shark, as well as any of the millions of sharks swimming around in the sea. The power of the South Dakotan prairie shark, however, is not as widely known. There are probably about a million people who would see that sentence and immediately reach for the Encyclopedia Brittanica to learn all that they could about the prairie sharks from the midwestern United States. There are no prairie sharks. Rumors of sand sharks have abounded from the Middle East, but the rolling plains of South Dakota boast no such creature. Why, then, are shark’s teeth so associated with this landlocked state?

It was believed that during the age of the dinosaurs there was a great seaway that spread across the United States, connecting the oceans and allowing various marine vertebrates to find their way across the country. This accounts for many of the strange fossil findings that scientists have located in these areas. It should seem impossible to find the fossil of an animal that was quite obviously a member of the marine community in a part of the country that was no where near a body of water large enough for these creatures to survive, yet across the midwest and up into Canada that is precisely what is occurring. It is believed that this body of water followed a path up through the Gulf of Mexico that spread across the midwestern United States up through Canada to the Arctic Ocean, bisecting the United States almost completely in half. It was through this passageway that these creatures were believed to have traveled.

During the late Cretaceous period it is believed that South Dakota was completely covered by water. The fossil findings by scientists who are excavating throughout the state appear to support this theory. There have been findings of the fossils of many large marine animals who are believed to have survived during this period buried in the hard ground beneath the plains This includes those that were believe to be the ancestors of the modern day shark; many fossilized teeth have been recovered, and it is these teeth that are being either forged or sold by merchants of South Dakota.

While the prairie shark does not really exist, there do appear to be some forms of marine life that were able to survive on what became the plains of South Dakota. It is because of this that the state was given a claim to fame as a distributor of shark teeth pendants.

Mother of pearl, also called nacre, is an iridescent layer of material, which forms in the shell lining of many mollusks. Mollusks create mother of pearl lining, in order to protect themselves and insulate them from getting a bacterial infection.  Mother of pearl is most commonly taken from the pearly lining inside of oysters and abalone. Many early cultures used mother of pearl extensively in jewelry and it became highly prized due to its iridescent quality and was often seen as a sign of wealth in some cultures.  From the modern women’s point of view, having a unique mother of pearl silver pendant provides an elegant alternative or addition to traditional pearls.

Mother of pearl silver pendants are often crafted by taking the first few iridescent layers that are inside the mollusk, these are then cut and sanded into the desired shape needed for the silver setting. Often the jeweler will use a bit of jewelers cement in the base of the setting to secure the mother of pearl before closing the setting. Mother of pearl is a fairly soft material and on the Mohs hardness scale it is only rated at a 3.5.   This makes it relatively easy to cut and carve, but it also makes it rather delicate and care should be taken not to wear away its iridescent layer, as it could cause your mother of pearl silver pendant to lose its luster.

While shopping for your mother of pearl silver pendant, you will notice that there is a wide selection of colors and hue’s to choose from, colors range from a natural white, cream and varying shades of brown. Sometimes mother of pearl is either bleached and/or dyed various colors in order to enhance the iridescent qualities present.

When you are shopping for mother of pearl silver pendants, it is a good idea to check and make sure that the mother of pearl inlay is snug within the setting. Check for gaps between the mother of pearl and the silver and avoid those that do have a gap. If a setting is too loose you will risk losing the mother of pearl from its setting. All mother of pearl silver pendants will have a silver hallmark stamped usually on the back of piece, the most common is a .925 mark.

Counterfeit mother of pearl is not common but does happen. Plastic or a combination of plastic and mother of pearl has been used, and usually the price is a good indicator. Counterfeit mother of pearl also does not reflect light as well as genuine mother of pearl and will tend to look dull.

When you have chosen your mother of pearl silver pendant, it is important to take some steps to ensure your piece will last a lifetime. Storing your mother of pearl silver pendant away from other jewelry will ensure that it will not be scratched and wear away the delicate luminous layers. You may want to keep it in a separate compartment of your jewelry box or wrapped in a pouch to provide some protection.

To clean your mother of pearl silver pendant, using a soft Jewelers cloth should remove any tarnish but never submerge the piece into jewelry cleaner, as this can dissolve the cement used in the setting. A trip to the jeweler to have it professionally cleaned once a year is a good idea because at that time, the jeweler will also check the setting.

High quality Mother of pearl silver pendants, will give you many years of joy and beauty with minimal care and will be a welcome addition to any jewelry wardrobe.