Skip to main content
Adjust Text Size:

What's stunning and stylish? These Artisan Silver by Samuel B. drop earrings, of course! Featuring vibrant 11x9mm ammolite gemstones, these lovely drops are sure to complement any outfit you choose to pair them with. You'll love how the 1.25" drops look as they frame your face in classy Samuel B. style. They allow for easy, comfortable wear with French hooks. Crafted in sterling silver with an oxidized finish for added dimension, this darling duo is sure to become go-to favorites in your collection.

Artisan Jewelry by renowned designer Samuel Behnam is comprised of designs inspired by nature, history and art from around the world. Many designs feature lavishly detailed hand-engraving, carvings and settings, and glow with 18K gold accents, quality gemstones and diamonds.

Details

  • Material Content: Sterling Silver
  • Finish: Oxidized
  • Total Gram Wt: 6.8g
  • Stone Information: Ammolite: 2 / Oval Shape / Cabochon Cut / 11x9mm
  • Length: 1 1/4in.
  • Width: 1/2in.
  • Height: 3/16in.
  • Back Type: French Hook
  • Country of Origin: Indonesia

All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. View Gemstone Enhancements and Special Care Requirements for important information.

Product Disclaimer

SterlingSilver    Ammolite    Drops    

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver, also called fine silver, is a beautifully lustrous cool-toned precious metal favored in fine jewelry among other products. The most reflective of all metals (excluding mercury), sterling silver looks stunning by itself and brings out the best hues in an array of colorful gemstones.

Sterling silver can be polished to a higher sheen than platinum. In fact, Ag, the chemical symbol for silver, comes from a word that means “white and shining.” The surface of silver can boast that shiny, polished appearance, or can be brushed, satin, matte, sandblasted, antiqued or oxidized (chemically blackened).

In order to be called sterling silver, a metal must be made up of a minimum of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloy (meaning other metals), including but not limited to copper and nickel. The alloy is added to pure silver to make the metal more durable, tougher and harder. Sterling silver is designated a fineness of “925.” Pieces with sterling silver may be marked “sterling.”

Finishes on Sterling Silver
Finishing, or plating, is a common treatment with sterling silver. Popular types of plating are rhodium plating, gold plating and anti-tarnish plating. Plating is used to extend the life and sheen of the jewelry. After sizing or buffing a piece of jewelry with a machine, it must be re-plated to restore the finish.

  • Rhodium Plating: Rhodium plating is a complex and laborious process that enhances the luster and beauty and extends the life of silver. A member of the platinum metal group, rhodium is often used as a finishing touch on silver jewelry. It's a shiny silvery metal with a very white and reflective appearance, much like mercury. It's also very hard, so it withstands much wear and tear, resists natural tarnishing and wonderfully mimics the brilliant finish of freshly polished silver.

    Caring for Sterling Silver
    Sterling silver becomes tarnished as the result of a natural chemical process that occurs when sterling silver is exposed to chemicals in the air, rubber, wool and latex. Humidity also plays a role in accelerating tarnishing. It's easy to keep your sterling silver sparkling, though, by taking a few steps to prevent tarnish and other wear and tear.

  • Avoid exposing sterling silver to direct sunlight and harsh chemicals, including chlorine, ammonia, hair products, perfumes, cosmetics, perspiration and strong jewelry cleaning solutions.
  • Periodically wash sterling silver with mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse well and dry completely with a soft cloth before storing because moisture can cause tarnish.
  • Lightly polish sterling silver frequently with a soft silver-polishing cloth, avoiding abrasive cloths completely.
  • Tarnish is easy to remove when it first forms as a yellowish tint, but becomes more difficult to remove when it becomes brown and black. Remove tarnish with a silver polish cream, avoiding immersing pieces with gemstones in tarnish-removal solutions.
  • Minimize scratches on sterling silver by storing it in its own compartment in your jewelry box or in a cloth pouch. Sterling silver may also be stored in sealed polyethylene bags.

    ,strong>Ammolite
    "Ammolite" is the name for a type of fossilized mother-of-pearl, not be confused with "ammonite", which is the sea creature that lived in the shell.

    Ammonites were squid-like creatures that swam the seas more than 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. Their shells were constructed into a unique series of air chambers that allowed them to float and move through the water using jet propulsion. Today, these complex chamber walls appear as intricate patterns in the fossils. Ammonites were abundant in all the oceans until they became extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs.

    Because each gemstone is a fossil, ammolite is regarded as one of the rarest gems on earth. The preserved mother-of-pearl went through a mysterious geological and mineralization transformation, giving it light refracting characteristics that qualify it today as a precious gem. Ammolite is capable of splitting sunlight into every color imaginable, a fact that illuminates why the stone came to be known as the "Seven Color Prosperity Stone" by Feng Shui masters. Each color in ammolite represents a different layer of the gem material. So, depending on the number of fine layers in the rough, everything from one color to the full visible spectrum will be displayed. The cracking results in a mosaic appearance, sometimes described as "dragon skin" or a stained glass window pattern.

    Ammolite is only found in the Bearpaw formation that extends from Alberta to Saskatchewan in Canada and to Montana in the United States. Those found in and around Alberta display the most vivid colors. Ranking 5-7 on the Mohs Scale, pricing is based on size, shape, number of colors present, brightness of those colors, and overall appearance. Each ammolite is unique and the rarest stones show three or more colors.

    In 1908, a member of the National Geological Survey team found fossils of ammonite along the St. Mary's River in Alberta. It was not until 1981 that enough high-quality ammolite was discovered to make mining commercially viable. The International Commission of Colored Gemstones officially recognized it as a gemstone at that time.

    Ammolite is classified as a "biogenic" gemstone, a distinction also shared with pearls, coral and amber. It refers to the process of its origin, being biological versus geological. Ammolite is commonly impregnated with a colorless hardened substance to increase stability. It has been compared to opal in that it can either be spinel-capped or a natural doublet. The spinel-capped version is very similar to the opal triplet, while the natural doublet is similar to an opal doublet.

    The stone was named for Ammon, the ancient Egyptian god of life and reproduction, because the shell of the ammonite was similar in appearance to the ram-headed deity's horns. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder regarded ammolite as the holiest of stones because it was said to evoke prophetic dreams. The Blackfoot Tribe of North America came to know ammolite as the "buffalo stone", as it signified abundance, aided in the buffalo hunt and played a key role in their traditional culture and magic. Within the Chinese practice of Feng Shui, some believe ammolite gives the owner health, wealth and enlightenment. Ammolite was designated as the official gemstone in Alberta, Canada in 2004.

    Earring Back Types


    The backing is an important part of an earring, providing a secure closure and comfortable fit. Keep in mind, some earring styles work better with certain back types. Experiment with the different types to find the best fit for you!

    Butterfly Back: A double looped piece resembling a butterfly that fits over a post. Variations on this design are called push back clasps. The basic post and butterfly back are usually used for stud earrings and lighter weight drop earrings.

    Hinged Snap Backs: This clasp features a hinged post that snaps into a groove on the back of the earring. It is commonly found on hoops. Sometimes the hinged post is curved to provide more room to fit around the ear, sometimes called a saddleback.

    Hook Backs: This earring backing is simply a long, bent post that fits through the piercing. Hooks have several variations, most notably the shepherd's hook and the French hook. While thin wire hooks reduce the weight of long earrings, making them more comfortable, they aren't as secure as other clasp styles.

    Lever Back: A hinged lever snaps shut against the curved post to form a closed loop around the ear lobe. This clasp is very secure and good for large or medium sized styles that drop just below the ear.

    Omega: Also called French clips, this clasp has a straight post and a looped lever. The hinged lever closes around the post and is held against the ear with pressure. The omega clasp is the most secure clasp, especially for the larger, heavier earrings.

    Screw back: This backing is a slight variation of the standard post and butterfly nut back. Instead of pushing on the back, the nut twists onto the threaded post. A screw back post design is often preferred for expensive diamond stud earrings that require increased security.