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Open your jewelry collection to new possibilities! Sitting boldly in the center of this pendant is a circle of alexandrite, set in black color accent plating. Crafted in 18K yellow gold embraced™ sterling silver and palladium, the open circle with detailing and white zircon accents surrounding the centerpiece looks stunning. You can utilize the 18" chain with a two-inch extender to adjust it to your neckline. Add this open circle pendant to your outfit for a look that's sure to turn heads!

Pendant Details

  • Metal: 18K yellow gold embraced™ sterling silver and palladium with black color accent plating
  • Stone Information:
  • Alexandrite: 22 round modified-brilliant cut 1.75-2.25mm
  • White Zircon: Three round modified-brilliant cut 1.75-2mm
  • Setting Type: Prong
  • Approximate Total Weight:
  • Alexandrite: 0.80ct
  • White Zircon: 0.10ct
  • Measurements:
  • Pendant: 1-1/16"L x 5/8"W x 3/16"H
  • Chain: 18"L + 2" extender
  • Chain Type: Cable Link
  • Clasp: Lobster
  • Country of Origin: India (pendant) & China (chain)

Please Note: Pendant CAN be removed from the chain.

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.

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.

    Alexandrite
    One of the most fascinating gemstones throughout history is alexandrite. With a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs Scale, it is a type of chrysoberyl that appears to be different colors, depending on whether it is viewed in natural or artificial light. Alexandrite appears to be red when seen in incandescent light, while appearing blue to green when seen in fluorescent light or daylight. The more dramatic and complete the shift from red to green, without the bleeding of brown from one color to the next, the more rare and valuable the stone.

    Alexandrite has a distinguished and glamorous past. In 1830, it was discovered in an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains of Czarist Russia. Since the stone reflected the old Russian imperial colors of red and green, it was named in honor of Czar Alexander II on his birthday and supposedly brought good luck.

    As it was well-loved by the Russian master jewelers, alexandrite can be found in jewels of the period. Master gemologist George Kunz of Tiffany was a fan of the stone and the company produced many rings featuring fine alexandrite in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some Victorian jewelry from England features sets of small alexandrite, as well.

    Alexandrite is extremely rare in fine qualities. The original source in Russia's Ural Mountains has long since closed after producing for only a few decades, and only a few stones can be found on the market today. Alexandrite with a certificate of Russian origin is still particularly valued in the trade. Some alexandrite is found in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Brazil, but very little shows a dramatic color change.

    For many years, alexandrite was almost impossible to find because there was so little available. Then in 1987, a new find of alexandrite was made in Brazil at a locality called Hematita. The Hematita alexandrite shows a striking and attractive color change from raspberry red to bluish green. Although alexandrite remains extremely rare and expensive, the production of a limited amount of new material means a new generation of jewelers and collectors has been exposed to this beautiful gemstone, creating an upsurge in popularity and demand. It is now even celebrated as the traditional 55th wedding anniversary stone. But because of the rarity of this gemstone, large sizes command very high premiums.

    Palladium:
    A selection of our jewelry is made of sterling palladium alloy. Palladium is a member of the platinum group of precious metals. By replacing a portion of the copper content used in standard sterling silver with palladium, this proprietary formula renders a precious metal with superior performance attributes. Sterling palladium is five times more tarnish-resistant than standard sterling silver and has strength similar to that of 14K gold.

    Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, originally as an alternative to platinum for making white gold. Its naturally white color requires no rhodium plating. Additionally, palladium is proportionally much lighter than platinum and is ideal for use in heavier gemstone jewelry. It is a more expensive alloy than nickel, but it seldom causes the allergic reactions that nickel alloy can.

    To care for your plated jewelry items:

  • Remove jewelry before bathing, swimming, washing hands, putting on make-up, lotions, perfumes, and/or working with household chemicals, cleaners, or acidic liquids.
  • Do not clean plated jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner or in silver cleaning solutions, as it could completely remove the plating finish from your item.
  • Ensure your jewelry item is thoroughly dry before storing. Moisture in an enclosed space can increase tarnishing.
  • Store your plated jewelry in a jewelry box lined with felt or anti-tarnish material. Items should not be stacked as this may cause damage to the plating surface.
  • Do not use excessive pressure when cleaning with a polishing cloth or soft brush, as this may cause damage to the plating.
  • Over time your plated items will need to be re-plated. Contact your local jeweler for information on plating services.