Toscana Italiana 18K Gold Plated Blue Tiger's Eye & Black Spinel Earrings

Tiger's Eye:
Tiger’s eye received its name because it has rich yellow and golden brown bands resembling an eye of a tiger. The stone is a common form of brown quartz that has parallel stripes and lustrous colors. It comes in various, luminous shades of light or dark brown due to iron oxides. Tiger’s eye has the property of chatoyancy, meaning that when cut into a cabochon, it can shine with only a small ray of light on its surface, much like the eyes of a cat.

Also called crocidolite cat’s-eye or African cat’s-eye, the gem has a hardness of 7.0 on the Mohs Scale. Its most important deposit is in South Africa, though it is also found in western Australia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), India and California. Tiger’s eye has recently become a modern anniversary gemstone for the 9 th year of marriage.

Roman soldiers wore tiger’s eye for protection in battle and the stone is said to enhance courage and bring physical strength. Tiger’s eye is also believed to offer protection during travel and dispel negative energies. The gem is said to strengthen confidence, willpower and convictions, which in turn help people to accomplish goals, increase wealth and achieve a joyful outlook. Tiger’s eye is thought to help people recognize their inner power, leading them to attain their dreams and bring passion and vitality to their lives.

Perhaps tiger’s eye’s greatest folklore is that it is believed to promote mental clarity and balance. The gem is said to focus the mind and teach people to see with the eye of the tiger, clearly and without illusion. It is believed that tiger’s eye’s soothing vibrations can generate a calming effect that diminishes unclear thinking. The stone’s subtle energies are thought to bring order, stability and discipline to life. Tiger’s eye is closely attuned to Earth energies, but its yellow highlights are linked to the sun. Because it is believed to be a bridge between Earth and sky, it is considered a tool for balance between the physical and the spiritual. As a link between Father Sky and Mother Earth, the stone’s influence is thought to be one of harmony between yin and yang.

Spinel:
The great imposter of gemstone history, many famous rubies have been found to actually be spinels. Perhaps the most famous of which is the Black Prince’s Ruby. Once worn by Henry V on his battle helmet, this 170.00ct red spinel is now set in the British Imperial State Crown. Another famous misidentification is the Timur Ruby, a 352.00ct red spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth. This particular stone is engraved with the names of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it.

History is unclear whether these mistaken identities were merely accidents or clever substitutions of rubies for the less valuable spinels by dishonest jewelers. In Burma, spinel was recognized as a separate gem species in 1587, but the masquerade lasted for hundreds of years after that in most other countries.

Spinel carries a considerable amount of worth not only based on its history, but due to its brilliance and wide range of spectacular colors. When interpreted by the Greek, the word “spinel” means “spark” in reference to its beautiful sparkle. While a rich red is the most common color, spinel can be found in shades of pink, purple, green, brown or black. An exceptional color from Burma is a vivid hot pink with an orange undertone. Spinel can also come in a beautiful blue hue, sometimes called cobalt spinel, but this color is quite rare.

The main obstacle holding back greater recognition for spinel is rarity. Fine spinels are now more rare than the rubies they used to imitate. Strangely, however, they are also more affordable, since too rare can be a drawback because such few people have the opportunity to grow to love them. The most beautiful colors of the stone are mined in Myanmar (formerly Burma), but spinels are also found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Russia. They have a hardness of 7.5-8.0 on the Mohs Scale and are traditionally given as a 22nd wedding anniversary gift.

Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.

The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.

Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.

To care for your plated jewelry items: