Joie de Vivre jewelry

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b l u e   s k i e s 

One of the benefits of low humidity is intense brightly blue skies, so it's fitting that the turquoise featured in this necklace is from the Castle Dome mine near Miami, Arizona. Like many Arizonan mines, Castle Dome was first a copper mine that is now used for turquoise. It's still operational under an individual leasing rights to the turquoise, and Castle Dome turquoise remains popular for its vivid blue and blue green color. The bright blue in these beads is natural, and the beads have been stabilized to improve their hardness. Stabilization is a process of injecting resin under heat and pressure to turquoise, which is generally too soft and crumbly in its natural state (Moh's hardness of 2-3) to survive normal wear and tear as jewelry. Prices for turquoise, particularly from the American southwest and northern Mexico, have increased steadily; it's not possible today to buy these stones for the relatively inexpensive price I paid years ago.

For bold color, try the "Brillant Blue Skies" combination: add the Brilliant necklace

Cost: $141.00 USD

m a k e   i t   a   g i f t   s h i p m e n t :

Looking to ship this item separately as a gift? Gift shipment includes gift boxing and an occasion specific card sent to the recipient via USPS Priority Mail. Fill out the fields below including this jewelry item name, the recipient name and address, and occasion and this item will be sent to the recipient with a card and note. See the gift box section for samples of shipments with different occasion specific cards.

Cost of gift shipment (domestic shipping only): $5.95 USD

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c a t e g o r i e s :

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M a t e r i a l s  &  C a r e 

Length: necklace - 18"

Materials:

  • Castle Dome turquoise
  • sterling silver beads
  • sterling silver toggle clasp
  • Soft Flex 0.019" moderate duty nylon coated stainless steel cord

Care & cleaning: Beading cord may be kinked or broken through hard jerks or severed through prolonged exposure to rough or sharp edges; store necklace flat when not in use to prevent stretching or kinking cord. Clean with warm soapy water and avoid chemical or abrasive cleaners. Use a soft jewelry polishing cloth to clean tarnish appearing on silver.

Although the beads have been stabilized for hardness, they are still softer and more suspectible to damage than crystalline stones. The beading thread is a stainless steel base cord and can withstand a fair amount of tugging. As with all beaded jewelry: do not let young toddlers chew on it.

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W h a t  t o  W e a r 

The mid-length of the necklace accommodates many necklines (boatnecks, crew necks, V-necks), and the boldness of color will definitely make this necklace a statement piece. Turquoise blue pairs well with a variety of colors, from pale yellows to vivid magenta to bold greens. This is evident with the Brilliant necklace in the necklace-pairing Tasting Menu categories; see the bold zinfandels!