Peridot
Peridot is August's birthstone. This gem has been mined for thousands of years, is mentioned in the bible, and was apparently a favourite of Cleopatra's! Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one colour: an olive-green. The intensity and tint of the green, however, depends on the percentage of iron that is contained in the crystal structure, so the colour of individual peridot gems can vary from yellow, to olive, to brownish-green. Peridot is considered a very joyful, warm, friendly stone that can ease anger and jealousy, as well as encouraging open-heartedness.
Sterling Silver (925%)
Why do silversmiths use 925%? Measured in parts per thousand, pure silver (999%) is too soft so silversmiths mix it with other metals to make it it harder. The purer the metal, the higher the polish, but it is a lot softer (thus less durable). The harder the metal is, the more hard wearing the jewellery is, but it will also tarnish easier as it has less silver content. Therefore, the silver industry set a standard percentage content for fine silver (925); what we know as "sterling silver". At Two Skies our silversmiths use 925 (sterling) silver for ring shafts and moving parts, and a very high 950% on our stones settings, which enables us to get a strong jewellery item with a beautiful and secure stone setting, without any gluing. Each piece of our jewellery is hand stamped with our Two Skies Hallmark alongside the recognised industry 925 Hallmark.
