Larimar
This beautiful blue stone is unique to the Dominican Republic. The story goes that a young girl walking with her father, Miguel, discovered Larimar in 1974 on a beach at the foot of the Bahoruco Mountain Range. Miguel took his daughter's name, Larissa, and the Spanish word for sea (mar) and formed the name Larimar, to suggest the colours of the Caribbean Sea where it was found, as well as a tribute to his eagle-eyed daughter!
Garnet
From the east African country of Mozambique, this garnet has a warm, deep red that is similar to that of a ruby, and is often mistaken for one to the untrained eye! A good cut accentuates the gem's beauty, as seen in this faceted example. Used in adornment for over 5,000 years, Garnets were popular in ancient Egypt from around 3100 BC, being used as beads in necklaces as well as inlaid jewellery (gems set into a surface in a decorative pattern). Garnet’s many myths frequently portray it as a symbol of light, faith, truth, chivalry, loyalty and honesty.
Zircon
Zircon is one of the oldest minerals on earth. This natural gem has an intense fire which gives it real sparkle, rivalling that of diamond! A September birthstone, Zircon is said to have an intense spiritual energy. Zircon can come in many natural colours, and should not be confused with Cubic Zirconia - which is in fact a lab-formed (synthetic) gemstone.
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.
