Turquoise, Herkimer 'Diamond' & Pearl Sterling Silver Earrings

Turquoise

All of our turquoise is stabilised unless otherwise stated in the main listing (jewellery listed as Persian have NOT had any treatments). Stones that are naturally very soft or porous tend to be stabilised for jewellery. Modern methods of stabilisation involve injecting epoxy resin into the stone in a high pressure oven, which seals all the cracks and pores. It also stops the gem from changing over time - people who wear non-stabilised Turquoise often complain about their stone darkening and going green over time (this is due to natural body oils reacting with the minerals, causing the colour to change.) Some stabilised stones are chemically dyed at the same time, however colour enhancements are never made by Two Skies, which is in line with gem industry standards - you can be assured the colours displayed in our stones are 100% natural.

Herkimer Diamonds

Herkimer quartz "diamonds" are rare, naturally formed and faceted crystals of exceptional clarity, originally discovered in Herkimer county, upstate New York - hence the name! They are named after diamonds not only because of their sparkling clarity, but the naturally formed double termination (pointed ends) and 18 sided facet. Like diamonds, they are extremely rare and difficult to find! Our current stock of Herks were mined at a new location in Afghanistan. Although not from Herkimer, New York, these “diamonds” display the same unique double terminated formation and same beautiful clarity. They are also known in the jewellery trade as “Afghan Herks”. Some Herkimers may have subtle, natural inclusions, such as water or plant inclusions which are extremely rare and demonstrate the stone's natural formation. Stones of attunement, they are said to relieve tensions and heal addictions.

Pearl

The birthstone for June. Along with amber and jet, pearl is an 'organic gem', meaning that it's not simply a mineral material but has been created from or by a living organism. When a mollusk gets sand or another foreign body stuck inside its shell, it soothes the irritation by coating the speck with layer upon layer of iridescent nacre - this is how pearls, of various shapes, sizes and colours, are formed. Because of these origins they are considered gems of nurturing, nourishment and healing.

Sterling Silver

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.