What counsel has the hooded moon
Put in thy heart, my shyly sweet,
Of Love in ancient plenilune,
Glory and stars beneath his feet
A sage that is but kith and kin
With the comedian Capuchin?

Believe me rather that am wise
In disregard of the divine,
A glory kindles in those eyes
Trembles to starlight. Mine, O Mine!
No more be tears in moon or mist
For thee, sweet sentimentalist.

-James Joyce

Pearl

Those born in June are sociable, humourous, and talkative. Born under the zodiac Gemini, June borns often exhibit childlike traits and are cheerful, restless, and full of life. They are very intelligent and are extremely inquisitive in nature. And just as a child is both soothed and intrigued by the silvery hues of the moon, the moon like pearl and moonstone are the birthstones of these candid, trusting individuals.

Pearl Necklace with Emerald Bead

According to South Asian mythology, pearls were dewdrops from heaven that fell into the sea, caught by shellfish under the first rays of the rising sun, during a period of full moon. A tale of childlike innocence, wonder, and magic for the childlike June born!

Unlike most gemstones of mineral origin that are found within the Earth, pearls have an organic origin. Pearls are made mostly of aragonite, a relatively soft carbonate mineral (CaCO3) that also makes up the shells of mollusks. They are created inside the shells of certain species of oysters and clams when an irritant such as a very small fragment of rock, a sand grain, or a parasite enters the mollusk’s shell. It irritates the oyster or clam, much like a dust particle would irritate our eyes, and the mollusk responds by coating the foreign material with layer upon layer of shell material. Pearls formed on the inside of the shell are usually irregular in shape and have little commercial value. However, those formed within the tissue of the mollusk are either spherical or pear-shaped, and are in high demand for jewellery. Many pearls today are cultured in oyster farms that sustain a thriving pearl industry.

Pearls possess a uniquely delicate translucence and luster that place them among the most highly valued of gemstones. The colour of the pearl depends on the species of mollusk that produced it, and its environment. White is perhaps the best-known and most common colour. However, pearls also come in delicate shades of black, cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender, green, and mauve. Black pearls can be found in the Gulf of Mexico and waters off some islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka are well-known for exquisite cream-coloured pearls called Orientals. The journey a pearl goes through to create a piece of jewellery is a miraculous event. Gemstones must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty, but pearls need no such treatment to reveal their loveliness.

Elegant Black Pearl String Necklace

925 Sterling Silver Jhumka Earrings

Pearls were used in medicine as early as 2000 BC in China, where they were believed to represent wealth, power, and longevity. In Europe, pearls were used in medicine till as recently as the 17th century. Arabs and Persians believed it was a cure for various kinds of diseases, including insanity. Even to this day, lowest-grade pearls are ground for use as medicine in Asia. In India, warriors encrusted their swords with pearls to symbolize the tears and sorrow that a sword brings. According to Vedic Astrology, Moon reflects the human mind and has a profound impact on our thinking. Pearls maintain the stability of the mind and improve confidence.

Moonstone

June’s second birthstone is the moonstone. This gemstone belongs to the family of minerals called feldspars, an important group of silicate minerals commonly formed in rocks. Feldspar occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks. Feldspars of gem quality are aluminosilicates (minerals containing aluminum, silicon and oxygen), that are mixed with sodium and potassium. The best moonstones are from Sri Lanka. They are also found in the Alps, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), and India.

Moonstones are believed to be named for the bluish white spots within them, that when held up to light project a silvery play of colour much like moonlight. When the stone is moved back and forth, the brilliant silvery rays appear to move about, like moonbeams playing over water.

The ancient Romans believed that the moonstone changed in appearance with the phases of the moon, a belief that persisted until the sixteenth century. They also believed that the image of Diana, Goddess of the moon, was enclosed within the stone. Moonstones were believed to have the power to bring victory, health, and wisdom to those who wore it.

In India, the moonstone is considered a sacred stone and is often displayed on a yellow cloth – yellow being considered a sacred colour. The stone is believed to bring good fortune, aided by a spirit that lives within the stone. Moonstone helps to soothe and balance emotions. It assists in achieving a balance between heart and mind effectively.

In the Eastern cultures, Moonstone was also the gemstone of LOVE. They believed that wearing or carrying a moonstone would bring new love. Moonstone fosters happiness, gracefulness, good fortune, hope, spiritual insight, easy childbirth, safe travel on water, new beginnings, abundance, and ancient wisdom.

Moonstone & Blue Sapphire 18K Stud Earrings

If you are a June born and would like to own a piece of the moon in exquisite jewellery, visit us at Gehna and talk to our design team on the fascinating ways you can wear pearls and moonstones. Customize your own unique masterpiece by highlighting the subtle luster of these gemstones with the occasional sparkle of the extremely well paired diamonds. And if you are not one born under the dreamy sheen of the moon, maybe we have tempted you enough to own some moonbeam anyway?

If you enjoyed reading our article on pearls, you might also be interested to have a look at our ‘Evergreen Emeralds’ article.

View our Pearl Jewellery Collection: Pearl Jewellery | Pearl Earrings | Pearl Jhumki | Pearl Pendants | Pearl Hook Earrings

The post The Gem Gossip- Pearl and Moonstone! appeared first on Gehna Blog.

People who own or are caretakers of ancient jewelry might have ill looked after pieces in their possession. Modernity has opened new avenues for such people to find repair and restoration sources online. Sooner or later, though, the antique jewelry in question has to land at an actual location where work can begin to restore it to its former glory. Here’s how the process goes…

Assessment & Analysis

The analysis stage is number one and very important. It’s where the jewelry piece is assessed on multiple levels and from diverse angles. The professional sits to figure out all the broken and blemished spots, the areas where stress has been bad to the piece and how best to restore the whole thing and keep it looking its best. There are plenty of variables for the crafter to consider.
Restoration is quite different from conservation. The latter has to do with preservation of ancient and anthropological/archaeological jewelry. This is best seen in museums where the pieces remain as they are, in secure settings. The former, namely restoration, has to do with jewelry you plan to use on a daily basis or for special occasions.
In most cases, an eye for history is paramount. The crafter has to find ways to maintain the jewelry’s old look while restoring it into something that’s beautiful to look at. They aren’t aiming to remodel, they’re seeking to restore.
The assessment period therefore studies the jewelry and finds the areas most at fault and how much damage has been done to the piece.

The Work

Judging if there are any stones missing, adding what was once present but now lost and so on all take place in this phase. Most of restoration involves making right any shoddy repair work that was once done to the jewelry piece. There’s a lot of risk involved in this process, so a little detour into risk analysis is also called for.
Even in the case of family heirlooms, the restorer has a lot of risks to balance out. They have to keep the old look and design while rendering it strong and secure by modern standards. There are several different approaches to make sure of this step, so don’t expect the crafter to stick to one particular rule or technique.

What To Avoid

1. Do not – repeat, do not – use glue to fix antique jewelry. Some people assume that because the piece is old it will sit well with any substance, even modern-day glue. It won’t. The chemicals will affect the patina and other elements in your piece and it will show only much later
2. Most ancient jewelry pieces are made of gold. Using lead solder instead of gold itself to hold the piece together is a bad long term decision. The piece will break after a certain time has passed.
3. Altering the original design can sometimes be a bad idea. The ancient design involved is often a constant. Changing that can destabilize other design elements on the piece, from precious stone positions to where fancy curves flow. Do not alter the basic design, especially if the professional you’ve hired advises you to stick to the original.

Finding Antique Jewelry Restorers

a. Rest on laurels and recommendations. You do not want to rely on a rookie for this sort of thing.
b. A passionate professional is worth the fee you pay for their services.
c. Communication has to be a priority, especially in the case of long distances.
d. A good working bond is essential. Keep in mind though that it can sometimes be difficult to deal with professionals in this field, especially some of the really good ones who put up more boundaries than make things easy for you, the client. But in the end they get the job done to perfection.
e. Triple check credentials when seeking restorers online.

Why Does Gehna Help Restore?

We, at Gehna do it because we’re passionate about antique and ancient jewelry.
For a collector, restoring and refurbishing a piece of such esteemed age value enhances its beauty and ‘feel’ in the collection.
For crafters, it helps hone personal knowledge in matters connected to ancient jewelry and, in general, helps prolong the stability of these pieces for the future.

View Our Jewellery Collection: Stacking Rings | Necklaces | Jhumki | Pendants | Nosepins | Earrings

The post Restoration & Refurbishment of Ancestral Jewellery appeared first on Gehna Blog.