Astonishing History of Chokers

The prevalence of choker pieces of jewellery is at an untouched high right now, with in vogue stars like Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner, alongside some our most loved bloggers, finishing off their coolest looks with the adornment. Once considered a styling touch reminiscent of the '90s, the champion piece has been changed into something totally cutting edge, with such a large number of versions on offer that ladies of each style influence are giving it a shot. Inquisitive as to where these well known pieces of jewellery initially started, we did a touch of burrowing and found that they go much further back than we envisioned.

As per master custodians from the Jewellery Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, chokers have been around for a huge number of years, first gracing the world's soonest human advancements: the Sumer Empire in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Regularly done up in gold or lapis, the pieces of jewellery were thought to be defensive and permeated with uncommon forces.

Princess Alexandra of Denmark

Chokers rose again all through the Renaissance as simply complex decisions and were particularly famous with royals towards the end of the nineteenth century. Amid this last period, ladies in Germany and Austria additionally utilized the pieces of jewellery to conceal irregularities on their necks brought on by goiter, an ailment basic over the Alps at the time. In different corners of the world, more straightforward strip chokers were images of prostitution, as portrayed in Manet's celebrated 1863 painting "Olympia," however the look lost some of its ignoble affiliations when received by ballet performers before long.

In spite of the fact that they were never completely out of design, chokers ruled yet again in the 1920s and into the '30s, loaning themselves to the darling Art Deco style of the time. Whether rendered in pearls or velvet strip with a focal decal, they were regularly alluded to as "canine collars" amid this time. Their pervasiveness blurred once the 1940s started, yet they were embraced by and by, in more beautiful cycles, by free-energetic '70s flower children.

Choker in 1880

In the '90s, obviously, chokers re-emerged with a blast, however they were not the better forms of yore. Rather, the period's rocker chicks and young ladies wore the notorious plastic tattoo chokers or decided on the negligible yet stark look of a dark lace. Pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera conveyed the adornments into the early aughts, leaning toward flashier choices in silver and gold.

Quick forward to 2015 and chokers are again taking the spotlight as far as patterns for this coming spring and summer. Today's chokers are about a mix of surfaces, examples, materials and hues. Chokers made with overwhelming chains, metal, stripes, gems and pearls all have their place on catwalks right now.

It's captivating to figure out how chokers first happened around 500 years prior and how they have changed throughout the years. Having stood the trial of time, it's obvious that chokers are a genuine design symbol – and these realities doubtlessly let us know that chokers will be around for a long time to come.

To take a leap into the professional world of jewellery designing, Enroll into Solitaire Diamond Institute's online jewellery designing courses Bangalore.

Carved Gemstones

An engraved gem is a small gemstone, usually semi-precious that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major luxury art form in the ancient world. Engraving means carving in intaglio where the design is cut into the flat background of the stone, the design looks projecting out of background. This article uses "cameo", to denote a carving exploiting layers of different colored stone. Carved gemstones also called as “engraved gem”, commonly known as cameos or intaglios.

  

Early gems mostly show animals, Gods, and mythological scenes were common and famous statues often used. Gems were mostly cut by using abrasive powder from harder stones in conjunction with a hand-drill, probably often set in a lathe. Some early types of seal were cut by hand, rather than a drill, which does not allow fine detail. There is no evidence that magnifying lenses were used by gem cutters in antiquity. The color of several gemstones can be enhanced by a number of artificial methods, using heat, sugar and dye. 

  

Cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewellery or vessel made in this manner. It always features a raised (positive) image and contrast with intaglio, which has a negative image. Originally, and still in discussing historical work, cameo only referred to works where the raised image was of a contrasting colour to the background; this was achieved by carefully carving a piece of material with a flat plane where two contrasting colours met, removing all the first colour except for the image to leave a contrasting background.

Many modern cameos are carved into layered agates. The layers are dyed to create strong color contrasts. The most usual colors used for two-layer stones are white on black, white on blue, and white on red-brown. The layers are translucent; this allows the artist to create shading effects by removing material to allow the background layer to show through. Removing material from the white layer creates shades of blue or grey, depending on the color of the base.

Carved gemstone pendants, body chains, and earrings can be flaunted with any modern or traditional attire they suit perfectly to all.

To take a leap into the professional world of jewellery designing, enroll into Solitaire Diamond Institute's online jewellery designing courses Bangalore.

Article By

Keerthana Nayak K

Jewellery Instructor

What Everybody Ought To Know About Mother Of Pearl - Nacre

A smooth shining iridescent substance forming the inner layer of the shell of some mollusks, especially oysters and abalones, used in ornamentation.

Mother of pearl also known as Nacre, is an organic/inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. The outer layer of pearls and the inside layer of pearl oyster and freshwater pearl mussel shells are made of nacre. 

                                

Most of the oysters for the mother-of-pearl supply came from the Red Sea. Today, however, Australia, California, New Zealand and Brazil are the main exporters.

                                 

Mother of Pearl is Widely used for pearl buttons especially during the 1900s, Nacre has been used for centuries for a variety of decorative purposes. Both black and white nacre are used for architectural purposes. The natural nacre may be artificially tinted to almost any color. Nacre sheets may be used on interior floors, exterior and interior walls, countertops, doors and ceilings. Mother of pearl buttons are used in clothing either for functional or decorative purpose.they are also used in jewellery. 

                                       

Nacre is also used to decorate watches, knives, guns and jewellery. Nacre inlay is often used for music keys and other decorative motifs on musical instruments. 

For exciting career in Jewellery Designing Industry, get enrolled into SDI's Certificate and Diploma Programs.

ARTICLE BY

Keerthana Nayak  K

Jewellery Instructor

Navaratnas and their Astrological Significance

Navaratna is a Sanskrit word which means "nine gems". Jewelry created in this style has important cultural significance in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, and among other religions. Yet such importance is given to this combination of nine gems that they are recognized as sacred and royal in almost all the countries. In Thailand, the Navaratna is officially recognized as a national and royal symbol of the king.

The traditional setting and arrangement of these nine gems is shown in the illustration. A ruby (representing the Sun) is always in the center, surrounded (clockwise from the top) by a diamond, a natural pearl, red coral, hessonite, a blue sapphire, cat's eye, a yellow sapphire, and an emerald. This is the same placement as the Nava-graha Yantra.
                                       

The placement of the navagrahas in one’s horoscope supposedly has an influence throughout an individual's life. Wearing the nine gems is said to provide an astrological balance and benefit to the wearer. Hindu astrology also says that these gems potentially may have both positive and negative influences on human life, and that astrological gems should be worn only after consulting a Vedic astrologer.
                             
Every sign of the zodiac is ruled by a planet and every planet has an associated gemstone, which in turn has the powers to harness the power of the cosmic rays associated with that particular planet and elevate a individual’s emotional, mental and materials status.

For exciting career in Jewellery Designing Industry, get enrolled into SDI's Certificate and Diploma Programs.
                                     

Article by
Keerthana nayak k
Jewellery instructor

This Article Will Boost Your Knowledge About Fire Opals: Read Or Miss Out!

Fire Opal" is a term used for colorful, transparent to translucent opal with a background color of fire-like hue. Fire opals are unique in the lush world of the opals. They were already admired as symbol of love in ancient times, in India. Fire opals possess either flaming-orange or cherry-red body color that is uniform and solid as opposed to the iridescent streaks, patches or flecks of color.  That’s why the term “fire” is used.

The most significant fire opal deposits in the world lie in Mexico. Rock strata containing opals run through the Mexican highlands, with their many extinct volcanoes. With a few exceptions, the gemstone, which lies hidden in cavities and crevices, is extracted in open-cast mines.  Their warm, expressive orange comes in all varieties from yellow to light red, sometimes with a brownish undertone.

                     
Fire opals are either faceted - as far as their transparency allows - or cut as a cabochon, since this is the shape which best brings out the rich glow of this orange jewel. It is the oval which is regarded as the classical shape for valuable fire opals.
                                                 
Play of colour, body colour and transparency are the three criteria which determine the price of a fire opal. The more transparency and 'fire' it has, and the more intense the deep red of its body color, the more valuable it will be. Their warm, fiery color gives us vigor, fills us with the joys of life and opens our senses to the beauty of Nature.

To take a leap into the professional world of jewellery designing, enroll into Solitaire Diamond Institute's online jewellery designing courses Bangalore.

Article by
Keerthana Nayak K
Jewellery Instructor

Golden Pearl from the Golden-Lipped Oyster

A pearl is a living gem; it warms to the touch and enhances the natural tones of the skin. Its layers of nacre reflect the light and create a sense of luminous depth and radiance. Elegant white, exotic black or intense gold – its color is captivating. It is both luxurious and understated.                                                         

             

These opulent golden pearls are produced by the golden-lipped oyster. Harvested in sizes of 9mm and up, their warm, natural golden color is said to be rarer than gold itself. The color palette ranges from light champagne to a very rare, deep gold. This oyster species can also produce richly luminescent white pearls, but the deeper golden colors are the most coveted of all pearls.

To take a leap into the professional world of jewellery designing, enroll into Solitaire Diamond Institute's online jewellery designing courses Bangalore.

Article By:

KOMAL.D. CHHABRIA.

Jewellery Designing Instructor 

Solitaire Diamond Institute

HISTORY OF JEWELLERY

“Jewellery is a universal form of Adornment”. Jewellery made from shells, stone and bones survives from prehistoric times. It is likely that from an early date it was worn as a protection from the dangers of life or as a mark of “status or rank”. Later the enormous importance of religion in everyday life could be seen in jewellery. The designs reflect the new-found interest in the classical world, with mythological figures and scenes becoming popular. The ancient art of gem engraving was revived. The inclusion of portraits reflected another cultural trend.

The 19th century was a period of huge industrial and social change. In the first decade classical         styles were popular, evoking the glories of ancient Greece and Rome. Naturalistic jewellery, decorated with clearly recognizable flowers and fruit, was also popular for much of this period. These motifs became fashionable. At the same time, flowers were used to express love and friendship. The colours in nature were matched by colored gemstones. 

By the modern era, changes in fashion had introduced new styles in jewellery. Expanding global trade made gemstones ever more available. Advances in cutting techniques increased the sparkle of gemstones in light.

For exciting career in Jewellery Designing Industry, get enrolled into SDI's Certificate in Gold Appraisal.

Article By:

Keerthana Nayak.K

AMBER - Valued from Antiquity to the Present as a Gemstone

Amber is fossilized tree resin (not sap), which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry.

                                                         
There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents. Because it originates as a soft, sticky tree resin, amber sometimes contains animal and plant material as inclusions.

Amber is heterogeneous in composition, but consists of several resinous bodies more or less soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform, associated with an insoluble bituminous substance.
                                   
The abnormal development of resin has been called succinosis. Impurities are quite often present, especially when the resin dropped onto the ground, so that the material may be useless except for varnish-making, whence the impure amber is called firniss.

Amber has been used since the stoneage from 13,000 years ago. Amber ornaments have been found in Mycenaean tombs and elsewhere across Europe. To this day it is used in the manufacture of smoking and glassblowing mouthpieces. Amber's place in culture and tradition lends it a tourism value; Palanga Amber Museum is dedicated to the fossilized resin.

To take a leap into the professional world of jewellery designing, enroll into Solitaire Diamond Institute's online jewellery designing courses Bangalore.

Article By:
Komal.D.Chhabria.
Jewellery Designing Instructor(SDI)              

Antique and Vinatge Jewellery - The Major Difference between the Two

Antique Jewellery is customarily defined as Jewellery crafted more than 100 years ago. For an item to be considered antique, it has to be atleast 100 years old. Many pieces from the 1920’s are now considered antique.

Vintage Jewellery is usually identified with a particular era and includes the historic Georgian and Victorian, Art Noveau and Edwardian design periods as well as the Art Deco, Retro, Mid-Century, Modern and Contemporary Periods.

Most experts consider it to be anything that is atleast 20 years old. So anything from the 1980’s and earlier.

       

The major difference between Antique Jewellery and Vintage Jewellery is the age. Both use rare and beautiful objects and metals. Its certainly true that the age of an item is big factor in its worth. This is because the Goldsmithing techniques used in the past are often superior to the techniques used today.

ANTIQUE FINISH

           

Antique Finish Jewellery is very different from Antique Jewellery. Antique finish is nothing but the dull finish given to jewellery of the new styles. It is also known as Oxidation that is the polish or finish given to the jewelery.

For exciting career in Jewellery Designing Industry, get enrolled into SDI's Certificate in Gold Appraisal.

Article by;

Komal.D.Chhabria.

Jewellery Designing Instructor(SDI)