The R&T Extra! March 2008
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The R&T Extra! March 2008 |
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Subscribe/unsubscribe to this e-mail newsletter In this issue: |
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Jewelry Safety: Lead Content & California Law California (CA), USA, has enacted new laws regarding the sale of retail jewelry in that state—including adult jewelry! Here are the basics you need to know to comply with California law (the law took effect March 1, 2008). Even if you don't live in California, you might need to follow these new guidelines. Do you participate in California arts-&-crafts shows? Do you sell your wares online and ever ship to California? If you answered yes to either of these, you sell retail to California! Even those of you who don't sell to California might want to read on. Since California maintains the most stringent U.S. laws regarding lead content in jewelry, their guidelines are good to follow for anyone concerned about jewelry safety—no matter where you live or sell your wares. What is lead, and why is it a concern? Lead (Pb) is an element used to make alloys (mixtures of metals) softer and to help alloys melt at lower temperatures. The problem with using lead in alloys is that it is toxic and can cause serious health problems, especially in children. Because children's bodies are still developing, lead can affect them in ways it is not likely to affect adults (concern for children is what initiated CA's legislation). The two main ways lead poses a danger are when it is:
At Rings & Things, we're working hard with manufacturers and testing agencies to ensure that our products meet the requirements listed by California's Lead-Containing Jewelry Law. Products in our online store (that's over 18,000 items!) are now labeled with classifications that correspond to this new California law. Each classification links to an easy chart listing California's classifications of jewelry-making materials. We are also continuing to comply with California's Proposition 65, which still requires the labeling of products that contain lead or other potentially hazardous substances, regardless of how those products are classified for use in jewelry. Many components deemed suitable by California for use in retail jewelry still require Prop. 65 labeling. For example, Swarovski® crystals and other leaded-glass parts require a Prop. 65 "lead warning" label even though they are Class 1 suitable materials under California's Lead-Containing Jewelry Law. Even items labeled "unsuitable" for California use in retail jewelry can still be used in wall hangings, Christmas tree ornaments, sculptures and other non-jewelry creations sold in California. Please keep in mind that none of the components sold by Rings & Things are intended for the creation of children's jewelry, or intended for use by children under the age of seven. Be sure to educate yourself about this new law, especially if you live and/or sell your wares in California. To find out more, check out the state of California's "Lead in Jewelry" Web pages and Proposition 65 Web pages. Be safe and, as always, have fun creating with our components! |
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Tapping Into Turquoise: An Introduction Turquoise has a long and colorful history. The name we use today for the stone comes from the French language, and means "Turkish stone." But why call it a Turkish stone when turquoise is mined on five of Earth's seven continents? The answer to that is itself historic. Europe (where, of course, US English originated) was introduced to the stone through trade with Asia via the Silk Road, and major trading ports that supplied Europe with Eastern spices, gems, silk and more were located in Turkey. The turquoise traded to Europe was mainly mined in Persia (now Iran, still a major source of the stone). But turquoise, by other names, still looked as sweet! Under various names, turquoise has been used pragmatically (as currency in trade) and symbolically (to indicate reverence and power) for thousands of years. Ancient cultures sought and embraced this opaque blue-green stone from the Anasazi, Hohokam and Aztec in North America, to the Shang Dynasty in China, to the pyramid-building ancient Egyptians (turquoise is one of the inlaid stones on King Tutankhamun's gold burial mask). To this day, the stone holds cultural and symbolic significance in places as diverse as Tibet and the U.S. Southwest.
Real turquoise is composed of a hydrated aluminum copper phosphate that often contains iron. It is considerably softer than quartz and thus is usually treated in some way for stability. As a result, most turquoise on the market today is stabilized. The stone occurs naturally in shades ranging from sky blue to gray-green, usually in locations where the soil has high concentrations of copper. Copper causes blue hues while the presence of iron or chromium causes green hues. As mentioned above, when real turquoise is in high demand (as in recent years), imitation versions find a place in the market. It used to be that the most common form of imitation turquoise was the so-called "reconstituted" or "block" turquoise. This type of "turquoise" is actually a dyed plastic formed into large blocks and then cut into beads. Nevertheless, it was often sold as if it were a mix of crushed real turquoise with a plastic binder. The newest form of imitation turquoise being passed off as the real thing is turquoise-dyed magnesite, inaccurately called "chalk turquoise" (see below for the proper use of the term "chalk turquoise"). Unlike block turquoise, turquoise-dyed magnesite is actually a stone—but it is not actually turquoise. Rather, it is a typically white stone, similar to dolomite, which can be dyed a turquoise color. When dyed, it makes a nice-looking imitation, and recent Chinese production has enhanced magnesite even more by adding brown or brown/black matrix-like lines to the white stone using heat/cold treatments and dyes. Magnesite makes a great faux turquoise. Just don't let people tell you it's the genuine article! Another nice-looking imitation turquoise is Turquoise-dyed howlite, again a typically white stone that accepts turquoise-colored dye. Other stones have the advantage of looking like turquoise without need of dye. African turquoise (actually a type of jasper) is a good example of this. Opaque turquoise-colored glass also provides a substitute for genuine turquoise, and for fashionistas who just want "the look," any of these imitations work just fine—as long as you're not being told you're getting real turquoise. Genuine turquoise is divided into different qualities and, as a result, prices. Demarcations are largely based on color (bluer varieties are considered more desirable) and durability (softer turquoise can't be used in jewelry without enhancement). The priciest and most desirable form of turquoise is high-grade natural turquoise, also known as "gem quality" turquoise. This is the hardest grade and it takes the best polish. Many mines produce gem-quality stones that contain such a distinctive color or matrix ("spider webs") that the mine of origin can be identified by an experienced person. These cuts, of course, are the more rare, expensive forms of turquoise. Commercial-quality turquoise is usually enhanced to make it more durable. A common enhancement is called stabilization. This process takes actual, lower-grade turquoise and treats it with a plastic resin to make it durable enough for use in jewelry. Most nuggets and some rolled beads (heishi) are made from real turquoise that has been stabilized. Actual "chalk turquoise" is a light-blue, soft, real turquoise stabilized for use in jewelry. As mentioned above, however, dealers sometimes inaccurately use the name "chalk turquoise" to refer to dyed magnesite, to imply that their product is actually a kind of turquoise. Wax treatment works similarly to stabilization, injecting paraffin into the surface of lower-grade stones to toughen their surface. Wax treatment was used frequently in China until, in recent years, many Chinese manufacturers adopted the method of stabilization. Despite stabilization, a stone's color can be changed over time by pollution, soap, skin lotion or oil. So, even though stabilized stones cost less than high-grade natural turquoise, they should still be treated with care. In terms of its look, turquoise offers wonderful variety—perhaps this it why it has remained popular for thousands of years! From rough organic-looking nuggets to smooth polished shapes, from stones marked by rich black matrix ("spider webs") to subtler markings and smooth color, from mellow greens to intense blues, varieties of turquoise can give your designs almost any effect you might want, each of them rich and colorful. Read more about turquoise in our Gemstone Beads Index, and browse turquoise offerings in our online store. |
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Trivia Question: Juggling Large Quantities
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March's Free Jewelry Project
To view this Designer Tip Sheet (a PDF file), you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download Adobe Acrobat for free here. Then, simply print the quick-loading or high resolution version of our "Raindrops on Roses" design today. Don't forget to also Spring To It for spring seasonal supplies, including components for St. Patricks Day, gardening, spring arts & crafts shows (including Earth Day), Easter, Mother's Day and school graduations. |
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R&T's String of Events: March 2008 Calendar
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Thanks! Russ, Kim and the whole Rings & Things crewP.O. Box 450 Spokane, WA 99210-0450 USA Phone (509) 252-2900 Fax 509 838 2602 Order toll free 1 (800) 366-2156 Web site: http://www.rings-things.com You can subscribe/unsubscribe to our free newsletter and/or our e-mail sale flyers in seconds! If you've moved, please help us get our next catalog supplement to you. Just fill out this form: www.rings-things.com/addressform.htm. Newsletter Home |
Between road shows, purchasing trips and more, there's typically a lot going on at Rings & Things! Here's what's happening this month: