November’s Topaz & Citrine

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

November has nearly finished now, and as we see the golden brown leaves covering everywhere but the trees from which they fell – I always wonder if that is why the similarly coloured gemstones Topaz & Cirtine are the month’s birthstone. For those lucky enough to have these beautiful stones representing their birth, the bright yellow golden to orange shades perfectly represent the season.

Whilst Imperial Topaz is thought to bring about healing, Citrine is considered to be a gift from the sun.

Citrine

Citrine is so named after the french word Citrion meaning ‘lemon’ with its colours varying from a pale yellow to a rich wine colour. The most sought-after / prized are those described as Madeira Citrine, named after the colour of Madeira wine, and not the Atlantic island itself.

Citrine is found as many different gemstones in many different areas, but Brazil has perhaps the finest and most valuable. A member of the Quartz family and largely similar to Amethyst (they can sometimes be found in the same crystal structure, in the rare occurrence known as ‘Ametrine’ where half is yellow and half is purple), Citrine is also mined in France, Madagascar and the Ural mountains of Russia.


Citrine & Diamond Rubover Set Stud Earrings	Multi Gemstone Drop Earrings	Citrine & Diamond Three Stone Ring
£560	£350	£1485

Referred to as ‘The Merchants Stone’ or ‘Money Stone’, Citrine is thought to bring prosperity and wealth if placed on a table or till whilst making a deal. This, along with its bright orange colour representing the sun are some of the reasons that you see Citrine adorning many Scottish jewellery designs.

As well as representing November’s birthstone, Citrine is also the wedding anniversary gift for your 13th year of marriage.

Topaz

Topaz is a naturally hard gemstone measuring 8 on Mohs scales, in a family all of its own. Although most commonly found in jewellers in a sky-blue colour, this is very rarely its natural colour. Blue Topaz stones can be found naturally, but most are irradiated to add the colour to an otherwise colourless or slightly yellow stone.

The stone can also be found in many other colours, including:

Colourless
Yellow
Blue
Orange
Green
Reddish/Pink
Golden Topaz
Imperial Topaz

It is found in deposits around the world, including Topaz mountain in Utah USA, Ural mountains of Russia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, Czech Republic, Japan, Norway, Italy and Brazil… to name but a few.

Large crystals are not uncommon, and perhaps the largest is the American Gold Topaz weighting in at 4.5kg! It has a total carat weight of 22,892 – one of the largest ever cut gemstones in the world, Mined, in Brazil and took 2 years to cut from an 11.8kg crystal, by Leon Agee in the late 1980s.

Along with representing November’s birthstone, Topaz is also the 4th Wedding Anniversary gemstone.

Golden Topaz & Diamond Cluster Ring

£2,875

We at Cry for the Moon are proud to have some fabulous Imperial Topaz rings in stock, so please Get in touch if you’d like to book an appointment to try them on for yourself.

What Jewellery Designs will be hot this Christmas?

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

It’s difficult to predict which jewellery designs and styles will be the biggest Christmas bestsellers, and this year is set to be even tougher than normal after the year we’ve all had. However, having seen a continuing pattern emerge in our own customers’ wishes over the last few years – we can certainly have a jolly good guess.

Here. we share our most common Christmas bestsellers from the past few years, and those we predict to be popular again this year…

1. Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Studs

Handmade at our in-store workshop, our diamond studs are priced from £495.00 (for a diamond & platinum stud). See all studs, here. One thing many of our customers enjoy about our studs is the upgrade scheme offered with purchase. We will allow the full value of a pair of previously purchased studs against a larger pair, in exchanging and upgrading, so you can quite literally grow your own carats.

Brilliant Cut Diamond Solitaire Earrings

from £495

2. Diamond Tennis Bracelets

These elegant and simply designed bracelets are ideal to add to any outfit. A long line of beautifully match diamonds, each articulated to sit comfortably on the wrist. Also referred to as Line Bracelets, these stunning pieces of jewellery were made famous by Tennis star Chrissy Evert wearing one whilst playing on the lush lawns of Wimbledon in 1987. Ranging between diamond and other coloured gemstones, we have a stock certain to suit everyone this year!


Diamond Tennis Bracelet	Diamond Tennis Bracelet
£5,750	£4,250

3. Pendants

Pendants are always very popular, and this year we have two new additions that we feel fit with the current trends. First, our new up-cycled gold pendants found here demonstrate classic geometric shapes and designs that have been in high demand since launch and reflect strongly the re-emergence of yellow gold coming back!

Additionally, a new personalised pendant (arriving in stock very soon) is our diamond set Initials. We have commissioned the most popular name initials including A, E, C,J,M or L, though can order any initial in with a lead time of 4 weeks.

These simple 18ct white gold diamond pendants start from £790.00. To order your initial please click here and enquire on the price and delivery.

Diamond Initials Pendant

from £790

Please enquire for more information.

4. Pearl and Coloured Gemstone Necklaces

Pearls have been everywhere this year with varying lengths worn both alone & layered up! The Mary Berry inspired pearl necklace has continued to be a strong seller but many variations of this design are now available with long chain lengths of 66cm plus. These mixture of 18ct yellow or white gold pearl, amethyst, coral or multi varied gemstones will be a guaranteed stocking filler this year.


18ct Yellow Gold and Coral Necklace	Freshwater Pearl Necklace	18ct Yellow Gold Chain & Amethyst Necklace	White Gold Spectacle Set Diamond Necklace
£995	£1,285	£820	£5,950

5. Something for him

Cufflinks are always in demand at Christmas and this year will be no different with gold price hitting a record high! The switch to silver may be stronger than normal with hand enamel, and novelty design may be desired once again. We currently have 90 different designs in stock, in both new and antique styles. You’re sure to find something for him to enjoy and wear.


Silver Chain Link Cufflinks	Silver Wolf Cufflinks	Silver Emerald and Enamel Cufflinks	18ct Yellow Gold Enamelled Cufflinks
£135	£172	£310	£1,985

6. Rings

Rings have always been our strongest sellers and with Guildford’s largest selection of diamond and coloured stone set rings we have something to wow that special loved one this Christmas. Diamond solitaires, Trilogy, clusters or perhaps more of a dress ring design?

We have them all. Third finger rings worn on the right hand have become a must have and we can offer our customer a true range of bespoke and antique design rings. Stacking rings continue to be a very expressive way for rings to be worn, mixing different colours and designs together to create a unique look. Our leaf diamonds set rings are the perfect stackable ring, starting from £835.00.


Leaf Design 18ct White Gold Diamond Ring	Leaf Design 18ct Yellow Gold Diamond Ring	Leaf Design 18ct Rose Gold Diamond Ring
£1,350	£1,350	£1,350

These trends are but a small selection of what we have in store here at CftM. We haven’t even brushed on our vintage and antique jewellery from Victorian or Edwardian era, nor classic eternity rings to celebrate your love for one another.

So please visit us to get your Christmas shopping started and beat the rush, with restricted numbers now allowed in store again, we really hope that you visit soon and start early this festive season.

October’s Opals

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

Opal is the birthstone for the month of October, along with pink tourmaline. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 14th year of marriage.

History

The name ‘opal’ is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit ‘Upala’, meaning ‘precious stone’ and later the Greek derivative ‘Opallios’ meaning ‘to see a change of color’. The Greeks believed they possessed the power of foresight, invisibility and prophecy, and the Romans considered Greeks as talismans for protection from danger.

Today, the most valuable opals come from Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, which have been the main producer of opals since their discovery in the 1870s. Opals are mostly found in Australia, Ethiopia, Mexico, the USA, South America, Canada, Brazil, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Australian opal was known as the ‘fire of the dessert’, formed from the weathering of sandstone deposited over older host rock in the Australian basin. The structure of of the gemstone is unique and comprised of tiny spheres of silicon dioxide, forming a pyramid shaped grid, interspersed with water. It’s the refraction of light through the spaces between these spheres that produces the recognisable opal characteristic, and unique ‘play of colour’. Australian opals are also valued for their stability, a key consideration for a gem containing 6-10% water.

Here in our Guildford shop we have a fine collection of opal jewellery, which you can see a selection of on in our dedicated category.


Opal & Diamond Cluster Earrings	Opal & Diamond Cluster Pendant	Opal & Diamond Cluster Ring	Opal & Diamond Drop Pendant
£4,500	£6,850	£3,995	£2,560

There are several classifications:

The preface

Solid means that the stone is a natural cut and polished, which does not have any kind of backing adhered to the stone to enhance the colour (as is the case with the partially fabricated stones – doublets or triplets). Queensland Boulder Opals – even though they have a natural brown ironstone backing which makes the stone darker – are still known as ‘solid opals’ since this is the natural formation of the stone.

Black refers to opal which has a dark grey to black body tone, and is generally mined in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales. As a general rule, Black Opal is the most valuable form, since its dark body tone causes the colours to be more vibrant.

Boulder is opal mined in Western Queensland. which normally has a natural brown ironstone backing attached to the stone. Boulder Opal usually has a very dark body tone and is the second most valuable form.

Crystal means any kind of opal which has a translucent or transparent quality. Translucent or transparent stones often have an enhanced clarity of colour, and for this reason it usually increases the value of a stone. The term ‘Crystal Opal’ normally denotes stones with a very light body tone, however Black Crystal Opal refers to a crystal opal, which has a dark body tone.

Semi-Black refers to opal which has a light to medium grey body tone and is therefore not quite dark enough to be called Black Opal. ‘Semi Black’ is generally found in Lightning Ridge, but is also found in White Cliffs and occasionally South Australia and can be one of the lesser valuable forms.

White means opal with a white to light body tone, and is also known as ‘milky opal’. White Opal is found in large quantities in South Australia, and the bulk of it does not have the same vibrancy of colour as found in other forms of the gemstone. For this reason, it is generally one of the least valuable forms.

Cleaning your jewellery at home

Posted on October 4, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

Whilst we continue to wash our hands frequently and use hand sanitiser at every shop entrance, we mustn’t forget to keep our jewellery clean too.

An ideal time to start writing this blog, with ‘Wash your hands’ ringing in our ears, there is a lot more soap, hand cream and bread dough going into your jewellery – well in our house at least! We are often asked the best way to keep your jewellery clean at home and we have for many years, answered with the same answer:

Firstly

You don’t need to buy any special cleaners or dips, you have all you need under the kitchen sink.

Secondly

Please don’t use gin; it’s much better in a glass this evening once you’ve finished cleaning your jewellery.

Equipment required:

Kettle
Bowl / mug
Old toothbrush
Sieve, (For security)
Kitchen towel
Cloth, (not a duster)
Washing up Liquid

The Soak

OK, so boil the kettle, you only need a small amount of water, enough to fill a third of the bowl or mug.

Once boiled, tip into the bowl or mug to a third full then drop a few drops of washing up liquid in and drop your jewellery in.

*Tip allow the water to cool a little, don’t burn yourself.

**NEVER put emeralds, opals or pearls into boiling water!
(for pearls see final section)

Do not put too many items in at once; diamonds & sapphires are very hard and will scratch other gemstones if they rub against one another.

Leave them to soak for between 8-15 minutes, depending on when you last had them cleaned.

The Clean

Once they have soaked, use the toothbrush to gently clean the underside of the rings gallery – this will remove the build-up of soap and cream etc.

Repeat the soak if the jewellery is still looking dirty.

Once clean, place in a sieve, put the plug in the sink and run under warm water. Cleaning gemstone rings can often identify other underlying problems – so we use the sieve and keep the plug in to stop anything being washed away. We can reset gemstones fairly easily, but it’s much harder to find matching gemstones – so better to be safe.

The Polish

Once rinsed, dry off with the paper towel and then use the soft cloth to buff up.

Although not essential, you can use one of the many types of polishing cloths (used for different metals) that are available.

If you are interested in purchasing a polishing cloth, we highly recommend (and have used many times) these two companies:

Connoisseurs UK
Town Talk Polish

This will brighten up gold or silver – however, platinum is so hard you may not notice much difference.

Now, your jewellery will look much brighter and more importantly, will be cleaner (and not harbouring any dreaded viruses).

If you don’t want to do it yourself

Cry for the Moon has always offered complimentary jewellery cleaning, and we would love to see you to help with yours. We do not charge, but ask that you make a small donation to one of the Charities we support: Salvation Army, Red Cross, Scope or Shooting Star Children’s Hospice.

We do also offer a more thorough clean and polishing service which that requires a few days in the workshop, subject to workload. This service is charged from £25.00 per item. Please ask for more details with regards to white gold and rhodium plating.

Pearl Cleaning

Pearls are perhaps the one gemstone that dislikes water. When I say ‘dislike’, this is because they are formed/grown in water and thus can still be affected by any type of liquid they are placed in.

So, we also suggest that the best way to keep them clean is to not get them dirty (yes, far easier said than done), but the one thing to remember with pearls of any type is ‘last thing on, first thing off’.

Perfume, makeup, creams and moisturisers will all affect the nacre of pearls, changing the colour or attacking the surface.

If you have pearls that are dirty, a damp cloth is the best way to protect them whilst removing any dirt. The majority of pearls are strung on silk, which is naturally strong and not as tough on the drilled holes – but, silk again is not great in any liquid and will discolour very quickly.

We do recommend that pearls are restrung at least once a year, even if not worn as the silk will stretch and weaken over time.

September’s Sapphires

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

It’s nearly the end of September already, and we can’t go through this month without addressing its birthstone’s biggest myth:

Sapphires are blue, right?

…Wrong!

Sapphires are perhaps the only natural gemstone that is available in almost every colour of the rainbow. Though blue is the most popular stone colour, and most often thought of when talking about sapphires, colours of yellow, green, orange, pink, purple and even clear (white) can also be found! In fact, September’s birthstone even come in every colour except red (red being rubies).

How can the same stone be so varied?

Both rubies and sapphires are part of the Corundum family of gems – a family in which is highly influenced by the presence of elements such as chromium; more chromium equals more red. Here’s how it works:

No chromium or iron and the stone appears colourless

Vanadium, and the stone appears violet or purple

Iron and chromium give the stones a yellow or orange colour

Padparadscha sapphires display a very specific pinky-orange hue

– (though this is particularly rare and associated with Sri Lanka)

About Sapphires

Not only are sapphires the birthstone of September, but they also represent the 45th wedding anniversary gemstone. Since they have such an array of colours, they can be admired and worn by almost everyone!

Many countries have sapphire deposits, with the most prized and valuable coming from Sri Lanka (formally Ceylon). Still today, the bright velvety cornflower blue stones are referred to as ‘Ceylon sapphires’.

Here at Cry for the Moon we purchase many of our sapphires from our supplier of many years direct from Sri Lanka. We have built up a strong relationship allowing us to pick the brightest and most amazing sapphires to set in our beautiful bespoke jewellery.

One of our favourite sapphires, the ‘Star Sapphires’, result from a rare naturally occurring phenomenon and exhibit a six-pointed star known as an asterism (and commonly a ‘Star Sapphire’). These stones will be cut into cabochon cut, finished with the look of a polished pebble, flat on one side.

But don’t take our word for it! Even British Royalty show an admiration for the sapphire, with perhaps one of the most famous sapphires ever being available to view within the Crown Jewels. The Stuart Sapphire of 104ct is set within the Imperial State Crown and can be viewed with a visit to the Tower of London.

Visit our sapphire page or pop in store to see our fabulous range of jewellery and rings.

Sustainable jewellery in our 50th year

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

As Guilford’s oldest running independent jewellers we have, over the years, purchased many thousands of pounds of old gold, platinum and silver. This serves both us, our customers and the environment, in equal measure.

At our Cry for the Moon workshop, we recycle gold and platinum, passing on the savings to our customers. This keeps the price lower than the open market prices, and though many items have been worn and damaged – our recycle and repair service reproduces wonderful commercial assets.

Sell your gold or jewellery to us

We can offer very competitive prices with an instant decision and payment in either cash, cheque or direct back transfer for all types of jewellery. We are just as happy buying broken chains and odd earrings, or that sentimental article that has been sat in the jewellery box for the last 10 years, never to be worn. Many of our customers will happily part exchange these for something that will be worn- producing new, and unique heirlooms.

In doing our part to help the environment, we know that it’s much easier to recycle gold than to mine it – and clearly far better for our planet.

Interestingly, if all the world’s gold was put together it would fill just over three Olympic sized swimming pools or just under 22m cubed as a solid block of gold. On average 2400-3000 tons of gold are mined every year, and since gold is virtually indestructible, this means that almost all of this metal is still around in one form or another.

2020 is our Anniversary- celebrating 50 years as a company, having started out in Haslemere in 1970. In celebration, we are very excited to have designed a small range of upcycled 18ct gold pendants each handmade in our workshop, and each unique. These designs are the first in a range we plan to grow and market with both cost and the environmental issues a key factor.

Starting at £535.00 they represent great value

The designs currently consist; a crescent moon, key, open circle, open heart, double entwined circle, and double star, all in 18ct yellow gold.


18ct Yellow Gold Double Star Pendant	18ct Yellow Gold Entwined Circle Pendant	18ct Yellow Gold Key Design Pendant	18ct Yellow Gold Open Circle Pendant
£585	£550	£535	£595

Bespoke jewellery designs

If you have your own design idea suitable and would like it made, we would love to know! Please contact us for more details.

One of the most interesting and exciting jewellery items we sell are those that have unfortunately, for many reasons, become too worn out to repair and resell. With these, we have a number of remodelling options our skilled jewellers can make:

The first: is to remove the old gemstones and make a replica of the same design period article, this will then have a whole new lease of life which can be lovingly worn and passed on as a future heirloom.

The second: is to use the gemstones to make a more modern design that will appeal to today’s fashion lead consumers. Many old diamonds and coloured gemstones will have small chips and abrasions to the facets- but our own trusted diamond polisher and lapidaries (gemstone polisher) can return these beautiful gems to their former bright and vivid colours.

Emeralds: The Reasons Why I Love Them

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Stephen Sutton

It’s finally May, and the trees are now almost full of leaves; bright and vibrant greens of many shades. Perhaps this is why Emerald is the birthstone for May; it radiates new life with its vivid, bright colour.

On a personal note, Emerald is my favourite of all the coloured gems. Both my wife and mother own Emerald engagement rings since their birthdays both fall in May. I personally think Emerald engagement rings are both unique and wonderful, but it isn’t just my love for Emerald I wish to share today; I’m hoping to help you discover yours…

What Are Emeralds

Emeralds are part of the ‘Beryl family’, a family known for an array of different colours:

Sky Blue	Aquamarine
Pink	Morganite
Yellow	Golden Beryl
Red	Red Beryl
Colourless	Goshenite

Emeralds are the green variety, first thought to have been mined by the Egyptians in countries known now as Austria and Pakistan. Today, Emeralds have been discovered at gem-quality by many countries, including Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, Russia, USA, Afghanistan and Madagascar, to name just a few.

However, the most prized and valuable emeralds are still thought to be mined in Colombia. Featuring a deeper, more intense colour, better fire, brilliance and clarity, Colombian Emeralds are the most sought after for these reasons and hence command a higher value.

A Stunning Structure

Perhaps it’s the internal structure of Emeralds and their unique characteristic features that I find so compelling. Whilst most gems are considered ‘better’ if they are clean and free from flaws, Emeralds celebrate a uniqueness known as ‘La Jardin’ which only adds to their natural beauty.

‘The Garden’ of gemstones is likened to its unique fingerprint, each one as different and as mesmerising as the next. Yes, some Emeralds are beautifully clear, but this individual character just adds further fascinating appeal.

Buy Today

Here at Cry for the Moon, we have conceivably the largest selection of Emerald jewellery in Surrey, and certainly Guildford. We have some magnificent unique Emeralds encompassed within an array of rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, bangles and brooches. We are certain we will offer an Emerald gemstone piece that you will love.

If this article has inspired you to love Emeralds as much as I do, please visit our Emerald category and browse our fabulous range of options. Perhaps you’re looking to surprise somebody special, whether it be for a May birthday or a 55th wedding anniversary – whatever your reason may be, our team would love to help find the perfect emerald for you.