Build Up Your Jewelry Box

Okay, I may be biased, but knowing the things I do about jewelry, I love where I work. This jewelry store has so much to offer. I buy ALL my jewelry from here.

For instance, my gorgeous Claddagh Ring: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claddagh_ring

I've gotten my gold diamond screw back earrings from here.

My boyfriend bought a gorgeous ruby set from here for me.

I love every piece of jewelry I have from here and each one feels special. This place doesn't have that feel of mass production, over pricing, boring, poorly made jewelry. The jewelry is fun, innovative, gorgeous, vintage, modern, and honestly priced. See for yourselves!

Visit: www.apmetals.com

It's worth the time. Trust me.

The scoop on the importance of Jade

"The Importance of Jade Stone in Chinese Culture"

"Jade, known as 'yu' in China, is a gemstone that is used as both an ornament and as jewelry. There are two types of jade stone that exist. These are composed of different silicate minerals. The first type of jade stone is nephrite. The more iron that the nephrite contains, the greener in color it appears. The second type of jade stone is jadeite. It is similar in hardness to quartz. Nephrite, on the other hand, has a softer quality to it.

Nephrite comes in a creamy white form and several shades of green, while jadeite boasts a wider range of color variations. Nephrite deposits have been sourced from the Swiss Alps, China, Guatemala, Russia and New Zealand. These colors include blue, emerald green, pink and lavender mauve. Jadeite is also rarer than nephrite. At present, jadeite has only been found in 12 locations across the world. Translucent emerald green jadeite remains the most sought after variation of jade stone.

Many jade stone buyers today utilize gemological laboratories obtain Jade Certificates, which include a general description of the jade piece and a photo. A gemological laboratory can provide jade grading, which weights various factors including color, shape, dimension, cut and clarity. Stones can also be deemed to be "natural" or having been treated by a color dye to enhance its appearance.

Aside from ornamental and jewelry purposes, jade stone was historically used to decorate axe heads, knives, and other weapons and was preferred because of its toughness. Either quartz or garnet sand is used to work with the gemstone and ground stone or jade can be used to polish it.

Nephrite jade was historically used in pre-1800 China. The Neolithic era in particular saw the use of jade for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes. Back then, jade stone was sourced from deposits in the areas of Inner Mongolia, the Liaoning province and the Ningshao area of the Yangtze River Delta. These deposits are now depleted. The importance of jade stone in Chinese history was very evident, as jade had been discovered in the tombs of many Shang kings. Jade stone was also used generously to decorate indoor areas and burial suites. In general, the Chinese considered jade stone to be the "imperial gem".

White jade stone was also used to make yearly tribute payments to the Chinese Imperial court. Jade stone was a popular material of choice for skilled artisans and a higher value was placed on it in comparison to gold or silver. The presence of jade stone became prominent in ordinary objects such as rests for calligraphy brushes and mouthpieces for opium pipes. Jade stone was used in opium pipes because the Chinese believed that it held the power to increase the lifespan of the person smoking the pipe.

Jadeite and its attractive array of colors were brought in from Burma to China in the 19th century. The vivid green shade of jade stone is known as Kingfisher or Feicui jade. It soon matched the popularity of nephrite jade and was highly regarded among the nouveau riche of the Qing Dynasty. However, scholars still favored nephrite and considered it as a symbol of a nobleman.

In the same manner that gold and diamonds are highly treasured in the West, the Chinese regard jade stone with a special significance. Jade stone was used in fashioning expensive and sophisticated objects and cult figures. It was also used extensively in furnishings for prominent members of the imperial family. Today rare, high-grade jade stone can command thousands of dollars per ounce.

The importance of Jade stone in Chinese culture is reflected in its status as a symbol of goodness, preciousness and beauty. To the Chinese, jade stone is also the embodiment of the Confucian virtues of courage, wisdom, modesty, justice and compassion. The polish and brilliance of jade stone is considered by the Chinese to be representative of purity while its compactness and hardness reflect intelligence. Justice is represented by its angles and the sound produced by it when it is struck is a symbol of music. The color of jade stone depicts loyalty while its flaws reflect sincerity. The Chinese also value jade stone because of its brightness; representing heaven, while its substance is representative of the earth.

Jade stone is collected by many Chinese people as an antique. Many jewelers today have also come up with modern and avant-garde designs for the incorporation of jade stone into jewelry. For those who purchase either the raw stone or jewelry, obtaining a certification can be a wise investment, especially since the quality and value of the jade can vary so significantly. In China, EGL Asia is the only gemological laboratory that offers a recognized jade grading certification.

There is a Chinese saying that goes, "Gold has a value; jade is invaluable". The significance of jade stone to Chinese culture is evident, not only historically, but at present as well. The Chinese term for jade, "yu" is often used in family names as well as in terms that describe people or things that are beautiful."

"The Importance of Jade Stone in Chinese Culture." Jade & Jadeite Culture and History.

EGL Asia, 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. <http://www.eglasia.com.hk/jade_culture.html>.

WWII Silver Nickel!

1942 - 1945 Silver Jefferson Nickel

World War II prompted the rationing of many commodities. Nickel was highly valued for use in armor plating, and Congress ordered the removal of this metal from the five-cent piece, effective October 8, 1942. From that date, and lasting through the end of 1945, five-cent pieces bore the regular design but were minted from an alloy of copper, silver and manganese. It was anticipated that these emergency coins would be withdrawn from circulation after the war, so a prominent distinguishing feature was added. Coins from all three mints bore very large mintmarks above the dome of Monticello, and the letter 'P' was used as a mintmark for the first time on a U. S. coin


Specifications
Denomination: $0.05
Obverse: Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President and was author of the Declaration of Independence.
Reverse: Monticello, Jefferson's mountaintop home in Virgina.
Metal Composition: 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese
Total Weight: 5.00 grams

Sterling Silver and Cubic Zirconia Ring.

It's a brilliant ring for special occasions; Elegant and affordable!

Love This! The Malachite design

is perfect for this bracelet.

More at http://myworld.ebay.com/apmetals

U.S. Gold

The U.S. Buffalo and American Eagle are two of the most beautiful coins the United States have ever created! USA Gold 99.99% Pure Buffalo Coins Weight: 1 Ounce (31.132 grams); Denomination: $50  USA Gold 91.67% Pure American Eagle Coins Weight: 1 Ounce (33.931 grams); Denomination: $50; Weight: 1/2 Ounce (16.966 grams); Denomination: $25; Weight: 1/4 Ounce (8.483 grams); Denomination: $10; Weight: 1/10 Ounce (3.393 grams); Denomination: $5

How to Spot Fake Confederate Civil War Currency

Russell Huebsch is going to show s the simple steps to telling a real confederate notes from the faux....

"Collecting Civil War Confederate currency is potentially very profitable because of the nostalgia for the time period in Southern states, but also rife with fakes. Some of the confusion surrounding Civil War-era currency comes from innocent mistakes, such as facsimiles, and from criminals purposely printing forgeries. Recognizing some of the most common signs of a facsimile or forgery can eliminate most fraudulent sales.

The Cut

The South was cash-strapped during the Civil War and could not afford the machinery needed to properly cut paper money. Instead, they used scissors and other hand-cut methods. This means that legitimate Confederate currency should not have perfectly cut edges like you would see on modern currency. You might even compare Confederate currency to how a coupon looks after you cut it out from a newspaper. 

The Paper

Again, the Confederate States of America was forced to use cheap rice paper instead of a sturdier material because of the lack of wealth in the area. Rice paper feels very flimsy -- kind of like a baking sheet - and much thinner than modern currency. Some states, such as Texas, printed currency on papyrus during the pre-Civil War period, so it is possible to find currency made out of other material, but most CSA currency used rice paper.

The Ink

Most real CSA currency contains writing - most bills have hand written numbering and signatures -- in iron gall ink. Some denominations used a stamp for numbering but at the very least the treasurer had to sign the note. Iron gall ink has a dark brown color, but it also oxidizes over time which leads to bleeding through the back of the note. While some CSA notes have stood the test of time and resisted bleeding, you should be able to see the ink bleed through the back on nearly all legitimate notes.

Common Fakes and Facsimiles

There are a number of legally produced replicas of CSA currency for educational and entertainment purposes, but they may have the word "replica" on them or easily won't pass the previously mentioned tests. Some, however, such as replicas found in Cheerios boxes in the 1950's, are so old that they may begin to look legitimate and have been passed down to the next generation, so some people think they are actually heirlooms from the Civil War.

You may also encounter contemporary counterfeits, which are counterfeits notes produced during the Civil War. There are several contemporary counterfeits, so it is hard to adhere to general guidelines when identifying them. One of the more common counterfeit notes was produced by Samuel Upham. Early Upham notes have Jefferson Davis's head replaced with a donkey and Samuel wrote his name and address on them at the bottom, but many people simply cut off the name and passed them off as legitimate currency. Upham soon began counterfeiting Confederate currency due to the huge number of people passing off his notes as fakes. In many cases, contemporary counterfeits hold just as much value as real notes.

Modern forgeries have almost no value, but many forgers use the same serial number over and over. The best way to spot a forgery is to compare the serial number with a list of known fakes. In addition, learn all of the denominations used by the CSA. For instance, the CSA never produced notes worth more than $1,000. Even the $500 and $1,000 notes are extremely rare, so finding one in mint condition should draw immediate suspicion."

Huebsch, Russell. "How to Spot Fake Confederate Civil War Currency." Yahoo! Contributor Network. N.p., 2 Aug. 2012. Web. 20 Aug. 2013. <http://voices.yahoo.com/how-spot-fake-confederate-civil-war-currency-11632834.html?cat=37>.