Emeralds have been prized for their stunning green colour for literally millennia. Purported to be Cleopatras favourite gemstone, she had a huge collection though some now believe many of the gemstones may have been peridot. The Incas used emeralds in their jewellery and much of it was stolen and sent back to Spain by the…
Introducing: BeauBottletops
This month I want to introduce you to Jessie and her amazing creative business BeauBottleTops. “Incorporating freedom, self-discovery and a love of life and its intricacy”, Jess creates artwork that are “bursts of energy with the observer seeing what they wish”. Passionate about recycling and the environment, she accomplishes this using recycled bottle tops! But…
Gemstone Focus: Diamond
Diamonds have been treasured for thousands of years for their beauty and rarity. The earliest diamonds were from India found almost 3000 years ago where only the extremely wealthy had access to them. Ancient Greeks believed them to be the tears of the weeping gods. If you were born in the month of April, diamond…
Introducing: BLoC Handmade
Introducing: BLoC Handmade This month I want to introduce you to Karen and her amazing eco-sustainable business BL0C Handmade Karen’s journey began almost by accident when she made herself a denim jacket using old jeans. From there the seed for her business began to grow and today she makes beautifully crafted eco-sustainable handbags from charity…
Gemstone Focus: Aquamarine
March is the month of Aquamarine. But did you know that Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family, the same as Emerald? The gemstone was named for the sea whose colour it shares. Rarely do they come in darker hues. Aquamarines with their pale blue colour have had a connection to the sea for millennia….
Introducing: Still Alex
This month I want to introduce you to Alex from StillAlex Co. Alex is a budding entrepreneur who started her business last year with the help of her fiancé. She makes beautiful vintage inspired, eco friendly and re-usable stationary products. Not only that but she is currently pursuing her masters in economics and is looking…
Which Should you buy? The difference between Gold Filled, Gold Vermeil and Gold Plate
People often ask me what the difference between the three terms is so I thought I’d write a little post to try to clarify the differences. There is a difference between each term and the value they bring. Q: What is Gold Filled? A: Gold filled is a thick layer of carat gold heat and…
Introducing: Holly (And Nathan) from Loving Small Business
This month I want to introduce you to Holly from Loving Small Business Holly started Loving Small Business as a way to support and promote small businesses. Initially begun on Instagram she wanted to go beyond just shouting out about how great small businesses are and to find a way to put their products out…
Gemstone Focus: Garnet
“The seeds of life” The word garnet is a derivative of the latin word granatus meaning pomegranate. And it is thought that the stone was named because of its resemblance to the seeds of a pomegranate. This traditional January birthstone has inspired many legends and has popular associations with love, friendship, light, and vitality. It…
Gemstone Focus: Tanzanite
Tanzanite is the new kid on the block. It was officially recognised as a birthstone of December in 2019, replacing Blue Topaz which has been moved to join its cousins as the November birthstone. Tanzanite was first identified in Tanzania in 1962, but was originally not highly valued In 1967 the primary deposit was identified.Its…