A touching jewellery journey

Hello Eco Blog readers,

I wanted to share with you a small extract from a message sent to me this week that brought a happy tear to my eyes. It's always good to know the jewellery we create goes to good homes, but when we get a small insight into how much it can mean to you, it truly warms our hearts. Heather very kindly gave us a window into her incredible journey:

“I stare at it and get lost in it's perfection; like meditating on sacred geometry. I cried when Ben put this ring on my finger! It was as if time stood still for a moment, everything in our crazy life paused,  and I was flooded with joy, peace, love, and intense blessings!”

It warms me to think that my labouring in our small West Midlands workshop over this wonderful ring, has helped further unite two wonderful people on the other side of our planet. It truly was your silver lining.

“There could not be a more perfect ring for us! Thank you for being part of our journey.”

And thank you Heather for sharing your journey with us.

Love and Peace

Emily Smith

Eco Blog March 2017

Hello Eco Bloggers!

You may have noticed we have been super busy uploading all of our new designs to the website! A you might be able to tell, we have spent a long time vastly expanding our range to Celtic jewellery. We were inspired after a trip to Whitby abbey late last year. There were plenty of stone works for us to take inspiration from and we hope you like wearing the designs as much as we enjoyed making them.

The other underlying theme in our recent creations is going back to nature itself. We have a few new animal designs, from horses to elephants, even a pussy cat or two. We hope with time to get our creative juices flowing again as we love making new castings. I think the next step may be to expand our range of dress rings once more as they are looking sparse. Don't get me wrong the amber 5 stone and amethyst Celtic ring is some of our best sellers and are a pleasure to make. But I am feeling the challenge of new ring designs calling. But we better sell some of our new stock first to buy the silver!

We also had to say goodbye to an old workshop Friend a few weeks back. Ye Old Mr. Buff finally gave up the ghost after many, many years faithful service. So we salvaged what we could and went foraging down the local scrap yard for a new motor. I am please to say we were very successful and have found a shiny new re purposed motor for our polishing wheel. And being extra good recycled the un-salvageable pieces of the last one, but of course you expected nothing less! So enter Mr. Buff 2.0, having flexed his motor muscles I am please to say the polishing is now taking next to now time.

I will keep you updated as we progress through the year and remember if you have any pictures of you wearing our Eco925 jewellery please do send them in as we would love to post them in one of our next blog entries. Right better get back to making some of these orders!

Love and Peace

Emily

Eco-Blog January 2017

Hello Eco-Bloggers!

We have missed you. It has been far too long since we last had a chance to formally update you on all the goings on of the past year, what a ride it has been. Firstly we have expanded and have settle into our new premises in the West Midlands. It took a little while longer than we thought to get everything ship shape, but now the workshop is set up, everything is running smoother than ever.

We have qualified as registered Fairtrade goldsmiths for the coming year. Meaning we will be doing our up-most ,not just to use eco-friendly materials, but also use Fairtrade materials, where ever possible.

This January we are Launching over 52 brand New Jewellery Designs that we spend all winter working on. Some of the castings are so complex they maybe one-offs  So keep our website in your bookmark bar and make sure to keep coming back over the few weeks. I'll attach a two sneak previews below:

We will also be a little more active with our Eco-Mail this year, so to get ahead of the crowd and be the first in the know, subscribe to our mailing list below:

Keep up to date with our EcoMail News and Offers

Hello Eco-Followers,

Welcome to our July Edition of the Eco-Blog. Wow what a energetic month June has been, As you may have seen through our social media, it has been all go at Eco925. We have had the pleasure of creating jaw dropping new Eco Friendly Jewellery lines for you all. From our Stunning new Fibonacci inspired Amber pendant, to our small and subtle Celtic Rose Silver Earrings.

We also got to create one of our more artistic lines this month. Our Pointer whistle pendant which is an ETSY exclusive line of ours. I have been told that it has been gifted to a very dedicated dog trainer. If you have a picture L we'd love you to send it in to us.

As not to break from our short lived tradition, this month we are going to have a look into the birthstone of July the Ruby. Well known to jewellers worldwide, the Ruby is affectionately named one of the 'Big Four' gemstones and can carry a hefty market price. With localities all around the world from Myammar (Burma) to Sri Lanka (Ceylon). This part of the Corundum family occurs as bright red , red, purplish or brownish-red and deep pinkish-red colours.

Folk law and Mythology suggests that during the 16th century that Ruby gave control of passions, drove out evil thoughts, secured possessions to their rightful owner, brought peace and preserved bodily strength and health.

In the past many red stones that showed a similar hardness were also often called rubies e.g. Spinels or Garnets. But as our understanding and knowledge of gemstones improved materials became recognized by their own right.

The most famous example of this is the discovery that the Black Price's Ruby, set above the Cullinan II Diamond in the Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom, is not a Ruby at all! In fact it is a Spinel weighing 170 carats (that's the size of a chicken egg).




Ruby is also one of the gemstones that posses the ability that when it is highly included with rutile needles at certain angles can display Asterism or 'Star' effect. When the stone is rotated the star always follows the line of vision.

Caring for Rubies:

Rubies are tough and durable, so they do not require any special care. To clean your rubies, just use warm soapy water with a soft old toothbrush to agitate the dirt under the setting. Then just wipe with a soft dry cloth. It is important to ensure that if you have a treated Ruby then you should only use a dry cloth to clean. As the fracture filling or diffusion treatments may become damaged. As with most jewellery, ultra sonic cleaners are not recommended. It is also better not to expose your ruby jewellery to acids of jewellery cleaner. Also ensure that you keep it in a separate compartment in your jewellery box to your other jewellery as it is still susceptible to scratching.

Well that's it for now from us here at Eco925 we hope you have enjoyed our article. If you have any questions or enquiries we would love to here from you. This month we will leave you with an image of one of our treasured customers enjoying their new jewellery:

Thank you Amelia for sending a picture and leaving a wonderful testimonial. 

Love and Peace

Eco925

June Eco-Blog 2015

Welcome to our June edition of the Eco-Blog. This month we are going to be looking closely at pearls. With a little bit of Mythology and folklaw about their origins and how to care for them:

There are many myths regarding the origin of pearls. One of the earliest myths is from the Hindu culture. In the Hindu book of the Rigveda, Krishna descended into the ocean and discovered the first pearl, which he gave to his daughter on her wedding day. In the Hindu culture, pearls are associated with the Moon, and symbolize purity and love. Many legends relate the pearl to the Moon. In one myth, the Moon bathes in the ocean, and its light attracts oysters to the surface, so that it might impregnate them with dew. Old Arabian, Greek, and Roman legends tell us that the pearl is formed when dewdrops filled with Moonlight fall to the ocean and are swallowed by oysters. The Persians believed the same thing, but they also believed that imperfections found in pearls were due to thunder in the sky. Chinese myths tell of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fight, and of pearls conceived within the brains of dragons.

Pearls have always been associated with love. The Greeks and Romans believed that wearing pearls promoted marital bliss, and the bond between Psyche and Cupid was often depicted by a strand of pearls. Venus (Aprodite) was believed to have been born from an oyster in the sea, like a pearl. In one Polynesian legend, Oro, the god of peace and fertility, offered a pearl to the princess of Bora Bora as a token of his love. Pearls are also often associated with tears. Many legends say that pearls are the tears of gods, and the Greeks believed that wearing pearls would prevent a newlywed woman from crying. One legend says that the tears of Adam and Eve created a lake that bore pearls.

The pearl is almost always associated with the moon, and is usually considered to be feminine in nature. It is said to strengthen the astrological effects of the moon. It is often associated with brides and with weddings, which may date all the way back to the legend about Krishna and his daughter's wedding. Pearls protect brides from widowhood, and ensure faithfulness and a happpy conjugal life. They are also thought to quicken the laws of karma and to strengthen loving relationships. 

Pearls are also said to bring about wealth, good fortune, and wisdom through experience. They are said to enhance the beauty of women and keep them forever young. They help wearers see themselves more clearly, so that they might improve themselves. They are also said to calm the emotions of wearers, so that they might maintain mental stability. Pearls are often assosicated with purity and innocence, and therefore protect the innocent. They are often said to protect children. Many authorities say that pearls should never be worn with diamonds. 

Caring for your pearls:

Pearls are organic gemstones that are vulnerable to acid, alkaline and extremes of humidity. To preserve your pearls' radiance, avoid letting them come into contact with cosmetics, hair spray, or perfume. Always put on your jewelry as a final touch, after applying make-up and styling hair. The pearl's luster can also be harmed by perspiration. To prevent this, before returning your pearls to the jewelry box, wipe them gently with a soft cloth.

Pearls are exceptionally cohesive and shock-resistant, but may be scratched by contact with sharp objects or other gemstones. To prevent tangles and scratches, fasten clasps and pins, then lay each item out separately in a compartmentalized jewelry box. When carrying jewelry, use a protective jewelry pouch. Leaving pearl jewelry in a security box for long periods may cause pearls to dehydrate, so enjoy them frequently. There is a saying that "pearls want to be worn," and it is true!

If the radiance of your jewellery appears to be fading, take it to a specialist. Ultrasonic cleaners should never be used with pearl jewelry as it can damage the pearls. The same goes for using any sort of Gold or Silver Cleaning liquids and dips. It is best to clean the metal with a dry Silver or Gold cloth to remove any tarnishing. 

To celebrate the month of June we are exhibiting a number of new pearl lines. From Freshwater Black pearls to Coloured Pearl Bracelets. You can find them at www.eco925.com or on our etsy shop www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Eco925