Ovico Wearable Cashmere Scarf

I spotted a wearable 100% cashmere wrap from Ovico Scarves that I’d be thrilled to find under my Christmas tree. It makes a fabulous gift and without a doubt is an investment wardrobe piece that will be worn for years to come.

Made of superfine 100% Mongolian cashmere for its exquisite softness and smoothness, it’s perfect for travel, casual wear or formal wear.

What makes this piece so desirable is its versatility. It is knitted with armholes! Yet due to the softness, lightness and fluidity of pure cashmere you could still tie it around your neck or wear it just like a regular scarf without armholes.

My dilemma would be selecting one color. Black to go with everything? Or fuchsia, cornflower blue, navy, or rose because they are so beautiful? There are 15 colors in all. I can understand splurging to get more than one color, yet as an under buyer, I’d try to stop at one wearable wrap. But ... perhaps next year, I’d add another color. 

How about you? Are you tempted too? Maybe we need to buy ourselves a holiday gift? A cashmere scarf with armholes is so practical and ingenious!

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Among My Favorite Leggings Are Old Navy’s PowerSoft

Over the years I’ve compiled 2 Best Leggings Roundups. Apparel gets discontinued, and yet my October 14, 2021 blog is still relevent. The leggings on that list are available and haven’t changed much. With Black Friday approaching I'll add another leggings option to grab on promotion. I know Old Navy well enough to know they'll go on sale for 50% off at under $20 a pair! Black Friday is always a best day to save on basics.

There are variations in style such as leg length and pockets or no pockets. This style even comes in a pair of shorts. I buy the High-Waisted PowerSoft Full-Length Pocket Leggings - The PowerSoft material is a light compression, smooth, sweat-wicking fabric. They never feel rough or stratchy on my skin. They have an attractive, snug, yet not too tight fit. Yes, you  can buy them without pockets, but why would you? The pockets don’t take away from a smooth appearance. I slide my apartment keys inside to go down to my mailbox hands-free. I also machine wash these PowerSoft leggings, but tend to hang dry them. 

For a polished casual-smart look, pair them with a t-shirt and cardigan or blazer. You never have to look sloppy even when just hanging around the house. Stock up during the Black Friday sales! You’re wear them 3/4 of the year.

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The 3 Other Precious Gemstones In The Raw

Recently I wrote a blog about raw rubies before they are cut, polished and turned into jewelry. Today I’m posting images of the 3 other precious gemstones in the raw. When we visualize gemstones, mostly we see them as the sparklers they become after craftsmen and jewelers get their hands on them like the above Harry Winston diamond ring. Not how them start or grow in nature, but how they are finished, right? So let's look at a few images of gemstones as they are found in nature.

I. Diamonds are a single element. Formula: C. A diamond is an allotrope of the element carbon. Its structure is a rigid three-dimensional lattice where each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. A diamond’s atoms are arranged in a crystal structure called a diamond cubic. The gemstone rates a 10 on Mohs Hardness Scale. BTW: Graphite, charcoal, and diamond are all allotropes of the element carbon.

⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧

The Aga Khan Emerald brooch and the Chalk Emerald ring

II. Emeralds - are beryls, a mineral. Its formula, Be3Al2(SiO3)6, is colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium. On Mohs Hardness Scale emeralds rate an 8. They were formed under the most violent of geologic conditions, which is why less than 1% of the world’s emeralds are eye clean. Unlike diamonds, inclusions and surface breaking fissures called  jardins are common and accepted in emerads. 

⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧ ๋࣭ ⭑✧⋆ ๋࣭ ⭑✧

The Swedish royal family's Leuchtenberg Sapphire tiara and an unheated Kashmir 9.38 sapphire ring sold by Christie’s

III. Sapphires - are a variety of the mineral corundum. Its formula, α-Al2O3 consists of the elements aluminum oxide with trace amounts of iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. Sapphires register a 9 on Mohs Hardness scale. Blue is the most in demand color. When sapphires are yellow, orange, purple, pink, or green they are called fancy sapphires. When corundrms are red, they are rubies, not sapphires.

Gemstones take millions of years for the Earth to produce, or nowadays they can be grown in a lab, but it takes the artistry of human hands to turn these majestic crystals, beryls, and corundums into gorgeous pieces of jewelry. The next time you see a gemstone think of its journey and how many hands went into crafting it into a thing of beauty.

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Don’t Throw Away Your Silica Gel Packets

You know those little silica gel packets that come with leather goods like shoes or handbags? Don’t throw them away. Reuse them!

I keep them with shoes that stay in plastic shoe boxes if I only wear the shoes occasionally. When I have extra silica gel packets from the shoe boxes I toss out, I repurpose them by placing the packets in the corners of my closets, kitchen cupboards, and inside drawers throughout my apartment including my nightstand and entertainment center.

Moisture if not controlled can destroy many types of dry goods. The silica gel packets absorb up to 40% of their weight in moisture, saving many types of dry goods from damage. They help maintain a dry environment, preventing mold and mildew from damaging leather goods and other articles that may surprise you!

Moreover, silica gel packets can also release moisture back into the air if the atmosphere gets too dry, helping to stabilize humidity to maintain product quality. 

Papers, photographs, jewelry, and electronics are several categories of items that can be preserved by tossing silica gel packets into the containers that store them. Razor blades will not rust or dull in a medicine cabinet, and car windshields will not fog up with silica packets placed on your dashboard. You can also toss silica gel packets into your gym bag, luggage, or clothes hamper to prevent mildew. A few packets stored in the corner of a food pantry keeps herbs, breadcrumbs and crackers fresh.

Silica gel packets are non-toxic unless cobalt is listed as an ingredient which is toxic. Most silica gel packets do not contain cobalt. If you place a few packets into a file cabinet or food pantry, you can always insert them into a paper envelope. The silica gel packets are fairly sturdy, so I don’t worry about them lying inside closets, pantries, or drawers.

Nevertheless, you should keep them away from children and pets since they aren’t editable.

Have you been throwing your silica gel packets away? Stop! They're very useful and you get them for free!

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Jeweler Ann Angeletti Is 101 Years Old

All photos courtesy of WABC News unless noted otherwise

Ann Angeletti, age 101, still works 6 days a week. Mondays are spend in Manhattan’s diamond district bargaining with vendors to bring in new inventory. Five days a week she works alongside her daughter and granddaughter at Curiosity Jewelers, her family owned business which she opened in 1964, located at 24 Union Avenue, Cresskill, New Jersey.

Customers rave about the customer care and welcoming atmosphere inside the shop, calling Ann Angeletti fair in her pricing and the most knowledgeable jeweler in the Tri-State area. They also say there is a great selection of beautiful jewelry.

Photo: Curiosity Jewelers

There’s much to be admired about this 

 

centenarian. Starting and sustaining a successful independent jewelry store for 62 years with the aim of putting customers first, and loving what she does with no plans to retire.

Although Curiosity Jewelers is known for its fine jewelry, it also sells antique and costume jewelry. Usually it's wiser to save up for one good classic piece of fine jewelry than to buy lots of costume jewelry. A lovely gold ring, bracelet or necklace can be wore over the years and passed down to offspring.

Curiosity Jewelers seems to have found the winning formula as a trustworthiness business: Combine expert knowledge, honest prices and treat customers right after they walk in the door.

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Admiring Rubies In The Raw

Today I want to feature high quality rubies in their natural state. I’d be trilled to find such a precious red crystal before it was cut and turned into jewelry. I’m not sure I’d want to cut or polish it. Previously I’ve written about rubies detailing their properties and value, which I’ll link below.👇The main purpose of this blog is to fawn over uncut rubies!

In the jewelry world, rubies are one of the rarest and most coveted gemstones. The red corundum derives its color from traces of chromium. All other colors of gem-quality corundum are classified as sapphires, including pink corundum. Gemologists and jewelers expect a medium to medium-dark red color tone for a gemstone to be considered a genuine ruby. Corundums of lighter coloration are pink sapphires. A ruby's exclusive red color can reach high levels of saturation. Due to their rarity, premium quality rubies are among the world's most expensive gemstones, selling for over $1 million per carat.

Historically, Myanmar (formerly called Burma) was the most renowned source for high-saturation with fluorescence, or "pigeon's blood," rubies. But in 2009 major deposits of high quality rubies were discovered in Mozambique to rival Myanmar rubies. Vietnam and Madagascar also grow similar high quality rubies.

Since there are few gemstone quality high saturation rubies in nature, rubies undergo more treatments than nearly all other gemstones before being turned into jewelry, greatly affecting their market value. Most commercial rubies are at least heat-treated, an accepted practice as long as it’s disclosed and reflected in its retail price. Without treatment there would be few rubies to sell.

A lovely affordable raw ruby bracelet here from an unfamiliar retailer.

Aren’t these blocks of uncut vibrant red gemstones beautiful? Especially when knowing that not all natural ruby crystals are gemstone quality. If you want to know more about gemstone quality rubies, you can click the links below.

If you found a raw ruby would you treasure it or have it cut and polished into a piece of jewelry? 

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