Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Earrings, 6 X 4 mm Cabochons Set in S/S, .80 Carats

Description: The earring are made with solid 6 X 4 mm natural Sleeping Beauty turquoise cabochons. The turquoise have a combined gemstone weight of .80 carats. The gems are bezel set and glued into serrated sterling silver settings. The stud earrings include medium sterling silver butterfly earring backs. The settings were made in the USA and arrive in a gift box. I purchased my Sleeping Beauty turquoise from USA sellers from New Mexico. The Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is mined near Globe, Arizona. Sadly, the mine was closed to turquoise mining in the fall of 2012. The owners of the mine decided to concentrate on copper mining as the price of copper has risen significantly. There are no plans to open the mine up to turquoise mining in the future. This has caused the price of Sleeping Beauty to jump in value. Sleeping Beauty turquoise is revered and highly sought after due to its pure sky blue colour which shows very little to no veining or webbing. To help strengthen and preserve these Sleeping Beauty turquoise, they have been treated using the Zachery Process. The process involves soaking the stone in a non-toxic chemical solution followed by a heating process to stabilize the stones. Details of the process are quite mysterious, as the company that invented the Zachary process try to maintain proprietary knowledge of the invention. The turquoise is not dyed, reconstituted or irradiated. The Zachary Process is the only turquoise process technology out there that is recognized as a natural treatment by the GIA. One of the problems of untreated turquoise is that the colour and sheen fade over time. Typically, turquoise is treated with wax, clear epoxy, resin or some other form of liquid plastic to stabilize the stone from dirt with varying degrees of success. Stabilization not only protects the stone from dirt, but reduces the chances of fracturing. Waxing and oiling do not solve the problem of "bloom" in which materials from within the stone leak out over time to create an outer white deposit. The Zachary Process solves these problems and increases the hardness, colour and luster of turquoise and lasts longer than any other treatment. I have used LED lighting in my photographs. I have enlarged the photos for better viewing. The earrings have been placed next to a dime for size reference. I use high quality metals in the jewelry settings. I do not use silver plated settings. The settings are .925 sterling silver and is the standard for silver. It is called .925 because it is an alloy that is 925 parts out of a thousand silver. It is allowed for the other 75 parts to be other metals (usually copper) to enhance the strength, because pure silver is very soft and not structurally strong enough for many jewelry applications. Other "silver settings" come with different elements in their composition. German/Nickel Silver, which is an alloy consisting of copper, zinc and nickel, contains no silver. Many people have allergic reactions to nickel. Other settings may be called Mexican Silver, Indian Silver, Montana Silver, Pewter, Tin, Pot or Base Metal or simply silver. The content of these are less clear and do not guarantee the quantity or silver content. .925 is the best form of silver. It is durable and has a high sheen. Sterling Silver is considered a precious metal. Inside the gift box, the jewelry is placed inside an envelope with a 1" X 1" anti-tarnish tab. This is the same technology used by NASA, The Guggenheim Museum, The British Royal Mint and jewelry manufacturers worldwide. The tab provides protection from tarnish for up to 12 months. It does not leave deposits on items it protects. It is non-toxic, non-abrasive, and will not scratch or harm metals or gemstones. Place strips in jewelry cases, storage bags or boxes. Each tab protects up to 30 cubic inches of container space. I am always happy to answer your questions and I guarantee my items 100%. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, return your item and I will refund your purchase price. I do not charge a restocking fee on returned items. Take a look at my other listings in Meet the Seller information, visit my store and eBay will create a list for you. I am adding new items often. Thank you for visiting my store.

Price: 36 USD

Location: Saint Helens, Oregon

End Time: 2024-10-01T03:34:04.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD