Pliny the Elder, Roman naturalist, contended that quartz crystal (or rock crystal as the colourless variety is sometimes known)is actually ice that has become permanently frozen over a long period of time. When I see some of the quartz stones I have with beautifully faceting that are flawless to the eye, it’s easy to see why he believed this! Quartz is created in hydrothermal areas, so it’s no wonder that where I grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, we found quartz in our backyard, sparkling in rock formations that formed small bluffs and hills. Although there are real diamonds that are found in Arkansas - indeed anyone can go to Murfreesboro and go diamond-mining for a small fee - I still think of quartz crystals as Arkansas diamonds.Because of this, and because genuine diamonds are so expensive, I offer quartz crystals as alternates to the April birthstone which is the diamond. For women who don’t care for small, delicate jewelry, quartz crystal is the perfect alternative since very beautiful pieces of eye flawless rock crystal are easily obtainable and affordable for most people. Another plus is that quartz looks equally good with gold or silver accents. The Quartz Jewelry that you see here is just a small sample of the quartz jewelry pieces that we have on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. On the Quartz Jewelry page you will see quartz bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. The earrings that you see below are some of my favorites for two reasons: I adore the great pearl cabochon earwires and the sterling swirls of wire that wrap around these pretty rock crystal nuggets. Another great plus with quartz crystal is that it is dressy enough to go to a cocktail party with that little black chiffon number, but casual enough to wear everyday without looking too glitzy!

Finally just to add some colour to this post: on our Unusual Jewelry page you will find the colourful bracelet below handcrafted of lampwork beads by Suzanne Celestine, some very pretty almost translucent rhodochrosite and chrysoprase -not a usual combination, we think. Rain Song has two strands of gemstones and sterling silver from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes, including a very pretty toggle clasp with a silver flower set on the toggle ring.
Now, if we survive the rainy season here (I’m about ready to call it monsoon season since the last two weeks or so has rivaled monsoon season in southern India), it will be Summer!

The Lyric sterling silver jewelry collection by Frederick Goldman is full of all kinds of intricate details that suggest some carved the designs into the metal. Of course, that’s not how they were made, but it’s more than just filigree here. With the addition of oxidizing the metal, it makes the reliefs pop out of the jewelry piece. For example, pictures left is a ring with pink sapphires and 18kt gold accent.

This is the sort of sterling silver jewelry that you don’t want to do too much cleaning to because you can end up taking off the dark oxidized areas and totally changing the look of the piece. They site suggests just using a polishing cloth to rub it down now and then.

They feature quite a few brands, like CC Skye, Kenneth Jay Lane, Pade Vavra, and Tracy Matthews. Click on the pics below to go to to their website.

This is a sampling of the items they have on sale this week:

Yochi Design Large Lucite Bangles
Large bracelet with diagonal grooves in four trendy colors.
$27

Lisa Stewart Gold Gem Bangles
Gold band with Pearl, Coral, or Turquoise gems.
$111

CC Skye Vintage Inspired Cocktail Ring
24k gold plated ring with 1″x1/2″ stone. Brown topaz or clear rock crystal.
$127