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Beware of amber jewelry for children

Published on August 16, 2022

Are jewels with amber pearls dangerous? Some time ago a photo of Gisele Bündchen raised the question. Amber pearls could be harmful to children. Read why ♦

Amber alarm. When the model Gisele Bündchen, years ago, posted a photo of herself and her baby girl on Instagram, a debate started on the Net. The photo showed her baby girl with tiny earrings. But the controversy was not about whether it was the appropriate age for an ear piercing, but about the amber necklace around the girl’s neck. In fact, Baltic amber necklaces have become popular as an alternative treatment to relieve the pain caused by teething in infants. There is actually no clear scientific evidence that a necklace has a positive effect, but advocates say that when heated by the temperature of the child’s body, amber releases a pain reliever substance, which is then absorbed through the skin.

On the contrary, however, there are those who indicate the danger of causing suffocation, especially if children are left unattended. In 2010, Health Canada, the federal department of health, determined that children’s necklaces are a problem, enough to justify a consumer safety warning. So much so that France and Switzerland have banned the sale of necklaces in pharmacies. Suffocation is the leading cause of death for children under one year of age and among the top five for children aged between one and four years. The amber necklaces sellers, of course, reject the accusations: they claim that the necklaces are secure, because the thread knotted between each bead prevents the pearls in the necklace from melting, even if it is broken.

Still, the necklaces are produced and sold without a safety standard and there are no guarantees that any closures of the jewel will not fall apart. Furthermore, the more prudent point out that if the necklace gets caught there would also be the risk of strangulation of the baby. In short, amber is good for the neck of an adult, for safety it is better to leave children alone. Giulia Netrese

Bebè con collana di perle d'ambra — Bebè con collana di perle d’ambra

How to recognize true amber

Published on February 18, 2022

Campus

Amber jewelry – beautiful, warm, fascinating. Recently, even a tutelary deity of high jewelery, such as Fawaz Gruosi, has proposed creations with this material, which is fossil resin with a history of thousands of years. Unfortunately, however, amber in circulation has a flaw: it is often fake. In this case it is almost always the resin of the copal or plastic tree. Read, then, how to recognize true amber. The best, it must be said immediately, is the one that comes from some areas bordering the Baltic Sea.

Salt water test
A test that often works to find out if amber is true or false, the salt water test. Proceed as follows: mix seven teaspoons of salt and a medium-sized cup of water. When all the salt has dissolved, put the amber into the water. True amber should float easily, most fakes will sink right away. It is a method that can be easily applied to those jewels composed almost exclusively of amber, while it does not work if the amber is only a small part, for example it is in the setting of a ring.

Apilla in argento sterling, oro 24 e 22 caeati, ambra, diamante taglio pincess, diamanti grezzi

Magnifying glass
A check with your eyes can immediately resolve the doubt. True amber tends to have small imperfections – a close look, perhaps with a magnifying glass, can reveal the truth. For example, tiny cracks, air bubbles, or inclusions of dust, or insects. In addition, even the amber pearls, for example in a necklace, tend to be slightly different from each other. On the contrary, fake amber will be perfect. Too.

Use your fingers
Amber tends to feel slightly warm to the touch because it is not a conductive material. In short, it is the same effect on the skin that wood or rubber makes, unlike metal or water. Most fakes, on the other hand, will look cooler.

Orecchini Plumetil in argento con ambra e perle di acqua dolce

Hair test
True amber has electrostatic properties, like plastic: it can attract tiny bits of paper and dust when it is charged with enough energy. To charge the amber, wrap it in a cloth and rub it vigorously, without damaging it. At this point, if you bring the amber close to the head (or small pieces of paper) and the hair is attracted, it means that static electricity has formed and most likely the amber is authentic. Conversely, if the stone does not charge, but becomes sticky, it is false.

Boiling needle
Another way to tell real amber from fake is to check your jewelry with a hot needle. Provided you use an area that is not visible. To perform this test, in fact, it is necessary to heat the needle and point it at the stone. If the needle has entered only slightly or has left cracks, most likely the amber is real. Another element: if the amber is real, there is also the smell of old rotten wood. When doing the same procedure with fakes, the needle goes in very easily and you can smell fresh plastic or pine (if it’s copal resin). Obviously, this test can only be done on parts of amber that are not in sight because the needle leaves a mark, albeit a small one.

Anello in oro, titanio, diamanti, ambra, granati, opale di fuoco, zaffiri della collezione Chambre d'Ambre — Anello in oro, titanio, diamanti, ambra, granati, opale di fuoco, zaffiri della collezione Chambre d’Ambre di Lydia Courteille

The scratch
The same concept applies to the scratch proof. This test helps to distinguish colored glass from amber, because glass beads cannot be scratched by metal, while real amber is quite soft and scratches. If a bead gets scratched, it is most likely amber. Too bad the test ruins it.

Smell the amber
It is a test used by those who are quite familiar with amber. In fact, one must be able to distinguish the smell of copal resin from that of Baltic amber. The smell of true Baltic amber is usually stronger than that of copal. And, if it is plastic, the smell is unpleasant.

The price
It is not a definitive proof, but be wary of amber jewelry with an excessively low price or, in any case, much lower than others. In addition, the best quality amber is usually accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. In short, a reliable seller is able to provide the right information.

Highest fantasy and high jewelry: Fawaz Gruosi is come back

Published on January 28, 2022

alta gioielleria/Showroom

Alta gioielleria by Fawaz Gruosi, collana e anello con smeraldi e diamanti

Years go by but Fawaz Gruosi’s talent is fresh as a rose. The jeweler is one of the few capable not only of creating extraordinary pieces, but also of introducing trends that are then accepted (some would say copied) by the rest of the world. Many years ago were black diamonds, provided by Fawaz Gruosi with a passport to enter the world of high jewelry. Filed away the years with the unfortunate Maison de Grisogono, stumbled upon corporate problems far from the world of jewelry, Fawaz Gruosi has restarted with a brand that this time has his name and a boutique in Berkeley Square, London, while the creation of the jewels takes place in Geneva. And he did well, as he is well known in the world of high jewelery enthusiasts.

During the Parisian haute couture week, Gruosi presented new exceptional jewels. The style is the same as always: sinuous, surprising, innovative shapes without being bizarre. And, above all, with many great gems enhanced by the design. Like the ring with a square-cut Colombian emerald of over 15 carats, surrounded by rubies and other navette-cut emeralds. Or a pair of earrings in 18-karat rose gold and titanium, with two Colombian emerald-cut emeralds, 408 brilliant-cut emeralds, 106 brilliant-cut white diamonds and ivory-colored ceramic: a jewel that has no comparison. The style of the earrings is also reflected in a “lava setting” necklace with the sinuous trend of a snake of diamonds intertwined with a second snake of emeralds, surmounted by a quintet of emeralds: there are 44 Zambian emeralds for a total of 87, 65 carat. There is no shortage of pieces composed solely of diamonds, such as the 18-karat white gold ring with 62 baguette-cut and 673 brilliant-cut white diamonds.

Anello con uno smeraldo colombiano taglio quadrato di oltre 15 carati, circondato da rubini e da altri smeraldi taglio navette

Orecchini in oro rosa 18 carati e titanio, con due smeraldi colombiani taglio smeraldo, 408 smeraldi taglio brillante, 106 diamanti bianchi taglio brillante e ceramica color avorio

But, as mentioned at the beginning, the jeweler also loves to surprise. This time Grwuosi introduces amber to high jewelery. A precious material, and well known, but not usually used in this type of jewelry. Instead, here is a ring and bracelet with Baltic amber of the best quality chiseled in cabochon and drops, with gold motifs set with diamonds. Above, a 9.75-carat Ceylon sapphire, pear-cut diamonds. It’s safe to bet that amber will also be rediscovered by other Maisons.

For lovers of colored gemstones, there is only the embarrassment of choice. A bracelet combines two blue sapphires for a total of 121.62 carats, with 153.10 carats of pink sapphires contrasted with baguette-cut emeralds. Or a ring with an ellipse made up of baguette-cut sapphires and spiral emeralds. Not only that: the ring is topped with a 27.33-carat Ceylon sapphire. If, on the other hand, you love the color red, here is a bracelet composed of waves of baguette and brilliant cut Burmese rubies, which can be combined with a ring made with the same stones. Another ring, on the other hand, is made up of a pink opal sprinkled with marquise-cut diamonds and thirty-one cabochon emeralds: the effect is sure.

The most astonishing jewel of the collection, however, is a spectacular necklace made up of eight rows of emeralds and diamonds. It has a flavor reminiscent of the India of the maharajas or, better, of the maharanis (the queens). The jewel is composed of emeralds for 115.55 carats with cabochon cut interspersed with brilliant cut diamonds. Pure art.

Collana composta da otto file di smeraldi per 115,55 carati con taglio cabochon intervallati da diamanti taglio brillante

Anello con un’ellissi composta da zaffiri taglio baguette e smeraldi a spirale

Anello con un opale rosa cosparso di diamanti taglio marquise e 31 smeraldi cabochon

Anello in oro bianco 18 carati con 62 diamanti bianchi taglio baguette e 673 taglio brillante

Bracciale composto da onde di rubini birmani taglio baguette e taglio brillante, che si può abbinare a un anello realizzato con le stesse pietre

Collana “lava setting” con l’andamento sinuoso di un serpente di diamanti intrecciato con un secondo serpente di smeraldi, sormontato da un quintetto di smeraldi: sono 44 smeraldi dello Zambia per un totale di 87,65 carati

Bracciale con 1431 diamanti taglio brillante e 1284 tsavoriti taglio brillante

Feral and the prehistoric jewels

Published on August 8, 2021

Showroom

Collana con ciondolo a forma di teschio di cervo in oro 18 carati e diamanti

From mammoth’s bones to walrus teeth: the rarest nature is Feral’s raw material ♦ ︎

A jewel made with a bone of mammoth is no longer a novelty. But maybe it’s a Utha gold coated pine cone. Or an old stalactite of hundreds of thousands of years made in slices to be transformed into a necklace or bracelet. Susan Oster founded in Los Angeles his Feral, jewelery brand with, no doubt, a original style. But, let’s get clear right away, it’s not an extemporaneous initiative of a young design promise. Instead, Susan Oster has a long design experience, but applied to interior furnishings or graphics. “I grew up in a house full of antiques, where reorganizing furniture was a family sport,” Susan said.

After studying at Carnegie-Mellon University and the Ucla School of Architecture and Interior Design, Susan Oster worked with stylist Barbara Barry. Then, in 1997, he founded Susan Oster Design. Until the jewels, which in 2017 debuted at Las Vegas Jck. In addition to diamond embedded in elk horn and fossil tricheco teeth (but still with diamonds), Feral also propose also exotic jewelry made with amber and gold.

Collana con pendente in oro con diamanti

Vracciale con oro 18 carati e corno con pavé di diamanti

Bracciale formato da ossa di mammut e catena in oro

Bracciale con denti di tricheco fossili, oro e diamanti

Bracciale con corno di alce, oro e diamanti

Amber alarm: true or false?

Published on December 17, 2020

Campus

Do you have amber jewels? Or do you want to buy jewels made of amber beads? Be careful, because scams increase. Here’s how to recognize the true amber ♦

Alarm yellow or, better, amber alarm. Especially during the summer increases the chances of finding offers jewelry made from fossilized resin beads. The amber is often used for large necklaces or bracelets. They are lively jewelry, not too expensive and with an ancient history, since their origin dates back to millions of years ago. But are you sure that what they want to sell is authentic amber? And you do not suspect that the old necklace you have in the drawer is really authentic? Unfortunately, scams abound. Here, then, are some suggestions to see if the amber is true or false.

What is it. As mentioned, the amber is the resin of trees with millions of years. It has an intense yellow color, tending to orange or brown. It is used in jewelry for thousands of years, but it is also used as an element for perfumes and incense. Amber can be opaque or transparent, and sometimes contain seeds or fossil insects, trapped in time.

Colla d'ambra con turchesi. Vera o finta? — Colla d’ambra con turchesi. Vera o finta?

True or false. Unfortunately, it is not difficult to exchange the amber with the plastic or synthetic material, such as bakelite. Amber, however, floats in salt water, while the thick plastic easily goes to the bottom. But to do the test you must have an piece of amber not mounted with metal on a jewel. If the seller makes that possible, try to touch the amber gem with a hot needle. If you smell resin almost certainly it is amber. Obviously, a plastic or other synthetic material produces an unpleasant odor.
Tip: buy amber jewelry from a reputable store, certificate, may have some additional guarantee, even though the cost will be a little ‘higher.

The International Amber Association has also established a classification that can help buyers understand the difference between different types of amber.

Natural Baltic Amber. It is a gem that has been subjected solely to mechanical treatment, such as grinding, cutting or polishing, without changing its natural properties.

Modified Baltic Amber. In this case the amber was subjected only to heat treatment or high pressure. The heat or pressure has changed its physical properties, including the degree of transparency and color, or shaped in similar conditions outside a nugget, previously cut to the required size.

Rebuilt Baltic Amber (pressed). As the definition indicates, these are pieces of amber pressed at high temperature and under high pressure, without further components.

Glued Baltic Amber. It is the one with the lowest quality, formed by two or more pieces of amber of the other types, joined with a transparent glue. Obviously it should cost (and apply) less.

Watch out for the copal. Amber is fossilized resin. But before turning into amber it is found in an intermediate state, the copal: this is the commercial name that indicates a sub-fossil vegetable resin, or fossil, that dates back over 11,000 years ago. The copal is similar to amber, but much younger. It has an opaque and milky appearance, often with perfectly preserved insects, which were imprisoned thousands of years ago in the resin of the trees. But it is a much softer material than amber and is soluble in substances such as ether or gasoline. So be careful, because you can literally melt. A curiosity: the name derives from copalli, a Nahuatl language word (originating from the Aztec population) which means incense.

Blue amber. It is a rare variety that has only been found in the Dominican Republic. It is not always blue: the color depends, in fact, by the amount of fluorescence. Beware, though: much of blue amber is false. The amber is dyed or heat treated to change the color yellow. A clue may be inclusions: insects or other material inside may indicate that it’s a fake. Federico Graglia

Collana di ambra con una lavorazione rozza

Un frammento di ambra allo stato naturale

Lydia Courteille in the mysterious Amber Room

Published on February 11, 2020

COLLANE/alta gioielleria/Showroom/Rings

Few masterpieces in the world have as mysterious a charm as the Amber Room, which inspired Lydia Courteille’s new high jewelery collection. One of the most creative and delightfully refined designers in the world of jewelry has designed and created a series of jewels that use, of course, amber together with diamonds, fire opals, citrines, yellow sapphires, garnets and chalcedony mounted on baroque architecture made in gold and titanium. Just like the original Amber Room.

Anello in oro, titanio, diamanti, ambra, granati, opale di fuoco, zaffiri

The history of this incredible environment dates back to the Prussian king Frederick William I, who gave it to Tsar Peter the Great in 1716. The room had the walls completely covered with a mosaic of amber and gilded stucco. For almost two centuries this room was located in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, near Saint Petersburg. It had an area of 55 square meters and contained more than 6 tons of amber. During the Second World War the room was dismantled by German troops. And it has disappeared. Nobody has ever found amber furnishings and walls: it is thought they could be burned in 1945 during the fire of the Königsberg castle.

Un particolare della Camera d'Ambra — Un particolare della Camera d’Ambra

A reconstruction of the Amber Room was inaugurated in 2003 and was visited by Lydia Courteille, who was fascinated by it. And he decided to renew the charm of that lost room. Angels or animals in pure Baroque style peep out in the jewelry. And there is also a tribute to Empress Catherine, the one who lived more the extravagant and luxurious amber room.

Collana della collezione Chambre d'Ambre di Lydia Courteille — Collana della collezione Chambre d’Ambre di Lydia Courteille

Orecchini in oro, titanio, opali, granato, ambra

Lydia Courteille. Copyright: gioiellis.com

Ottaviani Gioielli for the winter

Published on October 30, 2017

Argento/Showroom

The collections by Ottaviani Gioielli for the winter 2017-2018 ♦ ︎
Ottaviani, an Italian historical brand for bijoux and jewelery, renews its collections for the winter 2017-2018. Proposed jewels use natural stones such as agate, quartz or amber. But the main aspect is the interpretation of pieces as miniature sculptures. Small teapots, leaves, bells, flowers, jars, birds, cats, children, owls emerge from earrings, rings and pendants. Rhodium-plated metal, in some cases with gilding, makes the surface brilliant. Particularity of the collection is the different treatment of silver 925, treated with a white wax, it is very shiny and of great effect. When it is handled with the process of Electroforming, on the other hand, produces large volume elements and shapes, but at the same time easy to read and easy to wear. In the Balloon collection, the star, the flower or the circular element take a sinuous shapes and lines of great impact and brightness.
The surface of rhodium-plated silver is also proposed scratched, or chiseled with zirconia embossing. Lavinia Andorno