This suggestion comes from my required reading in gemology class at the Fashion Institute of Technology. A constant resource that is always on my desk, dog-eared, and read. If you read my other posts regarding each month's birthstone I will always use this book as the source. My favorite sections are the colors and the possibilities for confusion.

Also known as - Chrysolite, Olivine

Rarest forms - Cat's Eye & Star

Countries of origin - Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, & Arizona.

Interesting Tidbits -

• Popular during the Baroque peroid
• Largest Cut piece - 319 Carats, located in Smithsonian in Washingston DC
• Russia has peridot from a meteorite that fell in 1749
• Easily confused with Chrysoberyl

Schumann, Walter. 2009. Gemstones of the World. Sterling Publishing Co., New York.

• Celtic Cuff - $400, sterling silver
• Heart Initial - starting at $125, sterling silver

Alice & Chains Jewelry fashioned for all my fan girls, rocker moms, and all around bad-a$$ females!

I know, I know...Ahem! Alice & Chains Jewelry?! How do I not address the always questioned and confused for epic and amazing rock band that shares a glaringly similar name to our own? The band - Alice In Chains, and your favorite bespoke jewelry line, Alice & Chains Jewelry, sadly, my friends, share no commonality. I am not an over-grown, obsessed fan-girl that named her jewelry line after a favorite band, I'm just not the kind of girl that can commit that solidly to a single band. Alice & Chains Jewelry is in fact named after two incredibly sweet & caring women & my love of chains - ROCK ON!

 Advanced warning of what is surely to be a great read and addition to my always growing collection of books about gems! Pre-Order on Amazon now, release date Oct. 4th, 2016.Save

One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to dress up.  Whether you choose to follow the local fashion, it's your honeymoon, for work, or just because it's a fun and special destination and you want to dress to that. Traveling with jewelry is often times how pieces become entangled, broken, lost or even stolen.

Tips for Traveling with Jewelry:

• Carry on - in your purse, a bag that fits in the overhead, or your backpack. DO NOT put it in checked luggage - that's a guarantee for it to be stolen or broken.
• Travel Insurance - some credit card companies offer travel insurance. I've had a camera lens as well as an iPad replaced by my credit card's travel insurance because it was stolen. Well worth the extra $10 on every trip if you travel with expensive items like iPads, jewelry, cameras, etc.
• Jewelry Traveler - every jewelry-wearing traveler should own and use a specifically compartmentalized carrier. It should have pouches that zip or compartments that stay sealed to keep chains from tangling, earrings from floating around, watches from scratching everything, etc. I love and have used my Vera Bradley jewelry traveler for nearly ten years!
• Ziplocks & Pill Bottles - Worst-case scenario, put each piece of jewelry in a Ziplock bag. Or, if you have an old single and/or a multi-day pill box around - those work great for rings, earrings, small bracelets and they're incog-neat-o :-)

Taking care of your fine jewelry, whether Alice & Chains Jewelry made it or not, is a priority.

Top Reasons to Keep it Clean:

• Keeping it clean, keeps it safe - if your jewelry is clean you are more likely to see any damage that has occurred, and therefore more able call someone like myself, to assess and care for the piece. For example, prongs wear down or become loose with time and if that goes unnoticed, the devastating consequence is a lost stone.
• "Get your shine on" #floridageorgialine - the cleaner your jewelry is the brighter the metal shines, the more vibrant the colors appear, and the more sparkles the stone(s) cast.
• In case of a jewelry emergency - having regularly cleaned your jewelry will actually benefit your jewelry in the awful scenario that it needs repairs. When repairs are made, the metal is submitted to high levels of heat during soldering, opening the metal's pores, allowing for dirt and debris to enter the surface - which can make repairs impossible. It is never fun being the bearer of bad news when an owner brings in their ring thinking one thing is wrong and I have to go back to them that their piece is in fact more severely damaged than they thought.

Keeping it Clean:

• Below is an example jewelry cleaning product available for a reasonable price on Amazon, but similar products can be found at Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc.
• ALWAYS read the instructions before using - products like this shouldn't be used on silver jewelry or porous stones.
• Use at minimum once a week for jewelry you wear daily.
• Dry with a lint-free towel, like a tea towel from your kitchen to keep prongs, clasps, and such from snagging on fibers.
• These jars tend to leak from the lid when used. I recommend keeping this product in a safe, up-right location and on a paper towel or coaster to prevent it from damaging any furniture.
• Once the liquid gets near a 1/3 left, it's time to buy a new one!

Before Alice & Chains, I had a passion for literature and what better way to share my love for both as well as give you into the life of a jewelry designer.

Some of my suggestions will be jewelry-based - about stones, jewelry history, certain designers, etc. Others may be more for inspiration, education, history, or fun :-)

On-trend summer time ruffle themed ensemble with Alice & Chains Long, Celtic Earrings, Sterling Silver Leaf and Believe Bracelet.

• Long, Celtic Earrings - $130, alloy
• Believe Bracelet - $400, sterling silver
• Leaf Bracelet - $445, sterling silver