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“Well,” you may ask, “isn’t jewelry romantic by it’s very nature?”

To some extent this is true, but we wear jewelry for any number of reasons that are not romantic… to look sophisticated, to look professional, to impress our friends and neighbors.

So what about the romance of jewelry?

In this case I’m talking about romance in a broader sense than simply relationships.

Something more like this definition from the dictionary:

“A quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life”

That wonderful fission, that bit of a chill that you get from something that is just, well, more than day to day life.

Romantic jewelry is that jewelry that makes you feel special, different, like a princess or a prince. That jewelry that takes you out of your normal hum drum life each time you put it on. The little something extra that comes of wearing something truly special.

Perhaps that is why gold is such a popular metal for jewelry. I love silver and platinum and there are other metals (titanium comes to mind) that make great jewelry, but there is nothing like the romance of gold. To wear gold is to wear the jewelry of kings and queens. In ancient Egypt only the pharaohs and those especially favored by the pharaohs were permitted to wear gold. This feeling of being special and above the fray has continued to the modern day. If you want to feel like royalty (or if you want to give a gift that says you think of your beloved as a king or queen), gold is the answer.

Other jewels that inspire feelings of romance are pearls, emeralds and rubies… and, of course, for many people, diamonds.

Somehow though diamonds don’t seem to have the same warmth and romance as the other stones. Actually diamonds were not historically valued as highly was we do today. Much of the romance that has been generated around diamonds is do to de Beers in the early part of the 20th century instituting a brilliant and very effective advertising campaign… so I will leave diamonds for another day.

On the other hand pearls… Pearls feel wonderful against your skin. They are sensuous and mysterious. To look deeply into a fine pearl is to look into eternity. There is also something intriguing about a pearl, knowing that is came not from the cold hard ground, but from an industrious mollusk.

Pearls have been prized in all time periods and all cultures. Historically baroque pearls (large irregularly shaped pearls) were used to make wonderful and fantastic jewelry by embellishing them with gold an gems. Frequently these took the shape of Neptune or other greek gods, sirens, beautiful women and animals. The Canning Jewel in the Victoria and Albert museum is a famous and elaborate use of a baroque as the base for a handsome merman.

Black pearls, particularly Tahitian black pearls have become very popular in recent years. They come in a range of colors from spectacular purples and greens, through pinks to sophisticated browns. All are lovely and the range of colors gives them a great deal of flexibility in choosing just the right pearl for your outfit and mood. The most beautiful black pearl necklace I’ve seen was from Morrison’s a small manufacturing jeweler in Berkeley. The pearls were arranged in a rainbow strung together so that each color melted into the one next to it — stunning. And of course what could be more romantic than pearls from Tahiti?

(By the way, if you wear pearls, do wear them against your skin, it is good for them, but be sure that you do not wear any perfume, scent or lotion, at least not where it might contact your pearls.)

Emeralds and rubies are traditionally the emperor and empress of gems. Perhaps it is their vibrant colors that inspired our ancestors. Certainly that vivid blood red and cool serpent green are hard to ignore. Even today emeralds and rubies of equal size and quality are more expensive than equivalent diamonds.

In Victorian times colored gems were used to spell out love messages. Sometimes this made for interesting and not necessarily attractive settings; but it is very romantic. For instance a piece of jewelry might have these gems in order:

LOVE: Lapis, Opal, Vermeil and Emerald.
REGARD: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby and Diamond.

The shape of jewelry too can harbor a romantic message. Hearts and clasped hands, hands holding a heart (Claddagh) and cupids are self explanatory, but some shapes are a bit more subtle.

For many cultures, including the Romans and the Victorians, snakes were a symbol of enduring love. A snake biting it’s own tail so as to make a circle is a particularly potent symbol of everlasting love. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a snake engagement ring — the beginning of a long and celebrated marriage.

Interestingly lizards and frogs were (and perhaps still are) also symbols of wedded happiness. Perhaps this explains the continuing popularity of jewelry depicting this wiggly creatures.

Jewelry in the shape of flowers may also be symbolic. To quote Ophelia “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and there is pansies. That’s for thoughts.”

Other flowers commonly found in jewelry are daisies for innocence, roses for the growth and continuation of love and bouquets expressing the commingling and compatibility of marriage. When you are considering the perfect gift from that next anniversary, rather than the common “anniversary ring” how about a more romantic bouquet pendant?

So the next time you are rooting through your jewel box before that special tryst or looking for the perfect gift for the perfect lover, consider the symbolic romance of jewelry and gems.

Carrie
The Jewelry Maven
www.gorgeousanimaljewelry.com
www.animaljewelry.blogspot.com/

“Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.” is a well-known Japanese producer of clockworks and wrist watches located in Tokyo (Japan). Citizen has been in the first place founded as Shokosha Watch Research Institute in the year 1918. The company was established in 1924 when the first product, a little pocket watch named Citizen, was positioned on the market. In 1930 the firm assumed the name Citizen Watch Company, too. The founders once have been chosen the name Citizen because they attempted to find a direct way to the peoples emotions. This is still today the idea behind wrist watches made by Citizen.

First watch with Eco-Drive - Models reaching from dress to athletics


For instance the first Japanese wrist watch having a wake-up-function was established by Citizen in 1958. In the 1970ties Citizen built the first quartz wrist watches with LCD display and after that also the slightest LCD wrist watch ever. In the early 1990ties Citizen originated the premier series production of watchcases consisting of titanium. In addition to that, they designed the leadoff voice recognition watch which was another big milestone in their history. More than that that the concern was an outrider in developing dive watches for professional use. A highlight was the embedded bathometer - no one else was able to offer a similar specific function. Additional, Citizen is best-known for its Eco-Drive collection of light powered watches. Fuelled just by light, it doesn’t need any batteries. Designs reaching from dress to athletics (e.g. professional dive watches), Citizen has an assortment for everybody and every occasion.
Buy Citizen watches online here.

From pocket watch to a fashion accessory. What was once, in the earliest years of portable watches, considered to be unsuitable for gentlemen and only for women, has developed today into a fashion utensil that everyone has. In the meantime, the wristwatch is no longer just a instrument to tell the time. It is a designer piece and can indicate much more than the time.

A great deal of mechanics in a small housing

The first confirmable portable timepiece was made in 1500. This was not a wristwatch, but more of a pocket watch. Through technical advance, which made it possible for people to house mechanics in an more and more smaller space, the necessary parts of the clockworks were able to be brought into a manageable form. In this way, the first pocket watch was born, which at the time was still the size of an egg.

The computerized wrist watch from Japan

A totally new watch came onto the market in the 1970’s from Japan, which had developed its own watch industry. The new wrist watch from Japan was no longer set on a mechanical basis, but on a computerized control. This wrist watch extended its range of capability rapidly. The wristwatch no more just showed the time. The little timepiece on the wrist now also knew the date, the day of the week and even knew whether a leap year was involved.

The wristwatch as jewelry

Now, the wrist watch is no longer just a watch. The wristwatch has turn into a fashion accessory. Wrist watches come in all colours and shapes cogitable. One can also buy harmonious watches from all fashion collection. The current watches are dominated by the correct fashion trends. Despite these contrary styles, there is something for every taste. The small watches, which need spectacles to tell the time, and the extraordinary large watches, which make it difficult to walk upright. Anyway, one thing is sure: science is still likely to make so much advance - that the wrist watch will be found on the wrists of people for a long time, to respond to the question as to what time it is.

At one point or another, we all have to admit to ourselves that bikers - with their gritty leather jackets, imposing motorbikes and gothic biker jewelry - represent everything our repressed hearts secretly desire. The appeal of running loose, going anywhere you wish is universal, transcending age, race and gender.

What makes good, law-abiding, peace-loving boys and girls suddenly get the burning desire to jump on their Harley Davidsons and hit the road? Bikers are all about the S&M image, the leather and studs. Images of tough guys or Harley babes come with the territory. Perhaps it is because being a biker represents the ultimate release, the act of running wild and running free, able to flaunt your own style and live on your own time. Who wouldn’t want to imagine themselves as kings and queens of the road, the visions of complete independence that would otherwise terrify many of us?

The imagery adopted by most bikers reflects their attitude. When they ride together, on a biker rally or biker week, they identify themselves and their group affiliations by the things they wear. Some of the larger groups fashion their insignia and wear them as logos on their clothing, or as pins and other forms of jewelry to place upon their person and belongings.

In general, bikers know each other by the “look” they project. And biker jewelry is a vital part of this “look.” Reject convention, change for no one, never compromise - these are important mottos to bear in mind when you want to achieve the perfect biker image.

Most of the time the appropriate jewelry takes on gothic themes, like skulls, crossbones, snakes, roses with bloodied thorns… and many of us can’t help but admit that these could be rather sexy. The goth look, combining themes of sex and death, comes with its own appeal. A school of the goth style even advocates the liberal use of jewelry, such as piercings and rings, to further the death metal image. Most of the time, this jewelry is delicate and complemented with black clothing, such as black leather, which is rather staple biker wear.

But biker jewelry distinguishes itself from being strictly “goth” by being made of thick material. This gives it a definite masculine look. Often it features a combination of leather and steel, the two essentials of the “born to be wild” image, which dates as far back as James Dean and the other motorcycle-riding heartthrobs of Hollywood. The ongoing theme is “the larger the better,” which comes with the biker creed of not caring what people think as long as you know you look good.

Biker jewelry comes in different flavors. Gold is rather popular in some circles. White gold goes well with most anything, especially dark colors. Wings and stars are other popular motifs, as well as other things that speak of a truly American way of life.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician, and writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com Also includes informative articles, comparison shopping, rare book excerpts, & link directory.