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FAQ's
What is Sleeping Beauty Turquoise? TOP
The only true source for genuine Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is the Sleeping Beauty Mine in Globe, Arizona. All of our Sleeping Beauty Turquoise is fully natural and matrix-free. There is no color enhancement or stabilization processes used when working with genuine gem-quality Sleeping Beauty Turquoise. (Approximately 94% of the Turquoise mined in Globe is graded below gem-quality and is subjected to stabilization to artifically harden the stones. Our Sleeping Beauty vendors supply us from the 6% that is graded as gesm-quality with NO soaked in resins or chemicals.) What is Stabilized Turquoise? TOP
Stabilization of Turquoise is a process that was developed in Kingman, Arizona. It is a chemical process where chunks of Turquoise are immersed in buckets of polymer resin which gets absorbed into the porous Turquoise stone, hardening the stone and making it viable as a jewelry making component. Only non-stabilized Turquoise jewelry can legally be advertised as "natural". We do not ever deal with or sell any stabilized Turquoise jewelry. What do you mean by matrixed Turquoise? TOP
Matrixing in Turquoise refers to the existence of other natural minerals that are laced into and throughout the Turquoise stone. Each stone will vary from the other in the amount of beautiful matrix lines on the surface of the stone and the exact color tones of the lines. Matrix lines naturally occur in a variety of colors, the most common being black and the most rare and sought after being gold. The natural Turquoise piece you purchase from us may have very minor variations from the photo that you see since all of our Turquoise is fully natural. What is Arizona Peridot? TOP
Peridot is the traditional birthstone for August. 80% of the world's natural Peridot comes from Arizona where it is mined exclusively by Apache miners at the San Carlos Reservation. "Mesa Verde Peridot" is grass green (a clear, bright green-yellow blend) and is considered to be the most beautiful and prized Peridot. Our Arizona Peridot is fully natural and never color enhanced or artificially treated. Are your gemstones fully genuine? TOP
All of our precious and semi-precious stones are God-made and NOT produced by man or laboratory. As we strive to maintain the romance and value of our stones by maintaining the natural characteristics, there may be very minor variation in color or shading from one gemstone to another within the same jewelry style. Are any of your gemstones color enhanced? TOP
All of our gemstones are fully natural and free of any color enhancement treatments unless specifically indicated. For example, ALL Blue Topaz stones are color enhanced either through irradiation or diffusion techniques as the color of Topaz is more of a brown in its natural state. Where do all the natural sapphire colors originate from? TOP
Red -Thailand * Orange/Red - Southern Tanzania (Songea) * Golden - Madagascar * Yellow - Southern Tanzania (Tundura) * Yellow/Green - Songea * Green/Yellow - Australia or Madagascar * Green - Australia or Kenya or Montana * Green/Blue - Madagascar or Tundura * Blue - Madagascar or Tundura or Sri Lanka * Blue/Purple - Tundura * Purple - Tundura * Red/Purple - Madagascar or Sri Lanka What quality diamonds are used? TOP
In all cases, the diamonds used in our jewelry are SI1/G,H unless otherwise indicated. Are your pendants sold with the chains included? TOP
No. Unless otherwise indicated, like most fine quality jewelry pendants, ours are sold without chains. Where is the 14K (or 18K) stamp on my gold jewelry? TOP
Most of our jewelry items have been manufactured for sale within the U.S. and will have either the 14K or 18K stamp located in a very discreet part of the item, Some of our vendors are European vendors who do not regularly ship here. Their items might be marked either "585" (for 14K) or "750" (for 18K). Those stampings are the European legal marks for solid gold content and are legally accepted stampings for U.S. import and resale. What is a Doublet Opal? TOP
Doublet Opal refers to the joining and layering of two thin slices of fine quality Opal (generally light Opal) glued to a backing piece. This practice is used to maximize the brilliance and colors in naturally occuring Opal. What is Tsavorite Garnet? TOP
The green Tsavorite Garnet is a gemstone that was first found in the late 1960s in East Africa between Kenya and Tanzania. It was named for nearby Tsavo National Park and was made popular by Tiffany's. The stone is generally found in a very vivid, shiny green color. It has been determined to be in the garnet family with a very high refractive index and a hardness level of 7.5, making the stone very desirable to work with in a variety of settings, making its durability comparable to sapphire and ruby, and signficantly more durable than emerald. It is a stone that does not require any artificial treatments and is best purchased in its natural state.
What is Green Amethyst? TOP
While a few sources of naturally-occurring green Amethyst do exist, most commercially available and affordable green Amethyst is a special variety of purple Amethyst which has been treated to change its color either via heat treatment or irradiation.
What is Rhodolite Garnet? TOP
Rhodolite is the varietal name for rose-pink to red Garnet. It is found in North Carolina. The name is derived from the Greek for "rose-like". This highly desired coloration, and the commonly inclusion-free nature of garnet from this location, has led to Rhodolite being officially recognized and increasingly used as a semi-precious gemstone. What's special about Vatomandry Rubies? TOP
Just about a decade ago, a new source for high quality Rubies was made in Madagascar. The first mine opended was the Vatomandry Mine, now known for producing deep red color stones with a very slight purple cast, and with fewer inclusions than is typical of Burmese mined stones. The Vatomandry Mine was closed after just several months of operation during political unrest and to prevent the over-mining of the gemstones. The Vatomandry mined stones are also superior to the rubies mined from Madagascar's alternative mine in Andilamena, which have more of a brownish cast to the stone color. What is Rhodium Plating? TOP
Rhodium is a member of the platinum family of precious metals. Rhodium plating is extensively used on solid gold jewelry to provide a white reflective appearance and to make some items more scratch resistant. Who is Judy Mayfield? TOP
Judy Mayfield is an internationally renowned designer of fine jewelry specializing in rare stones. Her collection has been worn at the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys and the American Music Awards. Arizona based, she is Canadian born and is one of the founding members of the American Gem Trade Association. We are proud to be an authorized retailer for her Religious and Rainbow Sapphire jewelry items. Look for the GMZ with fleur de lis hallmark on the backs of the pendants and rings or on earring backs of her items. Who is Diane Mazza? TOP
Diane Mazza is a New York City based jewelry designer known for her "femininity without fluff" designs and the innovative use of 18K gold wash over 14K solid gold jewelry. She uses a wide ranging palette of colored gemstones and lustrous pearls. She also embraces the use of Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and Apache mined Peridot, both of which are mined exclusively in the state of Arizona. We are proud to be an authorized retailer for her designs. What is a Hamsa? TOP
The hamsa is an amulet, pendant or wall-hanging providing protection from the "evil eye". The word hamsa means "five" and refers to the digits on the hand. The Islamic name is the Hand of Fatima, in reference to the daughter of Mohammed. The Jewish name is the Hand of Miriam, in reference to the sister of Moses and Aaron. The hamsa is equally popular among Arabs and Jews and has become increasingly popular across all cultural boundaries.
The hamsa hand generally appears in a two-thumbed symmetrical form and because the hamsa protects against the "evil eye", the design frequently incorporates an "eye-in-hand" motif where a stylized eye appears in the palm of the hand. What is the Evil Eye? TOP
The Evil Eye is a belief that being looked upon with an evious eye, either maliciously or even without intent, can inflict harm to the person being envied. The beliefs behind this varies between different cultures and is believed to have impact on adults, children, and even livestock and possessions. Evil Eye pendants are worn by a broad variety of cultures and religions to ward off the affects of an encounter with the Evil Eye of Envy. Evil Eye symbols are also frequently incorporated into other designs such as hamsas and crosses.
What locations do you ship to? TOP
At this time we are primarily shipping to U.S. buyers with U.S. shipping addresses. If you reside outside the U.S., have a PayPal account, and wish to purchase through us, please contact us with a request for a shipping quote using trackable and fully insured shipping services. We will make every effort to accommodate you. Can I receive my order overnight? TOP
At this time we cannot guarantee overnight shipping service as we are involved in other businesses that may keep us from seeing your order in time to make the cut off for overnight shipments in our local area. We use USPS Priority shipping which averages 2 to 3 day delivery time but without guarantees. We always do ship within 1 business day of receipt of your cleared PayPal payment. What is your Return Policy? TOP
Returns are happily accepted within 7 days of our confirmed delivery date using the USPS posted delivery date as the guideline. The item must be returned back to us fully insured and sent in the same perfect, unworn condition as shipped by us. All refunds will be calculated minus a 15% re-stocking fee and minus shipping charges. Refunds will be made by PayPal. Do I have to pay sales tax? TOP
Arizona residents must pay a sales tax of 7.95% of the item costs. Or if your ship to address is in Arizona, the same tax will be calculated. Since our shipping is done via USPS, your shipping charge will not also be taxed.
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