Rubies multi-strand 16" - 22"

Rhea, I would like to get my girlfriend a necklace. I looked at this ruby bead necklace, it is pretty expensive at about a thousand and the rubies are heat treated, what do you think?

I think that better be some girlfriend! I don't have anything against heat treated, it makes it possible to give a nice gift at a rational price.

There is an alternative to consider though, smaller beads in a multi-strand necklace. That will actually give your lady more options for wearing the piece, so less time sitting in a drawer, which at that price point is something worth thinking about.

Here is an 8 line necklace with almost the same amount of carats, but it costs 1/3 of the price. They are also heat treated, though, I wouldn't let that be an issue unless I was buying the crown jewels.

Also, you can gently twist them to make a rope shape, that would have a similar impact to the ones that you were looking at, but you are the bestower of the fine gift, it is your call.

I do have ruby nuggets, and single strand as options as well.

Sapphire blue, 3 strand, multi strand blue

Rhea, I have read some of your reviews and I like the emphasis you put on the balance of jewelry that stands out, but is not overly flashy. My wife's birthday is coming up, do you have any suggestions?

Do you have a few photos of her wearing jewelry; can you give me something to go on?

Well, for her birthday I am taking her horseback riding at CJM stables in Poipu, I was hoping to give her something there.

OK, what I have in mind is NOT rough and tumble;  that is a good operation with well behaved horses. I am thinking about a 3 strand of blue sapphires. Most of the stock in the store is multi-colored and they certainly have their place, but when I think about sapphires, I think about blue and when you see them outdoors, I think you will be impressed. Why don't you take these outside of the shop and see for yourself.

What do you mean "NOT rough and tumble," I thought sapphires are tough.

The individual stones, very much so, 9 on the Mohs scale, right up there with diamonds. The string that holds the piece together, not so much.

Do you think these are heat treated?

Rhea nodded affirmatively, almost certainly. Most natural sapphires are brown, or pale. Heat treating releases their glory. Remember the rule of Bestow, we are here to facilitate giving your love one a fine gift they will wear, or use. If you are trying to add to the Crown Jewels, you need to shop somewhere else. I don't have any sapphires or rubies that aren't heat treated, but I do try to stay away from dyed.

However, I have a strong preference to the more natural lighter blue. Some of the heat treated get such an intense blue that I have to test them for dye.

And if you want more wow factor, add more strands!

Tourmaline, multi-strand, 3 mm faceted

Ohhh Rhea, this is impressive.

Easy there John, some pieces look better in the display case than they do in practice. With tourmalines, you are going to pay roughly what you would for sapphire, emerald, ruby, but you may not get the result you want. Tourmalines, against an all white background and display case lighting, look like they explode with color. But they don't, in terms of bead style jewelry, it is mostly an exercise in brown with lovely sprinkles of color.

That's why I stock multi-strand tourmalines.  The 10 strand you are looking at is big enough to have an impact. There is sparkle and color, up close, but expect them to blend into many outfits as a subtle supporting accessory, not a display piece. That is especially true with 3 strand and 5 strand, here, see?

Tourmaline is actually a fairly generic name, there are three main types, schori, dravite, and elbaite. There is a huge difference between the gem quality top of the line and the material, I try to stock. But if your lady tends to wear the neutral colors, greens, browns, tans, and creams this is something to consider. They can also work well with white, but if she wears a lot of white, pay attention to the direction she is going with her other accessories, earrings, bracelets, purse, belt and so forth. You have a near infinite set of jewelry options for white, but it all has to fit in a package.

But they are really pretty Rhea; I think she will like them.

She will like them as long as she isn't trying to use them as the focus of the outfit, or image, she is trying to project.

Rubies, pink, casual, large stones

Hello Rhea, I'm looking for something that works for casual, isn't flashy, but still holds its own. If it helps, my wife prefers warm colors, she really likes the peach moonstones.

Here is a pink ruby strand, they are ovals, maybe oblongs, hand made stones so there is variance. I got them at a low price that I can pass on to you, but there is a chance these are dyed. We don't have earth to store blockchain accountability with lower priced items.

If you look closely at the piece and they are all exactly the same color, I would avoid it, especially if they are what we call "blood red". However, if you see variance, odds are they are earth mined, perhaps heat treated, which I have no problem with.

Ruby is one of the so called "cardinal gems", stones that have been considered valuable throughout time.


Say, what is the difference between pink sapphires and pink rubies?

When you figure that out, please let me know. They are chemically the same, same hardness, same shades. When they are by themselves I call them rubies, if they are part of a multi-color string, I tend to go with sapphire.

They are nice Rhea and heavy, whatever we call them.

Yes, you are looking at 315 carats, not heavy enough to be bothersome. One thing I really like about this piece is that it holds up well in natural light as well as indoors.

Peach moonstone, layout style

Reah, I find I am a bit conflicted.
How's that Cindy?

I want to have something bold, something that stands out, like that layout necklace, but I don't want to stand out too much. Do you understand?

A little like wearing a short enough skirt to be noticed, but not so they think you are playing the slut card. The wonderful thing about well chosen jewelry, is that you have degrees of subtlety. Judging from your blouse and makeup color, I think I might have something for  you. Do you mind an estate piece, something that isn't new in box?

I don't think I care said Cindy.

I'll be right back. Rhea appeared with a presentation box. Let's open it on the counter, layout jewelry can easily bend or warp, so you have to be careful how you store it. Try this on, here is a mirror.

Rhea, it's beautiful, makes a statement, but is not flashy. It has a glow, not a flash, I like that.

I can make sure your boyfriend knows you appreciate similar things, would that work for you? I know he wants to get you something special.

I promise to be very surprised.

Quartz strawberry 9mm 16"

Rhea, I have a shirt I like to wear on weekends when all the meetings and social events are done. I call it my reading shirt, it is soft and friendly. I can sit out on my chaise lounge on the makai lanai and read while listening to the ocean.

I tried pairing the black pearls you recommended and they were OK, but I was hoping for a cheerier match.

Rhea nodded, black pearls will go with almost anything, but they may not be the best choice for everything. I just got something in, haven't even entered it into the system, let's take a look.

Quartz is one of the most common gemstones, but at Bestow, we celebrate the various forms that it manifests. Strawberry quartz is the result of Iron oxide inclusions, I would call it "rusty quartz", but that probably would not sell, Rhea said mischievously.

Here is a piece in the 9 - 10mm bead range. They are round, not faceted which makes them much more friendly, for a laid back reading day.

Strawberry quartz, 9 - 10mm, intensity of the strawberry color varies which adds interest to the piece.

Black Tahitian Pearls and 60" knotted Rhodonite

Princess Rhea, may I ask a question?
Certainly, what's up?

Last year, I came in here and bought my wife a strand of black hand knotted Tahitian pearls, I think she wears them every day. Now her birthday is coming up. I think she has 10 or so rings, doesn't wear bracelets, I like that string of rhodonites, but I don't know if she would wear it.

Well, black pearls do go with almost everything, but there are lots of choices that go with black pearls, even showcase them.

Rhodonites are not that common. There are sites around the world, but nothing huge, because you need metamorphic rock and the black manganese oxide that makes it so interesting. The facet quality crystals are very rare and easy to shatter, so they are not generally fashioned into jewelry. However, the high quality rock with the oxides are fun. As you can see, it doesn't usually take a high polish.
Mohs Hardness is about a 6. Sometimes it is red, more commonly pink.

When you find a specimen with the oxides, it bangs next to black pearls. Since that is a 60" string, you really want something with a knot after each stone, or a break could be disastrous. Remember the ball bearing scene at the end of Animal House? OSHA would not approve.