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Alpaca Silver is the same metal that EPNS silver cutlery is made from. It is strong like steel, but soft enough to be used for jewellery.
Unlike pure silver it won’t cause your skin to discolour and won’t cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to metalware. It will retain its beautiful pure silver appearance and should never lose its shine.
Alpaca Silver is an alloy of copper, nickel, zinc and sometimes silver. Many fine musical instruments are made from Alpaca Silver including the flute, saxophone and French horn.
The gems used are mined and hand polished in Peru
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The Gems
Turquoise
The word Turquoise comes from the French for Turkish.
Turquoise is a copper based gemstone, which is mined in the south of Peru.
It is susceptible to discolouration by oils, so to keep Turquoise showing its best colour don’t wear it when using sunscreens or oils, and keep it away from an open flame or soap.
It is a reasonably soft gemstone so be a little careful. It is around 6 on the mohs scale which means it is a little harder than window glass.
Peruvian Turquoise is blue with some dark gray intrusions.
Gem mythology - a turquoise gives long life, health and luck. |
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Lapis Lazuli
Is related to Turquoise and is a silicate mineral.
The goldy flecks are pyrite, the white is calcite
Lapis is the Latin word for stone
The paint pigment Ultramarine was originally made from ground lapis lazuli
Mined in the south of Peru, it is the national stone of Chile
Is the same hardness as turquoise – 6 on the mohs scale, so it is a little harder than glass. Keep it away from naked flames and household chemicals and soaps.
Gem mythology – a lapis lazuli gives emotional stability, harmony, truth and friendship. |
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Tigers Eye
Is related to Agate and Quartz. It contains brown iron which produces its golden yellow colour. Tigers Eye flash a small ray of light on the surface that resembles the colours in a cats eye. |
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Chrysocolla
A copper silicate mined in southern Peru, similar to Turquoise. It is usually a pale pink in colour. |
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Quartz
Quartz is mined in Peru and is various colours are used in Peruvian jewelry. Colours include Rose, smoky, translucent, transparent intruded by colour or clear
A single colour translucent quartz is also called chalcedony.
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Murano Glass
Is handmade glass from the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. This glass is made with the addition of minerals. In the 9th century this glass was used in place of rare gemstones and today is a fine addition to jewellery. |
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