Holiday Season is upon us!
We would like to reassure all our customers that we are well-stocked and ready for this busy season. We have received many calls recently asking us how long orders take to be delivered during the Holiday rush. At present, we are not experiencing any shipping delays.

All orders are shipped within two business days of receiving them. Orders shipped by Fedex to locations West of the Rockies take two days, East of the Rockies take three business days. Expedited shipping is available, shortening delivery time by one day. International shipments vary in delivery times, but usually take 5 to 10 business days.

As a side note: we received a new shipment of stamp pendants and have added them back to our site.

Article: Turquoise
Turquoise is the most commonly listed modern birthstone for December.

Turquoise has been valued by mankind as ornamentation for thousands of years. Prized by pharaohs and Aztec royalty alike, this blue-green semiprecious gem was originally found in the dry, arid regions of the Middle-East. For hundreds of years, deep blue Persian turquoise was the standard against which all others were measured.

In the 1800Ős, turquoise was "discovered" by settlers out West in the United States, though it had been used for many hundreds of years by the indigenous people of the Southwest and Mexico. These deposits, found in places like Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada challenged the highest quality turquoise from Persia.

Turquoise is created when ground water percolates through aluminous rock in the presence of copper. This is why turquoise is frequently found near copper producing areas. Chemically, turquoise is a "hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum." Try that one out at an upcoming Christmas party and watch your audiencesŐ eyes glaze over...

Traditionally, the more blue and flawless the stone, the more highly it was prized. Over the past half century or so, however, there has been increased demand for stones that are not perfectly flawless blue. Turquoise matrix, that is turquoise with veins of other stone or metal inside, are now sought after because they tend to have their own character. Those veins within turquoise, by the way, are made up of minerals like sandstone or limonite.

Turquoise varies in color from brown and yellow to sky blue. In Tibet and other Asian producing countries, green is more desirous than blue shades. In the contemporary jewelry market, there is room for all shades of this beautiful stone.

The past year and a half has seen a tremendous resurgence in the popularity of a stone that most recently had been favored by Western enthusiasts and flower children. For those interested in the healing powers of stones, turquoise is said to be the master healer. It protects against environmental pollutants, strengthens the body, guards against disease and improves the absorption of nutrients.

Most of the silver jewelry we sell comes in several stone choices. We have a great selection of turquoise items that can be found here.

Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show:
This is the largest gem and jewelry show in the country, and possibly in the world. The whole town of Tucson becomes one big jewelry show with wholesale exhibitors from all over the world displaying their wares at very competitive prices. At the show, which is held at more than 30 venues around town, you can find everything from crystals and fossils to beads to finished jewelry. For more info, visit http://www.tucsonshowguide.com/tsg/

Whirled Planet will be in the Gem Mall, booth #301. We are bringing in over 300 lbs. of silver jewelry specifically for this show. Many of the items displayed will be one-of-a-kind pieces. Special care has been taken to produce the highest quality goods, most of which will be sold by weight. Please call or email us if you need info.

Article: What is Silver?
Silver is a precious metal that has an interesting history.

Silver was first mined as early as 3000 BC. Until the discovery of the New World, silver was a rare metal, second only to gold in scarcity. Ancient Egyptians used it for ornamentation, as did the Greeks. The Romans found new sources for silver, and began minting coins of silver alloy as a means of exchange.

With the discovery of the New World by Columbus, vast reserves of silver became available for everyday objects like household ornaments and jewelry. Throughout the centuries, as the supplies of silver have increased, so has the demand.

Besides it uses for jewelry and home decoration, silver is also important in industries worldwide. It is used in the refining of oil, in the production of solar photovoltaic cells, in computer chip production, and as a transparent coating on double pane thermal windows, to name a few. Silver is the best conductor of electricity of all metals.

What makes silver so special? It is highly reflective, easy to work with as it is a soft metal with a low melting point, and it relatively inexpensive when compared to gold. Because it is so malleable, it must be mixed with other metals to make it strong enough for jewelry production. Pure silver bends easily, making less useful for everyday wear.

Sterling silver is a designation for an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. There is a frequent misconception that sterling silver will not tarnish. In fact, by its very nature, real silver oxidizes (reacts) in the presence of oxygen, sulfur, and certain acids.

Silver jewelry that is worn regularly will not usually tarnish as much as silver that is stored for a prolonged period. To avoid tarnishing, store silver jewelry in a plastic bag with anti-tarnishing paper. Avoid using rubber bands when storing silver because sulfur is a rubber by-product. Obviously this is not an option for jewelry on display in a store environment!

To clean tarnish, the easiest way is by using a dip available at Wal-Mart stores called "Connoisseurs Jewelry Cleaner." It is a non-ammonia based liquid that cleans tarnish instantly, but can be destructive to pearls or other organic gems. After dipping, rinse the piece and dry it thoroughly. You may want to follow with a light rubbing using a jewelry polish cloth to help the piece stay bright longer. We use only sterling silver for the products on our site.

Generally, each piece is hallmarked with a "925" stamp, but some pieces are too light to be stamped. Rest assured that everything we sell is guaranteed to be at least 92.5% silver.

Here's wishing you a happy, successful, and safe Holiday Season.

Aloha,

Mike McGinnis
Whirled Planet
888-408-0072
http://indiasilver.com/store.asp