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Starting this month, you'll find articles about regarding jewelry and textile history, fashion trend forecasts, industry issues, and of course specials and updates on our site indiasilver.com.

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Article: The Mystery of Moonstone
Our best selling stone at Whirled Planet is Rainbow Moonstone. The reason for this is obvious: it has a special optical quality that makes it stand out above all other stones.

For the most part, Rainbow Moonstone is a white or clear colored stone with an opalescent "fire" (called schiller or adularescence) in its heart that moves and changes as one's viewing position changes.
The fire of Rainbow Moonstone, and the shimmer in regular Moonstone, is caused by two different varieties of feldspar that have grown together in a matrix that reflects light differently depending on one's viewing point.

Because Rainbow Moonstone is natural, rather than man-made, each stone has it's own personality. Some stones have a blue fire, while others have a yellow or greenish tint. There is no better or worse with regard to the fire. As with other stones like Turquoise, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Rainbow Moonstone is not related to Opal, as people sometimes think. In fact, Moonstone is a member of the Quartz family of minerals. It is technically a variety of labradorite feldspar, crystalline in nature. Moonstone is mined in South India and Sri Lanka, while limited deposits of Rainbow Moonstone are also found in Madagascar.

Demand for Rainbow Moonstone grows each year, and as such finer quality Rainbow can sometimes be hard to find. As a crystal, Rainbow Moonstone often has what appear to be cracks or fissures within the stone. These normally do not affect the integrity of the stone unless they are present at the surface.

Tip: If you run your fingernail over the surface of a Moonstone, it should move smoothly, without any bumps or skips. Surface cracks may eventually cause the stone to fail and fall out of the setting.

Rainbow Moonstone is usually finished in a dome shaped cabochon to enhance the natural fire. When cut correctly it can also be dramatic in a faceted finish, though this will always add to the cost of the finished product.

In Europe, Moonstone is the birthstone for June. In North America, Moonstone shares June with Alexandrite and Pearl. It is a versatile stone that can work for both casual and formal affairs, depending on the setting. Rainbow Moonstone is especially spectacular against a rich background like velvet or when the wearer has a darker complexion or dark hair.

That almost every design on our site comes in Rainbow Moonstone is a testament to its popularity. It is a great addition to any jewelry display, and when set in silver is as affordable as just about any other stone, comparable in price to Amethyst or Garnet.

Article: Trends for Holiday and Spring
Hot stones for Holiday are Carnelian and Onyx. Their rich, warming color ties in nicely with the darker palette of winter clothing colors.

Rose and Cherry Quartz continue as a trend, and will likely do so for some time. They are part of the color "backlash" found in the accessories market this season. See below for more details.

Turquoise continues to be very popular. We are finally starting to see supply catch back up with demand. Several times over the last year, suppliers in India either couldn't get any Turquoise at all, or the prices were comparable to higher end stones like tourmaline. Coral is also strong as a complement to Turquoise.

Briolette and pear shapes are definitely making a mark in jewelry design through Holiday and into Spring. Simple drop pendants in twos or threes on a light chain or leather are a strong seller at Fred Segal in LA. Matching earrings with two or three briolettes on chain of various lengths are hot, too. (We are expecting a new shipment in the first week of November).

Popularized earlier this year by Nicole Kidman at the Oscars, and recently seen dangling from the ears of A-list celebs like J-Lo and Cameron Diaz, chandelier earrings are all the rage. Long and ornate with lots of shimmer, the variations are endless.

Spice colors are a major part of this season's color palette. Surprisingly though, brighter colors like pink, light green and robin's egg blue are providing a bright shot of color amid the typical fall/winter fare of brown and black. This is a precursor to the bold and bright colors forecast for spring.

For handbags going forward, clean and contemporary shapes done in the brights mentioned above are a sure bet. Of course, clean silhouettes never go out of style.

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Aloha,

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