What makes I Heart Gemstones unique? We take raw gems and turn them into a unique work of art. We can smooth, cut, or keep them raw. We can also turn them into jewelry of your choice to keep for yourself or give as a gift to someone special.
Operating as usual
Check out my new display located at Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning near Cary North Carolina. The best place for all ages to enjoy nature with Panning, exploration, relaxation, and more. Check out their gift shop and ask to see I 💗 Gemstones! display.
Let's have a contest. If you think you can create a better logo for I Heart Gemstones, then post your creations here. The winner will get a free gift. The admins will judge to be sure the logo represents IHG. What do you say?
What do you all think of this logo?
Difficult to cut and wear, colemanites are better suited for collectors of unusual gemstones.
This is just a reminder to everyone. Please don't ask if people are interested. This is a form of selling. You may add your shop website only. If people are interested, they will reach out. This is an educational and craft site only. Educate this group about your stones. Also, our admins will not approve membership if the person does not agree to the rules. Let start posting interesting finds and creations, educate, and uplift those that are posting. Thank you.
Natural Turquoise on sterling silver chain
Cut by I Heart Gemstones designer and lapidary, this beautiful piece shines purple hues with flash of blue and red. Very elegant piece of work.
Hello everyone!! I am slowly adding a few products I've had in inventory but have not had a chance to post. They are on the website if anyone is interested. Also, check out the new Sea Life collection. www.iheartgemstones.com I will post as I add.
Natural mother of pearl bracelet and/or earrings. These pieces can be enjoyed as a set or purchased individually.
Absolutely gorgeous adjustable flower ring made from mother of pearl shell with spots of various dyed details. Three pearls at the heart of the flower to create a stunning center piece. Wire wrapped in a silver tone wire. Silver tone adjustable ring band. Lightweight and comfortable. Comes in a variety of colors.
This stunning and beautiful Bolo Tie is made of golden labradorite and braided black leather cord. Adorned with a beautiful silver cross. The sides of the gemstone are accented with antiquing for additional effect. Tipped with high-quality stainless steel this Bolo Tie slide moves up and down the braided leather cord with ease. This Bolo Tie will make a great gift for men and for women for all events including weddings and anniversaries.
Hello everyone. I want to let everyone know, I Heart Gemstones will not be taking custom orders for the time being. We do have items in inventory that will be added to the site over the next few weeks. Please feel free to reach out if needed for anything. Happy New Year everyone! www.iheartgemstones.com
I Heart Gemstones was started because life gave Nicole rocks and she decided to make them shine. This is a part-time hobby she opened to the public so they can enjoy the gems too. She takes raw gems and turns them into a work of art. She can tumble, cabochon, facet, keep them raw, or set in jewelry.
My goal once back to work and my hands are working again. Beautiful work.
Announcement! I Heart Gemstones now takes VENMO as a form of payment. More infor to come shortly.
Gemstone Cutting and Jewelry Making
Hello Everyone! This was posted on a reputable rock hound group I belong to. Remember the following, don't get ripped off when buying gems and jewelry. Buy from people you know and small business that can prove the validity of their material.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I want to educate some folks on the reality of purchasing jewelry from a jewelry store in light of the holidays. Don't fall victim to scams. Last year (just out of curiosity) I followed my mother into a Kay's jewelers. I only ever buy my stones and jewelry from gemologists and fabricators bc they know their sh*t and make it themselves. While in Kay's I requested information on a pair of Emerald earrings for my husband (again only out of curiosity.) They were $1,400 and LAB GROWN. The bitch tried to sell me glass.
Some things jewelry stores won't tell you when it comes to purchasing precious stones:
1) everything is marked up by at least 100%
2) most of the "rubies" set into jewelry are FAKE
3) just about every Emerald is enhanced
4) if a diamond is "clarity enhanced" that means it had fractures filled in with glass (which will fall out during an extensive cleaning process) if it says "laser" it means they used a laser to get rid of a flaw
5) they mix sterling silver with white gold and sell it as 14k gold
6) always, always get a detailed receipt and buy from a place with a generous return policy. Get your jewelry appraised by a certified gemologist and return that sh*t if it's fake
7) big named stores mark up jewelry higher than family owned
8 ) 60-70% off sales are a gimmick. There's absolutely no margin for such a sale
Just be cautious and do your research. Much love and respect and happy hunting!
For sale. Amazonite, CZs, sterling silver pendant. $55 I Heart Gemstones members gets first dibs before it goes to the website. Beautiful stone and setting. Comment if interested. This is first come first serve opportunity.
November & December Birthstone
Topaz stone is a transparent mineral that comes in a variety of colors, including a colorless form. The most well-known topaz colors are blue and orange.
Topaz is beloved worldwide, but two U.S. states have made this love official. Both Texas and Utah claim topaz as their official state gem. Texas chose to honor blue topaz, while Utah pays tribute to orange topaz.
Anyone familiar with birthstones will recognize topaz as the birthstone for November and December. While November babies can show their pride with a warm orange topaz, those with December birthdays can get into the winter spirit with an icy blue topaz.
Celebrating an anniversary instead? Blue topaz is the traditional gemstone of 4th wedding anniversaries, while yellow or imperial topaz commemorates 23rd anniversaries.
Mineral Characteristics
Topaz is a nesosilicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine known for its stunning clarity and array of colors. From romantic pinks and reds to serene blues and greens, there’s a topaz stone for everyone!
While topaz comes in a variety of colors, the stone itself is allochromatic. In other words, in its purest natural form, topaz is colorless. Distinct varieties of topaz occur because of impurities during formation or treatments performed on the stone.
Here are the key topaz varieties:
Imperial Topaz. The most valuable form of topaz, found in saturated orange, pink, and coral shades.
Sherry Topaz. Sometimes considered a type of imperial topaz, named for its yellow-brown to orange tones that resemble sherry wine.
Azotic Topaz. A topaz treated with the patented Azotic process to display a multi-colored array of warm-toned hues.
Mystic Topaz. A topaz enhanced through chemical vapor deposition to give its surface a kaleidoscopic display of rich, cool-toned colors.
On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, topaz is the reference stone for an 8 rating. With such a high ranking, topaz is one of the hardest semi-precious gemstones on earth.
Topaz Specifications
Chemical compound: Fluo-silicate of aluminum
Mohs scale: 8
Color: Naturally colorless or bronze to yellow; Can also be shades of red, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, or light gray
Crystal structure: Orthorhombic
Luster: Vitreous (glass-like)
Transparency: Most often transparent, but can be translucent
Refractive index: 1.61-1.65, but may vary by color
Density: 3.49-3.57; Can vary slightly by color
Cleavage: Perfect 1 direction; Basal
Luminescence: Present; UV Fluorescence - UV Short in yellow, UV Long in beige
Pleochroism: Present; Varies by stone color
Imperial Topaz
Photos from I Heart Gemstones's post
Here are a few creations for a couple of customers. Had the stones cut a while ago and just got the settings done. I think they turned out great.
Hey everyone in the Cary area, Go check out some of my creations at Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning. There are all kinds of gems. Sodalite, Kyanite, Black Opal, Crystal Opal, Sapphire, Ruby and more. All under $35. While your there get a dig bag and find your own Gemstones. They are open Wednesday through Sunday. They have lots of fun things to do and building more all the time. Visit Agate and Jasper baby goats. Let me know if you head out and purchase something, I'll give you a 10% discount on new arrivals on my site.
Emerald and Amethyst done for a client. Shipping for findings is super slow, I had the stones done about a month ago. They turned out great though.
#iheartgemstones
I'm so excited to be cutting again! Right before we moved, I received huge custom order from someone that went panning at Blue Diamond Gemstone Panning and got some great stones. Now they are all cut, shaped, dopped, and ready for polishing and then setting. I ❤ Gemstones. Even though my gem room is still not set up completely, I got my cabber out and getting with it. Two more orders after this one. One good thing about numb, pins and needles hands, the vibration from the cabber doesn't feel any different! LoL! Always look on the Sunnyside of life. Yay!
Getting ready to start new posts and show offs! My gem Room is coming along nicely after our home move.
This was a special request from a friend. They had a ring with three opals and wanted converted to a necklace. After a bit of designing, this is the end result. 5 opals, two I matched and added. They are set in 14k gold and attached to a 14k gold chain. This one turned out great.
Working with a little gold tonight. Doesn't look like much now, but once it's descaled and burnished, it should look beautiful. More pictures to come. Wanted to show a before image. :)
New items added! Go check it out. Opals and more opals www.iheartgemstones.com .
There are still some avaliable. :) Get your IHG merch! :)
Hello Rockhounds and Gem lovers! I just want to give a couple of updates. 1) I know there are a few of you waiting on custom orders. I am working on them. Mostly completed but every one of them I am waiting on certain parts to arrive in the mail to complete them. Most of my findings, settings, and mounting pieces come from Texas, and we all know everything stopped there for several days. Once the parts are in, back to work on finishing the orders. 2) IHG gear is in stock ready to ship! Stay tuned to see the results of the opals.Thanks everyone for the support. It means so much right now. Check them out on www.iheartgemstones.com :)
So this one took all my time today. Black Obsidian, I can say it is not my favorite gem to cut. But finished for this belt buckle as a gift to someone. :) Hopefully after work tomorrow and studying I can get to my dopped opals, 15+ ready for finishing. Got some good ones it looks like.
A glimpse of what's on the bench for this weekend while waiting for settings and findings to come in.
PO Box 40681
Raleigh, NC
Custom Jewelry, Gemstones, Lapidary work
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What makes I ❤️ Gemstones unique? Each piece of jewelry is handpicked from raw specimens and designed just for you. Custom orders are my favorite. While finding the shape the gem decides, I am always thinking about the person who asked for it. Orders may vary from pictures shown.
We take your raw gems and turn them into a unique work of art. We can smooth, cut, or keep them raw. We can also turn them into jewelry of your choice to keep for yourself or give as a gift to someone special.
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