Description

Large and heavy silver ring set with translucent green jade. The ring rises above the finger and the teardrop shaped stone is held with dramatic silver prongs. Stone is natural and untreated. For both men and woman.

Size 10.75
Rises approx 13mm above the finger setting approx 21x15mm
Ring band 7mm at thinnest
16g of silver

Stone is 100% natural untreated jade. Our jadeite jade is mined from the Motagua river valley in Guatemala, the hard stone was one of the most valuable materials in Mesoamerica and was used for a variety of purposes both sacred and profane. The word ‘jade’ comes from the Spanish ‘piedra de ijada’, or loin-stone, named because of its reputed ability to heal ailments of that area, especially the kidneys. But ‘jade’ actually denotes two stones, jadeite and nephrite, both of which are accepted as genuine jade. Jadeite, however, is the rarer and more valuable of the two, and is mostly what is excavated in Guatemala. While nephrite can be found in shades of green, white and grey, jadeite displays a spectrum of colors in addition to the classic green, including blue, white, pink, lavender, orange and black. Jadeite also has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.0—a full unit harder than nephrite—and is tougher than diamonds (i.e. is more resistant to chipping and breaking). Both nephrite and jadeite are metamorphic rocks commonly marked with veins or imperfections, although it is often these imperfections that will make a particular piece special and in some cases more valuable. In general, as it is with most stones, fine jade is distinguished by even clarity of color and translucence. Interestingly, translucent ice jade can arguably be seen as the purest jade, because it is the imperfections in the chemical make-up of the stone that cause the colors. For a stone to be called “jadeite” the jadeite chemical compound usually constitutes at least 90-95% of the rock. Only a small amount of minor elements are required to produce vivid colors.

Silver has antibiotic properties, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any metal, and of course, silver is incredibly malleable and polishes to a lustrous shine, making it ideal for jewelry. Jewelry has traditionally been made of Sterling silver, composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. This metal mixture, or alloy, maintains its form better than the relatively soft pure silver, doesn’t tarnish as easily, and has a higher melting point, making it good for tea pots and cookware as well.

THIS ITEM SHIPS FROM MEXICO AND WILL TAKE 2-3 WEEKS TO ARRIVE.