Articles
Jewelry, Origami and Japanese Culture
The History of Origami
The first paper making technique came to Japan from China in 7th century.
The Japanese developed another processing method using different materials.
Around the 10th century, paper was used for wrapping items or letters. It became fashionable to decorate letters and gifts with artfully folded paper.
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The Thousand Origami Cranes (Senbazuru)
In Japan, the crane is a symbol of long life.
Many Japanese believe that to fold a thousand cranes can cure an illness or help to live a longer life.
The Thousand Cranes are: 1000 origami cranes bunched together using some kind of string, a drawing or painting of a thousand cranes, or a print of many cranes on a cloth.
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The Seven Types of Pearl
There are only 7 kinds of shellfish used for culturing pearls.
These creatures have a beautiful lustre inside their shells which determines the opulence, coulour and lustre of the pearl.
Akoya pearls are known for their high lustre and rich colour.
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The History of Pearls
Pearls have always been a valuable and divine jewel.
They are softer than mineral gems and don't need to be cut and polished as they are naturally shiny.
In 1905, Mikimoto succeeded in culturing a spherical pearl with Akoya oysters. With this success, the Japanese cultured pearl and the Mikimoto name became known around the world.
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Cleaning Silver Jewelry
Silver jewelry will gradually darken if left exposed to air, especially if any sulphur is present.
The basic cleaning method: After you take-off your Silver jewelry, you should polish it with a jewelry cloth.
When you are not wearing your silver jewelry, you had better keep it in an airtight container (a special bag for silver jewelry or a plastic bag).
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Measure your ring size
How to measure your finger to determine your ring size:
1. Wrap a piece of string (that doesn't scratch) or paper strip around the base of your finger.
2. Mark the string or paper where it overlaps to form a complete circle.
3. Measure the length of the section of string or paper to the mark.
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Precious Metals - Gold, Silver and Platinum
Platinum is the hardest of precious materials.
This gray-colored inert metal is resistant to tarnishing. It is the most costly of the precious metals, partially due to its relative weight.
Sterling silver is made of 925 parts pure silver and 75 parts base metal, which is usually copper.
Fine gold is known as 24-karat gold. It is very soft and rarely used for jewelry purposes. Read More About Precious Metals
Crystals (Quartz)
Quartz is one of the most common minerals found on the surface of the Earth.
This natural form of silicon dioxide is found in an impressive range of varieties and colours, which occurs in nearly all types of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
Rock crystal, rose quartz, smoky quartz, milky quartz, citrine and amethyst all belong to the quartz family. Read More About Crystals
Furoshiki - Traditional Japanese wrapping
Furoshiki is a square piece of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth that was used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods. Ancient furoshiki was made of natural materials, but Modern furoshiki can be made of a variety of cloth, including silk, cotton, rayon, and nylon.
The origins of furoshiki date back to the Nara period (710 794 AD). It was used to wrap clothes at the Shosoin - a structure at the Todai temple in Nara, Japan.
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Birthstones - An introduction to the 12 Birthstones
Different months of the year have long been represented by certain gemstones. These stones are known as birthstones. A birthstone is supposed to bring good luck when worn by a person born in its month.
There have been many different sets of birthstones used throughout history and in different cultures.
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Ojizo-sama - Jizo Bosatsu
Jizo (or as we Japanese call him Ojizo-sama) is the Bodhisattva (Bosatsu). The Earthstore Bodhisattva became the saviour for those condemned to Hell.
The Earth gives us everything we need from food to treasure. Jizo is also believed to gives us health, longevity, wisdom, wealth, a good harvest, easy birth etc
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