CrystalsCrystals.com

CrystalsCrystals.com
All model photos are used for illustrative purposes only.
All graphics and web page design created by Crystal McCarey.

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Hand-Wrapped Gemstones and Crystals

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Something New!
HAND-WRAPPED CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES
Visit Our Design Showroom
2103 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90025
Email Us or Phone Us ... (310) 495-GEMS

CrystalsCrystals.com is making bold, fresh, fashionable strides in hand-made jewelry design. Enter, the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ stone-wrapping technique created by Crystal McCarey. This delicate, simple and elegantly classic design features interlinked threads of wire wrapped around gemstones and crystals in a fashion which provides truly "a bare minimum" of coverage on the stone, while locking the stone securely in place. The design allows the brilliant faceting and fire of a gemstone or crystal to be seen from every angle. See these lovely original designs in-person by visiting our design showroom in Westwood, California, at 2103 Westwood Boulevard. We are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Soonthe time will come for you to add hand-wrapped gemstones or crystals to your jewelry collection! If you enjoy beautiful, unique, stunning jewelry that is custom created just for you using color blends of gemstones or crystals that you adore, you will enjoy owning and wearing a hand-wrapped gemstone design. How beautiful gemstones are! See them in their splendor by visiting our Gemstone Locator Pages and preview a variety of gemstones and crystals we hand-wrap at CrystalsCrystals. The variety of beautiful gemstones available is amazing and lagely due to lab creation of gemstones and crystals. Fine jewelers will tell you there are now very many desirable laboratory grown gemstones, and diamonds. Lab grown is a grade of gemstone and crystal which has both grown in popularity and respect within the jewelry industry. Gemstone laboratories today are creating simulated material that "looks" and "acts" exactly like diamond and other natural gemstones. Scientists are creating simulated stones and superior crystals in hues of color that have never before been commercially available, allowing for more depth in color grouping and design. It's easy to get hooked on beautiful gemstones - especially when you can see them in all of their glorious splendor. The CrystalHuggerTwistWrap™ design is a stone's best friend. Top color, top clarity, top cut, - the stone will sparkle from every angle. Exotic and hypnotic, you'll feel people staring at your breathtaking gemstones when encased in this unique stone-wrap design.

The CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ stone-wrapping technique was inspired by studying the wrapping, tying and knotting techinques of primitive tribes of Africa and East-Asia (including Stone Age man, and various tribes from the Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods). The design is my 21st Century interpretation of that primitive ingenuity applied to stones of beauty. It is delicate jewelry, yet it is sturdy enough to wear daily under normal wear. For your convenience, fine jewelry care instructions are provided below, and are shipped with all orders.

STONE WRAPPING: If you have a gemstone or crystal that you would like to have hand-wrapped with our design, you can post it to us (signature required) and we'll be most happy to construct a lovely hand-wrapped gemstone creation for you. Feel free to contact us with your questions. E-mail us: info@crystalscrystals.com.

Neat Gift Idea ... matching mother/daughter, sister/sister, best friend/beest friend matching hand-wrapped natural gemstone earrings, bracelets, anklets, pendants or body jewelry. Hand-wrapped gemstones can be very large or very small. We can wrap stones ranging in size from 4mm to 60mm. Combine your favorite colors and cuts in one necklace to express your personal "flow." Start selecting gemstones to begin your hand-wrapped gemstone collection.

Crystals are wrapped with sterling silver and gold-filled wire. 14K gold wire must be requested.

Natural gemstones: on the other hand, are wrapped with sterling silver and 14K gold. Gold-filled wire must be requested. NOTE: Gold prices are based on the price on the date of purchase, and not on the date of order.

Please Visit the CrystalsCrystals.com Gemstone Locator Pages

Wire Color Combinations
14K YELLOW GOLD OR GOLD FILLED
14K Yellow Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K White Gold Shank
14K Yellow Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with Sterling Silver Shank
14K Yellow Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with Copper Shank
Yellow Gold Filled Loop and Stone Wrap with Sterling Silver Shank
Yellow Gold Filled Loop and Stone Wrap with Yellow Gold Filled Shank
Yellow Gold Filled Loop and Stone Wrap with Copper Shank

COPPER
Copper Loop and Stone Wrap with Sterling Silver Shank
Copper Loop and Stone Wrap with Gold Filled Shank
Copper Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K White Gold Shank
Copper Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K Yellow Gold Shank

14K WHITE GOLD OR STERLING SILVER
14K White Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K Yellow Gold Shank
14K White Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K White Gold Shank
14K White Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with Copper Shank
14K White Gold Loop and Stone Wrap with Sterling Silver Shank
Sterling Silver Loop and Stone Wrap with Copper Shank
Sterling Silver Loop and Stone Wrap with Gold Filled Shank
Sterling Silver Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K Yellow Gold Shank
Sterling Silver Loop and Stone Wrap with 14K White Gold Shank

COLORED WIRE: When gold filled wire cures, or aniques over time and with wear, the patina is permanent. When precious metals antique, they can be lightly brushed with a mild gold or silver solvent to return some of their shine. COLORED WIRE: We also wrap crystals with colored wire (hypo-allergenic base metal wire containing no lead or nickel. After checkout, please send an email to specify your desired wire colors. As you can see, there are many bright, bold wire colors available, and most colors are available in both a matte or a high polished finish.

WIRE COLORS
Why colored wire? Note that solid .925 Sterling Silver wire and solid 14K gold wire are always available, but there are times when colored wire is perfect. Perhaps it is a gift for a young person who has favorite colors; perhaps there is the desire that the wire colors present varying hues of the actual gemstone or crystal's color; perhaps photo or webmedia is being created and color contrasted wire in the design of the hand-wrapped item will enhance the visual effect of the project. Client creativity is always encouraged, and we offer the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ in a variety of wire color. GET CREATIVE!! Up to 4 wire colors can be used in the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™!

Multicolored Lab-Created Crystals

FINE GEMSTONES. A lot of people are attracted to fine gemstones. What's not to like? Usually we become more familiar with the gemstones we like. Also, we hear about the main gemstones in television and radio media. Our jewelry designs feature hand-wrapped gemstones and/or crystals interspersed between lovely colorful gemstone and crystal beads of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. We also offer designs featuring beads of amethyst, garnet, citrine, amber, tourmaline, spinel, moonstone, peridot, labradorite, topaz, rutile quartz, zircon, carnelian, crystal, onyx, and more. When it comes to hand-wrapped gemstones, if you have expensive natural gemstones, they will look fantastic.

BEAUTIFUL CRYSTALS! Shockingly ... a large majority of jewelry shoppers haven't yet realized how beautiful laboratory grown crystals can be. These crystals possess marvelous qualities which make them unique, one-of-a-kind, desirable and collectible. Even the inclusions in laboratory grown crystals are attractive. Minerals and heat collide in a laboratory to create special, one-of-a-kind color hues in the stones. Laboratory scientists are often unable to determine the exact color their efforts will produce, but the the technology is getting better each year, and for the most part gem scientists can now come very close to duplicating almost any color in a gemstone category. Very close indeed.

The technology of laboratory growing gem-quality crystals has boosted the popularity of crystals into the collectibles category. As is the case with natural gemstones, each laboratory grown crystal or gemstone is different as well. Some are hand cut, some are machine cut, after being grown in the laboratory setting for up to a year. When you get purchase this stone, a bit of work has gone into it. For that reason they cost more than machine cut zirconium. Laboratory-grown crystals are very reasonably priced and blend beautifully with the CrystalHugger TwistWrap™ stone-wrapping technique. A collection of ten to forty relatively inexpensive crystals can be transformed into a vision of hand-wrapped crystal delight! You deserve to be the first one in your circle of friends to own this spectacular, one-of-a-kind, unique hand-wrapped design so visit our Gemstone Locator Pages to start getting ideas for the colors, stone shapes, and gemstones or crystals you'd want in your design.

Laboratory-grown gemstones are indeed special and collectible. Just as diamonds, emerald, rubies and sapphires do not have value based on their name alone, neither do crystals. To be valuable, crystals also must be visually "beautiful." Their exact value will be based on the 4 C's (color, cut, clarity and carat weight), but eye appeal is the single most extremely important aspect to a stone's value. looking at the crystal in the picture above, you can see it has been created to showcase many colors. We see blue, yellow, green, magenta, pink, red, gold, and other hues. The capturing of shades in all of these vibrant colors in one stone of great cut and clarity is a beautiful things to see.

Most of us are attracted to gemstones and are familiar with a few of the most popular and well known varieties, but there are many CRYSTALS possessing qualities that make them desirable as jewelry. Some crystals possess special color variations or shades of color that make them rare, yet they are sufficiently inexpensive to make them readily accessible to a gemstone collector or jewelry aficionado.

Add The Beauty of Hand-Wrapped Crystals and Gemstones
To Your Jewelry Collection

See CrystalsCrystals.com Designs In The Showroom
2103 Westwood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90025

We source only the best quality, cut and color of gemstones and crystals.

Is It True?

Is it true that major gemstone labs do not give clarity gradings for colored gemstones? YES, it is true because there is no standard for measuring clarity in colored gemstones like there is in diamonds. Some gem varieties, such as emerald, are almost always included. Others, such as aquamarine, chrysoberyl and blue zircon, are usually eye clean. Sapphire, ruby and the garnets tend to be in the middle. Since there is no standard for grading clarity in colored gems, the major labs such as AIGS and GIA do not provide clarity grades for them. Gemstone certificates are needed for collectors and insurance purposes.

Is It True?

Is it true harder gems are more brilliant? YES, it is true, but partly. The harder gemstones such as sapphire which has a hardness score of 9 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness), ruby has a 9 and spinel rates an 8, tend to have a high refractive index which means more light is returned to the eye from inside the stone. Harder stones tend to take a better polish, and they have excellent luster as well. However, there are some gemstones which are relatively soft, but nonetheless have unusual brilliance, such as sphalerite which rates between 3.5 and 4, sphene which rates between 5 and 5.5, both of which have a higher refractive index than sapphire or ruby. Some reasonably hard gems, such as topaz (8) and members of the beryl family (7.5 - 8), such as emerald and aquamarine, have relatively low refractive indexes.

Care and Cleaning Instructions
for Hand-Wrapped Gemstones and Crystals
GENERAL: Keep hand-wrapped gemstone and crystal jewelry looking its best with simple maintenance. The care you provide for your delicate jewelry will provide you with years of pleasurable wear. This information is provided to help you understand the delicate nature of hand-wrapped crystal jewelry and the care that should be taken when wearing, storing and cleaning it. It is special, like you. It is unique. It is hand-made to order just for you.

Do not sleep in hand-wrapped jewelry or other fine jewelry. Try to protect all natural gemstone jewelry from sharp blows, harsh chemicals, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and extreme hot or cold temperatures. AVOID CHEMICAL EXPOSURE: Always avoid exposing fine jewelry, gemstones and crystals to chlorine bleach, household cleaners, and related chemicals as they can severely discolor and damage gold, silver, gemstones and crystals. Tip: even the mild chemicals of commercial jewelry cleaning products may damage certain gems. Jewelry should always be the first thing you take off, and the last thing you put on when getting dressed. Jewelry should always be put on after using cosmetics, hair spray and/or perfumes to avoid contact with substances and chemicals. Remove your fine jewelry when participating in sports, jogging, swimming, or strenuous household cleaning where your jewelry might be banged into or become snagged on household items.Soap film and lotions can easily build up on the surface of gold and silver so it's best to remove your gold jewelry before showering or using household cleaners or chemicals. Chlorine has also been known weaken gold, and remove gemstone coatings, causing gold to break more easily and coated gemstones to look dull, dry and unattractive.

CLEANING: If you see that oils or other residue such as lotions, makeup, etc., have become trapped between the wires and coat the stone, it's time for a cleaning. Dip your cleaning applicator into a solution of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts warm water and gently rub the front and back of your hand-wrapped crystal. Try to avoid getting the wires wet! If you don't have the cleaning applicator, use a Q-Tip. You can also use a small, soft, thin tip brush to gently wipe the front and back of the wires to remove residue, and a dry brush to remove any remaining residue and dry the wires. The quality crystal or gemstone you own will sparkle forever. Should your stone for any reason become loosened from the wires, please contact us, as it's time for a re-wrap. Customer Service at CrystalsCrystals.com.

WIRE AND FINE METAL CARE: With frequent wear gold, silver and gold-filled wire will develop a patina over time. 14k gold and sterling silver wire can usually be polished back to a shine, with gold-filled wire allowing a bit less of it�s original glow. The patina gives hand-wrapped jewelry an antique look, a vintage look and the more antiqued the wire against a sparkling gemstone or crystal, the more authentically antique your piece will look. Stones wrapped in wire should be handled with care, the wire is stable and the stone is locked into the wire solidly, but you must take care to be careful with wire-wrapped jewelry so as not to loosen the wires around the stone. Though precious metals can always be polished to look new again, once a gemstone's coating is removed or chipped due to exposure to chemicals or physical damage, it will have to be replaced.

NATURAL GEMSTONE CARE: Although soap and water is the best choice for most gemstones and crystals, it is important that you do not use soap and water on amber, coral, emerald, jade, kunzite, lapis lazuli, opal, or turquoise. Gemstone hardness is based on the Mohs Scale of Hardness for Gemstones, developed in the early 19th century. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the gemstone. Diamonds are rated the highest at 10; rubies and sapphires are rated 9; emeralds and topaz are rated 8; and garnets, tourmalines and quartz are rated 7. Crystals are rated between 5-7, so crystals are easily scratched. Any gemstone with a Mohs scale rating of 6 or less can be easily scratched, for example: coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, or turquoise.

ULTRASONIC CLEANERS: Do not put hand-wrapped gemstones or crystals into an ultrasonic cleaner. As a general rule, it is important to consult a jeweler before putting any piece of fine jewelry into a home ultrasonic cleaner. They will likely need to see the piece of jewelry to advise you as to whether home ultrasonic cleaning is feasible.

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