Review: Z for Accessorize Platinum Plated Silver Healing Ring

 

I purchased the Platnium Plated Healing Ring from the Z for Accessorize rang in the recent Accessorize summer sale - £4.60 from £15. I haven’t been wowed by anything from this range for ages but this ring really jumped out at me in the photo and it is even lovelier in real life.

The ring design is elegant and understated. The ring is light and comfortable to wear. It looks great on its own or stacked with other rings. The stones are labradorite and rose quartz. They are beautifully cut and really complement each other. I am pleased this isn’t in gold plate as my skin is so acidic thanks to my fentanyl patches it would stain my skin, so at last I have found a ring that I love the design of and can actually wear! 

I have bought Z for Accessorize jewellery since it was first launched and more recently the Verneil range: even though I haven’t been particularly enthralled by their recent designs (apart from this one) I do feel they are well made and reasonably priced, especially in the sales. 

 I purchased the items myself and the views expressed on this blog are my own. 

Review: Karen Young Jewellery Labradorite & Champagne Diamond Sterling Silver Pendant

I was lucky enough to win this beautiful pendant I am reviewing in this blog post in an Instagram competition run by Karen Young Jewellery. Karen Young designs and makes silver and gemstone  jewellery. Her inspiration for the designs appears to be nature and minimalistic designs which are unusual and affordable.

My pendant is sterling silver with a labradorite as the main stone and tiny champagne diamond on the base. There are also two tiny 9ct gold accents surrounding the diamond. The pendant measures 1”x1/2”. The sterling silver chain is chunky and so different from the very slim chains that most jewellers use.  As the chain is chunky it doesn’t seem to get tied up and tangled as slimmer chains do, which is another plus as I struggle to untangle them!

The necklace is stylish and comfortable to wear. The detail on the back of the pendant means that it doesn’t matter if it flips over as it looks like a pendant rather than just the normal claw setting that would be used to hold the stones. The stones compliment each other. Labradorite is one of my favourite stones as it almost comes alive with flashes of different colours under different lights. The champagne diamond makes the whole pendant as it gives out flashes of orange and red. I would also wear the chain by itself as it would look great pared with a crisp white shirt or dark pop neck jumper.

This item was a competition prize but I would purchase from this designer in the future. The rings especially are just that little bit different and reasonably priced.  I am pleased that I found this jewellery range and look forward to seeing what she designs in the future and where her brand goes.

Review: Azuni Small Sculptural Ring & Iona Labradorite Studs

I was given these pieces of jewellery as a Christmas present but due to family circumstances have only just got round to wearing and reviewing them. One of my first pieces of expensive posh jewellery was Azuni. I have a picture of the earrings and pendant in an earlier blog post. Azuni wee established in 1996 and their ethos is to create fair trade and ethical jewellery which incorporates different designs and cultures. 

I already blogged about the Athena narrow sculptural cuff which remains one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. The small Thalia sculptural ring is made in the same  style but just has labradorite stones set in it. It measures 15mm and is 18k gold plate. The ring is adjustable and comes in a little Azuni pouch. I find this ring comfortable to wear. The labradorite stones change colour according to the light so can shift from grey to brown to a green which is why I like the stone so much. Like all Azuni pieces the ring is timeless, unusual and eye catching without being contrived or looking over done.

The Iona labradorite gemstone earrings are £20, measure approx 7mm in diameter  and are 24k gold plated brass with gold plated Sterling Silver ear posts. They come in an Azuni presentation pouch. The intricate setting makes the earrings stand out from just being stud earrings. The cut of the labradorite stone makes them flash different colours according to the lighting making the gem look vibrant and eye catching. They are easy to put in the ear and comfortable to wear. 

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Z for Accessorize: Slinky Semi Precious Stone Earrings

                                 

These Z for Accessorize Slinky Semi Precious Earrings (£17) caught my eye as the stone is laboradite, which is one of my favourites. The earrings are very minimalistic,  simple and elegant. The stones, which measure approx 1cmx1cm, are on a gold plated chain and sit in a gold plated wire setting which brings out the smokey brown/grey of the stones. The drop of the earrings is around 6cm and the are gold plated.  The earrings will look great with both formal and every day wear. The stones seem to change colour depending upon the light and can go from grey to a glossy brown/black. They are extremely light to wear and as they are a fish hook fastening they were easy to put on.

                                                   

I purchased these earrings myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.
 Available from Accessorize both instore and online.

Ottoman Hands 3 Stone Ring

I was lucky enough to win this Ottoman Hands  3 stone ring last year in their Instagram competition.  It is very much a "statement" piece of jewellery! The stones are labradorite, mother of pearl and Turquoise.  The band and setting are 21ct gold covered brass.  It is heavy, but comfortable to wear. The band is quite thick so it supports the weight of the stones.  My ring came in a little Ottoman Hands embossed pouch, with three cards explaining the meaning behind the stones, which I thought was a nice touch that I haven't seen before (and I have bought a lot of jewellery over the years!).  I wouldn't necessarily wear this ring every day, glasses, hay fever and large rings do not make a great combination. I do wear it when I want my hands, jewellery or me to be noticed! My ring and Ottoman Hands Jewellery generally are stunning, flamboyant and that little bit extra. Combining unusual combinations of semi precious stones, they use unusual stones and eye catching settings plus they are a reasonably affordable brand. Ottoman Hands Jewellery can be found o their own website, Asos, John Lewis, Topshop and The British Museum. 

I won this ring but this did not affect my review. 

Ottoman Hands Website

Z For Accessorize Semi Precious Stone Cluster Ring

The new spring Z for Accessorize range is out now and this semi precious stone cluster gold plated ring (£19) is one of the two pieces that caught my eye. The stones are different shades of labradorite set in a claw setting. It is gold plated.   It looks as though it is a stacking ring but it isn't - the rings are fused together.  It is comfortable to wear and the stones don't catch on jumpers etc.  It doesn't scream spring at me, the colours seem rather Autumn/Winter, but I do like it, I just wish they would create some vermeil or Sterling my silver pieces in this range as the plating wears off quite quickly due to increased skin acidity  caused by my Fentynl patches. 

Available online, in store and Accessorize stockists.

Accessorize

Z for Accessorize 2x Anya Earring Pack

                                     

All Z for Accessorize jewellery is on 3 for 2 (online only) so I purchased the Anya earring pack and some other items as well. The studs cost £15 for both pairs before the discount plus the £2 flat rate p&p.  There is also a matching pendant - the Anya cluster pendant which is also £15.

The tear drop pair are yellow gold plated and the semi precious stone is labradorite.  The round pair of studs are also yellow gold plated and have cubic zirconia stones.  As they are both tiny I found them hard to grip and get in to my ear lobes.  I also found the backing hard to put on the post to secure them, again. I found the backing to be too small for my fingers to hold on to, so in the future I will stick to butterfly and fish wire closures.  I do like the style and look of the earrings, especially the labradorite ones.  They are small, discreet and elegant but I did find it tiring trying to fasten them in place, so I am not sure if they will be worn very often for this reason. 

                    

I purchased these earrings myself.

They are available online and in store. They are available here

Z for Accessorize: Rose Gold Eliza Semi Precious Long Pendant Necklace

The Eliza semi precious longline rose gold necklace is part of the Z for Accessorize range stocked at Accessorize. It costs £27, so it is at the higher end of the scale price wise, but it is a beautiful and elegant piece of jewellery.  The chain measures 32cm including the lobster clasp and extended chain and is adorned with cubic zirconia and labradorite beads.  The pendant is a rose quartz stone which measures 2cm (L)x 1.7cm (W).  The piece is rose gold plated and the warm coloured gold offsets the rose quartz beautifully. The extender chain means that the necklace can be worn at slightly different lengths. 

I purchased the item online from Accessorize.com.  Postage and packaging was £2 and the package arrived within 3 working by days.  It comes on a little Z for Accessorize swing tag. 

Available here

Accessorize Sterling Silver Labradorite Pendant

This pendant is from Accessorize and their Sterling Silver range. It is currently in the sale for £13.60, down from £17. The chain and pendant measure 23cm and the labradorite stone is quite small and delicate is 1cm.   The necklace is an extendable chain with a lobster fastener which can be extended from 19 to 22cm.    The necklace comes on a swing tag. I ordered it online and it came packaged in a little plastic bag, bubble wrap and an Accesorize branded box as outer packaging, so it was certainly securely packaged! P&P was a £2 flat rate as I spent under the minimum needed for free postage (£35). I also collected my reward points as Monsoon/Accessorize have a reward card scheme. Even though I am slightly disappointed with Z for Accessorize S/S designs, due to the lack of semi precious stones (which made the designs stand out) I think this piece made up for it and I shall enjoy admiring/ wearing it.

Available from:

Accessorize

Chip Beaded Healing Gemstone Bracelets

I purchased these chip beaded semi precious healing bracelets from TheUniqueGemLady via Etsy UK. They cost £4 each and I could select what size I wanted, which for me was great as most bracelets are one size fits all, but if your wrists are only 5" they don't! I chose moonstone, Rose Quartz, labradorite and a chakra bracelet for this order as they are my favourite stones. 

They look quite delicate and are strung are elastic so are easy to get on and off, so that is a bonus as it cheers me up to put on some jewellery when I am not feeling that great. They look great on there own or stacked together and she has lots more in her shop if to want to keep adding to your collection. 

The customer service was great, she emailed me back within a few hours to confirm my order and I had my bracelets within 3 days. I think these bracelets are reasonable in price, look great and the customer service is excellent. 

I purchased these items myself and they are available from here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheUniqueGemLady

Welcome and My First Ever Post - A Review of the Labradorite Vermeil Mini Nala Pendant

Welcome to my brand new blog dedicated to all things sparkly and jewellery related -Sparkling Magpie. My first post is going to review the Labradorite Vermeil Mini Nala pendant which can be purchased either in store at The Genuine Gemstone Company Ltd (the parent company) concessions or online at Gemporia.com.

The necklace  comes with a certificate of authenticity and in a faux leather blue box. The box has a white slip cover embossed with the company logo and when removed it reveals a faux blue leather jewellery case which feels and looks quite substantial in size. When you open the case to reveal the inside it is black and has a velvety feel to it. The piece of velvet that holds the necklace in place is removable so the case itself would make a fantastic travel sized jewellery box as it feels sturdy enough to protect your jewellery.

The necklace itself is  16" (44cm) long and is made of vermeil. Vermeil is sterling silver plated in gold. The clasp is a lobster clasp which is easier to grip than a trigger clasp as it is slightly longer so there is more to grip on to when fastening the necklace. The stone is 3.37 carats and measures.  It has a faceted cut, is very tactile and even though the back isn't smooth it still fits comfortably just above the collar bone. 

Labradorite was first discovered Labrador, Canada and can now also be found in Madagascar, China, India, Australia, Russia,  Mexico, Scandinavia and the USA.  

At first glance the stones appear a very plain grey/brown but when light hits it, They have blue/violet/grey/ green hues running through them. As seen in my photographs they also pick up and reflect the colours that are around/ behind them.  

As labradorite is associated with the third eye and is supposed to reduce negativity It is used in prayer and meditation. Labradorite is supposed to promote patience and intuition, helping you find your true path and destiny in life.

The necklace feels quite substantial and looks a lot more expensive than it actually is due to the vermeil chain and the cut of the stone. The light bounces off and through the faceted stone revealing a kaleidoscope of blue, green and violet from what appeared at first glance to be a boring, uninspiring, subdued grey stone. It is a piece of jewellery that could be pared with smart work wear, jeans or be worn if you were going out in the evening. I am very pleased with this purchase and will keep an eye out for other labradorite pieces.

When I commented on Facebook about the lack of a customer service assistance at their Manchester concession they replied within an hour even though I emailed during the evening.  I had a question relating to the necklace, emailed Gemporia.com on a Sunday afternoon and again got a reply within the hour. So Internet/social media wise their customer service is excellent. In store, however, customer service is not as exemplary. The first time I went to buy my necklace I couldn't find anyone to serve me and the second time although she was very polite she didn't know the names of the stones and took ages to find the necklace behind the counter. In the future I would definitely buy their jewellery as it is good quality and looks great but probably not from in store concessions due to the difference in customer service. 

No matter how beautiful or swoon worthy a piece of jewellery is, unless it and the company that made the piece have ethical credentials worth shouting about then that item is just not worth it.  The ethos and aim of Gemporia is "is to be original, inspiring and ethical" (their whole statement can be found at http://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/about-us/ ) They work closely with the Colourful Life Foundation whose mission is "is to improve the health and education of deprived communities - providing long term improvements to quality of life by the creation and support of sustainable economic opportunity". A recent example of the Foundation's work was their refurbishment of a toilet block for a school in Bhwani (India) creating male and female cubicles. This has resulted in a rise in the number of girls attending school. 

The fact that The Genuine Gemstone Company support this foundation make my necklace feel even more special as its purchase is helping those who are in dire need of projects like this. 

The Labradorite Vermeil Mini Nala necklace can be purchased from The Genuine Gemstone Company concessions or online at  Gemporia.com (order number QDDY87) and costs £21.99. I purchased mine from Debenhams Market Street Manchester where there is a Genuine Gemstone Company Ltd branch in store.

All views expressed in this post are my own and I purchased the item myself. 

Colourful Life Foundation http://www.colourfullife.org/

Gemporia 

https://www.gemporia.com/en-gb/
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