#win Dower & Hall Vermeil Nomad Beaten Pebble Pendant

  

To start off 2019 I have this Dower & Hall Nomad Beaten Pebble Pendant in vermeil to giveaway. The RRP is £90.  The pendant and chain are made out of sterling silver coated in 18ct gold, the beaten pebble measures 15x10mm, the chain is 18” and has the Dower & Hall quatrefoil tag as part of the clasp. It comes presented in a faux leather dark blue gift box which also has the D&H quatrefoil logo imprinted on the lid. It is a very elegant, minimalistic and timeless piece. I love D&H pieces. I have reviewed their Multi gem hoop earrings and the enchanted pearl drop earrings and when I wear them I always get asked where I got them from.

Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:

The Competition opens on 12 January 12.01 am GMT and closes on 31 January 11.59 pm GMT. 

The competition is open internationally.

The competition  is run by me and has no connection with Dowet & Hall. 

Entrants must complete the mandatory Rafflecopter requirement or they will be disqualified from the competition. 

#win Pippa Small Jewellery White Agate Square Stud Earrings

These earrings retail for £80 and they are made by the ethical Jeweller, Pippa Small. I have, and have reviewed, the jade ones and I wear them all the time.  I also bought white agate ones to use as this month's giveaway.  They are gold vermeil stud earrings for pierced ears and the stone is white agate.  They are packaged in a little silk bag.  

Enter here:    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:
The competition is open internationally. 

Rafflecopter competition.

Must be subscribed to this blog.

Opens 10 July 2018, end date 13 Aug 2018 12AM  GMT.

Pippa Small Jewellery: Khusha Ring

I have bought and reviewed several pieces of Pippa Small Jewellery.  I have reviewed Lapis studs from the Turquoise Mountain intituative, the lapis bracelet sold on eBay UK in aid of Children in Crisis and reviewed and given away a Monsoon/PippaSmall  aquamarine pendant. I love the charitable/ giving back element that forms the basis that drives Pippa Small to design and make beautiful, unusual and unique pieces of jewellery that helps others in parts of the world that desperately need it.

I purchased this Khusha ring size J via Amazon UK (RRP £160 but it was reduced to £35.54).  It came in a colourful little silk bag, which is also made by local artisans, and I love it.  The ring is made of gold vermeil and there is an intricate inlayed star design across it.  The inlay is jasper and Turquoise.  The length of the star design is 2.8cm. He ring band is a comfortable size but as the gold circle slightly overlaps the finger at either side I would not wear it as an every day ring but keep it for special occasions as I have a habit of scratching my eye and scratching the lense when I wear larger statement rings! The ring is currently available in size R and the matching earrings are too (£160).

I purchased this item myself and the thoughts expressed in this blog are my own.

There is currently a ring in size R available from

Amazon UK

Dower & Hall Vermeil Multi Gem Hoops

These earrings by Dower & Hall  are 18ct gold vermeil on sterling silver, with multi gem -  2-4 mm amethyst, garnet and topaz studded - hoops.  I bought them in their Christmas sale, so they are no longer available, but I though I would do a post on them anyway as they are versatile and show the workmanship and quality of the Dower & Hall range.  They came in a leatherette jewellery box with their logo embossed on it which  will make a great travel jewellery case.  They look great coupled with pastel summery colours or darker more winter hues.  There is a tiny gem at the back of the hoop which balances the gems at the front.  All Dower & Hall jewellery is well made. timeless and has that added something and I always enjoy wearing my earrings and ring from their collections.

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

Dower & Hall Website

Astley Clarke Mini Moon Ring in Vermeil Yellow Gold

My mum gave me this Mini Moon Biography Vermeil ring in yellow gold for passing my law degree. Currently £45 in the sale, the ring is pave set with white sapphires and the setting and band is 18ct yellow gold plated sterling silver.  The ring measures 8x3mm and can be worn alone or stacked with other rings.  It fits flat against my finger so there is no risk that I will scratch my glasses when I rub my eye - that was a very expensive mistake and I haven't worn that ring again.  It has a very thin band and is so light I can forget I am wearing it, which is important for me as I find wearing certain rings painful due to neuropathic pain in my hands.  The moon is supposed to symbolise enlightenment which is why I chose it as a graduation present.  There are also matching items - a pendant and earrings and all these items are also available in sterling silver.  

I ordered the ring from AC's online store, it was very easy to navigate and the customer service was excellent. I decided I wanted to change ring size and they changed it immediately.   It came securely packaged within 3 days of ordering it.  There is a grey pouch and jewellery box  to keep it in.   I really like AC jewellery. I have pieces I have bought from their online store and via eBay and they always look stylish, timeless and wear well.  I have, of course bookmarked the matching earrings for my birthday!

Available from Astley Clarke

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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