Cloud Nine Gems is celebrating winning the St Ives “Commerce in the Community Award”  The award ceremony took place on the 8th May with St Ives outgoing Mayor Debbie Townsend presenting a beautiful engraved glass bowl to Maria.

Emerald is this month’s birthstone –  it’s a member of the Beryl family of gems and it varies in colour from light to dark green. Emeralds often appear to have impurities within them – these  inclusions, fissures and cracks occur naturally and most Emeralds are treated using an oiling process to reduce the visibility of these marks, leaving the stone with greater clarity. Flawless Emeralds are rare and very expensive.  The finest Emeralds are found in Columbia.

Traditionally Emeralds are worn to promote healing, love and contentment and some believe they enhance clairvoyance; mummies were often buried with Emeralds in ancient Egypt although Egyptian Emeralds are considered very poor quality.

Emeralds are brittle and can be easily damaged so great care should be taken when cleaning them and they should never be placed in an ultrasonic cleaner.

The traditional April birthstone is Diamond. The hardest substance on earth is also one of the most beautiful - formed deep within the earth’s crust centuries ago, diamonds are simply crystallised carbon. The true beauty of a diamond is only revealed when it is cut and polished and their value depends upon the skill of the diamond cutter and the clarity of the stone. Pure diamonds are colourless but they do come in all colours of the rainbow.  Diamonds are considered a token of courage and of enduring love.  Today Cubic Zirconia is often given as a more affordable alternative.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for March. It is a pale blue-green or aqua coloured stone - part of the Beryl (Beryllium aluminum silicate) Crystal family which also includes Emeralds. Mined mostly in Brazil but recent mining in China has produced large numbers of crystals making the stone somewhat more affordable.  The name derives from the latin aqua and mara – meaning water of the sea, Aquamarine is used in many pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and rings as it has a pleasing softness in its colour. Aquamarine is associated with beauty, honesty, loyalty, and happiness. The stone has been used for many centuries and sailors believed it would keep them safe at sea.

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Cloud Nine Gems is giving you the chance to win one of four prizes this mothers day,

 the Overall winner will also win a £25.00 Cloud Nine Gems Gift Voucher for their mum.

 Simply draw a piece of jewellery you would like to give to your mum on Mothers day.

Ideally, entries should be on A4 paper.

Please remember to put your name, age and contact details on the back of the paper.

 There are three age categories:

Age 5 – 8

Age 9 -13

Age 14 – 18

 Entries will be displayed atCloud Nine Gems.

 The winner will be notified on Tuesday 5th March 2013.

Entries should be posted to:

Cloud Nine Gems,

13, Market Hill,

St Ives,

Cambs.

PE27 5AL

 All entries must be received by Monday 4th March 2013

Amethyst is the birthstone for February. It is a crystalline form of quartz found in a variety of places such as Brazil, Russia, Canada and Madagascar.  In Brazil, large geodes are formed within volcanic rock these yield masses of Amethyst crystals when opened.  It has been widely used in jewellery during the 19^th and 20^thcentury.

Amethysts name comes from the ancient Greek, ἀ a- (“not”) and μέθυστος methustos (“intoxicated”) – a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. 

Amethyst comes in a variety of shades from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple.  Treating with heat can change the colour to a yellow-Orange or brownish colour.

According to Greek mythology, amethyst was a young virgin transformed into rock crystal, dyed purple by the tears of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry after he became intoxicated with red wine.

Ancient Egyptians used the stone as the representative of the zodiac sign Capricorn. The goat was considered the enemy of vines and vineyards, and therefore the antidote of wine.

Garnet is the birthstone for January, believed to have been first mined over 25,000 years ago in Sri Lanka. The name Garnet is thought to come from the Latin ‘Granatus’ meaning seed or grain. The Garnet crystal is most commonly known in its deep red form. The mixture of iron , calcium and manganese create a whole range of shades - from vibrant oranges and lime greens throught to browns, pinks and shades of violet. The rarest of all is a blue Garnet found in Madagascar in the 1990′s.

Garnet has long been a favourite with jewellery makers - used in pendants, bracelets, earrings and rings for centuries. Early examples have been found dating back to the bronze age. Garnet is also used as an abrasive and is commonly used in industry for grinding and polishing, combined with high pressure water it is also used to cut through steel.

The traditional birthstone for December is Turquoise – considered one of the oldest gemstones it was first mined over 6000 years ago in Persia. Examples of turquoise jewellery can be seen in very early cultures such as the Aztecs and Turks, more recently the Native Americans have used it widely. Turquoise is a relatively soft gemstone and is often coated to protect the surface when used in jewellery. The stone is formed in moving ground water and the colour varies from white to a sky blue according to the amount of copper and iron present. It often has veins of Limonite or Pyrite running through it giving it its distinctive appearance. In many cultures turquiose has been perceived as a bringer of good fortune.

Would you like free gifts and discounts on our beautiful products? Then why not hold a party with a difference? Simply invite your friends and colleagues to a Cloud Nine Gems jewellery party. We hold your party at our shop – any weekday evening from 7.30pm to 10pm – there’s no clearing up or rushing around because we can do it all for you, we can also provide music and refreshments for you and your friends while you enjoy the evening, shop, and chat to your guests.

  Parties can also be held in aid of your favourite charity, commission can be taken as cash (charity events only) or as product which can be used at future fundraising events. For charity events the hostess gift can be raffled on the night to raise further funds – we will even help advertise the evening for you.

As a thank you for holding the party and introducing your guests to Cloud Nine Gems we are happy to offer you:

v    A free bottle of Bubbly to get the party going

v    Hostess gift of the month

v    10% of total party sales in goods of your choice (or cash if a Charity party)

v    25% Discount on up to two additional hostess purchases if total party sales are over £250.00

v    50% Discount on up to two additional hostess purchases if total party sales are over £500.00

Simply invite everyone you can think of and ask them to bring a friend – the more people that come the merrier the party and the better the rewards you’ll receive!

If you would like to book a party then please download, fill in and return to us the booking form from the following link:

Cloud Nine Gems Party Form

We will get back to you and confirm the party date within 48hours of receipt of the form - in the mean time if you have any queries or questions please do not hesitate to contact us on 01480 495198 or pop in and see us at the shop at 13, Market Hill, St Ives, PE27 5AL, Monday to Friday 9.30am – 5pm and have a chat.