A few months ago, we had a very unique jade dragon walk into our office. What seemed like a regular day turned into quite an eventful one! So eventful, in fact, that KITV4 made us the lead story on the 6 o'clock news! Click here to see the segment and learn more about the case of the Jade Dragon!
The Jewelry Box
Kama'aina Metals & Jewelry
The Case of the Jade Dragon - Kama'aina Metals helps catch theives that robbed a 90 year old man!
2012-12-01 16:55:02.0
Birthstone Guide -Three Things we love about Sapphires!
2012-11-07 21:07:39.0
The Logan Sapphire is a 423 carat blue Sapphire that was donated to the Smithsonian in 1960.
Sapphires are the birthstone for September, and with the market being flooded with an influx of so many basic inky blue sapphires in modern times, some may be unaware of how mesmerizing, juicy, and colorful a good quality sapphire can be. Since our last blog about Peridot really seemed to take off and get some interest, we thought we would continue this month with Sapphires.
A great example of Sapphires being used to inspire Royalty is the large blue Sapphire egg on the Prussian Crown.
1. History. Sapphires have an ancient history that rivals any other gemstone on the planet. And by ancient, we mean "cradle of civilization" ancient. Sapphire has four root words, Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Sanskrit "sanipriya" meaning "Dear to Saturn" which is the planet of wisdom, integrity and discipline. Sapphires are believed to rule responsibility, leadership, ambition and wisdom from experience. This is why many Princes and Kings were adorned with precious sapphires. In Indian mythology the transit of Saturn causes man much calamity, but ultimately ends in prosperity. Saturn also represents spiritual journey. Ancient Buddhists believed that the sapphire created a desire to pray in its wearer and King Solomon’s seal stone ring is said to have been carved from a sapphire.
Rough Padparasha Sapphire
2. Variety. Sapphires are made of corundum (the same material Ruby is made of. Ruby is the red variety of Sapphire.). Sapphires come in yellow, blue, purple, blue, pink, orange, green, etc. They can exhibit two colors together like Padparasha Sapphires (Pink-Orange).
Sometimes nature's work of art is best seen through a Parti-colored Sapphire.
There are even gemstones that show three of these colors simultaneously, these are called Parti-colored Sapphires. This makes for an endless combination of colors which might remind you of a painter's pallet. Blotches of brightly saturated colors swirl together inside these translucent Sapphires and make each gemstone a unique work of art.
Natural Golden Star Sapphire from Burma
3. Asterism. Sapphires sometimes exhibit a type of inclusion: "silk" which causes a phenomenon in the stone called "asterism". These stones are called star sapphires. Almost all star sapphires have a rounded face, and are not faceted because this cut is the best way to display the gemstone's star. This cut is called cabochon. The most common colors are black star sapphires and blue star sapphires. There are however relatively rare star sapphire colors such as: green star sapphires, purple star sapphires, and golden or yellow star sapphires.
Vintage 14k earrings with natural black star sapphires available at Kamaaina Metals & Jewelry.
There are many star sapphire simulants on the market (such as the ever popular Linde star sapphires) and lab created star sapphires, so if you are shopping for a natural star sapphire be sure to consult your trusted gemologist before making a purchase, and be very careful purchasing anything online.
November - All the many colors of Topaz!
2012-11-07 21:05:41.0
Gigantic Golden Topaz crystals and facetted gem on display in the Smithsonian Museum.
When we say Topaz the color that most people think of is what is called "London Blue" Topaz. Most of the blue topaz on the market today is heat treated, and natural blue Topaz is extremely rare. Most natural blue Topaz is very pale and looks almost like aquamarine. Topaz was commonly pink, champagne, golden, and pumpkin tones until the 1950s when it became common to heat Topaz which turned them blue. November's birthstone is traditionally this beautiful golden-orange color, however for those who adore the ocean-toned blues, modern times now offer us hundreds of shades of Topaz from which to choose!
Golden Topaz earrings at Kama'aina Metals & Jewelry
Rare Natural blue water-worm Topaz from Nigeria
London Blue Topaz Earrings available at Kamaaina Metals & Jewelry
Mystic Topaz is a type of lab treated white Topaz. The treatment can produce some amazing and otherworldly colors, hence the name! Mystic Topaz is relatively affordable and comes in all of the colors of the rainbow.
This is the typical color of Mystic Topaz.
Imperial Topaz is the Rarest color of Topaz
Along with Topaz, Citrine was eventually added as November's birthstone because it is a less expensive alternative and was historically mistaken for Topaz. So along with all of the many colors of Topaz, Citrine (which is basically yellow or orange Quartz.) is another gift alternative.
14k Citrine and Diamond set at Kamaaina Metals
If you are looking for the perfect gift for someone born in November, not only do we have great selections of Topaz and Citrine jewelry, we also have loose gemstones for sale if you would like to work with our Gemologist and Designer to create your own masterpiece!
Birthstone Guide - Four reasons to love Peridot!
2012-08-13 21:34:38.0
Peridot is the birthstone for August, and while the typically uniform green coloring that we see in most jewelry stores can make many august-borns wish for a more glamorous gemstone, there are tons of reasons why peridot a is fitting stone for the fabulous Leos of the world. So in honor of all of the august babies we'd like to offer four things that make peridot so special.
In Ancient times, Peridot was often mistaken for Emerald.
1. Not all peridot is the same hue. Peridot is the only gemstone that comes in only one color. Yes, it is true that approximately 90% of all of the gemstones you will see in jewelry stores will have about the same transparency and color saturation. The standard color can be described as yellow-green or simply a brilliant light green. But peridot's more prized hues can include olive green, bottle green, and deep chartreuse. Iron in the stone is what causes the shade and depth of the green color in peridot; simply put - the darker the color, the smaller amount of iron is present. The more valuable peridots are often mistaken for emeralds for their luxurious color. They have been coined "evening emeralds" because some specimens are known to glow under the night sky. Most peridots are not treated to enhance their color in any way, which means the richness of the color in any peridot that is exceptional is completely natural. These darker colors are rare, and because of this haven't been seen with any frequency on the market. New sources of peridot may change this as there are now stones of exceptional quality coming from Arizona, Mexico, Oregon, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, and Sri Lanka!
Tumbled Peridot crystals found in the sand of our beaches here in Hawaii.
2. The ancient Hawaiians revered the green stones as they were born of the volcanic fire of their Goddess, Pele. They are often referred to as Hawaiian Diamonds. Ancient Hawaiian folklore says that peridot is actually the hardened tears of a goddess named Pele who as a deity, was associated with fire, lightning, and volcanoes. Pele was in many stories a destructive goddess but, as the Hawaiian Islands themselves were formed from the explosion of the volcanoes beneath them, Pele was known to be generous as well. Peridot is one of the gifts it is said the goddess gave to the Hawaiian people.
3. Peridot has been the official birthstone for August since 1912 but its history goes back much further than that and rivals that of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Not only were they loved by Hawaiians but some historians believe that Cleopatra's famous emerald collection was actually comprised mainly of peridots. These stones can still be found in Egypt. From a port small boats are used to cross the more than thirty miles of shark infested water to reach an island called Zabargad (Arabic for Peridot). After going through the ancient diggings, one can find the fissures lined with crystals measuring up to several centimeters wide. They have been said to bring good luck and dignity to the wearer, and to act as talismans against evil. Christian crusaders are known to have returned home from Israel with large peridots as part of their loot. Fine gems from these mines remain today in a number of European sanctuaries including the Treasury of the Three Magi in Cologne and the Vatican. The precious stone and jewelry collection in the Tower of London also contains large peridot gems.
Palladot - An Extraterrestrial Peridot.
4. Peridot is the first gem found in outer space! That's right, it's other-worldly. Basically most peridot was formed early in the solidification of the Earth. As the earth’s magma slowly cooled to form igneous rock, peridot was born. Parts of the magma which cooled particularly slowly created large and clear specimens of peridot. These can mostly be found around areas that have experienced seismic activity and eruptions. It is correct to then say that in fact peridot is one of the oldest materials on the planet earth... but what about other planets? Well it seems about six years ago a world renowned meteorite hunter happened upon the mother "lode". He discovered a large deposit of Pallasite meteorites. These are considered extremely rare in the meteorite world, but what made them even more-so was that deep inside these meteorites were beautiful gem quality olivine crystals! (more commonly known as peridot). These crystals made an unimaginable trip through space, and after a fiery fall through the earth’s atmosphere they landed on our planet. Since these crystals are so unique, they have garnered their own special name – Palladot. To quote G.I.A.'s Chief Gemologist John Koivula “To possess one of these beautiful rarities, you are basically wearing a part of creation around your neck when you're wearing this because this is the interior of a planet…." Also, by owning a palladot gemstone you would be owning a peridot gem that was older than our planet Earth. Talk about amazing!
Peridot - A Gemstone just as unique as you are!
So there you are, our August born friends, no other birthstone can boast such unique accomplishments! Revered by our
ancient ancestors, some peridot specimens are older than the Earth! They are the Tears of the Goddess Pele, prized by Christian Crusaders, and used by both Priests and Pirates to ward off evil, Peridot is far from boring. So Happy Birthday to all, for a stone as unique as you are, peridot truly is a treasure.
1948 London Olympics Medal in Kamaaina Metals museum!
2012-07-30 20:01:43.0
A glimpse into our Olympic Past: Thelma Kalama - An Olympic Gold Medalist, A member of the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame, and Local Hero.
Olympic Medalist and Hall of Fame Swimmer Thelma Kalama (1931-1999)
Thelma Kalama-Aiu's Olympic Gold Medal available for viewing in Kama'aina Metals & Jewelry's Museum!
When the Medal came into the store we were lead to believe it was a participation medal, not an Olympic Gold Medal which we have now discovered. But after a lot of research it was discovered that this medal looked nothing like the one given to the participants, and in fact because of the low budget for the 1948 Olympics, the Gold Medals were made out of Silver!
The photo above shows Gold Medalist David Bond from the 1948 Olympics in a photo with his Gold Medal made out of silver. It is identical to the one we currently have in our museum.
People in the stands of the 1948 London Summer Olympics.
Sixty-four years ago and against all odds The International Olympic community bonded together to make the 1948 London Olympics a reality. The Summer Olympics were originally to take place in 1940 in London, England, but were cancelled due to World War II. In 1948 London, England was in shambles, having endured bombings, invasions, and having lost the lives of many soldiers. Once WWII ended, it was only fitting that the Summer Olympics return there. England put the 1948 London Olympics together as an International sign of perseverance and endurance, on a shoestring budget, while housing most of the visiting Olympians in their military barracks.
Thelma Kalama at The A.A.U National Swimming Championship
Thelma Kalama swam for Coach Soichi Sakamoto as a part of the Hawaii Swim Club. She was seventeen at the time, and thoroughly enjoyed surfing as well. Thelma even taught fellow Olympic Medalist Bill Woolsey (1952 Gold & 1956 Silver) how to board surf! Thelma graduated from Kaimuki High School on the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. It was so important to the local people that Hawaii was represented in the 1948 Olympics that Duke Kahanamoku, along with the Waikiki Beach Boys, took up a collection to send her to London to compete. She qualified and won the 4×100 m freestyle relay, together with Marie Corridon, Brenda Helser and Ann Curtis. Thelma Kalama-Aiu was the second female swimmer from Hawaii to bring home an Olympic Gold. The first was Mariechen Wehselau in 1924.
The year after winning an Olympic Gold Medal, Thelma Kalama-Aiu continued competing. Along with her 1948 Olympic gold medal, Kama'aina Metals & Jewelry has her A.A.U National Swimming Championship medal for taking 1st place in the 800 m. women's relay. Check out this from the International Swimming Hall of Fame showing the 1951 A.A.U. National Swimming Championship.
Here are some of the other Hawaiian A.A.U. Medals in the Thelma Kalama-Aiu collection:
1948 200 Meter Freestyle (1st)
1949 300 Meter Med. Relay (1st)
1950 1500 Meter Freestyle (1st)
1950 100 yd. Freestyle (2nd)
1951 100 yd. Freestyle (1st)
1951 300 Yd. Freestyle Med. Relay (1st)
1951 1500 M. Freestyle (1st)
1951 100 yd. Backstroke (3rd)
1951 400 yd. Freestyle (3rd)
In short, she was an amazing athlete and an inspiration to all of the future athletes of Hawaii. In the future months Kamaaina Metals & Jewelry will be putting together a more comprehensive booklet of information about this young Hawaiian Olympian to view along-side her medals in our museum. We are proud to be housing a piece of her athletic history, as well as other amazing pieces of local history, available for everyone to view in our in-store museum! So, if you have some free time, and feel like being wow-ed, please stop by! We would love the chance to show you all of the amazing things that Kama'aina Metals & Jewelry's Museum has to offer.
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