Maya Merchant / Gem & Jade: Jewelry and Stones

Maya Merchant and Gem & Jade Two awesome businesses - one tumblr Perfecting the Materia Prima. Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry and Carvings, Jewelry Supplies, Jade Tiles, Wholesale Gemstones. Maya Merchant works with a group of eclectic artisans and jewelers, so our designs are original and unique. We use high-quality, untreated materials that are generally found either in Mexico or in Central and South America. Gem & Jade offers select, 100% untreated Guatemalan jadeite and other stones including opals, fire agates, obsidian, Colombian emeralds, and more. We sell wholesale raw and polished stones, as well as beads, pendants and cabochons. We want to encourage people to make something and make it well, bringing back the spirit of the true artisan who toils over his craft to finally create something worth bringing to market. Wholesale and custom orders welcome. We guarantee the quality of all our items. www.mayamerchant.com [email protected] www.gemandjade.com [email protected] Materials: Natural stones set in Sterling silver and copper. Mexican amber, Guatemalan jade, obsidian, fire opal, fire agate, turquoise, quartz, lapis lazuli, shell/ammonite and more. We design our jewelry to allow the stone a way to touch the skin whenever possible. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

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Photo Shoot October 2013 Maya Merchant

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Photo Shoot October 2013 Maya Merchant

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Photo Shoot October 2013 Maya Merchant

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Photo Shoot October 2013 Maya Merchant

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Photo Shoot October 2013 Maya Merchant

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Custom Jade Knives

Get yours today at www.gemandjade.com

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Let There Be Emeralds!

I never really got to handle emerald crystals before a couple of weeks ago. I always thought that they were too fine and always that same (kind of boring) emerald green, a stone for only the world's elite. But now, after seeing these beauties, they've become one of my favorite gemstones out there!

Emeralds are the birthstone for the month of June.

Did anyone know that emeralds are actually a form of the mineral beryl? Pure beryl is almost colorless, but as we all know... it's the chemical impurities in minerals and crystals that that cause colorful tints. What makes emeralds green? Chromium, 

Emeralds fall between 7.5-8 on Moh's Scale of Hardness, along with hardened steel, cubic zirconium, and topaz,

Check out more emeralds and other gemstones at www.gemandjade.com. 

How pretty!

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Colors of Jade

If you want to know WHY these colors of jade are so cool...Check out www.jadetiles.com for more information. 

You can deck out your house with this stuff!

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Jade Tiles? Awesome

Don't forget to check out www.jadetiles.com!

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Scandalous Spondylus Maximus

Get shell-ey with it -

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Black Jade Jaguar Beast Carving from Gem & Jade

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How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry

Do you own jewelry made of Sterling silver that's tarnished?

Sterling silver is a copper and silver alloy and always tarnishes in the presence of sulfur compounds (hydrogen sulfide gas in the air). Cleaning this tarnish is simple.

1.) Gather the things you'll need - baking soda, aluminum foil, water, toothbrush, a bowl or other container... and have a pot of distilled water to boil on the stove (you'll be needing it in a minute).

2.) Line your container with the aluminum foil.

3.) Place your Sterling silver jewelry in the bowl and sprinkle some of your baking soda on top.

4.) Get your boiling water and pour it into the bowl, completely covering your piece of jewelry. Use a fork to move your piece of jewelry around. The more that it touches the aluminum, the more the tarnish will be removed.

5.) Use a toothbrush to get in the tough spots.

6.) Rinse your jewelry thoroughly, dry, and buff with a microfiber towel.

7.) Enjoy your bright, shiny Sterling silver jewelry!

Do you love Sterling silver jewelry? Check out www.mayamerchant.com. We offer a wide variety of handmade, handcrafted Sterling silver jewelry. And it's not tarnished...

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How To Clean Copper Jewelry

Do you own copper jewelry and find it looking like this?

Those greenish-blue spots are called verdigris, and are the result of the copper being exposed to air over a long period of time. It is usually copper carbonate, but if you live near the sea it is copper chloride. To some jeweler's this is a desired effect called patina and they use acetic acid (vinegar) to accomplish this. But in this post...I am going to show you how to get rid of it.

1.) Start with these 2 ingredients:

lemon/lime and salt. You also want to prepare a bowl of water for rinsing later.

2.) Sprinkle the salt onto your 

3.) Apply your halved piece of lemon/lime, use it like a sponge and gently clean your piece of copper.

Your copper jewelry will begin to brighten and shine immediately. 

4.) After scrubbing what you can off with the lime, use a toothbrush to very gently get in the hard to reach places.

5.) Rinse well your copper jewelry in a bowl with water. It should be extra bright and shiny. (This is why we all love copper jewelry...)

6.)Dry and buff your jewelry with a microfiber towel. 

See how she shines!

If you want to check out some beautiful handmade copper jewelry visit www.mayamerchant.com . 

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Properties of Jade

At Gem & Jade we've really been concentrating on jadeite jade and handling a lot as well.

Some of the things we've noticed about jade are:

-it's extremely thermal. You leave it out in the sun for just a few minutes and it gets super hot, noticeably hotter than other stones. Imagine jade tiles in the bottom of your bathtub!

-it has an extremely high luster (the ability to take on a polish). It's extremely pleasing to the eye, like all gemstones.

-No two stones are alike. Like people, jade stones have their own unique characteristics and feel about them making our jade tiles one of a kind.

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Jade Tiles

Gem & Jade is introducing a brand new line of art and decor.

Jade tiles

This is like having a palace in your bathroom! Check out our professional stoneworker make 100% pure untreated gemstone quality jade tiles as we teach you how to cut rough jadeite stones into tiles.

  Interested in having these in your bathroom? Check out Gem & Jade.

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It's Been a Long, Long Time...

Sorry about all the time that's passed since our last post. But we're back and absolutely loaded with great pictures, more awesome articles, and videos!

Maya Merchant is a sister site to Gem & Jade, a friggin' awesome and absolutely beautiful website offering jadeite jade, fire opals, obsidian, and other really cool stuff.

Check out Gem & Jade.

It's awesome!

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Clap Your Hands Say Fire Opals!

Buy this fossilized water awesomeness from Gem & Jade!