Top Tips for Shopping Online

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s really time to get going with your Christmas shopping  otherwise it’s going be one mad panic.  Looking for gift ideas for women is tough enough but on top of that, you also have to look for presents for other members of the family and probably some of your friends as well, so where to start?

From now right through to Christmas Eve, shops up and down the high street are going to be especially crowded with desperate shoppers all looking for the best deals.  If the thought of joining the crowds is not something you cherish, then this year try doing your Christmas shopping online, it could be the perfect solution to your Christmas shopping nightmare.  Not only is it more convenient than driving into town, but you’ll also have access to a much wider selection of gift ideas for women, children and anyone else who you need to buy for.

Begin by putting together a list of people that you need gifts for and an approximate budget for each.  One of the best things about shopping online is that as well as being able to find almost everything that’s being sold on the high street but usually for less money, you can also find some amazingly unusual items often from small independent businesses who only trade on the internet and furthermore, everything is delivered right to your door and in many cases, there is no extra charge.  For those looking for gift ideas for women, there’s an endless supply of jewellery online, for the kids there’s more toys than you can shake a stick at and for everyone else, searching for “gift ideas” or “gift ideas online” will bring up and endless list of websites which sell all kinds of weird and wonderful things.

Womens jewellery is always a popular choice for birthdays, anniversaries and especially Christmas because it’s very personal and most women love wearing it.  If you’re a little hesitant about buying jewellery online, our top tips are shop early so if there’s a problem, you have enough time to return it and buy something else, when you go to a jewellery website or any website for that matter for the first time, before you start shopping, make sure there is a contact telephone number and an address and not just a PO box number, search Google for the business name to make sure no negative comments have been posted about it, on the website itself have a quick read through some of the information pages to see what else you can find out about them and most importantly of all, check their terms and conditions to establish how they deal with items that need to be returned, whether there’s a time limit and whether you will receive a full refund.  This can all be done literally in a few minutes and once you’re totally satisfied that they sound like a legitimate trader, you can start shopping online.

With regards to payment, although credit card is the most popular method, if you don’t feel comfortable with this, you can always use a payment gateway such as PayPal which will enable you to use your credit card through them or alternatively, you can also upload funds to your PayPal account and they will pay the trader on your behalf.  They also offer excellent protection for you as a buyer and as they currently process the payments of around 60% of all internet transactions, it’s pretty safe to use them.

Something else to do before shopping online with a particular website is to check their delivery times to see if they offer any guarantees and maybe even drop them an email to ask if you order today, when can you expect your goods to be delivered.  This will firstly enable you to get a feel for the standard of customer service they offer by how quickly they respond and their reply can also help you should the items you purchase not arrive within the specified time period.  The dispatch time with small independent traders is likely to be much quicker than when buying from a larger company and where you are required to leave feedback for the seller, for example when buying on eBay, it’s worth noting that positive feedback is extremely important as negative comments can have a serious impact on a small company’s online trading success.

Christmas shopping for popular toys and electronic items, should always be done in good time as these can often sell out in the run up to Christmas.  When buying expensive Jewellery Online or anything that is fragile, check the delivery method and makes sure that it will be insured and that you need to sign to confirm its safe arrival.  Ask if items come gift wrapped so that you don’t spend money on wrapping paper only to find it’s already been done for you.

Shopping online whether it be for the latest gadgets, consumer electronics, toys for the kids or perfect gift ideas for women will in the vast majority of cases, be easy, successful and hassle free.  Just be sensible and do some research first and consider sharing your experience with a particular company or website with others by writing something and posting it online.  This is the best way to get information out there on who is safe to shop online with and who should be avoided.

Information on Rose Quartz

Finding really accurate information online on Rose Quartz or any of the other semi precious stones can be quite difficult and what is available can also be somewhat misleading.  Most online businesses who have anything to do with semi precious stones will write about them either on their own website or in other articles for use elsewhere on the internet and because of the amount of information that is available now days online, this is where most of the research is done.  The problem however is that not all of the information is accurate and as it gets rewritten over and over again, like Chinese whispers, more of the facts become lost and more of the same inaccurate content spreads across the internet like wild fire.

Whilst doing research recently for an article that I wanted to write on Rose Quartz, there was certainly no shortage of reading material available online however so much of it was no factual and the same information was on so many different websites with the worst offenders being those selling ladies jewellery and also anything to do with crystal healing.  Admittedly my business is ladies jewellery and my main focus is on silver jewellery featuring semi precious stones and as part of my website, I have a gemstone directory in which I write about the various semi precious stones that I have in my collection including Rose Quartz, but I am and always have been, a stickler for facts and try to check everything that I write to ensure that it’s correct and that I write in my own words so it’s not the same content that you can find over and over again on so many websites.

When you search for Rose Quartz online, the first thing you’re bombarded with is endless pages of ladies jewellery featuring this popular pink Gemstone Rings, so in order to find something interesting to read you have to use specific search terms such as facts, origins, mining and history but the problem with words like these, is they’re popular search terms hence they’re also “keywords” which are used extensively by online businesses to attract traffic to their website.  As result trying to find something fresh and unique that’s also factual on Rose Quartz is a real task and what you mostly come across are pages that have been written by people who sadly in far too many cases, haven’t done their research properly hence their information is not only inaccurate, but it’s also the same as what everyone else has. Persevere and you will find accurate and interesting articles to read but some will almost certainly be difficult to understand unless you have a good knowledge of gemmology or mineralogy.

So how can you learn about gemstones such as Rose Quartz and be assured that what you’re reading has been written by someone with expert knowledge and who really knows what they’re talking about whilst also keeping it easy to understand and most importantly interesting?

Whilst a book would be my first suggestion, finding something suitable may not be that easy.  I have spent many a rainy day in book shops around the world and most of what I have found either relates to crystal healing or talks in depth about mineralogy and then the reading can be quite heavy going.  Alternatively magazines often provide interesting articles and maybe think about going to some rock and gem fairs of which there are plenty and speak directly with others who share your interest.

The aim of the gemstone directory on my own website and also with the articles that I write on Rose Quartz and many of the other semi precious stones, is to write easy to understand and interesting information that is as factual as it can possibly be and I make a huge effort to try and avoid using the same material which can be found on so many websites right across the internet.

Gift Ideas for Women

Trying to find gift ideas for women can be a pretty traumatic experience for most men and the vast majority will have absolutely no idea at all where to begin.  In the past you can be sure that countless hours have been wasted looking in shop windows and walking around department stores feeling like a fish out of water trying to decide what on earth to buy.  Perfume and ladies jewellery often prove to be popular choices simply because women generally love both and they are also personal items which are usually very well received, if of course you get it right!

One thing that men are very good at is putting off present buying until the last possible moment and when they realize the day before a special occasion that they still haven’t bought anything, they set of in a mad panic and can be seen running around the high street like headless chickens desperately searching for those illusive gift ideas for women.  It’s a well known fact that most of the shoppers out and about late on Christmas Eve are men, but with the dramatic increase of shopping online, that could soon be a thing of the past.  Now you can shop for gift ideas for women Gemstone Jewellery without any of the added stresses that go with shopping on the high street and best still, no screaming kids, no parking problems and everything can be delivered right to your front door.

So having decided on a piece of ladies jewellery, where do you start?  First of all think what type of jewellery she wears and remember there’s nothing worse than being given something that’s really not your taste, so maybe even think about speaking with her mum, sister or best friend to get some sound advice.  So first things first, does she generally wear sterling silver jewellery or does she prefer gold, does she like gemstones and if so, which are her favourites, does she like chunky jewellery or does she prefer something more dainty and having accumulated all of this information, you will then be in a better position to start looking around.

Well it all sounds pretty straight forward so far, but shopping online for ladies jewellery can still be pretty daunting unless you use the right keywords.  Instead of using broad terms such as “gift ideas for women”, “ladies jewellery” or “jewellery online”, be more specific and search for “pendant necklace”, “chunky jewellery”, “Gemstone Rings” or whatever it is that you specifically want to buy and this will make things much easier.  It’s important to bear in mind that sizing may well be an issue so buying silver rings for example, could be tricky unless you know the right size, but having said that, rings with a simple narrow band would probably be okay as you can take an existing ring to be measured and just buy the same size, however if she likes chunky jewellery, it’s worth bearing in mind that chunky rings generally have a wider shank which means they’ll also fit more snugly hence she may well need a slightly larger size than she would ordinarily wear, plus the size of many women’s hands changes depending on their body temperature which makes things even more complicated so keep it simple and avoid chunky rings.

Bracelets can also sometimes be a problem unless you’re really familiar with the size of her wrist, what length will you need? What happens if it’s too tight or too loose?  Again if you’re buying a bracelet with a very simple design, the length can always be adjusted, but if you’re looking at a gemstone bracelet, these can be quite difficult to adjust as some of the gemstones may have to be removed.  So what is the easiest piece of ladies jewellery to buy?  Well we believe a pendant necklace featuring a beautiful gemstone may just be the answer and the fact that we’re the UK’s leading online retailer of gemstone jewellery focusing specifically on gemstone pendants has absolutely nothing to do with it at all, honestly!

Buying a pendant necklace means you haven’t got to worry about sizing as one size fits all, a chain although optional, is not a necessity as most ladies have plenty of chains and if after doing all of your research, you found out that the lady for whom this present is for, likes sterling silver jewellery, colourful semi precious stones and she also likes chunky jewellery, then your prayers have just been answered and whereas before, the thought of having to look for gift ideas for women made your hair stand on end, now whenever the need arises, you can choose from over one thousand unique pendants featuring the largest collection of semi precious stones online and best still, should you need help at any time, you can chat with us live in real time whenever we’re online and another thing, postage is also free!

Buy a Gemstone Pendant

With Christmas fast approaching, finding suitable gift ideas for women can drive a man crazy.  As most women love jewellery, a gemstone pendant may just be the perfect choice and if you’re thinking that’s far too easy, you may want to think again.  Jewellery has always been popular for gift ideas for women but getting it right is not always that straight forward especially when you’re a man!  Womens jewellery is very personal so to ensure your Christmas gift doesn’t end up on eBay on Boxing day, take your time and think carefully before parting with your money.

The most important rule is keep it simple and you won’t go wrong, there’s a place in every ladies jewellery box for a pendant with a beautiful gemstone.  If you go for something with a semi precious stone, you’ll have a much larger choice and furthermore these pendants come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and as many will be mounted in sterling silver, they’ll also be more affordable than a gemstone pendants that’s mounted in gold.  The first thing to think about is whether you’d prefer a faceted gemstone or a polished cabochon, faceted gemstones tend to be smaller and more dainty and have been cut to optimize the way in which they reflect the light and this will also enhance their colour but due to the work that’s involved in the cutting, they will usually be more expensive.

A gemstone pendant featuring a cabochon will generally enjoy more wear as this style of pendant can be as easily matched with a casual everyday outfit as it can with something a little smarter or more elegant.  Faceted gemstones definitely tend to be more suited for special occasions and for times when a lady is dressing up.

If you’ve decided to go with a faceted gemstone pendant, you could think about one of the many birthstones, Blue Topaz, Amethyst, Garnet, Peridot and Citrine are some of the most well known and all would make perfect gift ideas for women who love jewellery featuring colourful semi precious stones.  If the lady for whom you’re buying prefers large and chunky jewellery, you could think about Lemon Quartz as this is one of the very few faceted gemstones which can be found in large sizes.

If size is an important factor, then a cabochon gemstone pendant would probably be a better choice as these tend to be significantly larger and there are literally hundreds of gemstone varieties to choose from.  If you’d prefer to go for one of the classics, think about Rose Quartz which has a beautiful soft pink colour, or Lapis Lazuli, a favourite gemstone of the ancient Egyptians or a Turquoise pendant and this very popular gemstone is also one of the birthstones for the month of December.  For something slightly rarer and less well known, Tiffany Stone would be a good choice which by the way has nothing to do with Tiffany & Co the jewellers, or Larimar from the Dominican Republic which is not only rare but also very beautiful or for something particularly unusual, how about a Dinosaur Bone pendant?  So finding those special and unique gift ideas for women isn’t really that difficult providing you know where to start.

With regards to a chain, if you’ve gone for a faceted gemstone pendant then something fine would be more appropriate but don’t go for anything too busy or too long.  For a cabochon gemstone pendant, depending on what you’ve decided on, it may be best to allow the recipient to buy her own chain as she may prefer something slightly longer or thicker than you would choose, so think carefully and bear in mind that if you’re buying a gemstone pendant for a lady who regularly wears this kind of jewellery,  she’s sure to already have plenty of silver chains.

Larimar & Turquoise Jewellery

Larimar is a rare form of Blue Pectolite which is renowned for its unique colour and markings.  Popular for use in semi precious jewellery, it’s a magnificent gemstone which is pretty rare due to there being very little rough material left to mine.  Found exclusively in the Dominican Republic, the most valuable mining area is Los Chupaderos, approximately ten kilometres south west of the city of Barahona.

Also known as Atlantis stone because of the belief that the Dominican Republic was once a part of the lost continent of Atlantis, Larimar closely resembles the natural colours of the Caribbean Sea.  In crystal healing it is known as the Dolphin Stone and is believed to be able to increase communication with sea creatures.  There are many metaphysical and spiritual properties associated with Larimar and its unique colours are associated with peace, serenity and love.

Stone Mania the UK’s leading online retailer of hand crafted pendant necklaces and chunky gemstone rings boasts a magnificent collection of finest grade Larimar mounted as gemstone pendants in fine sterling silver.  This rare and fascinatingly translucent gemstone is highly sought after and for ladies who love gemstone jewellery, a Larimar pendant would make a very special gift.

Although the two are very different, Larimar is sometimes mistaken for Turquoise, one of the world’s oldest semi precious stones.  Known to have been used as far back as 6000 years BC, the colour of Turquoise can vary quite significantly and it is often identified from its dark brown coloured matrix or veins.   Despite its age, it is still one of the most popular gemstones for use in women’s jewellery but sadly it is also one of the most common to be imitated.  Surprisingly the practice of copying semi precious stones is known to date back to at least Ancient Egypt.  Man has always been and still is obsessed with imitating anything of value whether it be a Turquoise gemstone or a Gucci handbag, if it can be copied convincingly, it will be in great demand.

With regards to ladies jewellery, Turquoise pendants, big chunky Gemstone Rings and Turquoise earrings are always popular and sterling silver jewellery is much more affordable than gemstone jewellery which has been mounted in gold. Sleeping Beauty Turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty Mountain in Globe, Arizona is highly sought after due to its pure blue colour and the fact that it will often lack any matrix.  Although Turquoise can be found in a number of locations worldwide, some of the most important producers include south west USA, China, Afghanistan and Iran.

Christmas Shopping for Jewellery Online

Are you really dreading starting your Christmas Shopping?  The mere thought for most men will make their hair, for those lucky enough to have any, stand on end.  Joining the throngs of women and screaming kids up and down the country as they trawl through towns and shopping centres desperately looking for the perfect Christmas gift that will probably end up on eBay on Boxing day anyway, is just too much to bear.  Even before you get close to the shops, the thought of how to get there is stressful enough unless of course, you’re fortunate enough to be able to do your Christmas shopping midweek between 11am and 2pm which is pretty unlikely for the vast majority of men and many women today as well. 

On week-ends and after work you’ll be packed in like sardines on public transport, if you drive you’ll likely to be stuck in traffic in both directions plus there’ll be queues to get in and out of the car park and the most traumatic thought of all, what the hell am I going to buy!   Oh the delights of Christmas shopping, thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year.

With the explosion of shopping online over the last few years, you can now do all your Christmas shopping in comfort at any time of day on any day of the week, in an environment of your choice and without having to worry about how you’re going to get it all home.  Shopping online has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and it’s now possible to buy almost anything at all online and have it delivered to your door, wherever you live.  Many companies offer incentives like free shipping, fast delivery and gift wrap service and if you're nervous about using your credit card online, consider using PayPal, their services are free to the consumer, your financial details are kept safe and should your items not arrive or match the description given on the website, they will help you get all of your money back.

The amount of jewellery online has also increased dramatically and now instead of having to trawl around jewellery shops looking in cabinets at what they have available for sale, whatever kind of jewellery you’re after is now available right at your fingertips.  Gemstone jewellery, silver jewellry, chunky jewelry, pendant necklaces, gemstones rings, whatever you want is there at the click of a mouse and the variety is almost unlimited. 

Not only has the volume of shopping done on a daily basis online increased dramatically but in recent years, Christmas shopping has also rocketed.  Statistics for shopping online can be pretty daunting, but to give you an idea of the magnitude of this phenomenon, Boxing Day 2011 was the busiest ever online shopping day in the UK with ninety six million UK internet visits targeting retail websites.  Through the course of that same year, thirty eighty billion pounds was spent on retail therapy from the UK a figure which is expected to rise to seventy seven billion during 2012.  It is estimated that six out of ten British adults shop for jewellery online as well as many other products including food, music, clothing and holidays. 

Another terrifying fact for any online retailer is that after Googling a specific word or phrase, many people will only look at the first page of results that are returned and even more will only look at the first two or three listings and if nothing captures their attention, they’ll search again.  With this in mind, the importance of appearing at the top of page one of Google for any business trading online cannot be under estimated and many will pay obscene amounts of money in an attempt to land the top slot, however Google is not stupid and constantly keeps its eye on the ball to ensure that only the most genuine, most popular and most frequently visited websites actually reach the top slots.     

The word “Jewellery” is searched for 13,600,000 times per month globally through Google alone and when spelt “Jewelry” which is the American spelling, that figure increases to 20,400,000 and you may be surprised to learn that when spelt incorrectly as “Jewellry", it’s searched for 1,830,000 times just from the UK.  With regards to results, this varies from 1,040,000 to 444,000,000 depending on the way in which the word is spelt and bearing in mind what has just been said about the vast majority of people not looking further than page one, the success of any business online no longer rests in the laps of the Gods, but instead they're at the mercy of Google.  

So this year, avoid the stress of Christmas shopping on the high street and shop online instead.  Stone Mania the UK’s leading online retailer of gemstone jewellery with a particularly impressive collection of Rose Quartz pendants, has had a significant presence with jewellery online since 2003.  We have most certainly seen a dramatic increase in Christmas Shopping year on year and we are well aware that in order to succeed, you must stay ahead of your game.  All of our customers can enjoy free shipping within the UK and also to the USA and whilst shopping for gemstone jewellery at Stone Mania, you can chat to us live in real time whenever we’re online.  If you prefer to call, just use our 0800 number and emails are answered as soon as we receive them.   

Stone Mania offers plenty of exciting gift ideas for ladies who love gemstone jewellery and in particular jewellry featuring large, colourful semi precious stones.  Doing your Christmas Shopping online with us may just possibly be the best choice you’ve made all year.

Caring for Women's Jewellery

Before starting to sell women’s jewellery online in 2003, I knew absolutely nothing about jewellery or semi precious stones however since then, I have accumulated a wealth of invaluable information which I now love to share with others who are as passionate about gemstones as I am.

The term “semi precious stones” is not particularly favoured by gemmologists who deem all gemstones to be precious to a certain degree.   After all a fine grade of Garnet or Aquamarine, both of which are “semi precious stones”, can easily rival the price of a Ruby or Sapphire so what exactly makes one gemstone precious and another semi precious?  Some may argue that rarity or value is the chief contributing factor but there are plenty of semi precious stones which are rare and pretty expensive and many low grade precious stones which are common and relatively cheap which basically puts an end to that argument straight away!

Whatever you prefer to call them, gemstones are beautiful natural objects which have evolved over millions of years and gemstone jewellery has been worn for personal adornment since prehistoric man walked the Earth.  Historians have learnt that almost every natural material has at one time or another been used in women’s jewellery and certain semi precious materials can be dated as far back as 70,000 years.  

Semi precious stones come in an endless variety of colours and despite it having taken millions of years for the minerals to evolve, gemstones can quickly become spoilt if not well looked after.  Whilst the colour of Amethyst can fade if exposed to excessive heat or bright sunlight, Chrysocolla will easily crack if not well protected and Turquoise can be damaged by coming into contact with the oil from your skin or chemicals found in perfumes and hairsprays.

Women’s jewellery is easy to look after and by following a few easy steps, you’ll be able to enjoy your collection for many years to come.  The most important rule is to keep your jewellery covered with a soft piece of material when it’s not being worn, this will help to prevent silver from tarnishing and gemstones from becoming scratched.  Mohs scale of mineral hardness confirms that all semi precious stones can be scratched by a gemstone which is harder so you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is for your favourite Turquoise pendants or Lapis Lazuli necklace to get scratched and without re polishing, these marks are there to stay.

Using a silver polishing cloth will remove any build up of tarnish and giving your jewellery a quick wipe before putting it away will remove traces of chemicals or other pollutants which it may have accumulated whilst being worn.  Due to the chemicals in most swimming pools and salt and moisture from your skin, always remove your jewellery before swimming or going to the gym, protect your hands from detergents when wearing gemstone rings and be careful to avoid sudden temperature changes such as opening a freezer if wearing a pendant necklace as this could cause certain gemstones to crack.  Women’s jewellery often becomes damaged as a result of being cleaned in silver dips or other jewellery cleaning solutions so take extra care if ever you’re thinking of using one of these.    

There are no hard and fast rules to follow with regards to caring for women’s jewellery and what may be acceptable for some pieces may be not be recommended for others so before cleaning any of your jewellery or gemstones, always speak to a professional first to get some expert advice and remember, if you’re doing your research online, anyone can write articles and post them online so be sure to delve deeper and cross reference what you read to check how accurate the information actually is.