Jocelyn Burnell Gemstone Bracelet

From a young age Jocelyn Bell Burnell had a passion for the sciences. As early as secondary school her parents were fighting with administration over their restriction of female students utilizing the science lab.
Furthering her education was just as important to Jocelyn as it was to her parents, which led her to enrolling in the University of Glasglow’s undergraduate program with a focus on physics - a rare degree choice for women at the time. Despite the constant ridicule from her male peers, Jocelyn graduated in 1965 with honors. She started the graduate program at University of Cambridge shortly after, eventually finishing her doctorate there in 1969.

One of her most prominent discoveries happened during her time at Cambridge while she was working on Antony Hewish’s research team. The team built a large radio telescope, of which Jocelyn was in charge of interpreting the long, tedious printouts of radio transmissions the telescope picked up from space. One night around 2AM, she saw what she called a "scruff” on the readouts. The "scruff" ended up being radio waves pulsing from deep space! Her advisors on the project hypothesized they were coming from alien life signaling across the sky. Jocelyn continued to see more of this “scruff” repeated in different areas of the sky, which disproved her advisor's original hypothesis & led Jocelyn to believe they were a natural occurrence. Her research advised these radio waves came from a type of small & dense star called a pulsar, which is a type of neutron star that throws out beams of radiation in a pattern similar to a lighthouse.

Jocelyn's discovery & analysis has been used to understand the life cycle of stars, & more noteably helped her advisor & project leader, Hewish, to win a Nobel Prize.
Today, Jocelyn is one of the few female physicist professors in all of the UK. She continues to advocate for more women to join the science field.

Source: (Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, p204)

Quartz ⎆ Wisdom・ Master Healer・Balance 

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in earth's crust. It is known as the "master healer" or "universal crystal." There are many different colored quartz minerals, but pure quartz, sometimes called "rock crystal," is colorless & clear. 

Clear quartz is historically known as the "ice of the gods" - it was ice frozen so hard that it could never unthaw. 

Egyptians used quartz to harness energy from the sky, sun, & stars. They would place it inside an oblisk*, inviting it to generate as much energy as possible. 

Quartz has been recognized as being piezoelectric, developing positive & negative charges on alternate prism edges, which is subjected to pressure or tension. The charges are proportional to the change in pressure. This ability makes quartz ideal for use with radios, TVs, & other communication equipment. 

 

*A structure created by Ancient Egyptians that we still use today; a rectangular pillar with a tapered top forming a pyramidion, erected to commemorate an individual or event & honor the gods; ex. Washington monument. 

 

 

We offer a brief version of this information in an elegant card format. You can find these cards on our page titled, 'Crystal Cards' or in the Crystal Card blog post where you can download & print it for yourself or add it to a gift! We will include a card with your order for every gemstone found in the pieces you've purchased, however, if two pieces contain the same gemstone we will only include one card. Let us know if you are gifting these earrings, so you can add one with your gift, as well. You can provide this information through the "Add A Note" section at purchase. 

For more instructions on how to "Add A Note," visit our FAQ's page. 

 

There are a few common terms used when describing gold jewelry -  

・Gold Plated 

・Gold Vermeil 

・Gold Filled 

・Solid Gold 

 

In this piece, we used a gold filled metal. Gold filled is the highest quality alternative to solid gold, with a higher gold content than both gold-plated & gold vermeil metals. It has almost 100x as much gold as gold-plated jewelry! The gold is mechanically bonded to the base metal, so it can’t rub off like gold-plated jewelry can. Gold fill has the same qualities as solid gold jewelry at a fraction of the cost.  

 

All of our gold fill jewelry is made with 14k gold. 

 

While it’s name implies the metal is filled with gold, the gold is actually on the outside. The term refers to a thick outer layer of durable, pressure-bonded, solid gold that covers a base metal, usually brass. The USA industry standard legally requires 5% of the metal be pure gold by weight.  

 

Gold-fill is your best option after solid gold for quality & durability. It will not flake off or turn your skin green. Gold fill is nickel free & hypoallergenic, making it a great option for people with sensitive skin.  

 

Hypothetically, gold-filled jewelry can last a lifetime. Actual longevity will depend on a number of factors, especially how you care for it. For details on how to care for your gold filled jewelry, see the specified drop down menu below. 

 

14k Gold Fill jewelry is not supposed to tarnish, at least for a long time. However, it is possible for gold-fill to tarnish under certain circumstances, though it should not do so easily. Exposing your jewelry to chemicals, such as bleach, certain people’s body chemistry, chlorine (pools & hot tubs), salt water, sweat, & certain products, such as perfume, hairspray, lotions, & sunscreen. For more details, see our FAQ section or blog post on 14k Gold Fill. 

 

Ultimately, gold-filled jewelry is perfect for everyday wear because it can handle the wear & tear of daily life, & is very affordable. It has almost 100x more gold than gold-plated, with the same qualities & durability as solid gold, but at an affordable price! 

 

For more detailed information on gold filled jewelry, see our FAQ page &  blog ☺︎ 

In theory, gold-filled jewelry should last a lifetime, however, it’s actual longevity depends a number of factors. The following care instructions will prolong your jewelry’s lifetime & keep it in optimal condition. 

Our pieces are relatively delicate & are not meant to be worn during harsh activities, such as sports, cleaning, gardening, etc.  

・Take your jewelry off when swimming in pools, hot tubs, or the ocean.  

Chlorine & salt water will degrade the metal, causing your jewelry to tarnish at an accelerated rate. However, wearing your gold-filled jewelry in the shower or bath is fine, as long you dry it off properly. 

・Apply makeup, lotion, hairspray, & perfume before you put on your jewelry.  

・Avoid excessive contact with sunscreen. The chemicals in sunscreen are harsh on most metals. 

・Take off your jewelry at the nail salon or when doing your nails at home. Nail polish remover is a harsh chemical that does not play well with gold-filled jewelry. 

・Take off your jewelry before participating in activities that will cause heavy sweating. Some people’s body chemistry (which is affected by many factors, including hormones, medications) is more harsh on jewelry than others. Only ~10% of people find their body does not pair well with gold jewelry, however, better safe than sorry! Removing your jewelry before working out, tanning, etc. will ensure your jewelry will remain in pristine condition.  

・Remove your jewelry before cleaning. Harsh chemicals found in cleaning products, such as bleach, can degrade even the strongest of metals.  

 

・Clean your jewelry as soon as it starts to look dingy.  

▹ Soak your jewelry in a bath of lukewarm water & mild dish soap for 10-15 minutes.  

▹ Use a soft cloth to wipe your jewelry off, pat it dry, then lay it out until it is fully dry before wearing or storing it.  

▹ For a deep clean that will remove dirt from your jewelry’s nooks & crannies you can use a soft brush, such as a child’s toothbrush.  

▹ Our favorite jewelry cleaning tool is the ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, which removes dirt & grime by vibrating your jewelry in a warm water + soapy solution.  

 

For more information on how to care for your jewelry visit our FAQ page & our 14k gold fill blog posts ☺︎