Goldstone Glass / Sandstone – The Stone of Ambition

Goldstone, also known as sandstone in some contexts, is a man-made glass infused with particles to create a glittering effect. Traditional goldstone is made by melting glass with copper or other metals like cobalt or manganese for color variation. It’s not a naturally occurring stone but is renowned for its sparkling appearance, reminiscent of a starry night sky.

Etymology

The name “goldstone” comes from its golden sparkles, though it contains no actual gold. It’s also referred to as:

Aventurine Glass due to its similarity to the natural aventurine stone’s shimmer.

Monk’s Gold or Monkstone, from a legend suggesting it was accidentally created by Italian monks.

Stellaria, for its star-like appearance.

Blue Sandstone or Gold Sandstone for colored varieties.

Cosmic Junction

Goldstone resonates with the Sun, symbolizing vitality, ambition, and manifestation. It’s linked to the sacral chakra for creativity and the root chakra for grounding:

Legend of Creation: One story claims goldstone was discovered by accident when copper shavings fell into molten glass, giving it its unique sparkle. This accidental creation is believed to imbue it with energies of chance and luck.

Modern Metaphysical Use: Goldstone is considered a stone of motivation, helping to achieve goals with persistence and determination. It’s thought to enhance one’s confidence and optimism, encouraging a positive outlook.

Techniques for Making Goldstone:

Melting and Cooling: The base glass is melted with copper oxide in a reducing atmosphere (low oxygen) to create copper crystals. The glass is then cooled slowly to allow these crystals to form, giving goldstone its characteristic glitter.

Color Variation: For blue goldstone, cobalt is used instead of copper; for green, chromium oxide; and manganese for purple, each altering the glass’s color while maintaining the sparkling effect.

Annealing: After the formation of crystals, the glass is annealed to relieve internal stresses, ensuring the goldstone is durable and less likely to crack.

Stainless Steel | 18k PVD Gold Finish

Material Composition: The base material of these earrings includes high-grade stainless steel, commonly types 304 or 316L, known for excellent corrosion resistance and hypoallergenic qualities. Over this, an 18k Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) gold finish is applied, giving the appearance of real gold while enhancing durability.

Manufacturing Process:

• Material Selection: Opt for high-quality stainless steel for the base, which ensures longevity and resistance to tarnishing.
• PVD Coating Preparation: The stainless steel is cleaned and prepared for the PVD process to ensure adhesion of the gold layer.
• PVD Application: Gold atoms are vaporized in a vacuum chamber and deposited onto the steel in a process that bonds the gold at an atomic level, creating a hard, durable gold coating.
• Cutting & Shaping: After coating, the steel is cut and shaped into the desired forms, like fish/french hooks for earrings.
• Polishing & Finishing: The gold-coated steel is polished to enhance the finish’s luster and smoothness.
• Quality Control: Each piece is checked for uniformity of the gold layer, adherence to jewelry standards, and overall integrity.

Why They Don’t Oxidize

The stainless steel base forms a protective chromium oxide layer which prevents rust. The PVD gold coating adds another layer of protection, making the jewelry highly resistant to oxidation, even in humid or salty environments.

Magnetic Properties

Similar to plain stainless steel, the 18k PVD gold finish does not alter the magnetic properties significantly. The stainless steel might still have slight magnetic qualities based on its composition or processing, but this is not affected by the PVD layer.

Hypoallergenic Assurance

The gold PVD coating further seals the nickel content within the stainless steel, reducing the likelihood of skin reactions. This combination ensures that the earrings are suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies to base metals.