0.40 Carat Green Tourmaline, Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Cross and 18” Box Chain.

0.40 Carat Green Tourmaline on a Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Cross and Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver 18” Box Chain.

Tourmaline is a semi precious stone. It comes in many colors such as: Green, Blue, Black, Purple, Red, Pink, Yellow, White, Grey, Brown, Orange. The most valuable being a neon blue, green and pink.   It has a hardness of 7-7.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.Tourmaline is the birthstone for October.  It is also the 8th wedding anniversary gemstone.  Tourmaline can be found all over the world and is very sought after.  Your tourmaline can be valued based on color, clarity, and carat weight.

What is Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver ?

Rhodium is a rare precious metal such as Silver, Gold or Platinum.  It is actually the most expensive of precious metals due to its rarity and difficulty in obtaining it.  Rhodium is a byproduct of mining other metals such as platinum.  The benefit to having the Sterling Silver plater is that is makes the Sterling Silver less likely to tarnish.  As with any plated piece it can wear off so it would not be impossible to see a piece tarnish over time depending on its wear and tear. If your piece does tarnish you can contact a local jeweler to have it plated again or simply clean the piece with a jewelry cloth or solution.