Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Is That Turquoise, Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Long before the days of Miss Cleo and Sylvia Browne, mystics in ancient India and Babylon attributed strength and power to the stones and minerals of the world that surrounded them. They would use gemstones to ward off illness, bolster the spirit and cleanse the soul. Astrologists would later assign gemstones to the signs of the Zodiac, to help people influence their ruling planets. Sound familiar? Thought so. We're talking about birthstones.

While most of us have the holidays on the noggin, some of us are also celebrating birthdays during the month of December. But Relios has you covered for southwestern gifts for more than just the holidays. December's birthstone happens to be a standard in southwestern jewelry: the sky stone, Turquoise.

If cold December gave you birth
The month of snow and ice and mirth
Place on your hand a turquoise blue;
Success will bless whate'er you do.
—Gregorian Birthstone Poems

Turquoise has a long tradition as a gemstone. The chalky stone has been a sought after gem not just in Native American cultures, but through out the world. The Aztecs, Egyptians and Persians all used the sky stone as a gemstone in ornamental jewelry. But would you believe that India and Japan would miss out on the beauty of turquoise until thousands of years later? Sounds pretty rough if you ask us.

If you're looking for a gift for that December birthday, look no further. Relios has a great special section dedicated to turquoise jewelry gifts for December. Find earrings, bracelets and necklaces ranging from clear blue to vivid green with a matrix, or pick something in between. You can find our special December birthstone category of turquoise jewelry by clicking the image below.

You won't find fake turquoise at Relios. We use genuine, natural gemstones. And we never use dyed turquoise. This effectively makes every piece of turquoise jewelry we make a unique gift, because the color of the stones will vary from piece to piece. So when you're giving the gift of turquoise jewelry by Relios to your December birthday girl, you can honestly say you've given them a one-of-a-kind gift.

The first people to produce imitation turquoise were the ancient Egyptians, using earthenware called faience.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Introducing Relios at Uptown!

If you know Relios then you know that we have a wide variety of ways for you to buy our jewelry and connect with us. We have our retail website (http://www.reliosjewelry.com) and a store in Texas. We also have jewelry available on Amazon. And we have profiles on Facebook and Myspace and this blog. But the hope of every business is to grow, and Relios is preparing to add a new member to the family.

On November 14, 2008 Relios is adding a new retail location at ABQ Uptown. This new store is going to be at the heart of Albuquerque's newest and hottest shopping destination. The ABQ Uptown area is chock full of great upscale retail and dining spots where you can find everything from culinary gear to clothes to jewelry and sandwiches to steaks.

Located next to Marcello's Chophouse on Q Street, our new store is going to offer a wide variety of our products from our discounted Corazon line of jewelry up to our new Collection pieces. Coming right before the holidays, our new store is going to be a great place for you to find the perfect holiday gifts.

We're not just excited because this is a new store. It's our first Relios branded location, and our first location in our hometown. The new store is just a short drive away from the factory, and it's going to make it possible for us to get a better handle on the jewelry styles and colors you like.

If you live in the Duke City or you're just passing through, drop by and look around the new store when it opens. Need the details?

Relios Jewelry at ABQ Uptown
2201 Q Street NE Suite A
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 888-9603
Store hours:
10am to 9pm Mon. -Th.,
10am to 10pm Fri.-Sat.
12pm to 6pm Sun.

ABQ Uptown is at the intersection of Louisiana and Indian School, just a block North from the Louisiana exit of I-40.