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.

Following the wave -- What's hot in jewelry?

You might have caught the spread in Elle Magazine or our posting on fall fashion, but the big colors for this fall are jewel tones. Especially purples and blues. It's not limited to the stunning shoes, elegant holiday dress, or the new scarf you've got for this year's big holiday family outing. You're seeing a big a splash of color in this fall's jewelry collections as well! In particular you're seeing two stones really capture the imagination of designers: lapis lazuli and malachite.

Lapis If turquoise is number one in the world of southwestern jewelry, then lapis is easily the second most popular stone. Lapis has been a valued stone since well before Predynastic Egypt, and if you recall from our earlier post about fall fashion, purple was alleged to have been Pharaoh Cleopatra's favorite color. Well, would you believe that her famous blue eyeshadow was made from crushed lapis? Lapis was first mined in Afghanistan, but today many sources around the world supply us with this vibrant blue stone. Along with turquoise, lapis is one our favorite stones here at Relios. We love the potent blue hues. You'll find a great selection of lapis jewelry on our website. But if you don't find something there, and you still want those blue tones for this fall, try our Tempting Teals Collection which is new for 2008.

Compare our lapis jewelry (earrings and necklace) and our Tempting Teals 8 inch 3-strand bracelet to the jewelry mentioned in Elle Magazine.

Malachite Green with envy? Your friends will be when they see you decked out in our malachite jewelry or if you're looking for other green jewelry browse our selection in our new Gorgeous Greens Collection. Malachite gets it's rich green color from the weathering of deposits of copper. Archaeologists have found that malachite has been mined in Timna, Israel (King Solomon's Mines) for well over 3,000 years. Domestically, there are sites throughout the United States where malachite is found, but it's especially prominent in Arkansas and Arizona. One of the largest known pieces of malachite in the US is "The Tazza," a large cup-like sculpture presented to August Heckscher by Czar Nicholas II.

We have an assortment of malachite jewelry, such as these necklaces and earrings. You might also like our Gorgeous Greens Collection.

Once you've finished finding the lapis and malachite jewelry that fits your mood, take some time to see what else we've got for you in our Fall Collections or our Outlet jewelry!

Remember, the holidays are coming fast! Find great gifts at Relios Jewelry.

Beaded Jewelry & Natural Gemstones

Jewelry is a personal statement. The colors you choose. The styles you wear. They say a lot about who you are as a person. Bold and outgoing. Quiet and reserved. Vibrant and creative. Introspective and subtle. While the jewelry we design and manufacture at Relios is what we would call a contemporary take on southwestern jewelry, the range of styles and colors can help you tell people who you are no matter which end of the spectrum you're on.

Beaded Jewelry

Beaded jewelry by Relios Jewelry can help you make your statement. Designed, modeled, cast, stone set, and assembled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (using genuine natural gemstones from around the world), we offer an amazing range of beaded jewelry to capture the essence of who you are.

Try a snap of turquoise to liven up a neutral outfit. The deep, entrancing blues of our lapis jewelry can help highlight your blue eyes. For the brunettes in the crowd, you might want a splash of red to grab some attention. The great part is that we have such a fantastic library of stones to choose from that we can offer beaded jewelry in a range of colors – earth tones, greens, blues, reds, and more.

But let's be honest, what really makes beaded jewelry fun is the symbolism and meaning in each stone. The richness of the amethyst’s nocturnal purple hues is thought to heal and calm the mind, while the boisterous orange carnelian is said to encourage a positive outlook. Need an energy boost? Try a sunshiny citrine. And when your best friend’s birthday comes around, a warm embracing amber will let her know she’s important to you.

Beads of Wisdom The traditional birthstone for the June birthday is the Pearl, but Alexandrite and Moonstone work as alternatives.

Turquoise!

When someone says the words “Southwestern style,” what comes to mind? Vibrant colors? Possibly. Native American and Spanish/Mexican influences? Probably. Turquoise jewelry. Definitely. From the iron-laden green turquoise to the copper-infused blue turquoise, turquoise jewelry is the cornerstone of Southwestern fashion.

As a gemstone, turquoise carries so much history and symbolism. Native American tradition tells us that turquoise stole its color from the sky, and when the wind blows, it is the sky searching for the “sky stone.” This December birthstone was one of the first stones used as a gemstone, and it was so highly valued as a talisman for good health, currency, and jewelry, that man would risk life and limb traveling over treacherous terrain in search of this “green gold.” What's truly astonishing, however, is that turquoise has a rich worldly history outside of the Americas. As a gemstone it was popular in Ancient Egypt, Persia, and even China. It would later make its way to India and Japan. The ceremonial burial mask of the pharaoh, Tutankhamen, is bedecked in stones of carnelian, lapis, and turquoise (all stones we use at Relios).

Turquoise, itself, is a rare geological occurrence. It forms in arid regions where the surrounding earth is rich in aluminum and copper deposits. Weathering and oxidation pull elements from other pre-existing minerals like malachite and feldspar and when those elements settle and interact with each other in cracks and fissures, the result is turquoise. The matrix, the unique pattern you find in turquoise, comes to be when other minerals are trapped in the hardening turquoise deposit. We like to think of these patterns as the fingerprint of Mother Nature, making each stone special – no two are alike.

We take great pride the turquoise jewelry we design and make at Relios Jewelry – all of which is done in our facility in Albuquerque, NM, USA. We want what you want: spectacular designer styles with only genuine, natural, un-dyed, gem-quality turquoise. We protect all of our turquoise, through a process called stabilization, which prevents the turquoise from fading, breaking and makes it impervious to body oils, lotions and other beauty products.

Nugget of Fact The Native American turquoise mines in Los Cerrillos, New Mexico are thought to be the oldest in the world. (Wikipedia)

Curious about our collection of turquoise jewelry? Thought so. Follow this link to find the sky stone piece that fits your style! If turquoise isn't on your list of favorite stones, look for others in amongst our beaded jewelry.