Star of Alaska and Diamond Asymmetric Drop Earrings with Hoop Clasp

Take a piece of Alaska home with you or your special someone. Enjoy these stunning genuine Star of Alaska covellite with veins of gold pyrite earrings mined from the famous Kennecott Mine deep in the Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range, today a National Park & Preserve. Solid 14k gold setting with stylish hoop clasp.

Measures 2.25" long.

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

All pieces of covellite are hand cut to fit the jewelry design then properly shined using 6 different jewelry polishing wheels. Each piece is hand inlaid like a puzzle and soldered in by our master jewelers, which is very labor intensive. Because covellite found in nature is rare and one-of-a-kind you will receive the product pictured with very slight variations in veining.

All jewelry is backed by the manufacturer.

If this item is not in stock our jeweler will make it in 4-6 weeks and ship it straight to your door.



Star of Alaska Guide

The Star of Alaska’s beauty reflects its local lineage and is fully indigenous from "the last frontier." It is a gem-quality stone, originally mined at the historic Kennecott Mine, once owned by J.P. Morgan and the Guggenheim family and located in the remote wilderness of the Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range. Rosemary Libert through her Star of Alaska line has taken these gems and transformed them into exquisite pieces with rich Alaskan ancestry.

This gem quality material is not commercially mined in Alaska and is increasingly rare, difficult to find, and highly sought after by gem collectors. The production from the Kennecott Mine is considered the finest quality Star of Alaska in the world because it was found in large, pure, massive pieces. The mine, which opened in 1906, closed permanently in 1938, making the gems scarce. For years, the stones for the original pieces were in a private estate. Rosemary continues to work with Alaskan rock and mineral collectors to source this amazing mineral.

For those looking for a piece of jewelry that beautifully captures the wonders of the wide open Alaskan skiy and expansive wilderness, the Star of Alaska is perfect: intense beauty, rare quality, and locally sourced.

Look for the registered *A* stamp on the back of each fine piece, your assurance of authentic Star of Alaska fine jewelry.

Karat Definition andGuide

Karat values range from24K down to 9k. The gold content on anything 8k or less is so low that itwouldn't be considered solid gold jewelry.

Technically you shouldnever depend solely on a gold hallmark to determine gold value. Some peoplewill illegally mark plated gold with 14K gold stampings to try to sell for aprofit.

Ranges of Karat Values

• 24 karat (24K) gold is pure gold

• 18 karat (18K) gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal or metals, making it 75% gold

• 14 karat (14K) gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts another metal or metals, making it 58.3% gold

• 10 karat (10K) gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts another metal or metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10k gold is the minimum karat designation that can still be called gold in the US

Karat vs. Carat

The term carat, spelledwith a "c," is often confused with the term karat. They are bothpronounced the same, but carat refers to the weight of a gemstone. You couldhave a 1.5 carat diamond set in an 18 karat gold setting.

The karat system is usedto measure the amount of pure gold found in solid gold jewelry. In the US,numbers are associated with the percentage of pure gold in a piece.

Solid Gold vs. Pure Gold

The phrase "solidgold jewelry" is a misnomer because, most times, this jewelry is not madeup of solid gold. This term references jewelry that has a gold alloy throughoutthe entire piece.

On the other hand, thephrase "pure gold jewelry" is used to describe jewelry that is madeup entirely of gold with little to no alloys present.

How a Gold Alloy isFormed

A portion of the gold ismixed with different alloys or metals, which creates a specific formula. Eachgold color, like white gold or rose gold, uses a different combination ofalloys.

Karat Used in CostumeJewelry

The term karat is alsoused on gold filled and gold plated jewelry. Even though these piecesare not solid gold, the gold portion of the jewelry has a certain percentage ofpure gold designated through karats.

Expert Tip: If yourpiece of jewelry is marked 14KGF or 10KGF, that is a common indication that theitem is gold filled and is not solid gold. However, the marking 14KP or 14KPdoes not necessarily mean gold plated. It also can stand for 14K gold plumb,which is solid gold.

If your piece of jewelryhas a P in the marking, be sure to have the gold tested.

These values areprimarily used on gold from the Unites States. You will see a lot of 22k goldand 9k gold in other countries. Gold jewelry from other countries may have anentirely different set of gold marking.

 

Style: KLU906