December Birthstones – Turquoise and Tanzanite
Turquoise
Turquoise was discovered buried in ancient Egyptian tombs dating to 4,000 BC making it one of the oldest known gemstones. Ancient Egyptians referred to the stone as “Mefkat” which means joy and delight. In Tibet, turquoise is the national gemstone. It is believed to promote good health, bring good fortune and provide protection from evil.
In the American Southwest, turquoise has been used for ceremonies, as a form of currency to trade with and to create the beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry associated with the Native American populations originally and in the last 50+ years has been used extensively by jewelry designers worldwide.
While turquoise is evaluated by its purity of color, without matrix of the host rock, sometimes the matrix is what makes a piece of turquoise so amazing and beautiful.
The blue color of turquoise is caused by copper, greenish blue turquoise is caused by copper and iron.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite gets its name from Tanzania where it was discovered in the late 1960s by a Portuguese prospector. Its color, a rich medium dark bluish-purple quickly became a favorite for collectors.
HOURS
GREAT NEWS -- we're going back to full time hours. Stay Tuned!
MAY HOURS
ALL Thursdays - 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
ALL Fridays - 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, May 10, 17 and 24 - Noon to 5:30 p.m.
Saturays, May 13, 20 - 9:30 - 1:30
We also offer hours by appointment -- recommended for custom design and appraisals.
As always, we remain committed to providing jewelry and watch repair services in a timely manner and MOST repairs can be completed in less than one week. MANY repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. We can replace watch batteries while you wait (if not too busy).
To schedule an appointment, please send your email request to: ViirInc@gmail.com -- we respond as quickly as possible to all emails. You may also leave a message at our store: 520-795-5496, and messages are checked on "store open" days.
Appointments
If you have an estate or multiple items for appraisal or if you would like to create a custom design, we ask that you schedule an appointment so that we can give you our unhurried attention.
To schedule an appointment, please call the store at 520-795-5496 and leave a message OR send us an email at ViirInc@gmail.com and we will get back to you more quickly. You can also send a contact request through this website.
Email: viirinc@gmail.com
Telephone: 520-795-5496
Address: 2464 N. Campbell Avenue (Parking is available behind the building)
Get in Touch
Viir Fine Jewelry & Art
520-795-5496
520-795-5496
viirinc@aol.com
2464 N. Campbell Avenue
(Parking available behind building)