Orrock 'Diamond' Scottish Gold and Sterling Silver Ring

Presenting an affordable and locally-sourced alternative to April's birthstone, diamond ... 'Orrock Diamonds' from our very own Burntisland!

A beautiful form of rock crystal, Orrock Diamonds were romantically named by local sailors, who told tales of being guided home along the Forth by the moonlight glittering on jewels in the Binn hills:

"Aboon the Green about an ell,
Ye'l see a ferlie;
Whytes blazin' out a fiery peat -
Syne spluterin' like a burs tin ba'
O red hot iron".

Written records of 'diamonds' being discovered in Orrock date back to 1791. Sir Robert Sibbald wrote about their exceptional quality in 1913, and in 1950 they are mentioned in the publication 'Afoot in Fife', but are little known today.

The Orrock quarry is an excavation of an extinct volcano, with the main mineral zone in the crater at the top. Although long since dug away, when first opened up the crystal caverns were so large that the miners could stand inside! With the material all crushed to make tarmac for roads, there is now nothing to be found (and private collectors are no longer allowed inside to look), making these gems very sought-after.

Two Skies works with a small team of licensed native gold prospectors,
in keeping with our ethos of supporting low impact and ethical practices. All our Scottish gold is painstakingly collected from Highland mountain streams using environmentally-friendly methods such as 'sniping' and hand-panning. It is a true labour of love to find Scottish gold (0.5 grams per day is considered a 'fine haul'!)

Scottish gold naturally ranges between 14 and 22 carats in purity, so - as we work with the material unrefined - we can guarantee all our jewellery to be a minimum of 14ct. Find out more at www.scottishgold.scot

Why do silversmiths use 925%? Measured in parts per thousand, pure silver (999%) is too soft so silversmiths mix it with other metals to make it it harder. The purer the metal, the higher the polish, but it is a lot softer (thus less durable). The harder the metal is, the more hard wearing the jewellery is, but it will also tarnish easier as it has less silver content. Therefore, the silver industry set a standard percentage content for fine silver (925); what we know as "sterling silver". At Two Skies our silversmiths use 925 (sterling) silver for ring shafts and moving parts, and a very high 950% on our stones settings, which enables us to get a strong jewellery item with a beautiful and secure stone setting, without any gluing. Each piece of our jewellery is hand stamped with our Two Skies Hallmark alongside the recognised industry 925 Hallmark.

Relax - you can shop with confidence at Two Skies. If you change your mind, simply get in touch to let us know you want to return one or all of your items within 7 days of receiving your order, and we'll get a replacement/refund arranged - no quibbles!