Pendants and Cabachons !

I was recently asked at a show how I can call off the names of the various pendants and cabachons I am selling without having to look them up in a book or some kind of a listing. Well I would have to say that I get some of the common ones right most of the time, but probably some of the rarer ones only about 70-75% of the time. My biggest problem is spelling the name correctly for the person after I identify the pendant or cabachon. Then of course there is the all time major consideration that the name I know the stone bye may not be the same name that the person I got the slab from to make the pendant or cabachon, called the rough rock. And of course as I travel around to different areas for shows, the stones may have locally used names that differ from what I am calling them.

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What I like to do for several days before a show is lay all the pendants and cabachons out in a pile, like in the picture, and start pulling them out and naming them as I remove them from the group. Those I take a bit to long to ID or miss completely, go back in the pile to be selected again. All of the stones, pendant or cabachon, have an ID tag on the reverse side so that I can confirm if correct or wrong based on what I know the stone as. If someone totally disagrees on a name or doesn't agree that the stone can have another name, I do have a computer program that I carry with me that lists all the names, species ID, group ID, misnomers, local names and false names for several thousand gems and gemstones used in Jewelry.

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Gemstone Pendants - new varieties just completed !

The following pictures are of some new material picked up recently. Although I have shown the name given to the stone by the source I acquired them from, several I recognize as having seen listed under other names. Most gemstones have their mineral name, a gemological name, a common name, a misnomer name and sometimes several totally off the wall names. Also remember the same stone can be called by a different name in a different part of the same country or in different countries. So have fun identifying if the name I have listed is not familiar to you.

Transvaal Jade.................Sodalite..............................Pink Opal

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Maw-Sit-Sit......................Meshwork Jasper..............Stromatolite Fossil

Chrysotine......................Chrysocolla..........Green Fire Opal

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Gemstone Jewelry - Requests Lead to Interesting Pieces !

As one works with gemstones and is continually trying to come up with new designs or find new kinds of gemstones to incorporate into the various pieces, sometimes a request for a particular kind or piece of jewelry is a welcome change.

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This first piece is a slight change in design from an earlier necklace set, but the requester did not want the large multi-color pendant that matched the colors of the necklace. Thus we now have a much simpler and definitely a more light weight piece containing Mahogany Obsidian and Turquoise Beads with Silver Highlights. Matching French hook earrings complete the set.

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This set is constructed of Sodalite and Lapis Beads with Silver Highlights. This is a change from the original necklace construction which contained the same Sodalite Beads and Silver Highlights, but instead used five large rectangular Lapis pieces at the center.

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Here we have a totally new piece constructed of large 50mm and 35mm Chinese Painting Stone (Jasper) Coin Style pendants, Turquoise ovals and Silver Highlights with a hook clasp. Leaverback earrings complete the set. The Painting Stone pendants were provided by a friend who just recently returned from a trip to China and picked up several unusual gemstone pieces while there.

A nice Tiger Eye pendant mounted in vermeil hanging on a golden chain with matching earrings also makes for a nice simple set.

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Unique One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Set !

In an effort to get away from the norm, to try something different, to be a bit bold with designing, to be different, this necklace design fills the bill in all departments. Thanks to an article in Beading Magazine about doing something different, this necklace set was born.

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The retangular Lampwork beads are highlighted with a crystal dangle and silver that allows the attachment of Autumn Jasper chips that end in black Seedbeads that complete the necklace which matches the black Seedbeads coming from the Lampwork beads with a Silver hook clasp. French Hook earrings with matching Lampwork, Crystal and Seedbeads complete the set.

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Jewelry Coral set to make Endangered Species List !

JEWELRY CORAL (CORALLIUM) LOOKS SET TO MAKE THE 'CITES' LIST OF ENDANGERED SPECIES NEXT MARCH.

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Having just escaped addition to the infamous Appendix II list of endangered species in 2007, jewelry coral will almost certainly be cited as protection-worthy by CITES in early 2010 when the group meets again. On October 8th, the U.S. and the E.U. jointly announced their intention to seek trade protection for red and pink coral at the upcoming March meeting of CITES—a 178-nation consortium that monitors some 30,000 maritime flora and fauna for the purposes of preserving them.
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This startling announcement gives heightened importance to the “Coral: Symbol, Substance and Significance” conference being held Thursday-Saturday, October 29-31, 2009, at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Organized by Lisa Koenigsberg, president of Initiatives in Art and Culture, the gathering will bring together all stakeholders in the explosive debate over jewelry coral management and use. Among those making presentations: Michael Kowalski, chairman of Tiffany’s; designer Stephen Dweck; artist Michelle Oka Doner; fashion forecaster David Doneger; and museum curators, jewelry historians and representatives from several coral growing regions and wildlife monitoring groups.

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Reprint from Colored Stone Magazine

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AGTA Seminars for Tucson Gem Fest 2010

The Tucson Gem Fest 2010 in coming the last week of Jan and first two weeks of Feb 2010. Each year the AGTA runs many seminars for visitors to the show. Below is a listing of this years Seminars. BUT, you have to sign up early because the size of the Seminar is limited by the seating of the room being used. Once that limit has been met, no addition persons will be allowed in. Some Seminars are Entry until Full. The FREE Seminars run from Wed the 3rd thru Sat the 6th. Live demonstrations run from Tue Feb 2nd thru Sun Feb 7th. There are also several fee based classes presented by the GIA.

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WEDNESDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Best Buys in Tucson
Options When You Buy Over the Counter
Visual Display of Color)
Internet Marketing to Drive Local Traffic
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WEDNESDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Navigating Counter Space in Colored Gem Sales
Creating Demand for Cultured Pearls
Training Your Staff
Understanding and Using Color Trends
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WEDNESDAY 6:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Yoga for Jewelers experience. 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
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THURSDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Developments in the Chinese Pearl Industry
Colored Gemstone Wardrobe, Fashion Informed
Personal Jewelry Insurance: Service Beyond the Sale
Meet JVC’s All-Star Federal Regulators at a Jewelry Town Hall Meeting
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THURSDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Books for Gem Lovers!
Use Social Media to Sell Design
The Andes to the Pantanal – The Story of Bolivia’s Gem Ametrine
Hand-Held Instruments
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THURSDAY 6:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Yoga for Jewelers
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FRIDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
Intriguing Gem Stories
Considering CAD-CAM
Strategies for Driving Sales Performance
Capitalizing on Color
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FRIDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Country-of-Origin and Gemological Updates
Why On-Premises Services Benefit Retailers
Gem ID – Parts I and II hands-on (3 hour extended session, ends at 4:00)
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SATURDAY 9:00 – 10:00 A.M.
GIA Research Update
Improve Your Return on Effort with Color
Platinum Bridal – The “Bright Spot”
GIA Pearls Update hands-on (2 hour extended session, ends at 11:00)
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SATURDAY 1:00 – 2:00 P.M.
HPHT Enhanced Colorless, Pink and Yellow Diamonds
The Lost World of the New York Jewelry Industry: 1914-1941
Gem ID – Parts I and II hands-on (3 hour extended session, ends at 4:00)
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GIA Class & Seminar Descriptions (Fee Based Seminars and Classes)
Gem Identification Lab
Monday – Friday Feb 1-5, 2010 - 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuition: $1,350 + $45 book fee = $1,395 Total
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu
Pearls
Saturday - Feb 6, 2010 - 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Tuition: $145.00
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu.
Gemstone Treatment Update
Saturday - Feb 6, 2010 - 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Tuition: $145.00
To enroll, call 800-421-7250 ext. 4001 or visit www.gia.edu.
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Full explanations and other courses that may be added can be seen at
http://www.agta.org/tradeshows/gft-seminars.html
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New Gemstone Jewelry Designs !

After taking a couple days off following the last show, decided to get back to work and come up with something new to move on into the fall season.
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First we take a look at some faceted Autumn Jasper mixed with Cognac Amber Chips highlighted with copper balls. The necklace is 24 inches long and has matching hoop earrings.








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Next we have Turquoise barrels and Black Onyx highlighted with silver balls mixed with Multicolored Lampwork beads. This 22 inch necklaced is combined with matching French Hook earrings.






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Colorful Agate shapes are paired with Agate and Black Onyx beeds and highlighted with silver. This 22 inch necklace has a 4 inch extender and is combinded with matching Leverback earrings.







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Burgundy and Lavendar Fresh Water Pearls are combined with Mauve Lampwork Puffs in this 3-string 23 inch necklace. There is a 2 inch extender and the set has matching French Hook hoop earrings.






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Silent Auctions can be Fun !

Deep in the Arts of Texas Craft Show

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Jewelry by CnC Booth

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Timeless Designs Studio Booth

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We started out the day with grand expectations and our location gave us front row seats to the ROSC Silent Auction showdowns! Silent Auctions are great and they tend to raise a great deal of money for charities or scholarship funds. This particular show was hosted by the Randolph Officer’s Spouse Club (ROSC). All proceeds from this show, including the silent auction go towards their scholarship funds and charities around the base and surrounding city.

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It never fails that there are usually quite a few items that gather a large crowds of bidders…in this case, both our daughter-in-law and our piece gather a lot of attention and in the gathering created a ‘feeding frenzy bidding’ in the last seconds between several bidders. Our long time client and friend Sharon got ‘down and handy’ with that pen and won both our auction items! Thanks to Sharon and everyone else for coming out to support such a great event! See ya’ll next year!!

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Closing seconds of one of five Silent Auctions held duringb the day

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For our individual viewers, this writeup is posted on both of our BLOG sites.

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ROSC 'Deep in the Arts of Texas' Craft Show !

For those in the San Antonio, Texas area, Jewelry by CnC will be at the Deep in the Arts of Texas show this Saturday, October 10th, Live Oak Civic Center on Pat Booker Rd (intersection of _35 and Loop-1604) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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Help support the Randolph Officer’s Spouse Club (ROSC) at their annual craft show. Over 100 vendors featuring artists from around the state, raffles, food and every hour is a silent auction. Jewelry by Cnc will be donating to the silent auction this Brazilian Agate Laddar Pendant on a Multi-Colored Jasper Necklace with matching French Hook dangle Earrings.

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We’ll have new designs in necklaces and earrings and some special items for the guys and children !

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Come on out and have fun, all proceeds from the Silent Auction benefits the ROSC scholarships and charities!

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Deep In The Arts Of Texas ROSC Show !

Crazy Lace Agate and Jasper

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As we move out of Summer into the Fall season and watch the colors within the leaves on the trees as they change, it is apparent that the color of jewelry that highlights the seasonal change is an interesting way to go. For the upcoming "Deep In The Arts Of Texas" ROSC Show, here are some designs that show the colors of Autumn.

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Turquoise Agate & Ceramic..................Multi-colored Baltic Amber

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Carnelian ............ ..............Agate Jasper & Ceramic

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Pipestone & Yellow Turquoise... .....Banded Onyx & Sardonyx

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The "Deep In The Arts Of Texas" Show is being held at the

Live Oak Community Center

Pat Booker Rd in Universal City at the junction of I-35 and Loop-1604.

The Show runs from 9 to 5 on Saturday the 10th of October.

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We hope to see our San Antonio area friends.

Don't forget to bring your Discount Card

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Not so Common of the Feldspars !

The first Feldspar, seen below, is a very popular healy-feelie stone found in California with a close cousin from China. The stones from both locations have the same name. Now, contrary to very popular beliefs, it is not a black stone with Andalusite crystals embedded in it. That is how some web sellers offering this particular stone describes it. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

So the question becomes -- what kind of Feldspar is it? Like Unakite, this stone is a composite that features lightly-colored 'calligraphic-like' feldspar crystals called 'phenocrysts' enclosed by a dark matrix of Basalt called the groundmass. Since the helter-skelter arrangement of the crystals rightfully reminds one of Chinese calligraphy, this rock was named "Chinese Writing Stone" in 1980. How these Feldspar crystals got mis-identified as Andalusite in unknown.
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The second Feldspar type stone was originally said to contain four types of Feldspars. In actuallity, only one of its constituent minerals – anorthoclase – is a Feldspar. The other three minerals are two amphiboles (riebeckite and arfvedsonite) and a pyroxene (aegirine).
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Feldspar is a rather expansive group of stones having many members that could one day qualify for ornamental uses as an increasingly eco-minded public begins to discover and delight in the dirt-cheap (pun intended) glories of the earth’s crust. But our Nebula Stone, shown above, is more of a hanger-on than a full fledged membern of the Feldspar grouping, unlike the fully accepted Feldspar gemstones called Sunstone, Moonstone and Andesine or more lapidary type stones like Labradorite, Amazonite and Larvikite, to name a few.
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Thanks to Colored Stone Magazine for info and pictures.

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Encino Park Craft Fair !

For those of you that because of the lousy weather, but boy did we soak up that good rain today, or other reasons, miss out on the Encino Park Women's Club Craft Fair, remember you still have one more day to come and indulge. Being held at the Encino Park Community Center, 1901 Encino Rio, 9 to 5 Sunday the 4th.

Nice slab of Laguna Agate as well as some others, were well appreciated

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Encino Park Craft Fair !

Well it is the first weekend of October, so it is time for the Fall and Holiday 2009 Shows to start.
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The first this year is the

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Encino Park Women's Club Arts & Craft Fair

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Located at the Encino Park Community Center

1901 Encino Rio (the old Fire Station)

(right off of US-281 North out of San Antonio just north of Loop-1604)

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9 to 5 - Sat Oct 3rd and Sun Oct 4th

Our 2008 Encino Park Set-up, come and find us again !

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Some new designs have been created for the show as well as some old standbys.

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Magnesite Intarsa Pendant, Turquoise and Obsidian with Copper Clasp

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Red Stem Coral Pendant, Coral, Turquoise and Onyx with Silver Highlights and Clasp

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Dichroic Pendant, Amber Chips with Golden Highlights and Clasp

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Coral, Jet and Onyx with Silver Clasp

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And for those not wanting a necklace, a Red Stem Coral Pendant and Earrings

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We hope to see our San Antonio area friends and customers this coming Saturday or Sunday.

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