SABOS SPRING BEAD BAZAAR - this Weekend

Vendors are setting up and the Live Oak Civic Center has been transformed into a "Bead Wonderland" for this upcoming weekend. In addition to 'beads', there are Jewelry Sets, Jewelry making Tools, Books, and many interesting things to see. The doors open at 10AM on Sat and 11AM on Sun and the Bazaar runs until 5PM both days.

See this Turquoise, Coral and Sardonyx Set along with other new designs and an excellant selection of Gemstone Beads and unmounted Cabochons and Pendants at the Jewelry by CnC booth, just inside the main entrance. Look for our sign as you enter the door.

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SABOS SPRING BEAD BAZAAR - this Sat & Sun

Without additional fanfare, here are some of the cabachons that will be available this weekend. The difference between the cabachons shown and other pendants and gemstones available for placing in a mounting, wire-wrapping or stringing is that the cabachons blanks are NOT drilled where as the pendant blanks ARE drilled, either as a 'top hole', 'across the top', or 'across the center'.

Cabachon sample

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SABOS SPRING BEAD BAZAAR - May 1st & 2nd

The San Antonio Bead and Ornament Society, better known locally as SABOS is holding the Spring Bead Bazaar, this coming Sat and Sunday, May 1st and 2nd, at the Live Oak Civic Center off of Pat Booker Highway, near the intersection of I-35 and Loop 1604.

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See http://www.sabostx.com/ for additional information.

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Jewelry by CnC will be participating, so look us up and stop bye and say Hello. In addition to our unique hand-made and one-of-a-kind jewelry, we will also have a special selection of gemstone beads and pendants, for you to use in your own creations. Or if you prefer, purchase the pendant and beads, and Gayle will make up a special jewelry set for you.

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Check www.twitter.com/jewelrybycnc for any last minute announcements or updates.

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WINDFEST 2010 - rescheduled to 24 April !

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With the cancellation of WINDFET 2010 on April 17th due to heavy rains in the San Antonio area, it has been rescheduled for April 24th. We regret, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, Jewelry by CnC will not be able to attend this years show at Takas Park, in Windcrest, TX. However we hope those who can, will go and have a good time.

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The next show we will be participating in will be the SABOS Spring Bead Bazaar at the Live Oak Civic Center on May 1st and 2nd. More information will follow.

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FIESTA 2010 - San Antonio Style !

CANCELLED

As of Noon today, April 16th, WINDFEST 2010 scheduled for Takas Park on April 17th has been cancelled due to rains and flooding. Check the Fiesta San Antonio 2010 schedule for other cancelled events and possible rescheduled dates and times. Windfest 2010 is currently rescheduled for April 24th, baring continued rain and flooding.

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With Fiesta San Antonio 2010 now under way, Mother's Day just around the corner in May, Graduation Parties and Proms coming up and of course Summer Weddings, Gayle has worked on a new line of light weight necklace-earring sets.

Various colors of Crystal Necklace Sets

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Sonoral Leaves make for a simple design

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Dichroic pendants on Czech Crystals is always a hit

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These and addition sets that are ideal for Proms, Graduation, Mother's Day and Weddings can be viewed in person at WINDFEST 2010 on Apr 17th and the ROSC Luncheon on Apr 22nd. They will be posted on the web-site within the next few days. Look for "NS" style numbers or in a new section called "Party Creations". Of course you can always call Jewelry by CnC at 800-915-5480 to see if still available, and charge your selection on your credit card.

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WINDFEST 2010 - FINISHED PENDANTS - string or add a bail !

Making finished pendants out of the raw rocks can sometimes be a chore, sometimes a lot of fun, but when finished, and someone uses one in a jewelry piece, all that hard work has paid off. For the upcoming Windfest 2010 Show at Takas Park in Windcrest, Texas this coming Saturday, April 17th, several new styles and materials have been completed.

Golden Druzy Quartz

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Some of the pieces have been left undrilled, similar to a Cabachon, for either wire-wrapping or for placing in a setting. Others have been drilled, some with top hole for use with a bail, and others with the hole across the top so they can be strung directly on the necklace wire or this style can also be easily wire wrapped also.

Lepidolite.........................Amethyst

Spiderweb Agate...................Tiger Eye

Nevada Lapis

See these and other unusual pendants you can put into your own jewelry as well as finished Jewelry Sets at WINDFEST 2010 at the Jewelry by CnC Booth.

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WINDFEST 2010 - one start to Fiesta San Antonio 2010 located at Takas Park !

Fiesta San Antonio 2010 runs from April 14th through April 25th. There are many various functions associated with Fiesta in addition to the various parades and formal functions. One of the earliest functions is held in the small community of Windcrest, located just off I-35 on the north-east corner of San Antonio. WINDFEST 2010, located in Wincrest's Tekas Park, which is located on Jim Seal Dr, just off of Crestway Drive. As part of the all-day Picnic at Takas Park, which includes children's games and sporting events, the Senior Center is turned into a local area Craft Fair with vendors selling anything and everything.

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Jewelry by Cnc was invited to return again for 2010. Some of Gayle's new designs are shown below.

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A Malachite and Crystal Necklace Set

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Aquamarine, Blue Opal and Agate Necklace Set

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Please check back as several other new designs, especially for Graduation, Mother's Day and Weddings will be shown this week.

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RAINBOW GEMSTONES - a variety of colors!

A play of words, a method of description, comparing something to a known item, a panarama of colors -- these all describe what are call "rainbows". Almost everyone knows what the "rainbow" in the sky after a thunderstom is and why it is present. But that same play of colors also describes several different kinds of gemstones. The following are several of the more commonly found gemstones with "rainbow" in their name.

A necklace with the major pieces being 'Rainbow' Agate

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An interesting piece of 'rainbow' Calsicila from Mexico.
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A pendant made from 'rainbow' Fluorite from Indiana.
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..A newer find called 'Rainbow' Pyrite from China..
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An old favorite among the lapidary community, 'rainbow' Obsidian.

An interesting piece of Chalcedony, that over the years has come to be know as the "rainbow" rock.

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SPINEL - Mistaken for Ruby !

Spinel is a completely misunderstood gem...in ancient days Spinel was thought to be Ruby...Boomers tend to remember it as a synthetic stone for class rings....in today's terms, we need to work on this stone's "brand". The crowning glory for Spinel was when the Crown Jewels of England were found to have Spinel instead of Ruby as some of the stones.

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Spinel is found in many locals worldwide - and in some of the most exotic gem-rich countries. Today, due to a new find in Tanzania, this rich and beautiful jewel is finally taking its place beside the finest of gems and doing it with its real name intact!

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The name Spinel comes from "spina" the Latin for thorn which is thought to refer to the pointed octahedral shaped crystals. It is the magnesium aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals, with the formula MgAl2O4. As with most gems, Spinel in it's purest form is a clear colorless stone - trace elements in the areas where the deposits are found are responsible for the rainbow of colors that this up and comer can be found in. From the palest of pastel lavenders, pinks and blues, warm coffee browns to the most vivid red and gleaming black.

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The Crown Jewels of Iran include what are thought to be the finest collection of Spinel, the largest of which is a 500 carat stone. This collection was plundered from India when the Mogul Empire fell. Yet the most famous Spinels, or should I say infamous are the 170 carat "Black Star Ruby" and 361 carat "Timur Ruby" found in the British Crown Jewels. Only 150 years ago was this gem identified as a separate species from its look-a-like cousin, Corundum or Ruby. And by 1910 using the Verneuil method of synthesizing, Spinel was successfully created in the laboratory. This synthesized version became the hit of the "class ring" world of the 40s-50s and 60s. Today gorgeous Spinel gems are coming out of Tanzania and the gem rich Mogok Valley. It's color and hardness make it a great option for jewelry.

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Lustre: Vitreous
Crystal: Isometric
Morphology: Usually Octohedral
Hardness (Mohs): 7 1/2 to 8
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Thanks to GemCal and The Daily Jewel for their information on Spinel.
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