GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Variation on a Design !

As much as possible the majority of my designs are One-Of-A-Kind unless a customer asks specifically for a design to be redone with different gemstones or materials. This time because of the uniqueness of the materials envolved, here is a redesign which is similar to an earlier one.
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This design still incorporates four very different textures: ceramic, cut coral, polished gemstones and metalic silver plate. Grey Ceramic Axe-shapped Beads are the focal point of the necklace, highlighted by Red Sponge Coral rondels, faceted Black Agate (onyx) beads and silver plated accent pieces with silver toggle clasp.
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The necklace is complemented with a pair of French Hook silver earrings containing matching Red Sponge Coral rondels and Silver highlight bead caps.

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Corals are marine organisms typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton which is used in the production of jewelry.

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Black Agate (Onyx) which is truely a died black Agate, is more common and perhaps the most famous variety, but not as common as natural Onyx. Onyx is a crypyocrystalline form of Quartz. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades, such as purple or blue). Specimens of Onyx contain bands of colors of white, tan, and brown. As stated, the pure black form which most people know as Onyx, is not a naturally occuring variety. Black Agate or poorly colored Onyx is heated and dyed black to come up with the pure black form so well liked within the jewelry industry.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - More Mixed Materials !

Again using a combination of materials, we now have this unique necklace set.

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The necklace uses three Mother of Pearl (MOP) spoon style highlight pendants with polished Calcite gemstone rounds, Ceramic oval beads and flat oblong polished wood beads with glass pearl rounds as highlights between the beads. Gold plated highlings and a golden hook clasp complete the necklace. Matching French Hook earrings complete the set.

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Calcite, which gets its name from "chalix" the Greek word for lime, is a most amazing and yet, most common mineral. It is one of the most common minerals on the face of the Earth, comprising about 4% by weight of the Earth's crust and is formed in many different geological environments. Calcite can form rocks of considerable mass and constitutes a significant part of all three major rock classification types. Some of these rock types are composed of better than 99% calcite. Why would a collector be interested in such a common mineral? Because of its extraordinary diversity and beauty! The jewelry industry has become facinated with its beauty and many colors.

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Mother of pearl, also called nacre, is an iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining of many mollusks. Pearl oysters and abalone are both sources of mother of pearl, which is widely used as an inlay in jewelry, furniture, and musical instruments. Mother of pearl comes in several natural colors, and is often bleached and dyed for decorative use. The dye retains the shimmering layers which make mother of pearl so sought after. Depending on the shell the Mother of Pearl is taken from, it may be processed into large flat or curved pieces, small pieces sometimes call nuggets or processed as polished beads. Two substances actually combine to create mother of pearl. The first is plates of aragonite, a material which is secreted by the mollusk. Aragonite contains calcium carbonate and conchiolin, a natural protein. Alone, the plates are very hard, but also very brittle. As a result, the organism also secretes organic material similar to silk to layer between the plates. The result is a strong, flexible material which can withstand hard use.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Go For The Look !

Many times using the colors from a highlight bead or pendant brings a necklace together as a single unit.

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This gemstone set uses a striped Sardonyx gemstone which was end drilled as the highlight of the necklace. Polished Coral rounds combines with Carnelian discs and rounds with silver highlights and toggle clasp complete the necklace. French hook earrings using the Carnelian rounds and disks with silver highlights complete the set.

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Sardonyx is a variant of Onyx or Agate in which the colored bands are Sard in shades of red rather than black. Pure black Onyx, which is truely a died black Agate, is more common and perhaps the most famous variety, but not as common as natural Onyx with its banded colors of browns, whites and black.

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Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a reddish-brown mineral which is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to Carnelian is Sard, which is generally harder and darker. The difference between the two is not rigidly defined, and thus the two names are often used interchangeably. Both Carnelian and Sard are varieties of the silica mineral called Chalcedony and are colored red by impurities of iron oxide. The color can vary greatly, ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration.

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Corals are marine organisms typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton which is used in the production of jewelry.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Mixed Materials

Again I am using different materials to provide a contrast in textures and styles.
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This specific design incorporates the use of manmade and natural materials. This necklace set uses glass infused with copper strands, similar to natural Rutilated Quart, as the large highlight pieces and bronze and white cultured freshwater pearls to complete the piece. A gold plated toggel clasp is used with matching matching gold French Hook earrings.
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Freshwater Pearls, abreviated FWP, are a kind of pearl that comes from freshwater mussels. They have been produced prodominently in Japan and the United States on a limited scale, but are now almost exclusive to China. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission requires that all freshwater pearls be referred to as "freshwater cultured pearls" in commerce settings.
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The Japanese freshwater pearl industry holds a special historic value as the first country to cultivate whole freshwater pearls in Lake Biwa. The industry attempted a comeback with a mussel hybrid in Lake Kasumigaura in the last decade, but this venture also met with failure, with all production ceasing in 2006. A pearl farm in Tennessee also holds special historic value as it is the only place freshwater pearls have been developed outside of Asia. Freshwater Pearsl come in a variety of shapes and colors, and dependant on the seed placed into the mussel.
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Be careful when purchasing FWPs as there are now many plastic, glass, resin and other materials of fake pearls on the market, especially some being referred to as Biwa Pearls.
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Rutilated Quartz is quite simply a quartz stone with rutile enclosures. Rutile is a mineral that is made up mostly of Titanium dioxide. As a mineral, rutile is very high on the refractive index and disperses more than almost any other mineral. This means that when rutile appears in other minerals, it almost always appears in long, thin shots of color. Rutilus is, in fact, the Latin word for red. The mineral gained this name because some specimens are a lovely deep red color. Rutile, however, can also appear in golden, brown and gray tones. The long thin hairs of golden rutile produce great gemstones for pendants. Using various techniques, glass is infused with copper, silver and gold to immitate the Rutile straws in Quartz. Do not confuse Rutilated Quartz with Tourmalated Quartz.
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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Mixed materials !

As previously discussed, many times using different textures can create interesting designs. In the same way different materials can also be used to give depth or balance to a design or highligh specific colors or parts of a highlighted piece in the design.
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Using the latter idea, here we have a necklace set with a multiple highlight pendants of five Spotted Agate trillion cut polished gemstones, with matching copper colored AB crystals and chocolate colored glass pearls interspersed with silver highlights. The matching French Hook earrings use the same chocolate glass pearls and copper AB crystals.
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Now then what are AB crystals ? Aurora Borealis, usually abbreviated AB for short, is a name that has been given to faceted glass crystal beads that have an added iridescent coating placed on the outside of the facets. This coating produces a multi-color reflection which changes color as the beads are rotated. One must be careful when cleaning AB crystal beads, as sometimes in the lower cost varities, this coating can be scratched or come off. AB coating is also used on larger glass pieces to give them the iridescent reflective property also.
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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - using Mother of Pearl !

Mother of pearl is the common name for iridescent nacre, a blend of minerals that are secreted by oysters and other mollusks and deposited inside their shells, coating and protecting their bodies from parasites and foreign objects. Although pearls are popular today, some past cultures regarded colorful pieces of mother of pearl as more desirable decoration for jewelry and other objects. Jewelry made from mother of pearl is in the group called organic jewelry, which includes all jewelry that originates from a living creature, plant or other living organism. Mother of Pearl has made a big comeback in jewelry in the past few years, and is today rated almost equally with many forms of pearls.
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This necklace and earring set is constructed of a Copper Heart pendant, 16mm Mother of Pearl round balls and multi-color crystals with matching crystal earrings.

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This second design uses Mother of Pearl pebbles and polished rounds with gold plated link chain. Matching French Hook earrings complete the set.

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Mother of pearl, also called nacre, is an iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining of many mollusks. Pearl oysters and abalone are both sources of mother of pearl, which is widely used as an inlay in jewelry, furniture, and musical instruments. Mother of pearl comes in several natural colors, and is often bleached and dyed for decorative use. The dye retains the shimmering layers which make mother of pearl so sought after. Depending on the shell the Mother of Pearl is taken from, it may be processed into large flat or curved pieces, small pieces sometimes call nuggets or processed as polished beads.

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Two substances actually combine to create mother of pearl. The first is plates of aragonite, a material which is secreted by the mollusk. Aragonite contains calcium carbonate and conchiolin, a natural protein. Alone, the plates are very hard, but also very brittle. As a result, the organism also secretes organic material similar to silk to layer between the plates. The result is a strong, flexible material which can withstand hard use.

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Mollusks create mother of pearl to protect themselves. In addition to forming part of the shell, mother of pearl also insulates mollusks from bacterial infection, and reduces irritation from organic material which drifts into the shell.

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Use mild soaps and water on mother of pearl to clean it, and avoid storing it with jewelry which may scratch it, wearing away the luminous layers of nacre.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - All in the Name !

Again varying textures make for an interesting mix in this necklace and earring design. This time we have polished gemstone mixed with ceramic a the metalic silver.
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A colorful Mixed Agate shield shapped pendant becomes the highlight, with large polished Ivoryite barrels combine with Ceramic rondels and silver highlights to complete the set. The necklace is asemetric in that silver plated links extend along one side with a large decorative clasp and the Ceramic pieces are color staggered to highlight to asemetric look.

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The set is complemented with silver French Hook earrings of matching Ceramic rondels and silver highlights.

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Since many times there is a bit of confusion when it comes to what to call the white or ivory colored stones in this design and that many times accompany many Turquoise designs., the following is a quick explanation of the differences of this white or ivory colored material. In most cases the names are used interchangably.

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Ivoryite is a unique variety of an extremely fine grained mineral called Magnesite. It is a naturally occuring mineral and not man-made. It is found in Arizona and quarried by hand. Ivoryite has the creamy color, smooth texture, and satin luster of natural Ivory. It is slightly harder however than natural ivory.

Magnesite is a compound that substitutes iron for magnesium with a complete solution series with siderite. Dolomite is almost indistinguishable from magnesite. Magnesite is normally stablized and color shot except for that which is left white or ivory in color as a substitute for Ivory. Many vendors sell Magnesite as stabilized turquoise. Also the famous Wild Horse Turquoise sold throughout the Southwest is predominately Magnesite dug from the same mines as Turquoise and many times has Turquoise as well as other minerals mixed through it to make for the beautiful designs.

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Howlite, named for its discoverer Henry How is one of those minerals that is more famous for imitating another mineral than being used for itself. In most cases the other mineral is Turquoise, a phosphate gemstone. Although natural Howlite is always white or gray, it can accept dyes fairly easily and be dyed a turquoise blue. The look of turquoise is so good that dishonest dealers have been unfortunately successful at this hoax. In more honest circumstances, dyed howlite is an affordable substitute for turquoise carvings, beads, polished stones and cabochons. It accepts a nice polish and its porcelaneous luster is attractive and enhances even undyed beads and carvings. Unfortunately it has low hardness, but it still has a distinct toughness. California is the source for most all of the howlite trade where nodules of up to one hundred pounds have been found.

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But no matter if you like real Turquoise, turquoise colored Howlite, Magnesite or Ivoryite or what is called Wild Horse, the choice is up to the buyer and what the buyer wants to pay for the item. Just make sure what is being bought and the price paid is for what the material really is and really wanted.

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Gemstone Jewelry - combining textures !

Many times the use of various materials that have varying textures come together and provide a striking contract which makes a stand-out jewelry piece.

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This design incorporates four very different textures: ceramic, cut coral, polished gemstones and metalic silver plate. Grey Ceramic Axe-shapped Beads are the focal point of the necklace, highlighted by Red Sponge Coral rondels, faceted Black Agate (onyx) beads and silver plated acent pieces with silver toggle clasp.

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The necklace is complemented with a pair of French Hook silver earrings containing matching Red Sponge Coral rondels and Silver highlight bead caps.

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The necklace is 18 inches long.

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This piece and others will be available at the upcoming Fall Jewelry and Craft Shows in the San Antonio area.

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OPAL - Australia's National Gemstone

Based on several requests have decided to do a Blog on Opals. However this specific BLOG deals with Australian Opals. Many thanks must go to the Jewelers Association of Australia for their information and pictures. There are other major varieties of opals not covered here, Mexican Fire Opals (transparent to translucent opals with warm body colors yellow, orange, orange-yellow or red and they do not show any play-of-color), Peruvian Opals (semi-opaque to opaque blue-green, green, blue or pink stone found in Peru which is often cut to include the matrix in the more opaque stones. They do not display pleochroism), to name a couple. Other varieties of opal can also be found in Slovakia, Brazil, Ethiopia and the Northwest and Southwestern United States with new finds now reported in China.

The Australian Opal. Nature has captured all the colors of the spectrum, displaying them in an infinite variety of shades, patterns, and brilliance and locked them into this rare stone. Opals lie dormant in the earth until a miner clips the edge and light reaches the gem exposing the most beautiful dancing displays of color. This ‘Play of Color’ is the basis for the opals beauty. It is unique in the world of gemstones. It originates from the breaking up of white light due to the three dimensional spherical shaped microstructure of the silica partials inherent in the opal. Similar color phenomena can be observed when oil lies on water. Opals occur where silica gel fills small fissures or voids in the earth. A large portion of Australia’s inland was once covered by a sea, leaving deposits and creating an environment suitable for the formation of the opal. As the cellulose of the tree wood decays, it leaves empty cells in the wood. As the silicon rich water seeps down into the void, it eventually dries out and leaves the silicon behind to form opals. Some of the water is retained by he silicon dioxide...which is why opals contain so much water. The silicon forms as small rows of round spheres that create the ‘Play-of-color’. Natural Opals are divided into categories to distinguish the location where mined and the specific variety of Opal.

BLACK OPAL is the most valuable and comes mainly from Lightning Ridge. High quality stones are very rare; this type is easily distinguished by the blackness of the base or background body tone.

BLACK CRYSTAL OPAL is mainly mined at Lightning Ridge. These black opals show a degree of transparency, the colors are often brilliant and can appear to come from within the depth of the gemstone. Good black crystal opals are extremely rare.

DARK OPAL comes from all the fields and is desirable because the colors are generally more brilliant, due to the dark background highlighting the colors. Good specimens of this type of opal mainly come from Mintabie and Lightning Ridge.

LIGHT OPAL is usually found at all opal fields but the bulk of the better material comes from the South Australian fields of Coober Pedie and Andamooka, although the first material was mined at White Cliffs. Some light opals are so light they are called White Opals (2nd picture above).

CRYSTAL OPAL embraces opals which are transparent or very translucent and in the better quality stones shows a distinct and very bright play-of-color. This type of opal is found in most Australian opal fields.

BOULDER OPAL is composed of opal naturally occurring on its host rock. It is mined predominantly in Queensland. It is easily identified because when cut, the host rock if left on the sides and/or back of the opal. Boulder Opal may be light, dark or black within the host rock. This type of opal in cabochon settings, has become very popular in the past few years, especially those stone that have the host rock all around the ‘window’ of opal in the center of the stone.



MATRIX OPAL comes in two types in Australia.

-BOULDER MATRIX OPAL is usually found in Queensland. The opal is intimately diffused with the host rock (usually ironstone so is magnetic), which is quite obvious in the presentation face of the stone.

-MATRIX OPAL from the Andamooka area has opal internally diffused throughout the host rock, a sandstone, which is often porous and can be treated, turning the material dark, resembling black opals.

NATURAL OPALS are the complete opal cut and polished as one piece. These can be very fragile and easily damaged when worn.



COMPOSITE NATURAL OPALS consist of a natural opal laminate manually cemented or attached to another material. There are three main types.

-DOUBLET OPAL is a composite of two pieces where a slice of natural opal is cemented to a base backing material.

-TRIPLET OPAL is a composition of three pieces where a thin slice of natural opal is cemented between a dark base material and a transparent top layer, usually of quartz or glass.

-MOSAIC CHIP OPAL is a composition of small flat or irregularly shaped pieces of natural opal cemented as a mosaic tile on a dark base material or encompassed into resin.

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There are three (3) specific other Opal types that also come from Australia that I hope to gather further information on and be able to post a Blog in teh near future on them - Andamooka, Koroit and Yowah Opals. Check out the Opal Forum at

http://forums.opalauctions.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1647&start=180

for informatin on these Opals.

SYNTHETIC and IMITATION OPAL has become a real problem worldwide, but not a problem in Australia. Australian law deals harshly with anyone making or selling synthetic or imitation opals and the few retailers who have them, will have them so marked and inform purchasers of this fact. You will see very few within Australia.

For our budding gemologist and geologist, opal is a mineraloid, it is an amorphous SIO2 - NH2O (hydrated silicon dioxide). The water content is usually between three and ten percent, but can be as high as 20%. It is a 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Opal has a RI: 1.44 - 1.46 -- Birefringence: None -- Optic Character: None -- Specific Gravity: 2.10 average but varies based on amount of water contained in the stone.

Opal is the traditional birthstone for October and the state gemstone of Nevada.

Caring for your Opals
As with Pearls, the number one care item for Opals is to never have them on when using hair spray or wear them when doing rough work.
Solid Opals -- Opal is a soft stone, so it is important to treat your opal carefully In order to avoid damaging it. Remove your opal jewelry if there is a chance it will be scratched or broken (i.e. working in the garden, moving furniture, etc.) Many people believe solid opals can be damaged by water - however, this only applies to doublets and triplets. Solid opals are fine in water. In fact, most precious opals contain about 5-6% water. As a result, opal may crack if subjected to very dry conditions or rapid changes in temperature. Try to avoid very high temperatures or low humidity extremes, such as boiling water or zero humidity bank vaults.
Doublets & Triplets -- Caring for doublets or triplets is a little different to caring for opals. Because doublets and triplets consist of multiple layers glued together, prolonged exposure to water will eventually cause lifting between the layers and the infiltration of water. A doublet or triplet will take on a 'foggy' or grey appearance if this happens. This does not mean your opal will be ruined if you wear it in the shower once, or are caught in the rain. It takes prolonged exposure to cause water damage to a doublet or triplet.
Cleaning Your Opals
Solid opal should be cleaned gently with mild detergent in warm water and a soft toothbrush or cloth. Avoid bleach, chemicals and cleaners. Doublets & triplets may be wiped with a damp soft cloth and mild detergent, but should never be soaked or immersed. Never allow anyone to clean your opal in an ultrasonic cleaner, as the intense vibrations may cause cracking in a solid opal, and water penetration in a doublet or triplet. If your stone loses its shine or becomes scratched, bring it back to an opal cutter. After years of wear, small scratches and scuff marks cause an opal to lose its shiny polish and become dull looking. Professional polishing can bring new life to an opal which has become dull or scratched, and we can also check for claw damage and ensure the security of the setting.
Storing Your Opals
If you need to store your opal away for a period of time, simply place it in a padded cloth bag for protection and store it away. For longer storage periods, place your opal in a sealed plastic bag wrapped in cotton wool with a few drops of water just to be safe. The water is not intended to soak into the stone (as opal is impervious) but will prevent water coming out of the stone if it is exposed to very low humidity environments (for example, zero humidity storage safes).

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Gemstone Jewelry - lightweight for summer !

For the hot summer season some lighter weight designs that encompass various gemstones and use an adjustable lanyard rather than fixed chain or beads to go around the neck.

A Druzy Mexican Agate Pendant with White Jade and Picture Jasper.

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An Ocean Jasper Pendant with White Jade and Wood Jasper.
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A Druzy Piranha Agate Pendant with White Jade and Wood Jasper
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