GEMSTONE JEWELRY - pendants for your own designs !

Being able to design and make ones own gemstone jewelry has become a popular past time in the present economy. In order to help those along who wish to try their hand at this craft, not only do we offer the completed gemstone jewelry sets, but also offer finished pendants that can be used with whatever selecton of gemstone beads you might have acquired elsewhere. Some are cabochons which have to be mounted in settings, some are drilled for hanging on or attaching to necklaces and some already have bails attached for inclusion in your design. Here are some of the newer and more unusual pendenat current in stock.

See these and many more at the Jewelry by CnC booth at the

Encino Park 27th Annual Fall Craft Fair this coming weekend

Oct 2nd and 3rd from 9AM until 5PM both days.

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ENCINO PARK 2010 FALL CRAFT FAIR !

Come and join us on Sat Oct 2nd or Sun Oct 3rd from 9AM until 5PM at the Encino Park Women's Club 2010 Fall Craft Fair.

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The Craft Fair will be held in the Encino Park Community Center

1923 Encino Rio ( just east off of US-281 north of 1604)

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2009 Encino Park Craft Fair Booth

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Look for our Jewelry by CnC sign in the main Community Center room at Location 5 & 6

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - The many colors of Pietersite !

Many times all the colors found in a gemstone are not readily visable to the viewer. When using, especially a pendant in a jewelry piece, other gemstones and materials can be used to highlight the colors of the highlight or main stone.

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This jewelry piece fits that color pattern. The Pietersite shield shapped pendant contains the many colors that Pietersite is noted for, but until put with the Blue Foil Glass beads, the spots of blue in the Pietersite can be easily overlooked. The large Citrine nuggest then highlight the golden colors within the Pietersite. Copper highlights and clasp complete the necklace with copper French Hook cearrings finishing the set.

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Pietersite was discovered by Sid Pieters in 1962 while he was prospecting some farmland in Namibia, Africa. His discovery was published in 1964, and the material was named Pietersite. Currently there are only two known sources of Pietersite; China and Africa. These two forms of Pietersite are similar but still somewhat different from each other. The Chinese Pietersite's fibrous mineral is a magnesium-rich alkalic amphibole. The African (Namibian) variety is mainly Crocidolite. The China form of Pietersite is said to have been discovered in 1993, but did not come to market until 1997. This China Pietersite exhibits slightly different color variations from Mr. Pieter's original mineral, but both are beautiful and are now universally recognized as Pietersite. The material found in China was formed from a mineral very similar to Crocidolite, named Torendrikite. Chinese Pietersite has striking combinations of gold, red and blue color segments which sometimes also includes a deep golden brown color. Regardless of the source, Pietersite will always have brecciated, fibrous bands of blue, gold and/or red Tiger Eye type fibers in Quartz. The fibrous structure in Pietersite has been folded, stressed, even fractured and/or broken apart via the Earth's geologic processes. The fibrous materials have then been reformed and naturally recemented together by Quartz. Stones and crystals that go through this process are referred to as brecciated, creating a finished product with multiple colors, hues and superb chatoyancy. While Pietersite has the lovely chatoyancy of Tiger Eye, it is not found in continuously structured bands or fibers, more in swirls, swathes and fibrous (sometimes linear) segments. Thus the structure of the fibrous streaks in Pietersite may appear rather chaotic, and can flow or exist in many directions side-by-side like bold paint strokes. Colors include various blues, golds and reds, that may appear together or alone. Blue is the rarest color, followed by red. The blues range from a baby blue to dark midnight hue. Golds can be light to very deep and rich, sometimes having a reddish hue. All fibrous color variations will have a superb and striking chatoyancy, the bright and subtly changing shimmer of color that moves along the surface of a gemstone as it is viewed from varying angles.

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Citrine is a variety of Quartz whose color ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Citrine normally is found in faceted cut stones, but also in quite common in chip form. Natural Citrines are rare; most commercial Citrines are heat-treated Amethysts or Smoky Quartz. It is nearly impossible to tell cut citrine from yellow Topaz visibly, but they differ in hardness. Citrine has ferric impurities, and is rarely found naturally. Brazil is the leading producer of Citrine, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The name is derived from Latin 'citrina' which means "yellow" and is also the origin of the word "citron." Sometimes Citrine and Amethyst can be found together in the same crystal and is referred to as Ametrine which primarily comes from Bolivia, but some has been found in India.

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ROLLING OAKS MALL MARKET DAYS - Sep 24, 25 & 26, 2010 !

San Antonio's Rolling Oaks Mall will again be the scene for the 2nd Mall Market Days for 2010. During normal Mall operating hours on September 24th, 25th and 26th, special vendor booths have been added throughout the mall for craftmen, jewelry makers, candle makers and others to show off and sell their items for the upcoming Holiday Season. Be sure to stop bye and see us at the Jewelry by CnC booth during one of the three days.

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Rolling OaksMall is located on the North East side of San Antonio, just west of I-35 on Loop 1604, and east of US-281 at the Nacogdoches Road exit on the north west corner of Loop-1604.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Choosing the right chain style !

Choosing the right necklace or pendant as a gift, will show style when presenting any present. A necklace also gives one the opportunity to perform the classic romantic gesture of putting something around your loved ones neck.

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In general, a necklace is defined as any type of chain, gems, jewelry or length of items that can go around ones neck. Necklaces can come in an assortment of lengths, including or not including, strands of precious metal or gems in an assortment of styles including heavier chains, links, and braids. Some necklaces feature a fixed set of diamonds or gemstones, where others have stones that run their entire length, and some have matching pendants or other gemstones hanging from them. Others are ribbons or strings cut to the desired length with a clasp. The more common types of metal chains are :

Bead

Box

Byzantine

Cable

Rolo

Rope

Serpentine

Snake

Wheat
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Once you decide which type of chain you want, then the metal, will it be Sterling Silver, 10k - 14k or 18k White or Yellow Gold, Platinum, or Silver or Gold Filled or Plated or Vermile. OK, now you have the type and kind of metal selected. On many of the types you will have, for instance Baby Box, Normal Box and Large Box or Vennetian Box to then decide between. Then maybe your style has a plain, twisted, braided or a spiral version with one, two, three or more sections.

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Then some even add more choices as they classify "Omegas" as metal chains also. Omegas come in all sizes from 1mm to 10mm wide, in any metal type you can think of and there are also reversable Omegas, one side white gold, the other yellow gold, so it can be worn with a wider variets of jewelry.

Now that you have all of the above all figuered out, comes the length. Here are the standards:.

16 in. Choker length: Just above collarbones. Emphasizes her neckline.
18 in. Princess length: Hangs over collarbones. The most common length.
20 in. Colarbone length: Hangs just below the collarbone for accenting the neck.
22 in. Neckline length: Hangs just at a dress neckline.
24 in. Opera length: Over blouse or dress. A dramatic length.
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There are also 30in and 40in chains for those that want to loop or wear extremely long or wear various lengths grouped together.
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Of course if you are having the chain made to order, then you can have the length be whatever is necessary for the style you want. .

But never forget when looking at necklaces, even with all the style and types of chains that are available, that small set of white pearls is an all time favorite !

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Bright and Bold !

"Bold and Bright "can man many things to different people, but in this case Bright refers to the bright pink pendant and the Bold refers to the bold large crystals that accompany it.

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This unusual creation combines a triple Rhodocrosite free form pendant with large resin Crystal faceted beads, smaller round Crystal beads and a silver hook and eye clasp with matching Crystal and Rhodocrosite colored Cat-eye French hook earrings.

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Rhodochrosite (whose name means rose-colored) is a very attractive mineral with an absolutely one-of-a-kind, beautiful color. Although it can be an ore of manganese, it is its ornamental and display specimen qualities that make it a very popular mineral. The color of a single crystal can just astound the observer with its vivid pink-rose color that seems to be transmitted out of the crystal as if lit from within. Individual crystals are found in well shape rhombohedrons and and sometime in rarer scalahedrons. In a massive form its pink and white bands are extremely attractive and are often used in semi-precious jewelry. Rhodochrosite is often carved into figurines and tubular stalactitic forms are sliced into circles with concentric bands that are truly unique in the mineral kingdom. Fine crystals are sometimes cut into gemstones, but Rhodochrosite's softness and brittleness limit it as a gemstone for everyday use. Identification of Rhodochrosite is fairly easy despite a few similarly colored minerals such as Rhodonire. Rhodonite is harder and has different cleavage; but perhaps the best distinguishing factor is its lack of reaction to acids. Rhodochrosite will easily with show some reaction to cold acids which demonstrates its carbonate chemistry. Basically, any rose-pink carbonate is considered Rhodochrosite; however some Calcites with a small amount of manganese impurities can be pink in color. The manganese replaces some of the calciums in calcite but a complete series between Calcite and Rhodochrosite is not established. There are many localities for Rhodochrosite that are of great reknown. Beyond a doubt, the best locality for Rhodochrosite is the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado. It is unmatched for its superb Rhodochrosite crystals that exhibit the best features of the species; a fine bright rose color and sharp well formed crystals. Some specimens from here are quite large and of world class distinction. Other localities have produced some fine specimens as well. Catamarca, Argentina has an old inca silver mine that has produced fine stalatitic examples of Rhodochrosite that are unique and very attractive. Cut cross-sections reveal concentric bands of light and dark rose colored layers. These specimens are carved and used for many ornamental purposes.

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The Trapiche Gemstones !

Everyone should always keep their eye open for some of the neatest and fairly rare gemstones in existance --- the Trapiche Gemstones ! The Spanish word trapiche was used in Colombia with a literal translation that means 'wagon wheel'.

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It was and still is applied to a rare form of Emerald that has inclusions aligned along the edges where the crystal faces meet, which causes the stone to literally look like a wagon wheel. The most famous and best known is the 'Trapiche Emerald'.
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A Trapiche Emerald, found only in Colombia at Coscuez, La Peña in the celebrated Muzo mining district
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But......the trapiche 'wagon wheel' formations can indeed occur in other types of gemstones, i.e. Ruby, Sapphire, Tourmaline and particularly in a form of Andalusite. So the term 'Trapiche' must be clarified by adding the name of the Gemstone along with it.
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For insatnce Trapiche Ruby, of which there are two distinct types, one with the carbon 'wheel' from Viet Nam and the second with the lighter colored 'Calcite' or 'Dolomite' wheel' from the Mong Hsu region of Myanmar (Burma).
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A Trapiche Sapphire, probably of Burmese origin.
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A Trapiche Tourmaline, of this green variety, can be obtained from the Kavungu mine in the vicinity of Jivunda southeast of Mwinilunga in northwestern Zambia.
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A Trapiche Andalusite, called Chiastolite, has the same kind carbon spokes as the Emerald and Ruby. This particular form of Chiastolite is found in areas around Georgetown, California. It is also known to many as "The Cross Stone" in religious circles.

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And I have been told there is a Trapiche Garnet, but have never seen one or even a picture of one, so definitely something to look for.

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Pictures from own collection and those of some close friends. The locations indicated are where these particular speciems originated from.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Basic Black and White !

Sometimees the return to basics becomes a great idea, likewise returning to basic black and white in jewelry can be called a real "Return to Basics".

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In this "return to basics" design, two old gemstones are also used. White Agate, sometimes called Greek Agate, flat nuggets are combines with two sizes of Black Agate (Onyx) round beads and pewter accents with silver plated hammered chain and a lobster clasp to complete the necklace. Matching Black Agate (Onyx) round beads and pewter accents on French Hook earrings complete the set.

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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). A picture of a true Black Onyx specimum is seen at the left. True 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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Agate is a microcrystalline variety of quartz, chiefly Chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks but can be common in certain metamorphic rocks. White Agate or probably better known as Greek agate, is a name given to pale white to tan colored Agate originally found in Sicily back to 400 B.C. The Greeks used it for making jewelry and beads. Today almost any agate of this white color is called Greek agate. Yet the stone had been around centuries before that and was known to both the Sumerians and the Egyptians, who used the gem for decoration and religious ceremony. True White Greek Agate comes only from Sicily, once a Greek Colony.

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Pewter is a metaln alloy, traditionally between 85 and 99 percent tinn, with the remainder consisting of 1-4 percent copper, acting as a hardener, with the addition of lead for the lower grades of pewter and a bluish tint. Traditionally, there were three grades of pewter: fine, for eatingware, with 96-99 percent tin, and 1-4 percent copper; trifle, also for eating and drinking utensils but duller in appearance, with 92 percent tin, 1-6 percent copper, and up to 4 percent lead; and lay or ley metal, not for eating or drinking utensils, which could contain up to 15 percent lead. Modern pewter mixes the tin with copper, antimony and/or bismuth as opposed to lead. Physically, pewter is a bright, shiny metal that is very similar in appearance to silver. Like silver, pewter will also oxidize to a dull gray over time if left untreated. Pewter is a very malleable alloy, being soft enough to work with hand tools, and it also takes good impressions from punches or presses. Because of this inherent softness and malleability, however, pewter cannot be used to make tools itself. Some types of pewter pieces, such as candlesticks, would be turned on a metal lathe. Pieces produced through this technique are sometimes referred to as "holloware." Pewter has a low melting point of around 225-240°C (437-464°F) depending on the exact mixture of metals. Duplication by casting will give excellent results especially in jewelry making. Pewter is many times the base metal for Silver or Gold plating.

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GEMSTONE JEWELRY - Lapidary Time, Back to the Workbench !

There are times that in an attempt to obtain some interesting pendants for new necklace designs, one finds that you have to go the the Lapidary route, find the rocks that look the best, slice them open to see if gemstone grade material and then spend the time cutting and polishing them up to fit the design working on or what the person designing the jewelry wants for their pieces.

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Here are some interesting slabs that have been obtained, now to hope for good pieces out of them for the pendants or cabochons.

Territella Agate from Wyoming

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Wild Horse Magnesite from Arizona

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Bronzite from Montana
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Llanite from Texas

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Blue Crazy Lace Agate from Mexico

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Once the slabs have been cut and formed and finally polished, the pendants and cabochones look like the following.

Territella Agate Pendants

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Wild Horse Magnesite Cabochones mounted in Silver

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Bronzite Pendants

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Llanite Pendants

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Blue Craze Lace Agate Pendant and Mounted Pendant

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