TRAVELING WITH JEWELRY !

Summertime, Travel, Fun in the Sun, Fun at the Airport or not ! Jewelry is rarely at the top of ones packing list. And other than the addition of a cheap, costume necklace or two for a fancy night out, most people don't pack any good jewelry. But sooner or later, we all have to travel for some function where "the good stuff" needs to come along. Be it a family wedding where grandma's pearls need to make an appearance or a gallery opening where that canary Diamond you have (and I say "you" because I certainly don't have one) begs to be worn, or a fancy Cruise where you have to appear at Formal Night with the Captain, we all find ourselves packing some fine jewelry occasionally. So, how do you keep it safe and secure? Lets check with some experts to find out.

The hotel security director: You can probably guess what a director of safety and security would say when asked , "Don't take your heirlooms and your favorite stuff with you." But, if you are going to take them, here are some tips for traveling with jewelry:
1) Be sure you are staying in a hotel with a safe in the room or safety deposit boxes at the front desk. Most 3-star or better hotels have both.
2) Once you've checked into the hotel, use the safe or safety deposit box. The hardest part is getting people to utilize them, the hotels advertise having them, but then people don't use them, and that's where things can go wrong.
3) Know the hotel's policy if something should happen to your jewelry. In most U.S. States, an innkeeper is not liable for hotel losses, unless they are the direct result of the hotel's negligence. For example, if a hotel employee is caught stealing it.

The insurance agent: if you own fine jewelry, you probably have insurance to cover it. But does that insurance apply when you are traveling? You first need to ensure that you are insured. A standard homeowner's policy will not cover jewelry for disappearance, and it will only cover theft of jewelry up to $1,000. The key is to purchase a rider to your homeowner's policy or a separate policy to cover just the jewelry. Either one will cover your jewelry for theft, disappearance or other mishaps, including losing a stone from a setting or the old familiar dropping of your wedding ring down a garbage disposal. Now you will need to be sure that you are following your specific policy's rules for travel, and you need to check with your agent about that. Most standard policies will cover you for travel anywhere, but some might require that certain items be kept in a safe when you are not wearing them. And, if we're talking about Harry Winston, red carpet-level jewels, your policy may limit exactly how much jewelry you can travel with. And Insurance Agents like Security Directors, will both advise that it is best to leave the heirlooms at home. There is no way to insure sentimental value. That ring that your grandmother gave you can only be insured for an appraised value, and it probably means more to you than that.

And last but not least, be aware of your surroundings and where you are traveling before wearing that necklace, bracelet or ring. Displaying them at a party or special gathering is one thing, but wearing them in public going to and from the "gala" can sometimes lead to trouble when least expected.

And one last suggestion, with the abundance of immatations on todays market, it might just pay to have someone make a copy of that "special necklace or broach" and leave the real stuff in your safe or bank box when you do the "fling on the night". But still be careful where you go, as someone may think you really have the real thing and want to relieve you of it.

CARIBBEAN DELIGHTS SERIES - Colors of the Caribbean Sunset !

As one visits the Caribbean, the vibrant colors that are seen in the Ocean, on the Islands and in the Sunsets inspired this jewelry collection called "Caribbean Delights". The first two sets covered the green of the islands and the blues of the water, we now look at a Caribbean Sunset.

The Caribbean Sunset is reflected in this necklace with a rust-blue-gold Sonoran hand blown leaf at the center. Carnelian barrel beads and chips are then complimentd by crystals and cat-eye beads in sunset colors of reds, dark and light pinks, blues and copper. The necklace is 20 inches with a 2 inch extender and a Lobster Claw Clasp. The French Hook Earrings hang 1 1/2 inches.

Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral which is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to Carnelian is Sard, which is generally harder and darker. The difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Both Crnelian and Sard are varieties of the silica mineral Chalcedony colored by impurities of iron oxide. The color can vary greatly, ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration. Extensive beds of Carnelian are found at Rajpipa in State of Gujarat in India and have been dug since at least about 1500 to provide raw material for the region's extensive lapidary industry.

Sonoran Leaves are a specially fired glass that is made into the shape of leaves in different sizes for use in pendants and earrings. Boro glass is a particular type of glass, better known under the brand name of Pyrex. It was first developed in the late 19th century and was used primarily for scientific glass due to its strength and durability. Artists have started to use boro glass for bead making even though it is a very hard glass and requires high heat to form a bead. Boro glass has a very distinctive range of colors from varions other minerals or impurities, often much more vibrant than the softer European glass. Sonoran Leaf pieces are made one at a time, in a flame. Because they are made by hand there may be slight variations in color from one batch to another. Do not confuse these Sonoran Leaves with other types of poured or fused glass leave made in bulk.

Cat-eye beads and colored crystals were also used in this set.

A second set of earrings using Sonoran Leaf dangles to match the center highlight of the necklace is also available.

SUMMER SENSATIONS - Delicate Purples and Greens !

Float through Summer with this colorful necklace. A 2 inch long wire wrapped purple Agate oval pendant is the main stone in this piece. The Agate is complimented with two sizes of Russian Charoite, Amethyst chips and rounds, Fluorite pebbles and a mix of crystals for a bit of sparkle. Silver Pewter accent pieces highlight this 20 inch long necklace, with a silver plated Toggle clasp. Amethyst and Fluorite dangle from the matching French Hook earrings.

SOLD Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, 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 and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks. Colorful Agates and other Chalcedonies were obtained over 3,000 years ago from the Achates River, now called Dirillo, in Sicily. Most Agates occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas where they represent cavities originally produced by the disengagement of volatiles in the molten mass which were then filled, wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. Such Agates, when cut transversely, exhibit a succession of parallel lines, often of extreme tenuity, giving a banded appearance to the section. Some Agates are found to be translucent when cut thin enough.

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry and decorative statues and lapidary displays. Amethyst is composed of an irregular superposition of alternate lamellae of right-handed and left-handed quartz. It has been shown that this structure may be due to mechanical stresses. Because it has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale, Amethyst is suitable for use in jewelry. Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue. Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green Amethyst, which is an actual misnomer and not an acceptable name for the material, the proper terminology being Prasiolite.

Charoite is a rare mineral, first fully described in 1978 and named for the Chara River. It has been reported only from the Sakha Republic, Yakutia, Siberia, Russia. It is found where a syenite, the Murunskii Massif, has intruded into and altered limestone deposits producing a potassium feldspar metasomatite. Charoite is translucent lavender to purple in color with a pearly lustre. However, it is a discrete mineral rather than a rock. Charoite is strictly massive in nature, and fractures are conchoidal. It has an unusual swirling, fibrous appearance, sometimes chatoyant, and that, along with its intense color, can lead many to believe at first that it is synthetic or enhanced artificially. Though reportedly discovered in the 1940s, it was not known to the world outside Russia until its description was published in 1978.

Fluorite (also called fluorspar) is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon. Crystal twinning is common and adds complexity to the observed crystal habits. Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in many areas. Notable deposits occur in China, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Norway, Mexico, and both the Province of Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Large deposits also occur in Kenya in the Kerio Valley area within the Great Rift Valley. In the United States, deposits are found in Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Alaska, and Texas. Fluorite has been the state mineral of Illinois since 1965. At that time, Illinois was the largest producer of Fluorite in the United States, but the last fluorite mine in Illinois was closed in 1995. Green and purple Flourite are the most commonly found, but all colors of the rainbow exist depending on impurities.

Crystals are also used in this set.

SUMMER SENSATIONS - light weight Chinese look !

Summertime light weight whites, blues and golds in Cloisonne highlight beads with blue cord fabric beads, ivory glass Pearls, Lapis ovals with Czech crystal bead mix on a 19 inch necklace with a 2 inch extender and magnetic clasp. Matching golden French Hock earrings complete the set.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalework objects, but in recent centuries using vitreous enamels, and also inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and even linen. and other cloth materials, has become common place, especially in jewelry beads.

Czech Glass Crystals or perhaps better known as Bohemian glass, or Bohemia crystal, is a decorative glass produced in regions of Bohemia and Silesia, now in the current state of the Czech Republic, since the 13th century. Oldest archaeology excavations of glass-making sites date to around 1250 and are located in the Lusatian Mountains of Northern Bohemia. Both Novy Bor and Kamenicky Senov have their own Glass Museums with many items dating since around 1600. These locations were especially outstanding in its manufacture of glass in high Baroque style from 1685 to 1750. In the 17th century, gem cutters in Prague, adapted to glass the technique of gem engraving with copper and bronze wheels. In the second half of the 19th century, Bohemia looked to the export trade and mass-produced colored glass for shipment all over the world. Today the Bohemian Glassworks Company is the producer of fine Czech crystals, Bohemian glass and Swarovski crystals. The latest project has been the firing of glass nail files.

Lapis Lazuli is a rock, not a mineral: whereas a mineral has only one constituent, Lapis Lazuli is formed from more than one mineral. The main component of lapis lazuli is Lazurite, and a feldspathoid silicate mineral. Most Lapis Lazuli also contains Calcite (white), Sodalite (blue), and Pyrite (metallic yellow). There can also be other possible constituents and trace amounts of other minerals. Lapis lazuli usually occurs in crystalline marble as a result of contact metamorphism. The finest color is intense blue, lightly dusted with small flecks of golden Pyrite. Stones with no white Calcite veins and only small Pyrite inclusions are more prized. Patches of Pyrite are an important help in identifying the stone as genuine and do not detract from its value. Often, inferior Lapis is dyed to improve its color, producing a very dark blue color with a noticeable grey cast which may also appear as a milky shade. Lapis takes an excellent polish and can be made into jewelry, carvings, boxes, mosaics, ornaments, and vases.

Cord beads and glass Peafrls are also used in this set.

SUMMER SENSATIONS - light weight, lilac and pale green !

SOLD Light in color and light in weight all for summer wear. Lilac fabric Cloisonne beads, purple corded beads, crystals, pale green Jade and Amethyst/Citrine chips will float around your neck like a summer garden. The necklace is 19 inches with a 2 inch extender and a gold plated Lobster Claw clasp. Golden French Hook dangle earrings complete the set.

Jade on todays market is primarily composed of Nephrite; Jadeite Jade has become quite rare and in its emerald-green, translucent form is referred to as Imperial Jade or "gem jade". A small amount of cromium in Jadeite accounts for the color of Imperial Jade. Other color-based names for Jadeite Jade are Yunan Jade, for a uniquely appearing dark green, semitranslucent Jade, Apple Jade for apple (yellowish green) green Jade, and Moss-in-Snow for white Jade with vivid green spots and streaks. Nephrite and Jadeite Jade ranges in color from a somewhat greasy-appearing, white to dark and light shades of green, gray, blue-green, lavender, yellow, orange, brown, reddish-brown, and black. An important dark green variety of Nephrite is sometimes known as "spinach Jade". The chromophore in all Nephrite Jades is usually iron. Nephrite jade is usually opaque to translucent in thinner pieces. The name Jade has been, and continues to be, applied to a variety of materials that superficially or closely resemble Jade but are not composed of either Jadeite or Nephrite. So as the old saying gos "Buyer Beware !".

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalework objects, but in recent centuries using vitreous enamels, and also inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and even linen. and other cloth materials, has become common place, especially in jewelry beads.

Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry and decorative statues and lapidary displays. Amethyst is composed of an irregular superposition of alternate lamellae of right-handed and left-handed quartz. It has been shown that this structure may be due to mechanical stresses. Because it has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale, Amethyst is suitable for use in jewelry. Amethyst occurs in primary hues from a light pinkish violet to a deep purple. Amethyst may exhibit one or both secondary hues, red and blue. Green quartz is sometimes incorrectly called green Amethyst, which is an actual misnomer and not an acceptable name for the material, the proper terminology being Prasiolite.

Citrine is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Natural Citrines are rare; most commercial Ctrines are heat-treated Amethyst 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. Sometimes Citrine and Amethyst can be found together in the same crystal, which is then referred to as Ametrine.

Corded beads and crystals are also used in this set.

CARIBBEAN DELIGHTS SERIES - Colors of the Sea !

As one visits the Caribbean, the vibrant colors that are seen in the Ocean, on the Islands and in the Sunsets inspired this jewelry collection called "Caribbean Delights". The set delights one with the blues of the water.

The light blues and aquas of the Caribbean Sea are highlighted in the necklace with a large aqua Sonoran Leaf as the focal piece. Czech glass nuggets with an aqua thread complement the crystals and seed beads with silver accents along the sides. A silver plated Lobster Clasp with a 2 inch extender on this 18 inch necklace gives the wearer an option on length. Matching crystal French Hook earrings complete the set.

Sonoran Leaves are a specially fired glass that is made into the shape of leaves in different sizes for use in pendants and earrings. Boro glass is a particular type of glass, better known under the brand name of Pyrex. It was first developed in the late 19th century and was used primarily for scientific glass due to its strength and durability. Artists have started to use boro glass for bead making even though it is a very hard glass and requires high heat to form a bead. Boro glass has a very distinctive range of colors from varions other minerals or impurities, often much more vibrant than the softer European glass. Sonoran Leaf pieces are made one at a time, in a flame. Because they are made by hand there may be slight variations in color from one batch to another. Do not confuse these Sonoran Leaves with other types of poured or fused glass leave made in bulk.

Czech Glass Crystals or perhaps better known as Bohemian glass, or Bohemia crystal, is a decorative glass produced in regions of Bohemia and Silesia, now in the current state of the Czech Republic, since the 13th century. Oldest archaeology excavations of glass-making sites date to around 1250 and are located in the Lusatian Mountains of Northern Bohemia. Both Novy Bor and Kamenicky Senov have their own Glass Museums with many items dating since around 1600. These locations were especially outstanding in its manufacture of glass in high Baroque style from 1685 to 1750. In the 17th century, gem cutters in Prague, adapted to glass the technique of gem engraving with copper and bronze wheels. In the second half of the 19th century, Bohemia looked to the export trade and mass-produced colored glass for shipment all over the world. Today the Bohemian Glassworks Company is the producer of fine Czech crystals, Bohemian glass and Swarovski crystals. The latest project has been the firing of glass nail files.

Crystals and seed beads are also used in this set.

SUMMER SENTATIONS - Cool Waters !

A cool Aqua Flower Glass pendant looks like a flower floating below the cool water. The pendant is accented with white carved Coral, white Shell heishe beads, aqua millifiori and cat-eye beads and crystals. This 21 inch necklace is finished with a Hook and Loop clasp. The set is finished out with matching French Hook drop earrings using similar flower under glass drops.

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 secret calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. Coral tissues become colorless as they reveal the white of their calcium carbonate skeletons, an event known as coral bleaching and most corals are found in the white form. Other colorations also exist depending on chemicals and algie in the water in which they grew. Corals are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Scientists have predicted that over 50% of the world's coral reefsmay be destroyed by 2030; and as a result most nations protect them through environmental laws, especially the black corals. To overcome the shortages for jewelry and other ornamental uses, coral farms are now being developed and used for non-ocenaic purposes. Currently many species of Corals, especially reef building varities, are being considered "endangered" and are under consideration for banning for use in jewelry and other decorative uses, following in the footsteps of Ivory. Sponge Coral, however, is not on the endangered species list, plus it is a sustainable product. Sponge Coral is a farmed product and thus is not removed from the Coral Reef and does not cause the environmental damage associated with traditional corals.

Millifiori is a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words "mille" (thousand) and "fiori" (flowers). Apsey Pellatt was the first to use the term "millefiori", which appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in 1849. This type of bead was called mosaic beads before then. While the use of this technique long precedes the term millefiori, it is now frequently associated with Venetian glassware. More recently, the millefiori technique has been applied to polymer clays and other materials. Because polymer clay is quite pliable and does not need to be heated and reheated to fuse it, it is much easier to produce millefiori patterns than with glass.


Shell and Crystals are also used in this set.

CARIBBEAN DELIGHTS SERIES - Colors of the Caribbean Sea !

SOLD Based on a customer request, this particular Caribbean Delights necklace is similar to the first one made but is constructed out of a smaller Sonoran Blue Leaf and smaller Lapis pebbles to make in more lightweight and less bulky.

See the Posing for June 7th for the original larger version of this necklace.

SUMMER SENSATIONS - Quiet Sunsets !

Pink is the color of a Summer Sunset and jewelry in that shade can refresh but also warms you as it is worn. A free-form Rhodochrosite pendant is strung with shades of pink cat-eye beads and crystals accented with silver beads. A Sterling Silver hook and eye chain clasp gives this 19 inch necklace an additional 2 inch extension to personalize the length. The set is completed wth matching French Hook earrings.

.

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown with streaks of white. Its Mohs hardness varies between 3.5 and 4. It crystallizes in the trigonal system. The cleavage is typical rhombohedral carbonate in three directions. Crystal twinning often is present. It is transparent to translucent. It is often confused with the manganese silicate, Rhodonite, but is distinctly softer. Rhodochrosite occurs as a hydrothermal vein mineral along with other manganese minerals in low temperature ore deposits as in the silver mines of Romania where it was first found in 1813. Colorado officially named Rhodochrosite as its state mineral in 2002. The reason for this lies in the fact that while the mineral is found worldwide, large red crystals are found only in a few places on earth, and some of the best specimens have been found in the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado. Much of the non-pure Rhodochrosite used in jewelry comes from Argentina.

.

Cat-eye beads and Crystals ae also used in the set.

.

SUMMER SENSATIONS - Time for Cool Refreshment !

This cool and refreshing Summertime necklace has a faceted freeform Hawaiian Pineapple Quartz pendant surrounded by Amazonite beads, Seraphenite barrels, gold accent pieces with peridot and peach colored crystals. Green Turquoise chips finish out the 19 inch necklace that has a hook and eye Gold Plated clasp. French Hook earrings with charmed beads and crystals complete the set.

Pineapple Quartz is a nearly transparent, light lemon-yellow light-green colored, synthetically produced glass that looks like fine Quartz that is highly prized in the Hawaiian Islands.

Amazonite (sometimes called "Amazon stone") is a green variety of microcline feldspar. The name is taken from that of the Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly obtained, but it is doubtful whether any green feldspar occurs in the Amazon area. Amazonite is a mineral of limited occurrence. Formerly it was obtained almost exclusively from the area of Miass, 50 miles southwest of Chelyabinsk, Russia, where it occurs in granitic rocks. More recently, high-quality crystals have been obtained from Pike's Peak, Colorado, where it is found associated with smoky Quartz, orthoclase and albite in a coarse granite or pegmatite. Crystals of amazonite can also be found in Crystal Park, El Paso County, Coorado.

Seraphinite is a trade name for a particular form of clinochlore, a member of the Chlorite group. Seraphinite apparently acquired its name due to its resemblance to feathers, such as one might find on a bird's wing. With some specimens the resemblance is quite strong, with shorter down-like feathery growths leading into longer "flight feathers"; the resemblance even spurs fanciful marketing phrases like "silver plume seraphinite." Seraphinite is generally dark green to gray in color, has chatoyancy, and has hardness between 2 and 4 on the Mohs scale. Seraphinite is mined in a limited area of eastern Siberia in Russia. Russian mineralogist Nikolay Koksharov (1818-1893) is often credited with its discovery.

Green Turquoise is a green variety of common Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times, turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market. The substance has been known by many names, but the word turquoise, which dates to the 16th century, is derived from an Old French word for "Turkish", because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from the mines in historical Persia. The Southwestern United States is a significant source of turquoise. The deposits of California, Arizona and New Mexico were mined by pre-Columbian Native Americans using stone tools, some local and some from as far away as central Mexico. Turquoise from these pld mines are some of the best and highly prized stones on the market today.

Crystals are also used in this set.

CARIBBEAN DELIGHTS SERIES - Colors of the Caribbean Islands and Sea !

As one visits the Caribbean, the vibrant colors that are seen in the Ocean, on the Islands and in the Sunsets inspired this jewelry collection called "Caribbean Delights". The first two cover the green of the islands and the blues of the water.

SOLD A peridot colored 2 inch Sonoran Glass Leaf acts as a focal point and is combined with Green and Tan Rhyolite rectangular beads, Coper accents, natural White Coral and Green Aventurine pebbles to take the wearer on a tour of the Islands of the Caribbean. This 18 inch necklace with a Copper Toggle Clasp is versitle and very light weight. Copper French Hook Earrings using Rhyolite, Coral and Aventurine complete the set.

.

Rhyolite is a relatively common volcanic rock. It is the chemical equivalent of granite. Although the two rock types have the same chemistry, Rhyolite is extrusive and granite is intrusive. While granite has crystals that are generally easy to see, in rhyolite the crystals are often too small to see. This is due to the more rapid cooling of the rhyolite lava compared to granite's slower cooling magma. Rhyolitic lavas are often more explosive and slower moving than the less viscous basalt lavas such as those that erupt on the island of Hawaii. Rhyolite often is found with flow banding "frozen" into the rock. This lends to uses as decorative rocks and even ornamental stones for jewelry.

.

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 secret calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. Coral tissues become colorless as they reveal the white of their calcium carbonate skeletons, an event known as coral bleaching and most corals are found in the white form. Other colorations also exist depending on chemicals and algie in the water in which they grew. Corals are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Scientists have predicted that over 50% of the world's coral reefs may be destroyed by 2030; and as a result most nations protect them through environmental laws, especially the black corals. To overcome the shortages for jewelry and other ornamental uses, coral farms are now being developed and used for non-ocenaic purposes. Sponge Coral has been raised in these Coral Farms for decades.

.
Aventurine is a form of quartz (chalcedony to be more specific), characterised by its translucency and the presence of platy mineral inclusions that give a shimmering or glistening effect termed aventurescence. The most common colour of Aventurine is green, but it may also be orange, brown, yellow, blue, or gray. Chrome-bearing fuchsitte is the classic inclusion, and gives a silvery green or blue sheen. Oranges and browns are attributed to hematite or goethite. The majority of green and blue-green Aventurine originates in India. Creamy white, gray and orange material is found in Chile, Spain and Russia.
.

SOLD As blue a the waters of the Caribbean, a blue colored 2 inch Sonoran Glass Leaf is the focal point of this 20 inch necklace. Opalite and Lapis beads along with crystals have been charmed to highlight the leaf. Wavy Lapis beads and chips, bronze accents and a bronze Toggle clasp complete the necklace. Clusters of charmed beads and crystals hang from the Frech Hook earrings to complete the set.
.
Lapis Lazuli is a rock, not a mineral: whereas a mineral has only one constituent, Lapis Lazuli is formed from more than one mineral. The main component of lapis lazuli is Lazurite, and a feldspathoid silicate mineral. Most Lapis Lazuli also contains Calcite (white), Sodalite (blue), and Pyrite (metallic yellow). There can also be other possible constituents and trace amounts of other minerals. Lapis lazuli usually occurs in crystalline marble as a result of contact metamorphism. The finest color is intense blue, lightly dusted with small flecks of golden Pyrite. Stones with no white Calcite veins and only small Pyrite inclusions are more prized. Patches of Pyrite are an important help in identifying the stone as genuine and do not detract from its value. Often, inferior Lapis is dyed to improve its color, producing a very dark blue color with a noticeable grey cast which may also appear as a milky shade. Lapis takes an excellent polish and can be made into jewelry, carvings, boxes, mosaics, ornaments, and vases.

Opalite is a stone mined in Utah that comes in varying shades of purple, lavender and creamy white with swirls of yellowish-brown and pink. Opalite is also referred to as Tiffany Stone. Opalite is also a trade name for synthetic opalized glass and various opal simulants. The name is also many times used to promote impure varieties of variously colored common opals.

.

RUSH to PLUSH ! - Oregon Sunstone !

Rush to Plush for Oregon Sunstone UPDATE! This event is open to everyone...

We have received many inquiries about the ISG Rush to Plush 2011 and who can attend. We want to stress that the following people can attend:

Everyone!

If you hear about it, you can attend it. Some folks are thinking that you have to be an ISG Student or Graduate to be a member of the ISG Community. This is not true!!!

If you read this newsletter and love gemstones, you ARE a member of the ISG Community. You can formally join us by clicking on the link below. All are welcome to join the ISG Community Home.

Join the ISG Community Home

But if you love gemstones and enjoy reading this newsletter, you are a member of the ISG Community.

And again....Every Living Soul on Planet Earth is welcome to attend the ISG Rush to Plush 2011 Events. For more information please click on the link below.

ISG Rush to Plush 2011


Led by Robert James


Join the ISG Community. If you want to learn, share, and grow in the gemstone and jewelry industry we invite you to join us in the ISG Community. Just click on the link below to join the ISG Community Home.

Join the ISG Community Home

Jewelry Set - Summr Sparkle !

A Summer day can end with a beautiful red sunset and at the same time have the white of lights and stars combine in a burst of color.

.

SOLD This necklace is constructed wth a white Agate center stone with red Carnelian discs and white carved Coral enhanced with silver melon accents ad crystals. This 18 inch necklace is finished with a silver Toggle clasp. Matching French Hook earrings complete the set.

.

Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral which is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to Carnelian is Sard, which is generally harder and darker. The difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Both Crnelian and Sard are varieties of the silica mineral Chalcedony colored by impurities of iron oxide. The color can vary greatly, ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration. Extensive beds of Carnelian are found at Rajpipa in State of Gujarat in India and have been dug since at least about 1500 to provide raw material for the region's extensive lapidary industry.

.

White Agate more commonly referred to as Greek agate is a name given to pale white to light tan colored agate found in Sicily dating back to 400 B.C. The Greeks used it for making jewelry and beads. Even though the stone had been around for centuries and was known to both the Sumerians and the Egyptians, both who used the gem for decoration and for playing important parts in their religious ceremonies, any agate of this white color from Sicily, once an ancient Greek colony, is called Greek Agate.

.

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 secret calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. Coral tissues become colorless as they reveal the white of their calcium carbonate skeletons, an event known as coral bleaching and most corals are found in the white form. Other colorations also exist depending on chemicals and algie in the water in which they grew. Corals are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Scientists have predicted that over 50% of the world's coral reefsmay be destroyed by 2030; and as a result most nations protect them through environmental laws, especially the black corals. To overcome the shortages for jewelry and other ornamental uses, coral farms are now being developed and used for non-ocenaic purposes.

Additional info ----- Currently many species of Corals, especially reef building varities, are being considered "endangered" and are under consideration for banning for use in jewelry and other decorative uses, following in the footsteps of Ivory. Sponge Coral, however, is not on the endangered species list, plus it is a sustainable product. Sponge Coral is a farmed product and thus is not removed from the Coral Reef and does not cause the environmental damage associated with traditional corals.

.

Crystals were also used in this set.

.

Hydrophane Opal - see if you have one in your collection !

The stone in the picture is called a Hydrophane Opal. It quite literally soaks up water like a sponge, and does some very unique things with the water. Just sitting around in the open air it is pretty, but when you start letting it do its thing .. soaking up water .. things really start to happen. This particular variety of Opal is from Ethiopia and is sometimes known as 'Welo Opal' and also by other names. This stone offers a beautiful play of color that is made more intense after it has been submerged in water. The water does dry out after a time and that allows the opal to revert to its original state, thus making this opal almost a chameleon for colors.

.

Ethiopian Opal is quite unique and different from the more common Australian and Mexican opal. Not many people are familiar with or as are yet familiar with this variety of Opal. However the Ethiopian Opal is, in a sense, an old gemstone. In 1939, an anthropologist found evidence of the use of the Opal by early man in a cave in Kenya. So there must have been an Opal deposit somewhere on the Africa Continent. Finally in the mid 1990s, the Opal was re-discovered in Africa by a mineral engineer named Telahun Yohannes in the Yita Ridge, Shewa Province, Ethiopia. and he started mining it.

.
One of the most interesting features of the hydrophane Opal is directly due to this ability to absorb liquids and dry out. The stones have been successfully dyed using this ability, but more important is what is believed to be natural oxides in the stone that are due to the absorption feature of the stone. Perhaps the most interesting part of these Opals is the huge variety of colors and intensities of colors based on the variable of lighting. Standing in one place they will look one way, turn around in the room and they change into something entirely different. Very strange and wonderful stones that are sure to become a major player in the Opal market.
.

Be cautious of someone selling Ethiopian Opal jewelry and it is advertised as an antique or vintage piece. There is no such thing. As of 2011, this opal had been on the market for only about 15 years. In December 2008, another Opal deposit was found in Gondar, Welo Province, Ethiopia. As of October 2010, most Ethopian Opal roughs come from Welo. The mining in Shewa seems declining.

.

Many thanks are due Robert James at the ISG and ISG member Alicia, for their information about this specific Opal.

.