SOUTHWESTERN FLAIR - Bold Metalic Look !

SOLD This bold modern southwestern look necklace set has a dramatic 2 inch foiled dichroic glass teardrop pendant in copper and silver as the central piece. It is highlighted with charmed crystals, pipestone Jasper and Cat-eye beads. Large Turquoise colored Magnesite and Ivoryite stones are complemented by rondels of Ivoryite, Cats-eye and pepermint Jasper. The necklace with a silver Toggle Clasp is 21 inches with the 2 inch drop of the pendant.

Matching French Hook dangle earrings complete the set.

Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic rocks like serpentinite, turquoise and other magnesium rich rock types in both contact and regional metamorphic terranes. These Magnesites often are cryptocrystalline and contain silica as opal or chert. Magnesite is also present within the regolith above ultramafic rocks as a secondary carbonate within soil and subsoil, where it is deposited as a consequence of dissolution of magnesium-bearing minerals by carbon dioxide within groundwaters. Some of the best Magnesite deposits that can produce gemstone quality material are co-located with Turquoise deposits in the southwestern United States. Magnesite like Howlite, can be died to look like actual Turquoise.

Dichroic glass is glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties. The invention of dichroic glass is often erroneously attributed to NASA and its contractors, who developed it for use in dichroic filters. However, Dichroic glass dates back to at least the 4th century AD as seen in the Lycurgus cup. Dichroic glass is an example of thin-film optics.

Ivoryite is a great substitute for ivory. It is a sedimentary precipitate of magnesium, calcium and silica. It is 5 to 5-1/2 on the Moh's scale, which makes it slightly harder than ivory. Ivoryite can be worked with metal tools, but cuts effortlessly with diamond tools. Polishes well with diamond, tin oxide, cerium oxide or white rouge. Excellent material for inlay, cabochons and small carvings. Do not confuse Ivoryite with Ivorite, whic is a black tektite material from Africa. The majority of Ivoryite currenly comes from the western United States, especially Colorado and California.

Jasper, a form of Chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone, especially in jewelry. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for snuff boxes. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded Jasper. Jaspilite is a banded iron formation rock that often has distinctive bands of Jasper. Jasper is basically Chert which owes its red color to iron inclusions. Peppermint Jasper is a named variety of brown, tan and white striped banded Jasper.

Crystals and cat-eye beads are also used in this set.

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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Unique One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Set !

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

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

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Gemstones in the Rough !

Without going into a long explanation or discussion of where to find, how to find and what you might have to do to find gemstones lying around, or when having to dig them out of the ground, here are some pictures of some "rocks" that one might run into while "Rock Hounding", if you go to the right location.

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For many, it could be a short trip as some of the most important deposits of Amazonite are found in Colorado (since 1876). Other locations where Amazonite is found are in Brazil, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia and Zimbabwe.

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Now if you want to get a sample of Ametrine, it will require a trip way back into the hills of Bolivia. This is a one source stone from the Anahi Mine.

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Although similar red rocks (Jasper) can be found in many locations, some of the best in the Big Bend Area of Texas, this particular piece that contains Red River Jasper and Red Variscite is only found in the 'Outback' of Australia.

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Sodalite can be found in many locations from Africa, to China to South America. This particular piece of blue Sodalite comes from Brazil.

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This unique find of blue Apatite came from the Diamond Mine area of Arkansas, but Apatite comes from all over -- Brazil, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the several locations in the United States.

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The name gives this unique find from the Pacific Ocean California beaches away, San Joaquin Green Jade.

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Discovered on the Island of St. Paul, near the coast of Labrador, Labradorite is a very unusual form of Opaline Felspar. Although originally found only in Labradore, it has now been discovered in Madagascar and other locations near volcanic activity.

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Spider Web Jasper can be found in many locations to include Idaho, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico to name a few. This particular piece came from Arizona.

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Fluorite is very common throughout the world. But rockhounds in Arizona have to look twice so they don't confuse this nice yellow-green Fluorite with Arizona Peridot.

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Chrysoprase is a common find in Australia, but also comes from Poland and the United States. It is considered the rarest form of Chalcedony.

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South Dakota "Fairburn Agate" !

Named by the State Legislature in 1966, the South Dakota state gemstone is the Fairburn Agate, a semiprecious stone first discovered near Fairburn, South Dakota. The stone is found primarily in an area extending from Orella, Nebraska to Farmingdale, South Dakota. It is used in jewelry and is a favorite of rock collectors.

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The perception of beauty varies from person to person, and from culture to culture. Beauty in a mineral may mean color, luster , transparency, or brilliancy resulting from skillful cutting and polishing. The South Dakota Fairburn Agate is one of these beauties. It consist of alternating layers of fibrous Chalcedony with circular to semicircular layers, patterns, or bands like rings of targets. These layers may be composed of different thicknesses and colors. The layers are usually concentric and parallel to the walls of the rock cavity in which they are deposited. Fairburn agates are noted for their strikingly contrasted, thin bands of wonderful natural colors and that the color patterns are generally yellowish-brown with narrow opaque white bands, or dark red with white bands. However, another beautiful combination shows salmon-pink bands alternating with white bands. Other colors included in these Fairburn Agates are black, yellow, grayish-blue and milky-pink.

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New South Dakota legislation now states that no more than one square meter of land may be disturbed by people collecting for their own enjoyment. In general, permission must be received before any samples are collected from privately owned land, and no collecting is allowed on state or federal lands. Even small samples collected along South Dakota's roads and highways can only be picked up after permission has been granted from the nearest Regional Department of Transportation (DOT) office. The DOT's concern is that rock removal may hasten erosion and road cut instability. Permission must be granted from tribal authorities before collecting begins on Indian lands.

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Stone Patterns !

One of the things one looks for when picking out a slab to make pieces for jewelry out of is an outstanding or unique pattern within the outline of the shape one is going to design. An excellant example is the following pendant made from Red River Jasper from Australia. Here you see two very well defined colors streaking across the stone.

Some times the piece of stone or slab is not large enough to make several pieces which would become a pendant and earring set. But sometime one is luckly enough in the pattern presented by the stone, to be able to make a pendant and earring set from multiple pieces, as seen in this Tiger Iron set from Australia.

Then there are times when one is able to make a large pendant out of a slab, only to have the finished piece break into pieces, hopefully only two, because of a fracture line in the stone or a bit of rough handling when cutting or polishing. Many times the crack occurs when trying to drill a hole for hanging the piece from a necklace or placing a bail on it. But sometimes when this occurs, one gets very lucky and where the crack occurs allows the piece to be repolished into a matching set as seen in this Cappucinno Jasper double-pendant.

Sometimes it takes a bit more imagination to come up with a design after a stone cracks, but as can be seen in these Cappuccino Jasper pieces, the original stone patern is still very much present although the two pieces no longer actually fit together.

At other times there is no real pattern but similar areas make for an interesting double pendant design. Again Cappuccino Jasper from Poland fills the bill for this double-pendant.

We close out with another great pendant made out of Seraphinite or "Russian Angel Stone" where Silvery Mica is encased in the Seraphinite makes for a very interesting pendant pattern and a very unique piece.

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"Agates and Jaspers" - New Book

For millions of years Mother Nature has tried her hand at natural scenes and abstract paintings. The incredible fruits of her labors can be seen in the hundreds of varieties of agates and jaspers found mostly in America but also in far-flung places like Northern Africa and the outer-limits of China. Quartz enthusiast, Ron Gibbs, has prepared a much-needed photo-identification guide to jasper as well as non-banded agate, “Agates and Jaspers,” that will help jewelers become knowledgeable about the many localities for these gems as well as their unique patterns and other visual characteristics. Priced at $40, this color photo-crammed 230-page paperback provides the detailed jasper and agate panorama jewelers and consumers new to (and even acquainted with) these wonderful stones need.

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The photographs are terrific and Ron even shows how to make photographs of these fabulous rocks.

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To purchase the book please contact Ron at www.theimagebooks.com where there are more interior images from the book and a little about the author and the history of the book.
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