The ELEGANCE COLLECTION - A unique Russian Gemstone !

An elegant necklace containing Rhodocrosite freeform gemstones as a focal point complemented with Smoky Quartz rondels, black diamond Czech Crystals and pach pink Czech Crystals.
The necklace is an extra long 22 inches.

The necklace closes with a silver plated Hook and Loop clasp.

Silver plated Leverback dangle earrings with Rhodocrosite and Czech Crystals complete the set.

See the previous BLOG for information on Rhodocrosite. These particular pieces of Rhodocrosite come from Russia.

Smoky or smokey quartz is a brown to black variety of Quartz. Like other Quartz gems, it is a silicon dioxide crystal. The smoky colour results from free silicon, formed from the silicon dioxide by natural irradiation.

Czech Crystals are also used in this set.

SOUTHWESTERN FLAIR - Turquoise with some Tiger Iron and Crystals !

Turquoise can be combined with almost any other gemstone, and still retain that Southwestern look, because the Indians of the Southwest used whatever they could find or trade for to make their jewelry pieces.
Three large Turquoise rondels form the center of this 18 inch necklace. They are highlighted by copper and Czech Crystal faceted beads.
Tiger Iron barrels and rondels, Turquoise beads, copper highlights and Czech Crystals complete the sides of the necklace.

A 2 1/2 inch extender is used with a silver plated S-hook Clasp.
Matching silver plated French Hook earrings complete the set.

Tiger Iron is a composite gemstone of black Hematite, red Jasper and Tiger's Eye. It has rippled wavy bands of color often which resemble a scenic view. It usually has a greenish cast with shades of golden yellow, brown and reds. Marra Mamba is a form of Tiger Iron that was found only in a specific area of Australia near Mount Brockman. It is a very rare type of Tiger Iron that contains shades of green, red, blue and yellow. Since the area has been mined out for many years, very little of the "true" Marra Mamba is available in todays markets. If you want to see some, find a good collector or a museum that might have some.

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium. It is rare and valuable in its 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 gemstone marketplace. The substance has been known by many names, but the word Turquoise was derived around the 16th century from the French language 'turquie', for a Central Asian material which was a very early imported through Turkey from Persia. Today, Persian and certain southwestern United States Turquoise, especially Sleeping Beauty, commend some of the highest prices paid for this gemstone. Many times on the edges of the Turquoise fields, other minerals and stones become interwined into the Turquoise or Turquoise pieces are encapsulated into the surrounding rock, thus creating unique and interesting patterns.

Czech Crystals are also used in this set.

The HOLIDAY COLLECTION - Great Look for that Holiday Get-together !

Holiday elegance in red/gold/white large round Lampwork beads. These are surrounded by amber and red Crystals and clusters of red and clear glass beads with golden woven accent pieces. The combination is great for Holiday or anytime wearing.
This 19 inch necklace used a gold plated Toggel clasp for closure.

Gold plated French Hook dangle earrings complete the set.

Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It was also known as flameworking or torchworking, but the modern practice no longer uses oil-fueled lamps. Although the art form has been practiced since ancient Syrian (1 Century B.C.E.) times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid 19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today. Lampworking differs from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a blowpipe to inflate a glass blob known as a gob or gather, whereas lampworking manipulates glass either by the use of tools, gravity, or by blowing directly into the end of a glass tube.

Czech Crystals and glass beads are also used in this set.

The ELEGANCE COLLECTION - Simple and Dainty !

Crazy Lace Agate oval beads and tanzanite colored Crystals join with silver plated accents to make this 20 inch simply elegant necklace.

The necklace is finished with a silve platd Toggle clasp.

Silver plated French Hook dangle earrings with matching tanzanite colored Crystals complete the set.

Crazy Lace Agate is one of many varieties of cryptocrystalline Quartz that fall under the general group referred to as "Agate." The variety that has been named Crazy Lace tends to have, as the name implies, lacy patterns that are fairly random. Much of the material found on the market today has colors of banding that tends to be various shades of white and gray with some blue, however material from older collections displays a wide variety of bright colors, but predominantly reds and browns mixed with whites. Some of the bands in Agates can be translucent to transparent. Occasionally Agate nodules will have hollows inside that have small drusy Quartz Crystals projecting from the walls. A specific Crazy Lace Agate that contains blue and white stripes is also known as Mexican Agate, coming from Chihuahua. It is an attractive, white, opaque stone, with blue patterns like a beautiful, multicolored paisley cloth. Sometimes when cutting this stone, the connection between individual bands is not that strong. When successfully cut, however, it creates beautiful and unique stones with fascinating patterns.

Czech Crystal is also used in this set.

The AUTUMN COLLECTION - Earth Tones Look Good !

Earth colors never looked so good as they do in the Autumn.

The beige and blues of the Aqua Terra Jasper barrel and rondel beads are complimented with copper Crystal and mystic topaz Crystal rondel beads.

A Foiled Glass round bead is the center point of this 19 inch necklace.

A copper Toggle clasp completes the necklace. Matching copper French Hook dangle earrings complete the set.

Jasper, a form of Chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color, but some varieties may contain blues. Jasper breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for snuff boxes. Like most Jaspers, the various varieties are known by common, trade or location names. Aqua terra "Jasper" also known as "impression stone" is the trade name for a soft variety, primarily from Mexico, containing marble. Beads can range from pale/light blue color with some pale yellow or tans to dark browns and sometimes almost white.

Czech Crystals are also used in this set.

The AUTUMN COLLECTION - Lampwork provides a Dyanmic Touch !

Cappucino Lampwork coin beads are mixed with copper and Light Topaz Crystals, black Glass marquise beads and faceted black Agate (Onyx) rounds.
This 19 inch necklace is finished with a double oval copper Togg;e clasp.

The matching earrings are copper French hook with a 2 5/8 inch drop.

Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a gas fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It was also known as flameworking or torchworking, but the modern practice no longer uses oil-fueled lamps. Although the art form has been practiced since ancient Syrian (1 Century B.C.E.) times, it became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid 19th century lampwork technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today. Lampworking differs from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a blowpipe to inflate a glass blob known as a gob or gather, whereas lampworking manipulates glass either by the use of tools, gravity, or by blowing directly into the end of a glass tube.

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 below. 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.

Czech Crystals and black Glass are also used in this set.

The ELEGANCE COLLECTION - An Unusual Form of Cloisonne !

The 2 inch rectangular Cloisonne pendant has been silver plated. It sparkles with Amber and Bronze and Rhinestone crystals.
The sides of this necklace include silve plated curved tubes and wavy discs. Prehnite, Amber and Czech Crystal beads complete the sides.

The necklace is 20 inches long with a silver plate dragonfly Toggle clasp.
The silver plate French Hook earrings of Prehnite and Rhinestones drop 2 inches.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork 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 and pendants.

Prehnite is a phyllosilicate of calcium and aluminium with limited iron substitutes for aluminium in the structure. Prehnite crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, and most oftens forms as stalactitic or botryoidal aggregates, with only just the crests of small crystals showing any faces, which are almost always curved or composite. Very rarely will it form distinct, well individualized crystals showing a square-like cross-section, like those found at the Jeffrey Mine in Asbestos, Quebec, Canada. It is brittle with an uneven fracture and a vitreous to pearly lustre. Prehnites color varies from light green to yellow, but also colorless, blue or white. In April 2000, a rare orange Prehnite was discovered at the famous Kalahari Manganese Fields in South Africa. It is mostly translucent, and rarely transparent. It was the first mineral to be named after a specific person, Colonel Hendrick VonPrehn, and was first described in 1789 for an occurrence in Haslach, Harzburg and Oberstein, Germany. Extensive deposits of gem quality Prehnite occur in the basalt tableland surrounding Wave Hill Station in the central Northern Territory, of Australia.

Amber - The Baltic region is home to the largest known deposit of Amber, called Baltic amber, with about 80% of the world's known amber found there. It dates back some 44 million years ago. It has been estimated that these forests created over 105 tons of amber. Because Baltic amber contains about 8% succinic acid, it is also termed succinite. It was thought since the 1850s that the resin that became Amber was produced by the tree Pinites succinifer, but research in the 1980's came to the conclusion that the resin originates from several species. Numerous extinct genera and species of plants and animals have been discovered and scientifically described from inclusions in Baltic Amber. Do NOT confuse Amber with Copal. Copal is not the fossilized, but rather an immature recent resin. Increasingly, Copal is being offered for sale, via the online auction services, gem shows, and shops, misrepresented as "Amber." The commercial value of Amber is related to its scarcity, age, inclusions of extinct species, and durability. Unfortunately, some dealers are more preoccupied with high economic returns, rather than whether or not their resin is fossil or recent. The age of Copal can vary from 50 years to 1.6 million years in age. It can be considered a semi-fossilized resin or an immature amber.

The ELEGANCE COLLECTION -- Lapis Lazuli and Crystals !

For those who want a "different" kind of a jewelry piece and who are not afraid of getting a lot of attention, this Lapis Lazuli asymmetrical necklace should fill the requirement quite well. The left side with the Lapis Lazuli rectangles has a 3 inch drop of golden beads and a Lapis Lazuli round bead below the main necklace.

Lapis Lazuli rectangles join with three rows of Lapis Lazuli round beads, Czech Crystal round beads, Czech golden glass beads and blue Crystal faceted rondels with gold plated hammered coin beads.

A gold plated triple circle Toggle clasp finishes the 21 inch necklace.

Gold plate Leverback earrings consist of a Lapis Lazuli bead, Czech Crystal and a golden accent piece with a 2 inch drop.

Lapis Lazuli --- See the BLOG entry for Sunday Aug 28th for a complete write-up about Lapis Lazuli.

Czech Crystals are also used in this set.

The AUTUMN COLLECTION -- Shades of Fall !

Autumn or Fall, depending on what you call in in your area of the country, is a magical period of time when nature changes from the greens and bright colors of Summer to the almost mystical tans, browns, golds, yellows and reds of Autumn. These colors are repeated many times over in many of the gemstones that are also worn during this time of year.
Using an assymetrical design and earthtones, this 3-strand necklace uses large Picture Jasper coin beads as focal points between bronze toned wire bird-cage beads and Czech Crystals for one side. Czech glass brown and white tear drops and Citrine chips complete the opposide side of the necklace. Ceramic rondels and Citrine chips complete the back of the necklace with a golden S-hook clasp along one side that dramatizes the unusual arrangement of the different shapes and sizes of the components used in this 24 inch necklace.

Golden French Hook earrings with a bronze toned wire bird-cage bead, a Czech Crystal and grouped Citrine chips that hang 1 1/2 inches complete the set.

Jasper is a form of chalcedony, is usually 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. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for snuff boxes. Various varieiies of Jasper go by regional, location or pattern names. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded Jasper. Picture jaspers exhibit combinations of patterns (such as banding) from flow or depositional patterns (from water or wind), dendritic or color variations resulting in what appear to be scenes or images, on a cut section. Diffusion from a center point produces a distinctive orbicular appearance, or linear banding from a fracture.

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.

Czech crystals and bronze wire are also used in this set.

The ELEGANCE COLLECTION -- More Crystals !

Now and then I have been asked by folks for something that is a bit more formal and has a little bit more flare than the my gemstone style necklace sets, but is not a bank breaker like faceted jewelry sets seem to be. So I have come up with "The Elegance Collection" just for these people.

Gray oval Czech Crystals mix with clear and gray rondel Czech Crystals to complete this 18 inch necklace.

A silver plated Hook clasp and 2 inch extension complete the elegent look of this design.

Silver plated French Hook earrings with multiple charmed Crystals with a 2 1/4 inch drop complete the set.