Do You Dream of Amethyst?

Amethyst, and Sterling Bracelet (Sparkling Lavender)

Amethyst just happens to be February's birth stone in addition to being in this winter's color forecast! There are two birthdays in my family this month; my son Quinn, and my dog, Carmella.

I just finished the above bracelet and as you can see it looks lovely with pink. Those are my courderoy pants it's resting on! You can also wear it with white, black, or any shade of purple.

The segments of woven mesh are Ndeble and they really sparkle with their rainbow surface, reflecting light in shades of lavender with pink and blue undertones.

All About Amethyst:

Amethyst ranges from nearly colorless to a very dark purple approaching black but is generally some shade of purple.

It has a hardness of 7 on the Moh's scale, and it's composition is Si02 (made from Sulfur and Oxygen).

The stone is a variety of Quartz which formed as a result of shifting of the earth's crust, called Lamellae.

The largest sources of Amethyst are in Southern Brazil and Uruguay, and also Madagascar. It is also found in Idar-Oberstein, Germany,  Argentina, Russia (mostly near the Ural Mountains), Canada,  in various African countries, and some is found in parts of the US such as Maine, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, although not as much of that material is gem grade. Small deposits of dark Amethyst has been found in Australia.

The Amethyst found in South America is generally found in larger pieces, but African Amethyst is reputed to be better saturated although the rough comes in smaller sizes.

Experts can often tell a stone's origin from the color

History and Folklore:

Deposits are often very large with gem grade pieces often being as large as a fist! Some can weigh as much as 700 Carats. The first find appeared in Mexico in 1900 and the pocket measured 33 X 16 X 10 Feet! It weighed more than 8 tons!

The color was first attributed to Maganese, but is now thought to be Ferric Thiocynate.

The name Amethyst means in Greek "not drunken" origiating from the myth of Dionysus, the God of intoxication. The legend is that Dionysus was angered by a mortal one day and vowed to take revenge on the next mortal he saw, sending Tigers after a young girl named Amethyst who was on her way to visit te Goddess Diana.

To protect the maiden from the ensuing attack by the tigers Diana turned Amethyst into a crystal Quartz statue, but when Dionysus saw the statue he wept tears of wine, turning the clear to purple.

The Catholic Church associated the stone with piety and was believed to encourage celibacy in the Middle Ages. These and other churches of that era used alot of Amethyst in their decor.Chalices have been crafted out of Amethyst in an attempt to prevent drunkenness, and bishops have been know to wear Amethyst rings.

The stone has long been asociated with royalty and considered sacred, and this ideology spans many different cultures, including Tibetan, Egyptian, and British. In Tibet rosaries have been carved in Amethyst in the belief that this gemstone is sacred to Buddha.

Leonardo DaVinci believed that Amethyst was capable of "dissipating evil thoughts and quickening intelligence"

Astrological signs strongly associated with this gem are Pisces, Virgo, Aquarious, and Capricorn.

It is considered the traditional stone for one's 17th wedding anniversary.

Victorian jewelry often contained the pale variety of Amethyst known as "Rose De France".

Because of the strong emotional and spirital significance given the stone it would be considered much more valuable than it is today if it were not so readily available.

Sources:

http://www.gemstoneeducation.com/Amethyst.htm

http://technology.infomine.com/articles/1/717/amethyst.history.mining/history.of.amethyst.aspx

You can find lots of Amethyst in my shops and I am always adding more! It is a beautiful stone and provides great value in jewelry.  I have some very nice examples of it in both etsy shops. Just click on the pictures to get all the details and to purchase and be sure to look around while you're there, as I couldn't include all of my Amethyst in this article;

Amethyst Stud Earrings Precision Facetted by Swarogem Set in Sterling Prong Setting

Marisela-Faceted and Smooth AAA Amethyst and Bali Sterling Jewelry Set

Amethyst and Fluorite with Czech Crystal and Seedbead Necklace

Amethyst, Pearl, Hematite, and Fluorite Necklace

Autumn Corn Earrings

Sugilite/Amethyst Earrings

Natural Amethyst Crystal Point 4

 

Small Cactus Quartz (approx. 1 inch long)

(These Cactus Quartz and more available in my shop).

Sabtis Designs - Elegant and Classic Pearls

3 Strand Ivory glass pearl necklace with antiqued brass clasp and links

Have a wedding and you need white accessories for that special day?

Well this shop has what you need to feel and look beautiful; the necklace, the earrings, even the bracelet!

The name Sabtis was derived from a combination of the Northern California mother's 3 children's names.

Her appreciation of beauty, style, and grace shines through her work.

Using a variety of metals including silver-plated, surgical steel, gold-plated, sterling, and some Hill Tribes silver, you can choose what you like in a wide range of price-points from $8.00 for a single pair of white glass pearl drop earrings to $175 for a set of 5 multiple strand Bridesmaids' Bracelets

Green aventurine, freshwater pearls, gold leaf, earrings

Most all jewelry in this shop is customizable for size and other features. Just contact Estee, the owner and she will be glad to assist you so that you will absolutely love your jewelry.

3 Strand Ivory glass pearl necklace with antiqued brass clasp and links

Although specializing in bridal jewelry if you want some color other than white or cream Sabtis has some designs using crystal, gemstone, and other beads you will enjoy for other occasions as well!

Graduated chunky beaded necklace with Celestial crystal accents black, green, gold

This fun and flirty necklace features a spring green fringe of crystal beads on gold-plated headpins and hoops contrasting with bold black round "druk" beads. This is sure to be a power piece for the woman with flair, not afraid to take the world by storm and make it fabulous!

JANUARY - FREE Shipping to the US and Canada Plus a Free gift!

You can also follow her on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/sabtisdesigns 

Sabtis Designs accepts many forms of payment including Paypal, Credit/Debit cards, and checks.

Go here:  Sabtisdesigns

Are You Ready For Valentine's Day?

This long, luxurious necklace was just listed on Etsy tonight.

Here's a close-up of it. You can see the pretty speckled nut that I got from the Phillipines just above the heart which is made from ultrasuede. This necklace is 23" long with a variety of gemstone, copper, and ceramic beads in it.

That makes 6 pieces of jewelry I've listed for the big day! Stimulate the economy and pick up something for yourself or for someone you love. You won't find another one of these like the necklace above. I wanted to make something out of the ordinary; not the typical jewelry you see being offered all over, so I combined materials you don't always see together.

I need to re-charge my camera battery pretty soon, but was able to get a few new pictures of Carmella.

She loves this chair in the computer room and so I took some of her tonight hanging over the side and curling up in it.

She's a little less red tonight except that she keeps licking her right, front paw and making that red again. She's not limping on it as much, so I think the antibiotic is helping somewhat.

I think I narrowly escaped getting a cold or flu over the past few days, but taking Zicam seemed to keep it from taking hold.

Today I bought some vitamin E for Carmella. It is 1000 IU, so it should be strong enough to do some good. Hopefully that and the pet tabs and fish oil will start to build up her immune system.

Carmella had a strange night and was kicking her back legs in her sleep quite violently. I'm not sure what was causing that. It woke me up because at some point she actually kicked me. She woke up and tossed and turned several times, then sat up. She might have forgotten that she was sleeping on my bed and gotten disoriented. The night before she had slept like a stone and so had I. Hopefully she will stay still tonight and sleep all the way through. I'm glad that it seems to be working overall because after she chewed up her bed the floor in the kitchen was pretty cold for her to sleep on and I was worried about her not being warm enough at night.

http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Transformation From Beads To Textile

Russian Royalty - $100
Just under 19.5" long (approx 49 cm) from end of clasp to end of clasp; woven from purple, clear, pearly white and gold Czech seed beads.

Now this is the kind of work I love to see! What this artist does with beads is refined, extraordinary, and every bit Fine Jewelry. The piece at the top could be in a museum for all its precision, intricacy and sheer artistry!

RegalBeads, an Etsy store out of Thunder Bay, Canada is an apt name for this operation, combining traditional bead-weaving stitches with rich color and pattern reminiscent of old world fine fabrics worn by Kings and Queens. Stately argyles, and lacy almost Victorian details are the signature of this line.

The artist belongs to Etsy Bead Weavers Street Team. The piece, Russian Royalty was her November contest entry. The stitch she uses on the piece above is absolutely gorgeous! It reminds me of tatting and is a different look than most of the other bead-weaving I’ve seen before.

The next piece is woven in a classic Russian pattern know as the Karmen. It is extremely elegant and signifies class and royalty.

Princess Anastasia - $85.00
This lovely necklace was created with Black, Smokey grey and pink Czech seed beads, and is approximately 19.5(approx. 49 cm) in length from end of clasp, to end of clasp.

And this piece is exquisite with its sunburst pattern in bright yellow, tipped with royal blue!

Sunny Skies - $80.00
Made with "African Net" stitch in size 11 bright yellow and blue Czech seed beads. This piece is not quite 19" long (approx 48.5 cm) from end of clasp to end of clasp.

The artist completely encases all her toggles in beaded mesh so if you are allergic to metal you need not worry, none will touch your skin.

For more lovely jewelry, go to;
http://RegalBeads.etsy.com

To learn more about the artist and her activities, read her blog;
http://regalbeads.blogspot.com/

Enchanting Journey

Gift from Pandora’s Lover - Beautiful amethyst necklace - EAST – purple - $132.00
Measures approximately 18 inches, including clasp. The pendant portion measures about 2 inches.

Andee Harston of Celticgoddessjewelry, a Buddhist pagan of Celtic heritage, lives in Orlando Florida and loves to draw, paint, sculpt, make jewelry, and do photography. She is influenced by spiritual learning, nature and goddess and Celtic imagery.

Andee’s jewelry has a definite spiritual, New Age feeling to it, taking you on an enchanting journey. You will find crystals, pieces made with rough stones, sterling, and pewter spiritual symbol charms, and much more.

My favorite is the piece listed above; Gift from Pandora’s Lover, using rich purple Amethyst beads and a bali style pendant. This substantial necklace would be a beautiful addition to anybody’s jewelry collection.

The Baltic Amber earrings below are also absolutely gorgeous in several different shades of honey, from a translucent warm sunshine yellow, to transparent medium, to a deep cogniac.

Earrings - Baltic Amber, yellow jade - solar plexus chakra - $15.00
Sterling silver and are created with Baltic amber and yellow jade.

Copper Goddess Earrings - Rainbow moonstone - pagan ritual wear - $29.00
Measure approximately 2 1/2 (without earring hook) to 3 inches long (with earring hook) and similar earrings can also be made in sterling silver. Copper is also attributed to increased communication, channeling, cleansing, and purification, increasing self-esteem and freeing the wearer of mental burdens. Rainbow moonstone has a gentle and calm energy. It enhances creativity, compassion, endurance and inner confidence. It is a stone that brings balance and harmony to the wearer.

Bracelet - Dragonfly garnet jewelry silver pewter – $25.00
Measures 8”, Silver Pewter Dragonfly Link Bracelet with a Bali Handmade Clasp with Garnet Cabs

Her customers have left her 8 pages of glowing feedback:

“A very intricate and beautiful piece, went over very well as a gift.”

“***recommended*** superb quality, great seller all around.”

“Prettier than pictured earrings! Nice workmanship and beautiful beads. The smokey quartz is perfect! Nice and clear! thanks so much for the fast ship and all the free goodies! great seller and one of my favorite people on Etsy!”

“What a great gift this will make for Christmas! (if I don't keep it for myself!)”

“Absolutely GORGEOUS necklace! I'm starting a new collection... Andee's jewelry! She's a gem! Thanks again.”

To see more and to get some great gifts go to:
http://celticgoddessjewelry.etsy.com

and read her blog:
http://buyindie.blogspot.com/

Fiercely Independent-A Rose of a Different Color

Yellow Splatter- Ceramic Bowl

Staci Rose of Staci Rose Designs has had an affinity for the arts since she was five years old. She has lived in San Francisco for the last 10 years while developing herself as a self-taught artist and musician.

The artist creates items in a number of mediums including jewelry, home décor, Judaica, oil painting, and ceramics, all of which are decidedly different. Among the styles of jewelry she makes are beaded designs, chain, and wire-wrapped, and also has some polymer clay pendants.

She uses some very idiosyncratic combinations of stones in her jewelry that many people wouldn’t know to try together, and the result is a depth and richness that almost make one feel as if they’d just had a satisfying meal.

Pagea Russian and Brazillian Amazonite Gemstone Earrings feature Russian Amazonite puff cylinders and Brazilian Amazonite faceted rounds. 1-1/3", and surgical steel ear hooks. These retail for $10.99, a very good price by the way. I believe only the hooks are base metal and the wire and head pins are sterling. (She uses surgical steel earwires because they're hypoallergenic, as she finds many of her customers have allergies to Nickel, Gold, and Sterling Silver especially when wearing earrings). The combination of the shapes and the two different shades of darker and lighter green really make these unique and exhilarating!

Chocolate Blush is a gorgeous double-strand combination of Zebra Jasper, Pink Opal, and Chrysanthemum stone. This necklace truly reminds me of a Neapolitan hot fudge sundae. Its creamy strawberry pinks, and shades of chocolate brown seem to mix and run into one another. This piece would be hard to pass up. I’m picky when it comes to jewelry, but in this one all the conditions are right! You won’t want to take it off at the end of the day. It’s just that luscious!

I saw this lovely, sunny, orange and yellow painting called Julie Amazon on page 5 of her Etsy store and I really like how she uses light and shadow. It measures 12 X 16” and is in oils on canvas paper, primed and mounted on “perfect mount” board.


Shown at top is Yellow Splatter, a large ceramic bowl that resembles a wonderful up-side-down hat with ruffled gathers, created with slab and slump methods, then edges were ruffled by hand. The whole piece has been glazed with Speckled Yellow and splattered with Blue Gloss Glazes. It is texture rich and can be used as a decorative or functional piece. The bowl measures approximately 5" high, 12" top diameter & 3-1/2" base diameter. It is oven, food and dishwasher safe but do not use this bowl in the microwave! Comes signed on the bottom.

Staci believes that each piece she creates is predestined for a particular individual.

She’s a Certified Member of EBSQ Self-Representing Artists, and a proud member of Worldwide Women Artists, an international collective of women artists showing and selling our work online.

Staci welcomes custom orders. Contact her with all special requests at stacirosedesigns@yahoo.com and be sure to tell her you heard about her through The 90 Day Challenge!

Her work is sold in galleries and boutiques in Canada and in the US in the San Francisco Bay area. To check out more of her online collection or to purchase these go to:
http://stacirose.etsy.com

To learn more about the artist go to her blog:
http://stacirose.blogspot.com

Offerings to the Gods

Dina Cuomo of Elektrajewelry has worked with stones for over 10 years and loves working with 18 or 24 Kt. gold vermeil because of her Greek heritage and her travels to that country which have made a strong impression upon her. She also works with sterling silver, and recently brought back some Murano glass beads from Greece over the summer. She will be making more of these designs available in the near future.

One of my favorites of hers is Multicolored Tourmaline Bracelet with colors ranging from a rootbeer brown to a yellow-green, bali sterling silver clasp, and nugget spacer beads with facets that reflect the light and mimic the faceting on the gemstones used.

Her Sunstone and Turquoise necklace similarly gives off a warm glow, but in this one, the Turquoise adds contrast between cool and warm, lending another layer of interest.

Purple Passion has big, smooth organic chunks of tumbled Amethyst, a bali focal bead, and lemon opalite. This piece reminds me of fruit juice with its rich, velvety colors.

Pictured at top is Dina’s Carnelian Candy necklace. I first thought the metal was vermeil but then read in the description that it uses brass chain. It has a very elegant design, and the Carnelian rectangles have such a glow from inside. Note the luxurious length!

Until recently, being a fulltime teacher and mother prevented her from pursuing this full-time, but Dina has now launched her business full-force. She currently lives in Goldens Bridge, New York. To see her whole collection go to her Etsy store at:
http://Elektrajewelry.etsy.com

and to learn more about the artist, read her blog at:
http://elektrajewelry.blogspot.com/