Letter I

The letter I was hard to find for gemstones, so I came up with:  Inspiration, Inclusions, I love gemstones.   Color, variations, designs, striations, and uniqueness are my inspiration.  What other gemstone, color, design will it go with?  They inspire creativity. 

Inclusions are a form of matter as in Amber or Opal.  Other inclusions are rutile needles seen in a transparent gemstones. 

I love gemstones, especially opaque stones.  Jaspers for me, with their layers, different colors, circles and lines, can make the most unique, natural designs.


These beautiful Imperial Jasper Gemstones come in earth tones of soft pastel colors from Mexico.  

Letter H - Hardness of Gemstones and Minerals

There is a Moh's hardness scale that gives those who work with gemstones and minerals much needed information.  The mineralogist Fredrich Mohs (1773-1839) defined scratch hardness.  As a buyer or collector of gemstone jewelry, this is information we need to know.  Gemstones on the lower end 1 -2 are known as soft,  the stones that are 3-5 are medium hard and the 6-10 are considered hard.

Here are some really great websites that have a lot of information on the hardness of gemstones and minerals.


http://geology.com/minerals/mohs-hardness-scale.shtml


http://www.minerals.net/resource/property/Hardness.aspx


http://chemistry.about.com/od/geochemistry/a/mohsscale.htm


Agate is a 7 on the Moh's hardness scale.  I hear cutting and faceting Agate requires certain lapidary equipment.  However, this hardness gives the gemstone its ability to have a beautiful polish and an added sparkle to it. 

 

 

Letter G - Gray Gemstones

Winter, I think of cold and gray most of the time.  It can be a white snow or a rare blue sky with lots of sunshine winter kind of day.  Is it Gray or Grey?  Did you know that gemstones come in beautiful dove grays?  What we would normally think of as bland,  can be a lovely color that mixes well with any other color you chose to wear. 

Gray Agate is one of my favorite gemstone, especially when it is faceted giving it a transparency - a soft winter cloud.  Gray Jasper is another one of my favs, it usually comes in opaque layers with other colors.  Jasper can have a very unique design in the stone, giving you a one of a kind look.  Try grays, I don't think you will be disappointed.  It has a tranquil, peaceful effect on a cold and gray winter day.  So when Spring comes, we are ready for a change - pastel colors (which also goes with grays).

Letter F - Fluorite

The Latin name of Fluorite means - to flow.   Fluorite is a gemstone that flows with layers of transparent to  translucent to opaque layers of color. You have mostly shades of yellows, blues, greens and purples with some Fluorite stones with all the colors.  On the Mohs' hardness scale, Fluorite is a 4.  It requires a little higher care to prevent scratches. 

I found a great website that has gemstone information on Fluorite and all other gemstones.

 http://www.gemselect.com/gem-info/fluorite/fluorite-info.php

FYI - Pantone Color of the Year 2015

Check out Marsala -  Pantone Color of the Year.  Also shows all the colors of Spring 2015.

 http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=spring&year=2015&pid=11#marsala


My interpretation  -  Moukaite Jasper

Letter E - Elephant Skin Jasper

Letter E in a gemstone is kind of difficult.  You think Emerald, but since I blog on Opaque Gemstones, Emeralds doesn't really work.  Then I found Elephant Skin Jasper, also known as Script Stone and Coquina Jasper.  It comes from fossil coquina shells, showing beautiful details in colors of browns and caramels.

Jaspers are grained, dense gemstones, containing up to 20 percent other materials, which will determine its color and appearance.  I always love to find new and unique jasper stones and then learn about how they were formed.

 

Featured Blog on Etsy

Member Feature: True Earth Designs

Contributor post by Anna of Unexpected Treasure

Please join us in welcoming Candy Frizzell of True Earth Designs our featured member!

Tell us about yourself.       

I am a wife of almost 40 years and a mother of 2 grown children with 1 beautiful grandchild.  I live near Nashville, TN and am closing in on 60.  I have always loved arts and crafts, so when I started having some health issues, I started a hobby.  First, it began with making things from clay, then that led to my love of gemstones.  I started making jewelry, which has evolved and grown over these past 5 years.  I love designing and creating classic looks with beautiful, opaque gemstones.  I also like glass and wood for fun boho and tribal designs.

When did you open your business and what make you decide to do so?

May 2014 –  I needed a place to sell my pieces.  Like many hobbyist, we collect too many things.  Etsy is a great online site and easy to set up and use.  My shop is still a hobby, which I can enjoy and Etsy makes that possible.

Tell us a bit about your products.           

My Classic Gallery Line is made from semi-precious, opaque gemstone jewelry.  I am always looking for unique, new stones.  When I can find them,  I like to  use high grade gemstones, like Malachite and Rhodochrosite, however it can be hard and time consuming at times to search them out.  You have to be knowledgeable and always aware of imitations.  My other jewelry lines are boho chic glass beads and tribal style in earth tones and colorful wood.  Gemstones are cool to the touch, have a nice weight to them and each one is like God’s fingerprints made permanently in nature.

What inspires your work?           

My love for nature and color.  Gemstones especially have both, along with character in the form of line and circle striations.  It is the contrasts in color and in the natural designs of the stone, put together with unique cuts and faceting which can make the piece sparkle.

What are your future goals for the business this year? What is your dream for this business?         

Working toward my first holiday season and then a new spring jewelry line of pearls and shell.

What makes your business stand out from businesses that sell similar products?

First, you have to love what you do and make.  You also need to find a niche, something a little different than the next person.  I believe I can stand out with my gemstone jewelry because of my use of beautiful, opaque gemstones, trying to use the highest grade I can find, as well as the quality of findings (sterling silver).  I put extra work into each piece to insure they are well made and are a great investment.  I describe this process in all of my descriptions of my jewelry, so that the customer knows what they are getting.  Lets not forget, great customer service.

Tell us a bit about your work space. Do you have a separate studio?

All over the house!  Mostly done at my table, where I take my pictures and my organizational area of shelves and bins.

Where can people find out more about you and your business?

https://www.facebook.com/trueearthdesigns http://www.pinterest.com/truearthdesigns
my blog that I need to catch up on – http://trueearthdesign.blogspot.com/

Why do you believe people should buy handmade, such as your products, vs. buying mass-produced products from box stores?

Handmade are usually one of a kind pieces, rather than thousands of the same look.  Handmade has usually better quality, because you (the designer, creator and seller) are the person they will do business with and your reputation is on the line, so you do the best job you can.  Whereas the person who is making a mass-produced piece may not take as great of care when making the pieces and they can tend to use cheaper products.

What have you learned since opening your business that you wish you had known beforehand?

Over time how to make my jewelry better in the craftsmanship and selection of gemstones, watching out for those imitations that are out there.  Having been burned a few times with glass – thought I was buying Quartz, man-made Malachite instead of the real gemstone and dyed Magnesite instead of true Turquoise.

Any advice for those thinking about selling on Etsy?

Be patient, enjoy the journey, make what you love and work hard without stressing to the point of burnout.   Also, be realistic, if you want it to become a full time business, it may take years.  I prefer a hobby and Etsy gives both the opportunity.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do to unwind and have fun? Do you have any hobbies?        

This is my hobby, but I also enjoy my new grandbaby, spending time with family and the occasional trip to the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee, beautiful in the fall.

What is your favourite quote?        

“For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city with foundations (gemstones, Rev. 21) whose architect and builder is God.”   Hebrews 11 –  God loved using beautiful gemstones.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?        

Remember those who are sick or disabled, as well as their caregivers.  Find ways to help or encourage.

https://etsychristmasinjuly.wordpress.com/2014/12/22/member-feature-true-earth-designs/

Letter D - DZI Style Gemstones

DZI (pronounced "Zee") originated in ancient Tibet.  Dzi is a design on a Agate Gemstone Bead.  The designs can be circles, lines, squares, stripes, dots, diamonds and waves on a brown or black bead. These designs can either be carved into the bead or a paint process with an alkaline metal and then fired or other new processes.

For more information, check out -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzi_bead
I like to use these gemstone beads, giving my pieces an ethnic/tribal design. These update stones can now come in different colors. 

Letter C - Charoite Gemstone

Charoite is a beautiful lilac purple gemstone mineral with swirl patterns, as well as white and gray bands.  Some pieces can show chatoyancy (a cat's eye effect) within the stone. It has a Mohs' hardness of about 5-6.  The name comes from the Chara River in Russia. 

 

Letter B - Beryl Family

Beryl gemstones comes in a variety of color. They can be either Transparent or Opaque stones.  Deep green are called Emeralds, pink is Morganite and blue gemstones are called Aquamarine.  The Latin meaning for Aquamarine is water of the sea.  The blue opaque form is sometimes called Milky Aqua. Aquamarine is a 7 1/2 to 8 on the Moh's hardness scale.

ABC's of Gemstones

A for Amazonite -  this beautiful gemstone comes in opaque shades of blues and greens.  It is apart of the Feldspar group of gemstones.  The blues usually come from South America and the greens from Africa and Russia, however they can be found in other countries and in multi-shades because of iron and other mineral desposits.  On the Moh's hardness scale, Amazonite is 6 - 6 1/2.

 

Gemstone Notes

     I started posting my blog to my Facebook page.  I like being able to help people learn about gemstones.  So if you are interested in knowing more about me, you can find out here  -   https://www.facebook.com/trueearthdesigns

Gemstone Treatments

   I have been reading an online gemology course from Barbara W. Smigel from CSN, who wrote and taught this course on gemstones.  http://www.bwsmigel.info/  I like to have as much knowledge as I can for those who buy and follow my jewelry line on Etsy.  One area I want to write about is gemstone enhancements. 

  The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) -  http://agta.org/  -  requires all sellers to disclose enhancement to gemstones.  These treatments have been traditionally used far in the past as well as now.  Certain gemstones are routinely treated and would be hard to know for sure if enhancements  were done since sellers are not at the mine or with those who do the lapidary services.  I have listed some of the treatments -

*Enhanced -  assume treatment has been done to the gemstone, unless otherwise stated.

*Heating -  heat that is used to alter color of the gemstone.

*Dyeing -  introducing color to a gemstone.

*Waxing/Oil, Coating -  filling of surface cavities and a surface enhancement that improves the stones appearance. 

*Bleaching -  to lighten or remove color, mostly used with pearls.

*Stabilizing -  using a colorless bonding agent to give durability and strength.

   We all would love to have those beautiful, perfect, natural gemstones, but they aren't always available or within our price range.  There are many gemstones that are not treated, such as Jasper and those that are high grade, like Malachite.

    *However, there is always imitations, man-made gemstones (fabricated products).  Sometimes they can be very pretty pieces and just as long as you know, that is what you are getting.  Synthetic stones (lab created) are man made which have the same properties as a natural stone.  Again, they are beautiful pieces, just not mined from the earth.  Assembled are multiple layers or pieces of manufactured and/or natural gemstone material joined together.

Enhancements are not necessarily bad, unless done poorly.  As buyers of gemstones, we just need to know, so that we can make an informed decision.  If the treatment bothers you or it doesn't, it needs to be disclosed.  Many treatments don't bother me, but I like to know and I don't like finding out something does bother me after I open the box.  I hope this has helped you in your knowledge of gemstones. 

The Search

     I have been on a search for opaque gemstones, looking for the unusual, the hard to find and the rare.  The Bamboo Jasper, as well as Orbicular Jasper are unusual Jaspers and hard to find.  The hard to find as well as rare, is Rhodochrosite, Malachite, Blue Lace Agate are just a few.

     If you can find them, which I have, it is hard to find them in high grade material - A rating or above.  The rating means better quality, color, striations, such as lines, waves and circles.  A low rating of C and below are more solid in color, no lines, waves or details that give the stone more character, they are small pieces and the quality is poor.  This can not only make the jewelry unappealing, but because some of the stones are lower on the hardness scale, which means they are easily scratch or chipped.

   This means the pricing of these stones are becoming more expensive to purchase and always have to be aware of the imitations.  Man-made and composite stones, as well as a dyed banded calcite (a deep red and very cheap).

        

The Many Faces of Jasper

Jasper gemstones have many different faces, striations, patterns, circles, strips, banding, plus many colors, especially earth tones.  Jasper is derived from Greek meaning "spotted stone".  The Mohs' hardness rating is 6 -7, which is very good.  Deeply banded colors come from different organic materials and iron oxides embedded in the stones. 

Jasper also comes in what looks like "animal patterns".  You have Tiger Jasper, Dalmation Jasper, Leopardskin Jasper, Snake skin Jasper, etc.  There are Jaspers with bands of white quartz mixed with green jasper.  Moukaite Jasper also spelled Mookaite is from Australia and comes in rich warm earthtones.  Ocean Jasper has orbicular patterns and in multicolors.  Picture Jasper has patterns sometimes that resemble pictures.  I have one pendant that looks like a path you are walking with leaves dangling over the path. 

There are just too many Jaspers to name and they can go my other names.  Most Jasper Gemstones are natural, only a few are actually dyed because of lack of patterns.  I believe Jasper stones are some of my most favorite, there unique designs keep my jewelry line on its toes, looking for the next gemstone I don't have.

Quartz in Beautiful Transparent Colors

    Quartz is named for "hard" - on the Mohs' hardness scale - it is a 7 and a transparent gemstone. They can include Amethyst, Aventurine, Citrine, Prasiolite, Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, as well as Tiger's Eye and Hawk's Eye which are opaque stones. Most Quartz is heat-treated Amethysts or Smoky Quartz for their varied tones and colors.  

    Quartz being a transparent stone can be confused with tinted glass.  After having gotten burnt once or twice with glass strands of beads instead of smoky quartz gemstone bead strands for making my jewelry.  I took it as a learning experience to pass onto my customers and bought a Presidium Gem Tester.  It is a handheld machine that can test gemstones as well as tell you if it is made from glass.  I also learned that the inside of a stone bead will be dull, not having been polished.  Inside a glass bead is still shiny, just like the outside - glass doesn't need polishing to make it shine.  So, when purchasing lovely Quartz jewelry make sure it is the real gemstone. Quartz makes some of the most beautiful genuine gemstone jewelry available, so enjoy.

I have been working on new Gemstone Jewelry pieces and doing the social media thing.  So, I am getting ready to make a necklace and realize I have put the necklace clasp onto the earring.  Wow, will not work!  Had to redo that one, then I am working on photographing a new piece, when I notice something.  My earrings with the matching necklace looked off.  When making gemstone earrings, they both should look the same, right?  I had put the gemstones in the wrong order.  I had to choose which earring I liked and then fix the other one, more work.  Love working with gemstones making them into something pretty.  What a day.

Malachite Gemstone

Malachite is an opaque gemstone named from the Greek word for green, malache .  This gemstone has banding of light and dark green stripped layers with concentric rings. The coloring agent is copper.  Malachite in jewelry is a gemstone you need to take care with.  On the Mohs' hardness scale it is a 3 1/2 to 4 which is low as well as a sensitive stone to heat. 

This gorgeous gemstone makes beautiful gemstone jewelry and is not only an expensive stone, but also hard to purchase in  high quality.  Just take a little extra care with Malachite Jewelry and you will have a necklace that everyone will want. 

However, be careful for man-made or assembled stones that is sold as a solid gemstone of Malachite.  You don't want to pay for a genuine gemstone and only get an imitation man-made stone.  Read and look at pictures on Malachite for better information.  You can also tell by the weight, man-made stones are lighter in weight and deal with a reliable source.  Don't let this beautiful gemstone get away because of fear or being misinformed.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/193576711/malachite-gemstone-sterling-silver?     

Turquoise Gemstones

Turquoise is a great gemstone to work with, to have that color come from the earth, amazing.  Even though as one of many gemstones that is enhanced, stabilizing can be a good thing.  Making it a more durable gemstone is want you would want. 

However, you have to watch for imitations.  Many times you see "turquoise" beads as a dyed howlite or magnesite.  These are real gemstones, but when buying beads or jewelry, you would want to know what you are truly buying.  I actually like magnesite, the white with brown streaks through it, can make a lovely necklace, as with howlite.

Speaking from experience, I had to ask questions, look at photo's to compare gemstones, look online for information and find reliable sources, who sold genuine turquoise.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TrueEarthDesigns?ref=hdr_shop_menu

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192200344/dzi-tibetan-agate-and-faceted-black-onyx?