Agatized Fossil Coral

Agatized fossil coral is a very ancient coral that has gradually turned into agate. This occurred when the silica in the salty ocean water hardened and replaced the limy coral. The coral skeletons appear as tiny flowers on the stone. their appearance may vary greatly in a single stone depending on weathering, oxidation and the original mineral content. The oldest fossil corals are from the Ordovican period, over 450 million years ago. Corals are marine animals with a sac like body, mouth tentacles and skeleton. It is the skeleton that is seen in the fossil. Some people theroize that agatized fossil coral was the inspiration for millefiori (thousand flowers) glasswork.


Fossil coral typically comes in gray, black, brown, yellow, white, and on rare occasions, red colors. the most detailed specimans of fossil coral come from Indonesia. Entire coral heads are often preserved and appear just as they did 20 million years ago. In 2008, Indonesian fossil coral, processed in China to a red color, began appearing in the market place. The process is similar to the one used to make agate a red carnelian color. Fossil coral can also be dyed red, but the color fades over time. Florida and Georgia, in the United States are also a good source of fossil coral. In fact, in 1979, Florida designated it as the state stone. Since it has become agatized, on the Moh scale, fossil coral has a hardness of 7 which makes it suitable for all kinds of jewelry.
 

Agatized fossil coral has been worn by people for centuries. It is believed that is can bring luck into a home when used as an ornament, to help with trauma and emotional issues, and is used in ancient healing traditions for women's health problems. Fossil coral was used by sailors as a talisman to ward off bad weather and it was also believed that it could ward off the evil eye.

Citrine is the Gemstone of the Week

Citrine, a beautiful gemstone ranging in shade from yellow to gold to orange is one of the birthstones of November. A member of the quartz family, the name comes from the Latin word "citrina" which means lemon. The color comes from the presence of iron.


Natural Citrine, which is a pale yellow color, is not common. It is sometimes marketed as Lemon Quartz. Most of the Citrine on the market today is heat treated Amethyst or Smokey Quartz. The color can be changed by heating to a relatively low temperature-around 750 degrees Farenheit and the darker colors can be achieved by heating to around 1700 degrees Farenheit. Almost all heat treated Citrine has a reddish tint to it.


Brazil is the main source of Citrine, with other deposits being found in Argentina, Madagascar, Zaire, Namibia, Spain and Russia. On the Moh scale, it has a hardness of 7. Flawless stones of many carats are not uncommon with the gemstone.

Citrine is most often confused with orange-yellow topaz which is very similar in color. Topaz is the more valuable stone and sometimes, unscrupulous dealers will pass Citrine off as topaz. Some of the more common trade names for these gems are "Madeira Topaz", "Gold Topaz" and "Bahia Topaz".

 

Citrine's sunny color has given it the reputation of being a gemstone that radiates positive energy and one that dissipates negative energy. It is also known as the "success stone" because it is believed to promote success, prosperity and abundance, especially in business. It is also believed that Citrine will relieve depression, self doubt and anger and can reduce self destructive tendencies. It is also believed that Citrine can aid in sleep disturbances, digestive and thyroid problems, and strengthen the immune system. Citrine is also believed to be valuable in healing the spiritual self and to enhance the enjoyment one gets from life.
 

This is a picture of the largest cut Citrine in the world. It weighs in at a whopping 20,200 carats. Itis on display in Malaga, Spain in a special exhibition of rare gemstones.

Chalcedony is the Gemstone of the Week

Chalcedony (cal-see-doh-nee) is the name for a group of stones made of microcrystalline quartz. This just means that the quartz crystals are too small to be seen without high magnification. In the gem trade, chalcedony is usually used to describe the white, gray, light purple, or light blue translucent stones. The light blue and the light purple are the most popular colors. Chalcedony occurs in many different forms, colors and patterns and has been used in jewelry for centuries.

The varieties of Chalcedony are often named based on color. Agates are a multicolored variety of Chalcedony. Carnelian, aventurine and jaspers are also Chalcedony varieties. Chalcedony is well suited for jewelry with a hardness on the Moh scale of 6.5 to 7. It is a porous stone and is often dyed to enhance the color. The name comes from the ancient Greek town of Chalkedon in Asia Minor.

Chalcedony is found in many locations. Turkey is a good source for purple and blue stones, along with several different locations in Africa. There are also active blue and purple mines in the U.S.. It is also found in Brazil, Germany, Russia, Canada and Indonesia.

Because of the abundance and durability of Chalcedony, its usage goes back to as early as the 7^th century B.C..The early Mesopotamians used it in seals and that practice was adopted by the Romans. It was also used as projectiles, knives and containers.

It is believed that Chalcedony aids in emotional balance, energy, generosity, charity and friendliness. It is also said to banish fear, depression, and touchiness. It is also thought to aid eyesight, reduce fever and stimulate creativity.

Light Blue Chalcedony

Sunstone is the Gemstone of the Week

The sparkling gemstone, Sunstone is the gemstone of the week. Sunstone is a member of the feldspar family. When veiwed from certain angles, it has a brilliant, spangled appearance. This optical effect can be from tiny scales of red hematite which are irregular in shape. This gives it a look similar to aventurine and it is sometimes called aventurine-feldspar. Some crystals contain pyrite which gives it an extra flash of sparkle. Darker stones contain copper. Sunstone is formed in molten lava and then thrown out to earth by a volcano. As the lava weathers, or breaks up, Sunstone crystals are released. It is a sodium calcium aluminum silicate.

Sunstone is a relatively hard stone with a hardness that varies from 6-7.2.. Also called, Heliote, which comes from the Greek word “helios” and “lithos” meaning stone, Sunstone is the state stone of Oregon.

Sunstone was not common until recently, when, in the 80's deposits were found in Orgeon. It has also been found in Norway, Siberia, India, Canada, Russia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Oregon Sunstone is the only variety that contains copper inclusions.

The Vikings considered Sunstone to be a talisman for navigation and this gem has been found in Viking burial mounds. Sunstone is believed to bring luck, instill optimism and boost the energy level. It is also believed to boost physical energy in times of stress or illness. It is said that Sunstone also inspires freedom and originality.


These pictures are some of the Sunstones I have. I love the peachy tones this stone has.

Carnelian is the Gemstone for the Week

Carnelian is reddish brown member of the chalcedony mineral family. It gets it's color from iron oxide. A lot of people call the fiery red orange carnelian, “true carnelian” and carnelian is naturally that color. The truth is that most of the fiery red carnelian is heat treated before reaching the gemstone cutting factories. This seems to have been a secret for thousands of years. Every source country of carnelian thought that other country's carnelian was naturally red but in fact, all of them were heat treating their stones. To tell the difference, hold a stone against the light. If the color is showing in stripes, it is heat treated. If the color shows as a cloudy distribution, it is natural. The name, carnelian is believed to come from the Latin word “carnis” for flesh in reference to the color.

This gemstone is very suitable for jewelry and on the Moh scale, has a hardness of 7. It has been a common stone for carving cameos for centuries. Carnelian is one of the birthstones listed in the ancient Hebrew, Arabic, Italian and Roman tables, and is a Zodiac birthstone for Leo and Virgo.

Carnelian is found in Australia, India, Brazil, Madagascar, Russian, the U.S., Uruguay and South Africa.

A lot of carnelian has been found in Egyptian tombs as the Egyptians believed that it would had great power in the afterlife by ensuring the soul's passage into the next world. Europeans wore the gemstone in the belief that it would protect them from evil and help in the continuation of hope and good luck.

Carnelian is also believed to help with emotional warmth, sociability, creativity, memory, harmony and courage.

The Gemstone of the Week is Amazonite

The gemstone this week is Amazonite. This gemstone is a member of the microline feldspar family of minerals and ranges in shades from bluish green to yellowish green, with the bluish being the most common. It has a hardness on the Moh scale of 6, so is suitable for most jewelry. It is widely available, but not well known, so supply can meet demand and makes it a reasonably priced gemstone. It is associated as a birthstone for December.


There are a couple of theories on how Amazonite got its' name. One is that it was named after the women warriors of the Amazon tribe. Another theory is that it is named after the Amazon River even though no Amazonite is found near there, it's possible it was named for the rainforest.


Amazonite often has white lines mixed in with it and can have an uneven color distribution. If they are treated, it is with an impregnated wax or oil treatment to bring out the color and add to the shine.

Amazonite is found in Brazil, Russia, Zimbabwe, Australia, Namibia, Canada, India and in the United States in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

It is believed that this stone will calm the emotions, and empower the wearer with courage. It is also credited with enhancing creativity and self-expression. It is associated with the throat chakra and is said to be effective at aligning the heart and solar plexus chakras.

This is a picture of an Amazonite Teardrop in a necklace of mine.

The Gemstone of the Week is Rhodonite

The gemstone of the week this week is Rhodonite. This beautiful pink and sometimes red gemstone is well known among collectors. The red variety can often rival ruby in the intensity of color and is the most highly prized. This rare, classic type of Rhodonite was once found in Franklin, New Jersey. The name Rhodonite comes from the Greek word, rhodos, meaning “rose colored”. It is opaque and often called Pink Marble.

It is classed as a silicate mineral and is associated with black manganese minerals, pyrite and spessartine.

The chemical make up of Rhodonite is manganese iron magnesium calcium silicate.

Rhodonite often has impurities of black manganese veins running through it in crisscrossing lines. These are called dendrites. The black against the pink gives it a nice contrast. This is the most common kind used for beads and jewelry. It is a relatively inexpensive gemstone. Rhodonite is usually not enhanced in any way expect to sometimes wax it to bring out the shine. On the Moh scale it is 5.5-6 which makes it a rather soft stone to be used in rings and things that are easily knocked or banged up against things.

During the time of the Russian Czars, Rhodonite was used in many court decorations ranging from carved pillars, sculptures, tiles and bowls. It's fairly soft nature lends itself to carving.

Rhodnite has many sources of origin. The Ural Mountains in Russia, Japan, Australia, Italy,Madagascar, Peru, Brazil and Sweden are some. Two mines, one in New South Wales, Australia, and one in Brazil still produce fabulous blood red crystals. It used to be found in the western U. S., but most of those mines found in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho are now closed.

Rhodonite is associated with the throat of fifth chakra and is sometimes called the Singer's Stone and is said to improve sound sensitivity. It is considered to be a feminine stone, like the iron fist in the velvet glove. It is also believed to help with the nervous system, and self esteem and to balance trauma.It is also thought to help achieve potential and to dispel worry.

This Rhodonite Zuni bear with Rhodonite chips, is a necklace I made.

At the end of my rambling

I love looking at the organized pictures in these posts. I know they won't look like this for long. Then in 4 or 5 months, I won't be able to stand the dis-order anymore and will organize yet again. By then, I should have at least 100 more of the plastic baby food containers. I have found out that those containers will hold 1/4 pound of bugle beads. WoooHooo!!!
Sometimes I will pull beads together for a creation, then, once I start it, I won't like a color and will go search for another one. Then, once I find a new color, I won't like another color with it, so I will go get another color that will go with the new one and the rest of the colors. And so it goes-sometimes I end up with only one color remaining out of the original ones I had chosen. This process tends to leave the bead drawers in a confused mess. I try and be neat, but it doesn't always work.
My next beading goal, after I get 100 items listed in my Artfire studio, is to do some bead embroidery. I have tried it in a sample piece and I can do it. My mom taught me how to embroider when I was 7 and laid up recovering from an appendix that literally burst in the surgeon's hand. Back then, there weren't 100 channels on TV and I was tired of reading, so I learned embroidery. It's the first time I realized how much color there was in the world. My mom embroidered to relax and she had tons of DMC floss. I realized that there could be multiple shades of a color and my lifelong color addiction began.
Today is my birthday, so like many of my posts, this one is scheduled and hopefully, I am somewhere around the edge of a bass pond. It's supposed to be kind of windy Sat., so I'm not sure about the fishing. I wish we could go to the lake area that's in my banner picture, but I doubt if the home owners that are now there would appreciate us schlepping through their yards to get to the lake. Oh well, that's progress, I guess.
I've seen a lot of "progress" in the last few decades that I don't really consider to be progress at all-more of a paving over of nature. It makes me sad.
So, if you haven't seen this on Facebook or twitter yet, I am going to give you a cool present. It's a link to a live web cam of a barn owl who is in the process of having a family. three of her eggs have hatched, and she has owlets, and there are 2 more to hatch. If you have heard of Molly the Barn Owl, she's the one. http://www.sportsmansparadiseonline.com/Live_Owl_Nest_Box_Cam.html If you check out that link, be sure to check out the ther animal cam links on that page.

Newest Artfire feature coming to a studio near you

Artfire has had the Maven team testing the new studio rearrange feature the last few days before they roll it out to all pro sellers. It is soooooooooooo cool. I love being able to rearrange my studio however I want. They are currently working out some bugs that seem to be occuring, but when it's ready, they will get it out there. It's something a lot of ellers have been asking for since last year, but I guess it's quite a major deal to creat a program like that. Oh, well. I have faith in Artfire that they will get it taken care of. So, if you are considering a studio on AF, here's one more reason why they rock.

Today's crazy train rider is................

me. That's right-it's my turn. http://www.artfire.com/users/dancingwinddesigns

I'm going to be offering a special for the next two days. If you buy a Zuni Bear or Kokopelli necklace, you will get a pair of earrings made from the same beads and stones as the necklace for free. The pictures are the last pictures in the listing. This is good for Mon. and Tues.,June 22 and 23 only. The offer expires at midnight Tues.. If you want to see the necklaces and chokers I'm talking about, you need to click my studio link.

Artfire and Rapid Cart

I've been selling on artfire a couple of months now. I think this site is fantastic!! Even though it's still in beta, the changes they are adding to this site are super!!! Most recently, they have created and added a feature called Rapid Cart. There are a few options for adding it to your blog or social networking site. I chose an option that shows 4 pictures of my jewelry, randomly, to each person to visit my blog. I think that's cool. Now, I just need to get epople here. LOL!

I need to re-route my wordpress blog people here, but I think that will be dealt with another day. I have new jewelry to post on artfire and etsy.

I have decided to move back to blogger. You can add so many more things to your blog here than you can on wordpress-like Rapid Cart. LOL!