September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

I would be willing to bet that most of us didn't realize that. I didn't until I saw a friend, Ginny, had posted it on her FB page. Ovarian cancer strikes approximately 1 in 60 women worldwide, and is responsible for 140,000 deaths every year. That's way too many women dying. With the healthcare crisis in this country right now, I would guess that this number will go higher in the coming years.

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage of the disease because the symptoms are often confused with other, less serious illnesses. When caught at the start of the disease, the 5 year survival is 93%. When diagnosed in the later stages, it is much more difficult to treat, and the survival rate is not that great.

One of the most famous women who died from ovarian cancer is Gilda Radner. Her husband, Gene Wilder said in a People magazine story, in 1991, that had she been diagnosed in time, she could have possibly survived. She wasn't diagnosed until she was Stage IV. Although this occured in 1989, it's still often missed in diagnosis.  Here is a link that all women-and men-should read to be aware of the symptoms. If someone you know has these issues, urge them to get checked out and to be persistent until ovarian cancer is ruled out.  http://ovariancancerday.org/about-ovarian/5-facts-everyone-should-know-about-ovarian-cancer/

My friend Ginny shared the September awareness message because she is currently doing battle with this disease. On the bright side, she was diagnosed in Stage 1 of the illness, so once she gets through chemo, the monster should be, and hopefully will be, defeated. It's a struggle financially, though. She has outrageous co-pays for her chemo, and the everyday life expenses that most of us have.  Car payments, insurance, and the things that make life go round. There is a group of friends who got together for a fundraiser for her at our recent class reunion. I made some teal awareness ribbon earrings, and some awareness bracelets to sell to help raise money. I want to do more.

I have lost 3 friends to cancer this year-different types, but I am heartily tired of this disease claiming people I care about. One of them had no insurance, and by the time her cancer was diagnosed, it was too late. Margaret was one of the best friends anyone could ever hope to have, and even though she died in Jan., I still miss her like crazy. I have decided that I will do my best to not let this monster called cancer claim somebody else simply because of a lack of funds for care.

So, since teal is the awareness color for ovarian cancer, I will donate to Ginny 60% of anything I sell in my AF that is teal in color, through the month of Sept.. (I'm donating 40% to her for anything else until the need passes.) That will include
anything with amazonite or turquoise gemstones in it. (It's my shop, if I want to consider turquoise as teal, I will. LOL!) I can honor Margaret by helping somebody else I deeply care about, and that's what I'm going to do.

Ruby Zoisite is the featured gemstone

Ruby zoisite is a highly unusual mineral gemstone composed of both zoisite and ruby. it is also known as anyolite. Zoisite is commonly found in green shades and ruby zoisite has, as the name says, opaque red or pink ruby inclusions scattered throughout the piece. it can also have the occasional black inclusion. It has a very distinctive appearance. It has two measurements on the Moh scale-the zoisite is moderately soft, around 5.5, while the ruby measures a 9. This presents special challenges when cutting it into gemstones.

Zoisite is named for mineral collector Sigmund van Zois who was first brought this material by a mineral dealer who had found it in the Saualpe mountains in Carinthia (Austria), in 1805.
 
Zoisite is related to tanzanite, which is the blue or lavender transparent variety of zoisite. Sources for this gemstone include Tanzania, Kenya, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, India, and Pakistan. It can also be found in Washington State in the U.S.. There are no known enhancements, such as heating or irradiating, used for this mineral.

Since ruby zoisite is fairly new to the gemstone world, there is not much folklore associated with it. It is believed to amplify the entire energy field of the body. The ruby part of the stone is valued for many of the attributes that rubies are valued for- healing, courage, love and nobility. The green zoisite is said to help balance and calm the ruby influence. It is also believed that it amplifies spirituality.

 

About Agates

Agates are some of the most creatively striped gemstones found in nature. Agates are found in all colors of the rainbow, with blue and green being the most unusual. Agates are a form of chalcedony (kal-sed'-nee) quartz, they are classically associated with volcanic rock. They differ from jasper in the fact that agates are composed of fibers of crystalline quartz, while jaspers are composed of grains of crystalline quartz. (Jasper will be the subject of another blog post.) Agate hardness on the Moh scale varies between 7 and 9.
 
Agates are formed when gas bubbles that are trapped in solidifying lava become filled with alkali and silica-bearing waters and other mineral impurities, which then gel. The alkali attracts the iron in lava, and the bands of iron hydroxide are created in the gel. Over time, the gel loses water and crystallizes, leaving the bands intact. This is why agate is often found with rings like a tree trunk. It can have tiny quartz crystals, called drusy or druzy, form within that will add sparkle and uniqueness to the stone. Drusy is sometimes cut from the stone and used by itself.
 
Agates are found all over the world, including Africa, Asia, Brazil, India, Italy, Mexico and the USA. Agates are usually named for the place they are found, but there are different types of banded formations that are added to their name. Listed below are some of the formation types.
 
Fortification agate- in this type of agate, bands crystallized into concentric layers that basically followed the shape of the cavity it formed in. When sliced, the bands resemble the aerial view of a fort.
 
Water line agate or onyx- in this agate formation, gravity controlled the formation of the bands. The solution either entered the cavity slowly, allowing for one band to form at a time, or it drained out slowly. The bands in these agates are almost perfectly parallel.
 
Shadow agate- these agates are formed with alternating translucent and opaque bands. The shadow effect occurs when light moving across the surface causes what appears to be movement across the face of the stone.

Eye agate-this unusual characteristic forms when most of the silica drains from the cavity, leaving behind only droplets that bead up on the inner wall of the cavity. Sometimes crystal growth will continue from this drop similar to the formation of stalactites in caves. Later, the cavity fills in with the usual deposits of chalcedony micro crystals.

Plume agate- these agates first had formations on the outside layer that formed before the deposit of the chalcedony bands. They are filament growths of mineral inclusions that look like feathers or ferns.
 
Moss agate-this type of agate has mineral inclusions that look like landscapes, plants or trees. These inclusions usually consist of iron or manganese oxide. Sometimes the inclusions inhibit the chalcedony banding and let the mineral clusters freely grow in the silica gel.
 
Seam agate- these agates grow in cracks in the host rock, rather than in cavities. The bands form in parallel rows that follow and fill in the crack or the seam.

Somewhat in a class by themselves are Lake Superior agates. These agates are only found in a certain region of the US. Glacial activity spread the agates throughout Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and extreme Northwestern Wisconsin. They can also be found around the Thunder Bay in
NW Ontario, Canada. Lake Superior agates are known for the rich orange, red and yellow coloring. This comes from the iron that is leached from rocks formed millions of years ago from iron rich lava.

Agates are said to be very powerful gemstones. The healing and metaphysical properties are as varied as the colors of the agates themselves.

Bamboo Agate-

 Blue Lace Agate

 Translucency of Blue Lace Agate

Dyed blue agate slice with druzy

Plume agate-photo courtesy of Stones That Rock

Morganite is the featured gemstone

The lovely pink gemstone, Morganite, is in the beryl family, which makes it a cousin to emeralds and aquamarines. Discovered in 1910, on an island off the coast of Madagascar, Morganite was named for legendary financier and gem collector, J.P. Morgan, after being called simply pink beryl for the first year or so it was around. Morganite is the official name of this beryl, but there has been some attempt in the jewelry trade to change the name to pink emerald, to make it sound more valuable. Morganite can also be found in colors from peachy pink, violet pink or a light lilac, and a light salmon color.

On the Moh scale, Morganite has a good hardness of 7.5 to 8. Unlike emeralds, which often have inclusions, Morganite is usually quite clean and clear. Heat treating is the most common way to bring out the pink in this gemstone. It also removes any yellow shading that might be in the stone.

Most Morganite today, comes from Pala, California, but is also found in Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. It is also found in Maine, in the U.S.. In October of 1989, the Rose of Maine, was found at the Buckfield Quarry in Buckfield, Maine. This stone was somewhat orange in hue, and measured 9 inches (23 cm.) long, and about 12 inches (30 cm.) across.
Along with the matrix, it weighed just over 50 lbs. (23 kg.).

Morganite is valued first and foremost for the intensity and saturation of color, followed by size and clarity. The beautiful rosy hues are most often found in larger stones. Pink is the most popular color for jewelry, but the unheated peach and salmon stones have found popularity among collectors. Rare, magenta colored Morganite from the original deposit in Madagascar is still considered to be the finest and the rarest variety of this gemstone.

It is believed that Morganite can foster love, tolerance and empathy, acceptance, and a live and let live attitude.

The Rose of Maine.

 If you want to see more of this beautiful gemstone, just go to google images and put morganite in. You will find some gorgeous rough and polished samples.

Tanzanite is the featured gemstone

This beautiful blue lavender gemstone is relatively new on the gemstone market. It was discovered in 1967 by a tailor who was looking for rubies and was led to a deposit of blue stones, in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, by a group of Masai tribesman. It was first called Blue Zoisite, because it is a type of zoisite, but was later renamed Tanzanite by Tiffany a&Co. who wanted to capitalize on the rarity of the stone which is only found in Tanzania. Several claims were filed, which led to many mines being opened. In 1971, the Tanzanian government took control of the mines, and in 1976 turned the running of the mines over to the State Mining Corporation. Their methods caused production to drop. Tiffany stopped promoting and buying the stone in the late 70's due to the unreliability of the supply. By the late 80's, the government had lost control of the area and it was flooded with thousands of illegal miners. By 1991, the government had regained control of the area and began issuing licenses to private domestic parties, which has helped increase and stabilize the supply. However, when these mines are played out, the only Tanzanite available will be what is already on the market. Expert geologists maintain that the odds of Tanzanite being found anywhere else are one in a million.
 
The most prized color for Tanzanite is either the sapphire blue or the very intense violet blue. Most Tanzanite mined today is a brownish color, which is heat treated to bring out the deep blues and purples in the stones. Since heat treatment has no effect on the price, it is assumed that finished gems (cut and polished) are heat treated. Any treatment should be disclosed by the seller. On the Moh scale, it has a hardness of 6.5.
 
There are several gemstones that are confused with tanzanite, among those are iolite, blue spinel, and lower quality blue sapphire. There is a lab created tanzanite called Tanzanique. It does not display the same light defraction as natural tanzanite.
 
In October, 2002, the American Gem Trade Association, added Tanzanite as a birthstone for the month of December, along with Turquoise and Blue Zircon.
 
It is believed that Tanzanite can be used to enhance psychic abilities, composure, harmony and poise. It is also said to be beneficial for lowering stress levels and blood pressure and in getting people to slow down and take it easy. It is sometimes called the workaholics stone.
These are a couple of the tanzanite stones I have. 

 

Herkimer Diamonds are the Featured Stone

Herkimer diamonds are rare double-terminated quartz crystals found in Herkimer, New York. They were discovered in the late 18th century by workman cutting into dolostone outcroppings in the Mohawk River Valley. More were discovered in Herkimer County and because of the clarity and beauty of the stones, they were named Herkimer Diamonds. They have 18 natural facets (6 sides) and two terminations (points).

The bedrock the crystals are formed in began forming billions of years ago in a shallow part of the Cambrian Sea that lapped against the southern part of what is now the Adirondack Mountains. The clarity of this quartz variety from other clear quartzes is a different ratio of carbon to silicon. Geologists think that Herkimer Diamonds formed very slowly in small cavities called vugs. They can also be found in larger cavities called pockets. They can be found clear, smokey or cloudy and can contain a variety of impurities. These impurities can include clusters, scepters, fluid inclusions, phantom and bridge crystals. A fluid inclusion contains a water pocket, plus methane or oil and sometimes even a rare crystal within the crystal. A phantom crystal contains an image of itself within.

Other places produce double-terminated clear crystals and sometimes they are sold as Herkimer Diamonds, but the only stones that can be truly called Herkimer Diamonds are the ones from Herkimer, New York. As with any other gemstone purchase, ask the seller any questions you may have about your purchase. They should be able to knowledgeably answer or be able to quickly find the answer.

It is believed that Herkimer Diamonds are very powerful stones. They are said to promote smooth energy flow, enhance creativity, dream recall, imagination and psychic abilities. They are considered to be energizing and enlivening. It is also believed that they help connect the astral plane with the Earth plane.

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.