A polished petrified palmwood gem can look like a tiny fossil garden, filled with dots, circles, and branching lines. Yet it isn't a gemstone crystal like ruby or diamond. It is ancient plant material whose original structure survived mineral replacement. For jewelry lovers and fossil collectors, petrified palmwood root offers two stories at once: the story of an old palm forest and the story of the minerals that preserved it. Its history reaches from buried roots to museum collections, lapidary benches, and modern jewelry cases. I discovered this gem about 3 years ago and IMMEDIATELY fell … Continue Reading
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Earrings; A small object with a colorful History
Earring materials tell you what people prized, what they could reach, and what they believed. Bone, shell, copper, silver, gold, glass, and steel are all part of the history. The story begins close to the ground and ends in a world full of new options, but the old meanings still cling to the surface. The earliest earrings were made from what people could find nearby. Early earrings came from place. People used what beaches, forests, rivers, and animal remains gave them. Bone, shell, stone, and wood gave the first earrings their shape. Most of these first pieces were handmade with … Continue Reading
Gemstone Legends
Petrified Palmwood Root Gems: History Beneath the Polish
A polished petrified palmwood gem can look like a tiny fossil garden, filled with dots, circles, and branching lines. Yet it isn't a gemstone crystal like ruby or diamond. It is ancient plant material whose original structure survived mineral replacement. For jewelry lovers and fossil collectors, petrified palmwood root offers two stories at once: the story of an old palm forest and the story … Continue Reading
Moonstone; Slice of Pure Moonlight
This iridescent and pearlescent gem has been revered for centuries. If you are a June baby you can claim this gem as your birthstone. Lucky June babies! This gem is predominately white but also can be grey or peach colored. Black inclusions can occur too. These inclusions are actually tourmaline. Personally I prefer the white version. Locations around the world mine this gem. A few of the more … Continue Reading
