This vibrant color makes us feel luxurious and rich! Purple combines the energy of red and the calmness of blue. It is furthermore associated with spirituality and the higher self. Purple’s elite status stems from the rarity and cost of the dye originally used to produce it.

Historically purple is considered the color of royalty. Purple was expensive and as a result only the wealthiest people could afford purple garments. In fact, Queen Elizabeth the First had forbid anyone except close members of the royal family to wear it. To get one ounce of purple fabric, the mucus from 336,000 spiney dye-murex snails had to be harvested.

I love working with amethyst. Yes it happens to be purple. More than that though, it speaks to me somehow. It always has. Even before I became an old woman

My Amethyst collection is called BURIED TREASURE. Take time to explore all the designs I have created!

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Purple is well known as the color of royalty. Want to know why? In ancient times the only way to replicate purple dye was by harvesting thousands and thousands of murex sea snails . As you can imagine this was not an easy task. It was time consuming and expensive. Only the very rich royalty could afford it. Since purple was relegated to royalty it was only fitting that deep rich purple amethyst gemstones would be their choice as well.

Now of course we all have access to amethyst and purple. Wear some purple today and feel like royalty.

Shop my Amethyst designs today

Want to know more about amethyst? Here’s a video with more fascinating facts and tidbits.

Become an Alene’s Adornments Collector

Provide your Email and first name to Get First Look at newest designs, tidbits and legends about gemstones, jewelry care tips and of course.. COLLECTOR ONLY specials and discounts

The post Love Purple? You Might be Royalty! appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

When you put on a certain color in the morning… does it make you feel energetic? empowered? calm? Do you tend to gravitate towards certain colors in your home and wardrobe?

How about the jewelry you wear? are you attracted to certain gemstones and colors?

Blue is one of my favorite colors! It is associated with open spaces… like the sky and the ocean.  Furthermore blue is a friendly color. Did you know that almost everyone likes some shade of blue! Furthermore corporate America embraces blue as well. Business (power) suits, ties, company logos … and the US FLAG all use blue. The key feelings associated with blue are: calmness; confidence; unity; intelligence; conservatism

If Blue is your favorite color you :

• are Reliable, trusting and conservative

• love to be needed & tend to rescue others to gain the love

• are approachable and friendly

• prefer to stay within your comfort zone

• most of all you are spiritual and devoted to family and God

As a result gemstones in blue (lapis, sapphire, chrysocolla and turquoise) aid in relaxation and open the flow of communication.

Check out my blue designs today

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The post The Color BLUE; Calming and Stabilizing appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Do you love the color pink? Is it your favorite color? Then you are most likely loving, nurturing and compassionate!

The color Pink conjures up images of cotton candy, bubble gum, and little girls! This combination of red and white is a popular color for branding women’s products such as cosmetics or cologne.  Furthermore, today pink is a power color for women. Does anyone remember  pink cadillacs that Mary Kay cosmetics awards to their top performers? This tradition continues today, although the shades of pink change periodically

Pink is a happy color.  Have you ever been tickled pink?  Light pink hues are considered romantic, tender, sweet and innocent.  HOT PINKS change the perception to exciting, wild, sensual and playful!

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“Pink isn’t just a color, it’s an attitude” 

Miley Cyrus

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Finally here are fascinating facts about the color pink:

• Being ‘in the pink’ means in good health. However, this phrase originated in English Fox hunting traditions. A rider was not granted the right to wear the red colored jacket (called pinks) until he demonstrated superior horsemanship.

• Getting a Pink Slip means being terminated from a job. The phrase originates in vaudeville. When the Booking Office issued a cancellation notice to an act, the notice was on a pink slip.

• The pink ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of hope and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

• In Japan, the color pink has a masculine association. The annual spring blooming of the pink-blossomed cherry trees (the Sakura) is said to represent the young Japanese warriors who fell in battle in the prime of life (the Samurai).

• Pink Collars once referred to jobs only held by women. Thank goodness times have changed!!!

Pink gemstones include rhodochrosite, rose quartz, pink sapphire and morganite.  I use rhodochrosite frequently in my designs.

A shout out to all compassionate, tender, sensitive and empathetic Pink Lovers.

The rest of us need you in our lives.

The post Color Affects Us: PINK appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Purple Rocks! [tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]

Why? Because this vibrant color makes us feel luxurious and rich! Purple combines the energy of red and the calmness of blue. It is furthermore associated with spirituality and the higher self.

Purple’s elite status stems from the rarity and cost of the dye originally used to produce it.

Historically purple is considered the color of royalty. Purple was expensive and as a result only the wealthiest people could afford purple garments. In fact, Queen Elizabeth the First had forbid anyone except close members of the royal family to wear it. To get one ounce of purple fabric, the mucus from 336,000 spiney dye-murex snails had to be harvested.

Is purple your favorite color?  If so you 

• have a great imagination

• are compassionate. You love participating in humanitarian projects.

• love to inspire others with your creative and positive approach to life

OK, there are a few less than terrific traits too ..you

• tend to be idealist and impractical.

• can appear scattered  [tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]People who love purple are sensitive and compassionate[/tweet_box]

Amethyst is a natural example of rich deep purple. I adore working with this gemstone.  Here are a few of the designs I have created using gorgeous amethyst

Now go out and find some purple to wear!

The post Are you a sensitive, compassionate Purple lover? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

We are surrounded with hundreds of colors. The latest PANTONE color guide lists over 1750 different shades, combinations and nuances of the primary colors.[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]

Isaac Newton made a study of color starting at the age of 23 in 1666 and developed the useful Newton color circle . He realized that some colors (magenta, purple) could not be produced as spectral colors. One of his contributions was the idea that white light is light containing all wavelengths of the visible spectrum. He demonstrated this fact with experiments on the dispersion of light in glass prisms.

As a child I can remember getting so excited over all the colors in the Crayola crayon box!  

My favorite was the ‘large’ size with 84 different colors.. Did you have the same thrill over checking out all the colors? These days the boxes contain 120 colors. I envy the children that get to play with that many colors.

Since I grew up in the ‘olden days’ I remember black and white Television. One of my favorite shows was Star Trek. Black and white did not allow me to see the various uniform colors.

One day I went over to a friend’s house. They had a color TV. I was astounded to realize that Kirk, Spock and the guy who always got killed when they went to the planet’s surface all had different colored uniforms.

Hence the warning: If you wear a red shirt.  DON’T GO DOWN to the PLANET!!

 Color has a psychological effect on us – influencing our mind and emotions. We all have color preferences, too. So color can help reveal our personalities. Cool!

My mother studied color extensively and in her later years she taught classes on several related subjects. Recently I was ecstatic to find her notes on these classes! In future posts I will pass along more of the information she made available to her students. Such fascinating stuff!

For now here is a quick overview of what each primary color represents.  I have gone into depth in previous posts.. which you can find under the COLOR tab to the right.  More details can also be found in the book: Color Magic for Beginners  by Richard Webster.

RED: Stimulating,  Innovative, Competitive

ORANGE: Sociable, Friendly, Persistent

YELLOW: Cheerful, Intellectual,Idealistic

GREEN: Balanced, Comfortable, Nurturing

BLUE: Calm, Serene, Introspective

INDIGO: Wise, Dignified, Emotionally balanced

VIOLET: Regal, Creative, Selfless

What is your favorite color? Do these criteria speak to your own personality?

Of course I love to use color in my designs. This Pendant of dichroic glass shows off a full spectrum of blues, greens and purple.  Love it!!  See more designs at alenesadornments

The post Cookoo over COLOR! appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

The color brown is a serious, down-to-earth and comforting color. 

Officially brown is a mixture of red, yellow & blue. All shades (beige, taupe, tan, chocolate) tend to convey feelings of warmth and comfort.

Brown has been used in art since prehistoric times. Paintings of brown horses and other animals have been found on the walls of the Lascaux cave dating back about 17,300 years. The female figures in ancient Egyptian tomb paintings have brown skin, painted with umber.  Furthermore, in the Middle Ages brown robes were worn by monks of the Franciscan order, as a sign of their humility and poverty

Is brown your favorite color? If so you are..

• a home body. You prefer your own home to outside social gatherings.

• structured and dependable

• stable and put family first

• genuine and approachable.

• drawn to the earth, most likely loving gardening and exploring the out of doors.

Any negatives?? you probably tend to be very serious and are NOT spontaneous!

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Did you know? Brown was a popular color for clothing worn during the great depression… because it naturally concealed dirt![/tweet_box]

Most of all, brown is prevalent in the gem world. Many varieties of agate and jasper exhibit brown tones. Tigers Eye is my favorite brown gem.

Here’s a sampling of some of my designs using brown as the primary color.

Picture Jasper Pendant

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Thanks to all you lovers of brown for helping the rest of us stay grounded.[/tweet_box]

Check out my recent post on the color white. Is White Really a color?

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The post Craving Comfort? Add brown to your life appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Red does the trick when you want someone to notice you or your online/printed materials. 

Just be careful how much you use. A bright red dress or suit will certainly attract attention… but did you want THAT much of it?  Most of all using touches of red is a better option. This creates passion and excitement without overpowering others.

Wear a red statement necklace, tie or scarf . Red Shoes are a terrific option.

RED is an emotionally intense color. When you see red, your heart rate increases, breathing speeds up and you are ready for action. In addition it is a strong color that is associated with passion and excitement.

Red is a power color. Most noteworthy is Red Carpet service… geared towards VIP’s.  In China, Red is the color of happiness and prosperity. Consequently red suggests confidence, speed and even danger. (the traditional RED flag as a warning)

Is Red YOUR favorite color? Then you are:

• passionate and fiery

• action oriented

• An Optimist

• Love Excitement

• Light up a room when you enter

Sounds good so far, right?  Here are the downsides.. You

• crave attention

• are easily bored and easily angered

I use red sparingly in my designs. You guessed it.. my favorite color is NOT red!  I tend towards the deeper oranges and browns. That being said, once in awhile wearing a bright red necklace makes me feel good about myself.

Some of the gems to consider for your touches of red are Rubies and Red Coral. Keep in mind that most Red coral is actually dyed . Most natural red coral is depleted or  protected from harvesting. This tiny fact does not diminish the beauty though.

Go ahead… break out that RED accessory you have been keeping in the back of the closet. Then watch are you are showered with attention.    

Did you like this post? then, read The Color Blue.

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The post Demand Attention! Wear RED appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

The answer is YES! White is actually all colors combined.

They taught us that in grade school.  Remember? I tend to forget other things but this fact from grade school is still embedded in my brain ” White is the presence of all colors and black is the absence of all colors.“

Officially the fact is: White contains an equal balance of all colors in the spectrum.

When we think of white, our mind automatically goes to purity, cleanliness and innocence. Angels wear white and so do many hospital workers. While these are valid symbols for the color white, there is so much more to learn!

In ancient Egypt and ancient Rome, priestesses wore white as a symbol of purity, and Romans wore a white toga as a symbol of citizenship. The Roman Catholic Pope has worn white since 1566, as a symbol of purity and sacrifice

Did you know??

White is an easier color to see as our eyes begin to age? While greens and blues become harder to read, white imprint against a dark background will reach all generations who view it! Keep in mind that the human eye can detect even the most subtle differences in shades of white. Be careful not to use white and ‘winter white’ together in a design. The winter white will appear dingy and dirty.

Is white your favorite color? Here’s what we know about you!

• you are neat and immaculate in your appearance and environment.. almost to the point of being fanatical.
• You have impeccable standards of cleanliness expect others to adhere to your high standards.
• You are far-sighted, with a positive and optimistic nature.
• You are well-balanced and sensible.

Of course there are white gemstones, including the gorgeous moonstone. I also love to use white pearls in my designs. White blends with virtually ANY color making it an easy choice! 

If you enjoyed this post you may like.  Does the Color Orange Make you Happy?

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The post Is White REALLY a Color? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

Did you know that orange is the only color of the spectrum that is named after an object?

There was no word for the color Orange until the fruit first arrived in Europe.

Because of the cost associated with shipping from the tropics, orange became associated with aristocracy. Through Renaissance art, the color orange had great symbolic importance as the color of wealth.

 Orange is commonly associated with the Sun.  It creates feelings of warmth and vitality. And don’t forget energy, enthusiasm and good health! The color orange stimulates the mind AND the emotions!

Doesn’t it make you want to do a happy dance?

 Orange seems to show up often in the gems that I am drawn to.  Look at this Red Creek Jasper pendant and you will see what I mean.   

While this gem can cover the spectrum of colors from deep reds and browns to bright orange.. I migrate towards the orange always! 

And what could be more orange than copper!  Especially bright copper.

Wear orange if you want to get noticed. It demands attention. If your complexion says NO to orange tones, then consider a pendant, cuff or necklace to introduce the color into your wardrobe.

If you enjoyed this post you may like the Color Blue

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The post Does the Color Orange Make You Happy? appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.