This gem is known as pink lace agate and is found in Indonesia. It is not to be confused with Crazy Lace agate. Yes they are both banded agates but Crazy Lace is mined in Mexico. It tends to be deeper colors with hues of brown, burnt orange, grey and yellow. Pink Lace Agate origins As indicated, this gem hails ONLY from Indonesia. Moreover It is a recent find and more … [Read more...]
Tiger Eye or Tiger Iron.. what is the difference?
What is Tiger Eye? Tiger Eye (or tiger's eye) gems are a form of quartz. They are easily recognizable by the golden colored band in the brownish gold gem. Since they are opaque, they reflect light. This gem is so named because it resembles the eye of a tiger! It has a hardness of 6 to 7, which is typical of a quartz. This makes is ideal for creating cabochons and beads for … [Read more...]
Turquoise; Legends & Facts
Did you know that turquoise is one of the first gemstones to be mined? In fact, turquoise beads were found in Mesopotamia dating back to 5000 BC! Turquoise was found in Egypt from the reign of Pharaoh Semerkhet in 2900BC. This ancient gemstone is still prized today and used in many different cultures including the American Indians. This blue/green stone varies in … [Read more...]
From the Heart Designs; A symbol of love
The heart symbolizes compassion, love and commitment. The shape we use for heart designs is not the true shape of our human heart. That being said, this stylized shape represents the heart and has for centuries. Some indicate that it's simple lines and form make it easy to visualize. Legends surround the heart Egyptians believed that the heart is the giver of life. … [Read more...]
Ever Heard of the Mohs Scale?
If you are in the jewelry business then you know how important this scale is. we use this tool to identify hardness of minerals. First a little history: Carl Friedrich Christian Mohs was a German geologist AND mineralogist. In 1822 he created the Mohs scale. He determined that you could tell which minerals were harder based upon the scratch test. Using several harder … [Read more...]
