Most of us are familiar with this vibrant and gorgeous purple gem. Those lucky folk who are born in February get to call it their birthstone. I bet though there are lots of fascinating facts about amethyst that you do NOT know! I am here to share some of these tidbits with you now. Where does the purple color come from and Where is it found? Amethyst is a variety of … [Read more...]
Amber Gem Lore
Lets talk about this gorgeous gemstone.. First of all it is technically NOT a gemstone. Yes that's right, this vibrant rock is really fossilized resin from extinct trees. Most of these trees are 40-60 million years old! Amber today is found in the Baltic regions. This includes Russia, Lithuania, Poland and several other countries considered part of the Baltics. Since it is … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Gemstone & Rock Junkie
Yes I confess. I am a gemstone and rock junkie. It started out slowly. I began designing jewelry using copper and sterling. Right away I knew that gemstones were going to be part of the designs. In the beginning I learned about a few basic stones and used them exclusively. Amethyst, malachite, turquoise, tigers eye, sodalite, rhodochrosite and picture jasper adorned most of my … [Read more...]
Where in the World can you find Charoite?
Charoite is a gorgeous lavender gemstone that I work with in my designs. It is gorgeous on it's own of course. But pair it with amethyst or moonstone and the gem just pops. Early on in my work with the gem, I researched it and discovered that it is only mined in Russia. This is one of the details about charoite that makes it even more unique and desirable. Recently I was … [Read more...]
Is it Howlite or is it Turquoise?
Howlite is a gemstone that is not always recognized for it's beauty. This gorgeous white gemstone features veins of black and silver. It is sometimes referred to as the sacred buffalo. It has a similar structure as turquoise and as a result it is often dyed blue and sold off as turquoise! What a shame. Not only is howlite beautiful in it's natural state but coloring it blue is … [Read more...]
