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...]
Tools of the Trade: Ring Shank
Ever wonder how we Artisan jewelry designers make our rings so round?? How do we determine the sizing? I use two secret weapons. OKAY actually these are specialized tools. The first is this ring shank (officially called a mandrel but often referred to as a shank) The mandrel is made of the finest quality steel. It's calibrated along one side so I can determine the size of the … [Read more...]
‘Dare to Dream’ Jewelry Collection
[tweet_box design="box_07" float="none"]"Dare to Dream is the collection that embodies our desire to dream; our wish to allow our dreams to permeate our existence; to grow, to expand, to morph into even bigger dreams. To become reality." Alene Geed [/tweet_box] My very first experiment (after taking several classes) was one involving fusing metals to create a … [Read more...]
Jade: A treasure through the Ages
[tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]Throughout recorded history, Jade has been the most highly esteemed stone in China. It is valued for it's beauty, strength and powers of healing. First of all there are two different minerals that we call jade. One is Jadeite. It is found mainly in Burma. It is more rare than it's counterpart, Nephrite. Imperial Jade is a translucent emerald … [Read more...]
Craving Comfort? Add brown to your life
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 … [Read more...]