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 color depending upon the amount of iron and copper that is present.

Where can you find turquoise?

This precious blue/green gem is found right here in the Southwest. There are still operating mines in Arizona, Nevada, California and Northern Mexico. Persian turquoise is still available. Lastly there are mines in China as well.

My designs feature turquoise from these USA and Mexico mines. I love the quality and deep blue colors especially.

A few Turquoise legends

Turquoise is considered a purification stone, dispelling negative energy and aligning the chakras when worn. It is also said to stabilize mood swings and enhance an inner calm.

See my current turquoise gemstone designs here.

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The post Turquoise; Legends & Facts appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

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 ring.

The second tool is this Delrin hammer. Delrin is  a thermoplastic material used in precision parts. Since it is non-marring, I hammer away to my heart’s content. This hammer does not leave any marks on the metal, nor does it skew the metal.

Here is the process I use to design rings.

• Cut the metal to size.

• Stamp the back with my Alene branding (and the .925 if the metal is silver).

• Add texture or fuse metal to the shank

• Anneal it (heat it until the metal softens)

• Insert the mandrel into a vise or other holding device to keep it stable

• Form the metal around the mandrel to round it properly.

[tweet_box design=”box_02″ float=”none”] “Jewelry takes people’s minds off our wrinkles” Sonja Henie[/tweet_box]

Here are two of my new designs.  See all ring designs currently for sale here.

Want to know YOUR ring size?

Download the template here.

The post Tools of the Trade: Ring Shank appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

[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 design. I got the idea from one of the books I found early on.  Getting Started Making Metal Jewelry by Mark Lareau.  FYI, this is a great beginners book for those interested in metals.

Mark suggested fusing several scraps of sterling onto a backing. I tried this and created my very own Picasso-esk piece.  Cool!  

This process has become a mainstay in my design process… I experiment constantly and am always amazed at the twists and turns the piece takes before the final design is ready. 

The fusing process is like our dreams… it starts with a concept (in this case my idea for the piece) and then it takes its own leap into the final design; one that I could not have imagined or predicted!

Fusing involves lots of HEAT in order to bring the metal to almost melting point. … Just like the path towards our dreams. We may experience ‘heat’ or obstacles along the way and yet our desire pushes us ahead.

See the full selection here. Wear your design to remind you to Dream Big and Take the leap forward.

[tweet_box design=”box_08″ float=”none”]”Dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”  Walt Disney[/tweet_box]

Check out all the designs at Dare to Dream

The post ‘Dare to Dream’ Jewelry Collection appeared first on Alene's Adornments Blog.

[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 green version of jadeite. It is rare and the most valuable of all these gems.  It is considered to be so precious in China –  evidenced by this saying. “Gold is valuable; Jade is Priceless”

Both are extremely dense and tough. For this reason, many cultures used jade to create knives and weapons. Jade carvings are also prevalent.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]In ancient China jade was called ‘yu’, meaning ‘heavenly stone’ It was believed to embody ‘yang’ or cosmic energy.[/tweet_box]

Young men in China would present a bride-to-be with a jade butterfly as a symbol of faithful and eternal love. Taoists believe that is guaranteed immortality.

Mayans and Aztecs believed that jade could cure pains in the side of the body. In fact, the name originated from this myth. Early Spanish explorers named it ‘piedra de ijada’ meaning ‘stone for the pain in the side.

This gem is said to stimulate the flow of energy through the body. This releases negative thoughts, soothes the mind and makes tasks seem less complex.

Now on to my favorite part of this topic.. Jewelry!  

Jade is the birthstone for August.  You LUCKY  August babies!

Since this gem is so tough, it is used in rings as well as pendants and earrings. Rings tend to get scuffed (no matter how hard we try to prevent this). It is especially relevant that harder stones will take the beating.

This ring is one of the current designs available at Alene’s Adornments. Gorgeous jade gem is the focal point on this signature Snake Designer Sterling silver.

In conclusion, I encourage you to add jade to your jewelry collection.

Craving more Gemstone myths? Check out this blog on Peruvian Opal

The post Jade: A treasure through the Ages 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.

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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