Once a year Tucson Arizona is home to the single largest gem show in the world. Exhibitors and buyers descend upon this mid sized town virtually taking over every venue in the city. In all there are 44 different shows running simultaneously. Each show has it's own niche. These vary from loose beads, finished jewelry, minerals or geodes and much more. Many are wholesale only … [Read more...]
The Secret Life of a Metal & Hammer Hoarder
If someone had told me 15 years ago that I would be salivating over sheets of metal and hammers I would have [tweet_dis_img][/tweet_dis_img]laughed out loud! Yet here I am ... getting excited over my collection of hammers. This is one of my favorite ones. The surface creates a soft almost satiny texture on my Copper, Silver or Brass metal. But the fun only starts with this … [Read more...]
Vibrant Malachite: Legends and Fascinating Tidbits
Malachite is the rich deep green gemstone that is often seen in Southwestern Designs. It is always found mined with copper.... which is why you often find malachite settings in copper. The two are just meant for each other. Malachite is derived from the Greek malakos, meaning soft. This gemstone is one of the softer stones so it needs to be set into pieces that won't … [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...]
