My bead collection is a vital part of my design business. Over these many years I have purchased a variety of gems. In the early years I bought whatever was bright and beautiful and did not give much thought to the type of gem, the quality of the gem or the origin of the gems. Let's just say I have learned a LOT over the past years. Most of the those early finds are long gone. … [Read more...]
Kitty Approved Jewelry Design
It is comforting to have my feline helper. Button often weighs in on my decision about which designs to keep creating. Sometimes she uses her paw to select one that she is especially enamored with. It's very clear when she is not enthused about a design as well. She just Sits on the jewelry so I cannot move forward. Pretty clear message don't you think? Button's expertise … [Read more...]
Everything’s Coming Up Turquoise
I shared a lot of turquoise gemstone tips and tidbits with you in the last few posts. Wonder where I found all this juicy information? Books of course! I love to read and learn from books. especially the kind I can hold in my hand and physically turn pages. Would you like to learn more about turquoise? Here are the books I referenced. The book shown above is a series of … [Read more...]
Turquoise Legends and Lore
Here is the 3rd in a series of posts about turquoise gemstones. Today I am going to share many of the legends and lore associated with this gemstone. Let's get started! Did you know? Turquoise is considered a protective stone. It was used to protect both horse and rider on long journeys.In South and Central America, the Aztecs, Incas and the Mayans wore turquoise in … [Read more...]
Tantalizing Turquoise
Here is the 2nd in a series of posts about turquoise. The cuff shown here features a bright blue turquoise gem from the Bisbee, Arizona mine. I am sure you have seen many types of turquoise stones over the years. The colors vary from blue/green to deeper blue. What is the reason for the different hues? It all depends upon what other minerals are found with the particular … [Read more...]