Tucson Gem Show

Oh how I love Tucson.  Mix an incredible Arizona city, gemstones of every color and size, and a sprinkle of gem-aholic humans...and it's a wonderful recipe!

For DIY humans on the quest for jewelry perfection, this show is a MUST. 

Along with all the bits and bobs necessary for jewelry design and creation, the Tucson gemshow sparkles with humans on the same geological journey.  The interaction with other like minded artisans is amazingly inspiring.  For example, I was with two people admiring the same silver findings.  And I mean the SAME silver findings.  Yet each of us had a compleltey different end product in mind!  It was wonderful!

So no matter what you are designing today, make it YOURS.  Even if you are basing your design on another's, make it your own by adding different bits and bobs.  Or changing the stones used.  Or chaging the metals. 

YOU are a creative soul.  Long live the DIY spirit!!

Opals

Opals may be my absolute favorite stone.  There are boulder opals, and mexican fire opals...just to name a few of the available plethora of fire and beauty.

Opals had been considered good luck stones for centuries, until Sir Walter Scott's novel “Anne of Geierstein” started a superstition. The novel's heroine buys a cursed opal which she wears in her hair - and later, she dies. And the legand of the unlucky Opal was born.


But there is NO WAY in my humble opinion that Opals are bad luck!

Early races credited Opals with magical qualities and traditionally, the Opal was said to aid its wearer in seeing limitless possibilities.  The stone was believed to clarify by amplifying feelings, buried emotions and desires.


The Romans had been wearing Opals for centuries, considering them a symbol of hope and purity.  They were often carried as a good luck charm or talisman because they were believed to instill the gift of prophecies, warn of poison, bring good fortune, and protect against disease. 

Early Greeks believed Opals embodied the powers of foresight and prophecy. 

A Chinese belief is that the wearer must be pure of heart in order to receive an Opal as a gift; Asians also view Opals as symbols of hope and loyalty. 


Specifically, boulder Opals were formed millions of years ago and are found only in Australia - in veins and patches surrounded by brown ironstone boulders.  Boulder Opals are said to aid you in visualizing your inner beauty.   They are most helpful when an emotional lift concerning your own self image is needed - because Boulder Opals help you to understand yourself more clearly.

If you seek to have balance in your life for your emotions and your mental state this is a wonderful gem to have with you.  It helps you to calm your inner soul, brighten and clear your personal aura and stimulate the healing process.

During meditations they have been know to help one recall past lives.  Boulder Opals are also sometimes used to access one's personal spiritual and animal guides.

Fire Opals are thought to be very magical because of the distinct patterns of color which seem to move while viewing.  The color play includes: green, blue, yellow, red, and purple.   

The energy of the fire Opal allows us to look deeply within to understand ourselves in a better way.  A great choice if you are looking for your purpose in life.  Some find the fire Opal to be energizing, giving strength and endurance in stressful times.  Other people like to meditate with the fire Opal, as it is very easy to get into this meditative state by simply gazing at the incredible colors of this Opal.

Those who fancy Opal gemstones tend to be born in March and October, as Opal is the mystical birthstone for those born in either month. Opal lore is that this gemstone will bring out your inner beauty so others can realize your faithfulness, and your natural energy for life.

Working with Opals in your handmade pieces can be tricky because of their soft nature.  See the Mexican Fire Opal earrings above?  I had to use very fine gauge wire in an effort not to break the tips off.  That said, I still broke some of course, but the end product was incredible. 

However you go about it, make sure you find a good Opal dealer.  A dealer you can trust and who you connect to.  Opals are energy stones. As such you will want to make sure the ones in your possession begin their life in your jewelry with good energy - as they will carry the energy into your finished piece.

Also, make sure you NEVER put Opals in jewelry cleaner.  You will ruin them.  If you need to, wash them in warm water, rubbing them with your fingers.

Enjoy making your Opal jewelry!  And remember, if you give someone an Opal, you're giving them an incredible gift...you're giving them a piece of your soul!

Water water everywhere....

The rain has been incredible today, and from what I hear, this storm was just the first of 5!

So, you're right.  The rain doesn't have much to do with handmade jewelry...but color definitely does.  And while I was out getting SANDBAGS at the Home Depot, I was graced with the vision of an incredible rainbow.  My headache of flood worry was momentarily dissipated by the stunning color array of the rainbow's magnificence.

It's moments like these which remind me that I can only strive to emulate the Universe's design power!

BUTTONS!

Buttons!!  Oh my goodness how I have discovered my inner button goddess.

Surfing on Ebay one day (yes I do that, don't tell my mom) looking for some inspiration I came across a 5 pound bag of antique buttons for more or less cheap.  I have always loved buttons so I thought, hey!  Why not?  Let's see what you could do with some of those.

Mmmmmmm....Bakelight, rhinestone, CARVED abalone and mother of pearl!  Oh my!

So I started to play...and play....and play!  What started as a simple experiment has turned into an absolute passion.

Sometimes I use sterling silver, sometimes I use gold, and sometimes I use both!  The best part about it is that now I have clients who have me utilize some of their own antique buttons.

Because think about it.  Grandma or great grandma did such an amazing job collecting buttons over the years...and now that she has bequeathed them all to you...what in the world are you going to do with them??!!  How about having an heirloom made for you and your children!?

I'm LOVE green jewelry and I've decided that this source of beauty is one of my favorite recycles!

CHEERS!

Black, Watermelon, Ptero...All Tourmaline!

So I saw my mom today wearing WATERMELON TOURMALINE.  How I love tourmaline.  

Tourmaline can be used to attract inspiration, diminish fear by promoting understanding, and encourage self-confidence. In ancient eastern Indian culture, tourmaline was used to provide direction to that which brings good and was also recognized as a teller stone which provides insight. A powerful, electromagnetic, striated gem, it strengthens body and spirit (and meridians), transmutes lower frequency thought/energy to a higher frequency of light and brings light/spirit into the physical. The best thing?  It radiates light protection for wearer!*

With a plethora of amazing colors, shades and energies to the stone, there are just so many ways to make it look and feel amazing.  Earrings are always nice, but so are bracelets.  There's also an interesting aspect to tourmaline.  Although the stone is found on several color wheels, it also manifests in BLACK.  Wonderfully, black tourmaline does not absorb negative energy. It repels it.

It is suggested to carry this stone when you feel surrounded by negativity. A valuable stone for crises and for periods of extreme stress. Helps you defend against debilitating diseases. Strongly suggested for persons with weakened immune systems. *

So if you're ever in need of an energy boost or need to repel some of the energies your being bomarded with (work, family, etc.), reach for your TOURMALINE!  And if you don't have any, I know of an Artisan who would be more than happy to help you out!  Me!  :o)

 *stone information extracted from PeacefulMind.com and Silver Moon Stonewear

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is such a sweet day.  Yes, yes.  Hallmark and candy companies have made the day into a big spending circus, but I still love it for its slight corniness and lovey dovey ways. 

I mean, think about it.  In our rushing around like a chicken with it's head cut off, it's easy to forget the people who make our life worth living.  Sometimes we NEED a circus to smack us in the head to remind us to slow down and remember!

And let's be honest. V day really is an easy excuse to show people how much you love them.  It doesn't take much, of course.  A card, an email, a phone call.  It's the process of thinking about it, making your plans, and then doing it that's fun!

So what can you give your loved ones besides hugs and kisses?  Jewelry of course!  Hearts and the color red are the most popular, but what I've found is that heart STONES can be a wonderful gift. 

Rhodochrosite is strongly associated with the heart and its energies of love and compassion. Some call it “the stone of love and balance,” because of the soothing warmth of its energy. It is also thought to influence creativity and intuition. It is linked to the Heart and Solar Plexus chakras.

Rose Quartz, like all of the quartzes, is a great channeller and transmitter. Its pink color builds upon this and makes it the stone of unconditional love, a love without boundaries or conditions of any kind. It embodies the energy of the Heart chakra and is often used for assisting meditation practices of compassion as well as for connecting with the great body of the mother earth.

So think outside the box this Valentine's Day.  But no matter what you do, make sure you do SOMETHING.  Even a phone call goes a long way.