I Now Have A PR of 1, New Slideshow

Yay Google has given my blog a PR of 1. I am so excited. That was one of my goals for this blog for 2009, now I can focus on some of the other goals. I had a very kind follower send me an email on how to create a widget for my items for sale, thank you. I was able to add the widget itself to my blog very easily, but then I added pictures to the widget, and bang no pictures showed up. So I need to tinker with that some more, it might take a while lol. I am not really all that technical. I have almost all my new jewelry supplies I ordered, and I can not wait to get started on my projects. I like to wait until all my supplies are here, so I do not have to take everything out, and put it all back several times. I will be making a pair of matching earrings for my mom, for her birthday on Jan 5th. They will match the White Buffalo Turquoise necklace I made her for Christmas. I can not wait to share all my new projects with everyone. I would like to thank all my followers, and readers for such a wonderful year. Here is to a Happy and prosperous New Year. See you in 2009.

It took me all day today to figure out how to add the scrolling slideshow. As you can see it is finally there. I could not add prices to them, so if there is something you like, comment me or email me for pricing. All shipping is free if you order from this blog, to USA only. I am currently not doing international shipping, due to issues with my post office. It seems being rural, does not equal good service. I have so much more stuff to add, so be sure to check it out if you need a nice Valentines Gift for instance.

Pricing and Supplies

Today I am going to discuss my pricing, and where I get a lot of my supplies.

First pricing, I have no magical method for pricing my items. I love jewelry, and I love gemstones. I started by collecting the stones, then I had so many I figured I better do something with them. So I started to learn to make my own jewelry. As anyone knows who does this, at first your work is not really worthy of selling. I kept those early pieces, and used them as learning tools. I have chipped and broke expensive stones, as well as scratched and broke prongs of settings. I would like to get a soldering device so maybe I can fix the ones I broke, and can learn to resize my own jewelry. Setting gemstones, is not an easy task. I thought oh this will not be that hard to learn. Boy was I wrong. Now almost 5 years later, I would not say I am perfect at it, but so much improved. I price my items according, to what it costs me to purchase the items. It is my goal to create, and make quality jewelry that is beautiful and affordable. I do not do this to make a ton of money. I make jewelry because I love it, and I think everyone should have lovely jewelry without the expense. Some people tell me my prices are too low. If my prices are too low, that is because I got an awesome deal on the stones, and or settings, and can offer it at an awesome price. If something costs me more, than I have to charge more, though I still try to keep my profit marginal so it is affordable to everyone. If an item has to be relisted several times, I do usually increase the price to cover fees.

I try to buy only the best products. I use three sellers on Ebay. They all make the settings themselves using silver or gold and the molds to create the settings. I set a limit on high to purchase something, so I can keep selling costs down, to my buyers. I also purchase gemstones, and settings from Rio Grande. They advertise their prices as wholesale, but they are on the higher end of pricing. I do love their synthetic gemstones, and they are affordable. They also sell Moissanite, and their CZ's are exceptional quality. I love Fire Mountain Gems for their gemstones, and beads. I have bought settings from them, but I find their prices to be high, and their settings to be just plain. Jewelry Television is another of my favorites for buying gemstones. I love to purchase their parcels, but then it can be difficult to identify what you have. I prefer to buy single stones, so I have them identified already. I have also purchased their semi mounts, and settings though their prices can be high, and the quality not always the greatest. You can always return your items to them, however for a full refund. I have bought jewelry from them, and removed the stones, and put in my own stones. This is actually very easy to do, and can save a bundle of money. Ebay is a huge resource for buying loose gemstones. Of course you have to be careful of scammers, and people selling fakes and fauxs. Be sure to examine their feedback. Remember just because a stone is selling for an affordable price does not necessarily mean it is fake. So much of the jewelry and gemstone business, is inflated for the maximum profit to be made.

So as you can see it is my ultimate goal to share the wonder, and beauty of gemstones, and jewelry.

New Years Goals For This Blog

Well it is the end of one year, and the start of another. There are some goals I would like to achieve in 2009. This blog is fairly new, but I do have quite a few followers, thank you to all of you. I would like to get it ranked, it is currently at zero. I would like to add Project Wonderful, and earn some money off of add space. I currently offer a text link for 3 dollars per month, if anyone is interested. I would like to add a widget that will scroll pictures, and prices of items I have for sale. I love Etsy but if I could sell through my blog, without paying fees, that would be a wonderful thing. I also want to add a paypal button, for paying for items, and or Google Checkout. I want to have more contests, with free jewelry for prizes. I need to consider which items to give, and what the contest should entail. I have not done one in a while. I am thinking of having some guest bloggers, to blog about their different talents, and crafts. I want to add a statement about how, and why I price my items the way I do. Of course getting more readers, and traffic is a goal for most bloggers I know. I also want to continue to create, and design new pieces of jewelry. I have so many ideas, and can not wait to get to it.

This is a handmade purse, made by my mom. It is a large purse, with two long straps, and a top button closure. It is fully lined with sage colored material, on the inside, and has chickadees and a birdhouse embroidered on the front. If you would like to purchase this lovely bag, or your loved one, comment here for pricing, or email me at darien04@gmail.com These are not available for sale in my Etsy shop, so be sure to ask if you are interested in it. The asking price is 39.99 with 9 dollars for shipping with tracking to USA. My mom was taught to make these lovely purses from a master seamstress, and then she embroiders on the images to the purse with her embroidery machine. They are one of a kind pieces, and they last a life time.

This Is What I Have, This Is What I Need

I am still looking for beads, that have a 2.5 mm hole. Please if you have any, let me know. I really need them. I also am looking for a sterling silver pendant or ring casting to hold a 10mmx8mm pear shape with 2.5 mm rounds surrounding it. Please if you have something like this let me know. I am looking to purchase. Thank you, and I hope everyone is having a splendid Saturday.

Blue Topaz and Sapphire Ring

Blue Topaz is the birthstone, for December. Now that Christmas is over, it is time to treat yourself to a lovely birthstone ring. This is a sterling silver, 9mm round Blue Topaz gemstone ring. It has two Blue Sapphires on either side. It is a size 5 1/4, and is really a beauty. It is being offered for 49.99 in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13049161
However, once this listing expires, if it is not sold, the price will be going up to 74.99 So hurry and get this beauty while the price is still awesome. I hope everyone had a wonderful, and beautiful Christmas. I can offer a layaway plan, if needed. Please ask for details, if you are interested.

Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or some other variation of the Holiday season, I would like to wish you all a very wonderful Holiday. May your day be peaceful, and blessed with the wonders of the Season. Best wishes, and I will be back on December 26th. Be safe, and be jolly, always.






Free Comments and Graphics

Canary Yellow Tourmaline Ring

Tourmaline is a wonderful gemstone, that comes in so many colors and hues. It is a durable gemstone, and is almost always natural, with no treatments given to it. This one is no exception. This is a 7mmx5mm oval Canary Yellow Tourmaline. It looks more brown in the picture, but it is not. It is yellow for sure. It also exhibits stunning pleochroism, with flashes of blue and green. It is clean with no visible inclusions. This sterling silver ring, is available for sale in my Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6007466 for 49.99 Be sure to check it out. If you love unique, and rare gemstones, this is the ring for you.

I Need Help From All You Beaders

I need to purchase some beads that have a hole size of at least 2.5mm wide. I was sold some that supposedly were, but were only 2mm wide. The hole itself, not the bead. I would prefer rectangle, or tube beads, but will consider others as well. Please 2.5 mm hole size only. Thank you.

5 Days Until Christmas

Well it is 5 days until Christmas. I was going through some old pictures, one of my favorite things to do at the holidays. This is the only picture of Caitlin with Santa Claus. He is a puff a lump Santa, and she is about 5 months old. We have tried several times to get her to sit on Santas lap, and she just will not do it. So we get to treasure this one forever, lol. She is a shy, and kind of stubborn child, she will not do anything she doesn't want to do.

Have you finished all your shopping? I am done, and it is all wrapped. I have some great gift items in my store, you should check them out. I offer great prices. My sister will be coming in on Monday, and we are excited. We have not spent Christmas with her, in 4 years. It should be great.

I hope everyone that is getting snow dumped on them, is safe and warm. I remember those days. Matter of fact the year my son was 2, it snowed enough snow to reach the top of my Tracker. All I did was shovel, and no one could get out. My mom was in Florida, and thank goodness we had a web cam. What a Christmas that was.

Get These Lovely Crosses For Christmas

You still have time to get these lovely pendants for Christmas. They are silver, with a fresh water pearl wrapped to them. I used very thin sterling silver wire, to wrap the pearls to the cross. You have your choice of the freshwater blue pearl, or the freshwater green pearl. They are only 6.50 each, and can be purchased through my Etsy store http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6007466

Vintage Roman Soldier Cameo Under Glass

Do you see this very cool cameo. I have had this for a number of years. I purchased it with a lot of Vintage jewelry, and thought it might have some value so I held onto it. It appears to be gold toned, and is a brooch/pendant. It is heavy, and the cameo itself is a Roman Soldier, with irridescent background. It is under glass, not plastic. Someone said it could be an Intaglio, but I can not find any markings on it. If anyone knows, anything about this type of vintage cameo, I would love to hear from you.

Tanzanite Topaz SS Ring, Big and Bold

This is one of my most favorite rings, I have ever done. It is Tanzanite colored Topaz. I bought the stone last year, to go in a pendant, for a Christmas gift. The stone did not fit in the Pendant setting, however so I just held onto it. Then I found this lovely sterling silver setting, and it fit perfect. The ring is a size 5, and the gemstone is a 8mmx6mm. Tanzanite Topaz is made by taking white Topaz, and either heating it, or irradiating it. It is a genuine gemstone, that has been treated to achieve this color. It is the color of the top quality Tanzanite that sells for thousands of dollars per carat. This lovely ring is available for sale, here through this blog for 39.99 Shipping is free, to US only. If you are interested please contact me for further details. It is available for 30 days only, and then it will be staying in my collection, as I love it. I will be adding a widget with all my pieces that are available for sale here on my blog. You can always check out the itmes I have available in my Etsy store, by clicking on that widget.

Merry Christmas Pictures

We just took these lovely pictures yesterday. Craig, and DJ were going off to church. They do not get to attend church a lot, due to my crazy work schedule, but yesterday they did. I thought it was a great time to get a picture. Caitlin does not yet attend church, but she wanted to get in the picture, but not put on a fancy dress. She is a bit stubborn, lol. I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday.

Huge Millifiori Glass Bead and Bead Pen

Look at what I got. Are these not magnificent? Did you know there was such a thing as a bead pen? The top of the pen comes off, and you can add beads to the shaft of the pen, making a sylish and one of a kind pen. If you know someone who uses a pen everyday such as say a DR, Nurse, Executive, or Secretary, these would make wonderful gifts. It does require a large holed bead, and I got it from http://www.artbeads.com
I can not wait to show you what it looks like after I find the perfect beads for it. I thought I had the right beads, already, but they did not fit, so I have to order more supplies.

The other is a huge, 40mm Milliefiori glass bead. It is orange tones, with a huge hole, to accommodate even an omega. I have some great ideas, of what I want to do with this. I am thinking something with an orange, or copper colored pearl design. I have to get the rest of my supplies, and when it is completed I will share again. This too came from http://www.artbeads.com They have a huge selection of beads, and other jewelry making supplies. I could spend all day there, just browsing their items. Their inventory is large, and in charge. They offer free shipping, to the United States, too. How great is that?

I am very new to beading, and am very excited to see what I make with these wonderful products.

Happy Saturday, everyone. Stay warm, it is freezing here, again in N Florida. Yes, I said it was freezing. I will probably have to open the pool in January, because we have already had our winter, very strange indeed.

Swiss Blue Topaz Ring

This was not my original, intended post for today, but my husband forgot to put my new pictures on the computer. So I am blogging about this lovely Swiss Blue Topaz ring. Like all Topaz, Swiss Blue is heat treated, or irradiated to achieve the lovely blue color. Swiss Blue Topaz, can be found with natural color, but it is extremely rare, and extremely expensive. I can only assume this one is treated, because I did not pay a lot of money for it. It is a 10mmx8mm marquise cut, set in sterling silver. The ring is a size 5. This lovely ring is available to purchase, at 29.99 If you purchase from my blog, shipping is free. I accept paypal, and if you are interested in this ring, or any of my other pieces available for sale, you can contact me at darien04@gmail.com If you are not from the USA or Canada, shipping may be too expensive.

Big And Bold Garnet Pendant

If you are a January baby, then Garnet is your birthstone. Garnet comes in every color, except blue. Some forms of Garnet such as Tsavorite, or Mandarin Garnets are very rare and expensive. This pendant is the traditional form of Garnet, the red Garnet. This is a large sterling silver pendant slide, and could very easily fit on a large omega. The garnet measures 12mmx8mm and is pear shaped. If you are interested in purchasing this lovely slide, for the price of 34.99 you can contact me at darien04@gmail.com Paypal is the accepted form of payment, and shipping is free to US buyers only. Canadian buyers, shipping is 5.95 I will only ship to other countries, after a conversation about shipping. This item, is not available in my Etsy store, so be sure to ask if you are interested.

Large and in Charge Ruby Ring

This is a huge Ruby ring, made by me. I had this setting for a very long time, and could not find a stone to set in it properly. It is kind of a strange setting, with very long prongs. I have no idea why it was designed this way. It is sterling silver, and is a good amount of silver. The Ruby has stunning blood red color, but is opaque. It is large measuring in at 12mmx10mm. It is a size 4 1/2, and is available for sale, through this blog. If you purchase it through my blog, you will receive free shipping to the USA. I will ship to Canada, other buyers would have to clarify shipping first. I will accept paypal for payment, only. If you are interested in the stunning ring, it is 39.99 and you can email me at darien04@gmail.com to purchase.

A New Wedding Band For Me

I have not been making much new jewelry, the past few weeks. The reason for that is, I have been doing Christmas shopping, and preparing for the holidays. This all takes up a lot of time, as I am sure you are aware. I have been wanting a new wedding band for sometime. Why, you ask? For one thing, as I have posted before, I am not a huge fan of the Diamond. I do love Blue Diamonds, and Yellow Diamonds, but I am a frugal kind of lady, who also wants good quality. So these have eluded me. So I look to other colored gemstones to satisfy my needs for lovely color, and clarity. Since I have a small hand, size 4 1/2 for my ring finger, I like petit jewelry, but that also makes a statement. I do not usually wear my engagement ring, as it always looks like too much on my hand. My wedding band, is almost too petit, to be noticed. So I decided to make myself a little bit of a bigger wedding band, and just not wear the engagement ring. I found a lovely wedding band, that holds 8 round 2.5mm gemstones. So I bought it, and went on my quest for the stones. This took quite a long time. Then I found these color change Sapphires. I love color change gemstones, and when I got these in the mail, I was stunned. They are so much prettier than the picture shown when I purchased them. They have amazing clarity, and sparkle. They change from a stunning purple, to pink color. I am so happy I bought these. I also bought some Pink Tourmaline, just in case, but they did not have the sparkle that these have. So I am anxiously waiting for my ring setting, so I can put it all together. It is coming from over seas, and had to be resized, so it is taking a bit longer than usual. I can not wait to share it with everyone, once I get it all done. I am so excited!

Rhodolite Garnet The Rose Garnet

Garnet is one of the most versatile, and colorful gemstones, in the world. It comes in almost every color imaginable, except blue, and is completely natural, with no treatments needed. Rhodolite Garnet, is the reddish, pink colored Garnet. It is sometimes called the Raspberry Garnet, due to its color. It can be found in varying hues of reddish pink, and even some purple hues. My favorite is the hues that have more pink, thank purple. This lovely ring, holds a 6mmx4mm oval Rhodolite Garnet gemstone, set in a sterling silver, cz semimount. The result is this lovely, yet dainty ring. It is big enough to be noticed, but not gaudy if you have a smaller hand like myself. All Garnets have a hardness of 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. It makes it a durable gemstone, but you do have to use care when wearing for everyday wear, or while cleaning. If you do not have Rhodolite Garnet in your collection, I highly recommend it. It is one of the more affordable varieties of the rare Garnet group. This lovely ring, is available for sale in my Etsy store.

Green Quartz One Of The More Rare Quartzes

There are several kinds of Green Quartz on the market. Some are more rare, and uncommon than others. Prasiolite, which is a very soft, pale green, is the most common form in the market today. Prasiolite is not a natural gemstone, in the sense that the color is made by heat treating pale Amethyst, to get the minty green color. It does not occur naturally in nature. I do own some Prasiolite, as well, but do not have pics, as it has not been set in jewelry as of yet. This Green Quartz pictured, however, is natural in color, and even looks like a good quality Emerald. I had two of these, but one sold a few years ago. These were a gift to me, and I am told these are very rare, and not many are found anymore. It is small a 6mmx4mm oval, and does have some minor inclusions. It is set in a dainty sterling silver ring casting, and is available for sale it my Etsy store. It has a hardness of 7, on the Mohs Hardness scale. While that makes it a sturdy stone, it should be worn with care, and not worn for housework or other areas where it can get dinged.

Thank You To My Top Entrecard Droppers

It is that time again, to thank my top Entrecard droppers.

Dropper	# of drops
Basketball Daily	31
My Daily Discourse	30
Shopperista	30
BeadedTail	30
Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice	30
Glue 4 Families	29
Paperkraft.net	28
San Diego Backroads	28
LOL Cats	28
Tialey Vintage Clothing	28

Here are some of the blogs, I put my widget on, and the number of hits I received from that blog.

Widget shown on	# of clicks
Out of the Pink Sky	114
my beautiful creations	51
StudioJewel	46
Waterrose	46
SilverCanyons Handcrafted Jewelry	30
Vintage Jewelry Pics	22
Creative Jewelry Designs by Laura Staley	17
Wire Artisans Guild of Etsy	15
MySweetThree	15
The Dancing Monkey Jewelry Chronicles	14

Easy, Cheap, Effective Way To Clean Jewelry

I got this from one of the womans magazines, probably Womans Day. It is easy, affordable, and it works. I tried it on my own jewelry, both silver and gold, and it worked great. I keep my jewelry pretty clean, so I didnt have any heavy dirty items, so I cant say how well it will work on heavily dirty, or tarnished pieces. In a cup or bowl, add a drop of mild dish soap, I used Dawn. Add your jewelry pieces, then just a bit of warm water. On top of that pour plain, unflavored seltzer water. Gently swirl it a little, to activate the bubbles, and soap. Leave the jewelry in for appx 2 -3 minutes. Scoop the jewelry out, and rinse under warm water, then dry with a soft cloth. The bubbles in the seltzer water, help to loosen any hidden dirt, and particles. You could use a very soft brush for extra cleaning. If you have fragile gemstones, dont brush the stone itself, just polish with a soft cloth.

Couples Rings Ruby and Peridot, My Husband and Me

Couples rings, are becoming ever more popular. Much like a mothers ring, they feature the gemstone of your birthstone, and the birthstone of your husband or significant other. This couples ring, was made by myself. It features a ruby, for my husband, and peridot for me. The setting was strange, and I am not sure I will be keeping the stones in there. For now, it works, until I find another setting. It does sit low on the hand, with prongs that dont catch, so that I do like. It appears to have spots for other stones, which it was not advertised that way, and they arent normal stone sizes or shapes. So for now, I leave it the way it is, and wear it with love, until I find another I like better.

What Inspired You To Make Your Own Jewelry?

I like to keep this blog informational, conversational, as well as sharing some of my pieces I have created. So my conversation, for today, is what inspired you to make your own jewelry?

For me, I am not really a crafty kind of girl, but I love gemstones. I started learning about them, and collecting them, about 7 yrs ago. I collected so many, I didnt know what to do with them. I love jewelry, and was given some very nice pieces, from family members that I cherish. As I got older, and really started wanting to buy pieces of jewelry, I noticed how extremely expensive, the more rare pieces are. I love the rare and more exotic gemstones, and refused to pay those ridiculous prices. So I looked into making my own jewelry. While some supplies, especially for standard setting jewelry, are expensive they are cheap compared to retail prices. As I got into it more, I realized that retail, charges at least 6 times more than what they actually paid for the jewelry or the supplies to make the jewelry themselves. That means that 6,0000 dollar engagement ring, you might have, actually only cost 1,000 dollars to make. Wow right, that is what I said. Now I cant always afford gold, or platinum settings, and buying lose diamonds is very difficult, but I can afford silver and good deals on loose gemstones can be found if you look hard. So I started making my own jewelry. Alot of it I have kept, gave as gifts, and some I sell. I love to share ideas, creations, and other info about gemstones and jewelry making.

So that was my inspiration, the simple love of jewelry, and the desire to not pay a fortune for it. So what about you?

Do You Write Your Own Songs?

There are so many talented, and gifted people with talents in many different crafts. My son has a ear for music, and even might some day want to try to write his own songs. He has already started writing a song, and he is only 8. He would need to add music to his lyrics, once they are completed, and I found the coolest website, where he could listen to beats, and then purchase if he liked them. You can click here, instrumentals to visit their website.

Once you go to the website, you can see all the beats that are available for purchase. He is a Paypal verified seller, and if you use Paypal you know that it is safe, and reliable. He offers a Gold Pack, and a Platinum Pack. Both options are royalty free, which means you get to keep any profits that are made. You also can make a song, and submit it to the website, and it could become a Featured Artist song. Once you have picked the beats you like, payed with Paypal, your beats will be emailed to you for you to download. How simple is that. My son listened to a whole bunch, of the available beats, and he really liked Hotel Room, and Take Two. If you like listening to beats, or you are an aspiring songwriter than you need to go to instrumentals

Gold packs start at 19.95, and Platinum packs at 99.95. Check it out today.

Shop My Store For Huge Cyber Monday Sale

I need to clear out my inventory, so I am having a huge sale on Cyber Monday. In case you do not know when Cyber Monday is, it is Monday December, 1st. My sale will run from midnight to midnight on that day. I will be offering buy one, get second item 20% off. I already have awesome prices, and great jewelry and other items. If you want some lovely gifts at great prices, be sure to stop by http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6007466

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me here, or through my store. I do combine shipping, and will ship to certain international countries. Please be sure to contact me about shipping if you dont live in the USA. My products are mostly one only, creations by me. Have a great Friday, everyone.

Have A Wonderful and Safe Thanksgiving

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Jade The Mystical Birthstone

I love Jade. I cant even tell you how much. I love especially the pink and lavendar varieties of Jade. These colors are usually enhanced or died, but I dont mind. There are two common forms of Jade, Jadeite and Nephrite.

Jadeite is a very tough and resistant form of Jade. It has tight growth of tiny interlocking grains, which makes it tough and resistant to scratching. It occurs in a variety of splendid colors. Jadeite is usually more transparent of the two kinds, and usually brings higher prices.

Nephrite Jade is a very dense and even tougher variety of Jade than Jadeite. It occurs in all colors, with green being the most valuable. Nephrite is more common than Jadeite.

Both Jadeite and Nephrite are used in Jewelry in Cabachons. It is also used for carvings, and vases, and other ornamental decorative uses. It is a very versatile and collectible gemstone. Both forms have a hardness ranging from 6-7, on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Jade is an ancient symbol of love and virtue. It has long been felt that it helps to protect the kidneys as well as other vital organs. It is also believed that wearing Jade, will increase body strength and add longevity to life.

Added Technorati To This Blog

I finally got around, to adding Technorati to this blog. I have had it on my Homeschool blog for sometime. If you would like to be added to my favorites, leave me a comment. You can always click the widget on the side bar, and add me to your favorites, and I will reciprocate. I have not made any new jewelry, this week. I am just too busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday. If you are traveling for the holiday, be safe, and have a great time.

Carnelian The Alternative Birthstone For August Babies

This ring, is either, a Carnelian cabachon, Mexican Fire Opal, Mandarin Garnet, or Red Agate. It was made by myself, and the gemstone is genuine, though unidentified.

I am an August baby, and I already made a post about Peridot. I love Peridot. If you have never experienced gem quality Peridot, than you no doubt are not a big fan of Peridot. In the commercial markets, it is dull, lifeless, and very often included. But all you August babies, there is gem quality Peridot out there, and it is stunning.

The alternative birthstone, for August is Carnelian. Carnelian is also an alternative birthstone for the Zodiac Sign Virgo. Carnelian is a member of the Chalcedony family, and is a hot red color, in its finest form. It is usually heat treated, to get this red hot color, and is extremely hard to find in its natural form. They are always cabachon cut, or that I have seen. I have several, loose stones, that I think are Carnelian but have not had them tested.

It has a hardness, of 6 1/2 to 7, on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which makes it suitable for jewelry. It is advised, to set with care, and wear with care, as 6 1/2 does not make it the toughest gemstone on the market. Pendants, and Earrings, would probably be the better options.

When held against the light, Carnelian's color variety will show stripes. Natural Carnelian, shows a cloudy distribution of color.

Carnelian was used to protect the traveler after death and guard against evil. Carnelian's healing properties are thought to help purify the blood, relieve menstrual cramps and back pain. It is also thought to be beneficial in the treatment of infertility and is worn to enhance passion and desire.

Do you draw or sketch your designs?

Before you make a project, whether it be jewelry, or some other project, do you draw out your design first. I dont, because I am not really artistic that way. I see something in my mind, that I will like, and then I create it. It doesnt always turn out the way I envision it. Sometimes it is even better. So how do you design your creations. Imagination, thought, sketchings or drawings?

Huge Picture Jasper and Orange Calcite Pendants

If you love Big and Bold, I mean huge jewelry, then these pendants are for you. I love Picture Jasper. It is probably my most favorite gemstone, in cabachon form. It is extremely difficult to get a hold of, and is rather expensive. The heart shaped, Picture Jasper pendant, was made using soft pink peach colored wire, which is very soft and pliable. I made the bail super huge, to accommodate a ribbon, or large omega, chain, or whatever you would wish to wear this on. The other pendant, is Fire Orange Calcite. This is such a cool pendant. Calcite is usually like a chalky white or light yellow color, but can be found in other colors. It is also a rather soft and unstable gemstone, so using it in a pendant is perfect. This large beauty is Fire Orange in color, and has three gold tone, with fancy rope design to make it a drop pendant. The jump rings are each 10mm round, so it can accept a large chord, or omega as well. The two pear shape stones are Magnesite, other wise known as White Turqoise. They are actually a member of the Calcite family, not Turqoise, but Native Americans have referred to it as White Buffalo Turqoise, for years, and the name stuck with it. All of these lovely items, will be available for sale, later today, in my Etsy store, Missy69. You can scroll to the bottom of the page, to see my Etsy mini and visit my store.

The Colors Of Christmas In Jewelry

Green and Red, Silver and Gold, the colors we associate with Christmas. What about in jewelry, the colors of Christmas. Silver settings, gold settings, Garnet, Spinel, Rubies, Green Quartz, Green Andesine Labradorite, Emerald, and many more. These stones are all the colors of Christmas, in wearable art form. All these lovely pieces are available for sale, in my Etsy store missy69, or click the link at the bottom of the site.

Crochet Choker With Swarovski Pearls and White Turqoise

This necklace, is my mothers Christmas gift, made by me. I tried to show it on different backgrounds, picture taking is not my natural craft. I crocheted the choker using a tan and gold thin thread. Then I added a tear drop shaped Magnesite stone, also known as white Turquoise, with Swarovski pearl dangles. I added a magnetic clasp for easy putting on, and taking off. I can not say how much I love these magnetic clasps, they are awesome. My mother has been telling me for years, that she would love White Turqoise jewelry. I have been looking and looking, and the only thing I could find was White Howlite, which she said was not the right material. Then last week, when browsing my new Fire Mountain Gems catalog they had something called Magnesite, which they also called White Turqoise. So I did some searching, and it seems this is the correct stone. It really is not Turqoise, and is no such thing as white Turqoise, but Native Americans for many years have called this material White Turqoise, or Buffalo Turqoise, and have used it in ceremonial jewelry. It seems it ias actually a member of the Calcite family of minerals.

The Combination Of Black And White In Jewelry

I do not know about you, but I love black and white together. In jewelry it is especially lovely. I actually like to combine black stones, with a lot of colors including, blue, red, and pink. There are a lot of black gemstones, available for jewelry making. There is Black Spinel, Sapphire, Onyx, Diamonds, just to name a few. Black Spinel used to be available in only huge carat weights, making it difficult to use as an accent stone. I recently was able to purchase 3 6mm round Black Spinel gemstones, the perfect size for jewelry making. I set one of them in this lovely sterling silver ring, surrounded by CZ's. The result is this stunning ring, that I wear almost everyday as part of my wedding set. I am not sure what I will do with the other two stones, yet. The other ring pictured, is a Black Sapphire ring, set in sterling silver. That ring, is a size 6 and is being offered as a promotional item, for my Etsy shop. The first person to purchase 25 dollars or more, before shipping, from my Etsy shop missy69, then return to this blog and state they have made the purchase will win that lovely ring for absolutely nothing.

Common Gemstone Treatments

Most gemstones, in the marketplace, have been treated in one form or another. Treatments are used to enhance color, improve clarity, or in some cases make a stone a whole new color. For example most Citrine, in the market today, is actually heat treated light purple Amethyst. Did you know that, I didnt until I started researching gemstones. Tanzanite, is heat treted to get the purple blue color, so desired. When it comes out of the ground it is brown, or green, 9 times out of 10. Treating of gemstones, is completely acceptable in the trade. It is however, illegal to not disclose to the consumer, that a stone has been treated. Treatments, make stones more beautiful, but they should also bring the value of the stone down some. So when purchasing gemstones, beware of the seller that will sell you a stone at extremely high prices, without revealing to you the stone has been treated. Here are some common forms of treatments, being used today.

1- Heat treatment, probably the most commonly used method of treating gemstones. It is used to enhance or change the color, of a gemstone.

2- Diffusion, a method similar to heat treating that intensifies the color of a gemstone.

3- Irradiation, a method used mostly for enhancing of color, or bringing on a totally new color. Alot of exotic colors of diamonds and topaz are irradiated. Blue diamonds, red diamonds, green diamonds, and very intense yellow diamonds are almost always irradiated.

4- Oiling and Waxing, is used to enhance gemstone color by filling in cracks and fissures. It does not appear this is a permanent treatment, and your stone may someday not be as lovely as when you purchased it.

5- Fracture filling coats gems with a clear or colored epoxy resin or another substance. The treatment fills-in cracks, which improves the appearance of the gemstone. This is very often done with rubies, and emeralds, where large amounts of inclusions are common. This is acceptable in the trade, however it does devalue your stone immensely so beware when purchasing stones. Be sure to ask if this treatment has been done, especially if you are paying a very high price per carat.

6- Laser drilling, removes inclusions thereby improving clarity. I have never heard of this one, and have no experience with it.

In conclusion, while most gemstones, in the market today are treated in someway, it should be disclosed to you. They are used to make stones more beautiful and lovely.

Pistachio Green Freshwater Pearl Bracelet And Earrings

As I have stated before, I love pearls. Colored pearls, are my favorite, but will take pretty much any. These lovely pieces were made by me. The earrings are dangle design, with Pistachio green Freshwater Pearls, wire wrapped with sterling silver wire. The bracelet, is a cuff style bracelet, with Pistachio green Freshwater Pearls, that were wire wrapped with sterling silver wire, to the bracelet. As you can see the results are lovely. Both of these lovely pieces will be available for sale, in my Etsy store, missy69 soon. Be sure to check out my store. The first person to spend 25 dollars, gets a free SS Black Sapphire ring.

Canary Yellow Tourmaline Ooh La La

I would like to remind everyone, about my sales promotion. The first person to buy 25 dollars, before shipping, from my Etsy store, will get a free SS Black Sapphire ring, which is pictured in a previous post. I only have one, and the first person, to verify purchase through this blog, will win it.




Tourmaline, is such an amazing gemstone. It comes in almost every color of the rainbow, and is a very durable and tough stone. Canary yellow tourmaline is a new find of gemstones, out of Africa. Though yellow tourmaline is not new, it always had just a hint of brown to it. This new find of tourmaline, when heated, turned an amazing canary yellow color, and is flawlessly clean. This one pictured, is unheated, and therefore natural in its color. It does have a very slight hint of brown to it. It is also pleochroic, with changes to lovely green colors. I actually set it in a marquis setting, because it would absolutely not set in any oval setting I tried. I absolutely love this stone, and hope to get one of the canary colored tourmalines, someday.

I love Cameos, New and Vintage

I really love Cameos, new and old. The ring shown, my mother made for me for my birthday. It is a heavy silver, with a lilac and white cameo. I love it, and wear it often. The other two shown, I have had in my collection for many years. I think they are Intaglios but I am not sure. If anyone has any idea how to identify them, I would love to know. They do not appear to have any markings. The Brooch is of a Roman Soldier under glass, it is very colorful and 3D. The square cabachons are also Roman Soliders, and are 3D. I would love to know some more information on these, they are fascinating.