Tanzanite Rough From The Source

Ever wondered what Tanzanite looks like in its rough form, straight from the ground? Watch the video below, to see. It is astounding the difference, between the two. Tanzanite is one of the most rarest, and sought after gemstones in the world. It was first discovered in 1967, and the mines are almost completely mined out. It has been called a generational gemstone, and a universal birth stone. Tanzanite did have a little bit of a taint recently, when it was discovered that some of the top color items, were actually coated, rather than just heated, like most Tanzanite is. The coating is not a permanent treatment, and brings down the value of the stone, tremendously. It is not one of the strongest gemstones, with a Mohs hardness of only about 6. It is very susceptible, to chipping, and scratching, and great care must be taken when cleaning, or wearing it. This pendant is one I made featuring a 5.5mm trillion shaped Tanzanite, set in a heavy sterling silver pendant, with yellow MOP, and CZ accent stones. It is available for sale in my Etsy store. Be sure to watch the video, and see the difference between a gemstone in its rough state, to a beautiful gemstone.

Paraiba Blue Chalcedony Pendant

This lovely sterling silver with fancy bail pendant, features a 12 mm round Paraiba Blue Chalcedony gemstone. This very unique, and special variety of Chalcedony comes from Paraiba Brazil. It is a fairly new find, and they found when they heat treated it, the color enhanced to this love Paraiba blue color. It is strikingly similar to the color of Paraiba Tourmaline, one of the rarest, and most expensive gemstones on the planet. Chalcedony is a member of the Quartz family, which is a very broad family of gemstones. It has a hardness of 6 1/2 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, so if it is set in a ring, care must be taken against dings. In a pendant, however, there are no worries. The bail is big, and easily accomodate an omega, ribbon, leather, or any other chain you might put it on. This lovely pendant is available for sale in my Etsy shop. If you do not have Etsy, and you are interested, you can contact me at darien04@gmail.com for details. Be sure to check out all my great items. I offer combined shipping, and a layaway plan.

My Never Ending Quest To Learn The Beaded Bezel

Yesterday, in the mail, I got a new Fire Mountain Gems catalog. As I was browsing through it I noticed a design for a beaded cabachon. So I went to their website, to check out their free tutorials. I have never paid much attention to their tutorials, just never thought of it. They had two of the kind I was looking for. After watching them both, I saw that there are other methods to achieve the same outcome. They used felt, and some interesting material I had never heard of. They used a couching stitch, and the back stitch, as the main bezel stitches. These appeared to be much easier to learn, than the one I have tried. I can not wait to get time, to try out these two new techniques. I am fairly certain, I have some felt around here somewhere. I hope everyone has a great day. If you have not checked out Fire Mountain Gems tutorials, they have both video, and printable forms, I highly recommend it.

So I Tried The Beaded Bezel Tutorial

On Sunday, my husband, and kids were going to be out of the house, for an extended period of time. I figured this was a great time to try the beaded bezel tutorial, I shared in a previous post. First let me say, if I ever say beading looks easy, please slap me. I spent the first two hours, just mastering the first three rows, ugh. Of course some of that time was spent watching the video a few times. Once it clicked what the first three rows were supposed to look like, I got it. Ha then came the rest of it. Now I did finish it, but it is way too ugly to share LOL. I did learn a few things, however.

1- I have a disability for following directions. I think I have mentioned that before. Had I followed the directions, it might have come out better.

2- I think I can modify the directions, to suit my inability to follow the directions supplied to me.

3- There must be an easier way to accomplish the same goal.

4- I will be messing around with some different ideas rolling around in my very active head, to see if I can come up with something less complicated. I am not so sure of this, but I can dream.

In conclusion, I will be doing this pattern again, and again, until I get it right. I would love some words of encouragement from all of you experts out there.

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day Comments

Petit Mauve Spinel and Blue Sapphire Ring

One of my most favorite gemstones is Spinel. Spinel is a gemstone that comes in almost every variety of color shade you can imagine. It is natural, and usually requires no enhancing treatments. The most coveted colors are blue, and red. Blue Spinel is so rare, it sells for thouands of dollars per carat, in its finest form. There is both imitation, and synthetic Blue Spinel on the market. It sells for a very expensive price, but does not seem to have to the value of what you pay for it, though it is quite lovely visually. With a hardness of 8, on the Mohs Hardness Scale, it is a very durable gemstone, and can be worn for every day wear. I do not recommend exposing any gemstones to household chemicals. This lovely sterling silver ring, is a petit size 6 ring. The center gemstone is a 5mmx4.5mm oval Mauve Spinel gemstone. Then there are three Blue Sapphire accent stones. I love this simple, yet lovely ring. This ring will be available to purchase in my Etsy store. If you do not have Etsy, and you would like to purchase through this blog, you can contact me at darien04@gmail.com for details. USA buyers only, and payment with Paypal through the blog.

Alexandrite and Ruby Ring

First let me say I do not think these are rubies, they are more the color of pink sapphires. A pink sapphire is technically a ruby, that did not get red enough but stayed pink. I love this ring, it will stay in my personal collection for sure. It is sterling silver, featuring a 5mmx4mm oval natural Alexandrite gemstone.

Alexandrite, is one of the rarest, and most expensive gemstones in the world. Named after Czar Alexander the Second, it was found in the 1830's in the Ural Mountains. It is a phenomenon gemstone, as it is a color change gemstone. A good Alexandrite will be emerald by day, and ruby by night. The thicker the stone, the better the color change usually is. The Ural mine has been mined out completely, but Alexandrite can also be found in India, Brazil, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Burma. It has a hardness of 8 1/2 on the Moh's hardness scale so it is a durable gemstone. However, it is sensitive to knocks, and dings, and color change to the stone can occur if exposed to extreme heat.

Since my kids birthstones are both a ruby, and an emerald, this is a perfect mothers stone for me. I got both in one stone. I have another one, that is just slightly smaller, and the color change weaker, but it is still a lovely stone. I have not decided what to set it in yet.

Aha I Found It!

Yesterday I posted I was looking for the name of the technique to bead, or chainmail around a cabachon. I spent a ton of time searching, and I found it. It is called a beaded bezel, and if you do not know that it can take forever to find the info. I found a video, and a written tutorial, and I can not wait to get the time to try this. I have a lot of larger cabachons, to try this with. Wish me luck!
The video is two parts, give it a try.

I Need Help From All Beaders and Chainmaille experts

I have some larger cabachons that I would love to learn to either chainmaille around them, or bead weave to make a pendant. I am looking for simple, and preferably free tutorials. I have no idea what they are called, so I am having a hard time searching for tutorials. If anyone is willing to help me out, I would very grateful. Thank you, in advance.

Its Party Time

I can not believe it is May 17th, already. Where has the time gone. My baby sister, from NY, is finally here, and we are having a party. I have not seen her since we moved to FL, four years ago. Since her Bday was May 8th, my daughters May 9th, and Mothers Day May 10th we have combined them all into one party, for today. We have a pool, and it is hot here, so there will a lot of swimming, hugging, and catching up, and of course cake and ice cream. I hope everyone has a great, and relaxing Sunday.



Hug Comments

Accepting Offers On This Vintage Blue Diamond Ring

I am accepting offers on this lovely ring. It is currently for sale for 600 dollars in my Etsy store. If you want to make me an offer, email me at darien04@gmail.com please read the description of this ring. There is a story to this ring. It was given to me as a semi mount without the center stone, as a form of payment for work I did for a friend. It used to be her engagement ring, then she removed the center stone for another ring, and gave me the semi mount. The stone that I placed in the center, is not a diamond, but it sure looks like one. I do not know for sure what it is, but it is amazing. The ring itself is a size 9, solid 14k white gold, and substantial amount of gold. The band is nice and wide. The blue diamonds are real, and I believe the total carat weight is one carat. Then there are nice white baguette diamonds on the shank of the ring. One baguette looks flawed, but it is hardly noticeable in the position it is in. It could be sized by a jeweler, one size down, I am unsure about two. This is a steal at the price I am offering it for. It will be insured, so please note the higher shipping fee. USA buyers only. Paypal only for this piece.

Petit Lavender Tanzanite and White Sapphire Rin

I am unsure of why I had such a hard time getting a clear shot, of this lovely ring. I will try to get a few more, to show it a little better. It is a sterling silver, size 6 Lavender Tanzanite, and White Sapphire ring. The Tanzanite measures only 5mmx4mm oval, and has round white sapphires surrounding it. This lovely, petit ring will be available for sale, in my Etsy store for 29.99 or you can purchase through this blog, by contacting me at darien04@gmail.com USA buyers only. This would make a lovely starter ring for a young girl, or graduation gift. Tanzanite is considered a universal birthstone, as well as the alternative for December. If you know someone who is having a baby girl, this is a wonderful baby shower gift.

The Queen Of All Gemstones: The Emerald

If you are lucky enough to be born in the month of May, then your birthstone is the Emerald. One of the top 3 collectible gemstones in the whole world, along with Sapphire, and Ruby. Emeralds are highly valuable, and sought after. Watch the short video, and click the link to go to another video, to learn about Emeralds. These are both great, short videos, check them out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ryodrpc6NQ

Happy Mothers Day To Me

Yay today is finally the day that I get to play with my new gemstone identification toys. I bought this set a while ago, as a Mothers Day gift. My husband was not supposed to get anything else, but he did. I have no idea what it is, but I will not get it until the 13th. I have been waiting to break out these tools, and start investigating my stones, that I do not know what they are. Of course it takes practice, and time, to know what you are doing. The book Gemstones of the World, is available for sale at my other blog http://www.melissashumor.blogspot.com as I already have it, and do not need a second copy. It is in the archives, so be sure to look for it if you are interested in it. I also have the book Gemstone Identification Made Easy, that I have been reading, and studying. Most of the time I buy gemstones, already identified, but sometimes you just can not resist a great deal on a parcel of stones. I still want the refractometer, but that will be for Xmas, or maybe my birthday.

Happy Mothers Day, to all you moms out there. May you have a wonderful day.

Montana Sapphire and Pink Sapphire Ring

The ring setting itself is a sterling silver, with pink sapphires. Then I set the Montana blue sapphire in the center. Both the blue sapphire, and the setting were not originally joined together. I had an Alexandrite in the setting, but I just never really liked the look that much. Then I put my Montana Sapphire in there, and it is a perfect look, the blue, and the pink together. This one is a part of my personal collection, and I have been known to frequently move my stones from setting to setting until I find what I like best. I do not do this with the items I sell, because it does come with risk of scratching the stone, or breaking prongs. I love Montana Sapphires, they are almost always natural in color, and they come in a huge variety of colors. They are never very large, so a big stone might be a 6x4 oval.

Happy Birthday Aunt Fifi

Today is my sisters 30th birthday. My kids call her Aunt Fifi, her name is Felicia. She does not read this blog, so I know she will not see this. She is coming from NY, next week, to visit. We are going to celebrate her birthday, my daughters birthday, and mothers day all on that next Sunday. We have not seen her in 4 yrs, since moving to Florida. My daughter was barely a yr old. These are a pair of Teal Topaz, and CZ earrings, made by me that I am going to give her as a birthday gift. I had many different options of which piece, I wanted to give her. I decided on these, because she has to dress up every day for work, and these are perfect for that. These snap set CZ semi mount castings, I purchased at Jewelry Television. They have been having nicer, and nicer silver semi mounts. I love it.

Large and In Charge Amethyst Ring

This is my moms Mothers Day gift, made by me. She has been telling me for some time that she wanted an emerald cut amethyst ring. I purchased the lovely 10mmx8mm emerald cut amethyst, from Fire Mountain Gems, they have some of the finest amethyst around. Then I had to find a setting, that was no easy task. I should have found the setting first, then bought the stone. At any rate, this lovely sterling silver, with rhodium plating, ring had a huge, and lovely clear CZ as the center stone. I removed the CZ and added my Amethyst to the setting. This can always be tricky, as you can damage the prongs, but I am quite good at it now. You see the results. It is a heavy ring, with a heavy silver weight. I hope she loves it. Happy Mothers Day, mom. Please do not forget about my sale in my Etsy store. 15% off, please use code mothers, so I can mark the price down for you.

Huge Mothers Day Sale 15% Off

I am having a huge Mothers Day sale, in honor of mothers, obviously LOL. Anyway from now until May 10th you can get any item from my Etsy store 15% off. Please be sure to follow these simple directions for a smooth transaction. If you find something you like, save it to your favorites, come here to this blog, or use the contact button on Etsy to email me and use the code mothers so I know to mark the price down for you. Do not purchase until I have marked it down for you. I do offer a layaway plan, so be sure to ask about that. You can also request to purchase the item through this blog, if you do not have Etsy, or do not want to join. Just contact me for info on how to do that. I only sell to USA buyers. If you have any questions please ask. Go now, and check out my Etsy store.

Russian Diopside or Chrome Diopside Ring with White Sapphires

This is a sterling silver ring with a %mmx4mm oval Chrome Diopside gemstone with four round White Sapphires on either side of the center stone. Chrome Diopside is also known as Russian Diopside, some even call it a Russian Emerald. It is not an Emerald at all, but because of its lovely deep green color, some people do market it as such. It is a size 6, and will be for sale in my Etsy store, or you can purchase it through this blog by contacting me at darien04@gmail.com the price is 49.99 plus 3.95 for shipping. Chrome Diopside is a natural gemstone, with no treatments applied to it at all. It is a very affordable replacement for an Emerald if you are a May baby, and find emeralds to be quite expensive.

My Top Entrecard Droppers For April

Can you believe it is May already? I can not, it has flown by. Below are listed my top 10 Entrecard droppers. If you have a couple of minutes, please click each link, and pay them a visit.

http://hellokittygifts.com
http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.blogspot....
http://www.splitrockranchllamas.blogspot.com/
http://buzzing-j.blogspot.com
http://www.iwalku2.com
http://www.beaderjojo.blogspot.com
http://www.thingsthatareme.com/
http://newhappenin.blogspot.com/
http://leomarsden.com/
http://beadedtail.blogspot.com/


This blog, http://silversachet.blogspot.com is the blog that I got the most advertising clicks from their blog to mine, with 35 clicks.