48 Hour Sale Pretty In Pink

This weeks 48 hour sale, in my Etsy Store, features this lovely pink Rhodolite Garnet. Garnet is an all natural gemstone that comes in every shade and hue except blue, though there is a purplish colored garnet as well. Garnet is the birthstone for January, and what a variety of choices you have. Get this lovely pink Garnet with CZ's all around it, in a cocktail yet petite ring, for $24.99 until Saturday at 12 noon, when it will go back to the original price. It is a size 6 and I offer a free layaway service if you want to use it. So click the link above and hop on over to my store, and buy this lovely ring.

Just Some Bits and Pieces Today

I have just a few things I would like to share with all my readers today. One October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In honor of that my blogs will be all pink for the whole month of October. Join in and show your support, and turn your blogs pink too.

I am still looking for six more crafters, any craft not just jewelry, to become part of Friends of Melissas Jewelry. It is on the left hand side of this blog, and you will see five links already there. I am looking for five more, to make ten. This is a new feature I am trying to get going. Once I get ten, those links will remain there for 90 days, at which time I will try to get ten new ones, or the others can re-apply. So just tell me you want to join in the fun, and leave me your link to your site. Remember I need six more, so tell your friends too.

Chic and Easy Beading Projects

48 Hour Sale Amethyst and Yellow Sapphire Pendant

This weeks 48 hour sale item is this Amethyst and Yellow Sapphire heart pendant. The chain is not included. It is on sale from now until Saturday the 25th at 12 noon, at which time the price will go back to its original price. The sale price is $8.50. To purchase this lovely pendant go to my Etsy Store. I put something on sale for 48 hours each Thursday, so be sure to bookmark me if there is something in my store you like. Start your Christmas shopping now, and get this gift idea for under 10 dollars. I also offer an awesome layaway plan.

Gemstones Under The Microscope

This is a really cool video showing diamonds, and sapphires under a 45x microscope. Watch it, you will like it.

Spice Up Your Home With A New Bathroom Suite

When my husband and I decided to buy a home, we opted to buy an older more affordable home. If you have ever bought an older home, you know you are gonna need to learn some DIY skills, with updating and repairs abound. So we are slowly learning to fix all the DIY projects our lovely home needs. It really isn't that hard either, once you learn it.

One of the things we need to consider next, is a new bathroom suite. Of course you could do the bathroom piece by piece, but buying the whole suite will save you money in the end. Because our home has two full baths, we would start with the bathroom that is used by us, and company. The bathtub has a crack in it, so we would definitely need at the very least a new tub in that bathroom.

The website showcased in the link above, has many great clearance prices, and specials on all kinds of bathroom products. You can get a whirlpool tub, stand up shower, or bathtub shower combo. The also offer bathroom tiles for the ultimate DIY do-over. Unique and stylish railings, shower enclosures, and furniture to meet any style you desire. I would love one of the heated towel rails they offer. How luxurious is that? Make it as simple, or as elegant as you wish. You are the master of your DIY domain.

Montana Sapphires

There are not many gemstones that actually come from the US. Because mining and production, is so expensive, most companies just stay away from it. Montana sapphires are natural sapphires found only in the state of Montana. They are usually very small in size, and a 1 carat stone is considered huge. They are not treated usually, and are sold as natural gemstones. I love them. The ring is a blue oval Montana Sapphire, about a 1/2 carat. It is surrounded by pink sapphires, not from Montana though. It is sterling silver, and will be available to purchase in my Etsy store soon.

Learn About Heat Treatment Of Sapphire

Sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September, and one of the four gems categorized as precious gems. Sapphire is from the corundum family, and comes in almost every color of the rainbow. Almost all Sapphire in the market today is heat treated to improve color, and clarity. It is accepted, and has been used for hundreds of years. Watch the video below to learn about heat treating of Sapphires. It is very interesting.

A Day We Will Never Forget!

Some days change lives. Some days change history. Some days do both. I know I will never forget where I was, and what I was doing, at the exact time the planes hit the towers. It changed the path of my life forever.

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The Beauty Of Sphene

Sphene what a weird name for a gemstone. You would think such an exotic stone would have a more exotic name. It is also referred to as Titanite again not very glamorous at all. My picture taking skills are not that great but the yellow green stone is a Sphene from my personal collection. The video below shows Sphene in rough form. Sphene can range in color from yellow, green, to even a real yucky brownish color. In its finest form it is a lovely green color, with the most brilliant fire you have ever seen. It only has a hardness of about 5 1/2 on the Moh's hardness scale, so care must be taken if you do set it in jewelry. It has more fire than a diamond, and is absolutely stunning in natural light sources.

Use Your Kids Toys To Make Ornaments

I actually got this idea last year, when shopping for Christmas ornaments. I used to buy a new ornament every year for my children. Then someday they could take them and hang them on their trees. My children have so many toys they love and don't always play with anymore. Some of the more special ones I wanted to keep. Like my son's super hero action figures, Thomas the Train engines, and Caitlin's My Little Pony miniatures, and Madame Alexander miniature dolls. Then I had a thought. You could use this very pliable crafting wire, in amazing colors, to wire wrap the toy and make my own ornaments. You could also hot glue a pendant bail to the top of the toy, and then just add a hook to hang it from the tree. I did one just to be sure it would work, and it worked wonderfully. You could even sell them in your Etsy stores or at craft fairs, if you had the inclination to do so. You would need a pair of flat nose pliers to squeeze in the ends of the wire, so it is secure, and not sticking out.

Lily Pad Inclusions In Peridot

The second picture down on the left hand column is a lily pad inclusion. These inclusions are seen only in Peridot, and are said to increase the value of the gemstone due to the rarity of finding it. I do not have verification that that statement is true or not. Peridot from all sources can have a Lilypad inclusion. In other words it does not identify the source of the Peridote ie Burma, or Arizona. If you click the image it will enlarge so you can see it better. This was scanned from my Gemstone Identification Made Easy book. I am still not convinced it is so easy, however.

If you collect gemstones, and want to learn to identify them, you need to learn what common inclusions look like, and what they mean.