Check Out My New Pattern by Etsy Shop

OK, not really new.  It has been about 10 days, but I have been real busy learning, updating, and creating new products.  The purpose of having the regular Etsy and then Etsy Pattern, as far as I can tell is SEO, and people who don't want to join Etsy to be able to buy products they want and love.

I have created some new painted sneakers, and working on some very cool new pieces of jewelry.  I love doing the etched glass, though it is definitely a steady hand skill.  Good thing I still have a pretty steady hand.

To visit my new shop, click the link, or simply do a search for #missy69 pattern by Etsy, in your favorite search engine.  I am considering buying the domain name, but I can't make up my mind.  My shop also has a blog, and a newsletter, so be sure to check them out if you are interested.  As soon as I get some newsletter memberships, I will send one out.

Owls with Team Support and Promote

This week I am featuring items with Owls from Etsy and Team Support and Promote. To visit each shop, just click the highlighted link under each image.

This lovely story locket is an owl pendant, from Missy69.  It holds real genuine gemstones.  Lovely gift idea.

Next up is this crochet owl hat and diaper cover in pink, from Shelleyscrochetole

Mspdesignsusa, has this adorable pdf quilt applique with two owls.  Great quilt supplier. 

This lovely white and gray owl necklace is from, Alfadesigns

Your kids will love these reusable kids napkins, one pink and one with owls, by Sticksnstonesgifts

Alexandrite Color Change Gemstone

I have probably blogged about Alexandrite before, it is one of my all time favorite gemstones, but it is next in alphabetical order of gemstones, so here we go again. I will try to add something different.  I actually wore an Alexandrite ring for years, that I made, and one day the stone just fell out and I could not find it.  I was heart broken.  I do have another, but it is quite small, and I have not found a setting I like to put it in.

Alexandrite is a color changing gemstone.  What does that mean?  It means in one light it is green, and in another light source it is red to purplish.  The newest location is Africa, but also comes from Brazil, and even USA.   It is amazing.  Alexandrite, is of course more expensive the more color change you get.  It is a naturally occurring gemstone, with no enhancements.  Most famous source is Russia, and was a stone named after Czar Alexander of Russia, hence the name Alexandrite.  It is a very durable gemstone, with a hardness of 8.5 out of 10, on the Moh's Hardness Scale.  If you can get one, and not break the bank, do it.  You won't be sorry.  There is synthetic Alexandrite, and Alexandrite simulated stones.  The best way to tell, if you are not sure, is the fakes are usually very large, with beautiful vibrant color, and 100% color change.  A genuine natural Alexandrite most likey will not be bigger than a carat, unless it came from an estate.  Alexandrite is a member of the Chrysoberyl family of gemstones.

Check out the video below showing the color change.  Please note I am not affiliated with the seller, I am just sharing the video showing the beautiful color change.

Blue Topaz and Turquoise

If you were born in December your birthstone is the Blue Topaz, or alternately Turquoise. The original birthstone, for December, was Blue Zircon. But due to it's very expensive price and rarity for getting it, Blue Topaz has replaced it. Did you know that blue is the most popular color in America? Watch the videos below to see both of these beautiful gemstones.

Ecrater and Etsy Sale, Buy One Get One 50% Off

Today only, buy one item either from my Ecrater store, or my Etsy store and get the second 50% off.  This sale will run until 9 PM tonight only, and then it expires.  Both items must be bought together, and either from Etsy or from Ecrater.  The sale item must be of equal or lesser value.  Visit my Ecrater store and shop now.  Or, visit my Etsy store, to shop now.  Share this post, so others can get in on an awesome deal too. 

All About Citrine

I have gotten a bit off track with this blog, mostly because of being busy, and some because I have been promoting my Etsy store so much, and others stores too. Now, I am going to be selling my items directly from this blog, and my Facebook page. So, if you are someone who is interested in beautiful, affordable gemstone jewelry, one of a kind Art work, or crocheted gifts, then check back when I begin selling on here. I will have a Paypal cart for easy buying. I have actually been selling my handmade gifts for like ten years. This is a sort of new way of doing it. I will be going back to some of my roots of this blog, as well. My love of beautiful gemstones and jewelry, and the info I love to share. Citrine is the birthstone for November. The original birthstone was Imperial Topaz, a very rare and expensive gemstone in its natural form. So, Citrine was adopted as the birthstone for November. This is the first time I have used a video from the company below. One thing I don't necessarily agree with is that their supplier does not always know if the stone is heated or not. I think they have to disclose that to you, but I could be wrong when it comes to beads. Natural, unheated Citrine, is a very very pale yellow and is not popular among jewelers to use.

The Art Of Gem Carving

I would so love to learn how to do this. It takes many years of practice, to do it well. This short video is cool, and gives an idea of how to carve a gemstone.

What Does A Gem Geek Get For Her Birthday?

My husband is not comfortable buying gemstones for me, so I always pick what I want, and then he gets it. This year I got a 50 carat parcel, that included the gemological tweezers, and this lovely tray with 50 gems jars. This is my whole collection, minus a few that I could not fit in. I have been collecting these for years, and years. A lot of them have been made into jewelry already, and sold, or given as gifts. This is the first I have gotten the little jars, I just always kept them in a soft lined box. They are much easier to see this way, and show off, I highly recommend them if you collect gemstones. I have never been comfortable with tweezers, until I got the gemological tweezers, they really are much easier to use. I am unsure why, but I am an expert with the tweezers now. It took me a long time to get all those stones, in those little jars. I don't have a gem scale, so I am not sure how many carats I have in my collection, but it is quite a bit.

I was somewhat spoiled this year. Usually I just pass over my birthday with no big hoopla. This year my husband, and kids took me to dinner. A bit pricey but it was nice, to not have to cook, and get treated. Plus a new vacuum on the way. I know all you women are groaning at the thought of getting a vacuum for your birthday. But, when we bought our home, it was already 20 years old, and the rugs are just something to wish away LOL. I had one vacuum that worked wonderful, and it died, and my back up really kind of stinks. I am not a neat freak, but I am not a fan of dirt either. So my husband ordered me a new vacuum, and I am actually excited.

Happy Fathers Day, Mandarin Garnet Ring

Happy Fathers Day to all Dads, everywhere. I love the graphic below, it has a lot of meaning. The ring shown is a Mandarin Garnet cabachon, gents ring, size 9, nugget syle, sterling silver. Mandarin Garnet is one of the more rare finds in the Garnet family. It is natural in color, with no enhancements, or treatments. It is fire orange in color, and has a hardness of right about 7, on the Mohs Hardness Scale. If anyone is interested in purchasing this lovely gents ring, for the Dad in your life, you can contact me at darien04@gmail.com Price is 29.99 plus 4.95s/h USA buyers only, payment with Paypal. Have a great Fathers Day, everyone.



Fathers Day Comments

A Few Things I Have Learned

The other day I posted about using a dichroscope to test for unheated Tanzanite. I messed around with my dichroscope last night, it is a secret though because it is a Mother's Day gift, so shh do not tell anyone. Anyway I had some Tanzanite pieces, and I tested them, and some of them do have the yellow/green colors that show through the dichroscope. So I am excited to think I have some natural, unheated Tanzanite. I also learned when using the dichroscope, be sure to have white paper behind the piece you are looking at. What a big difference that made. Also, I have been suffering from headaches, when looking at stones, and making jewelry. I went and had an eye exam, and was prescribed glasses for up close work. If you wear glasses, for up close work, you need to wear them when looking through the dichroscope. Without them, I could not really see a thing. With them, it was amazing the difference. Those are the new things, I have discovered in my endless journey to learn to identify gemstones. More soon, have a great day, everyone.

Pink Zircon and CZ Ring

Zircon is one of the oldest gemstones, known to man. It is almost always natural in color, with no enhancements. Matter of fact the CZ which is a man made gemstone, was made because of the popularity, and scarcity of natural Zircon. Zircon can be found in a variety of colors. This one was sold to me as Imperial Zircon, which I am not sure what that means, but it is a pinky peach, with a hint of orange color. It is a 6mm Trillion that I set in a stunning sterling silver, size 6, cz semi mount. It is rhodium plated to prevent tarnishing, that also means it can not be sized. This stunning ring will be available to purchase, in my missy69 Etsy store. Zircon is a very durable gemstone with a hardness of 8, on the Mohs hardness scale.

Color Change Diaspore Ring

I have blogged about this gemstone before, you can find it in my archives. I really did not like the original setting I had it in, so I removed it and just set it aside. I think the main problem with the stone, is that it was sold to me as an 8mmx6mm oval stone. It is more like an 8mmx7.5mm making it almost round, not oval. Because it is not a standard calibrated size, it makes it more difficult to find a setting for it. I could have taken it to a jeweler and had a custom setting made. That could have cost hundreds of dollars, so I just waited knowing I would find something appropriate eventually. I tried round settings, and it just would not sit correctly. Finally this one, which is actually for a square cut stone, fit it perfectly. It allows a lot more light to pass through the stone, than the previous setting I used. Therefore the beauty of the stone can be better seen. As you can see it has a lovely Kiwi Green color, and under incandescent light changes to a lovely pinkish color, sometimes yellow. It is a natural gemstone mainly found in Turkey, and is sold under the trade name of Zultanite. It has a hardness of about 6 1/2 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it durable but care must be taken when wearing it. It is definitely a gemstone worthy of any collector, or jewelry lover.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Simulated Gemstone vs Synthetic Gemstones

There is a difference between simlated and synthetic gemstones. Of course a natural gemstone is a genuine gemstone.
Simulated gemstones are manmade gemstones, that can be made of any materials, including glass. They mimic the natural gemstone, they are simulating. They are often very large, affordable, clean and quite beautiful. They do not hold a lot of value, but make quite striking jewelry. Probably the most well know simulated gemstone is a CZ, which of course is a simulant for a diamond. Another one that I very much like, is the Paraiba Ice. It is a simulated gemstone made to mimic the very expensive Paraiba Tourmaline, which is the natural form of the gemstone. It has a lovely swimming pool blue color, and is quite affordable, in the simulated form.
Synthetic gemstones, are manmade gemstones as well. However they have the same chemical and optical properties, as a natural gemstone. There are some that carry a great deal of value, and are worth having in a collection. I own some padparadscha sapphire synthetic gemstones. I would of course love to own the natural form, but it is not only extremely rare, but extremely expensive. There are many synthetic stones on the market. It is like having a perfect version of the natural stone, without the expense.
Of course, as a collector, I would love to have a natural gemstone in all the stones that are available. Unfortunately that is not always possible, so these lovely substitutes, do nicely in their place.

Tigers Eye Member Of The Quartz Family

Tigers Eye, is a genuine gemstone, from the Quartz family. Created from Hawks Eye, part of the components of the material has oxidized to a brown color, and kept its fibrous structure. These fibers usually show up as stripes, on the gemstone. Some finer quality, Tigers Eye, will show a cats eye effect, with chatoyancy. Tigers eye, has a hardness of 6 1/2-7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, it has no cleavage, making it a durable gemstone. It is always cut in cabachon form, and has been used in gemstone carvings for many years. It is susceptible to some acids, so care should be taken not to wear Tigers Eye, when cleaning or working with chemicals. This ring, was made by me. It features a round Tigers Eye gemstone, with cats eye effect, set in a sterling silver ring, with rhodium plating, and Bella Luce CZ's. The Bella Luce semi mount, was purchased from JTV. This ring is available for purchase in my Etsy store.

We are into the last day of the contest, to win the Star Diopside Ring. To see the ring, go to the archives, and look for the title with that headline. I will be drawing the winner through Random.org tomorrow morning, and the winner will be announced and contacted. You still have time to get in. Join my reader, leave comments, buzz me up, lots of different ways. Good luck to everyone, that has entered.