Carnelian Was a Favorite With the Ancient Peoples

CARNELIAN, a red variety of chalcedony, has been in great demand as jewelry and ornamentation since the fourth century BCE.  Archeologists have unearthed  many pieces of jewelry and decorative arts of the Ancients from the Bronze Age in Crete and Ur. Among their discoveries  were carved scarabs and seal rings from the later Roman era.  At another site, archeologists unearthed beautiful necklaces of carnelian and gold made in  the 1400’s BCE.

Carnelian jewelry is still in great demand today by fashionable women.  You can have it made into casual necklaces to wear with jeans to more formal pieces suitable for career and after five clothes.

You can find carnelian stones in colors ranging from a creamy pale brown to a dark reddish-brown.  A near cousin to carnelian is Sardonyx. Sardonyx is usually striated with various shades of the carnelian mixed with creams and whites.

Found all over the world, the best carnelian is from India. When buying carnelian, make certain you are getting carnelian and not a dyed stone.  A good deal of the carnelian now sold, is Brazilian agate, artificially stained to resemble the pricier Carnelian.

It is very easy to confuse a true Carnelian from other similar stones.  Carnelian stones are translucent and can be distinguished from Jasper and Sard which are similar stones, but not translucent.  In the East it is common to find beautiful Carnelian stones that have markings “burned” into the stone with natural vegetable dyes and heat.

Some people believe that Carnelian is a powerful stone for action.  Courage, confidence, motivation, ambition, and drive are thought to be enhanced when wearing beautiful Carnelian. It is said that these strengths will encourage you to move forward toward your life goals.

Opaline is a Gorgeous Fake!

Opaline has a depth of color and fire about it. From its milky depths it reflects cool shades of blue and warm, fiery orange. Known as a semi-crystal because of the high lead count, semi-crystal Opaline becomes a beautiful stone when cut into a faceted briolette. Cool to the touch like a natural stone, good Opaline is made of a very high quality art glass. But, as in gem stones, you can find inferior or fake Opaline.

First created in France in 1785 by French glass artists, beautiful Opaline quickly caught the attention of art glass collectors around the world. It is still in great demand today by collectors. Many of those pieces exist today.

The glass turns a lovely milky translucent color when fired. As the glass artist works, he adds various chemicals to the silica such as zinc, cobalt, manganese, and other metal oxides. Zinc makes it white; cobalt adds the blue hue; manganese creates the violet hue; and other metal oxides cause the fiery flashes.   With each firing of the glass at increasing temperatures,   the Opaline becomes more opaque.  After the last firing, the artist places the Opaline in a cooling oven to temper it.

The necklace you see here is available for purchase. Click on the picture  to learn more.

12 September Birthstones – Can you name them?

Can you name the 12 birthstones used for September birthdays? Hint: Sapphire is the most familiar birthstone.  You will find the  other eleven listed at the end of this post.

Sapphire is a hard (nine on the MOH hardness scale) hexagonal crystal from the corundum family. Usually when we think of sapphires, we think of blue stones.  Impurities present during the stone’s formation impacts a stones color. Hence, a sapphire can be the palest of blue to a deep almost navy color.  Why is it blue? Blue sapphire is blue because this is the only wavelength range of visible light that can be transmitted by the stone.  You’ll also find sapphires in other colors such as yellow, orange, pink, green, purple, and pink.

Some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires are found are found in Burma, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Corundum is also mined in the United States but is primarily for industrial use.

Today, beautiful, high quality, synthetic sapphires are available.  You can proudly wear a gorgeous synthetic sapphire for many years.  As with all precious and semi-precious stones and metals, don’t wear them when using chemicals at home or work.

The other eleven stones are related to astrology and astral bodies.  There are many sites on the web that describe the meanings of astrological signs and the stars and planets so I won’t get into it here.

I use all twelve September birthstones  in my jewelry designs. So, if you’re looking for a terrific birthday gift, pop over to my Etsy shop to see the latest. And if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, send me an email.  With your ideas, I can create exactly what you’re looking for in a new piece of jewelry.

How about wedding jewelry for the Bride and her Attendants using the birthstone of the wedding month?  There are enough stone choices to complement any wedding color scheme.

The other eleven September Birthstones:

• Agate (so many colors and patterns in this stone)
• Carnelian  (deep rich autumnal hues of brown and orange)
• Citrine  (yummy yellow from almost clear to deep yellow)
• Jade (Lots of variety in color here)
• Jasper (lovely stones)
• Lapis Lazuli  (Blue, blue,  blue!)
• Moonstone (Almost iridescent)
• Opal (Peruvian Opal is gorgeous! And check out the Opaline Necklace)
• Peridot (Gorgeous green)
• Sardonyx (Irregularly striped variations of orange and cream – beautiful with Carnelian)
• Zircon  (Many different colors)

Seven Ways to Ruin Your Jewelry

Here are my top seven ways to ruin your jewelry. These are the problems I see most often when my clients me their broken or damaged jewelry. Sometimes the necklace, bracelet or earring can be repaired or re-strung. But, if it was a chemical attack, then I have to replace the beads – not always an easy thing to do, especially on a unique piece.

1.       Spray it with hair spray.

Hair spray and other hair products build up on your jewelry causing a nasty scum and may damage your necklace. Products should be applied and allowed to dry before putting on any kind of jewelry. It’s also wise to wipe your neck with a damp cloth before dressing to remove any product lingering on your skin. This simple step will keep your collars cleaner too.

2.       Spray it with perfume

Alcohol in perfume will eat away at the nacre and absolutely destroy your pearls. It causes discoloration, cloudiness, and pitting in minerals. Even the best turquoise will bleach out when exposed to harsh chemicals. Keep the perfume off your neck.  You have so many other areas for the scent.

3.       Toss it in a drawer or jewelry box

This guaranteed way to scratch, damage, and even misshape you necklace or bracelet. I recommend that my clients store each piece separately in small self-closing food grade plastic bags with tarnish resistant paper.

4.       Hang it on a hook.

Your jewelry is designed to lie around your neck or arm. Hanging jewelry on a hook causes the weight of the piece to be completely on one tiny section. It will weaken the piece and may cause a crimp or wrinkle, or more likely, it will break at the most inconvenient time. What’s your most embarrassing broken jewelry story?  I’d love to hear it!

5.       Soak it in water or chemicals to clean

Stones and minerals are porous, except for semi-precious and precious stones. Water and chemicals can discolor or weaken them causing damage.

6.       Wear it at the beach or in the swimming pool.

Yes it does look great with that swim suit. Chlorine and salt water will pit both silver and stones. They will also corrode the steel cable I use to string your beautiful beads.

You see lots of people at the pool wearing their gold jewelry. That’s a huge no-no! Here’s a recent discovery about that. Goldsmiths are finding that, often, they can’t work with gold jewelry their customers bring in for re-sizing or re-design because the gold has become brittle. It seems that repeated exposure to Chlorine causes chemical changes in the molecular structure of gold.

7.          Slam it in the lid of your suitcase.

Need I really say anything more on this one? By the way, this accident is not covered under your workmanship warranty. Grab all the beads and I will re-make it for you.

With proper care in wearing and storing your jewelry, you probably won’t need to clean it. But, if you do, clean your jewelry with a soft non-abrasive cloth dampened in warm water. Carefully rub each stone.  For sterling, use a silver cloth designed for jewelry. Rub gently to remove tarnish. Avoid getting it on the stones.

Keep it clean!

Store it properly!

But most of all, enjoy it! Wear a piece every day and everywhere – just not in the pool.

Remember, your beautiful jewelry is a work of art. Care for it and enjoy it for years to come.