Entries from June 2009 ↓

Ruby is probably the best known of July’s birthstones. It has traditionally been considered one of the precious gemstones (along with diamond, emerald, and sapphire) – although in recent years, gemologists have turned away from the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” gemstones. (Some stones traditionally considered “semi-precious” – such as a green variety of garnet called tsavorite – can sometimes be worth more than “precious” stones!)

Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum. Sapphire is also a variety of corundum, and it includes a huge array of colors, including blue, white, green, and pink. Ruby owes its color to trace amounts of chromium in its crystal structure. Corundum has a hardness of 9 on Moh’s scale, second only to diamond. Because of its hardness, it is commonly used as an abrasive (sandpaper). Corundum is found in a variety of geologic settings – sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.

From mineralminers.com: “Ruby: is said to inspire love, and to enhance creativity, wisdom and spirituality. It is also said to give confidence, self-esteem and courage, and to stimulate leadership qualities. Ruby is also said to have been helpful in treating heart and circulatory disease.”

Wondering what to do on the 4th of July before the fireworks begin? Come down to Cupertino and see me at the De Anza Flea Market! I will be at booth #40C selling my jewelry and candles. The De Anza Flea Market is always a good time, with plenty of food, plenty of sunshine, and pretty much every type of item you can imagine (including beautiful plants) on sale! Parking is $5, and admission is free.

I am scheduled to sell at an event almost every weekend for the rest of the summer, so make a point of buying from me in person and saving shipping costs! I will also be doing wire-wrapping demos at most of these events. If you’ve been wanting to learn how to make a wire-wrapped ring or pendant, pay me a visit!

June’s birthstones include moonstone and pearls. Lava Jewelry has beautiful pearl and moonstone jewelry for those June birthdays. I wrote about pearls earlier this month, so now I will write about moonstone.

Moonstone is a form of a mineral called adularia, which is an orthoclase feldspar. (Was that all Greek to you?) It is a potassium aluminum silicate. Moonstone is known for the unique way it reflects light. It occurs naturally in a variety of pale colors, including white, pink, yellowish grey, green, peach, and grey. White/colorless moonstone with a schiller effect (like labradorite) is called rainbow moonstone. The Schiller is usually blue in rainbow moonstone.

Moonstone has a hardness of 6 on Moh’s hardness scale (quartz is 7, diamond is 10). Unfortunately, moonstone fractures readily, so I prefer not to use it in jewelry that tends to get knocked around a lot, like rings or bracelets. It’s a beautiful stone to use in earrings, necklaces, and pendants.

I do not know any of the metaphysical or healing properties of moonstone. If someone would like to contribute this information, please write in the comments below.

I will be selling my jewelry at the Downtown Campbell Art Walk this Friday. It’s going to be a great evening! Come by and check it out!

Where: Therapy Clothing (indoors), 347 E. Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA
When: 6-9:00pm, Friday June 19
Cost: Free!

I will be selling my jewelry and candles at the San Mateo Art and Wine Walk on the evening of Friday, June 26. Save money by purchasing your tickets in advance – a $25 ticket gets you a wine glass and 10 tasting tickets.

June has several birthstones, including pearls, moonstone, and rose quartz. I’ve chosen to write about pearls this time around. It takes years to become a pearl expert, and I’m far from being an expert myself, but I’d like to share some of what I do know here on my blog.

There are two types of pearls that I have used in my jewelry: freshwater pearls and Swarovski pearls. Freshwater pearls are cultured pearls that are grown in freshwater bivalves (clams and oysters). These pearls have become affordable as the technology to grow them has improved. They are often dyed or bleached to enhance their color. Swarovski pearls are faux pearls, not natural. They are made by Austrian crystal-maker Swarovski, and they have crystal cores.

I have been moving toward using Swarovski pearls instead of freshwater pearls lately, because I would like my jewelry to be vegan-friendly.

Grading freshwater pearls is an art in itself. Pearls are graded based on their color, shape, and nacre. (Nacre is the lustrous shell on the pearl.) Ideal pearls are close to round. Pearls with lumps or lines receive lower grades. The nacre of a pearl should be even in thickness, and top grade pearls have a beautiful luster. In general, white freshwater pearls are more valuable, although there are some wonderful naturally-occurring peach and ivory pearls.

Pearls require special care. Pearls strung on silk thread should not be allowed to get wet. Knotted pearl strings must be restrung periodically. Pearls should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner or steam cleaned. If your pearls require cleaning, the safest way is using warm water and a mild soap – never detergent. If your pearls are especially valuable, I recommend taking them to a jeweler for cleaning and restringing. Pearls should not be stored with other jewelry, because the gemstones and metal in other jewelry can scratch pearls. To keep your pearls at their best, always wipe them with a soft cloth before putting them away.

After many requests, I have decided to start offering gemstone stud earrings in my Etsy shop. I’ve listed a couple of pairs so far, with many more to come. I also welcome custom orders on stud earrings. Just let me know what type and size of gemstone you’re interested in, and I can give you a quote.

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted to my blog…

Well, I’ve been busy making new jewelry and selling at a variety of events. I have new items for Fall 2009 listed on my web site now.

I sold at the Union Design Festival in San Francisco on Sunday, and I will be selling at the De Anza Flea Market this Saturday. I’m at booth A42 – come by and say hi!

Photo by Vince Laviano.