Amethyst - The Stone of February

Amethyst is February's birthstone - that's a given.
Amethyst is more than purple and shiney and faceted in a pretty setting.
Amethyst is the stone of peace

Amethyst is in the quartz family and can be found all over the world, and with great abundance in Brazil and Zambia. It's color can range from lightest to darkest purple. Some so dark they almost look black when in the middle of cluster.

When heated, amethyst can turn yellow to dark orange, to resemble citrine. But unlike citrine, if exposed to direct sunlight over time, those colors will fade out and the stone will be clear like quartz.

As mentioned earlier, amethyst is the stone of peace. It is the stone for travelers, used to control evil thoughts and much more. I keep amethyst in my car at all times for all of these reasons :)

I use amethyst often in my work because of it's peaceful properties. It is a great addition to any stone combination :)

Until next time

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 

Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

"Charming" Carnelian And Copper Bracelet

Right before Christmas, my daughter informed me she had broken her carnelian bracelet. She is always wearing a single strand, simple, small carnelian bracelet. Carnelian and bloodstone are her favorite.  I didn't have any carnelian, so I went to my trusted Firemountain Gems and started poking around.  They had a great sale of a 'grab bag' bead mix of agate/carnelian strands. So I bit!

 How was I going to make a bracelet for Leigh for Christmas, if I didn't know what I was getting.  Not knowing was part of the fun, and added a challenge to the creative process.  While this is not the actual bracelet I made for her, I had to make another one similar for my shop :)

 When the order arrived, I was so thrilled to see these huge 10mm beads. It didn't take any time for the design to come together.

 The design grew into an awesome boho/hippie style, which fit her perfectly.

 I love a multi strand anything really. It has more flow, some bulk to get it noticed, so it can become a statement piece.  Tip of the day: Putting a seed bead between the beads gives the design flexibility. If the 10mm beads were butted up against each other, the design would be too stiff.

And then there is the carnelian. A beautiful agate full of courage and creativity. Deep color is warm and comfortable.

Do you like a creative challenge? I would love to hear about some of yours!

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 

Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Magic of Color - Dyed Stone and Copper Bracelet

When I create my pieces, I do so with meaning. I want each piece to mean something, have beauty for the wearers wardrobe and also for their soul.

To do this, I always gravitate to the metaphysical meaning of a stone, and work up from there, as opposed to working in color palettes. Color palettes are scary and confusing, pairing love and communication is way more easy :)

I picked up a couple strands at local retail chain totally out of impulse, because they were pretty. When I got home, I studied the beads.  I knew they were stone but what kind. I pulled out my trusty loop to look a bit closer, and even though I thought I may have seen some specs of hematite (which made me think it was dyed lapis) I still am not for sure, so I hesitate to 'label' the stones.

There is another side to this coin. Even though I do not know the stone, I do love the properties of the color blue. A beautiful deep blue, to help with communication and focus. Ever wonder why so many speakers wear navy blue suits? There is magic and yes, there is some psychology behind color.  :)

I paired this blue mystery stone with labradorite for clarity - see how easy that is - communication, focus and clarity. Couldn't get more simple that that, oh and yes, it is pretty too :)

Do you choose colors based on their properties?

Tree Agate Bracelet

I love this little bracelet. It is full of spring and summer fun.

It all started out with that copper pendant.  I had an idea for earrings, but there was only one.  What was I going to do with it. Then the idea hit me. Make it a clasp.

It wasn't hard to put the design together. These beads were all leftovers from another project or three. They were laying about the work table, just begging to be put together.  Agate for harmony, and amethyst for peace.
The rest kinda explains itself :)