The Great Things About Summer

Dealing with business issues, I blinked and May was gone!  But...summer is here again.  I’m enjoying every minute of it.  True to form, Santa Monica is overcast in the morning but, lately it has been clearing up sooner than usual – YAY!  I love to sit on my porch and soak up the morning sun – it helps me focus.  I've been working on more sculptural elements to my jewelry and enjoying the process.  Sometimes what comes out surprises me, what I started with in my head took on its own organic form and I’m completely pleased!  I love when that happens; it is almost like the universe is guiding my hands.  I've also been commissioned for a painting, YAY AGAIN!

GEM FOR TODAY

OPAL (one of my favorite stones and even more lovely in summer)

Attributes
Opal is a delicate stone, enhances cosmic consciousness and induces psychic and mystical visions.
Stimulating originality and creativity, opal aids in expressing ones true self.

A karmic stone, it brings back what one puts out and amplifies thoughts and feelings.

Encourages putting out positive sentiments while stabilizing emotional states.

The orange-red variety enhances personal power, protects against danger and is a symbol of hope.

Aids in awakening your inner fire and increases confidence.

Myth & Lore

Unfortunately, opal has a bad reputation for being bad luck which is totally unfounded.  The person responsible for the myth is Sir Walter Scott after publishing his novel, Anne of Geuerstein in 1829.  The story centered on Hermione, who wore an enchanted opal in her hair, giving off fiery red flashes when she was angry and sparkled beautifully when she was happy.  Hermione is accused of being a demon and in the process of an investigation a drop of holy water accidentally falls on the opal and it loses its sparkle.  She falls ill and is then carried to her bed, the next morning all that is found of Hermione or the opal is a heap ashes.  Because of this story, opal was determined to be bad luck and the public stopped buying the beautiful gemstone contributing to the decline of the opal market by 50%.  At that time the majority of opals were mined in Europe which had declined considerably.  50 years later, a stunning black opal was found in Australia and the market boomed once again, making Australia the prime source of black and white opals.  Surprisingly, Queen Victoria dismissed the superstitions and presented opals to her daughters on their wedding day – both daughters had no ill effects.  In Asia, the opal is viewed as a symbol of hope, in medieval times, blond maidens wore opals as it was a guarantee that their hair would not darken or fade, ensuring their beauty.  The opal was also thought to make a person invisible and in some circles is called the “patron of thieves.”  Opal is considered to have therapeutic qualities keeping its wearer immune from disease, increase the power of the eyes and the mind.

What is "IT"?

GEM FOR TODAY

PERIDOT (in honor of my mother, August birthstone)

Attributes
In ancient times it was thought to keep away evil spirits
Illuminates the ability to detach from outside influences and look to your inner power for guidance
Purifies the subtle and physical bodies and the mind
Releases guilt or obsession
Assist understanding of your destiny and spiritual purpose
Alleviates jealousy, resentment, spite and anger
Enhances confidence and assertion without aggression

Myth & Lore
As with many of the stones I've come across, the Peridot has its earliest history in Egypt   Ancient papyri records mining as early as 1500 BCE and it is the national gem of Egypt as its green color resembles an Emerald, the stone Cleopatra was so fond of.  In fact many believe the stones Cleopatra wore were indeed Peridot.  The darkest green can only be found in Egypt and Burma, but due to restrictive governments in both places, there is very little mining in those countries today.  Many cultures throughout history utilized Peridot as carved talismans to repulse evil and dispel nightmares.  Peridot is also called the "evening emerald" because under artificial light and/or moonlight the stone glows a brilliant green but, it is softer in intensity than emerald.  Peridot of two or three carats are expensive as the larger stones are darker and more vibrant.  Stones of eight or more carats are extremely rare and only found in museums or owned by collectors.  The stones we see in jewelry today vary from light to darker green with tones of yellow or gold.  Peridot was brought to Europe in the middle ages to be used in the breastplates of the Crusaders or used in church plates or robes.  It is thought to free the mind of envious thoughts and promote friendships, as well as, encourage spiritual preaching accompanied by miracles.

I was recently asked how I split my focus between my artwork (mixed media paintings) and my jewelry designs.  My immediate response was to state that I didn’t view the two as mutually exclusive.  Both involve an organic process that grows out of the materials presented to me.  Both activities require a dedication to present my worldview in a unique and expressive manner.  Both have meaning to me on a personal level but, the end products speak for themselves and I rely on my audience to determine what the compositions mean to them.

Jewelry is a bit more straightforward but nonetheless a certain statement is made by wearing it.  Artisan jewelry in and of itself expresses an appreciation for handmade products, with all its imperfections, as living a life of creativity, knowing who you are and unafraid to show it.  People who are drawn to handcrafted articles don’t follow trends, they are the trend.  The particular part of jewelry I enjoy most often is finding incredible stones (precious or semi-precious), there are so many!  Typically as I am perusing the catalog or website of my favorite bead/stone supplier, I find a stone that is different than anything I’ve seen before or the color is so overwhelmingly beautiful I can not resist ordering it.  Then I decide what to do with it, the creation of something completely unique from the normal mass produced jewelry is always a joy to me.  Which brings me to….

Gem for Today

AMETHYST

Attributes associated with Amethyst:

Extremely powerful with a high spiritual vibration

Enhances spiritual insights and calms the mind

Aids in developing clarity and improves focus

Helps remove confusion to assist with memory, improving motivation

Promotes emotional centering, dispels anger, rage, fear and anxiety

Stimulates the immune system

Alleviates spiritual, emotional and psychological pain

Balances and connects the physical, mental and emotional bodies

Although amethyst is one of the most common crystals (in the quartz family, oxide of manganese gives it its color), it is among the most spiritual of stones promoting love of the divine, encourages selflessness and spiritual wisdom.  Amethyst has a rich history and was highly regarded as a precious stone until large amounts were found in Brazil decreasing its value.  However, the spiritual qualities of the stone have remained strong throughout the centuries.  Most notably amethyst is thought to alleviate drunkenness, wished I known about this when I was younger!  According to Aristotle, amethyst was the name of a beautiful nymph who appealed to the Goddess Diana to protect her from the affections of Bacchus (Roman god of wine).  Diana in turn transformed her into a precious stone, whereby Bacchus, remembering his love for the nymph, gave the gem (amethyst) the power to dispel the noxious influence of wine from its wearers.  The Egyptians often employed amethyst as a charm to promote success in battle and illicit calmness in the face of danger.  Amethyst was widely regarded in the early Christian church and used in Episcopal rings and rosaries to attract tranquility in times of stress and bestow pious calm on its wearers.  Amethyst is known to ease the anxiety of death and helps transition the dying to the next realm as well as relieve the grief of loved ones.  Interestingly, it is said St. Valentine always wore amethyst.  During the Middle Ages, a time of chivalry and romance, if a lady presented the stone to her knight or a bride to a husband, in the shape of a heart set in silver, it was said to award the greatest happiness to the pair and blessings of good fortune.  Diamonds better watch out next Valentines Day, amethyst is taking over!

The necklace below is part of my new jewelry line.

Carved Amethyst used to enhance the silver chain

Full view of necklace with tassle

Gem of the Week

Gem of the Week

Aquamarine

Being that it is March and my birthday month, Aquamarine is the focus.  It is a beautiful stone and is associated with the sea, maybe that's why I love being near water so much!  In fact, legends say it is the treasure of mermaids and was carried or worn by sailors to keep them safe and prevent seasickness.  Aquamarine has been prized by many cultures and continues to be a prominent stone in jewelry making.  The Romans believed Aquamarine could dispel disputes between enemies and make them friends, as well as absorb the elements of love which makes it a popular gem for the newly married and as an anniversary gift.  Among the Sumerians and Egyptians, Aquamarine is a symbol of happiness and everlasting youth.  Other cultures attributed Aquamarine with the ability to promote courage and increase intelligence.  Aquamarine is also used in healing as it gives the wearer the ability of foresight and divination.  Europeans in the middle ages believed Aquamarine could cure belching....hmmmm, I know a few people that could use it! 

GEM OF THE WEEK
A Brief History of the Emerald

One of my favorite gems is an emerald.  The emerald has a long and illustrious history.  The most famous of mines in ancient times is the "Cleopatra Mine," beacuase of her fondness for the gem, although emeralds were used in jewelry, carvings and crowns as far back as the Babylonians.  For the Egyptians, the stones were symbols of rebirth and fertility.  The ancient Romans believed the stone refreshed and restored vision, Nero even had a pair of glasses made of emeralds to watch the gladiators as his sight was poor.  There are many virtures associated with the emerald including, improving intelligence, memory and eloquence.  Aristole, a great fan, brought emeralds to the attention of the western world and believe the stone could increase importance in presence and speech to the wearer.  It was also believed emeralds could prevent epilepsy.  These are just a few of the attributes ascribed to the emerald in the ancient world, there are many more legends and admirers including Elizabeth Taylor famous for her collection.