Gemstone Highlight: Garnet - January's Birthstone

cut garnets from commons.wikimedia.org

What is it?

Garnet, the most well-known red gemstone, comes from the Latin word "granum" meaning "grain." This not only refers to the rounded shape of the garnet crystals, but is also suggestive of the small red seeds of the pomegranate.

Garnets have also been called "carbuncles" relating to the color and refers to a boil or blister.  Used since the Bronze Age, garnets are silicate minerals used as gemstones and abrasives.  There are many forms and varieties of garnets, but the six main garnet types are Almandine, Pyrope, Spessartite, Grossular, Andradite and Uvarovite.  It is the harder species, Almandine, that is used for abrasive purposes.  Garnets can be found in other colors including, yellow, orange, red, blue, brown, purple, black, pink and colorless. The rarest is blue, found in Madagascar in the late 1990s. The color changing garnets - pyrope and spessartite - are often mistaken for Alexandrite.


On the Mohs scale, it has a hardness of 6.5 - 7.5, polishes to a vitreous (glass-like) luster, and if fractured it will produce a conchoidal (shell-like) to uneven split.

This jewelry set features Pink Garnet

Where is it found?

Types of garnet deposits vary by location.  The most notable mines are located in the United States, Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Canada and a few others.  The most valuable come from the Ural Mountains of Russia.

Ancient Uses:

Garnets have been prized for over 5,000 years. Ancient use of garnets is extensive and I have only listed a few interesting notations.

A necklace with garnet beads was found in a grave that dates back to 3000 B.C.  That's a long time, thus proving the durability and hardness of these gemstones.

The bracelet features garnet, ruby, and citrine

The King of Saxony was said to have a garnet that was 465 carets! That's a lot of stone considering one round 10mm garnet is the equivilent of 5.75 carets!

Plato had his portrait engraved on a garnet by a Roman engraver. I wonder how long he had to sit still.

Garnets were also used in the late antique Roman world, and the Migration Period art of the barbarian people who took over the territory of the Western Roman Empire. In a cloisonne technique, garnet was inlaid in gold cells, also known called garnet cloisonne.

In old Spain, where pomegranates were popular, so was the garnet. Spanish astrology used the garnet to represent the sun.

Bohemia was a large source for garnets at one time making it a very rich industry for that country. Bohemian castles and some churches have interiors decorated with these precious gemstones.

Chipita Non-pierced Earrings 

(Spessartin a type of Garnet)

Current uses:

Besides being an object of beauty, garnets have an industrial use as a good abrasive.  It is a common replacement for silica sand in sand blasting as the grains are rounder and better suited for it. Garnets can also cut steel and other materials when used with water jets.

Garnets are also used for gem identification purposes. A pick up response to a strong magnet separates the garnet from all other naturally transparent gemstones. Susceptibility measurements can also distinguish garnet species.


Care of Garnet Jewelry:

Care of your garnet jewelry is quite simple, with only a few do nots.

DO NOT expose garnet jewelry to extreme temperatures to suddenly.
DO NOT expose your garnet to chemicals, which includes cosmetics and perfumes.  As with most gemstones jewelry, it is suggested that jewels be put on last for this reason.

KJK's Pearls & Gems  Clip on Drop Earrings (Left has garnet) 

DO use warm water and a soft brush, keeping the brush gentle on the stone's surface.
DO use a cotton cloth to pat dry.
DO store it in a dry place separate from other jewelery.

Also, at-home ultrasonic units can clean garnet jewelry with proper care and caution.


Folklore & the Mystic:

Garnets are the traditional birthstone for January and the anniversary stone for the 2nd year of marriage.

During midieval times, garnets were believed to cure depression, relieve liver diseases and protect against nightmares. The Bible refers to Noah's use of a glowing garnet to illuminate the ark, as well as garnet being one of the twelve gems in Aaron's breastplate. The Koran holds that the garnet illuminates the Fourth Heaven of the Moslems. Greeks believed it guarded children from drowning as well as being a potent against poisons.  Greek mythology references garnet as a gift of love and associated with eternity.

Some carried a garnet as a protective talisman, as it was said to warn the wearer of danger, and if the garnet loses is luster, it is a sign of a coming disaster.

There are also beliefs of "garnet blood magjc" with ancient connections to feminine life forces, and therefore believed that only women should wear them.

Cliptomania.com offers over 500 pairs of clip-on earrings in a variety of styles and colors including gemstone, crystal, gold, sterling, nickel-free, hoops, faux pearl, hoop and many, many more!  Site includes FAQ page, style guide, guide to clips, and other helpful pages.




Sources:
www.gemselect.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.jewelsforme.com
www.jewelvalley.com
www.minerals.net

The Origins of Birthstones

Various gemstones

What is the story behind the different color birthstone's attributed to each month?  Believed to have certain therapeutic virtues, they first were worn according to the person's affliction rather than their birth month. Many claimed these stones absorbed the earth's energies thus giving them healing and supernatural powers. Religious leaders wore them to summon spiritual guidance, while kings wore them on their breastplates to protect them from harm during battles.  The Egyptians put stones in tombs to buy passage to the afterlife.

A first century historian, Titus Flavius Josephus, proclaimed a connection between the 12 stones on the breastplate of Aaron, a priest and prophet, to the 12 months of the year and their zodiac signs.  Taking from Josephus, St. Jerome said the Foundation Stones were of the New Jerusalem and appropriate for Christians to wear. However, in the eighth and ninth century, religious treaties were specifically written to match a particular stone with an apostle. The practice became to keep twelve stones and wear one a month.  Modern authorities claim that wearing a single birthstone is only a few centuries old.  George Frederick Kunz, an American mineralogist, places the custom in 18th century Poland, while the Gemological Institute of America states it began in Germany in the 1560s.

The National Association of Jewelers met in Kansas in 1912 to create a standard for birthstones.  In 1952, the Jewelry Industry Council of America updated the list; however, the most recent change happened in October 2002  with tanzanite being added as a December birthstone.

Today, a month may have many birthstones, and we wear them to symbolize our birth month, with the hope of their proposed therapeutic properties, or simply because it's our favorite color.  Whatever the reason, they continue to sparkle their way into our lives.

Sources:

http://36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.yom.mail.yahoo.net

http://applesofgold.com

http://www.limogesjewelry.com/birthstone.asp

Boutique @ Cliptomania.com

Our Boutique section is made up of Also for Earrings. Below are pictures that offer a taste of what both areas have in this section.

Charm Sets for Hoop Earrings

Comfort Package for Clip Earrings

Cape Cod Polishing Cloths

Gemstone Highlight: Lapiz Lazuli

Polished Lapiz

Lapis lazuli is classified as a rock whose most important mineral component is lazurite (a formula comprised of sulfate, sulfur and chloride.) Along with other constituents, most lapis also contains calcite (white), sodalite (blue) and pyrite (metallic yellow). Its intense blue color is due to the presence of the radical anion (a charged, free radical) whose molecularity creates a very intense absorption line. Lapis lazuli usually occurs in crystalline marble as a result of contact metamorphism, a result of the temperature increase caused by the intrusion of magma into cooler country rock.  Simply put, Lapis is a rock consisting mainly of diopside and lazurite and came into being millions of years ago during the metamorphosis of lime to marble.

MR44

Lapis is the Latin word for stone and lazuli is of Medievel Latin, taken from Arabic and formerly the Persian word lazaward, which is the name of the stone in Persian and also of the place where lapis lazuli was mined. The English word azur comes from the name and color of lapis lazuli. In many cases a color is associated with the naming of the stone, but not with lapis.  The name of the stone instead came to be associated with its color.





This deep blue stone ( usually abbreviated to just lapis) has a record of being mined in northeastern Afghanistan as early as the 7th millennium BC. However, beads have been found at 4th millennium BC settlements, and a dagger with a lapis handle, a bowl, amulets, beads and inlays have been found in the Royal Tombs of Ur dating back to the 3rd millennium BC.  The eyebrows of King Tutankhamun (shown right) are made of lapis. Another interesting fact is that powdered lapis was used as eyeshadow by Cleopatra.  As lapis began to be exported into Europe, it was ground into powder and made into the finest and most expensive of all blue pigments.  It was used by artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods often reserved for the clothing of the central figure of the painting, like the Virgin Mary.  Afghanistan is still a major source of lapis, however other notable mines include Lake Baikal in Russia and the Andes Mountains in Chile.  Small mines include those in Italy, Canada, Mongolia and the United States.

MR58

On the Moh's scale of hardness, it sits at 5 to 5.5 and when cutting or polishing the stone, it must be handled gently and not given too much pressure.  It normally has a dull finish, but most lapis is sealed with a colorless wax or synthetic resin extending and improving the stone's wearing qualities and retaining its ability to be re-polished.  It is said that many a cutter "turns up his nose" when cutting lapis as it gives off a notable smell when it comes in contact with the cutting device.

Lapis jewelery should always be protected from acidic substances, and never exposed to too much sunlight. Cleaning is simply wiping with a polishing cloth, and a little warm water and very soft brush if necessary.  Because it is not very hard, lapis jewelry should be stored away from other jewelry as to prevent scratching or other damage.

Lapis is regarded as the stone of friendship and truth. Said to encourage relationship harmony, it helps its wearer to be authentic, wise and open.  It is also purported to be a powerful crystal for achieving a higher state of mind and enhancing one's intellectual ability.

MR104

Although the traditional birthstone for December is Turquoise, the recommended alternative is Lapis Laluzi. It is also the stone for the 9th Anniversary.


Cliptomania is an internet store Cliptomania®, an Internet store, selling 100s of clip earring styles.  Click on any of the pictured earring's item number (underneath image) to go directly to its page for further information and/or purchase.






Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapis_lazuli
http://www.gemstone.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=117:sapphire&catid=1:gem-by-gem&Itemid=14
http://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/lapis

Cliptomania Highlight: Sea Glass

Okay, it's technically not a gemstone.  However, technically sea glass is an archaeological piece of the history of human civilization. Since the oceans have served as a dumping grounds for glass since the beginning of time, through the result of shipwrecks, piracy, foul weather, and human trash disposal, sea glass, or as it is also called "beach glass," has become not only a hobby for collectors, but a craft medium for beautiful works-of-art. With its usage in hand-crafted jewelry, we would like to highlight this wonderful creation compliments of nature and man.

What is it?

Sea glass is physically and chemically weathered anthropogenic glass found along bodies of fresh and salt water. In simple terms, glass tossed about in the ocean and washed ashore. Waves and currents toss the glass, breaking it into smaller pieces and smoothing the edges. This weathering process gives the glass a frosted and smooth appearance.  Sea glass origins range from discarded Victorian apothecary bottles, vials and perfume bottles, to Mason jars, soda, beer, liquor and ink bottles, fruit jars, windshields,  windows and pottery.

Colors

Most common colors are kelly green, brown, white (clear), and purple (clear).  Less common colors include jade, amber (from whiskey, medicine and early bleach bottles), lime green (soda bottles from 1960s), forest green, and ice or soft-blue. Uncommon colors come from a type of green, which comes from early to mid-1900s Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, RC Cola and beer bottles.  These colors are found once in every 50 to 100 pieces.  Purple, citron, opaque white (from milk glass), cobalt, cornflower and aqua are very uncommon and are found once for every 200 to 1,000 pieces of glass found.  Extremely rare colors are gray, pink, teal, black, yellow, turquoise, and red.  Orange is the least common color, found once in about every 10,000 pieces. Black sea glass is the oldest, originating from thick 18th century bottles.

Locations

It is possible to find sea glass on just about every beach  around the world, but there are certain areas that are famous for their bounty.  The best times to look are during spring tides and during the first low tide after a storm.

Real or Fake?

You don't have to scout the beach the get sea glass.  You can buy authentic sea glass, but you need learn the difference between the real deal and the wanna-bes.  The authentic glass is becoming harder to find due to more people searching for it, glass items being replaced by plastic, and the fact that littering is increasingly discouraged. This leads some crafters to create "craft glass" from ordinary pieces of glass using a rock tumbler (see image below left).  This craft glass lacks not only the authentic etched surface by means of long-term exposure to water conditions, but may also have rough edges, a lack of frosted appearance and the small "C" patterns that emerge on the surface of real sea glass.

Some crafters find real shards of glass on the beach that have not completed a long-weathering process, and using a rock tumbler, creating what is known as "twice-tossed" glass. For many professional collectors, artisans and retailers, the main issue is honesty about the source of the glass.  Actual sea glass will also be more expensive, especially in those uncommon colors mentioned above.

Cliptomania.com has an entire page dedicated to beautiful non-pierced earring creations by Solaras (Simon Harrison Design Corp), created of sea glass and other components like faux and genuine pearls. To see these click Sea Glass or do an Advanced Search and type in the keywords "sea glass" to see all results located throughout our website.

Happy New Year 2018!

Image courtesy of franky242 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sunday night people around the world celebrated New Year’s Eve with fireworks, music, and the dropping of a lit ball or numerals from a pole towering above on a skyscraper building to ring in the newest year.  While they gather below in the streets to dance and party to music.  Others watched unevents unfold in the warmth of their homes or at someone's party.

In the Philippines, children jump repeatedly at midnight in the hopes he or she will grow tall. Over in Italy some people eat a carnival pastry called chiacchiere to have a sweet and lucky New Year.  And in nearby Greece, New Year’s Day is like a second Christmas.  Children leave their shoes by the fireplace or another popular area of the home in the hopes that St. Basil will fill them with gifts. 

 In Germany people, drop melted lead in a bucket of water and try to interpret what it means. Or in Ireland people take bread and bang it on doors and walls to drive out bad luck and bring in good spirits.  They also may light a candle at dusk to burn throughout the night. There are many other traditions such as eating lentils as they do in Brazil or in Southern America or Europe consuming as many leafy greens as possible to increase prosperity and health.  Each and every one of us as our tradition(s) for celebrating New Year’s Eve into New Year’s day.

I hope you all had a good start to this New Year and that 2018 treats you well.

A Little History of the Czech or Bohemian Glass Beads

BD370

Beads of all types have been made for centuries mostly in what is now Western and Eastern Europe.  Specifically, the focus of this article is on Czech beads or by their other name Bohemian Glass Beads.  They got their name from Bohemia, a region in central Europe that occupied two-thirds of the lands that was a kingdom in the Holy Empire, and later the Austrian Empire.

The manufacturing of beads in Bohemia began after 400 A.D. and by 900 A.D. locally made beads were placed in tombs.  Three hundred years later glass factories were turning out a variety of glass products, mostly household wares.

BD369

By the 19^th century there was a change in the political face of Europe when Bohemia and Venice added the Austrian Empire.  All three regions competed with each other prior to coming together as one and continued to compete afterwards thanks to Czech “sample men”.  They were what we call today craftsmen and salesmen. They traveled world wide asking people what beads they wanted made then would sketch the beads and write descriptions underneath those sketches before returning to Bohemia to make them a reality.  At the same time there was an industrial innovation that produced new machines that pressed molten glass into heated molds and resulted in mass production of identical beads.

Moving into modern history, Czech glass bead production is closely allied to the impact of both World Wars and later the Cold War.  The center of bead production was North Bohemia.  It has been the center of bead production since the 13^th century.  The area was a rich resource of potash and Quartz needed for glass making.  The three cities that produced all the glass beads in the area were Jablonec, Stanovsko and Bedricho (the last city is now called Reichenberg) known for making rosaries.  In the second half the 16^th century it became fashionable to produce costume jewelry.

A good website for more detailed information is big-bead-little-bead.blogspot.  If you click on Czech beads, you can see the individual homes where beads were made to supply large companies.

BD361

After WWI North Bohemia became part of Czechoslovakia and initially bead production was doing well, and in fact, the region became the largest bead exporter.  When the Depression and then WWII occurred bead production was greatly affected, and subsequently it was dealt an even heavier blow when the communist government decided glass making was not an approved industry.  The Czech government did not change its mind about bead production in Czechoslovakia until the 1950s.  Prior to this time many North Bohemians left the area for Germany where they resettled and restarted their businesses.

Decades later in 1989, communist control ended and Czechoslovakia split into two countries: Czech Republic and Slovakia.  (The Czech Republic is now where North Bohemia now lies.)