STONES
Agate -
Amazonite -
Amber - Amber is a fossilized tree resin and millions of years old & has been used in jewelry since the Stone Age. Metaphysically, amber is believe to promote self healing in the human body by absorbing negative energy & converting it into positive energy. It is also believed to purify & bring good luck to the wearer.
Amethyst -
Aquamarine -
Black Onyx -
Blood Stone - This particular material was mined in the state of Utah and is a lovely blend of deep greens, red, browns, burnt oranges and deep mustard color. This material has a lot more rich color than the more common green & red material generally seen from India. Chemically Bloodstone is a green chalcedony with areas of iron oxide causing the reddish hued tones. It is a traditional birthstone of Pisces (me!) and metaphysically is believed to be quite magical. In addition to helping with a host of physical ailments it is supposed to help one become more knowledgeable in the ways of the world. It is also sometimes referred to as Heliotrope.
Botswana Agate -
Carnelian -
Chalcedony -
Charoite -
Chrysoprase - Chrysoprase is from Australia. This gemstone variety of chalcedony is generally a bright apple green color although darker and lighter variations are also found. The green color is due to the presence of nickel and it's hardness on the mohs scale is 6-7. In the Australian material it is not uncommon for it to occur with iron oxides which are seen as reddish brown areas within the green.
Citrine -
Czech Glass -
Fire Opal -
Freshwater Pearl -
Gaspeite - Genuine gaspeite and it's lovely apple green color is natural. Originally found in Canada's Gaspé Peninsula it was named for this location. Gaspeite is found in just a few locations in the world including Australia where this material is from. Gaspeite is found near nickel sulfide deposits and has a hardness of 4.5-5 on the Mohs scale.
Green Amethyst -
Imperial Jasper - Quality jasper is mined only in Mexico, near Guadalajara. It's softly blending tones of greens, reds, browns, creams and other tones are quite characteristic and very beautiful. The patterns formed by the mingling of colors can be quite unusuall and this more colorful material is becoming harder to find.
Kyanite - Kyanite is a rather interesting mineral. It is a polymorph, meaning it shares the same chemistry as other minerals but has a different crystal structure. Kyanite is a polymorph with two other minerals: sillimanite & andalusite. While kyanite is usually a blue color aluminum silicate mineral (thus it's name origin from the Greek word kuanos, meaning deep blue) it is also found in green, grey and even black or white. These colors are frequently mixed together. It's hardness on the Moh's scale varies from 4.5-5 to 6.5-7 depending on which axis, or direction, it is scratched in to test it. It is found in a number of locations worldwide and it's spiritual and healing properties are believed to be beneficial in many areas.
Lemon Quartz -
Lapis Lazuil - It is a rich blue with a small amount of calcite & sparkly pyrite. Lapis lazuli is a gem variety of lazurite which has been mined in Afghanistan for over 6,000 years. The white (calcite) and sparkly (pyrite) inclusion are naturally found in this material. There are numerous historical reference to the use of lapis for a variety of things from jewelry to statues to eye shadow. It is not only beautiful but it has an interesting past!
Malachite -
Montana Moss Agate - A gemstone found along the banks of the Yellowstone River. This form of chalcedony is volcanic in origin & does not contain moss or other organic material. The milky white of the stone is rather luminous & the red areas (caused by iron oxide) and the black areas (manganese oxide) form random shapes and patterns.
Murano Glass -
Opal -
Opalite -
Ocean Jasper - Although the actual variety of jasper is Orbicular Jasper (because of the spherical inclusions in the store) this particular material from Madagascar is found near the shoreline and is referred to as Ocean Jasper. The material is rhyolitic (volcanic) in origin and it's colorful mixture of greens, pink, browns, creams and other tones is quite characteristic. It is not uncommon to find small gaps in the material with or without pockets of crystalline growth.
Peridot - A gem form of the mineral Olivine and it's hardness on the Mohs scale is 6.5-7. Long prized for it's cool crisp green coloring it is also the birthstone for the month of August. Found worldwide, there is actually quite a bit of it mined in the south western United States. This particular cut of peridot is a refreshing change from the usual faceted rondelle and briolette shape beads. These are cut nuggets, well polished and really show off the beauty of the stone's natural color.
Prehnite -
Psilomelane - The beads in the strand are made of Psilomelane. This very unusual stone is found in many locations and is a manganese oxide ore banded with gray pyrolusite. These alternating bands form the most unusual patterns of metallic gray & submetallic black.
Puruvian Opal -
Quartz -
Rhodochrosite - A manganese carbonate mineral and although found in many parts of the world Argentina is well known for it's deposits of this stone. The Incas believed that it is the blood of their former rulers that had turned to stone thus it is sometimes referred to as "Rose del Inca" or "Inca Rose". It's metaphysical properties are believed to be that it draws love to the wearer, brings balance and that it is a healer for the 4th chakra.
Rutalated Quartz -
Sardonyx -
Smoky Quartz -
Tiger Eye -
Tiger Iron -Tiger Iron is a richly patterned stone comprised of alternating layers of chatoyant tiger eye, metallic hematite & red jasper. This naturally formed & colored material is from Australia.
Tourmaline - Tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone whose colors range from the palest shades to deep black. The red/green combination is commonly referred to as "watermelon". Metaphysically tourmaline is believed to help circulation, relieve stress, improve alertness and strengthen the immune system.
Turquoise -
Variscite - Variscite is a lovely green tone hydrated aluminum phosphate mineral whose coloration can make it similar to greener forms turquoise and chrysocolla. Although found in various worldwide locations in the US it is found in Utah and Nevada. The coloration ranges from soft pale green to deeper apple or emerald green shades. This particular darker tone material is from Nevada. Nevada material frequently contains matrix or white veining some of which may be crandallite.
The materials I use are highly varied - carnelian, chalcedony, aquamarine, topaz, beryl, turquoise, coral, quartz, tiger’s-eye, agate, opal, Labradorite, lapis and amber. I may also combine these stones with Murano and Czech glass, Lucite, wood and seed pods, in addition to antique and ethnic objects. The clasps and findings are sterling, vermeil, gold and bronze.
The glamour necklaces with the greatest volume often need three to four hundred beads, each attached with a gold filled pin. There are no short cuts. It often takes a great deal of time to create a necklace that is both aesthetically successful and well balanced for comfort. I design and make each necklace. The majority are unique, and only occasionally will I make a small edition of two or three.
The work is both tedious and comforting, for the studio is a private place where ideas, music, books, art and refreshments come together to help create new art. The cycle continues with each new collection and the surprises outweigh the complexities of the work.
- Natasha